BluFish IT Solutions joins Florence Chamber

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

“LORENCE, S.C. – BluFish IT Solutions Inc. became a member of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday afternoon following a ribbon cutting held at the chamber office in downtown Florence.

BluFish IT Solutions is a computer networking company located at 908 S. Parker Drive that offers an array of services including network consultation, management, maintenance and security. The company also offers off-site and remote backups, web design services, mobile app development, infrastructure upgrades and hardware repairs.

Bryan Smith, co-founder of BluFish IT Solutions, said the company opened for business in August 2016 and has provided 24-hour services to a wide range of clients from medical and dentist offices to engineering and printing industries.

“Our main goal was to solve the issue for small-to-medium-sized businesses hiring an on-site IT staff,” Smith said. “We virtualize that at less than half of the cost. We really pride ourselves on saving people money.”

Smith, along with his family members and fellow co-founder Bryan Wollan, shook hands with chamber ambassadors during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Smith said BluFish’s becoming a chamber member will allow the company to continue to grow and provide connections with other local businesses.

“There’s a lot of influential business members and organizations that are a part of this group,” Smith said. “It’s just a really nice opportunity to meet with some of the more influential members of the community.”

SCNow Web Article – BluFish IT Solutions joins Florence Chamber

Junior Leadership Florence County graduates 2017 class

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“FLORENCE, S.C. – More than 20 high school students from Florence County spent the last year gaining leadership skills and an increased awareness of the community through the Junior Leadership Florence County 4-H Program.

A commencement ceremony was held Thursday afternoon at the Francis Marion University Frank B. Lee Nursing Building. Students received certificates for their participation in the leadership program.

Over the course of the school year, the students attended monthly sessions that focused on leadership skills, successful team work, health care, community awareness, business and industry, agriculture, natural resources, history, art and education, according to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

“I feel blessed to have had the experience of meeting new people and being exposed to new environments,” said Junior Leadership Florence County participant Jordan Snipes. “This exciting 4-H leadership opportunity has brought together high school sophomores and juniors from 10 public and private schools from across Florence County.”

Snipes, a sophomore at Florence Christian School, said that although the group of participants was diverse, they formed a great team and look forward to making a difference in their communities.

Francis Marion University President Fred Carter gave the keynote address at Thursday’s ceremony. He offered five tips to the students for their future: Use the Junior Leadership Florence County experience to broaden their perspective, seize opportunities, develop a network, cultivate and sustain new friendships and read.

“The network that you develop here, and the network that you’ll carry with you into your college years will be critically important to you,” Carter said. “You don’t know how important that is now, but you’ll come to understand in your 20s, and 30s and 40s that the networks that you establish now will sustain the perspectives that you maintain throughout the rest of your life.”

Grayson Jeffords, a student at Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School, said it was very interesting to get to grow and meet people from other schools that she would not normally meet.

“And it (the leadership program) made me raise my awareness of Florence County and just see all of the job opportunities that are available,” Jeffords said.

Erin Lassiter, also a Trinity-Byrnes student, said she loved the experience.

“I thought it was a great experience to get to know more about Florence and just get to meet a lot of new people,” Lassiter said. “We traveled around Florence County and got different aspects of what our community needed and what it was made of.”

The presenting sponsors for this year’s program were Clemson Cooperative Extension, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and Francis Marion University.”

SCNow Web Article – Junior Leadership Florence County graduates 2017 class

Florence Chamber host “Noon Tunes” & The Janis Project

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The Florence Chamber was proud to host ‘Noon Tunes’, a live concert performed by Karen Hertzog as a part of Play Me I’m Yours project. The piano was painted by local artist Gina Dyess.

The Janis Project by Frank Hyder also found a temporary home at the Chamber this week. Sponsored by several local businesses, The Janis Project will be at the Chamber until May 6th.

Hundreds help kick off season for Florence After Five

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“FLORENCE, S.C. – The end of April marks the beginning of the Florence After Five season for many Florence residents who turned out for the free downtown entertainment Friday evening.

Entering its tenth season, Florence After Five hosts a free concert on the last Friday of each month in historic downtown Florence at the Renaissance Dining Courtyard. The series runs from April until October and offers food, drinks and entertainment.

Hundreds of people helped kick off this year’s Florence After Five season starting at 5:30 p.m. Guests could indulge in food and beverages from vendors including Dolce Vita, The Library, Victors and Wholly Smokin’. This year the stage is now at the south end of Dargan Street allowing for more space and for the food vendors to be closer to the action. Host and emcee Dan E. Lockemy said he is especially excited about the new dance floor added to the front of the stage that will help get the Friday crowd going.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Lockemy said. “I get to host a lot of beach music events and that’s what we spotlight here. It gives people not only from Florence but from the Pee Dee to come and enjoy what we have to offer in downtown Florence.”

At 6 p.m., The Pizazz Band took the stage to entertain with soulful, funky sounds featuring rock, beach, top 40 and country hits. The Pizazz Band is the first of seven bands to perform during this year’s Florence After Five season. The entertainment continued at 8:30 p.m. with the musical stylings of Tastes Like Chicken during the Florence After Five after-party.

New to the event this year was a Kids Fun Zone sponsored by the Florence Recreation Department where children and their families enjoyed an evening of games and prizes. Another addition to the Florence After Five festivities was a Pecan Cook-Off sponsored by the Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 Darlene Buchanan, recreation manager for the city of Florence, said this is the recreation department first year planning the Kids Fun Zone and her and her staff jumped at the opportunity to organize a kids’ zone for Florence After Five. Buchanan said each event will feature a different set of activities for the children ages 5-12 to enjoy. Friday’s kid zone offered oversized jenga, arts and crafts, bowling and piñatas in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo.

“There no kid that’s going to leave with some sort of prize,” Buchanan said. “We think every kid will leave the zone happy.”

The next Florence After Five is set for Friday, May 26, featuring the band Second Nature. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about Florence After Five events, contact the Florence Downtown Development Corporation at 843-665-2047.”

SCNow Web Article – Hundreds help kick off season for Florence After Five

Florence entrepreneurs, city leaders connect during chamber meet-and-greet

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“FLORENCE, S.C. – The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce held a press conference and meet-and-greet Tuesday morning to celebrate the start of National Small Business Week.

Approximately 30 small-business owners and community leaders gathered at the chamber office at 100 W. Evans St. for the press conference initiating National Small Business Week in Florence. During the event, small-business owners were recognized for the role they play in a thriving, successful community. After the conference, chamber members, business owners and city officials had the opportunity to exchange business cards and connect with one another during a short meet-and-greet session.

According to the Small Business Administration, there are about 400,000 small businesses in South Carolina, which make up about 48 percent of the state’s workforce. Chamber President Mike Miller acknowledged the importance of small businesses at both at state and local level.

Miller said the number of small businesses opening in Florence has increased by three percent in the last year and that number is continuing to climb. As he addressed the crowd at the press conference Tuesday morning, Miller acknowledged the small-business owners in attendance and expressed his gratitude for all they do for the Florence area.

“We’d like to salute our small-business owners, their entrepreneurship, their hard work and dedication,” Miller said. “They are an integral part of our fabric, particularly here in Florence.”

City Councilman Glenn Willis also had a turn at the podium on Tuesday, saying small businesses improve not only the local economy but also the quality of life for Florence and other surrounding residents.

“We are working diligently to improve every avenue we can to promote small businesses throughout the city,” Willis said. “We hope to be able to bring a small business type of environments back into our neighborhoods.”

Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation every year to announce National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small-business owners. During the chamber’s press conference, Florence Mayor Pro Tem Buddy Brand issued a proclamation of his own, recognizing Small Business Week in the Florence area.

Brand recited the proclamation, which identified small businesses as “the backbone of our economy and the cornerstone of our nation’s promise.”

“I’ll be honest with you. Seven years ago I had no idea we would see what we’ve seen,” Brand said. “It’s only just started. We’re moving forward.”

SCNow Web Article – Florence entrepreneurs, city leaders connect during chamber meet-and-greet

New Florence restaurant to offer ‘Mediterranean with Southern hospitality’

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“FLORENCE, S.C. – The name Zoë in Greek translates to the word “life.”

In Zoës Kitchen, the Mediterranean way of life is embraced to the fullest with a family-recipe-inspired menu using fresh ingredients. The Zoës Kitchen franchise has more than 214 locations in 20 states with its newest store set to open in mid-May at 2100 W. Evans St. in Florence.

Zoës Kitchen features a variety of Mediterranean cuisine highlighting not only Grecian food, but also food from other countries including Spain, Italy and Tunisia. Guests can choose from appetizers, salads, and entrees including classic chicken or steak kabobs, pita sandwiches or hummus plates. The fast-casual restaurant also offers vegan and vegetarian options.

Each item is prepared with lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil and fresh herbs. With no microwaves and no fryers, Zoës Kitchen staff members prepare each food from scratch. Regional operator Keith Beaulieu said Zoës Kitchen will offer a fresh, healthy food option not readily available in to Florence residents.

“It definitely struck me as there not being something that we offer in this area,” Beaulieu said. “The balance of the healthy lifestyle as well as our hospitality and the food, I didn’t see anybody else doing that over here so that really spoke to me as to why we needed to be in Florence.”

Along with its dine-in services, Zoës Kitchen also offers take-out and catering options. Beaulieu said a large percentage of their business is driven through catering so he expects the Florence location to have a high volume of catering requests, especially with the continued development of downtown.

“This is an up-and-coming area,” Beaulieu said. “Having a district down there with so many options that we can cater to was definitely a good option for us to be here. I’m excited about this town.”

Fresh, Mediterranean-inspired food isn’t the only priority for Zoës Kitchen, according to Beaulieu. Establishing a new business also means creating more jobs for the local community and Beaulieu said Zoës Kitchen makes sure that not only the customers are satisfied but also the staff members are too.

“Having come to work for Zoë’s it’s definitely a different environment in the way that we take care of our guests and our people,” Beaulieu said. “Not only is it a great place to come and eat but it’s a great place to work and provide a lot of opportunities for our employees.”

James Blease is the general manager of the Zoës Kitchen in Florence and he has 15 years of experience. Blease said the core values of the company are what drew him to apply for the position and said Zoës’ mission to put people first sets it apart from the other restaurants he has worked in the past.

“The whole culturel and vibe here is totally different,” Blease said. “We’re going to bring a lot of things to Florence that people aren’t going to be used to. People are going to be amazed at the level of service we have.”

“We’re Mediterranean with Southern hospitality.”

Zoës Kitchen is hiring for all positions. Those interested in applying can visit careers.zoeskitchen.com.”

SCNow Web Article – New Florence restaurant to offer ‘Mediterranean with Southern hospitality’

Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and the Darlington Chamber of Commerce held their annual Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon at SiMT on Wednesday, April 26th. Nearly 400 people came to hear speaker Laura Hamilton talk on the topic of SuperWoman: Are You Invincible? Those in attendance also saw 150 prizes given away. The program was sponsored by Duke Energy, SPC Credit Union and AT&T Mobile.

Business After Hours: The Mandy Simpson State Farm

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The Mandy Simpson State Farm hosted a Business After Hours event with the Florence Chamber on Thursday, April 27th. Guests enjoyed live music by Sideswiped, door prizes and networking with the local business community. Mandy Simpson State Farm is located in the Huntington Plaza at 204 Second Loop Road in Florence.

Picture credit: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

Florence is the newest South Carolina Cultural District

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Florence is the newest South Carolina Cultural District

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“The South Carolina Arts Commission has named downtown Florence as the newest state-recognized cultural district. A cultural district is an easily identifiable geographic area with a concentration of arts facilities and assets that support cultural, artistic and economic activity. The cultural district designation was created by the S.C. General Assembly and Gov. Nikki Haley in 2014.

The City of Florence and the Florence Regional Arts Alliance worked with local leaders and Arts Commission staff to develop a map of cultural assets and a strategic plan for the district. City officials will use the cultural district designation to attract visitors and residents to downtown and promote the area as a hub of arts and culture.

“This cultural district designation from the South Carolina Arts Commission is a tremendous honor,” said Florence City Council member George Jebailey. “This designation recognizes the hard work done over the last 17 years by a community committed to a unified vision to create a detailed master plan establishing a purposeful clustering of multiple arts venues in downtown Florence. Through the collaboration of the many public-private partners working together on this unified vision, we have seen the master plan become a reality leading to this important designation. We anticipate that many new opportunities will now be available for us to promote both the City of Florence and the entire Pee Dee Region as an important destination for arts, culture and entertainment.”

“Receiving the S.C. state recognition of a designated cultural district will assist in our ongoing marketing of downtown Florence as a tourist destination,” said Florence Downtown Development Manager Ray Reich. “The Vision 2010 Initiative that was created in 2000, as well as the 2010 Downtown Master Plan, envisioned downtown as a place featuring a string of cultural pearls. The first pearl in the string was the library, followed by the Florence Little Theatre, and then the FMU Performing Arts Center, followed by the new museum, as well as many other cultural amenities that have been developed in recent years in our beautiful and historic downtown. This designation affirms that we are well in our way to achieving the vision of a string of cultural pearls. However, this is just the beginning, and while we have created an outstanding foundation, the work will not stop as we continue to work together as a community to live up to our new community brand of being a community full of life and moving full forward with more amenities.””

Read the rest of the article at the link below.

SC Arts Hub Web Article – Florence is the newest South Carolina Cultural District

Ribbon Cutting: Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination

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“FLORENCE, S.C. – Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination, the largest privately owned pest-elimination service in the state, was honored at a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon after joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination has been in business since 1985 and services countless residential and commercial structures from Georgia up to North Carolina. In the Florence area, Lane’s keeps unwanted pests from ravaging popular businesses and restaurants including Red Bone Alley and Town Hall.

Roy Snowden, account service liaison for Lane’s Pest Elimination, said becoming a part of the Greater Florence Chamber is a welcome step for both him and the company.

“There’s dozens and dozens of places that we service here,” Snowden said. “We do a lot with hospitality and restaurants in the commercial department. It (the chamber) gives them more exposure to people like me that offer services that they can use.”

Lane’s continually educates its technicians and provides training using advanced pest management techniques and products. The company also offers long-term pest-management plans that can be arranged on a one-time, monthly, quarterly or seasonal basis.

Snowden has worked for Lane’s for close to a year and said the company does an exceptional job remaining competitive with its nationally recognized counterparts.

 “A lot of people think that the national brands are the best way to go but that’s not always the case,” Snowden said. “The national branded pest-elimination companies base their prices on national averages. Our pricing is usually more on point with the area.”

Snowden added that the company has a reputation not only for reasonable prices and outstanding results, but also for emphasizing the importance of first-rate customer service.

“Our service is second to none,” Snowden said. “When Lane started this company his first priority was customer service. Second was service. And we still hold true to that.”

SCNow Web Article – Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination joins Chamber