Pictured are: Travis Riggs, Melodia Cannon, Rodney Gregory, Phyllis Mann, Tommy Ellenburg, Denise Dyer, Mayor David Owens, and Amy Gantt Pickens Chamber of Commerce

This month’s Chamber member of the month is the City of Pickens. Through the leadership of City Council, Mayor David Owens and City Administrator Katherine Brackett, the City has taken steps in the revitalization of Pickens partnering with business groups and existing commercial businesses, the City is working to improve the economic environment of the City. In conjunction, each City department from Street and Sanitation to Fire and Police are working hard for the citizens of Pickens. It is their dedication and professionalism that truly makes Pickens a unique and caring town.

Recognizing quick-fix solutions do not work, the Main Street Approach advocates a return to community self-reliance and the redevelopment of Main Street project areas based on their traditional assets: personal service, local ownership, a unique physical environment and a sense of community. It is an incremental, long-term, total community effort differing in philosophy and effect from capital-intensive, quick-fix projects. The Main Street Approach incorporates activities in four distinctive areas; each of these combines to build a positive, identifiable image for the Main Street project area. These areas are: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring.

Pickens County Historical Society

The Pickens County Historical Society is currently in its annual membership drive with a goal of 1000 members. The Historical Society is an organization which seeks to preserve the history and historical landmarks within our area. Some of the projects the society is working on are: historical markers, preserving over 50 historical sites within the county and the operation of the Hagood-Mauldin House.

You can join the Historical Society for as little as $10.00 a year. So, be a part of preserving our past. An application for membership can be picked up at the Pickens Chamber office or email the Historical Society at pickenscohistorical@gmail.com.

Pictured are Tom Crumpton, Victor Whitworth, Chief Financial Officer, and Judy Gillespie.

Cornell Dubilier Electronics (CDE) and Cornell Dubilier Marketing, Inc. (CDM) are privately held, American owned makers of capacitors for electronic and electrical equipment with three ISO-9001 registered facilities. If you didn’t know that it was founded in 1909 by William Dubilier with his invention of the mica capacitor, you wouldn’t suspect that CDE is the oldest capacitor maker in the Western Hemisphere because it is growing rapidly with a flurry of new products.

CDE’s and CDM’s major capacitor types are aluminum electrolytic, polyester film, polypropylene film, mica, pulse, snubber, motor-run, motor-start and high voltage capacitors. Emphasis is on serving the power electronics markets and providing not just reliable capacitors, but capacitor solutions with great service.

CDE and CDM have become the preeminent, worldwide suppliers of capacitors for power electronics. Principal markets are renewable energy, power supplies, motor drives, HVAC, motors, welding, aerospace, telecom, and UPS systems.

Leadership Pickens County held its annual graduation on June 17, 2010. This year’s class members were Cortni Nations, Addie Bradshaw. Hattie Rhone, Susan Gist, Danny Graybeal, Jessica Baker, Heather Love, Amanda Blanton, Alan Abshire, Ron Wilson, Michael Crenshaw, Jennifer Crenshaw, Amy Lark, and Lindsay Howerton.

The purpose of Leadership Pickens County is to create a continuing leadership in Pickens County through the Chambers of Commerce and Leadership Pickens County Board of Regents by equipping participants with skills and knowledge and encouraging them to participate in the decision making process in Pickens County.

The program consists of nine regularly scheduled sessions from September through May. Most sessions are held the first Tuesday of each month from 8:30am- 4:00pm. The size of the class is limited.

Sessions address such topics as personal leadership skills, group dynamics, the environment and infrastructure, economic development and land use planning, communications, recreation and tourism.

Sessions are held in different locations about the County. Participants must attend eight of the nine sessions, including the first session, in order to meet the requirements of the program.

Leadership Pickens County is open to anyone who lives or works in Pickens County. Persons interested in leadership Pickens County may apply directly or be nominated by an employer, member of the Chamber, or other individuals or organizations. Leadership Pickens County seeks to maintain a geographical, occupational, ethnic, and gender blend among participants. A selection committee will review applications and make final decisions based on individual potential to meet program goals. Applications are available at each Chamber Office in Pickens Chamber County.

National Race Tour Comes to Lake Hartwell

The Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance has announced a personal watercraft racing tour will roar onto Lake Hartwell August 13-15, 2010. The Big Oaks Recreation Area in Georgia will host the Toyota Upstate Watercraft Promotions-International Jet Sport Boating Association (UWP-IJSBA) Tour, one of the nation’s leading personal watercraft racing circuits.

“The event will feature top U.S. and international racers doing battle against one another while negotiating buoys, obstacles and pounding waves at speeds up to 80 MPH on the ½ – ¾ mile course,” said A.J. Handler, Director of Upstate Watercraft Promotions. He added “this is like motocross on water, closed course racing is handle bar-to-hand bar. The course is designed to keep competition tight and fans close to the action.”

The event will also feature a Freestyle segment “Which highlights the acrobatical abilities of the highly specialized athletes and their watercraft. Freestyle features two minute routines in an Olympic-style format in front of a panel of judges. Competitors choreographed tricks are performed to music,” said Handler.

The event will be held at the Big Oaks Recreation Area, just 13 miles south of I-85 on U.S. Hwy 29. For more information, visit www.uwpinc.com

The Pickens Sentinel held a ribbon cutting in June to celebrate its 139-history in the community and to announce its relocation to Garvin Street. “We’re proud to be the oldest business in Pickens County,” said Sentinel General Manager Sandy Foster. “A lot has changed since 1871, but Pickens still remains a great community, and the Pickens Sentinel staff is proud to be a part of the newspaper of record for most of the city’s history.”

Founded by the Maj. D.F. Bradley, the paper has changed ownership several times during its long history; but our commitment to bring local news produced by a local, award-winning staff has remained steadfast, she said. One of the Sentinel’s greatest additions in the last two years was the development of a new Web site that is updated daily. In this past month alone, www.pickenssentinel.com has received more than 8,000 visits from 5,784 unique visitors. In the past year, it has received more than 92,000 visits from more than 61,000 unique visitors.

Along with providing late-breaking, up-to-date news, the Sentinel Web site also offers another great avenue for advertisers, along with our traditional print product, Foster said. Online magazines, Web displays and television-listing sponsorships, are just a few of the many advertising opportunities available at www.pickenssentinel.com “All these things show our company’s commitment to ensure that the Pickens Sentinel thrives for another 139 years and beyond,” Foster said.

The Sentinel is now located at 205 Garvin St., having moved from its previous location on Main Street. For more information about the ribbon cutting, or about advertising and subscriptions, call The Sentinel at 864-878-2453 – or drop by their office.

Tim Hartog owner, Mayor David Owens, family and friends

The Corner Café held a ribbon cutting for their new restaurant located at 321 East Main Street in Pickens. Tim Hartog owner was recognized as one of the top 10 chefs in Northern Californian and brings his unique cooking talents to Main Street Pickens. Currently the restaurant services breakfast, lunch and offers catering for any event. Their motto is “just made fresh”.

Visit their website: http://www.cornercafepickens.com

Pictured are: Joan Hayes, Dr. Ashley Cretella, Crissa Fincher, Dr. Paul Giddings, Carol Bridges, Kelli Morgan. Holly Scruggs, Debbie Byrd. And Alicia Simpson

Located at 108 Massingill Road, in Pickens, Great Oaks Dental core values guide their relationship with their patients and co-workers. These values represent who they are and define their practice of dentistry:

● Trust – You can trust that you will be treated with honesty and compassion at all times. They will never recommend any treatment for you that they would not offer to their own families. At the same time, they will never insist on any treatment for you that you are not comfortable with.

● Excellence – They practice the finest dental techniques available anywhere. For this there is no substitute.

● Joy – They are committed to the enjoyment of life both for their patients and for their staff. Your visit to their office will be a reflection of the joy they take in caring for their patients and for each other.

Dr. Giddings and Dr. Cretella and their staff continue to be committed to the betterment of the community and supportive of efforts to improve the life of others.  Visit their website: http://www.greatoaksdental.com/

Over the past several months, the City of Pickens along with business leaders and other citizens have been working together to create a vision of what Pickens can become.

Working from the group mission statement which is “The mission of the City of Pickens is to provide a strong sense of community, improve the quality of life, and enhance economic development for its citizens, while preserving the City’s historical past and small town atmosphere”, the group decided on four main focus areas. These are: 1) Historical/Cultural, 2) Beautification, 3) Recreation/Leisure and 4) Marketing/Business Development.

Out of each focus area ideas have emerged and are being developed. A few of the ideas are: a new City slogan “Pickens, Where the Mountains Begin”, the cruise in and music, brochures, updated website, business development, and many more. If you would like to be involved in the process, the steering committee meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm at City Hall. Come be a part of the future of Pickens.

Allegro Comes to Pickens County:

The announcement of Allegro Industries coming to the Commerce Park was a major event for the area of Pickens. Allegro will create 45 new jobs and bring into the area an investment of $4.53 million dollars. It will also create additional jobs through contract workers and suppliers. The company will begin hiring in the first quarter of 2011. Allegro will work with Workforce One Stop in Pickens County for the placement of any jobs.

• “All of us in Pickens County are excited about the prospects of 45 new jobs. We appreciate the investment of Allegro Industries and we look forward to their success,” said Pickens County Council Chairman Neil Smith.
• “Allegro Industries Inc. is a very welcome addition to our Pickens County industrial base. Our Pickens County community is most grateful to Allegro owners Tom Johnston and Tony Ferroni for selecting the Pickens County Commerce Park for Allegro’s new home. Allegro will augment very well the park’s other life safety specialty device manufacturers Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company and St. Jude Medical, as well as KeyMark Inc. and the park’s most recent tenant, Tri Tech USA,” said Alliance Pickens Chairman Joel Ledbetter.

Founded in 1987 and based in Garden Grove, Calif., Allegro Industries offers a full line of safety equipment and ergonomic products for the workplace. For more information about the company, please visit www.allegrosafety.com.

The Chamber Continues to Work for You:

The Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary, non-profit organization for businesses and professionals dedicated to improving the business climate throughout Pickens County and the surrounding Upstate. We support all businesses, small to large. Whether its networking, legislation, economic development or quality of life issues – your Chamber is involved.

Our Mission:

• Create Prosperity – foster an atmosphere that encourages business and personal investment that will reflect local values and create wealth for our business community.
• Build Relationships – provide networking events and opportunities for the business community to share information and ideas.
• Support the Voice of Business – insure the business community is heard on the local and state level through political advocacy programs.
• Maintain a Sense of Community – improve the quality of life by creating partnerships between the business community and local organizations.

It’s Up to You

If you are the type of business that does not want to become directly involved with Chamber activities, but understands the importance of the Chamber’s mission, don’t feel left out. Many of our members take the long view of their Chamber investment. Your investment in the Pickens Chamber will enhance the overall business climate and enable our business community to continue to prosper.

Stockade ‘n Stuff Antiques is the Chamber Member of the Month for June, 2010.

Jeannie and Wayne Gilstrap are celebrating their 2nd anniversary of the opening of their store, Stockade ‘n Stuff. In 2010 Stockade ‘n Stuff was recognized by the Pickens Chamber of Commerce as Community Member of the Year for their dedication and commitment to the community.

Stockade ‘n Stuff is located on Hwy 8 just outside of Pickens in the old Pickens County Prison. The prison, built by the WPA in 1936, offers a unique setting for pieces of heirloom furniture. Their estate purchases include furniture, glass, porcelain, pottery, silver, brass, oils, crystal, textiles, jewelry and more.

Come marvel in the mysteries of the past at Stockade ‘n Stuff, 2932 Gentry Memorial Highway, Pickens,

Phone 864-979-4891.

The South Carolina Chamber “Top Priorities of the Business Community” passed in the General Assembly. Julie Scott, Public Relations Manager for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce writes that”

“Two of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s top priorities for the legislative session have passed the General Assembly: Employment Security Commission (ESC) reform and Save our Secret Ballot.

“In March, legislation to reform the South Carolina Employment Security Commission was passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor. Leadership provided by House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham and Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter and Senators Greg Ryberg and Nikki Setzler was crucial to the bill’s passage.

“The new law creates the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce with a cabinet level, at-will director, centralizing functions held by numerous agencies over the years. It also terminates current ESC commissioners and sets new elections for hearing officers. The legislation restricts payouts for employees fired for gross misconduct, saving millions with the system. Before the legislation’s passage, it was estimated more than $170 million was paid to people who were fired for cause and related to fraud. The law also requires the newly created department to undergo periodic audits and provide regular information on employment trends and the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund balance. Now, the General Assembly must address the solvency of the UI Trust Fund. As of April 1, South Carolina’s loan from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits had reached close to $850 million.

“Another top priority of the business community in 2010 was protecting South Carolina workers from federal legislation that threatens their rights to vote by secret ballots, introduced in Congress in March 2009. The cleverly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act, or “card check,” would not only remove a fundamental right of every American, it also could force businesses into unfair binding arbitration and set a dangerous tone for the nation. In 2009, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to combat card check with bipartisan support, and the Senate followed suit in March 2010, sending the constitutional amendment to the ballot for November. Leaders of the legislation included Re. Eric Bedingfield and Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler.

“South Carolina’s low unionization rates have helped attract companies like Boeing to the Low country and Proterra to the Upstate. Twelve other states have made progress towards adopting similar secret ballot legislation. Now, it is up to the voters who can decide November 2 to stop the dangerous “card check” legislation and continue working towards a more competitive and prosperous South Carolina.”

Member Benefits

The Pickens Chamber offers a health plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina for Chamber Members only called Business True Blue.

The benefits include:
■ Choices in deductibles, covered services and covered amounts.
■ One of the largest networks of doctors, hospitals and other health care professionals in the state.
■ Coverage and peace of mind wherever your employees go.
■ Special discounts on complementary and alternative medicine, laser vision correction surgery (LASIK), Beltone hearing aids and cosmetic surgery
■ Optional co-payment features for doctor’s office visits.
■ Optional benefits for preventive care.
■ Optional prescription drug card.
■ Optional dental coverage.
■ HSA – Health Savings Account.
■ Flexibility of a buy-up option.

For more information contact the Chamber Office at 864-878-3254.

Chamber Member Celebrates 90 Years of Service

Pickens Savings and Loan celebrates 90 years of service to the citizens of Pickens. A long time member of the Chamber, Pickens Savings and Loan has always worked to help individuals and businesses improve their lives. Through their commitment to the community, Pickens Savings and Loan has made Pickens a better place. Congratulations to Pickens Savings and Loan!