9th Annual Flo-Town 5K Set For April 27th

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The City of Florence Employee Wellness Program and Florence Track Club have partnered to bring you the 9th Annual Flo-Town 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, April 27th. The certified course will begin at the City’s Waste Water Management Facility quickly accessing the Florence Trail System’s Freedom Florence Connections. These trails, located in East Florence, make up approximately 8 miles of the City’s Trail system. The course is comprised of natural beauty and history adjacent to the tranquil Jeffries Creek and the Florence Stockade. The Stockade and neighboring National Cemetery developed during the Civil War, and veterans from all wars since that time have been, and are still being, interred here.

Click here for more information.

SC Ports To Expand Capacity At North Charleston Terminal

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Last  week, the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SC Ports) announced the purchase of the former WestRock paper mill site adjacent to the North Charleston Terminal, which will, over time, allow SC Ports to significantly expand capacity at the North Charleston Terminal. The purchase of the roughly 280-acre waterfront property will grow the terminal’s capacity to “…handle 5 million containers in the future and create 5,000 feet of linear berth space for container ships and around 400 acres of terminal space for cargo.”

In a statement, SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said, “South Carolina’s economy is prospering, and we must continue to invest in our world-class port system to support the companies investing in our state. This is an incredible opportunity to enhance our high-performing North Charleston Terminal with renewed capacity to handle future growth.”

The state is expected to appropriate general funds to help aid in the purchase of the property. The House included $55 million for the purchase of the property in their version of the budget (H.5100) that passed last week.

Celebration Of Small Business Luncheon & Expo Scheduled For April 24th

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To honor National Small Business Week, The Greater Florence Chamber will host our inaugural Celebration of Small Business Luncheon on Wednesday, April 24th at the Florence Center. The festivities will begin at 11:00 am with a vendor expo, and lunch will be served starting at 12:00 noon. The event will celebrate the contributions of small business to our community and feature Julie Kunkle, Deputy Director of Business Services with The SC Department of Commerce as our speaker.

There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States with over 61 million employees, making up nearly 50% of the US workforce.

Tickets are $35 for Chamber members and $40 for non-members. Vendor exhibit tables are $50 for members, $75 for non-members. Reserved tables are also available.

To register online, click here.

FMU Kelley Center To Host Entrepreneur & Small Business Networking Event

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After the success of their first event, the FMU Kelley Center is excited to host another evening of networking and collaboration at their second Entrepreneur & Small Business Networking Event! This free, in-person event will take place on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 5:30 to 7:00pm in the University Place Building (142 N Dargan St) in Downtown Florence.

Whether you’re a seasoned small business owner or just starting out, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with other entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, and build valuable relationships in a casual and friendly environment.

Attendees will also be able to learn about the services and programs offered by local organizations such as the FMU Kelley Center, SCORE, the SBDC, and the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce as well as tour the available office spaces offered through the Kelley Center’s Incubation program.

Space is limited and this event did sell out previously, so register now and get ready for this fantastic opportunity to make meaningful business and community connections!

The Namoi Project Presents Meantime Is a Mean Time

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Tickets are on sale now for Meantime Is a Mean Time, a dinner theater play showing on April 20 at 3 pm. Held at First Presbyterian Church (700 S. park Avenue) in Florence, SC, the doors will open at 1 pm and food will start serving at 1:30 pm.

Meantime Is a Mean Time is a locally produced production presented by The Naomi Project.

Tickets are on sale at naomiproject.com/tnp-play , and in person at The Leatherman Center in Florence, SC 600 Senior Way, Florence, SC 29505

2-Day Rodeo To Benefit Florence Area Humane Society & Hands Helping Horses Rescue

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Save the date! Hub’s Farmland 2nd Annual Rodeo is back on April 5-6, 2024!

Gates open at 4:00 pm both Friday & Saturday! SHOW TIME is 8:00 pm each night. $15 CASH ONLY admission fee. Kids 7 and under are FREE!

Profits to benefit the Florence Area Humane Society and Hands Helping Horses rescue.

To view the full flyer, click here.

Palmetto Destruction Returns To Florence Center

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The metal crushing carnage of Palmetto Destruction is returning to the Florence Center for a double dose of demolition on Friday March 29 & Saturday March 30. Drivers from across the US are ready to go metal to metal and the last car driving is the victor! You don’t want to miss out on this professional indoor demolition derby it’s going to be the car wrecking, metal smashing event of the year! For more information or to buy tickets visit florencecenter.com.

Yale Expanding Clinical Into SC, MUSC Florence

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The MUSC Florence Research Center, located MUSC Health-Florence, is one of four community-based clinical research sites across the Southeast chosen to participate in the Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) Initiative led by Yale University.

The initiative seeks to build a clinical trial network of community-based sites to attract more people of color to participate in clinical research. The selection is part of EQBMED’s plan to identify sites in historically underrepresented communities of color across the country.

To read the full story, click here.

Sonoco President And CEO Speaks To Florence Chamber

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Sonoco President and CEO Howard Coker Wednesday was the keynote speaker for the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Outlook Luncheon held at the Florence Center. Coker talked about the growth of the company and credited the company culture as the reason it has expanded globally to 300 locations and 22,000 employees. Sonoco is celebrating its’ 125th anniversary.

To read the full story, click here.

Yokim Named Florence Chamber’s Public Servant Of The Year

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Florence County Administrator Kevin Yokim was named the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Public Servant of the Year by FMU President Fred Carter at the chamber’s outlook luncheon Wednesday at the Florence Center.

Yokim has served as the finance director for Florence County, assistant city manager for Florence and the past year as Florence county administrator.

Dr. Fred Carter, president at FMU, presented the award and said, “He’s a remarkable administrator in every sense of the word. He’s thoughtful. He’s reflective. He’s collaborative. He makes shrewd decisions that are based on his education and his understanding of what it takes to run a good and reputable government,”

To read the full story, click here.