Wedding & Event Venue Near Spartanburg, SC.

WELLFORD, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - “Breaking Bread for Jesus” says it needs more food.

Simply put—the needs for food insecure families continue you grow, in Spartanburg County.

When the soup kitchen first started, organizers say it was only serving about 30 to 40 plates a week. Now, that’s more than quadrupled to almost 200 per week. It just goes to show how great need has grown over the years.

As soon as volunteers open their doors at 11 a.m., the orders start pouring in. And director Gail Eanes says everyone who comes isn’t homeless.

“We don’t ask any questions. We assume when they come in the door that they’re hungry or they know somebody that’s hungry. So, we feed them. That’s what God has called us to do.” said Eanes.

Back in 2015, after volunteering at a different soup kitchen, Eanes realized some families in the Wellford-Duncan-Startex-Jackson-Lyman area needed help. That’s when “Breaking Bread for Jesus” was born.

“We know that it’s getting worse every day,” Eanes said, “There are more and more people that are coming into the doors here. And then, by Thanksgiving, I look for an increase of, at least, 15 percent.”

Volunteers serve the community fresh, home-cooked meals, 365 days a year—since the kitchen started. Some take for themselves. Some take for others, like Glenna “Faye” Holcombe.

“I’m sharing it with my mom, with a neighbor down the street. He cannot get out and drive anymore. So, I take different food to different people,” Mrs. Faye said.

Mrs. Faye says landing on their doorsteps is food is made with love.

“They’re not only concerned about the homeless. They’re concerned about the neighborhood. This is a community program,” Mrs. Faye continues, “And the food is delicious.”

Eanes says, despite setbacks, they will keep breaking bread, until it’s all gone.

“Our pantries are lower, right now, than they have been since we started,” said Eanes.

Mrs. Faye says the community needs it.

“Because of the economy now, everything is very expensive. People are hungry,” said Mrs. Faye, “And you wouldn’t think, in this country that we live in, that hunger would be here, but it’s here.”

“Breaking Bread for Jesus” will serve food on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. The kitchen is in need of food donations, monetary donations, and volunteers. So, if you’re interested, visit their website.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Visual Comfort & Co., the premier resource of signature designer lighting, architectural lighting and ceiling fans, announced plans to establish distribution operations in Spartanburg County. The project will result in a $62 million investment and create 125 new jobs over the next five years.

Known for partnering with some of the most influential names in design, Visual Comfort & Co. is proud to offer an industry-leading range of unrivaled lighting choices of extraordinary quality at a remarkable value.

Located at Smith Farms Industrial Park in Greer, Visual Comfort & Co.’s new distribution facility will serve the company’s growing demand for years to come.

Operations are expected to commence in January 2023. Individuals interested in joining the Visual Comfort & Co. team should email resumes to the company.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $300,000 Set-Aside grant to Spartanburg County to assist with building improvement costs.

QUOTES

“Visual Comfort & Co. is excited to be partnering with South Carolina and the county of Spartanburg on a new state-of-the-art facility designed to improve our customers’ overall experience. The access to ports, infrastructure and strong labor force make Greer an exceptional choice for Visual Comfort & Co. We greatly appreciate the welcoming environment and ongoing support from state and local officials, and we look forward to connecting with the community in making Visual Comfort & Co. an employer of choice in the Spartanburg area.”-Visual Comfort & Co. Chief Operating Officer Gary Hirschel

“Whenever a new company decides to invest in South Carolina, it marks the beginning of a partnership that we know will benefit our communities and our people. Visual Comfort & Co.’s investment in Spartanburg County shows its commitment to our state, and we’re grateful for the opportunities it will create for South Carolinians.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“Congratulations to Visual Comfort & Co. on its new distribution center in Spartanburg County. We are excited to see yet another premier company join our diverse roster of distribution and logistics operations. We look forward to a strong and successful partnership with Visual Comfort & Co.”-Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“SC Ports is excited to support Visual Comfort & Co.’s new distribution center in Spartanburg County by efficiently handling their designer lighting products. SC Ports’ marine terminals provide access to global markets, and goods can swiftly move via rail between the Port of Charleston and Inland Port Greer. Visual Comfort & Co.’s decision to invest in South Carolina reinforces that SC Ports is an asset to retailers, providing fluidity and capacity to their supply chains.”-SC Ports President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Melvin

“Visual Comfort & Co. bringing its distribution to Spartanburg is another win for a key sector in our county – distribution and logistics. We’re excited to welcome them to Spartanburg and excited to keep up our pace of investment success.”-Spartanburg County Councilman and Economic Development Committee Chairman David Britt

FIVE FAST FACTS

The plan includes a $1 billion investment in the German automaker’s existing U.S. manufacturing and assembly complex in Spartanburg, SC, and $700 million to build a battery assembly facility in nearby Woodruff.

BMW Group will spend $1.7 billion to expand its manufacturing complex in Spartanburg, SC, to produce electric vehicles powered by battery cells from Envision AESC.

The plan includes a $1 billion investment in the German automaker’s existing U.S. manufacturing and assembly complex in Spartanburg, and $700 million to build a battery assembly facility in nearby Woodruff, SC, says Oliver Zipse, BMW Group Board of Management chairman.

“For decades, Plant Spartanburg has been a cornerstone of the global success of the BMW Group. It is the home of the BMW X models that are so popular all over the world,” he says. “Going forward, it will also be a major driver for our electrification strategy, and we will produce at least six fully electric BMW X models here by 2030.”

Envision will produce newly developed round lithium-ion battery cells specifically designed for the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology. The new battery format will increase energy density more than 20%, improve charging speed

up to 30% and enhance range up to 30%. CO₂ emissions from cell production will be reduced up to 60% through the partial use of recycled lithium, cobalt and nickel material, as well as renewable energy for production.

The expansion of BEV and battery-cell production in the Spartanburg area will lead to the creation of new supply chains, new networks for sub-suppliers and new jobs throughout the entire region, Zipse says.

BMW Group announced earlier that four factories producing next-generation battery cells will be built by partners in Europe and China.

Spartanburg currently produces li-ion battery modules for the two plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles built at the plant, the BMW X3 xDrive30e and BMW X5 xDrive45e. In 2021, 70,000 PHEVs were built there.

BMW established the Spartanburg plant 30 years ago and it began producing vehicles two years later. Since then, the factory has become the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles, the automaker’s terminology for CUVs.

The plant currently represents an investment of $12 billion, employs more than 11,000 people and has production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles annually. To date more than 6 million BMW vehicles have been built in the U.S. for domestic and global markets. BMW says this has made it the largest automotive exporter from the U.S. by value for the past eight years.

The Spartanburg plant currently produces 11 models including the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles, four BMW M models and two PHEVs. Production of the all-new hybrid-electric BMW XM (pictured, above) will begin later this year.

The plant is supported by more than 300 suppliers in the U.S., including over 40 direct Tier 1 suppliers in South Carolina alone.

BMW Group has set an initial target to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40% per vehicle by 2030.

Envision AESC is a leading Japanese electric-vehicle battery technology company. Under its multi-year partnership with BMW Group it will supply battery cells for the German automaker’s next-generation BEVs.

Envision AESC’s 30-GWh battery manufacturing plant in South Carolina will be powered by 100% net-zero carbon energy. Work is underway to finalize a site close to BMW’s vehicle production and battery assembly facilities.

The Japanese company will supply battery cells with 20% more energy density, faster charging speeds and an extended range of up to 30% for new BEVs produced in Spartanburg by 2030.

It’s no accident that, when guests enter the lobby of the AC Hotel by Marriott Spartanburg, they may feel as though they’re entering a museum.

Sightlines are open and expansive, the eye naturally drawn to the artwork on the milled walls and the sculptures tucked in various corners or suspended from the ceiling.

“This was all very intentional to have a full experience with the art when you walk in,” says Sarah Tignor, an expert in the artwork found in the hotel.

Tignor gestures in the direction of painter Robert Rauschenberg’s “Time and Ties” towering behind the front desk before pointing out an untitled work from sculptor Ruth Asawa suspended above the elevator doors.

“We have an artist who is now ascending into the upper echelons of American art hanging here at the AC in Spartanburg,” Tignor says of the Asawa sculpture.

Not to mention, the 40 or so pieces on display are connected to Black Mountain College, a mid-2oth century arts enclave near Black Mountain, North Carolina.

All of the works are part of The Johnson Collection, one of America’s largest privately owned art collections. AC Hotel Spartanburg — which is owned by The Johnson family and managed by OTO Development — is one of many local, regional and national venues where the Collection’s artwork is on display.

For the average guest, a walk through the lobby or mezzanine is an education unto itself as each work of art comes with a wall placard offering crucial details about the piece and the artist who created it.

All except for the small, white soccer ball-shaped orb tucked in a glass case off the main lobby, a new addition that has yet to receive a placard but whose place in American history is firm.

“It’s a truncated icosahedron,” Tignor, COO of The Johnson Collection, says.

Say again?

“A 20-sided shape.”

And the mind behind it?

A few feet away in the breakfast area, “Still Life with Fruit and Flowers on a Table,” from Robert De Niro Sr. (the father of actor Robert De Niro) perches above a table. So, enjoy your breakfast, take in a De Niro, marvel at a Buckminster Fuller, pause in front of a Rauschenberg, then head out for the day.

Not your average hotel experience, indeed.

“It’s an aesthetic experience,” Tignor says. “This feels like a museum.”

Even hotel employees are trained to answer questions.

“We do training twice a year so the staff feels comfortable to engage if someone asks,” Tignor says. “We want to make sure everyone feels pride of ownership of the art that is here.”

225 W. Main St.

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Artists on display include: Robert De Niro, Sr., Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Sewell Sillman, Theodoros Stamos and Joseph Fiore

BOONE, N.C. - The App State women's basketball team is set to host Davidson on Sunday, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

For Cyber Sunday, fans can use promo code CYBERWBB to get special discounted pricing on tickets. At Sunday's game, fans can enter to win a brand new TV.

Last Time Out App State traveled to Morgantown, W.Va. to take on Big 12 contender West Virginia for one of two games against Power Five opponents on the Black and Gold's non-conference slate. The Mountaineers vs. Mountaineers battle ended with West Virginia coming out on top, 72-51. Junior Faith Alston led the Black and Gold, scoring a team-high 10 points, which matched her season high, set on Nov. 11 against Norfolk State. Alston also went 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Off the bench, sophomore Zada Porter recorded the second-most points (9) and went 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Porter also pulled down six rebounds. Redshirt junior A'Lea Gilbert and graduate student Lauren Carter tied for a team-high seven rebounds each.

Last Time Against Davidson App State last clashed with Davidson on Dec. 15, 2021 in Davidson, N.C. The Mountaineers fell to the Wildcats, 66-48. Michaela Porter led the Black and Gold, netting 22 points, earning eight rebounds, and recording four steals. The Mountaineers recorded 15 points off the bench.

Scouting Davidson Davidson is 2-4 (0-0 A-10). The Wildcats opened the season with a 77-64 road win at High Point before falling to Duke and No. 19 Maryland. In the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic on Nov. 21-23, the Wildcats opened play with a 62-41 victory over Austin Peay before dropping contests to UIC and Fairleigh Dickinson.

Elle Sutphin is the Wildcats' top scorer, averaging 15 points per game, as well as Davidson's top rebounder, averaging 7.2 per game.

Last season, Davidson went 18-15 (6-10 A-10) and made an appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational, falling to Nevada before picking up a win over Northeastern to take them to the WBI Consolation Championship, where they defeated Austin Peay. In the A-10 Championship, the No. 9 seeded Wildcats edged past No. 8 seed Richmond, 66-62, to advance to the quarterfinal where they fell to No. 1 seed Dayton, 60-55, in overtime. During the regular season, the Wildcats picked up five consecutive non-conference wins from Nov. 14 to Nov. 27 and won six in a row from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15.

Up Next The Mountaineers will travel to Spartanburg, S.C. to take on Wofford on Dec. 3 before returning to Boone to host Johnson C. Smith on Dec. 10 for the Black and Gold's Community Appreciation Game.