Donnie’s Clearing and Grading Company Joins Florence Chamber

A ribbon cutting was held in the James Allen Plaza Dargan Street to celebrate Donnie’s Clearing and Grading Company joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Donnie Fulton is owner, and he cut the ribbon on Thursday, September 1st while he was joined by family, friends, chamber staff and ambassadors.

Fulton has been in this type of business for more than 20 years. He primarily clears trees for housing developments and other businesses. He is based in Florence but works mainly in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.

Fulton works alone but is hoping to grow his business in the Florence area and hire more employees.

Fulton was in the construction business when he decided he wanted to go into business for himself. Fulton said he was tired of 12-hour shifts and wanted to be able to spend more time with his six children.

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Blessings Beyond Blessings Joins Florence Chamber

Blessings Beyond Blessings Homecare celebrated joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 8th with a ribbon cutting. Owner Iris Robinson cut the ribbon. She was joined by family, friends, and Chamber staff and ambassadors.

A home health care service, Blessings Beyond Blessings is in the Gould Business Incubator Center Room 137 at SiMT, 1951 Pisgah Road.

“I love people, I am excited for this moment,” Robinson said. “I thank God. With God you can do anything.”

Robinson said she encourages other not to give up on their dream or their passion.

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Protect Your Period Joins Florence Chamber

Protect Your Period held a ribbon cutting in the James Allen Plaza on Wednesday, September 7th celebrating joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Tonya Goines, product awareness ambassador, cut the ribbon. She was joined by Chamber staff and ambassadors.

Since February of this year, Goines has been a retailer for Reign Premium Sanitary Napkins. Goines said the product offers women a not-toxic alternative that may help reduce infections, cramps and clots. Reign pads are infused with “graphene.”

As a retailer for the company, Goines said she wants to introduce her product to Florence and the surrounding area and to sell the Reign product to companies, nonprofits and individuals. She said this product is not sold in stores but online.

“I would like to serve retailers and all women and girls,” she said.

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Superior Machine Holds Ribbon Cutting

Superior Machine Co. of South Carolina, Inc. in Florence joined the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and celebrated with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 27th.

Cutting the ribbon was Robert G. “Zip” Vassy Jr., Vice President/Finance. He was joined by members of the team at Superior Machine Co. of South Carolina, Chamber staff and ambassadors.

The company, located at 692 N. Cashua Drive, was started in the ‘60s by Francis Phillips in the paper mill industry. It evolved over the years to include paper, steel and aggregate “rock” industries. In the early ‘80s the company turned its attention mainly to the steel industry.

Florence is the company headquarters and the only manufacturing plant, Vassy said. He said the company has sales and engineering offices at Pawley’s Island and an engineering office in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Pound Real Estate Partners Join Chamber with Ribbon Cutting

Pound Real Estate Partners LLC celebrated joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting in the James Allen Plaza on Dargan Street on Tuesday, July 26th.

Cutting the ribbon were broker-in-charge Patty K. Pound and co-owner Robert Pound, Realtor. They were joined by Chamber staff and ambassadors.

Patty Pound said she has been in the real estate business for six years. Prior to that she was a professional photographer for about 25 years, and just recently gave that up to pursue her passion for real estate full time.

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The Asiya Jordan Foundation Celebrates Joining the Florence Chamber

A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday, June 30th in the James Allen Plaza celebrating the Asiya Jordan Foundation’s joining of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Cutting the ribbon was Shalanda Waiters, Director of the foundation, which was established in memory of her daughter, Asiya Jordan.

Sixteen-year-old Asiya Jordan died in a car crash on McIver Road in October 2019. Her mother said she was on her way to Florence-Darlington Tech.

She was a junior at Wilson and a varsity cheerleader.

Waiters said her daughter was very community-service oriented and wanted to make a difference in the world.

The foundation gives scholarships to deserving students in memory of Jordan.

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CARE House Holds Ribbon Cutting

CARE House of the Pee Dee held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, June 28th celebrating joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Meg Temple, Executive Director, cut the ribbon and was joined by her staff, friends, and Chamber staff and ambassadors.

CARE House of the Pee Dee is a children’s advocacy center. Its mission is to promote, help, hope and healing in a nurturing environment for child abuse victims.

The center serves Florence, Marion, Dillon and Clarendon counties, Temple said.  Started in 2006, CARE House of the Pee Dee is a non-profit, one-stop center for child abuse victims.

It has been in its current location at 1920 Second Loop Road in Florence since 2019.

Temple said the center works along with DSS and law enforcement to help them get what they need in the least intimidating way from a child when investigating child abuse. She said the center provides forensic interviews, forensic medical services, advocacy and evidence-based therapy services.

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New York Life Hosts Ribbon Cutting with the Florence Chamber

New York Life insurance agent Julie Cord celebrated with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce at a ribbon cutting in the James Allen Plaza on Dargan Street on Wednesday, June 22nd.

“My goal is to help families and businesses protect their most important assets, themselves,” Cord said. “I do this via developing customized strategies with a variety of products such as permanent life insurance, term life insurance, disability insurance, long term care insurance, and fixed annuities.”

As a mutual insurance company with the highest ratings given by the major financial rating organizations, the company has been helping people for over 177 years and has remained strong through wars, influenza outbreaks and natural disasters, she said.

“I’m incredibly proud to be associated with New York Life,” Cord said. “I pleased to be able to help people alleviate their concerns about money and protect the people they love.”

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High Caliber Guns and Optics Opens in Florence

High Caliber Guns and Optics celebrated its opening at 3320 W. Palmetto St. in Florence and joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting on Monday, June 20th.

Owners Robert Guffey, Cassius Smith and Teresa Norman were joined by Chamber staff and ambassadors. Norman cut the ribbon.

The store opened Friday.

High Caliber Guns and Optics sells firearms, new and used; ammunition, thermal imagery scopes, night vision, suppressors and more. They buy, sell and trade.

“We are a Class 3 dealer,” Guffey said. “That means we can sell suppressors.”

Guffey said they saw a need in the Florence area that no one was offering — custom firearms, night vision and thermal.

He said business has been great, and everyone has been very complimentary thus far.

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McDonald’s on Irby Street Joins the Florence Chamber to Get More Involved in the Community

Superior QSR Inc. /McDonald’s in Florence on Irby Street held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 16th to celebrate joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Chamber ambassadors joined in the celebration.

Rick Hoff, Owner/President at Superior QSR, has four stores in the area – the Irby Street location in Florence and one in Bennettsville, Dillon and Cheraw. He has been an owner for seven and half years and in the business for 29 years. He is a second-generation McDonald’s franchise owner.

“We are changing the culture of the restaurant,” said Luisbel Burgos, area supervisor, who has been a supervisor for 12 years. In November of last year he moved to Florence. He said the restaurant is making changes in how it does business, including having an employee outside to move the line along faster. He said the restaurant is trying to improve customer service and kitchen operation with lots of training.

“It takes a team to succeed,” Burgos said.

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