Cafe at Florence airport holds ribbon cutting

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – LilJazZi’s Café and Salads, located inside the Florence Regional Airport at 2100 Terminal Drive, held its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Wednesday.

LilJazZi’s is open to the general public as well as airport travelers, offering a variety of salads and sandwiches to hungry patrons. The café also provides real fruit smoothies such as peach, mango, strawberry or any combination of flavors.

The menu features breakfast items, including grits, pancakes, eggs and waffles. LilJazZi’s can also craft a number of gourmet drinks such as cappuccinos, lattes, frappes and macchiatos. Customers who dine at LilJazZi’s receive free parking at the airport for one hour and the café offers discounts for students, seniors, military and law enforcement.

 Owner Andrena Mullins said she collaborated with Robert Norton, the airport’s deputy director, on the idea of starting her own business after she tried to sell vending machines to the terminal. Mullins said she has always wanted to open her own restaurant and she is grateful for Norton and the Florence Regional Airport for giving her the space and the opportunity to pursue her dream.

“I worked for Target for 16 years and I let that go to start something new,” Mullins said. “He (Norton) said, ‘We need something like this.’ And it just happened. I love it.”

The café opened on April 14 and held a grand opening Wednesday afternoon. Ambassadors from the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce attended the ribbon cutting to welcome Mullins and her new business to Florence and congratulate her on her accomplishment.

 Mullins said she has plans to open another location in the near future by the Walmart Supercenter on Beltline Drive.

“That’s kind of where I want to go next, but we’ll see,” Mullins said. “It’s tough because I have three little ones.”

Mullins’ three daughters, Lilly, 7, Jasmine, 13, and Zion, 8, gave her the inspiration to name the restaurant LilJazZi’s.

“My logo is and everything is based all on the girls because this is their future, not mine,” Mullins said. “It’s all about the kids.”

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B. Nance Fine Gifts ribbon cutting

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – B. Nance Fine Gifts held a ribbon cutting Thursday morning after moving into its new, larger location at 1939 Hoffmeyer Road.

Ambassadors with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce congratulated co-owners and mother-daughter duo Jill Blaker and Danielle Nance on their relocation. The retail store moved into the shopping plaza on May 1, just yards from the previous location. Nance said the move has been almost a year in the making, and she is thrilled to be settled into their new retail home.

 “It’s been a long time coming,” Nance said. “We were just waiting for this to be built while we were back there.”

B. Nance Fine Gifts offers a wide variety of products including tabletop items, cookware and glassware from high-quality brands. Gifts for any special occasion line the shelves at B. Nance, including birthdays, weddings, baby showers and more. The store also sells candles, jewelry, sunglasses and other items.

Nance said being able to open a retail business with her parents and husband combines her passion for retail and love for her family into one. Now after moving into their new space, Nance hopes she can offer Florence residents an enjoyable place to shop.

“We just saw an opportunity and saw a need in Florence,” Nance said. “We just have a fun space to host events and make it fun for our customers.”

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South State Bank holds After Hours event, celebrates downtown relocation in Florence

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – South State Bank held a ribbon cutting and Business After Hours event Thursday evening celebrating the opening of its newest Florence location at 265 S. Irby St.

More than 50 people including bank employees, executives and ambassadors with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce joined in the celebration. Guests enjoyed an evening of food, beverages and mingling with fellow business and community leaders inside South State Bank’s newly renovated building.

The two-story office building has been under construction for more than a year after being fully renovated inside and out. The branch was open to customers throughout the renovation process and now that the renewal is complete, South State Bank held a ribbon cutting courtesy of the chamber.

The opening is the result of the consolidation of South State Bank’s branches, according to Stephanie Rodriguez, assistant vice president and branch manager. The bank closed its location at 6200 West Palmetto and moved that branch into the Legacy Bank of America office at 265 S. Irby St.

Rodriguez said the move was beneficial not only to spread on the location of their three Florence branches but to also extend the reach of the bank into the downtown historic district.

“It means a lot to me to get consolidated into one but being downtown with the revitalization going on means a lot to us,” Rodriguez said. “It means a lot to me to work for a company that is interested in being so involved with the community. We’re excited to be in downtown Florence.”

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Spa de Vie celebrates opening of new location in Florence

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – Spa de Vie Salon and Spa held a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration Thursday afternoon at its new location at 1330 Celebration Blvd. in Florence.

The salon doubled in square-footage after moving from its former location at 1800 W. Palmetto St. It offers a wide array of salon services and spa treatments. Women, men and children of all ages can enjoy a day of relaxation at Spa de Vie.

The staff of 22 professional stylists and colorists gives clients a fresh new look with fresh cuts, styles and dyes. Spa de Vie also offers extensions and straightening treatments as well as professional makeup application for any special occasion.

The spa portion of the business offers guests massages, facials and waxing, as well as spray tanning, manicures and pedicures. Clients can also purchase spa packages that include couple’s massages, body scrubs and lunch.

Ambassadors with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce celebrated alongside the staff at Spa de Vie during the grand opening on Thursday and welcomed the business to the chamber. Lindsey Bazen, owner of Spa de Vie, said the salon has been in business since March 2010. For Bazen, the idea of moving locations and having her own salon space has been years in the making.

“I always wanted to have something where I could do it my own way and have the building set up how I want it set up,” Bazen said. “I love it.”

For more information about Spa de Vie or to book an appointment, call 843-669-4333 or visit spadeviesalon.com.

SCNow Web Article – Spa de Vie celebrates opening of new location in Florence

First Heritage Credit holds grand opening in Florence

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By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

“FLORENCE, S.C. – First Heritage Credit, located at 960 Pamplico Highway, celebrated its grand opening Wednesday morning alongside members of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

First Heritage Credit is a community-based lender that provides personal and consumer financing to local merchants for items such as furniture, appliances, electronics, ATVs and more. Founded in 1995, First Heritage Credit serves over 116,000 customers through more than 100 offices operating in Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama.

Chamber ambassadors joined First Heritage Credit staff members and administrators for a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony to congratulate and welcome them to the chamber. The company has two Florence locations. The second, on Woody Jones Boulevard, will host its own grand opening ceremony in the coming weeks.

Larry Mixson, vice president of First Heritage Credit, said the business has opened 10 new offices since the start of the year and he is happy to have two locations serving local residents.

“We’re super excited,” Mixson said. “We’re going to be all over South Carolina and we looking forward to a great relationship in the Florence area.”

Vicki McLeod, district manager for First Heritage, oversees the Florence offices as well as three other surrounding locations. McLeod said both she and the three-person staff at First Heritage are looking forward to not only helping the Florence community but also being an active member of the chamber.

 “I am really excited about being a part of the chamber and being involved with the community,” McLeod said. “There’s a real positive energy with this company.”

For more information about First Heritage Credit, visit 1stheritagecredit.com.”

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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.”

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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.”

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Ribbon Cutting: T & C Events and Floral Boutique

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T & C Events and Floral Boutique

Photo/Article Credit: Jessica Imbimbo, The Morning News

T & C Events and Floral Boutique held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, March 9, at 1100 S. Cashua Drive after joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. T & C Events and Floral Boutique is a full event planning service that designs and creates the client’s vision of their special day or event.

Ribbon Cutting: Fit4U

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Article/Photo Credit: Matthew Robertson, The Morning News

“FLORENCE, S.C. – Florence bras and lingerie shop Fit 4 U conducted a ribbon cutting Wednesday to mark its return to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

The nine-year-old business specializes in personal fittings for bras and more, proprietor Patsy Evans said.

“I do more than fitting,” Evans said. “I train women how to wear bras. We just missed about 50 years in training our young people and ladies how to wear bras and put pressure on the body and ribcage, shoulders – we talk about all those things. That’s my mission.”

The shop offers many hard-to-find sizes.

“We have a lot of teenagers coming in. We have a good bit of referrals from people like Catherine’s,” Evans said. “We go up to an N cup, and I was looking at an order yesterday, and they’re marking Os. Cups are really getting big, because women are getting bigger.”

Evans said that a properly fit bra can help women not only with comfort issues but health-related problems as well.

“I do have some referrals from physicians – women who are looking at back and neck surgery – and they send them here to see if we can help in that line to keep from having surgery,” Evans said. “Sometimes it works.”

Fit 4 U, located at 2015 West Evans Street, Suite G, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and by appointment when necessary. The store’s phone number is 843-665-2005.

“I’m just trying to teach people in my small part of the world how to wear bras and take care of them,” Evans said. “Don’t put them in the washing machine. Don’t put them in the dryer. Handle them very gently.”

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Ribbon Cutting: Bionics

Susan McMurry, owner of BIONIC a local Florence company,  recently joined the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce with a  ribbon cutting ceremony.  BIONIC makes some of the finest cleaners, dressings, and specialty purpose chemicals. The products that BIONIC produces are ecofriendly and able to be used safely whether it is in an industrial, commercial or home setting. BIONIC has many products for those hard to conquer cleaning needs. To contact BIONIC for your cleaning and specialty products call (843) 229-2773 or go to their website at www.bionicclean.com