The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce will host its first Women in Commerce Coffee Social on Tuesday, February 6th at the Residence Inn, 2660 Hospitality Blvd in Florence, from 8:00 – 9:30 AM. We will be serving up a variety of fresh brews courtesy of Lincoln’s Brew mobile coffee truck. Come and join your friends and business peers at this free morning social event. You MUST RSVP to attend!
FMU’s Evening College program offers a variety of courses to inform, enlighten, and entertain. These for-credit, non-degree courses are taught once a week by university faculty. Courses begin the week of January 22 and run for eleven weeks. For more information or to register, go to https://www.fmarion.edu/eveningcollege/.
FMU’s Certificate in Executive Management program is for business professional seeking to enhance their management and leadership skills. The program focuses on five core leadership competencies: communication, organizational culture, leadership, decision-making using analytics, and strategic thinking.
For more information or to register, call 843-661-1420 or go to https://www.fmarion.edu/business/executive/.
On January 19th and 20th the FMU Performing Arts Center, Central United Methodist Church, and First Baptist Church will be home to the 2024 SC Choral Directors Association Conference. This conference will bring together 850 elementary to high school students from all over SC to perform at various times on Saturday afternoon at the PAC. Central UMC and First Baptist Church will be utilized as rehearsal spaces Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. During the conference students are encouraged to support downtown restaurants and businesses over the two days.
We expect to see an additional 1,000+ people downtown that weekend!
Join the FMU Kelley Center for an exciting evening of networking and collaboration at the first Entrepreneur & Small Business Networking Event of the year! This free, in-person event will take place on Thursday, January 18th at 5:30 to 7:00pm in the University Place Building (142 N Dargan St) in Downtown Florence.
Whether you’re a seasoned small business owner or just starting out, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, and build valuable relationships in a casual and friendly environment.
Attendees will also be able to learn about the services and programs offered by local organizations such as the FMU Kelley Center, SCORE, the SBDC, and the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce as well as tour the available office spaces offered through the Kelley Center’s Business Incubation program.
Expand your network, gain insights from experienced professionals, and discover new opportunities to grow your business. From startups to established ventures, everyone is welcome to attend and share their stories, challenges, and successes.
For more information, click here.
Jennifer Altman and Julie Powell, RN’s with MUSC of Florence Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Department, was the Chambers’ guest on ChamberLink Radio this past weekend.
You can catch the conversation this 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 and The UPS Stores.
Damon Kight of Back Porch BBQ, was honored by Jay Lavrinc of the Greater Florence Chamber and Wayne Mullings of Community Broadcasters, as this year’s recipient of the People’s Choice Award for the Greater Florence Chamber’s Annual Kickin’ Chicken & Chili Fest Event.
The People’s Choice award was sponsored by Community Broadcasters in participation with the Chamber to honor the wings cooker who was chosen by the general public to have the best wings. This is Damon’s 3rd time winning the People’s Choice Award.
Congratulations to Back Porch BBQ and Damon Kight for the win.
The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Winter 2024 Legislative Breakfast is being held Friday, February 23rd at Florence Center. This year’s event is made possible by Duke Energy and Palmetto Commercial Real Estate. More details will be announced soon!
he Florence Chamber invites you to join us for an after-hours event hosted by The Benton House of Florence. Come out on Thursday, February 8th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. located at 1370 Celebration Blvd for great food, drinks, and networking. Be sure to bring lots of business cards! RSVP by calling the Chamber at (843) 665-0515 or by clicking here to register online.
Randy Osterman, retiring Florence City Manager and Scotty Davis, Interim City Manager, said residents should see planning turn to action in 2024 as the city’s much-talked-about projects finally get underway.
That includes a slew of infrastructure projects that have been in the works, such as improving the city’s stormwater management systems and boosting capacity at the water and wastewater treatment plants.
Stormwater Plan:
City staff and its consultant are in the process of finishing a stormwater master plan – the first the city has ever done, Osterman said. The plan identifies dozens of projects that could help alleviate persistent flooding in Florence.
That’s in addition to about $13 million of construction the city is already pursuing to alleviate some of the most prominent stormwater problems. The work is being paid for by a combination of a $7 million bond and grants, Osterman said.
What work will or won’t be done in 2024 isn’t yet clear, though.
The city is set to make progress on massive planned upgrades to its water and sewer system. In 2024, the city plans to finish design work and potentially begin construction on the first phase of what is set to be half a billion dollars’ worth of work.
To read the full story, click here.
Food Lion leased the former Piggly Wiggly grocery store at the Florence Mall after it closed on May 21, 2022. The store sat vacant for months. Food Lion started renovations this past summer.
Food Lion External Communications Manager Katherine “KD” Kirby said Food Lion was planning an opening date for the Florence Mall location in the second half of 2024.
To read the full story, click here.
