4 SOUTHCAROLINALIVING |   september 2011 |   SCLIVING.COOp

www.horryelectric.com

Main OfficeP.O. Box 119 Conway, SC 29528-0119

Conway Office: 369-2211

Socastee Office: 650-7530

(to report power outages only)369-2212

Board of TrusteesJohnny M. Shelley President

James P. “Pat” Howle Executive Vice President and CEO

Eugene Harriott, Jr. Vice President

Ashley AndersonSecretary/Treasurer

Elaine D. GoreBobby E. JordanFranklin C. BlantonRonald H. FloydHenry W. BoydFrederick ‘Freddy’ Thompkins

Co-op Connection EditorPenelope D. Hinsonpenelope.hinson@ horryelectric.com

Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a non-profit, member-owned organization providing information and energy-related services on a fair and equitable basis.

Co-opConnection

Holding true to values What matters most

a lot of businesses spend a great deal of time and money telling us about their values, but do they go

any deeper than just talking about it? Do they really live out their values through their actions?

Making it clearI’m probably a little biased because I work for a

cooperative, but I firmly believe that we are one form of business that clearly lives out our values.

Cooperatives are member-owned and member-controlled. We are run solely by people who live and work in the communities we serve. That gives us a little different perspective than businesses owned by investors in other states or even in other countries. Cooperatives operate with a shared set of values: honesty, openness, caring for others and social responsibility.

An example of how Horry Electric has demonstrated these values is in how we have handled the dramatic 53 percent increase in the cost of power since 2004.

While it’s true that a 3.1 percent increase from current rates is going into effect next month, it doesn’t come close to the harsh reality of the increased cost of power we’ve been faced with since our last price increase in 2003. Horry Electric has worked hard to keep you, our members, informed as to what affects costs, what we’re doing to mitigate it and what you can do to help make an impact on your own electric bills.

Member response is strongAs has been the case since Horry Electric was formed in 1940, the membership of this organization lets us know what matters. As a result of our actions to demonstrate the values we hold true, you’re responding by taking action.

You have contacted your legislators as we have asked to let them know we’re holding them accountable for decisions they make that impact electric bills.

You’re staying in tune with our efforts to communicate by reading this publication; visiting us at horryelectric.com; becoming a fan on Facebook; following us on Twitter and keeping up with news on our blog. Many have even signed up to receive email updates directly from me.

More than five percent of you are participating in the Annual Meeting each year to learn what’s going on at your co-op and to elect fellow members as representatives on the board of trustees.

One of the biggest things members are doing is taking advantage of the programs, services and tools we have available. Everything is at your fingertips on horryelectric.com or at the other end of the line at (843) 369-2211.

Looking out for you is what matters most to us, and we appreciate every opportunity we have to demonstrate our values.

James P. “Pat” HowleExecutive Vice President and CEO

SCLIVING.COOp   | september 2011  | SOUTHCAROLINALIVING 5

Horry News

the list of local businesses participating in the Co-op Connections discount card program continues to grow! We hope you’ll take advantage of the wide variety of deals being offered exclusively to members of Horry Electric and the other participating Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Just make sure you show them your Co-op Connections card!

f Low Country Carpet Care, a full-service carpet and upholstery cleaning company locally owned and operated in Conway, is offering 10 percent OFF any cleaning service. (Carpet re-stretching and carpet repair are not included in this offer.) For details, call (843) 347-7070 or visit them online at lowcountrycarpetcare.com.

f Wolpert’s Department Store, located on Main Street in downtown Loris, is offering 15 percent OFF any REGULAR priced clothing and 10 percent off all regular-priced footwear!

Open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, they carry men’s, ladies’ and children’s apparel, as well as shoes, for the entire family! For details, call (843) 756-5272.

f Fairfield Inn-Broadway at the Beach, located at 29th Avenue North and 17 Bypass in Myrtle Beach, is conveniently located next to Planet Hollywood and Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse. They’re offering 10 percent OFF all public rates. For details, call (800) 217-1151 or visit them online at fairfieldinn.com/myrfb.

f The Long Bay Symphony, the region’s professional orchestra, is offering 10 percent off all season tickets or individual concert tickets. Upcoming events include a performance featuring viola soloist Jennifer Stumm this month and a Halloween Extravaganza in October. For details, call (843) 448-8379 or visit them online at longbaysymphony.com.

f Palmetto Vacation Rentals, a leader in Myrtle

Beach rentals, offers everything from condos to golf villas to luxury beach houses and everything in between. They’re offering 10 percent off their regular retail rate. For details, call (843) 839-2737 or visit them online at palmetto vacationrentals.com. You can even sign up for their email newsletter!

fOcean Breeze Awnings & More, located in Surfside Beach, is offering 5 percent off any project OR $100 off any project (whichever is greater). In business since 1987, they continually strive to refine current products they offer and look for additional products and services to meet the needs of local customers. The options are endless. For details, call (843) 238-4798 or visit them online at oceanbreezeawnings.com.

f Budget Heating and Air, Inc., located on Church Street in Conway, is offering 10 percent off heating and cooling services. It’s a good time to start thinking about turning up your

system for winter! For information or to schedule an appointment, call (843) 248-8929 or visit them online at budgetacofconway.com. You can even schedule an appointment online!

f South Carolina Civil War Museum, located south of Market Commons in Myrtle Beach, is offering $1 off admission. Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., the museum houses an in-depth collection of period firearms and edged weapons, as well as uniforms, period gowns, books and newspapers. For details, call (843) 293-3377 or visit them online at mbisr.com/sccivilwarmuseum.html.

f Jordan’s 501 Nursery and Florist is a full-service florist that has been serving Conway for more than 14 years. Located on Church Street, they’re offering 10 percent off your total purchase. You can even order flowers online 24/7 from their website! Call (843) 365-2036 or visit them online at jordans501florist.com for details.

Co-op Connections growing stronger

Co-op Connections is your source for exceptional discount offers.

Lost your card? Just print a new one!If you lose your Co-op Connections card, just log on to Connections.coop and click on ‘Pharmacy Discount’ on the left. You’ll link to a page where you can type in your name, select Horry Electric Cooperative, then print a paper card that participating businesses and pharmacies will accept.

Your Co-op Connections card is good for 10 to 60 percent discounts on prescription drugs at more than 60,000 national and regional pharmacy chain stores, including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Target. Check out the additional participating local businesses at horryelectric.com.

Be prepared for dangerous weather anytime of the year.

Be prepared for dangerous weather anytime of the year. Follow these tips and play it safe around electricity.

Storms■ Stay indoors, away from windows and doors.

■ Unplug electronic equipment before the storm arrives and avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords during storms.

■ If you lose power, call Horry Electric’s Power Touch at 1-843-369-2212 to report the outage.

Generators■ Never plug a portable electric generator into a regular household

outlet. Always use the proper power cords.

■ Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage.

■ To avoid electrical shock, make sure your generator is properlygrounded.

CONWAY: 843-369-2211 MYRTLE BEACH: 843-650-7530

Visit www.horryelectric.com for more electrical safety tips.

Be prepared for dangerous weather anytime of the year.

Be prepared for dangerous weather anytime of the year. Follow these tips and play it safe around electricity.

Storms■ Stay indoors, away from windows and doors.

■ Unplug electronic equipment before the storm arrives and avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords during storms.

■ If you lose power, call Horry Electric’s Power Touch at 1-843-369-2212 to report the outage.

Generators■ Never plug a portable electric generator into a regular household

outlet. Always use the proper power cords.

■ Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage.

■ To avoid electrical shock, make sure your generator is properlygrounded.

CONWAY: 843-369-2211 MYRTLE BEACH: 843-650-7530

Visit www.horryelectric.com for more electrical safety tips.

SCLIVING.COOp   | september 2011  | SOUTHCAROLINALIVING 20A

20B SOUTHCAROLINALIVING |   september 2011 |   SCLIVING.COOp

Horry Extra

by Walter allread

it is said that there are no second acts in American lives.

You’ll understand if Horry Electric Cooperative members Johnny and Maxine Edwards beg to differ.

Johnny, retired from his Charlotte-based business servicing the welding gas industry, and Maxine, a retired high school math teacher, moved to Horry County in 1999 to spend the rest of their lives rehabilitating a 50-acre blueberry farm in Loris which they named, appropriately, Bluefield Blueberries.

Little did they know how much their “hobby” would become a wildly successful business, with clients the likes of Walmart, BI-LO, Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Boulineau’s in Cherry Grove and more, and producing, on average, about 90,000 pounds of fresh, hand-picked blueberries each year.

Not bad for a farm they purchased almost by accident.

“We sold our business in July of 1999, and my husband needed something to do,” says Maxine, who

Second act successHorry members revitalize blueberry farm

continued to teach at Myrtle Beach High School until 2007, when the blueberry business began to skyrocket. “We had a beach house in North Myrtle Beach, and we knew that’s the area we wanted to buy land and retire to.

“We were staying there one week and had looked at a farm but didn’t care for it, and one night we went out

to eat at a fish place in Loris. We’re walking out to get into our truck and out of the blue, this lady walks up to us and asks us if we were interested in buying a farm. I don’t know how in the world she knew we were looking to buy a farm, but she asked us, we took her number and, lo and behold, after seeing the property, we made an

Lorena Martinez operates a berry processing machine. Bluefield’s berries are available locally in Walmart, BI-LO, Kroger and Piggly Wiggly stores as well as Boulineau’s in Cherry Grove.

HEC members Johnny and Maxine Edwards rejuvenated a blueberry farm outside Loris, giving themselves thriving second careers in the process. “It’s hard work, but it’s very satisfying,” Maxine says.

SCLIVING.COOp   | september 2011  | SOUTHCAROLINALIVING 20C

Horry Extraoffer and she took it!”

That precipitous bit of fate got the Edwards into the blueberry business, one they knew absolutely nothing about at the time.

“We didn’t know what a blueberry bush looked like,” Maxine says.

Fortunately, the Edwards were quick learners. They took a farm that had only one producing field out of six and went to work reclaiming the rest.

“It was definitely labor-intensive to bring it back,” Johnny says. “It was really about a year away from being unrecoverable; we had to go out there with a weed eater with metal blades, then use a hedge trimmer because of the bush straw. We cleaned it up and saved it and made it a functional farm now. All the fields are producing.”

It wasn’t long before the Edwards found that the market for fresh local blueberries was ripe for the picking.

“We did well from the beginning selling locally, but we didn’t start selling commercially under Bluefield’s name until 2009,” Maxine says. “Johnny had wanted to do it before that, but I had still been teaching. I retired because there was just too much work to do at the farm; I had to get rid of education before I could take on another job.”

At first, Bluefield Blueberries were sold through a broker in North Carolina. And while they still use that broker for some of their fruit, they now are able to contract their own business.

“This year, we’ve continued with the same grocery stores but the sales have just mushroomed,” Maxine says. “Some of the stores have told us that local people are asking for our blueberries specifically. It’s a great feeling.”

Despite Bluefield Blueberries’ tremendous success, however, there is a dark cloud on the horizon that could threaten the entire operation’s future: immigration laws. In a market that is

wholly dependent on seasonal migrant workers, South Carolina and a handful of other states have passed legislation that gives local law enforcement

jurisdiction over checking the paperwork of migrant workers. With the state having made enforcement of such laws a priority, the workers that farms like the Edwards’ farm depended on have simply dried up, choosing to remain in states such as California and Florida where laws are less stringent and the work is more permanent rather than risk driving elsewhere and getting caught.

“Unfortunately, they’re gone, and they’re not coming back,” says Johnny, who concedes that the new laws could mean he will be out of business within a year if nothing changes. “They’re too scared to risk coming here, and no one else will do the work. It’s really sad.”

Whatever happens, the Edwards have proved that retirement doesn’t have to mean resignation—it can mean a world of new opportunities.

“Johnny and I both feel very proud of what we’ve been able to do with Bluefield Blueberry

Farm,” Maxine says. “If we’d not bought this farm it would not be here today. It’s a sense of accomplishment, a lot of people here when we bought it had never heard of it, and now we’re in stores with locations all over the country. It’s hard work, but it’s very satisfying.”

HEC member Irma Wilson is a regular at Bluefield Blueberry Farm during the U-pick season. These berries were destined for one of her homemade cobblers, she said on an early morning visit to the farm July 20.

Felipe Torres, a seasonal worker, sprays blueberry bushes. He has since returned to Mexico.

WA

LTER

ALL

REA

D

Horry Extra

20D SOUTHCAROLINALIVING |   september 2011 |   SCLIVING.COOp

is there enough insulation in your 

attic? By adding insulation, you can improve your home’s energy efficiency and save money. Here’s a tip from Horry Electric Cooperative that can help reduce your energy consumption—and your electric bills.

With adequate attic insulation, your home’s heating/cooling system will operate more efficiently. It will keep you cooler in the summer and warmer in winter—and it will keep more money in your wallet. As TogetherWeSave.com has shown, adding insulation to your attic can save you $240 a year.

Older homes tend to have less attic insulation than newer ones. Before adding insulation to your attic, determine how much insulation is already installed, what kind it is, and how thick it is. Next, you’ll need to know the R-value—which indicates the insulation’s resistance to heat—of existing attic insulation. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. Once you know the R-value, you can determine how much insulation to add by using the U.S. Department of Energy’s ZIP Code Insulation Program.

Now you’re ready to decide what kind of insulation to install: loose-fill or blanket (batt and roll) insulation. Loose-fill insulation consists of small particles of fiber, foam or other materials. Blanket insulation, the most common and widely available type of insulation, comes in the form of batts and rolls made

from mineral wool, plastic fibers and natural fibers. Loose-fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation. And when installed properly, loose-fill insulation can provide better coverage.

For other tips on how to save energy—and money—visit energysavers.gov OR Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives’ energy-saving website, TogetherWeSave.com, OR horryelectric.com. You can also pick up the phone and call the efficiency experts at Horry Electric at (843) 369-2211.

Get paid to stay in hot water!

Ready for a new water heater? Call Horry Electric.

We offer rebates of $125 and $250 for qualifying installations. Qualification includes an agreement to allow load control on the unit.

Free financing is available. Horry Electric will make all the financing arrangements for you and provide no-interest, no-cost, upfront financing. This option is available to qualified members with a new minimum 50-gallon water heater with a load control device. The rebate is applied to the amount financed. Payments are spread equally over 12 months and are added to your Horry Electric bill.

To find out more about the H2O

Select water heater program, visit horryelectric.com or call (843) 369-2211.

Adding insulation to your attic can save you $240 a year.

TOU

CH

STON

EENERG

YC

OO

pERA

TIVES

Insulating your atticWhen installing attic insulation, more is better