Community Partners

The Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce works with a wide range of community partners in our effort to grow our local community and economy.

The Byerly Foundation

Coker University is a student-centered, comprehensive college. It is dedicated to providing every student an academic curriculum based upon a uniformly excellent liberal arts core that enhances the structured development of key personal skills.

The University’s goal is to graduate students with the ability to think analytically and creatively, and to write and speak effectively. Experiences both in and out of the classroom are focused on active student involvement and the practical application of academic knowledge that lead to lifelong learning. Coker measures its success by the personal and professional accomplishments enjoyed by all members of the academic community.

Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville

Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville - A nonprofit organization established in 2012, the members of the Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville represent a cross-section of institutional and community partners who are working together to promote social welfare by stimulating community and economic development in Hartsville, South Carolina.
 

Darlington County Coordinating Council 

The Darlington County Economic Development Partnership was established to improve the local economy by promoting and developing new industry and expanding existing industry. 

Darlington County School District

Darlington County School District

The Darlington County School District has the highest graduation rate in the state, as ranked by the South Carolina Department of Education for the 2013 annual school and district report cards. The district’s graduation rate is 93.4%, compared to the state average of 77.5%.The Darlington County School District has the 4th lowest dropout rate in South Carolina (0.4%), according to the South Carolina Department of Education. When talking about dropout rates, the lower the rates, the fewer the dropouts.

The Darlington County School District ranks sixth among the 84 South Carolina school districts in terms of academic achievement, according to the annual report card ratings issued by the South Carolina Department of Education.

In every high school in our district, more than nine out of every ten high school freshmen will graduate in four years, according to the South Carolina Department of Education. Mayo High School for Math & Science has a 100% graduation rate. More children are reading at or above grade level by grade three, thanks to the efforts of our primary schools (grades K-2). Reading at or above grade level by third grade ensures children have a better chance of success later in school.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy

Duke Energy makes life better for millions of people every day by providing electric and gas services in a sustainable way – affordable, reliable and clean.

Duke is the largest electric power holding company in the United States, supplying and delivering energy to approximately 7.2 million U.S. customers. The company has approximately 57,500 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Carolinas, the Midwest and Florida – and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. Duke’s commercial and international businesses own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a portfolio of renewable energy assets.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.

Florence Darlington Technical College

Florence-Darlington Technical College - FDTC’s degree, diploma, and certificate programs lead to careers in business, engineering technology, health care, human services, manufacturing, and more.

The Gould Manufacturing and Business Incubator

The Gould Manufacturing and Business Incubator mission is to assist in establishing and growing new business ventures by providing an affordable, supportive launching platform for first and second stage companies.

The Pee Dee area has played a vital role in rebounding South Carolina’s economy. The creation of new businesses and jobs is a key component of that growth. The Gould Business Incubator was established as an extension of the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology in 2012 to help ensure the success of new business ventures in the Florence-Darlington area.

The Incubator includes 7 modern, furnished office spaces and 17 multi-use bays. All spaces are expandable and many offer large, roll up doors and 480 volt, 3-phase power. Affordable rent for each space includes use of conference rooms, dining area, office services and free phone and internet service.

In addition to physical space, The Incubator hosts a number of learning and business support programs and links directly to the resources of the SIMT and Florence-Darlington Technical College.

Governor's School for Science and Mathematics

GSSM - Governor's School for Science and Mathematics 

The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics is an innovative high school for academically motivated juniors and seniors pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and math—one of only 12 specialized, residential high schools in the nation.

GSSM offers a well-rounded education that places special emphasis on science and mathematics. The course work is hands-on: small classes, extended field trips, directed laboratory investigation and mentored research to show students the practical applications of their studies.

Main Street Hartsville

Main Street Hartsville - The Main Street Hartsville program seeks to build a vibrant downtown in Hartsville, focusing on thriving businesses, entertainment, recreating and historic preservation. It follows the Main Street Four Point Approach of Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring.

Sonoco

Sonoco - Sonoco is a multi-billion dollar global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective solutions and display and packaging services. From its headquarters in Hartsville, S.C., and more than 335 operations in 33 countries, Sonoco produces packaging for a variety of industries and many of the world’s most recognized brands, serving customers in 85 nations.

Sonoco’s operations consist of its consumer packaging businesses – Global Rigid Paper and Closures, Global Flexibles and Global Plastics; its display and packaging division, which provides high-impact retail displays and packaging supply chain management; its industrial businesses, which manufacture tubes and cores, and reels and spools for the wire and cable industry; produce uncoated recycled paperboard globally for Sonoco’s fiber-based packaging divisions and external converters; and include Sonoco Recycling, one of the world’s largest recyclers, and its Protective Solutions division, which produces custom-designed protective, temperature-assurance and retail security packaging solutions and highly engineered components.

The only packaging company with the range of packaging materials, technical disciplines, material science and manufacturing capabilities, and packaging and display services, Sonoco takes a holistic approach to providing customized solutions that meet our customers’ unique needs.

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce

SC Chamber of Commerce - The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce is the unified voice of business and premier advocacy organization in the state. The South Carolina Chamber creates prosperity for all citizens through an economy of increased productivity and global competitiveness.

The mission of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, as the single, unified voice of business, is to enhance the quality of life for all South Carolinians. The South Carolina Chamber leads the way in achieving global competitiveness and ultimately increasing prosperity for our citizens by: Creating a shared, collaborative vision for South Carolina; Increasing productivity through an educated and highly-skilled, capable workforce; Advocating a balanced, predictable tax and spending system; Fostering a favorable climate among our members and their diverse employees; and, Promoting the positive impact of a successful business community on our citizens.

The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology

The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology is the premiere technical service provider, and training facility, for industry in the southeastern portion of the United States. Its state of the art facilities are located on a 146-acre campus in Florence, SC. SiMT provides engineering/CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, and 3D/virtual reality services as well as leading edge manufacturing workforce development and business process training.

The mission of SiMT is to provide customers with strategic training and manufacturing technology solutions that maximize workforce productivity in advanced manufacturing environments.

The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) exists to partner with firms in serving their training and manufacturing technology needs. Many businesses and industries are facing stiff competition in today’s global marketplace and are looking for solutions to keep them ahead of the profitability curve. SiMT’s learning-centered environment gives employees the skills to be proactive in problem solving and enables them to assist in making rapid improvements in quality, productivity, and profitability.

South Carolina Small Business Development Center

The South Carolina Small Business Development Center offers free consulting services to help create business plans, estimate start-up costs and figure financial projections as businesses grow. The SBDC helps with marketing strategies, offers educational and business workshops, and can advise on veterans' business programs, finance options, and management, as well as helps through the process to become certified to bid on government contracts.