On Monday, November 2, members of the Greater Florence Chamber’s Leadership Florence Class of 2026 presented donations to three local organizations: CAREHouse, House of Hope, and Lighthouse Ministries.

The contributions represent proceeds raised through the class’s annual project, the ‘Kickball for a Cause’ tournament, held earlier this year.

Through this project, class members put leadership into action by bringing people together for a good cause and making a positive impact in our community.

Congratulations to the class and thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s tournament a success!

To see more photo presentations, click here.

 

McLeod Health has welcomed W. Stewart Horsley, MD, to the medical staff. Dr. Horsley serves patients as part of McLeod Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, where he provides comprehensive cardiothoracic surgical care.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Dr. Horsley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with a Bachelor’s degree in Pre-Medicine, earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and completed his General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

The City of Florence presented their – Telling Our Story: Why Choose Florence program at the Greater Florence Chambers of Commerce 2026 Fall Community/Legislative Breakfast on Friday, November 6th. The event was held at Florence Center.

The breakfast program was moderated by Florence City Mayor Lethonia Barnes with panelists, Charlie Barrineau, Senior Field Services Manager, Municipal Association of SC; Gilleon J. Frieson, Rural Dev. Program Manager, SC Department of Commerce and Tim Norwood, Retired EVP of Sales, Synergi Partners Investor and Entrepreneur.

Hundreds of local business leaders gathered to hear how special Florence has become and is now recognized around the state as an outstanding place to build a business while offering envious livability standards. There are many reasons Florence was recently ranked #3 on the “Best Places to Live in South Carolina” by US News.

Later in the program the city presented Tim Norwood with the inaugural Dr. Cecil Edward Floyd Memorial Award for Community Involvement & Engagement.

The program was made possible through the support of First Reliance Bank and Signature Wealth Strategies.

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(Photography by David Yeazell)

Hwasung, an electrical and electronic components manufacturer, today announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new Florence County operation. The company’s $5 million investment will create 32 new jobs. 

Founded in 1994, Hwasung manufactures precision components for elevators, marine ships, industrial robotics and energy infrastructure. The Korean company operates facilities in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, including an existing headquarters office in Lexington County.

At its new Florence County manufacturing plant, located at 1611 Otis Way in Florence, Hwasung will produce parts for three major sectors: elevators and escalators, energy and power distribution, and advanced industrial equipment, including industrial automation, robotics, precision machinery and medical equipment.

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