Archive for month: July, 2026

Two family-owned companies with a shared commitment to customer service, their employees, and community involvement have come together to continue serving businesses throughout Florence, SC and the Pee Dee region.

Systel Business Equipment is proud to celebrate the successful integration of Carolina Typewriter Company (CTC) customer relationships into the Systel organization, building on more than a century of combined experience serving businesses across the Carolinas.

Systel completed the acquisition of CTC in late 2025 and has since focused on preserving the personal relationships and local service that defined Carolina Typewriter Company for generations. This transition has been strengthened by the continued involvement of former President, Tommy Kelly, and longtime employee, Phanessa Sansbury, both of whom have helped maintain continuity for customers throughout the process.

Carolina Typewriter Company was built on relationships and taking care of customers. “When it came time to consider the future of the business, finding the right partner was important to me and my family. Systel shares many of the same values that have guided our company for decades, and I felt confident they would continue providing the level of service and support our customers deserve,” said Tommy Kelly.

To read the full press release, click here.

Momentum is strong, and growing stronger, for the SPC Cares Foundation as it nears its second anniversary in October 2026. The Cares Foundation, founded in the fall of 2024 as a way for SPC Credit Union to strategically support hunger, housing, employment, and education initiatives within Darlington, Marlboro, Chesterfield, and Florence Counties, has awarded $18,200 to local nonprofits in the first six months of the year alone, not to mention nearly $5,000 in Member Hardship Requests and $15,000 in Down Payment Assistance Forgivable Loans.

In May, the Foundation’s Advisory Committee approved one dozen Community Impact Grant requests, each for $1,000. Grant recipients included the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area, Community Action Volunteer Experience (CAVE), Child & Family Resource Center, Christ City of Refuge, Educational Foundation of Lower Florence County, Hartsville Little Theatre, Kingdom Community Services, My Brother’s Keeper, Pee Dee Coalition, Rooted in Hartsville, Rubicon Family Counseling, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. Funding awarded to these organizations will support irrigation installation for a new community garden in Hartsville; the provision of hot meals for homeless and hungry residents of Florence; housing and rehabilitation services for individuals and families emerging from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration in Darlington County; and programmatic needs for a therapeutic day camp for children and families navigating grief, trauma, and loss; among other initiatives that fall within the Foundation’s four pillars.

To read the full press release, click here.

Fitzgerald, Georgia-based Colony Bankcorp is set to buy Florence, South Carolina-based First Reliance Bancshares in a $163 million stock-and-cash transaction, creating a $5 billion-asset institution.

The parent companies of Colony Bank and First Reliance Bank announced the news in mid-June. It’s expected to close in the fourth quarter of the year.

Rick Saunders, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Reliance, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with Colony in a move that accelerates our strategic growth plans. This partnership allows us to preserve our cherished culture while gaining the operational scale required to compete at the highest level. Our customers will enjoy access to broader banking capabilities and enhanced technology, while our employees will benefit from being part of a larger, dynamic organization with expanded career opportunities.”

The deal will bring Colony, which currently operates in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, into South Carolina. South Carolina branches, however, will continue to operate under the First Reliance moniker.

To read the full press release, click here.