Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sonoco announces major investment
News was exciting to read yesterday as Sonoco announced its intention to invest more than $100 million in new infrastructure (biomass-fed boiler) at the Hartsville plant site.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
We have to be in the Future Business
Am currently reading a new book by former President Clinton and the one line that is the theme of the book is the need for us to be in the future business.
Almost every day in Hartsville I am talking with someone about how we can grow our small city of Hartsville and why we need to grow our small city of Hartsville. The answer is that We have to be in the future business. A couple of days ago I met the Mayor who was having a late lunch and we talked about this idea of being in the future business by reflecting on some of what we are seeing today --
In Hartsville we need to be in the future business and we are fortunate that there are those within our area who are working to help Hartsville move to that future. We need more of those efforts and people behind those efforts. There are businesses and people who are not in our community who often tell those who are seeking to build that we are too old, too small, too isolated. But, much like our small, private college that has been home in this community for more than 100 years (we find if they visit they often catch the vision.) Word is there is a developer who is working aggressively to find a way to make a new hotel a reality. Word is that the Winn Dixie store will not be vacant for much longer. Eyesight tells you that First Citizens sees the future of Hartsville with their new bank, which is right across from Heritage Community Bank, which is just about right across from a modern office building that is soon to become the home of the Malloy Law Firm. Senator Malloy and his staff are looking forward to taking possession of this state-of-the-art office.
Those offices show proof that people in Hartsville are in the future business. And, when speaking of financial institutions in that business we should not forget that Wachovia is now Wells Fargo with an enlivened presence in downtown Hartsville and during a resurgence of downtown a few years back SPC Credit Union set the standard in future thinking. Mutual Savings is not exactly downtown but their thoroughly remodeled building was a forerunner of some of the current growth.
There is real proof that Hartsville is in the future business and word is that some additional formal announcements coming this week from the big company in town will underline some of this discussion.
And, when you really want to look at being in the Future Business the Governor's School for Science and Math could be the new Standard Bearer. How great was it to see an ad in the Sunday paper looking for new, high-quality faculty members to fill NEW positions at the expanding school. GSSM is creating jobs in Hartsville whose main goal is teaching some of the best and brightest high-school age students that South Carolina has to offer-- our FUTURE.
Just up Second Avenue from GSSM, Coker College is continuing on planned growth path that is adding new programs, (the recently announced Masters Degree in College-Sports Management for example); new students, new faculty and a growing commitment of partnership with its host community. This is being in the future business.
Being in the future business is hard work that requires nerve, energy, investment, vision, leadership and collaboration. Being in the future business means pulling together, creating a team ready and willing to build. Being in the future business means listening and then MAYBE, responding with something like -- How could we make that happen -- rather than, No, no way that can work.
Look at the resources we have in this community. As we move close to this new year let's all work to remind ourselves that if we are going to have the tomorrows we want, we have to be in the future business today.
(author's musing -- Hope some of that makes sense. I am going to look at it as sort of a first draft because there are lots of things I have left out and probably many things that still need saying. Guess it goes without saying that I would love to have some of your thoughts and comments as we all work to make Hartsville one of the best places in the world in which to live, work, study and play.)
Almost every day in Hartsville I am talking with someone about how we can grow our small city of Hartsville and why we need to grow our small city of Hartsville. The answer is that We have to be in the future business. A couple of days ago I met the Mayor who was having a late lunch and we talked about this idea of being in the future business by reflecting on some of what we are seeing today --
In Hartsville we need to be in the future business and we are fortunate that there are those within our area who are working to help Hartsville move to that future. We need more of those efforts and people behind those efforts. There are businesses and people who are not in our community who often tell those who are seeking to build that we are too old, too small, too isolated. But, much like our small, private college that has been home in this community for more than 100 years (we find if they visit they often catch the vision.) Word is there is a developer who is working aggressively to find a way to make a new hotel a reality. Word is that the Winn Dixie store will not be vacant for much longer. Eyesight tells you that First Citizens sees the future of Hartsville with their new bank, which is right across from Heritage Community Bank, which is just about right across from a modern office building that is soon to become the home of the Malloy Law Firm. Senator Malloy and his staff are looking forward to taking possession of this state-of-the-art office.
Those offices show proof that people in Hartsville are in the future business. And, when speaking of financial institutions in that business we should not forget that Wachovia is now Wells Fargo with an enlivened presence in downtown Hartsville and during a resurgence of downtown a few years back SPC Credit Union set the standard in future thinking. Mutual Savings is not exactly downtown but their thoroughly remodeled building was a forerunner of some of the current growth.
There is real proof that Hartsville is in the future business and word is that some additional formal announcements coming this week from the big company in town will underline some of this discussion.
And, when you really want to look at being in the Future Business the Governor's School for Science and Math could be the new Standard Bearer. How great was it to see an ad in the Sunday paper looking for new, high-quality faculty members to fill NEW positions at the expanding school. GSSM is creating jobs in Hartsville whose main goal is teaching some of the best and brightest high-school age students that South Carolina has to offer-- our FUTURE.
Just up Second Avenue from GSSM, Coker College is continuing on planned growth path that is adding new programs, (the recently announced Masters Degree in College-Sports Management for example); new students, new faculty and a growing commitment of partnership with its host community. This is being in the future business.
Being in the future business is hard work that requires nerve, energy, investment, vision, leadership and collaboration. Being in the future business means pulling together, creating a team ready and willing to build. Being in the future business means listening and then MAYBE, responding with something like -- How could we make that happen -- rather than, No, no way that can work.
Look at the resources we have in this community. As we move close to this new year let's all work to remind ourselves that if we are going to have the tomorrows we want, we have to be in the future business today.
(author's musing -- Hope some of that makes sense. I am going to look at it as sort of a first draft because there are lots of things I have left out and probably many things that still need saying. Guess it goes without saying that I would love to have some of your thoughts and comments as we all work to make Hartsville one of the best places in the world in which to live, work, study and play.)
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