Chamber’s Winter Community Breakfast Is A SELL-OUT

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Seating for the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Winter Legislative and Community Breakfast, with the featured speaker Lethonia Barnes as Florene’s new mayor is sold out. The event will be held on Friday, February 28th  at the Florence Center.

Mayor Barnes will provide a Florence city update on what programs and improvement are happening now and what projects she expects to address in the near future.

This breakfast is an informational community gathering held twice each year. Topics range from state and local representatives providing legislative updates to local concerns centered on community safety, health care, and education.

Reminder for ticket holders that the doors will open at 7:30 a.m. and the program begins at 7:50 a.m. There will be no tickets or registration available at the door. This program is made possible by Palmetto Commercial Real Estate and Duke Energy.

Teacher Recruitment Fair Just Around The Corner

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Be sure to save the date of February 8th for Florence 1 Schools Teacher Recruitment Fair at West Florence High School – 221 North Beltline Drive in Florence from 10:00am to 12:00 noon. Make your plans now to attend this chance to join Florence 1 Schools as a dynamic, innovative district with opportunities available in a variety of positions and academic areas.

Florence Stampede And Pro Rodeo Returns February 7 & 8

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The Florence Stampede and Pro Rodeo, proudly presented by Booty Brothers Western Store, returns to the Florence Center on February 7-8, 2025, marking its 10th anniversary with a weekend of high-energy rodeo action and fun for all ages. This milestone event will feature top-ranked cowboys and cowgirls from across the country, competing against some of the most award-winning livestock in professional rodeo.

Fans can look forward to a lineup of exhilarating events, including bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, team roping, cowgirls barrel racing, and the ever-popular wild Brahma bull riding. Each event will showcase the impressive skills, courage, and camaraderie of the athletes as they navigate through intense competition for top honors.

Beyond the arena, the Florence Stampede and Pro Rodeo offers an engaging experience for the entire family. Attendees will enjoy a variety of vendors offering delicious food, unique merchandise, and much more, adding to the festival-like atmosphere and ensuring the fun extends beyond the rodeo arena. After the rodeo on Friday we have up and coming country star Shaylen taking the stage. This is a can’t miss event.

Partnership opportunities are available. If you are interested, please contact us at info@florencecenter.com

To view the full flyer, click here.

Leadership Florence Class of 2025 Holds Social Issues Session

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The Leadership Florence Class of 2025 held their Social Issues session on Tuesday, January 14th, and heard from many area nonprofit organizations.

The group was hosted by Senior Citizens Association for breakfast and heard from: Lighthouse Ministries, Mercy Medicine, Red Cross, House of Hope, Man2Man, United Way and Help 4 Kids.

The group visited My Brothers Keeper Shelter for lunch and ended the day with CAREHouse.

A big thank you to the agencies that hosted and presented.

To see more photos from the day, click here.

Brad Beadles Named Executive Director Of Florence Reginal Airport

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As most of the business community knows, the Chamber has played an active role over the years in helping keep our airport and American Airlines engaged on improving commercial flight schedules in and out of the Florence Regional Airport. That relationship will continue to help local businesses and leisure travelers.

This month it has been announced that Brad Beadles will be the new Executive Director of the Florence Reginal Airport (FLO). Beadles brings a wealth of expertise and over 14 years of aviation industry experience to the role, positioning him to lead the airport into its next exciting phase of growth and development.

Mr. Beadles, an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE), has built a distinguished career in airport management and operations, including roles at Marco Island Executive Airport and Evansville Regional Airport. His experience spans areas such as operations, regulatory compliance, staff development, and strategic planning, along with a background as an FAA Part 135 certified Helicopter Pilot.

The Chamber looks forward to continuing its’ supportive role in working with Brad Beadles and the airport staff to foster improved services and a greater airport experience. Please welcome Brad and his family to Florence.

To read the full press release, click here.

Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Held Last Thursday

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The Greater Florence Chamber partnered with Francis Marion University for the annual celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy on January 16th at FMU’s Chapman Auditorium.

The keynote speaker was City of Florence Mayor Lethonia Barnes, speaking on Dr. King’s legacy of service and social justice.

The celebration also included performances by the award winning YGB Gospel Choir and other talented members of student body.

Sponsors for the event were HopeHealth, MUSC Health Florence, McLeod Health, Spherion, State Farm-Starlee Alexander and iHeart Media.

To see more photos from the event, click here.

The UPS Store Featured On ChamberLink Radio

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David Fountain, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Owner of the Florence UPS Stores was the Florence Chamber’s guest this past weekend sharing some of the UPS Stores offerings, such as packing, shipping, mailbox rentals, shredding, notary, freight service and much more.. We encourage you to tune-in every Sunday from 12:00-12:30pm on LIVE 95.3FM in Florence, SC.

This program is brought to you by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

You can review past ChamberLink Radio Show interviews by clicking https://www.flochamber.com/events-programs/podcasts/

Potter House Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Potter House founders Nicole Page, Donovan Page and Robert Waller along with Chamber Ambassadors cut their ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Potter House Recovery is a 501(c)(3), SCARR Certified, non-profit organization located in Florence, SC. They are an immersive, residential, peer driven recovery community for men and women that uses the Twelve Steps as the foundation for their program. The Twelve Steps are a widely implemented and effective approach to recovery that facilitates peer support in a community setting. This creates an environment where people can build a substance-free lifestyle that’s sustainable in the long term and allows them to leverage their own personal experiences with substance use to help others. Potter House Recovery believes that peer support coupled with a comprehensive course in the Twelve Steps can offer freedom and a new beginning to those suffering from substance use disorder.

The founders of Potter House Recovery, Nicole Page, Donovan Page and Robert Waller, are aware of the pain and endless suffering that individuals experience when being gripped by a life of substance use, homelessness, and desperation. With their keen insight into this world, they were offered the opportunity of a lifetime and began working on creating what is now Potter House Recovery. The history begins when they were introduced to two young men who were kicked out of a local treatment center in May of 2020. Immediately a phone call was placed to one of the organization’s co-founders, and from that phone call, a plan to open a sober living house was made. After a brief time, they were able to draw the conclusion that they can help people in a more organized structure, eventually sparking the idea for Potter House Recovery. Potter House Recovery was named in memory Hayden Potter who lost his battle with substance use disorder. After tireless work and dedication, Potter House Recovery opened its doors on March 15, 2022. In just a few years, the organization has exceeded all expectations, and to date, has grown to housing over 60 residents in 8 homes.

To read the full story, click here.

2025 CAPES for Kids Seeks Event Committee Members

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As preparations begin for the CAPES for Kids Run 2025, they are looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to their event committee. This exciting event is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community, and they would love to have you on board! The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd.

CAPES for Kids is an annual 5k, 10k, and Kids Fun Run, held in honor of a 3-year old Carver Elementary School student who lost her life due to physical abuse and neglect in 2011. Formerly known as the Carver C.A.P. Run, this event strives to honor her life, and the lives of children like her, while also raising awareness and support for victims of child abuse in our local community.

The event committee plays a crucial role in the planning and execution of the run, and they are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic, organized, and ready to help bring this event to life.

If you are interested in joining the committee and helping them create a successful event to prevent child abuse and neglect, please reach out to Ariadne Roberts at aroberts@thecarehouse.com by January 27th. They will then schedule a meeting to discuss the details and answer any questions you may have.

GSSM Foundation Receives $10,000 Grant From The Spinks Family Foundation

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The Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) Foundation is pleased to announce that it received a $10,000 grant from the Spinks Family Foundation. (Note: The Spinks Family Foundation shares its name with its founder, Stewart Spinks, while the related corporation is known as The Spinx Company.) This generous award will provide scholarships for rising 6th-10th grade students to attend GSSM’s 2025 GoSciTech Summer Camps.

Since its founding by Stewart Spinks in 1972, The Spinx Company has been serving and supporting communities across South Carolina. This award for GSSM STEM summer camp students reflects the ongoing commitment of the Spinks Family and the Spinks Family Foundation to education initiatives in the communities they serve.

GSSM’s residential, day, and virtual summer camps offer opportunities for middle and high school students to engage in immersive, hands-on STEM educational experiences across a variety of subjects. Residential camps are held on the GSSM campus in Hartsville. Day camps take place on the campuses of the South Carolina technical colleges, which partner with GSSM to make the camps convenient for students and families.

“The Spinks Family Foundation’s $10,000 donation helps GSSM provide leading edge summer camps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to the children of South Carolina and enkindle in them a passion for STEM fields,” said Beth Dinndorf, Executive Director, GSSM Foundation. “We are grateful to the Spinks Family Foundation and the entire Spinx team for their commitment to supporting GSSM and these students; they are the future innovators and leaders for South Carolina and our world.”

To read the full story, click here.