By Betsy Finklea
The City of Dillon Downtown Merchants Association heard from Mayor Tally McColl and a representative from the Kelley Center For Economic Development.

Mayor McColl said if one looks at downtown compared to seven years ago, they will see that there are things going on. He said there are businesses coming, and downtown is looking better. Even things as small as the Christmas decorations make a difference. He said nothing is going to happen overnight. McColl said it’s one thing at a time, and sooner or later, we are going to have “a vibrant downtown, a booming downtown.”
McColl said to look at places like Greer, who have an inland port. The coming of the inland port there took a small, rural place similar to Dillon and turned it to a place where there are sushi bars on the street, coffee bars, and more. We have an interstate, Highway No. 9, two railroad tracks, and an inland port, McColl said. “We’ve got a lot going on, and there is no reason that Dillon can’t grow, but it’s going to take all of us,” said McColl. He said the things being done by Lisa Moody, the City of Dillon Downtown Coordinator, along with the merchants, is really important.
He addressed why there was a focus on downtown. He said the downtown is the heart of Dillon, where it all got started. He said we have got to take care of it.
McColl said he was working to get a better understanding of the regulations, etc. on the buildings, but said that they have to be careful as a city that they are not hindering businesses with regulations and that they are helping. He said he knows these regulations are for a reason, but he thinks they need to be helping new business owners, not hindering them.
McColl welcomes ideas and input. He said he wants to help.
Latoya Abson, a local business owner, said there should be incentives for the people who are building back downtown.
McColl agreed and said these grants have to be attainable. He said this is something that he will be looking at, not just to attract new people, but to support those who are here already. He said they have to be careful with grants because at the end of the day the grants are public money going to private businesses, but that the grants are part of the commitment that the city has made to help downtown thrive.
McColl said it’s going to take work, and the city has got a good team to do it. He said another thing happening downtown is the re-landscaping of Dillon County. The Dillon Community Alliance is backing this particular project, Moody said, with funds secured by Rep. Jackie Hayes.
McColl said they have passed the first reading of an ordinance to allow for a hotel downtown. The police department is coming downtown, which will increase traffic. The visitor’s center is being done.
“Small steps, but it is moving,” said McColl. “I’m proud of what we have, and I’m proud of where we are going.”

Kelley Center For Economic Development
Jamie Howle Hopkins from Francis Marion University’s Kelley Center For Economic Development spoke to the group via a web vhat.
The Kelley Center started in 2016 providing incubation space and business assistance services. They have two locations—one in Florence and one in Lake City. They serve the entire Pee Dee Region.
The incubation program includes a start-up program to help one become a self-sustaining, profitable business. This is offered only at the Florence location.
A business must be accepted into the program. Businesses must be established for less than one year.
The incubation period is 12 months where a business has full access to the facility and dedicated attention for a $325 monthly fee.
In year two, the business moves to post launch where the business is ready to move out of the incubator because they have reached the goals of the incubation program.
The other option is post-advisory. This is when the business is not stable enough to move out, and they can stay another 12 months for a reduced fee of $300 per month.
At the Lake City location in the Continuum Building, they offer a growth incubator program. This provides an affordable workspace and limited technical assistance. They do not accept two competitive businesses at the same time. The program options are annual, semi-annual, and monthly. This is a low cost and effective way to grow a business.
The Kelley Center has helped 22 businesses, eight start-ups, two non-profits, and seven businesses where they are growing their existing business.
They offer business mentoring, small business assistance, and training and workshops. They do partnerships with community organizations. They also offer continuing education courses.
More can be found out about the Kelley Center at https://www.fmarion.edu/kelleycenter/.

Other
Business
Several upcoming events were discussed including Celebrate Main, First Fridays at the Fountain, Eats on the Street, Outdoor Movie Series, and Chit, Chat, and Chew.
They also discussed the Uniform Sign Program being offered by the Dillon Community Alliance.
Ashley Phillips was introduced as the assistant in the City of Dillon Downtown Development Office.