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October 20, 2026
B2B Stories

CSRA company grows its consulting agency

Publisher’s Note: This is part 2 of a multi-part series on the explosive growth of “The Pennant Group”, a health insurance agency and HR consulting company in Augusta. It started five years ago with four employer clients and two employees. As we approach 2027, The Pennant Group is nearing 100 employer clients and 400 individual and group Medicare clients with 11 employees, the latest of which is opening up a new market for TPG in HR Services. As Tom Mastny’s former major league baseball team in Cleveland competes for the

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Neil Gordon October 20, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Free Market System

This second column, commemorating the semiquincentennial of economics, examines Adam Smith’s views on enterprise. (Spoiler alert – he is still turning in his grave) Smith believed in individual freedom and self-interest. A famous quote states, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” The free market and profit incentivize merchants, craftsmen, and artisans to provide meat, beer, and bread, not because of some altruistic feeling for others, but because it is

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor October 20, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Holiday spending forecast looks green

Retailers in the CSRA and elsewhere should have a successful and profitable holiday shopping season this year. The National Retail Federation (NRF) has released its annual report predicting retail sales during November and December. It anticipates a 4.2% growth over 2025, translating to $1.013 trillion in consumer spending. Last year’s sales rose $972 billion, or 3.1% over 2024. During a recent media briefing, attended by ABD, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said consumers have consistently demonstrated the importance of holidays and that spending on loved ones remain priorities. “We

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Dana Lynn McIntyre October 20, 2026 No Comments