Category: Business

story by Jordan Pupa

    Firefighters need to be ready to move at a moment’s notice and always need to be prepared with the right equipment. What many people may not realize is that there are certain retailers that provide high-quality firefighting gear to meet their needs. Wally’s Fire & Safety Equipment, Inc. in Mullins, a family business founded by Wally Elliott in 1980, is one of those places. Nobody else could possibly have a better idea of how to provide value to firefighters than someone with experience in the field themselves.

    Though currently retired from active firefighting, Wally has served every position with the Mullins Fire Department from Firefighter to Chief. He has served as an Adjunct Instructor for the SC Fire Academy where he taught classes all over the state. He also serves on the Advisory Board for several of the manufacturers that he represents. Wally saw a need for a good solid provider of firefighting equipment for SC and NC. He was taken under the leadership of another firefighting equipment provider that showed him the ropes and introduced him to many key players in the business. This kind man’s leadership helped Wally see the potential in the business.

    So, what does the business offer? Wally’s Fire & Safety Equipment, Inc. covers all of SC and the lower region of NC. “We offer a full line of firefighting equipment that would include everything a firefighter might use or wear or put on a fire truck, with the exception of the truck itself,” explains Wally. “Firefighting methods have become very complex over the last few years and we are aggressive in our efforts to stay on the cutting edge with all the technologies.” Wally and his team attend regional and state meetings, training classes, and conferences to continually stay in touch with their customers. Many of Wally’s family members, including his wife, daughter, son, and sister-in-law, play important roles in the business. They also have one longtime employee that they consider to be family.

    Wally believes Wally’s Fire & Safety Equipment, Inc. is unique because they offer a high level of personal attention and service to their customers. It is important to Wally and his staff to provide top of the line products. “We want to blend ‘old school’ customer service with today’s technological capabilities,” explains Wally. “When our customers contact us with an order, we enjoy actually having conversations with them about the products they are using. In doing so, we sometimes find they are requesting the wrong product or we can suggest a new product that is more user-friendly than the product they are currently using. That’s what customer service is all about; helping the customer.” Their job is very serious because they are providing tools and equipment that will go in the hands of firefighters, who arguably have the most dangerous job in the world, and place their lives on the line in order to save others.

    Now that the family has been in the business for nearly 40 years, a personal relationship has been built between the fire departments and Wally’s Fire. “When we visit these departments, I know many by name. I’ve watched their children grow up and they’ve watched mine,” explains Wally. “When I first joined the fire department, I admired the relationships that the then department Chiefs had with each other, their firefighters, and the families of these people. I wanted to have that. And now I do. I think everyone should think their job is special and we certainly do at Wally’s Fire.”

 

UNIQUE PRODUCTS…

Equipped with an ultra-high performance LCD display that greatly increases brightness and contrast, the Bullard QXT lets firefighters see more clearly in smoke and direct sunlight. Bullard QXT can exceed eight hours of continuous run time for the ultimate performance in fire conditions.

 

 

pictured above, left to right: Jeff Black, Shelia Smith, Wally Elliott, Angie Elliott & Boone Elliott, not pictured: Jess Turner

Wally Elliott also owns Diamond E Farm, a working family farm in Mullins that he and his wife, Angie, live on with their nine Labrador Retrievers. Wally is also a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at Mullins First Baptist Church. Wally and Angie share an outreach ministry where they travel with and use their dogs in a Christian based Retriever demonstration named “The Roxy Ministry.”

“Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

story by Jordan Pupa | photography by Jonathan Boatwright

    We’ve all heard this advice many times, but Tammy Lewis has brought it to life with her passion for Mullins, SC. Tammy has been a resident of Mullins for 52 years and has had the opportunity to see its changes and growth over the years. Today she contributes so much to Mullins. Not only is she the Chamber of Commerce President, but she is also a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner, and manager amongst many other roles. She strives to see Mullins prosper again and puts in the hard work to make it happen.

    Tammy knew she wanted to own a business for several years and researched the best types of business for small towns. She opened Lillie K’s Collections in 2013, a trendy women’s clothing and accessories boutique located on Main Street. Tammy’s daughter, Whitney, is the manager at Lillie K’s, while Tammy manages the financial aspects of the business. Her favorite part of owning the shop is the great, supportive customers and meeting new people who stop in.

    210 Vintage Market, which carries antiques, vintage, and refurbished items, was opened for business in September 2018. “My sister, Sherry Owens, and I have a love of “junk” and antiques and the opportunity came up for the building we are currently leasing,” explains Tammy. “We rent vendor spaces in the shop so that other “Junk Gypsies” can join us!”

    In addition to taking part in her more recent ventures, Tammy has worked at JR Battle & Co since January of 2006 and is currently the Manager. She has worked in several places in her lifetime but describes this job as being one of the most rewarding experiences. “My duties include managing the warehouse during tobacco season for Safe Marketing, LLC, maintaining all financial records of several businesses including accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll, as well as, maintaining crop insurance policies for farmers,” she shares. “This is a very rewarding job because I have a great working relationship with our farmers and R J Reynolds Tobacco Company.”

    Tammy’s duties do not end there. She became the President of the Mullins Chamber this year after serving on the Board of Directors. “As a business owner in Mullins, I realized the importance of “loving where you live, work and play.” Being a part of this organization has been so rewarding. We have one of the best Board of Directors who shares my passion for our community, and they are all dedicated to making Mullins the best it can be and marketing our local businesses.” Tammy appreciates the support from her Executive Director, Michele Coleman Rogers, and Mayor, Bo McMillan, who share the same passion and help make things happen.

    The Chamber Board strives to involve their local businesses and citizens by hosting several events throughout the year. Tammy states, “With the loss of so much industry and the downsize of Tobacco in our area, we are starting to see Mullins come alive again with new businesses and new residents who believe in our great city.” Chamber events throughout the year include their Annual Banquet, Legislative Breakfast, Easter Egg-stravaganza, Chamber Golf Tournament, Let’s Cruise Main Street, Cruise, Shuck & Shag Event, and Hometown Holidays in Mullins, which includes Late Night Shopping and Breakfast with Santa. “All of these events are a great way to showcase our local businesses with advertising and marketing sponsorships,” explains Tammy. The Chamber is working to start the Mullins Activation Committee (MAC) again, which assists commercial property owners with façade grants. The program has been idle for a number of years.

    Tammy was also recommended to the Governor of South Carolina by the Marion County Delegation to serve on the Marion County Voter Registration and Elections Board as a Commissioner in October 2017. She is currently serving her district in Marion County. In addition, she was recently appointed to the Wildlife Action National Board of Directors.

    While Tammy’s plate is full with her job, businesses, and community service, she describes it as being very rewarding. “You have to meet your obligations to all of them while putting God and your family first. It is very time-consuming with all of the demands, but I have a very supportive husband and family.” Tammy also has an 8-year-old granddaughter, Lillie Grace, who is a huge part of her life. “I make time to be a part of any and everything she does including school, dance, church, and softball.”

    The growth of Mullins over the past few years is exciting for everyone. “We are bringing tourists into town that are eating in our restaurants, touring the SC Tobacco Museum and, most importantly, patronizing our businesses.” Tammy encourages parents to get their children, our future leaders, involved in their community at an early age and to teach them the importance of community service. She also encourages readers, no matter where they live, to support their local businesses. “We want to keep our dollars in the local economy in order for businesses and our City to survive. As the saying goes, “It takes a Village”, so please give some of your time to your community. It’s the only way to GROW!”

    The current federal estate tax exemption, that is, the value of property that a person may possess at death without incurring federal estate tax, is currently $11.4 million, $22.8 million per couple. The author vividly recalls a time when that exemption was only $600,000, or $1.2 million per couple. In that unhappy time, a bit of family land, a modest pension, and some life insurance could push a person into having to engage in estate planning with an eye toward tax savings. Frequently, this was a frustrating and expensive process, as individuals were forced to confront estate planning documents which, at times, were nearly incomprehensible and which often forced people to adopt plans that did not always match their personal goals.

    Fortunately, the existing large exemption means that most people can now focus exclusively on their planning desires.

    The purpose of this article is to address several issues that individuals should focus on before visiting with their advisors to begin the estate planning process.

    We find that often the most critical — and the least adequately considered — issue in estate planning has to do with proper planning for minor children. All of the following need to be carefully considered in proceeding with an estate plan which features minor children.

 

Bequests for Minor Children.

    Many people address their estate plan according to the following paradigm: a husband and wife, who leaves everything to the other on the death of the first to die, and in the event of a common disaster or on the death of the second to die, everything to the children. Problems arise when one considers that leaving valuable or substantial gifts to minor or even naïve children may, for a variety of reasons, represent inadequate asset protection and, much more significantly, a child inheriting too much, too soon. Such a situation can present a substantial disincentive for a desirable education and an established work ethic. For this reason, it’s frequently preferable to leave children bequests in trust. In addressing this matter, one should consider the identity and experience of the trustee; events, whether presented by the vicissitudes of life or by the passage of time, will require a distribution of assets; and the disposition of trust assets, if a beneficiary dies or becomes disabled before his or her share of the trust, would otherwise become distributable. Further, one should consider substitute or successor trustees in case the trustee initially named becomes disabled or passes away during the term of the trust. Of course, it’s a good idea to discuss the potential trusteeship with the person to be named as trustee to be sure that she is up for the task, both as to her experience with asset management and her ability- and willingness- to refuse an improper distribution request.

Address Guardianship Issues Sufficiently.

    We are all aware that we should appoint a guardian to take care of our children if we die while our children are still minors. The choice of guardian should always be discussed in detail with the person who is chosen to be the guardian. Further — and this is of critical importance –your will should provide a bequest to the guardian(s) to compensate them for what may be considerable expenses, including food, clothing, and shelter needs, that the guardian(s) will face upon assuming this critical duty.

Blended Families Create Complexity.

    Many people desiring to enter into the estate planning process are in their second or third marriage and have children from previous marriages. Each of those children can possess markedly different characteristics when it comes to education, life experience, and financial abilities. Careful consideration must be given to achieving flexibility and, especially, not only fairness but also the appearance of fairness. If you find yourself in this situation, be prepared to spend time and effort in coming up with a plan that is workable and achievable within the bounds of your marriage and your relationships with your own and each other’s children.

Remember that Your Plan is Your Plan.

    Frequently, we see people get tied in knots because they don’t want to hurt others’ feelings. None of us can please everyone. While it is always wise to try and consider the ultimate emotional effects of any particular plan, remember that your assets and your desires are of utmost importance in your planning process. Before doing much in-depth planning at all, step back and consider what you, after years of work and devotion to your family, want to achieve in your plan. Without addressing such high-level issues, dealing with matters such as those discussed above can create anxiety and unpleasantness which can derail the planning process.

Conclusion.

    The enhanced federal estate tax exemption signifies that most of us need not consider estate taxes when engaging in our estate plans. This leaves most of us free to consider what is important to us and how we want our beneficiaries treated. As discussed above, even that simplified focus features decisions which require considerable thought and reflection.

story by Jordan Pupa | photography provided by Mary’s Flowers

    If you would have told Patricia Taira years ago that she would end up operating a flower shop, she would have said “no way!” Her career journey has given her experience in retail sales, customer service, and property management, and led her to locations such as Charleston, SC and even San Diego, CA. After being away from Florence for 22 years, she had a strong yearning to come home and has been back in Florence since 1997. On Jan 1, 1999, Patricia and her husband, Steve, purchased Mary’s Flowers & Gifts from her mother and father, making it a second-generation family-owned business.

    Formed by Patricia’s parents, JC and Mary (Poston) Stone, Mary’s Flowers & Gifts originally opened in 1976 in the former Nell’s Beauty Shop on South Church Street. Unfortunately, arson consumed the original location around 1987, but the shop later reopened temporarily on South Dargan Street, then relocated to its current location on South Irby Street in 2015. Patricia’s father was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and Patricia’s mother decided to give up the shop in order to take care of him. While Patricia and her husband knew very little about the business, they did all they could to keep the family business successful. Patricia shares, “I remember our first year, Mom asked me to reach in the cooler and bring her some Gypsophila and statice. I looked at Steve, and whispered ‘What? You’ve got to be kidding me. What are Gypsophila and statice? I’ll never be able to remember these varieties.’ It was at that point I realized that we might be in trouble and bit off more than we could handle! We stepped up to the plate, stayed late, grabbed some books and practiced all those names. It took about two weeks, but we slowly got there.” While Patricia’s parents both gained their wings over the years, the Taira’s made changes and improvements over time, including adding event planning and balloon sculptures, to stay relevant to current customer needs. Steve and Patricia celebrate their 20th year in operating Mary’s Flowers & Gifts, LLC this year. However, this year also marks the businesses overall 43rd year of existence serving floral and events for the Florence area.

    Today, Patricia owes most of the business’ success to her parents. In fact, to this day, Patricia still gets called “Mary” by many customers. She describes Steve as being her “saving grace” and brags on her small, yet powerful, a team of floral designers, delivery personnel, and store manager. Of course, great customers are what keeps the business alive. “We do appreciate and thank our loyal customers who have supported us throughout our existence,” says Patricia. “It makes such a difference to both small and large companies, when our city, and hometown, supports, and shops locally.”

    The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce has also been a great support to Mary’s Flowers & Gifts over the years. The business first became a chamber member in 2000. “The Chamber opportunity has allowed us to present and display some additional talents coming from our flower shop,” explains Patricia. “The exposure has landed us numerous other event and party work throughout the city. We thank the Chamber for the opportunity to work with them on their annual business luncheons.”

    Being a Chamber member comes with many benefits. Patricia explains how their membership has increased business visibility within the community and provided networking opportunities where they have met many wonderful business partners. “We are extremely proud to display our membership decal. What creditability that alone brings to our local businesses.” Patricia has also been part of the Chamber’s Ambassador Program since 2017, which she describes as one of the best decisions she could have made. She states, “It is heartwarming to meet other businesses and welcome them into our community and the Chamber of Commerce membership pool.”

    In closing, Patricia explains how the Chamber’s mission is clear – Promote and enhance a favorable business climate and improve the quality of life to make Florence the best community in which to live and operate a business. “For this, we should be thankful,” says Patricia. “Thank you, Florence Chamber of Commerce, for your involvement and work, throughout our community.”

 

Mary’s Flowers & Gifts, LLC

1222 S Irby Street Suite A&B, Florence

www.marysflowersflosc.com   |  843-669-5557

 

 

 

 

Pictured above: Jennifer Gainey, Floral Designer; Patricia Taira, Owner; Donna Stephens, Delivery Personnel;  Seated, Paul Ponn- (AIFD), Floral Designer; Melonie Lee, Store Manager; not pictured, Diane Lee, Sales Support; John Vasilakis, Delivery Personnel

Mary’s Flowers & Gifts are the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Member of the Month! For more information on becoming a member of the Chamber, visit flochamber.com.

story by Lucy Price

    Tough winters in Pittsburgh, a busy work season, and a long commute brought Tom Fitzsimmons and his wife, Jodi, south. Just before a post busy season vacation to Myrtle Beach, Tom reached out to a recruiter to explore some new options. As it turns out, the recruiter worked with WebsterRogers and they were looking for someone with the level of experience that Tom had. The first day of their vacation turned into a day of interviews and the rest is history. Tom joined WebsterRogers in 1996 and has been with the firm for 22 years.

    WebsterRogers serves individuals and businesses of all sizes, but Tom’s interest and expertise have always been in working with medium to large commercial clients, employee benefit plans, and not-for-profits. “When you have experience working with the same type of clients, you tend to encounter a lot of the same concerns,” shares Tom. “What inspires me is being able to share and leverage my experiences to help our clients.” Tom has held numerous positions over the years. His current role as Vice President presides over the firm’s finances. “What excites me most about this new role is the partnership with our President, Amy Urquhart, and our management committee,” explains Tom. “We have a team that is passionate about our people and our clients. I expect to see great things in the future of the firm.”

    As far as Tom’s specialty goes, first and foremost, he is an auditor. He explains to us what an audit is and why it is important. “In an audit, we examine various documents and business records to support the recorded transactions and account balances reported in the financial statements. We also review and evaluate internal controls all under very specific guidelines. Audited financial statements provide business owners, board members, and stakeholders confidence in the financial statements they are relying on to make business decisions. In addition, an audit may help detect deficiencies in internal controls that could lead to fraud. The information from an audit can help businesses avoid cash flow issues and better plan for the future.” Tom explains how valuable the process is for both the clients and for WebsterRogers. “We get involved at every level in the business. I love going through this process with our clients and coaching them through various challenges.”

    While Tom often helps clients overcome obstacles, a memorable moment is when he helped a business client obtain a financial loan in order to expand their facilities. Tom shares, “I was able to get involved and lead them through some crucial conversations with the bank and provide insight that got everyone comfortable. This expansion was critical for the client. Seeing it all come together and the finished facility was truly gratifying.” Tom’s ability to gain his client’s trust is in part due to how he treats people. “My mother taught me to always treat people with care and respect; everyone is important,” he said. A philosophy he keeps at the forefront of his business practices.

    Tom has had the extraordinary privilege of experiencing the evolution of WebsterRogers over his 22 years with the firm. They have grown by seven offices, including one in Myrtle Beach and one in Florence, to a total of nine locations. “Adding those offices has enabled us to serve clients along the entire coast of South Carolina through the Midlands,” says Tom. “With the physical expansion, we have probably added another 90 associates. As we have added people, we have also been able to add new expertise in specific areas they didn’t have before. Those capabilities have enabled us to better serve not only our individual clients but to also continue to take on more and more complex engagements.” While many changes have been made throughout the years, one thing has always stayed the same – the people. “The people of WebsterRogers are what I enjoy most about the firm. It was the founding partners that led to my decision to not only join WebsterRogers but to build my career with this firm because of who they were. I enjoy working and developing our young associates and working as a team to help a client. I truly believe the people of WebsterRogers make the difference.”

 

Tom Fitzsimmons earned a BS in Accounting from Penn State University. His wife, Jodi, oversees Revenue Cycle Management for McLeod Physician Associates. Together they have 15 nieces and nephews. Tom is a member and former President of the Florence West Rotary Club and a McLeod Fellow.

 

With one deadline behind them, WR is still working diligently on client projects. Given the new tax laws, they have been planning with many of their clients since late last year as there are a myriad of changes impacting individuals and businesses. Taxpayers are impacted in different ways. Fortunately, WR has the expertise and experience to navigate the most complex issues.

www.websterrogers.com

as told to Vip Magazine | photography by Collin M. Smith

This month, Vip visited Gina Heron, mom of two, Francis Marion graduate, and author of What’s Left Between Us, A Pearl Girls Novel. Her character’s story of heartbreak, sacrifice, and forgiveness leaves readers grasping for more while her ability to describe the Southern roots surrounding her, allows us to live vicariously through her words. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to tell a good story, follow Gina’s steps below. 

Gina, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    “I’m a native of the Hannah/Friendfield community in Florence County and moved back home around five years ago. After graduating from Francis Marion University with a degree in English Literature, even though I always wanted to pursue writing, I ended up settling into a career in tech. I started out as a technical writer for a software company, and now I work as an Agile Facilitator, which is a fancy way to say I help manage work streams for development teams.

    “At home, I’m a single mama to two awesome young people. Between parenting, being a full-time employee, and writing on the side, I stay pretty busy, but I’m fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family who pitch in to help in more ways than I can count. It truly takes the whole village to keep me going, and I couldn’t be in a better one than I have here at home!”

What inspired you to write?

    “I’ve always been a bit quiet and shy, so coming from a huge Brady-bunch style family (I was the youngest of seven), books were an early escape from the noise of the world for me. One of my best memories from my childhood is visiting the Bookmobile during the summer months, when it would stop at Carraway’s on Highway 378, right down from our house. I still remember the way it smelled in there. Anyway, I’d load up on books and find a spot to tuck away and fall into a good story.”

In What’s Left Between Us, you write about Bay, a girl in love that turned into a woman in love. While this novel is fiction, did you find yourself relating to Bay?

    “It’s funny, I can’t say that there are a lot of parallels between Bay and me and our histories with love, and I didn’t internalize her experiences with Scott (Bay’s lifelong love) so much as I observed how their story unfolded. My initial idea was to examine how we outgrow the relationships of our youth, but these two had other ideas! I intended for Scott and Bay to go separate ways, but as I got to know them, it became clear to me that they’d roll up their sleeves and fight for each other – no surrender! So, in the end, their storyline became one about two people who could have chosen to part ways but decided instead to reinforce the foundation of their relationship and build something solid together. That’s something I learned from Scott and Bay: whether you give up on a relationship or rebuild it when it’s been damaged, you always have a choice.”

Tell us about your career in writing.

    “What’s Left Between Us is the second novel I’ve written, and I worked on it on and off for about five years before ultimately publishing it. Part of that time was spent doing a series of revisions based on feedback from my critique partners and literary agent, and about a year of it was spent submitting to publishers and making more adjustments. In the midst of that process, I had an idea for the Pearl Girls series. Each book in the series features a different main character, all connected to the same family. Making this story a part of a series required some extra work, so that added a little time on. The good news is I’m getting more efficient with each book, so hopefully, the rest won’t take so long!”

Your character Scott was a war hero. When writing his war scenes, how were you able to so vividly describe his experience? 

    “The war research is probably what I worked on the longest for this book. It was important to me that I be as true to that experience as I could be. Over the course of several years, I read books and watched movies based on true stories of soldiers in captivity, hostage rescue missions, and soldiers suffering from PTSD. I also conducted interviews with and had early feedback from members of Special Forces and an Army nurse. Finding Scott’s voice and hitting the right tone took some stretching for me, but it was worth it. I think.”

Tell us about the feeling of accomplishment when you could finally say the book was completed. 

    “This is an interesting question! I don’t think I felt that the book was completed until people started reading it, and reviewing it, and actually loving it! There were many points along the way where I felt a sense of pride about the work: finishing the first draft, landing an agent, having it well-received by editors at publishing houses, and eventually holding the finished book in my hands. But nothing else comes close to having readers connect with the characters and story. That’s the ultimate satisfaction, to have connected.”

What has been your favorite experience during this journey? 

    “My favorite part of writing this book–my favorite part of writing fiction, really–is when the characters surprise me. It’s a surreal experience when a scene takes off in your head, and the action is dragging you along so that you’re typing as fast as you can, trying to keep up with what’s unfolding in your mind. A couple of the scenes that played out that way in What’s Left Between Us had me in either tears or breathless anticipation for what the characters would do next. That’s when you know you’re getting the good stuff.

    “One of my other favorite things I can’t fail to mention about the book is the beautiful cover art. When I decided to publish it on my own, one of the big upsides was having the creative freedom to choose whatever I wanted for the cover. Rather than rely on stock cover images, I turned to my favorite partner in all things creative, Michael Krajewski. Michael is a Columbia-based contemporary artist (if you don’t know about him, please find him at www.krajewskiart.com), and while he’d never done a book cover before, I couldn’t imagine anyone else putting art on this for me. And isn’t it lovely? If you look hard, you’ll see some little details in there, like a bee in Bay’s hair and the palmetto tree in the background. Aside from the story itself, the cover is the most important part of putting together a book, and I couldn’t be happier with this one. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the next one!”

Any future projects we should be on the lookout for?

    “Even when I say I’m taking a break, I’m always working on something new! Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on the second novel in the Pearl Girls Series, BURIED BENEATH THE LIES, which I’ll release in October 2019. I’ve also been working on a poetry series and am playing with an idea for a retelling of Tess of the D’Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy, which is one of my favorite classics.”

To purchase What’s Left Between Us, click on this link.