‘We are open for business’: Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo returns

“The networking is probably as important now as it has ever been because you don’t know where people stood after COVID,” Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce President James McQuilla said.

“What changed with the organization? What ended with the organization? What got expanded? What is done differently? Now you’ve got a chance to find out,” he said.

Hawaiian print shirts, floral dresses, food and entertainment were in abundance on Thursday at the luau-themed event held at the Broughton Street Sulit Luxe Affairs. The Oaks and the Regional Medical Center catered the event.

It was the 20th year of the event.

Bimbo Bakeries USA Plant Manager Kevin Baxley was at the expo, hoping the event would bring the company some exposure.

“We just want to get our name out there and make sure everybody knows who we are,” Baxley said. “We are hiring and looking for people.”

Baxley said the plant has machine operator and mechanic positions open. The plant employs about 200.

The company had bread and buns on display at the expo, but Baxley said the bakery should be no stranger to Orangeburg.

“Everybody who drives by it can smell it,” Baxley said.

Kindred at Home participated in the expo for the first time. It provides home health care.

“If you have a patient being discharged from the hospital and they need help in the home, we can see that patient with a referral from their physician,” Home Health Specialist for Orangeburg Celeste Bryant said. “We also see patients in the primary care setting so you don’t necessarily have to have had a recent hospital stay but you have to be deemed homebound.”

Bryant says the business was the expo to, “get our name out there and be a service to the community.”

McQuilla said having the expo return after a year’s delay due to COVID was important.

“It had gotten to the point where the board thought inside the community people were wondering what are we going to do to make us feel like we are actually having some kind of progress,” McQuilla said. There were some discussions about not even having the expo this year.

“Eventually it was unanimous. We said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s figure out how to do it, let’s figure out how to do it safely,’” he said.

He said, “It is making all the difference in the world.

“We are open for business.”

Orangeburg resident Lori Incerta, who comes to the expo every year, said “It is nice to see the vendors and to sample different things.”

Incerta is transplant from southern California and says she is “so glad I am here.”

“I like the people, I like the pace,” Incerta said. “Everybody is so nice.”

The chamber expo drew about 21 vendors. Local band Odyssey provided musical entertainment.

The expo’s presenting sponsor was the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities. Gold sponsors were the Regional Medical Center, First Citizens Bank and Zeus. Supporting sponsor was Fogle’s Piggly Wiggly.