Belton Brand Introduced and BBC Supports Townville

A new brand for Belton was introduced during the Belton Alliance “After 5” event Tuesday at the Listening Room on Main. The plan was developed based on the love Belton residents have for the community and the need for change moving forward. The new brand focuses on the slogan “Belton….A Historic Heart with a New Beat” and includes a logo featuring the historic standpipe and a “B” inserted into a heart. Several variations of the logo featuring the “B” include “B Involved,” “B Healthy,” “B Entertained,” “B Festive” and more.

A large crowd was on hand to enjoy food and refreshments, network with one another and learn more about building a better Belton. The event includes food prepared by “Fat Matt” Lusk, the presentation of the next Belton Alliance Business of the Month to Palmetto Insurance, prizes, fun and excitement. WYFF News 4 and Chopper 4 were on hand and did regular broadcasts from the event during the 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 news.

The new plan was developed by the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor in partnership with the Belton Alliance and the City of Belton. It began in the late spring with a series of interviews with over 100 local residents focusing on both the good and bad about our community and ideas for improving Belton.

The plan includes 6 primary goals:

Put Belton on the map as more than a bedroom community
Increase the commercial/industrial tax base
Encourage families to live AND work in Belton
Slow the leakage of locally earned money being spent elsewhere
Continue working to make the Belton Square a shining example of small town revitalization
Attract visitors to the community, tapping into regional tourism spending

The brand vision is to increase awareness of Belton as a place to live work and visit in the South Carolina Upstate; preserving its history while emerging as a vibrant and active community best known for a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, outstanding recreation opportunities, award-winning festivals and events and southern charm. The brand will focus on the following values and beliefs:

Preserve what we have, from the depot to the standpipe, our past will always be an essential part of our future and historical preservation will remain a priority.
Downtown is where the heart is. The historic square is the pulse of our community. Our efforts will focus on developing downtown as an attractive and energetic place to gather as a community or start a small business.
When you are here you are home. Smiling places and beautiful places have never been so accurate. Our community is dedicated to be a welcoming place to everyone.

Belton was once a bustling “child of the railroad” with a vibrant downtown square and large manufacturing based. Following a national trend the 1970’s and 1980’s that saw businesses move away from the traditional town centers and textile industries close, Belton became one of many small towns set on the path to decline. In the 1990’s, a group of community and business leaders came together to revitalize the downtown area through the “Belton Beyond Today” Plan. Design standards were set for the downtown, sidewalks were improved, the depot was renovated, a new library was built and the Belton Center for the Arts was established. The elements provided a solid foundation for future growth and now, in 2016, the people of Belton have come together again to vision, plan and build a better Belton.

Michelle McCollum, who developed the plan with her staff said: “Belton is blessed with great people, great schools and a great recreation program as well as strong faith-based organizations that have a ear for helping those in need and an art and culture presence that is impressive for a community this size. Property values, business opportunities and our geographic location make Belton a smart choice for living and owning a business. Beltonians have a love for one another and a love for this place we call home. We know we can be better than we are today and we are fully engaged and energized to construct a new road to the Belton we want. We can build off our assets, develop a plan to strengthen our weaknesses and seize opportunities that will help grow our community in a positive and sustainable manner.”

Belton Alliance Chairman Greg Tysl said: “Now that the brand has been developed and introduced, the challenge is to use the brand to build and grow Belton in a manner that supports our promise to the community…especially revitalizing the Square to the business and social center of the community, creating opportunities for healthy and active lifestyles and establishing a business friendly environment. This will be an ongoing effort; work should never stop because we want to be a community that’s active and growing. We’ll be acting on several key recommendations included in the plan.”

The recommendations include:

Increase walkability and public gathering spaces in downtown. Build places where it’s delightful to walk and bike and people gather, and this results in a healthier community. This includes completion of the walking/biking trail from the Belton Library to Leda Poore Park, a park at the trailhead that includes benches, playground equipment water fountain and restrooms, a fitness park near the trailhead and “parklets” to allow people to stop and gather “On the Square.”
Encourage entrepreneurship in downtown. Seek out small businesses that fit the Belton Brand, establish and adhere to design standards for downtown storefronts, make the business start-up as simple as possible and set the stage for a friendly business environment.
Beautify and maintain the City streetscape. Our downtown area is the “front porch” of the Belton community. If it doesn’t look inviting, it’s unlikely people will stop to shop, dine or do business. Ensure that public buildings set the standard and create and implement a maintenance plan.

The plan includes a new Belton Brand Champions Committee which is co-chaired by Eleanor Park and Rex Maynard. Maynard said: “Building a better Belton begins with establishing a brand….a perception…what people think of when Belton, South Carolina is mentioned. Our goal is to set Belton apart from everyone else, celebrate what is unique and utilize that uniqueness to promote our community. It will take work and cooperation from everyone…including citizens, city and county governments, civic organizations, churches and more. This gives us an opportunity to change the perception many have about Belton…not that of a dying town, but a place changing with the times and moving forward to become a vibrant place people will want to live, work and visit.”

Other members of the BBC include Gene Jameson, Lindsay Horton, Kathleen Maynard, Patrick O’Dell, Joey Lance, Ricky Brady, Amber Tysl and Melissa Greer. Belton will be saturated with the new “Belton…A Historic Heart with a New Beat!” brand through newspaper advertisements, banners, light post banners, billboard and social media. T-shirts featuring the new brand are available for purchase as well as other promotional merchandise. The BBC is asking all local organizations to feature the new brand logo in their promotional efforts as well as their websites so Belton will have a consistent message moving forward.

Belton Supports Townville Elementary

Building on the new brand recently introduced for Belton focusing on love for our community and a historic heart, the Belton Brand Champions Committee showed Belton’s love and concerns for the students at Townville Elementary School following the unfortunate shooting and death of one of their students. BBC committee member Kathleen Maynard, an elementary school teacher at Marshall School, spearheaded the effort and with the help of students from Marshall School, Belton Elementary and BHP High School prepared 300 goodie snack bags for each child at the school. The bags were delivered in boxes with the new Belton logo and theme….Belton, A Historic Heart with a New Beat! Each bag contained a juice box, pack of goldfish and a pack of gummies. The bags were delivered to Townville Elementary last Wednesday, before the students returned to class. Maynard said: “Because of our new brand focusing on a heart, I found it only fitting that our town show our love for the students at Townville Elementary by presenting each one with a small gift to let them know we care.” Pictures of the students preparing the bags and the boxes ready for delivery are shown below.