About Sumter

Home > About Sumter >

Recent News

CAROLINA FILTERS INVESTS IN A SECOND DEECOM® UNIT TO MEET GROWING DEMAND FOR “GREEN” CLEANING TECHNOLOGIES

Sumter-based Carolina Filters Inc. (CFI) officially placed an order for a second DEECOM unit in April 2011 and will commission the unit in early third quarter. Using water and heat, this technology allows for the efficient and cost effective cleaning of metal parts, filters, and other process equipment and parts used in the textile, bottle resin, plastics, and petrochemical industries. Traditional cleaning technologies use chemicals at elevated temperatures and can degrade the parts being cleaned. Associated raw material costs are tied to the price of oil. Environmentally, traditional cleaning processes generate waste streams that must be treated, or disposed of in landfills. The DEECOM technology does not chemically change the contaminant and creates a product that could be recycled, which minimizes landfill disposal needs, as well as the demands placed on waste water treatment resources. "We are excited to be installing our second DEECOM unit ahead of schedule. This investment will allow us to convert existing business over to cleaning processes that are more energy efficient, have lower emissions, and use less petroleum-based feed-stocks. The new equipment will also allow us to initiate research and development for reclamation processes in new markets and end uses. This process will reduce manufacturing costs and shrink our environmental footprint." said Coles Dwight, CEO of Carolina Filters. “Adding an additional DEECOM unit to our facility is another step in moving Carolina Filters from traditional cleaning methods to sustainable and environmentally friendly processes that have a minimal carbon footprint. The sustainability of the increased DEECOM® capacity will lead to long-term cost and pricing stability which will be beneficial to the economics of operation of our facility, as well as, that of our customers. In a time when our customers are competing globally for market share, Carolina Filters will be contributing to their cost competitiveness which could make a difference in American-made and Foreign-made.”, said Susie Reynolds, VP of Technology at Carolina Filters. About Carolina Filters Inc. Carolina Filters Inc. is a cleaning and reclamation service provider, with headquarters and operations in Sumter, SC. Service and distribution centers are located in Greenville and Charleston, SC, with an additional service center opening in Columbia, SC later this year. CFI is a total solution provider of air, liquid and gas phase filtration products, installation services and maintenance programs for: the health care industry, manufacturing & warehousing, retail establishments, banks and data processing centers. Looking to the future, Carolina Filters is investing in R&D clean technologies for the cost effective reclamation of carbon fiber composites to support the recycling requirements for the aerospace, automotive and sporting goods industries’. For more information, please contact : Dan Conrad Director Sales and Marketing - Carolina Filters Inc. P: 803-418-9732 dan@carolinafilters.com www.carolinafilters.com

Sumter Packaging Expanding

Posted: Sunday, March 13, 2011 6:00 am | Updated: 11:46 pm, Fri Mar 11, 2011. BY COREY DAVIS cdavis@theitem.com One local company is adding another facility in hopes of benefiting from the arrival of Boeing Co. in Charleston. Sumter Packaging Corp., a manufacturer of corrugated items for industrial corporations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, finalized a deal in January to invest in an 80,000-square-foot facility locally, according to company president Ben DeSollar. For the full article - go to: Posted: Sunday, March 13, 2011 6:00 am | Updated: 11:46 pm, Fri Mar 11, 2011. BY COREY DAVIS cdavis@theitem.com One local company is adding another facility in hopes of benefiting from the arrival of Boeing Co. in Charleston. Sumter Packaging Corp., a manufacturer of corrugated items for industrial corporations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia, finalized a deal in January to invest in an 80,000-square-foot facility locally, according to company president Ben DeSollar.

For the full article, click below to go to the Item.com

http://www.theitem.com/business/article_b97394f2-7cce-533e-8208-e5daccebbadc.html

Government Contracting and Procurement Academy

On January 18th the USC Small Business Development Center will begin offering a series of training seminars on Obtaining Contracts and Selling to the Government at The Sumter Chamber of Commerce. These seminars are intended for those who want to obtain contracts or sell their products or services to the (federal) government but continue to find entry into the game elusive. There is no one prescription for success and, in fact, the contractor/vendor needs to now and be ready to adapt to the ever changing procurement process. These seminars will help the participant think like the government does, explore online tools to help understand what’s going on and to work toward developing strategies that work. If you're already registered on CCR but find it difficult to make the system work for you, then this are the seminars you've been looking for. Part I January 18th 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM This ‘Contracting 101’ session will help the participant understand the basic philosophy behind the voluminous procurement rules and regulations. Determine the type of contracts, products, and services you can complete for and develop your marketing strategy. · Your qualifications and experiences determine where you fit: Prime contractor, Subcontractor, GSA Schedule, Open Market, or all the above. · Learn the products and services purchased by the military and other federal government agencies. · Explore small business set-aside programs for businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and businesses in historically underutilized business zones. This foundation will provide the springboard from which the participant can begin to apply the tools presented in Part II. This session is also intended to help the contractor/vendor view themselves relative to the competition and relative to the government buyer’s needs. Part II January 27th 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM CCR, BPN, ORCA, GLS and other sites may be old turf for many but the rationale behind them isn’t always quite so obvious nor is their use from the perspective of a contracting officer. While FedBizOpps gives the impression of being the government’s one-stop shop for learning about federal contracting opportunities, this is hardly the case. In this session we will begin by exploring other ways to find work and then take a look at other sources of information that could give the contractor/vendor a competitive advantage. Wher Where: Sumter Chamber of Commerce, 32 East Calhoun Street, Sumter SC Cost: Chamber members FREE, Non-members $35.00 Registration Required at 803-938-3833 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (After 01/04/11) or 803-775-0915 (Enrollment limited) More Info or Register at www.uscbiz.net. Click “seminars” then “Sumter”end_of_the_skype_highlighting .For more information, contact Jim Giffin, (803) 938-3833 or jgiffin@sc.edu

Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce Launches Chamber Mail

The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce is launching November 1 the Greater Sumter ChamberMail™ Program to assist its members in finding new customers. ChamberMail™ targets new homeowners and new residents in the Chambers multi-town service area, and is currently offered to Members only of the Chamber. The primary purpose of this program is to assist Chamber Members in finding new business during the current, difficult economic climate. "All of our members are diligently working to maintain and increase their business as they always are," says Grier Blackwelder, President & CEO of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce. "The Greater Sumter ChamberMail™ Program's goal is to offer all of our Members -- and our new neighbors just moving into our geographic service area -- a tangible, useful, tool. And for Chamber Members, ultimately a profitable tool by finding them new customers. While new homeownership numbers are down over the last few years, homes continue to sell and new residents continue to move into our area. These new neighbors are looking to this Chamber for guidance on where to purchase the products and services they will inevitably need." ChamberMail™ is a business-to-consumer, direct mail brochure delivered weekly into the hands of all new homeowners and new residents in all cities and towns in Sumter County. The Greater Sumter ChamberMail™ publication includes a welcome letter from the chamber leadership, and includes ads and promotions from advertising Chamber Members. Delivery of the brochure takes place approximately two to four weeks after the move-in of the new residents, and new residents have continuous access to member advertisers through ChamberMail Links, an email coupon program designed to drive new resident traffic to the Greater Sumter Chamber’s website and provide cost saving offers from ChamberMail advertisers. There are three levels of ad pricing available in ChamberMail™ Select Edition: Premium ads for $499, standard ads for $449 with discounts given for multiple ad space purchases, and line ads for $199 with the ability to highlight line ads for $249. ChamberMail™ prices are all inclusive throughout the duration of the program which is for either 1 year of monthly mailings, or reaching 2000 new residents — whichever comes first. All 36 ad spaces sold out in 6 weeks, which is a national record for ChamberMail ad sales.

Sumter Business Academy Offers Online Courses Available At Any Time

The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce has launched a web-based portal, Sumter Business Academy, which provides local business owners and employees access to an array of training courses. More than 60 courses are available at any time for little or no cost, seven days a week. The courses range from “Understanding Blogs” to “Effective Networking.” The Greater Sumter Chamber partnered with BusinessTrainingTeam.com, a Conway-based web-based training company, to design the page and provide some of the initial content. Courses such as “How to set up QuickBooks Pro”, and “Is Social Media Marketing right for me?” are offered. The scope of topics will increase each month, with new experts from Business Training Team and other local chamber members on board for continual business growth. The online training is available to all business owners and is not exclusive to Chamber members. However, Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce members will receive a 15% discount when signing up for the online training program through the academy’s website. SumterBusinessAcademy.org serves as a portal to BusinessTrainingTeam.com which is a subscription based website. Subscriptions range from $47 for a month, $117 for three months or $347 annually. All subscriptions are per company which allows all employees access to the training for one low fee. The Chamber discount applies as long as Greater Sumter Chamber members remain active. “The goal of this partnership between the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce and BusinessTrainingTeam.com is to answer the questions a business owner, sales professional, realtor, or home-based business is asking,” said Sue White, partner with BusinessTrainingTeam.com. “It is the diversity of this web-based training center that brings a richness and depth of training experiences, never before available under one umbrella. Other topics of interest include customer service, leadership, marketing strategies to reach today’s consumer, and Microsoft Office training. “We’re extremely excited to launch the Sumter Business Academy,” said Grier Blackwelder, President of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce. “This online option allows members educational opportunities at their convenience. There are great workshops and seminars planned, and I feel we’re on the cutting edge of this growing trend.” More information is available by contacting the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce at (803) 775-1231 or by visiting www.SumterBusinessAcademy.com.

2011-2012 Chamber Board Nominations Announced

The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce is happy to announce the results of the 2010 Board of Directors Nominating Committee process. The Nominating Committee was lead by Chamber Chairman Will Holmes. The committee is made up of the Immediate Past Chairman, Talmadge Tobias, Chair-Elect Melissa White and two members at-large who were Mitch Williams and Nicole Norris. The specific role of the Nominating Committee is to select candidates to serve as Board of Directors members who will set policy, govern the organization, control its property and direct its financial affairs. Selected to serve in Three-Year Elected positions were Pete Flanagan with Tuomey Healthcare System and Mitch Williams with Edward Jones. Selected to serve in a Two-Year Appointed position was Rob Fauvie with BD. Selected to serve in a One-Year Appointed position was Julie Bailey with Bailey’s Automotive and Towing. Terms for these nominations will begin April 1, 2011 The slate of officers for the Chamber’s 2011-2012 fiscal year are: Immediate Past Chair –Will Holmes, Wachovia; Chair-Melissa White, NBSC; Chair-Elect-Joseph Tobiere, Vigier’s Computer Service; Vice President of Special Projects – Mitch Williams, Edward Jones; Vice President of Military Relations – Pete Flanagan, Tuomey Healthcare System; Vice President Public Affairs – Ray Reich, City of Sumter; Vice President of Industrial & Business Development – Stephen Dinkins, Coldwell Banker Cornerstone; Vice President of Legislative & Governmental Affairs – Rob Fauvie, BD Diagnostics; Vice President of Membership – Julie Bailey, Bailey’s Automotive and Towing. The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce is pleased to have a board that represents our membership well. These officers will serve our Chamber, business community and Sumter as a whole well and will great efforts to make Sumter a better place. For more information about these officers or anything regarding the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, please contact Nancy Lee Zimpleman, Vice President of Membership Development or visit our Website at www.sumterchamber.com

Industry Symposium In Sumter For Shaw Housing Contracts

On November 9, 2010at 5:00pm, Hensel Phelps Construction Co. will be hosting an additional Industry Symposium in the city of Sumter, South Carolina. Hensel Phelps will be informing the local community of the upcoming Southern Group Military Housing projects at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter and Charleston Air Force Base in North Charleston. The goal of the symposium is to bring together local members of the construction industry with Hensel Phelps to discuss project design, duration, bid package schedule, and requirements for Hensel Phelps to complete the building of 630 new units at Shaw Air Force Base and 335 units at Charleston Air Force Base. The symposium is for owners, managers, and estimators who are interested in providing Hensel Phelps with a bid to complete work and to further their knowledge of Hensel Phelps as an organization. The Industry Symposium will be hosted at the Swan Lake Visitors Center in Sumter, South Carolinafrom 5:00 pm to 6:00pm. The address is: SwanLakeVisitorsCenter 822 W. Liberty Street Sumter, SC29150 Phone: (803) 436-2640 / 1-800-688-4748 November 9, 20105:00pm - 6:00pm Hensel Phelps hopes all Subcontractors interested in the assistance of completing these projects attend the Industry Symposium to acquire all necessary information and bonding requirements. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the undersigned. Sincerely, HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO.

Sumter Dollars -The Perfect Holiday Gift

When shopping for the perfect gift this holiday season, remember Sumter Dollars. They can be redeemed at over 400 locations in Sumter and are good for one year from date of purchase.

The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce is proud to sponsor Sumter Dollars, which is a gift certificate program that can be used at Chamber Member locations and is designed to keep shopping dollars in our community.

The best part about Sumter Dollars is there is no fee, so the gift giver, the receiver and the merchant receive full face value for each certificate. They also come with a complete list of the locations that accept the Sumter Dollars.

When a customer presents a Sumter Dollar certificate, the business will accept it for full face value, giving change where needed. The business will then properly endorse the certificate, as they would a check and deposit into their bank. The certificate will be completely guaranteed, for one full year from date-of-issue.

Think of Sumter Dollars as the best way to give someone exactly what they wanted. Sumter Dollars can be purchased in denominations of $10, $15 and $25 at the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce located at 32 E. Calhoun St, Sumter. The Chamber is open on Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m. For more information, please call the Chamber at (803) 775-1231 or reach us by email at chamber@sumterchamber.com.

Chamber Launches New, Updated Website

The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website, www.sumterchamber.com. While the name might still be the same, the look, information and accessibility are all new. The Chamber’s website is the front door to Sumter all over the world. Whether you are in Sumter for a visit, a tour or a lifetime, make the brand new www.sumterchamber.com your number one choice for information. There are sections on the Chamber, Business Development, About Sumter, Events and News as well as our searchable business directory, no matter what you are looking for you can find it at www.sumterchamber.com. Under business development, you will find links to all you need to do business in Sumter, such as the City & County Planning Commission, Small Business Development Center, Commercial Development, Sumter Development Board and SSGI as well as a host of other information and links. Within the Chamber section, you will easy access to information about membership benefits, sponsorship opportunities, Leadership Sumter, committees and publications. Under the About Sumter tab, visitors can find information about relocation with links to our newcomer guide, visitor information, government and public officials as well as information about our outstanding schools and quality of life in Sumter. All of our almost 1,000 Chamber members can be found in a quick and easy search engine. You can search by category, name or even look at every member and then find direct links to members as well as maps to their location. This is a great resource for those visiting our area or people newly relocating to Sumter. Most if not all the pictures are new and will be changing regularly, so if you are a shutter bug we need your help. We have a list of pictures we need and are always looking for. So for those of you with an eye for photography contact the Chamber and we will be happy to look through some of your shots. You never know when the next cover shot will show up. For more information call Nancy Lee Zimpleman at (803) 775-1231 or email her at nancylee@sumtechamber.com.