Florence Regional Airport Shows Passenger Growth

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Over the past few month the Florence Regional Airport has seen a growth trend in passengers using the available American Airlines flights to all parts of the country and even the world.

Passenger counts have increased by more than 34% over the last six months. Growth like that is exactly what our area needs, which will allow the airport to work toward adding more flights and airlines in and out of FLO.

Don’t make the expensive mistake of driving to the next available airport. Fly Home, Fly FLO.

2026 Emerging Leaders Summer Institute Graduation

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce celebrated the graduation of the 2026 Emerging Leaders Summer Institute cohorts on August 13 at the Sapphire Room by Finn.

Over the course of the Institute, this group of 17 professionals had the opportunity to learn, connect, and grow as leaders while gaining a deeper understanding of the people, organizations, and issues that shape our community.

We were honored to have Brian Fast, Regional Business Executive and former Vice President and Market Executive for First Citizens Bank, deliver the keynote address.

Congratulations to the 2026 Emerging Leaders Summer Institute graduates!

To read the full post, click here.

School Foundation Gala

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Dr. Sarah Leatherman Allen will be honored as The School Foundation’s Distinguished Graduate at the 26th annual School Foundation gala to be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

Dr. Allen is a visionary physician and category creator in healthcare – the Founder of Skin Clique, the nation’s first in-home, on-demand medical aesthetic practice, serving more than 80,000 patients across 42 states.  She is a board-certified internist, celebrated national speaker, and educator with a passion for aesthetic medicine, women’s health, and healthspan optimization.

Sarah is a 2000 graduate of West Florence High School, a graduate of Wofford College, and earned her medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she served as Chief Resident.  The youngest daughter of Senator Hugh and Jean Leatherman’s six children, she and her husband, Keels, are raising four daughters in Pawleys Island. 

The event will be held at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT).  It begins at 5:30pm and will end promptly at 9:00pm.  A meal will be served, and the attire is business attire. Tickets start at $100 for F1S educators and $125 for individuals.  Reserved tables of eight begin at $1,000.

Tickets can be purchased by calling Hyler at (843) 662-9996 or by e-mailing dhyler@theschoolfoundation.org.  You can also purchase tickets on the foundation’s website by clicking here.

To view the flyer, click here.

Cortney’s Cupcakery Named Business of the Quarter at City Council Meeting

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Last Monday, the Florence Chamber of Commerce and The City of Florence recognized Cortney’s Cupcakery with Resolution No. 2026-33 as the Business of the Quarter at the regular City Council meeting.

Located in Downtown Florence, Cortney’s Cupcakery is a locally owned and operated bakery that sells delicious cakes and cupcakes. They often say they are “in the business of making lasting memories with every order made”. Their traditional homestyle cakes and cupcakes come in many different flavors.

Congratulations to Cortney Ragin and her staff as they continue to develop their business in Downtown Florence.

McLeod Pediatric Associates of Florence Featured on ChamberLink Radio

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Dr. Thomas Spence was the Florence Chamber’s guest this past weekend, talking about care for children, infants, and adolescents covering the unique needs of children, through all their developmental stages, as they grow and mature.

We encourage you to tune-in 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, MUSC Health Florence Medical Center and LIVE 95.3FM.

Looking for past ChamberLink Radio Show interviews? Click here:

https://www.flochamber.com/events-programs/podcasts/

Emerging Leaders Summer Institute Hold Last Session

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The Florence Chamber’s Emerging Leaders Summer Institute cohorts held their final session on August 12th, focusing on Government and Civic Engagement.

Florence County hosted breakfast for the group, where the cohort heard from several community leaders, including Florence Mayor Lethonia Barnes, Florence City Manager Scotty Davis, Florence County Administrator Kevin Yokim, and representatives from the Florence Police Department. The conversation gave participants an inside look at how local government operates, the role of public leadership, and the importance of civic engagement in building a stronger community.

The cohort’s next stop was House of Hope, where they enjoyed lunch and heard presentations from both House of Hope and Lighthouse Ministries. Participants learned more about the important work these organizations are doing to address the needs of individuals and families throughout our community.

The day concluded with an informative tour of Harvest Hope Food Bank, providing another opportunity for the Emerging Leaders to see firsthand how community organizations and partners work together to address critical needs.

This was the final session for the 2026 Emerging Leaders cohort, marking the completion of an exciting journey of learning, leadership development, networking, and community engagement. We are proud of this year’s class and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at their graduation ceremony on August 13th.

To see more photos from the event, click here.

United Way’s Annual Day of Caring Set for September 18

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Day of Caring projects are now live on their website! The process to participate is simple. The designated team lead can visit uwflorence.org/day-of-caring to view this year’s projects and sign up. You should receive an automatic email detailing next steps, along with a confirmation for the projects you claimed.

We hope you will coordinate with your colleagues, designate a team lead, sign up for a project, and encourage others to participate!

Find the Hidden Profit in Your Small Business

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Discover where profit may already be hiding inside your business. This practical webinar explains how small improvements in pricing, margins, costs, customer value, sales, and marketing can compound into meaningful gains in cash flow and profitability. You will also learn how to avoid common pricing mistakes, understand the real cost of discounting, and identify several profit opportunities you can begin evaluating immediately.

This webinar is being held August 19, 2026, starting at 12:00 pm EDT and will last about 2 hours. The cost is $10. For more information or to register, click here.

2026 Honda Open House

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Last Thursday, the Chamber had the opportunity to tour Honda South Carolina Manufacturing (SCM) during its 2026 Honda Open House.

Ron Freed, Operations Manager at Honda SCM, provided the business group with a tour of the massive facility and shared the advanced assembly systems used in the production of Honda Side-by-Side vehicles. SCM has proudly produced Honda power sports products at their Timmonsville facility since 1998.

Ron, along with other Honda leaders, offered their vision for the future of the facility and shared Honda’s continued commitment to the issues and initiatives that matter to our community.

To see more photos from the event, click here.

Annual Membership Luncheon Date & Speaker Announced

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Duane Parrish, Director for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), will be the guest speaker at the Greater Florence Chamber’s Annual Membership Luncheon on Wednesday, September 23 at the Florence Center.

Parrish has dedicated more than 35 years of his professional career to the hospitality industry. He will be speaking to us about the critical role tourism plays in our great state of South Carolina and how the Pee Dee factors into the state tourism picture.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina in Business Administration, Parrish has served as an adjunct professor at the College of Charleston and Trident Technical College teaching hotel management and hospitality courses. He has also been an active member of the South Carolina Hospitality Association and once served as Chairman. Parrish has also served on several other boards for the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, various hotel associations, and two college advisory boards.

At the luncheon event the Chamber will also announce the Chamber’s Business Person of the Year recipient, presented by First Citizens Bank.

The Membership Luncheon doors will open at 11:30 for conversation and networking. The program will begin at 12 noon. Individual registration is $45 for members and $55 for non-members. Special reserved tables of 8 are available for $475. Seating will be limited so register early.