The King’s Academy Breaks Ground On New Elementary School

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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.

Chandler Investment Properties Joins Chamber

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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.

Florence 1 Schools To Hold Ribbon Cutting At The Farm

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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.

Florence Officials Look To Future Downtown Development

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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.

Free Virtual Workshop – Reach Customers Online with Google

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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 Break Ground Today On Phase One Of Urban Square Project

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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.

Florence Chamber Of Commerce & City of Florence Announce New Entrepreneurship

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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.

MUSC Health To Host Wellness Wednesday

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MUSC Business Health presents a Virtual Lunch & Learn covering “Virtual Care as a Solution For Access & Convenience” featuring Emily H. Warr, MSN, RN from the MUSC Center for Telehealth on Wednesday, May 10th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.

Short on time? Love the convenience of virtual doctor’s visits, or are you new to telehealth? Learn more about MUSC Health’s robust telehealth services and how you can easily access MUSC’s providers from the comfort of your home.

MUSC Health has also added telehealth appointments for Rheumatology and Endocrinology to its new Virtual Specialty Care service. These appointments go beyond a traditional telehealth visit and are available for new or existing rheumatology and endocrinology patients 18 years or older. Information about how this specialty care service creates positive change for patients throughout South Carolina will also be shared.

For more information, click here.

Free Virtual Workshop – Concepts of Project Management

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Join The Kelley Center for Economic Development at Francis Marion University and SCORE Grand Strand for this free virtual workshop to be held on Tuesday, May 9th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.

The target audience for “Concepts for Project Management” are general contractors, small construction contractors and individuals considering establishing small construction business to perform home remodeling and/or small projects. In addition, it provides a basic understanding of project management terms used in contracts for the government project management environment.

Disclaimer: This workshop is not targeted for those individuals preparing to PMP certification.

To register, click here.

Walmart Supercenter On North Beltline Drive Holds Grand Re-Opening After Renovations

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The Walmart Supercenter on North Beltline Drive officially “reopened” on Friday after months of renovations.

The store now has more items for sale in every department, new signs, more registers and a mural celebrating the past and present of Florence. Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin and Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce members helped representatives from Walmart cut the ceremonial ribbon to announce the reopening.

“Walmart has shown itself to be a part of our community as a good supporter of our community,” Ervin said. “Thank you for all you do in Florence.”

Before the ribbon cutting, Walmart presented checks for $2,000 to two local groups: the Florence Police Department and One Child at a Time.

To read the full story, click here.