Florence Firm Has the Files
Published Nov 17, 2009
S&W Manufacturing has been around since 1903, when it was founded as Shaw-Walker Co. The company changed its name and ownership in 1990 when assets of Shaw-Walker Information System Division were acquired by management.
S&W has one of the most complete lines of filing folders, filing systems and office products in the industry, offering everything from hanging files and end tabs to file jackets and folders.
Now part of Smead Manufacturing, the company operates from a 140,000-square-foot facility in Florence that employs around 100. For more, go to www.swmfg.com.
On the Trail of Rails
Florence takes its name from the daughter of William Harlee, one of the city’s founders and the man who brought the railway to town.
Florence flourished as a rail center throughout the mid-1800s and was a major center for the transport of soldiers and supplies during the Civil War.
Florence’s link to the railroad is captured in the eye-catching Locomotive Murals, painted by local artist Elvis Hatchell and on display at the corner of Irby and Evans streets. Just two blocks away is the Florence Railroad Museum, housed in a refurbished boxcar and caboose and operated by the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History.
Farming Like it Used to Be
A collection of historic farm buildings preserves a by-gone way of life in the Pee Dee. The Browntown Museum in Lake City is a classic old farmstead that includes the Brown-Burrows house built circa 1835. Furnishings are original early 19th-century pieces.
The site features an old cotton gin, old farm equipment and primitive machinery that were relocated from other sites, and a corn crib, smokehouse and outhouse built in the early 19th century.
The Browntown Museum is operated by the Three Rivers Historical Society. Go to threerivershistoricalsociety.org for more information.
Checkered (Flag) History
Darlington Raceway is a Pee Dee staple, and in 2009, the track that Harold Brasington started in an old cotton field celebrated its 60th year of racing. Darlington is a heritage stop for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series and hosts several racing events and driving schools.
Major features of the track include the Darlington Legends Walk, made up of 1.5-ton granite and marble monuments reminiscent of a Goodyear racing tire and old-style pit board.
The Darlington Raceway Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame chronicle the history of the sport and the legends who made it grow from the sport’s nascent days to modern times. For more, go to www.darlingtonraceway.com.
A Big Producer
Pee Dee State Farmers Market has been a fixture on the Florence-Darlington county line since 1983.
The market includes a 45,000-square-foot drive-through farmer shed where vendors sell produce and horticultural products. Also on site is a log-cabin gift shop complete with gardens and greenhouses, a large selection of statuary products and a 100-year-old barn that houses a pecan kitchen. A potter’s shop and a cafe are also a part of the market. For more information, go to www.pdfarmersmarket.sc.gov.
No Jet Lag
Florence Regional Airport has been in service for more than 80 years and today provides a hassle-free way to travel.
The airport, with two 6,000-foot runways, offers daily service to airline hubs in Charlotte and Atlanta via US Airways Express and a Delta Airlines affiliate, Atlantic Southeast Airlines.
The airport includes a secure, 500-vehicle parking lot and wireless Internet service, and an upgrade of the passenger concourse is in the works. In 2008, the airport had the best on-time performance among airports in South Carolina. Go to www.florencescairport.com for more.
Remembering a Hometown Hero
The Ronald McNair Memorial in Lake City honors one of the region’s most famous sons.
The Lake City native, who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, was a renowned physicist and leader in the field of laser physics technology.
The memorial on East Main Street includes McNair’s burial site, a statue of McNair, a reflecting pool and an eternal flame.
If Golf Is Your Bag
Florence’s abundance of world-class courses and ideal climate allow golfers the chance to get out on the links year-round.
A number of golf packages that include accommodations, meals and greens fees are available.
For more information on golf packages, contact the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 325-9005.
Football Under a Roof
For those who like their football experience indoors, the Florence Phantoms of the 14-team American Indoor Football Association play their home games in the Florence Convention Center in a season that runs from April through July.
The league, which is adding three teams in 2010, plays a 14-game regular-season schedule on indoor fields that are 85 feet wide and 50 yards long. Each team puts players on the floor. Go to www.aifaprofootball.com for more on the league.
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