It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Fort Mill Downtown Historic District gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Fort Mill, SC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“I am a current client of this provider The caregiver is a great communicator with us.”
“I am a current client of this provider I like that come in and do what”
“I am a current client of this provider The first person was kind of young, so”
“I am a current client of this provider The caregiver as a person and who she”
“Phil Davidson and his staff provides the best service around in the York County area...Very”
“Looking for a loving and caring place for a parent, grandparent or any loved one?”
“I am a current client of this provider I have enjoyed working with Always Best. They”
“Always willing to help”
“I have worked for many agencies as a CNA. Always Best Care of Rock Hill,”
“They gave my mother the most wonderful, loving care. They were very accommodating when we”
“New Employee & I’m loving it already”
“I am a current client of this provider I could probably say that I was a”
“Needed care for my mother with dementia, and father with medical issues. The team at”
“Always willing to help”
“I am a current client of this provider We're using Always Best Care for my parents.”
“Excellent care was given to my mother. Thank you for being there when we needed”
“I have had the best support from a caring and supporting staff over the past”
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care has been providing care givers”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care service was very helpful in”
“I can honestly say that Always Best Care in Rock Hill did a very good”
“Phil, We so love Sara and are very appreciative for the way you run your”
“Dear Phil, "We would like to thank you and your staff for providing such wonderful”
“Phil, We so love Sara and are very appreciative for the way you run your”
“Dear Phil, Thank you and your team for providing the great help and assistance during”
“I am a current client of this provider The caregiver is a great communicator with us. I live out of state and I have a brother who lives near the client, but he has a full-time job. It really takes a village to take care of the clietn now. I just feel like this agency is part of that village. They really have his best interest at heart. They give great care, but they're also super easy to work with and you feel important with them. I have recommended the agency to many people. I like the owner, Phil. He is just a really stand-up guy. He is very knowledgeable and he is very empathetic. You don't get the feeling that he is in the business to make money and provide livelihood. He really cares about people and really wants the clients taken care of well. I think he has a lot of expertise and compassion. Everyone that we have dealt with there has been great. I also like the caregiver that we've had, Fawn. She has been with the client for over 15 months. She is just really great with the client. He is in assisted living now but we choose to have her go in still for more companion care for the client. She is just a really sweet person and helps us with keeping up to date with what the client needs. He just loves having her around.”
“I am a current client of this provider I like that come in and do what they got to do. I like that they are really friendly and nice. They do not talk to him in a sharp way, they are really good with him.”
“I am a current client of this provider The first person was kind of young, so I asked them for someone a bit older, and they did that. I would recommend them because they are prompt, and they have good people.”
“I am a current client of this provider The caregiver as a person and who she is has made this so positive. I like the assistant that they have sent to help my brother.”
“Phil Davidson and his staff provides the best service around in the York County area...Very professional and they truly care about their clients...I highly recommend Always Best Care of Rock Hill”
“Looking for a loving and caring place for a parent, grandparent or any loved one? Look no further than Phil and his team at Always Best Care of Rock Hill!”
“I am a current client of this provider I have enjoyed working with Always Best. They are informative and helpful. When I need to schedule care, they are very responsive. Definitely a good choice in companion care.”
“Always willing to help”
“I have worked for many agencies as a CNA. Always Best Care of Rock Hill, SC is by far the best! They treat their clients and caregivers with generosity and compassion. They go "above and beyond" in every area. You can't go wrong with them.”
“They gave my mother the most wonderful, loving care. They were very accommodating when we needed to make changes in the schedule. After dealing with two other agencies I wish I had gone with them from the start. They deserve a 10!”
“New Employee & I’m loving it already”
“I am a current client of this provider I could probably say that I was a past client of this provider, but because I continue to receive words of encouragement and advise from them, I still claim the current client status. Their help with my mother that was provided while she was at home was fantastic. They also have helped guide us through hospital and rehab stays. I would have to give them a 5 star rating and honestly can not think of one thing that went wrong on their part while we used their care The Caregiver was excellent. I wholeheartedly would recommend Always Best Care to anyone that finds themselves needing a caregiver to come along beside them.”
“Needed care for my mother with dementia, and father with medical issues. The team at Always Best Care were very responsive to our needs for 24/7 care for about 8 weeks. They try hard to have the same caregivers come to the house for continuity of care. The family really appreciated Phil's assistance with placing my parents in Assisted Living. His knowledge of the local York County homes was invaluable to placing my parents in a welcoming environment. I would highly recommend Always Best Care to help with senior care!”
“Always willing to help”
“I am a current client of this provider We're using Always Best Care for my parents. They're fantastic. The caregivers are professional, courteous, entertaining, and accommodating. They mainly provide medication management and companionship. I feel like they give personal touches, and there's a certain professionalism to them that other agencies I contacted didn't have.”
“Excellent care was given to my mother. Thank you for being there when we needed you.”
“I have had the best support from a caring and supporting staff over the past year. The AMAZING part is that I live in CA and they're providing these services in Rock Hill. When I have any questions they are quick to get my answer back in a timely manner.”
“I am a current client of this provider Always Best Care has been providing care givers for my 91 year old father for more than 2 years now. I have been happy with their staff. My father is cared for with love and dignity and with their help I've been able to keep him in my home.”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care service was very helpful in locating an assisted living facility for my Mother. Very professional and I would use them again.”
“I can honestly say that Always Best Care in Rock Hill did a very good job with providing home assistance with my mother and I am happy to recommend their services to others. The home care assistantswere friendly, patient, and respectful. Above all, I was extremely pleased with the active role the president, Phil Davidson, took in my mother’s care. He was exceptional at balancing professionalism and personal concern as he took a genuine interest in my mother’s well-being, he checked in periodically to see how the home care was going, and he diligently communicated with both family and staff. Phil’s efforts and those of the ABC staff are very much appreciated.”
“Phil, We so love Sara and are very appreciative for the way you run your business. You really stand out in an industry and a time when people just go through the motions. You are a very special man and I pray that you will be very successful in your business.”
“Dear Phil, "We would like to thank you and your staff for providing such wonderful live-in care for our Grandfather from June through October 2013. Our family found ourselves in the most unimaginable situation when our Grandmother was unexpectedly hospitalized in late May and ultimately passed away in June. As you know, she was the sole caregiver for our Grandfather who has severe Alzheimer's disease. We are so very fortunate that we discovered your agency! You were able to promptly place qualified caregivers in his home and this gave our family immediate peace of mind. The level of care and compassion that you and your caregivers demonstrated toward our Grandfather is more than we ever anticipated and we will be forever grateful. You all walked with him through the terrible tragedy of losing his wife of 67 years. You and your staff provided extraordinary physical and emotional care for him through his grief and made getting him back to a "normal" life your top priority upon her death. In addition to the care you all provided my Grandfather, you were so kind to help educate us on the progression of Alzheimer's. You were a wonderful resource to us on what to expect in the next phases of this disease and help us plan for long-term care for him. While we are very sad to have to place him in a memory care-assisted living facility, we made the decision knowing that this will be the best place for him as he ages and his disease worsens. Your guidance and expertise in helping us choose the right facility for him helped make this daunting task bearable. Thank you again for all that you have done for our grandfather and for our family! We will be forever grateful!”
“Phil, We so love Sara and are very appreciative for the way you run your business. You really stand out in an industry and a time when people just go through the motions. You are a very special man and I pray that you will be very successful in your business.”
“Dear Phil, Thank you and your team for providing the great help and assistance during this summer. The care givers that we had were excellent and very professional. Thanks for being so flexible with the scheduling.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Harris Street Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Epic Chophouse at Kingsley or visit Fort Mill Fort Marker, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Fort Mill, SC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Fort Mill, SC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Fort Mill, SC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Taco Molino Mexican Kitchen & Agave Bar, a popular Fort Mill restaurant for tacos and tequila with a patio view of the Kingsley pond, will permanently close at the end of the year because the restaurant’s owner is selling the business.“Thank you to all our guests and our dedicated staff for a great five-year run at Kingsley Town Center. We have enjoyed being a part of...
Taco Molino Mexican Kitchen & Agave Bar, a popular Fort Mill restaurant for tacos and tequila with a patio view of the Kingsley pond, will permanently close at the end of the year because the restaurant’s owner is selling the business.
“Thank you to all our guests and our dedicated staff for a great five-year run at Kingsley Town Center. We have enjoyed being a part of the community and hope to see many of you over the next nine days to share our love of Mexican street food and bid farewell,” chef/owner Scott Wallen said in a news release.
Wallen added, “This doesn’t necessarily signal the end of Taco Molino. It’s a concept that Burke Hospitality owner Tom Sasser and I love, and we are open to finding a new location for it in the future.”
Tacos, burrito bowls and salads are on the modern Mexican food menu, along with chicken tinga nachos, street corn and fundido cheese enchiladas.
Burke Hospitality, which has managed Taco Molino, is working to relocate the staff there to their other restaurants and has provided letters of recommendation to those looking for change. Burke owns Mimosa Grill and Horace’s Nashville Hot Fried Chicken, plus One Catering.
Taco Molino is open daily for lunch and dinner until Dec. 31, with the exception of Christmas Day.
Location: Kingsley, 1328 Broadcloth St #102, Fort Mill, SC 29715
Cuisine: Mexican
Instagram: @tacomolino
This story was originally published December 23, 2024, 7:52 AM.
A thousand workers bustle around-the-clock in the wee few days left before Christmas. They cut, combine and check, creating truckloads of personalized gifts they’ll slip into small boxes for delivery. Holiday memories depend on them.No, this isn’t some “once upon a time” tale or children’s cartoon. It’s every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, every year, at the massive Shutterfly plant in York County.“The holida...
A thousand workers bustle around-the-clock in the wee few days left before Christmas. They cut, combine and check, creating truckloads of personalized gifts they’ll slip into small boxes for delivery. Holiday memories depend on them.
No, this isn’t some “once upon a time” tale or children’s cartoon. It’s every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, every year, at the massive Shutterfly plant in York County.
“The holiday season, the Christmas season, is the busiest that we have by far,” said Dave Bull, vice president of manufacturing at the company’s 300,000-square-foot production center in Fort Mill.
There are Christmas cards and gifts, but also other turn-of-the-year celebrations like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Day that prompt people to create. At Shutterfly, they’ve seen them all.
“These are products that create memories,” Bull said. “So whatever that memory is for you, we make it.”
Santa Clara, California-based Shutterfly creates photo books and prints, cards, calendars, canvass prints and other custom gifts. Customers can upload photos online and put them on anything from glass ornaments to pillows, plaques or pint glasses.
In 2013, Shutterfly moved its paper printing operations from three Charlotte facilities to the Fort Mill location just off Interstate 77, at Shutterfly Boulevard.
A former plant that duplicated VCR tapes and had a flea market on the side transformed into the largest line of digital printers, at more than 40, in the country. The Fort Mill site produces items for Shutterfly customers east of the Mississippi River.
Today, Shutterfly has more than 20 press areas with printers in Fort Mill that are all transferable between items.
They still make cards and photo books. They also make custom fabric. Most of the year, about 350 employees on four shifts work 24-hours-a-day, every day but Sunday.
Then, fall hits.
The last six to eight weeks each year, Shutterfly pumps out orders seven days a week. The site runs with about 1,000 workers across its four shifts.
Some seasonal workers return each year. Others come from York County or south Charlotte manufacturers whose operations lull when Shutterfly’s demand peaks.
“Every position in this facility grows larger,” Bull said.
The Fort Mill site produces more than 2 million cards per day between Black Friday and Christmas. Another 15,000 photo books and 5,000 canvas prints join them. Fort Mill creates about half of all the items packaged into orange Shutterfly boxes across three company facilities.
California production moved to Arizona in 2009, and a new Arizona facility opened in 2015. A Texas site followed in 2020.
Together, the three locations create more than 5 million cards, 45,000 photo books and 8,000 canvas prints per day during peak holiday season.
The Fort Mill site fills more than 100,000 orders per day this time of year.
Bull is working his 15th holiday rush at the Fort Mill plant. It’s the eighth year for site director Nikki Kral.
Both of them took The Herald through the massive plant recently and answered questions about the reams of photo products zipping along rollers and production lines toward packing stations.
? What keeps them up at night during the busy season?
It’s the adventure of each orange box once it leaves Shutterfly. It typically takes four to 10 days from when a customer clicks to submit an order to when it arrives on the doorstep. Production only takes two or three of those days.
“Then it’s transportation time,” Bull said.
? If folks who live in York County place an order, will they get items faster since Shutterfly is in Fort Mill?
Shutterfly algorithms optimize which delivery system to use based on increasing speed and decreasing customer cost. They also depend on how fast customers need items.
There’s a “super rush” option on orders that will push them to the front of the line, Kral said, but it’s much more expensive than standard shipping.
UPS is the primary option, sending out three or four truckloads of items daily from the Fort Mill plant. Once items leave the site, they may go to a regional hub in Tennessee or somewhere else, depending on the delivery carrier. So local customers get their items the same way anyone else would.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a pickup service,” Bull said.
? Have there been any dramatic moments during the holiday rush?
Among the vast number of employees are 30 on-site machine technicians. Production lines can quickly transition from one print product to another if needed, too.
“We can’t afford a day of down time,” Bull said, “or an hour of down time.”
For a company that makes calendars, it’s the calendar that can pose some of the toughest challenges. This year, for instance, there are six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas than some prior years had.
? Do you look at people’s pictures while you’re making items?
It’s too busy to look through people’s photos for the fun of it, but workers do see photos when they check items for print quality, Kral said. Without giving specifics, yes, there is the rare order Shutterfly can’t produce due to the image a customer uploaded.
“I don’t think people always realize somebody has to print them and handle them,” Kral said.
? Are the discount promotions late in the year an attempt to get people to hurry up and order already?
That’s part of it. Pre-Thanksgiving orders for Christmas delivery are a big help for Shutterfly in leveling out peak production orders. It isn’t just Christmas. Customers tend to wait until the final hours before ordering ahead of most major holidays.
“It’s across the board,” Bull said. “Procrastination is real.”
? After Christmas, what are the biggest holidays or rush times?
Father’s Day is next. Then it’s Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. The main peak season apart from end-of-year holidays comes in late spring and early summer. Shutterfly bought Lifetouch in 2018 for more than $800 million, creating a surge of demand for school pictures, yearbooks and graduation photos.
? Is it hard finding all those seasonal employees?
Shutterfly will bring on more workers than it needs to get enough who will stay through the peak season. Years ago Shutterfly needed about 1,200 seasonal workers at the holidays. Automation cut that number in half.
Many manufacturers work on the same holiday retail schedule that could limit worker availability, Bull said. But other manufacturers don’t, so hiring agencies are able to shift some workers who want more hours.
Though Shutterfly creates millions of items each day, it’s the sentimental nature of each order that helps in getting and keeping workers.
“It means something to people,” Bull said. “You’re not making parts to a machine. You’re making memories for people.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2024, 9:47 AM.
The Herald
John Marks graduated from Furman University in 2004 and joined the Herald in 2005. He covers community growth, municipalities, transportation and education mainly in York County and Lancaster County. The Fort Mill native earned dozens of South Carolina Press Association awards and multiple McClatchy President’s Awards for news coverage in Fort Mill and Lake Wylie.
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