Ready to build the future
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Folks who know Ryan Reynolds know he loudly and proudly yells, Go Tigers. What they may not know is that he is also working daily and yelling, Go Aiken.
Ryan loves Aiken and puts his time, energy and money into supporting the community where he and his wife, Kelly, choose to raise their three girls, and where he and the family own H.G. Reynolds Company, Inc.
Harry Graham Reynolds first started H.G. Reynolds as a general contracting firm in 1948. A graduate from Clemson University, Mr. Reynolds began his business building small commercial buildings in Greenwood, S.C. and later expanded to build schools and other institutions.
Mr. Reynolds retired in 1986 and passed the business to the 2nd generation of Reynolds, Leland and Jeffrey. In 1990, the Reynolds moved the business from Trenton to Aiken. As the years went by the business grew and so did the family. Children were expected to contribute, and the value of hard work continued to be passed down.
In 2013, the third-generation sons; Ryan, Graham, and Hank, became principals carrying the unique family brand of H.G. Reynolds forward. H.G. Reynolds was ranked 42nd among South Carolina's largest privately held companies for 2018.
Among the first schools erected by H.G. Reynolds was the Ridge Spring Monetta High School, completed in 1956. It was a bitter-sweet moment when in 2018, the 3rd generation led H.G. Reynolds company, was contracted to tear down and build a new RSM High School. Ryan truly learned the family business from the ground up. As a 14-year-old, he began his construction path as a laborer digging the foundations of the Aiken High James Taylor gym
One thing Ryan learned at the foot of his father, Leland, was if other businesses do well; we do well. He also learned the value of giving back to the community. H.G. Reynolds built the Aiken Chamber of Commerce building in 1988. His father served on the board of the directors for the Chamber, and now Ryan serves as the 2021 chair of the Chamber. He also serves on the City of Aiken Planning Commission.
One of Ryan’s passions is building Aiken’s future for his children. He says, “It’s important Aiken grows and thrives, yet still maintains its unique character and charm. If you think of downtown Aiken as the front porch of the community, the porch needs to be an inviting place where people want to come and stay a while. I’ve recently invested in a building downtown and plan on doing my part to make sure our community continues to be welcoming and business continues to thrive.”
Ryan hopes others will join him in investing in Aiken’s future.
Beyond giving back to Aiken, Ryan, a proud 2001 graduate of Clemson University, serves on the Clemson Alumni Industry Board for Construction Science where industry trends are discussed and an open dialogue between the skills being taught and the skills being used in the construction industry occurs. H.G. Reynolds also provides valuable internships to students giving them the real-world experience necessary to be successful.
Ryan reports that the most interesting person in the family tree was the one who started it all, Mr. Harry Graham Reynolds. H.G. was never one to let the grass grow under his feet, and shared his world travel hobby with all of his grandchildren. As a quartermaster in the army during WWII, H.G. was the guy folks were referring to when they said, “Hey, I know a guy.” Interestingly, he had a plastic extruding business in Trenton before the construction business, and to the delight of the local children, used the excess plastic to make hula hoops, dolls and other toys.
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A pivotal event
The Aiken Chamber's 103rd Annual Gala
April 23, 2021
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An elegant night of fun, excitement and surprises awaits attendees of the Aiken Chamber’s 103rd Annual Gala being held at the Etherredge Center at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 23.
In a nod to the past year, where change and strategy shift have become critical to business survival, the theme of the gala is Pivot.
Members are invited to celebrate the successes and transitions of the past year with 2020 Chamber Chair Julie Whitesell, Meybohm Real Estate, and pivot to move forward into the new year with 2021 Chamber Chair Ryan Reynolds, H. G. Reynolds Company, Inc.
Entertainment for the gala will be provided by the Heart Throbs, a local singing group from the beloved Aiken Heart Board Show under the direction of Jim Moore.
The Chamber’s prestigious annual awards will be presented during the gala.
The Man and Woman of the Year will be awarded to two individuals that demonstrate characteristics including leadership skills, community impact and involvement, are role models and mentors to others and demonstrate a commitment to a higher level of ethics in business practices.
The Small and Large Business of the Year awards recognize two Chamber members that have completed a minimum of three years in business, demonstrate exceptional customer service, are recognized as community leaders, inspire others, and exhibit vision that goes above and beyond business as usual.
The Ambassador of the Year will also be recognized for his or her volunteer contribution to the mission and vision of the Aiken Chamber.
A warm Aiken welcome will be extended to the new President/CEO of the South Carolina Chamber, Bob Morgan, who will be a special guest at the event.
Following the awards and entertainment in the socially distanced seats of the theater of the Etherredge Center, guests will adjourn to the campus lawn for sunset cocktails. The Aiken Chamber’s version of an elegant spring garden party.
Chamber members who wish to attend should contact Aiken Chamber Membership Services Director, Jim Tunison, at (803) 645-0144 or jtunison@aikenchamber.net for ticket information.
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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Shining a virtual spotlight on Aiken Chamber members in the food and beverage industry is the goal of the Aiken Chamber’s newest social media campaign – A Taste of Aiken. In partnership with A.B. Beverage and Bud Light, the campaign will highlight and promote Aiken’s local chefs and unique eateries.
Short videos filmed on location are being produced by Aiken Chamber Director of Membership Services Jim Tunison and will be released on all the Aiken Chamber’s social media platforms over the next few weeks.
“The food and beverage industry was hit hard last year,” said Aiken Chamber President/CEO David Jameson. “This campaign is a way to remind people of all the great dining options we have in Aiken. We are excited to offer this service and help promote this segment of our membership.”
In addition to dining at Aiken’s wonderful eateries, the Aiken community can help with the campaign by following the Aiken Chamber on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram and leaving a positive word of encouragement for the business.
As we all know, the reach of social media is wide. The community is also asked to share the videos as this could mean a new customer to a local small business, or it could be a reminder to a customer to return to an old favorite.
A Taste of Aiken is sponsored by A.B. Beverage, a third-generation family company that has proudly served the CSRA since 1933.
“A.B. Beverage is proud to partner with the Aiken Chamber for A Taste of Aiken,” said Cathy Varnadore, president of A.B. Beverage Company, Inc. “This is a fun way to support our many fantastic restaurants and bars in the Aiken area.”
Members in the food and beverage industry that wish to participate should contact Jim Tunison at jtunison@aikenchamber.net or call (803) 645-0144.
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SRR thanks Chamber for "Timely Support"
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Savannah River Remediation (SRR), the liquid waste contractor at Savannah River Site (SRS), visited the Aiken Chamber of Commerce March 18 and presented a special gift to the organization for its years of support.
SRR President and Project Manager Phil Breidenbach presented a Rosewood mantel clock as a gesture of thanks. The clock is inscribed, "Your support has always been timely."
"We owe much of our success to the members of the Aiken Chamber and the many local large and small businesses that have supported our efforts," said Breidenbach. "Since our contract began at SRS in 2009, we have endeavored to particularly try to support local businesses, awarding contracts to local suppliers whenever possible. We are eternally grateful for their contributions to our success, and this memento is our way of saying thank you."
In addition, Breidenbach thanked the Chamber for helping the community continue to prosper in general through its work.
Since 2009, SRR has awarded contracts totaling more than $432 million to Aiken small businesses.
Aiken Chamber President and CEO David Jameson also recognized the importance of small business support.
“Small businesses provide more than just jobs in our community,” Jameson said. “They also provide a local link to important products and services that are needed by major Savannah River Site contractors, such as SRR. We back the work Savannah River Remediation has been performing, and we are grateful to have been part of it.”
As of the end of 2020, SRR had given nearly half of its total subcontracting awards to small businesses in surrounding counties. SRR's contract at SRS is scheduled to end on September 30, 2021, unless extended.
SRR is a team of companies led by Amentum with partners Bechtel National, Jacobs, and BWX Technologies, Inc. Critical subcontractors for the contract are Orano, Atkins, and Amentum N&E Technical Services.
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Club Pilates Aiken held a ribbon cutting ceremony March 10 to celebrate its grand opening at 161 S. Aiken Ln, Suite 410. Classes are available for all fitness levels and ages and can be tailored to your specific needs. They even offer sport specific workouts for all you golfers out there! Cutting the ribbon is Club Pilates owner Tanya Demattia. She is joined by the Club Pilates Aiken staff along with members of the Aiken Chamber Ambassador Team. Stop by or call (803) 262-5184 to sign up for complimentary introductory class. Club Pilates offers high-quality, life-changing training at a surprisingly affordable price.
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The Golden Harvest Food Bank held a ribbon cutting March 12 to celebrate its recent expansion into a larger warehouse which the staff affectionately call the 'red barn'. This space will increase their warehousing and volunteer space in South Carolina by 38% which means the organization will be able to distribute up to 900,000 more meals per year to neighbors across the 6 South Carolina counties that they serve. Pictured from left to right are: Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon, Golden Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Amy Breitmann, Golden Harvest Food Bank South Carolina District Manager Grace Renken, and Aiken Chamber of Commerce President/CEO J. David Jameson. Visit www.goldenharvest.org to see how you can get involved in the organization’s mission of Feeding Lives Together.
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C&C Automotive – Automotive Repairs
Over 40 years of experience performing all auto repairs and services on all makes and models. With 4 locations across the CSRA!
2355 Jefferson Davis Highway
Warrenville, SC 29851
Contact: Amanda Clements Drake
Phone: (803) 593-8473
Club Pilates Aiken – Health & Fitness
Boutique Pilates Studio featuring Reformer, TRX, Barre, Exo Chair, Bocu Ball and Trigger point. We believe by gaining control of your body, you gain control of your life!
161 South Aiken Lane
Aiken, SC 29803
Contact: Tanya Demattia
Phone: (803) 262-5184
Stable Concepts, LLC – Computer Consulting and/or Services
Our clients leverage our expertise and resources to optimize IT spending, minimize risk and improve performance. We will make your business run more efficiently and securely!
470 Powderhouse Road
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: Eileen Wilkinson
Phone: (203) 321-9923
Systematech – Computer Training
A full-service training firm that provides security awareness and industry-specific training and certifications. Our mission is to equip our community for the work of technology.
640 Old Airport Road
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: Sarah Lutfi
Phone: (803) 474-4407
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SCORE is proud to have the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. They help thousands of entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses every year. SCORE volunteers give back to their communities and pass on their knowledge to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
SCORE hosts free, live webinars every week on small business tips and strategies. Learn more at www.score.org.
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