The Board of Directors of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce selected Kudzu Staffing in Powdersville as Business of the Month for November. Kudzu Staffing has been a member of the Easley Chamber and the Powdersville Council since it opened for business in 2006. Owners Will Jones and Sean Thornton and their staff have been active members of the chamber. Recently Sean Thornton was the tournament director for the Powdersville Council’s very successful 1st annual golf tournament held at Southern Oaks Golf Course.

Pictured from left behind the sign are Kudzu staff members Heather Dobbins, Mykal Nix, Jaime Fincannon, Will Jones (owner), Tommy Keef, Jim Constance, Sean Thornton (owner), Chi Hunter, Lindsay Ritter

Countryside Village selected as Business of the Month by Easley Chamber of Commerce

The board of directors of the Easley Chamber of Commerce has selected Countryside Village as the business of the month for October 2009. Countryside Village is celebrating its 25th anniversary of opening in Easley.
The village is owned by Emeritus Communities which is the second largest retirement living center in the United States. Countryside Village is home to 275 senior residents and employs 125 people in Pickens County. It has twenty nine (29) buildings on 46 acres of land just off highway 8 south of Easley.

“In slow economic times Countryside Village is proud to have provided continuous employment to its staff and great service to its residents,” stated Vickie Given, community relations director of Countryside.

From left are: Easley Chamber ambassador – Terry Harrington, Countryside Village staff: Vickie Given, Bonnie Rust, Patricia Gordon, Sandra Armstrong, Brandon Hair-Director, Fatima Anderson, Beverly Payne, Shane Edens, Yasmin McMullen, Chamber ambassador – Pam Jeter

Anchor Pools is the September 2009 Business of the Month

From left are Gina Logan (Greenwave Travel), Kent Dykes (Easley Chamber), Adam Timmons, Jay Bishop, Susan Howard, Jeff Kirby & Tracy Martin (Community South)

The Board of Directors of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce has selected Anchor Pools as Business of the Month for September. Anchor Pools is located at 6405 Calhoun Memorial Hwy in Easley. In a combined effort to help prevent drownings in our community, Anchor Pools worked with the Pickens County YMCA this summer in Operation Save a Life. Anchor Pools gave free water safety classes, which allowed participants to receive swimming lessons at the YMCA for only $5 each. Anchor Pools has also been a member of the Easley Chamber of Commerce since 1982.

Pickens County YMCA is the August, 2009 Business of the Month

Pictured in the center is Sid Collins, Chief Executive Officer, along with YMCA staff and board members and Easley Chamber members.

The Board of Directors of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce selected Pickens County YMCA as Business of the Month for August. This year The YMCA launched the highly successful “Save a Life”, due to community drownings. The YMCA hosted the 2009 Carolina YMCA State Championship Swim Meet with over 300 swimmers in attendance. The YMCA provided over $43,000 in financial aid to the community in 2009 and reached a new record of 10,000 members in June of 2009.

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Sulzer Process Pumps is the July 2009 Business of the Month

Pictured from left are Bishop Gabiga (Customer Service Mgr), Sandra Brown (Human Resources), Alan Crawford (President), Gloria Littleton (Safety Coordinator), Kent Dykes (Pres. Easley Chamber) and Gina Logan (Greenwave Travel)

The Board of Directors of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce selected Sulzer Process Pumps as Business of the Month for July. This year Sulzer Process Pumps worldwide is celebrating 175 years in business. Sulzer in Easley opened for business in 1991.

Sulzer has been a long time member of the Easley Chamber and actively involved in supporting community events such as Hope Women’s Center, Meals on Wheels, Pickens County Sheriffs Scholarship Foundation, YMCA Golf Tournament, Easley Chamber Golf Tournament, Big League Baseball World Series, Young Marines, Toys for Tots, Pickens Big Shots and Foothills Pregnancy Care Center.

Easley Downtown Investment (EDI) is the June 2009 Business of the Month

Pictured above are employees, chamber members and friends of Jim Wilson (second from left)

The Board of Directors of the Easley Chamber of Commerce voted to select Easley Downtown Investment (EDI) as Business of the Month for June. EDI and owner Jim Wilson were recognized for their contribution to the Chamber and the City of Easley. Mr. Wilson’s vision of The Doodle Station and a new environmentally friendly renovation located at 118 S. Pendleton Street (next to Dunburks) are encouraging activity and growth in the downtown area. Jim Wilson was also responsible for repairing the clock in the downtown Easley Market Square, as well as re-hanging the pretty pineapple “Welcome to Downtown Easley” signs in the downtown area.

The Pickens County Courier is the May 2009 Business of the Month

Pictured from left are Easley Chamber Director Kent Dykes, Rocky Nimmons, Barbara Gilstrap, Katie Grant, Rosalee Sentell, Vonda Holliday and Zack Mauldin. Back row: Emily Towery, Evelyn Gilstap, Olivia Fowler and Michael Campbell. Courier staff members not pictured are Mignonne Matheson, Brian Fawcett, Rex Brown, Iva Shehan, Kelly Nimmons, and Lesa Wimpey.

The Pickens County Courier was selected as Business of the Month of May by the board of directors of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce. The Pickens County Courier was established in June 2007 and has grown to become the highest circulated weekly community newspaper produced in Pickens County. The Pickens County Courier is the only locally owned and operated newspaper in Pickens County and offers its readers local news, sports and features along with a food section, comics, classifieds, opinions, society, school and church news. It is available by subscription or on a local newsstand near you.

The Pickens County Courier has also been highly honored by the South Carolina Press Association for newspaper excellence. In its 21-month history, the Courier has garnered 19 prestigious SC Press Association awards for advertising, editorial, layout and photography excellence.

The Pickens County Courier is also the official publisher of the Easley Chamber Notes each month and thanks to the hard work of Courier Ad Director Mignonne Matheson has expanded the publication from 8 pages to 16 pages over the last two months.

“We are so proud to be named as Easley Chamber Business of the Month,” said Rocky Nimmons, Publisher of the Courier. “We strive to be Pickens County’s only true county-wide newspaper and to be honored by the Easley Chamber shows that the readers and businesses in Easley look to us as their paper.”

The Courier will also unveil its new and improved Web site this month at www.yourpickenscounty.com.

“It is exciting to see that we, in our own way, have united the county,” Nimmons said. “From Clemson to Pickens to Liberty to Easley we have readers and businesses supporting our efforts to keep Pickens County’s money and resources in Pickens County. We would like to thank all the businesses for supporting us and the readers for reading the Courier.” The Pickens Courier and its staff stand behind its motto “People you know and people you trust.”

CommunitySouth Bank & Trust is the April 2009 Business of the Month

Pictured is Bank employees and members of the Easley Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously to select CommunitySouth Bank & Trust for Business of the Month of April. The bank was voted “Best Bank in Pickens County” in 2008. The bank is continuing to grow and to give back to the community. They are extremely active with the Easley Chamber of Commerce, with their employees Tracy Martin and Cindy Coleman as members of the Easley Chamber Ambassadors. They also work with local charities such as the Salvation Army, March of Dimes, Meals on Wheels, The United Way and Blood Connection to mention a few.

Smith Surveyors is the March 2009 Business of the Month

From left on front row are Rusty Bynum (Bynum Financial), Dale Kirk, Marjorie Phillips, Coke Smith, J.C.Smith, Tom Belcher and Tripp Martin (Palmetto Bank).
Back row are Kent Dykes (Easley Chamber), Jay Belcher, David Whittemore, Robert Dye & Alex Dye (Peoples Bank), Cindy Coleman (Community South Bank), Gina Logan (Greenwave Travel), Tracy Martin (Community South Bank) and Terry Harrington (SC Telco)

The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors selected Smith Surveyors as Business of the Month for March. Smith Surveyors, Inc., a family-owned business, has provided surveying services to the Upstate of South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and surrounding areas since 1909.

In August 2009, Smith Surveyors will celebrate 100 years in business in Easley. J.C. Smith and Coke Smith are the 3rd and 4th generation to carry on the family business located at 6907-C Calhoun Memorial Hwy in Easley.

Easley OB-GYN selected as Business of the Month for February, 2009

From left are David Whittemore, Kent Dykes (Easley Chamber), Debra Evette, Nancy Albert, Dr. John Warren, Sheri Wingo, Brenda Witthuhn (Yellow Book), April Martin, Cindy Coleman (Community South Bank) and Tracy Martin (Community South Bank)

The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted on the Easley OB-GYN practice of Dr. John Warren as Business of the Month for February. Easley OB-GYN is located at 112 John St., Ste. 201 in Easley. This medical practice was picked because they were rated at a 95% patient satisfaction level by a survey conducted by the Partners Health Network of the Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital.

Dr. Warren’s practice has been a long time chamber of commerce member and met the criteria of Business of the Month by having a specific accomplishment recognized by a professional organization. His office can be reached at 864-855-2737.