Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce

City of Florence’s chatbot, Cypress is now available on the city website to help answer questions, submit service requests, send messages to staff and provide information on city services. Cypress was developed by the company, Citibot, a technology company based in Charleston that has been implementing AI-driven chatbot technology to municipalities nationwide. They intend to help governments be accessible and accountable in a more effective way. Cypress uses AI technology only to pull from the city’s website, making sure the information is always accurate and risk-free, Amanda Pope, Marketing, Communications and Municipal service director at City of Florence said. Cypress is not to be used for emergencies or to report criminal activity. Acting City Manager Scotty Davis said Cypress will help with city responsiveness to customers and residents. “Cypress brings city services closer to our customers, streamlining interactions with local government,” Davis said. “This marks a significant step forward in our commitment to accessibility and responsiveness.” Pope said this will not replace any existing services that the city uses. To access Cypress, visit www.cityofflorence.com and an icon will be in the bottom right corner to start a conversation. Complete story is available on SCNOW.COM by clicking here: https://lnkd.in/eQzhfds9

Millions of dollars in state aid is headed to the Grand Strand and Pee Dee that will help pay for new police gear, improve college campuses and upgrade aging infrastructure systems. The state’s $40 billion budget, which went into affect on July 1, directs more than $86 million into the region through various line items and programs. Gov. Henry McMaster and state lawmakers had a $1.64 billion revenue windfall to work with this year, allowing many local needs to be addressed. In the Pee Dee, that includes: - $16 million to Florence-Darlington Technical College to assist with renovations of its Darlington campus and industrial trades trading facility - $5.1 million to Francis Marion University to offset tuition and fee increases for in-state students and upgrades to the Leatherman Science Facility/McNair Science Building - $5 million to Florence city and county for the Freedom Boulevard water line extension, Carolina Theatre renovations and a new fire engine - $2.5 million to Marion County for detention center improvements - $1.5 million to Dillon County for upgrades to its emergency services facility

Florence City Council's business development committee is in the beginning stages of developing plans for a Lucas Street/U.S. 52 corridor that extends from the I-95 interchange to one block past the intersection of Irby and Lucas Streets. It's one of four main corridors identified in the city's master plan and could present the biggest challenges and rewards. The corridor design will have to consider restrictions of a federal highway and a railroad. It's an interchange that is home to 5,000 hotel rooms — said to be the most of any other interchange on I-95. The corridor also serves as a gateway for those that live in Florence traveling to and from work and for those that visiting businesses in the area. "When you think about that, you've got a captive audience. We just got to have them a reason to come this way," said George Jebaily who serves on the business development committee that met June 27, at the Florence City Center. Councilwoman Lethonia "Peaches" Barnes, who also serves on the committee, attended. The committee is working with Stantec, a firm that helped the city redevelop land that was being used as a junkyard into the property where HopeHealth now thrives on Irby Street. "The planning effort we're doing now is an EPA Brownfield assessment grant. It has three areas of focus: community outreach, environmental assessments, clean up and redevelopment planning," said David Sykes, Project Manager with Stantec. For more details on SCNOW click here : https://lnkd.in/e-fgSViK

Lisa Prather, Tonya Spinks and Ellen Smith, all part the MUSC Health Florence Oncology team, will be the Greater Florence Chamber's guest this weekend on ChamberLink Radio. Be sure to catch the conversation about MUSC as they work to provide high quality and evidence-based cancer care. Tune-in to 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

This week, members of the South Carolina General Assembly returned to Columbia for likely the last time this legislative session to finalize and pass the FY2024-25 budget (H.5100), along with several other bills that were in conference committees.  Notable items included in the final version of the $14.4 billion budget package adopted by both bodies include: $200 million to immediately reduce the individual income tax rate from 6.4% to 6.2%. $200 million to SCDOT for the acceleration of bridge infrastructure improvements throughout the state.  $200 million for local road work approved by County Transportation Committees. $200 million to raise teacher salaries and increase starting teacher pay from $42,500 to $47,000. $117.4 million to SCDOT for rural road safety work. $94 million for technical college scholarships for critical needs jobs through the SC Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship Program (SCWINS).  $55 million to the South Carolina Ports Authority for land acquisition adjacent to the North Charleston Terminal for future economic development efforts.   $41.4 million to the Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) for water and sewer projects. Additionally, the Headquarter Recruitment Incentives/E-Zone Tax Credit Expansion (H.4087) bill made it out of a conference committee this week and passed both the House and Senate. The bill modernizes the states’ incentive offerings to attract more headquarters projects and knowledge-based employers. The legislation also expands tax credit offerings to employers who retrain their employees through upskilling, management development, or recertification in production-related competencies and lowers the financial threshold a recycling project must meet to qualify for tax credits while also expanding the types of projects that are eligible. The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature. Lastly, the Judicial Reform (S.1046) bill made it out of a conference committee and passed both the House and Senate. The bill modifies how judges are selected in South Carolina through changes to the composition of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) and the number of judicial candidates that are reported to the full General Assembly. The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature. The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce provides this Legislative Update to the Pee Dee Business Community through its' membership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

William Scruggs, owner of Live Oak Metal Works & Supply, along with employees and Chamber Ambassadors cuts his ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Live Oak Metal Works & Supply has officially opened its doors, offering American-made and sustainable metal roofing and siding solutions to the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. The company provides a manufacturer-direct source for a full line of high-quality metal products designed to fit any budget. Live Oak Metal Works & Supply serves a diverse customer base, including homeowners, residential installers, agricultural, commercial, and industrial building owners. Scruggs emphasized that metal roofing’s longevity, energy efficiency, and environmental benefits make it a smart investment for any building owner. "Our journey over the past few months has been incredibly rewarding, and we are excited to officially open our doors to the community," said William Scruggs, owner of Live Oak Metal Works & Supply. "We look forward to providing top-tier products and exceptional service to our area customers." Live Oak Metal Works & Supply products are made from environmentally friendly American-made Galvalume® steel, featuring common profiles like Tuff-Rib and R-Panel, as well as standing seam profiles. They also offer Tru-Steel HD®, with realistic high-definition, digitally printed woodgrain, and camouflage patterns. Additionally, the company distributes related tools and accessories, aiming to be a one-stop shop for all metal roofing and siding needs. "Metal roofing can last 40 years or more, with little maintenance required," Scruggs said. "The energy efficiency and environmental benefits make metal roofing a smart investment for any building owner." Live Oak Metal Works & Supply is located at 3216 Industry Blvd., Florence, SC. More information can be found at www.liveoakmetals.com or by calling (843)713-8600.

Great news for Pee Dee area business and leisure travelers. The Chamber is pleased to announce that American Airlines will be adding an additional daily flight into and out of Florence Regional Airport beginning August 7th. Now, area airline travelers will have better connections times in Charlotte to go along with the convenience and cost savings of using the local Florence airport. With early morning, midday and evening flights through Florence, layover times will be shorter and provide more flexible connect options. American Airlines using Florence Regional Airport delivers superb on-time performance along with the ease of close-in parking and faster passenger check-in for your flight to Charlotte and then on to nearly any market in the world. To check out available flight options go to https://www.aa.com . You can contact the Florence Regional Airport or the Florence Chamber of Commerce for more information. #FlyFlo

In case you missed it, the S.C. General Assembly’s Budget Conference Committee on Friday afternoon reached an agreement on the 2024-25 state budget. Of interest to counties includes how Homestead Exemption Fund money will be distributed. The committee agreed on: ·      $99.5 million to the General Fund to accelerate the Income Tax Reduction to 6.2%; ·      $200 million to the County Transportation Committee Acceleration Fund; ·      $100 million in non-recuring dollars to the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for the Bridge Acceleration Fund; ·      $117.4 million to SCDOT for the Rural Road Safety Program; ·      $15 million to the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) for the Rural Infrastructure Fund; ·      $15 million to RIA for the Statewide Water/Sewer Fund; and ·      $53 million to the University of South Carolina Health Sciences Campus for bond avoidance. Stay tuned! The House and Senate are expected to meet Wednesday to adopt the budget and take up several other bills pending in conference committees. The SCAC team will keep you posted on the legislative action as the 2024 session wraps up.

Lyles Cooper, Executive Director of Pee Dee Land Trust, will be the Greater Florence Chamber's guest this weekend on ChamberLink Radio.   Be sure to catch Lyles and the conversation about Pee Dee Land Trust partnering with private landowners to permanently protect 108 properties that encompass over 43,000 acres across the area watershed. Tune-in to 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