Champion for Youth: Boys & Girls Club honoring local banker

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FLORENCE, S.C. – Tom Ewart, an executive with First Reliance Bank in Florence, will be honored next month as the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area’s 2018 Champion for Youth.

The 15th annual Champions For Youth Tribute in his honor is scheduled for Aug. 28 at The Waters Building at 135 S. Dargan St. in downtown Florence.

The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. The award presentation will start at 7 p.m.

Sponsorships range from the $10,000 Hall of Fame sponsorship (including 12 attendees and a Carolina Classic sponsorship) to a $250 Booster sponsorship for two attendees. Individual tickets also are available for $75. The evening also will include a special “heads or tails” contest.

A longtime community leader, Ewart serves several local and statewide organizations. These include ScienceSouth, the Pee Dee Regional Education Center, the (BGC) State Alliance, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area, the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation, the Florence Rotary Club and St. Luke Lutheran Church.

In addition to his community service, Ewart is the market president for First Reliance Bank. Previously he served in various roles throughout the banking community.

Ewart joins 14 previous Champions For Youth honorees: Rob Colones (2017), Buddy Brand (2016), Tammy Pawlowski (2015), Boys & Girls Club donors and supporters (2014), East Florence Mission (2013), Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs (2012), Darla Moore (2011), Ralph R. Porter Jr. (2010), Allie E. Brooks Jr. (2009), Richard C. Harrington (2008), Rep. James E. Clyburn (2007), Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. (2006), Luther F. Carter (2005) and Frank Avent (2004).

The Champions for Youth Tribute supports Boys & Girls Club programs that help thousands of children throughout the Pee Dee grow into productive adults. Attendance and financial contributions will help brighten the lives of some of our community’s most promising children. The Boys & Girls Clubs serve youth every day after school and all day on nonschool days and during the summer. Clubs provide a safe place where young people can learn and grow while helping them become productive citizens.

Call 843-662-1142 for more information, or register online at bgcpda.org.

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Business of the Quarter: Soule Cafe

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Ezra Brown was recognized by The Greater Florence Chamber and Florence City Council . The resolution was honoring Soule’ Cafe’s contributions to the overall efforts to revitalize Downtown Florence. This resolution is awarded quarterly by the Chamber and the City of Florence.

More construction for downtown Florence: Splash pad and traffic circle coming

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By: Rosalia Fodera, WPDE

FLORENCE, SC (WPDE) — Construction cones and signs have taken over downtown Florence.

“I think downtown has come a long way and it’s something that Florence really needed,” Myranda Clark said.

“We see that footprint of downtown expanding and hopefully that coincides with expansion of investment downtown and businesses and others,” Mayor Stephen Wukela said.

The city started street and sidewalk construction on West Evans Street and will continue it to Baroody Street, and North and South Dargan Streets.

“Brick the whole width it really gives you a sense of a wider sidewalk and of course those beds are redone,” Wukela said.

With the new hotel coming and more traffic expected, a traffic circle will go at the intersection of Baroody and East Evans Streets.

“Changing in the stripping of Baroody Street to allow for some more parking there and a bike lane,” Wukela said.

A pocket park with a splash pad is coming and Clark’s niece approves of it.

“I would totally use it. We really need one in Florence because a lot of them are in like Hartsville,” Emory Clark said.

“It’ll cool the area. It’ll sound nice. It’ll attract young and that’s something we’ve heard a lot and we feel that we really need to do to have some access to young children,” Wukela said.

The roughly $2 million project is funded with a TIF (tax increment financing) so there’s no additional cost to taxpayers.

“Tax dollars from the growth downtown funding improvements downtown,” Wukela said.

Myranda Clark is excited for all the changes.

“I think downtown is a great place for it’s very kid friendly very family friendly,” Clark said.

Mayor Wukela said the projects should all be completed by spring 2019.

Mayor Wukela said the plans for Baroody Street are designed, but construction won’t start until after the hotel is built.

Minister reflects on year as Florence Chamber chairman

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By: Andrew Boardwine, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. — The Rev. Merritt Graves says he wants to be remembered a lot less for what he did and a lot more for what God did through him.

Graves, the pastor at Mt. Zion AME Church, served as the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Board Chairman during the 2017-18 term.

During that time, Graves said, he was able to build valuable relationships.

“If you’re going to do anything in the community, you have to build relationships,” Graves said. “I got to meet a lot of different people as part of the chamber and on the chamber board that are just awesome. There are a lot of great people in the city of Florence and it gives you an opportunity to really get to know folk and for folk to get to know you.”

Graves was named to serve on the Chamber board by the nominating committee. During his time serving on the board, he was nominated to be the chairman-elect. That’s when he took over as the 2017-18 Chamber board chairman.

On Sunday, July 1, Graves rotated off as the chairman.

“When this all began, the individual who approached me was a person that I had a lot of respect for,” Graves said. “My membership with the chamber is going to remain. I love what they’re doing. They’re a great organization and I really like what they represent and what they’re trying to do for the community in Florence.”

Mike Miller, president of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, said Graves was able to help the chamber improve as a result of his leadership.

“Rev. Graves was a pleasure to work with,” Miller said. “The staff also enjoyed his input and backing throughout the year. It was clear he is a man of integrity and character. The chamber is better off today for having his influence and support. We will carry that inspiration forward into all of our programs and projects.”

Graves said serving with the Chamber is something he has enjoyed doing.

“You get to learn that, as people, we really aren’t as different as we think we are,” Graves said. “You get to tear down that keeps us from getting to know one another.”

Graves added that the success of the Chamber couldn’t be possible without its staff members.

“The Florence Chamber is great because of the staff they have there,” Graves said. “Mike Miller and his staff make being part of the Chamber easy. They carry out the mission of the Chamber and work hard every day. The Chamber can’t be what it is without the full-time staff there that put all of this together. They guide us and do an excellent job.”

Graves has been serving in the ministry for 30 years. He said that he served in the Pamplico area for 14 years before being moved to Mt. Zion AME Church in 2008.

He said he appreciates his family’s support and the sacrifice that they make serving in the ministry.

“It [ministry] was not something I sought to do, but was truly what I was called to do,” Graves said. “I believe that if you’re not called into ministry, you won’t be able to stay in ministry. While God does not always call those who are equipped, he equips those he calls. My family has been crucial to my ministry. They’ve always been supportive and there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing than pastoring.”

Graves said he will continue to pastor his church and work in the community through the ministries of his church. He also is excited about partnerships with other churches and organizations to make the city of Florence a better place.

“I want to be remembered for taking an active part in the community to better the lives for generations to come,” Graves said. “Not just me, not just any particular group, but for everybody. I’d like to think that I made a difference in the community through the things that I’m involved in for years down the road.”

Burger restaurant coming to Florence

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By: Andrew Boardwine, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. — The folks who brought the Florence area Tubb’s Shrimp & Fish Co. and King Jefe Taco Bar are looking to bring another delicacy to local residents, this time in the form of an American burger.

Business partners Steve Toniolo, Kyle Hardee and Travis Miller told the Morning News that they plan to open Revival Burger, a quick-serve restaurant, specializing in Americana cuisine.

Toniolo said the new burger restaurant is an opportunity for the partners to give Florence something a little different.

“Our business model has always been to look at what other great cities have and see what Florence doesn’t currently have,” Toniolo said. “That’s how we got King Jefe. Lately, you’re seeing a lot of great burger QSRs [quick service restaurants] pop up, and Florence doesn’t really have many of those. We thought it was a great opportunity for us to deliver a home-grown version with our spin on it.”

Hardee said the partners are eyeing a September opening.

He said the location, at 846 S. Irby St. is in a place with a high traffic count and the building — which previously was a Bojangles’ — provides them with the perfect layout to have an efficient restaurant.

“It’s a big leap,” Hardee said. “We put everything on the line every time we do this. I can promise we’re going to deliver all the things about Tubb’s and King Jefe that the customer likes. One of the things that is missing in many QSRs is the service. Why shouldn’t there be a warm, Southern hospitality spin put on getting a burger? That’s what we’re going to try to provide: A unique Southern atmosphere with great service and great food.”

Toniolo echoed Hardee’s sentiments.

“It’s about creating a unique customer experience,” Toniolo said. “It’s not about the type of food that you’re serving, it’s about us delivering the best customer experience that we can. When we opened King Jefe, we learned things about the business that we didn’t know with Tubb’s. We were able to circle back and make Tubb’s better as a result. With the opening of Revival Burger, we’re going to be able to do the same thing. It’s really exciting for us.”

The restaurant will offer a variety of burgers with a special Revival house sauce and many other items, including hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. The partners said that they will create burgers using many of their unique products, including their pimento cheese and Tomato Bacon Jam that are both used at Tubb’s.

Hardee said Tubb’s is offering the Florence community a chance to try some of their burgers every Monday for lunch as part of “Moo Mondays.”

“We’ve used Tubb’s as our breeding grounds, not just for this, but for King Jefe, too,” Hardee said. “We sell a limited amount of burgers, and we sell out every Monday. We do the classic ‘Revival Burger,’ and we also do one of the signature burgers. Through that, we get to perfect our recipes and get feedback from our customers. It’s been widely received, and when people eat them, they say that this is the best burger they’ve ever had.”

Florence Chamber announces chairman, board changes

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FLORENCE, S.C. – Mindy Taylor of Duke Energy is the new Chairman of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, which has announced seven new board members.

The changes take effect Sunday.

Each new member to the Board of Directors will serve a three-year term.

The new board members:

>> Starlee Alexander with State Farm Insurance.

>> Kyle Baxter with Carolinas Hospital System.

>> Annie Ham with McCall Farms.

>> Brian Nunn with HealthSouth.

>> Ray Reich with Florence Downtown Development Corporation.

>> Marie Saleeby with McLeod Health.

>> Mike Skarupa with PGBA.

Rev. Merritt Graves, the pastor at Mount Zion AME Church, will become the past chairman.

The chairman-elect is Ken Jackson with RE/MAX Professionals.

Keith Buckhouse with NBSC remains the treasurer.

New 2018-2019 executive committee members:

>> Chad Patterson with Raldex Hospitality Group as co-chair of member services.

>> Mark Buyck III with Willcox, Buyck & Williams, PA as co-chair of government affairs.

>> Bret Greer with Toledo Carolina as co-chair of budget and finance.

>> Bailey Dabney with the Morning News as chair of communications and marketing.

>> Debbie Hyler with The School Foundation as co-chair of communications and marketing.

>> Teressa Tabor with The Manor as co-chair of community and business development.

Returning executive committee members are Jamie Carsten, Tyron Jones, Robby Hill, Ed Hoffman, Paul Seward and Dr. Charlene Wages.

Chick-fil-A West Florence opens its doors

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By: Andrew Boardwine, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. — The newly constructed Chick-fil-A West Florence restaurant opened its doors for the very first time Thursday morning.

One hundred people received free Chick-fil-A for a year, including dozens of campers who braved the heat, a short rain spell and the elements to camp outside the store 24 hours prior to the official opening.

Employees and executives from the restaurant, which previously was drive-thru only, joined ambassadors from the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the grand opening with a program, ribbon cutting and a ceremonial “first bite.”

Blake Pate, owner and operator of the store, said that the Chick-fil-A drive-thru opened 24 years ago, and for 23 of those years, they have waited for a dining room.

“I want to thank everybody that came out and everyone that has been really supportive throughout the community,” Pate said. “We’re happy to finally have that dining room and really excited to be here.”

Pate originally took over the Chick-fil-A inside the Magnolia Mall before transitioning to the drive-thru-only one at 2705 David H. McLeod Blvd two years ago. He said that the store added 35 more jobs, bringing the total number of employment to 105 at the new restaurant.

“We want to keep it simple,” Pate said. “We want to sell you good food and be really friendly while doing it. That’s our mission and our goal here at Chick-fil-A West Florence. We want to do exactly what [Chick-fil-A founder] Truett Cathy said: ‘To treat everyone with honor, dignity and respect’ and to serve you a great chicken sandwich at the same time.”

Nicole Hill, the marketing director of Chick-fil-A West Florence, said she was happy for the entire Pate family as their dream came true Thursday morning.

“For us, it’s been such a joyful experience,” Hill said. “A lot of us have been working with Blake when he was in the mall and followed him to drive-thru, but we knew the long-term plan was to build this store. It’s been his dream, and the fact that he gets to have something so new makes me extremely excited for him. He really is a people’s person. He wants to be able to get out of the office and into the dining room to interact with guests. I think having this new store is going to be amazing for him.”

Hill said the location right off the interstate will provide a good amount of volume for the store.

“With this particular location, we have so many people traveling through on the interstate that will get off and want to eat here,” Hill said. “If they want something a bit faster or if they have a really large family, they actually have a dining room to come and sit in together, which is awesome.”

Chick-fil-A West Florence will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Three J Properties holds ribbon cutting in Florence; business offers handyman services

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By: Andrew Boardwine, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – Three J Properties joined ambassadors from the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce to hold a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon.

Three J Properties, a maintenance and repair company, offers a variety of services for both residential and commercial properties.

Joe Linder, owner of Three J Properties, said his favorite part about being a handyman is seeing his clients’ face when the job is completed.

“There are different personalities day to day,” Linder said. “No one person is the same, no one job is the same. I love seeing that finished result. Everyone has different things that they want, but always at the end they are like ‘wow’ and that makes it all worth it.”

Linder said the company does anything including repairs, renovation, refinishing and remodeling for both residential and commercial properties.

He said joining the chamber was a way to extend his company’s reach and let the Florence community know about the services his business offers.

Linder was joined by many family members, including his brother James and father, Joe Sr., who help with the business.

“I’m no better than anyone else, but I will work hard to make sure I get it right,” Linder said. “It’s awesome getting to work with my family. A lot of times, you have to choose between work and family. Through our business, we get to do both and I look forward to building relationships with people and letting them know about us in the Florence community.

For more information, contact Three J Properties at 843-615-2131.

FMU grows downtown Florence presence with building acquisition

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FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University’s already significant presence in downtown Florence is set to grow again.

The City of Florence recently transferred ownership of the LS Rainwater Building at 142 North Dargan Street to the FMU Educational Foundation. FMU will begin work to transform the three-story structure into the new home of the Francis Marion University Kelley Center for Enterprise and Innovation and a first-floor art gallery to be curated by the FMU Department of Fine Arts with day-to-day management through the FMU Performing Arts Centers.

The Kelley Center will operate a business incubator for entrepreneurs and support the city of Florence with research for business recruitment. In its expanded role, the Kelley Center will provide critical assistance for business owners in the region. The art gallery will be curated and operated by the FMU Department of Fine Arts, with day-to-day management through the FMU Performing Arts Center.

The Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation will provide funding for the renovation of the building.

FMU President Fred Carter hailed yet another step in the university’s ongoing partnership with the city and with the revitalization of Florence’s downtown.

“The importance of the relationship between FMU and the city of Florence cannot be understated,” Carter said. “Collaborations between these two entities have led to new programs, new facilities and new achievements that continue to benefit the community and its people. The new, expanded Kelley Center, and this extraordinary art gallery will be terrific additions that will further enhance this tradition. And, as usual, our friends at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation will help provide resources to make this happen. It’s a great partnership.”

Added Florence Mayor Stephen J. Wukela, “This project represents yet another example of the successful partnership between FMU, the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation and the city advancing the community.”

The Rainwater Building will be the university’s fifth downtown facility. FMU already has completed the FMU Performing Arts Center, the Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences and the FMU Recording Studio. Renovation work on the Old Post Office Building, which will be used for additional classroom space by the FMU School of Health Sciences, is set to begin soon.

The historic Rainwater building is a three-story, 17,000 square-foot building. The city obtained the building several years ago as part of its downtown revitalization plan, and has already invested in an initial phase of renovations on the first floor of the building.

A donation of $750,000 over a three-year period (2018, 2019, 2020) from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation will allow the remaining renovations to be completed within a year.  When complete, the project will reflect a $2.7 million investment into downtown Florence.

The Kelley Center for Enterprise and Innovation has operated in downtown Florence since 2016, providing business incubation services, post-launch assistance, technical support and enterprise development aid to new and expanding businesses throughout the Pee Dee.

The facility formally will be owned by the Francis Marion University Education Foundation and operated by FMU.

The new art gallery will provide exhibition space for local artists across a spectrum of artistic disciplines to showcase their work. The gallery also will serve as another downtown event space.

Florence company offers all kinds of fencing work

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FLORENCE, S.C. — Flat Out Fencing joined ambassadors with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning to hold a ribbon cutting.

Flat Out Fencing, a Florence-based company, does fencing of all kinds, including chain-link, wood, privacy or pickets, and gates, as well as repairs or demolition for both commercial and residential property.

Nicholas Hodges, who co-owns the company with his wife, Valentina, said the company began business in September 2017.

“Previously, I had worked with a guy who was a contractor for Lowes, Home Depot and Sears,” Nicholas said. “The last part before I left, they had me branching off of fencing and doing other housework and I really wanted to get back to doing fencing. I enjoy working outside and seeing the productivity of working with my hands.”

Valentina said that Nicholas is a perfectionist, which results in him making sure to put in the highest quality of work on each project he is assigned.

“Whatever he does, whether it be fencing or working with me in the house or anything else, he’ll redo it again and again to make sure he gets it right,” Valentina said. “For him, quality is important and he wants everything to look good.”

Nicholas was referred to the Chamber by a board member, Robby Hill, and said the networking opportunities will help grow his business.

He said the business is excited about its opportunities in the future and will look to provide its customers with the best quality and service.

“As a new company, we are trying to have the lowest price,” Nicholas said. “If a customer were to find a lower price, we would try our best not just to match it, but to beat it.”

For more information, contact Flat Out Fencing at 843-206-6922 or email flatoutfencing@gmail.com. The company also has a website at flatoutfence.business.site.

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