BUSINESS
An Update on the Class of 2020-2021
story by Rachel Johnson
It’s hard to believe we are now in month 7 of our Leadership Hartsville program. Our topic for this month was “Quality of Life.” Our day started bright and early with Jamie Kelly and our continued discussion on John Maxwell’s Learning to Become a Person of Influence. The main quote from our session this month was “Through these doors pass ordinary people on their way to accomplishing extraordinary things.” – Sign at Walmart Headquarters. Sam Walton was one who empowered those around him; a leader who saw greatness within and put his people first. Our next stop was to the Hartsville Memorial Library where our tour guide, Joe, showed us around highlighting the children’s library and adult genres offered. We also learned of the newly implemented ways you can use the library. To name a few: registering for and using your library card online, curbside service, twenty-four hour Wi-Fi, and 3D printing (hello 3D minion chess set!) We came back to chamber to hear from Theresa Redfern, founder of Child & Family Resource Foundation. Child & Family is a wonderful outlet for anyone in the community. They work with all different ages of a family that is dealing with grief, giving them a safe space that help them begin the healing process. The main goal is to ensure participants that they are not alone in what they are going through. How refreshing it is to know that a place like this exists during these times. We headed to Kalmia Gardens of Coker University. We got to see the new pergola/deck area built during quarantine. It is such a great space for those who are unable to go down the stairs or trails but still enjoy the gardens. We took a small hike to see the founder of Hartsville – Thomas Hart’s house and the many plants throughout the gardens. Hungry while walking? No worries, there are plenty of edible plants readily available! We were provided with a wonderful lunch by Hartsville Country Club. Lunch was followed with a discussion of the many different recreation opportunities you can utilize with the country club, as a member or non-member, such as playing a round or two, taking lessons or hosting events.
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After lunch we headed back to the chamber to hear from a few different businesses about how they have handled operations over the last year. First up was Brad Teal of The Sweet Shoppe. He and his wife Sonya switched gears from children’s clothing to ice-cream and candies. Since opening their shop in the fall, they have seen great foot traffic from those in the community and are forever grateful. Chrissy Peach of Raised Down South came to speak about how she stayed open during the pandemic. Even though she had to close her doors for a couple of weeks, she shared how she and her girls were constantly thinking of new ways to show merchandise from live sales on Facebook, social media, and mixing different pieces when styling them. Chrissy expressed her gratitude of her team the community for supporting them. Brent Tiller from Block and Vino discussed moving his business from Florence to Hartsville and how much they’ve loved being a part of our community. They offer quality meats and ready to go hot meals which have been a saving grace for families during this time. He was very thankful for his customers and was so appreciative of the support he has received from the community. After speaking with these small businesses, we got a firsthand tour of the new brewery, Wild Heart Brewery. Casey Hancock and his team have been working tirelessly to open the brewery and are getting close to ribbon cutting time. We were able to see the kitchen, seating area, and the lengthy beer brewing process. Not to give anything away, but you are going to love the vibe of this new place! Our class can’t wait to check it out! Finally, we ended our day at the Chamber listening to Justin Evans about the ongoing Opportunity Zone projects in the community. He showed us layouts of the Hartsville Armory and Thornwell Elementary School. The ideas they have for these areas will definitely liven up our community and bring even more attraction to Hartsville. Although the past year has been a struggle for us, it is exciting to see the small businesses and our community support one another. The desire for a better quality of life is evident. It takes all of us to strengthen our community by working together and believing we can!
