On Tuesday, May 9th, the Leadership Florence class had their last session of the year, Business and Industry Day.
The class started with breakfast and a full tour of Honda. Next, the class visited the campus of Florence-Darlington Technical College, where they toured SiMT and the Gould Business Incubator.
The day concluded with lunch and an informative tour courtesy of GE Healthcare.
To view photos from the session, click here.
Rev. Eunice Dunlap, Vicar along with members of the church and Chamber Ambassadors welcome St. Catherine Episcopal Church to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church was formed in 2012 and is an open and affirming congregation that welcomes everyone in our mutual call to “(d)o justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with God.” We are rooted in the principles of loving God and our neighbor as our self and believe that God loves all people, without exception. St. Catherine’s is the only Episcopal congregation and member of the Anglican Communion in the greater Florence area.
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church is located at 1806 West Palmetto Street, Florence, SC 29501. Sunday service is at 10:30 AM and can be attended in person, on Facebook, or on Zoom. To contact St. Catherine’s you can call at 843-407-7926 or visit their website http://www.stcatherinesepiscopal.com
The streets of downtown Florence were empty in 2011, almost as empty as the buildings.
“It was actually a ghost town,” said Ella Frazier, a downtown retailer. “The only thing that was actually there was a barbershop, a beauty shop and Lady Kids, a retail shop down the street. That was it on Evans Street.”
Frazier has watched the growth over the past 12 years. Downtown has transformed from empty spaces and plenty of parking places to eight blocks of retailers, restaurants and bars, offices and pocket parks featuring sculptures and other public art installations.
“It’s been exciting to see the growth over these past years. I love to tell them it’s not over yet,” Frazier said.
To read the full story, click here.
The King’s Academy broke ground on its new $2.8 million elementary school building on Monday, April 24th.
Kent Caudle, Florence County councilmember, Matt Walton, pastor of Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and Jeff Fields, the project coordinator from Gilbert Fields Construction were among those who spoke at the event. Each reflected on the school’s past and looked to the school’s future.
“I’m honored to be here and proud to see what’s going on and this legacy continue,” Caudle said.
The building will have a brick façade and an 1,600 square-foot foyer. Outside, a small loop that will hold four cars will have an awning over it so that students do not get wet when being dropped off in the rain.
To read the full story, click here.
Jonathan Chandler cuts the ribbon at Chandler Reserve Club on Tuesday, April 25th. Chandler Investment Properties offers high-end rental properties in eastern South Carolina, including Florence, Hartsville, and Sumter. Since Jonathan Chandler began his work in real estate in 1992, Chandler Investment Properties has grown from a handful of properties to now over 300 units. Chandler Reserve Club is the largest of the properties, projected to be complete with 575 units in the next 3 years.
Will Lindsey, Property Manager of Chandler Reserve Club, says, “It’s the people who make our communities what they are. We consider our residents, friends and family sharing in the ups and downs of their lives. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to connect with and build relationships with them. Our team motto is, ‘we’re in the customer service business, we just so happen to offer rentals’, so that’s what we focus on – making sure every single resident is happy with our service.”
The team at Chandler Investment Properties looks forward to growing their presence in Florence in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. For more information about Chandler Investment Properties, availability, or to schedule a tour, visit us at chandlerinvest.com or call (843) 610-7114.
To read the full story, click here.
The Florence 1 Schools Board of Trustees cordially invites you to a Ribbon Cutting and Open House for the Farm at Florence 1.
Join us May 11th at 6pm, 2101 North Williston Road.
To view the invite, click here.
Some of Florence’s most influential voices reviewed the revitalization of downtown Florence and looked to its future at the Post and Courier’s May 1 Boom and Balance: Redevelopment of Downtown Florence panel discussion at the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center.
Approximately 130 people attended the event, which was part of the Post and Courier’s official launch of its expansion into the Pee Dee and creation of its Florence-based newsroom.
Post and Courier Pee Dee newsroom Managing Editor Chris Day served as moderator for the panel discussion.
Francis Marion University President Dr. Fred Carter said preparing and executing a development strategy for the next 20 years is a crucial next step for downtown and north and east Florence.
To read the full story, click here.
Join The Kelley Center for Economic Development at Francis Marion University and SCORE Grand Strand for this free virtual workshop to be held on Thursday, May 11th from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Attendees will walk away with free tools, a proven plan, and messaging strategies they can implement in their marketing immediately – no matter their level of marketing “know-how” or expertise. Learn how customers find your business online and how to promote your business (especially during the pandemic) using Google My Business profiles, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and Smart Campaigns in Google Ads.
In this webinar we’ll discuss best practices for:
Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices, Creating a free Google My Business listing, Advertising your business on Google, Strategies and tips for social media, content, and email marketing.
To register, click here.
Florence officials will break ground Monday on the first phase of the city’s $65 million Urban Square project, which will bring apartments, town-homes, office space and a hotel to the downtown area.
Phase 1 of the project includes an apartment complex and a parking deck, while Phase 2 will have a hotel and 40,000 square feet of office space. The final phase will be Brownstone-style townhomes.
Currently, the occupancy rate in downtown Florence is about 6%, Assistant City Manager Clint Moore said. In order to meet the growing demand as more people and businesses migrate to the downtown area, he said the city needed to look outside of what most people consider the historic district.
The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the City of Florence to help break down barriers local entrepreneurs face and forge connections between local businesses.
The project is called Innovate Florence, said Les Echols, director of community and minority enterprise for the chamber of commerce. At the event, business owners will be able to speak about problems they face and the Florence business community will be able to give them feedback and support.
“Some other communities have been very successful with similar programs,” Echols said. The event is currently set to take place in the fall, but no date has been set yet.
Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin said that small businesses are the “lifeblood” of Florence but sometimes entrepreneurs need help to get started.
To read the full story, click here.
