Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce

Local leaders said goodbye to the Florence County Judicial Center. From now on, it’ll be known as the James T. Schofield Florence County Judicial Center. Florence County Council members unanimously approved the name change in an emotional meeting honoring Schofield, the late County Council member. Schofield was a longtime leader on the council whose influence can be seen across the county. He died four years ago on July 18, the same day as the meeting honoring him. “I feel immensely proud and honored that the Judicial Center is being renamed after my father. It is a fitting tribute to his lifelong dedication to public service and his significant contributions to the community,” William Schofield said in a written statement. More on this story form the Post & Courier at https://lnkd.in/eExiGysP

Florence's Carolina Theatre to get $2 million for restoration The city of Florence and state of South Carolina are partnering to fund the restoration of the city’s historical Carolina Theatre downtown. The state is allocating $2 million in its budget, which that went into effect July 1. The city also is funding $2 million. The front of the auditorium has been taken down to bare brick, along with two fire exits. “We quickly saw that in order to fully complete the project, we needed essentially twice as much as what we have now,” said Clint Moore, assistant city manager. “So with the state funding, we have $4 million in funding, but that does everything.” Moore said the city was only able to preserve the building, such as making sure it didn’t get any more water damage, for example. Now, it is able to do a variety of projects including fully outfitting the building and reestablishing the storefront for to mimic its appearance in the ‘40s when it was “at its pinnacle and success,” Moore said. “This hopefully will be a benefit economically, but also be a way to preserve a piece of downtown that has been sitting dormant for years and years, and try and restore this building back to what it was in the ‘40s and ‘50s, when it was at its prime,” said Representative Jay Jordan, a Republican from Florence, who requested the funding. The restoration is expected to be completed the fall of 2025, Moore said. The city plans for it to be a mixed-use space, for events like weddings, conferences and shows. For the full story click below. https://lnkd.in/eeR-4zCk

Morgan Soulantikas, Community Outreach for Lucky Dogs of Florence, was the Greater Florence Chamber's guest this weekend on ChamberLink Radio. Be sure to catch Morgan and the great things Lucky Dog does in the community by tuning into ChamberLink Radio now on Podcast at www.FloChamber.com under ChamberLink Radio. Tune into ChamberLink Radio this Sunday and every 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. #chamberlinkradio #FlorenceChambersc #florencesc #flochamber #floscchamber

Traci Nichols along with Casea Love, Sue Ann Frazier and Ashley Maynard Kelly from Hope Center Ministries and Chamber Ambassadors cut their ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and announcing their presence in Florence. Hope Center Ministries, started in 2007 in Waverly, TN, is a faith-based addiction recovery program headquartered out of Oklahoma City, OK. They provide a Christ-centric approach to recovery that allows addicts and their families to become fully devoted followers of Christ in a supportive, residential environment. They foster a strong foundation of faith in their residents, supported by their community and church partners, with a focus on family at every step in the recovery journey. Through deep study of scripture, vocational training opportunities, and weekly 12-step study work through Celebrate Recovery. They create a pathway for individuals to achieve not just sobriety but lasting recovery from their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. In the 17 years that Hope Center Ministries has existed, they have grown to over 150 employees and more than 50 Centers nationwide, with their Florence Center being opened early in 2024 and more coming every year. They are proud of the transformations that they see daily in the lives of the residents and their families, and they believe wholly in their mission to bring recovery (and Hope!) to as many as possible To contact Hope Center Ministries, you can call Traci Nichols, Campus Director Florence, (843) 758-3752 or Admissions Coordinator: Casea Love 843-625-9797. Go to their website at www.hopecm.com or on Facebook at Hope Center Ministries Florence. See less

The City of Florence was awarded the Joseph P. Riley Jr Award for Economic Development for its development of sports tourism at the annual Municipal Association of South Carolina meeting on Friday. Reported by SCNOW.COM

The Chamber's Emerging Leaders Class of 2024 held their Technology, Innovation and Industry session yesterday. The group heard presentations, did informative tours and visited several sites, including: HillSouth, SiMT, Vulcraft and GE Healthcare. Their next session is scheduled for July 24th. For more information on the Emerging Leaders program, please contact the chamber at 843-665-0515.

Hospitality management, development and investment organization Raines has added the Sea Palms Resort in St. Simons Island, GA, to its management portfolio. This addition, owned by RREAF Holdings, is now part of Woven by Raines, the company’s lifestyle division, and includes a golf course, marking the second golf course managed by Raines. The resort, located in an upscale resort community, features 121 rooms, including recently renovated suites, as well as a full-service restaurant, an outdoor pool, tennis courts, fitness center and bike rentals. The outdoor Pool Yard features a turf lawn for yard games and a patio with fireplaces and lounge chairs. The property is also home to the Sea Palms Golf Club, which includes an 18-hole course with views of the coastal landscape, a Golf Shop & Marketplace and a practice facility often utilized by touring golf professionals.

South Carolina Ports finished fiscal year 2024 strong with a 7% uptick in container volumes moving through the Port of Charleston last month. SC Ports efficiently handled 218,115 TEUs and 121,267 pier containers last month, marking the second highest June on record. Loaded imports were up 10% and loaded exports were up 5%, signifying overall strength in the Southeast market. “The Southeast market is booming, with a growing population driving imports and new manufacturing investments spurring exports,” SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said. “South Carolina Ports is well-positioned for this growth with a 52-foot-deep harbor, efficient terminals, new capacity on the horizon and an impressive inland port network.”

Cars and airplanes immediately come to mind when people think about manufacturing in South Carolina. Yet, sitting in the heart of Florence is one of the world's largest sites for designing, developing, and manufacturing Magnetic Resonance (MR) systems that are used around the world. Indeed, we are a destination for skilled workers who produce some of healthcare’s most innovative technologies, made right here in the PeeDee region. Our SIGNA MR technologies play an important role in patient care globally. MR systems deliver high-quality medical imaging used to help diagnose, identify, and detect disease by taking detailed images of the body, including organs, bones, muscles, and blood vessels. Whether a loved one requires cancer imaging or your child with a football injury needs a scan to check for a concussion, an estimated 200 million patients around the world receive MR imaging annually. More here: https://lnkd.in/e74pCAHS

Jason Faulkner, Coastal Division President, Sonya Schaffer, Coastal Sales Manager, Mike Cassady, Division Construction Manager, Christy Roth, New Home Specialist Chris Close, Area Manager, Calli Benson, Marketing Coordinator Great Southern Homes along with Chamber Ambassadors cut their ribbon opening up a new home at 1245 N. Price Road in Florence. Great Southern Homes (GSH), a subsidiary of United Homes Group (UHG), is a publicly traded residential builder headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. Established in 2004, GSH has constructed more than 14,000 homes and counting. The company operates and builds new-home communities located across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. We believe in stylish, quality-built homes for today's growing families at affordable prices. After all, it's not only a new home, but also an important investment for you and your family. UHG has been recognized as the 2024 Builder of the Year by BUILDER Magazine. Operates over 70 new-home communities located across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Single family homes and townhomes ranging in size from 850-4,188 sq. ft., 3-5 bedrooms, 2-5 baths, 1-2 garages, 1-2 stories. Jason Faulkner said “We prioritize quality and customer service, and we give our customers choices to customize their home including flooring, fixtures, color options, and many other items. These extra details give a custom look without being custom built. Also, many of our communities offer natural gas which is a cost saving benefit.” "Florence's great location and booming industrial scene, especially with the railroad and interstate access, have made it perfect for us to build here over the last 8 years. We’re excited to be a part of the community’s growth and look forward to giving back in meaningful ways." "We're proud that our commitment to quality has earned us industry recognition, including being named '2024 Builder of the Year' by Builder Magazine. This motivates us to continue delivering top-notch homes and fostering strong community development.” Business Name: Great Southern Homes, 917 Chapin Road, Suite D, Chapin, SC 29036 Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm, Phone Number: (803) 744-4663 Business Website: https://lnkd.in/gRnv7ksg Facebook Page URL: https://lnkd.in/e4jt3Hnw Instagram Page URL: https://lnkd.in/e9YmqdQe Linkedin Page URL: https://lnkd.in/eJrtrqEn