WilGrow Celebrates Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Tamara Kirven of WilGrow along with family, staff, friends, and Chamber Ambassadors celebrates ribbon cutting ceremony joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

WilGrow offers affordable full circle marketing solutions. WilGrow specializes in digital marketing, community relations & events, and customer relationship management. WilGrow is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its new office located at 101 Kuker Street, Florence. The company celebrated this milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 18th.

What sets WilGrow apart is their commitment to delivering personalized solutions tailored to each client’s specific goals and budget. Their mission is to provide local businesses with access to high-quality marketing services that generate tangible results.

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Junior Leadership Florence Participate In Agribusiness Session

On Friday, October 13th, the Jr. Leadership Florence County Class participated in their Agribusiness Session! Thank you to Mrs. Tracy with Covered In Cotton, BRH FARMS LLC, Mrs. Faith L. Truesdale, Pee Dee District Director for South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and the Clemson University Pee Dee Research Education Center for hosting our students! During this day, students learned about the importance of agribusiness to South Carolina. It is the state’s #1 industry, and there are many opportunities within the world of agribusiness.

The JLFC program is made possible through the partnership of Clemson Extension Florence County SC 4-H, The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and Francis Marion University.

Special thanks to Florence County Farm Bureau for sponsoring our lunch, Ms. Bethany Funkhouser, Clemson Extension Pee Dee Region Agribusiness Agent; Mr. Lee Van Vlake, Pee Dee Region Livestock & Forages Agent; Mr. Kyle Smith, Darlington County Agronomy Agent, and to Florence School District Two for providing transportation.

To see more photos from the session, click here.

Southeast Hospitality Group LLC Joins Chamber of Commerce

Sanjay Sonavane, owner, family, staff, and Chamber Ambassadors welcomed Southeast Hospitality Group LLC to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Southeast Hospitality Group LLC, a Hotel Accommodation based in Florence, announced the reopening of Days Inn hotel at 140 Dunbarton Dr, Florence, SC 29501.

After undergoing 6 months of extensive renovation, Days Inn celebrated their grand reopening with a ribbon cutting.

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Pee Dee Hearing Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Celest Kahn Executive Director along with her staff, the mayor, board members and Chamber Ambassadors cut their ribbon upon becoming a member of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Pee Dee Hearing Center celebrates the Grand Reopening as one of the area’s oldest nonprofits. The City of Florence passed a resolution assigning October 12 as Pee Dee Hearing Center Day!

Formerly Pee Dee Speech & Hearing Center, the practice’s mission is to empower the lives of people who struggle with all degrees of hearing challenges. Hearing loss is a prevalent condition throughout the community and is becoming even more common in younger generations as our environment grows noisier.

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Michaels Crafts Store To Open At Magnolia Mall Early 2024

The Magnolia Mall will see a Michaels arts and craft store open by late January or early February.

The store, located at 2853 David McLeod Blvd., will hire “dozens of temporary, full-and part-time roles” and hold a soft and grand opening for the community.

It will join the 15 other locations in South Carolina, including stores in Columbia, Charleston and Sumter. It’ll be the first location in Florence.

The company opened a third-party online marketplace this year, now having their own alongside Target and Walmart. The marketplace will make more than 1 million items available to shoppers, according to a company press release.

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Organization Plans Thanksgiving Meal For All Of Florence

Julia and Bryan Ransom have a vision: hundreds of people gathered around a Thanksgiving table in the middle of Florence — friends, families, neighbors and even strangers enjoying a meal together, striking up conversations and building community.

The Ransoms are the driving force behind a Thanksgiving community meal dubbed One Table Florence. The idea, taken from a similar event in Aiken, is to bring together people from across the city for a day of gratitude.

Julia Ransom described the goal of the event as “bringing the community together to strengthen our bonds, and restoring a sense of gratitude to Thanksgiving.”

The event is set to be held this Thanksgiving Day in Timrod Park. It will be free to all, and all are encouraged to attend, the Ransoms said.

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Gould, Kelley Centers Support Small Business In Florence Area

Justin Mack Sr. started his home health care business, 1st Palmetto Medical Services, in March 2021. He did so while also serving as assistant fire chief at Palmetto Rural Fire Department.

Some of the spaces that suited his needs in Florence would have cost him around $2,500 in rent each month. That didn’t include utilities.

A friend of his, who had grown a business in the Gould Manufacturing and Business Incubator, had a solution to his problem. Mack was put in touch with Tressa Gardner, associate vice president at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology, a part of the Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence, which houses the Gould Incubator.

Now, he runs 1st Palmetto and an ambulance service he purchased, Med Atlantic, out of the building.

“I owe it all to the incubator,” Mack said.

Gould has office spaces, conference rooms and loading bays. It had signed its 104th lease as of Sept. 12. Gardner said there are 15 companies on a waiting list for the incubator as of Sept. 12.

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SCORE Of The Pee Dee Featured On ChamberLink Radio

Rich Spivey, Mentor with SCORE of the Pee Dee, was on ChamberLink Radio this weekend to talk about being a volunteer and sharing his experience and knowledge helping small business professionals start, develop, and grow businesses.

You can catch the conversations on ChamberLink Radio each Sunday from 12:00-12:30pm on LIVE 95.3FM in Florence, SC.

ChamberLink Radio is brought to you by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and The UPS Stores.

Journey Soap Company Hosts Ribbon Cutting

Kendra Wheeler the Owner of Journey Soap Bar along with friends and ambassadors cuts her ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Kendra began her Journey of Self- Care and Natural Products when she found she was allergic to store products such as soap, lotion, and deodorants. She began to study, research, and take classes on various products, that is when she created Journey Soap Bar.

Her goat milk soap specializes in helping people with problematic skin and has become her number one seller. She also creates whipped Body Butter Scented and Unscented, Sugar Scrubs, Moisturizing Rub for Men, and Soy Candles.

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Florence Salon Suites Cuts Chamber Ribbon

Rebecca Andrews along with family, friends and staff during ribbon cutting ceremony joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, October 10th. Florence Salon Suites announce the grand opening of their brand-new suite-based salon in the heart of Florence.

With a commitment to providing top-notch beauty and wellness services, Florence Salon Suites is set to revolutionize the salon experience in the local community. What sets Florence Salon Suites apart is their unique suite-based concept. Each of their talented beauty professionals operates their own individual suite within the salon. This allows them to offer personalized services in a private, one-on-one setting, ensuring that every client receives the attention and care they deserve.

To read the full story, click here.