B2B Stories

Simon Says: Mixed bag of CSRA Economic News

There was mixed economic data for the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) in August. As my wife says, “Give me the bad news, then cheer me up.” Residential building permits fell 8.6 percent in August to 290, the lowest monthly number this year. New data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation reported that there were fewer dollars in local banks on June 30, 2024 than a year earlier. While this may represent consumer optimism and strong retail sales, it does reduce the capacity for future spending. The good news is that

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B2B Podcasting

SRP Ballpark Apartment Developer plans next project

In nearly two years, there will be more than 300 new apartment units in the CSRA. Fansler Construction, a contractor from Jacksonville, Florida is ready to build another high-end complex in the CSRA. Fansler Construction took the lead on Riverside Village, a 315-unit luxury complex adjacent to Greenjackets stadium in North Augusta. Their second project in the CSRA is also in North Augusta, a 343-unit complex located off Knobcone Ave. near Interstate 20. According to a news release, the project will feature seven 4-story buildings, seven townhome buildings, and five

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B2B Stories

Teaching small businesses how to create retirement funds

Volunteers from the Aiken office of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) recently held a workshop to teach small businesses how to create retirement plans ranging from simple to sophisticated. Led by Will Rogers and Damon Cline of Confident Life Wealth Management at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC., the workshop looked at differences between defined-contribution plans and defined-benefit plans. Cline said there are two basic plans businesses can consider, a Simple Employee Pension (SEP) plan or a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA. “These SEP plans are fully employer-funded,

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Consumer Stories

Augusta National & more Helene help

Thanks to clothing connections with Augusta National—the Salvation Army is set to outfit the community tomorrow for FREE at its’ five locations, including the Kroc Center. Nine pallets and tens of thousands of pieces of golf apparel were donated late last week from an organization called Pros Fore Clothes. AGNC volunteers spent hours unloading shirts, vests, pants, hats, and more, etc. Four Salvation Army stores (listed below), including the Kroc Center in downtown Augusta and a new shop on the Riverwatch Parkway in Martinez, will be distributing the clothing to the community.

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Sports / Entertainment

Will Hollywood return to Georgia any time soon?

Every October, Hollywood’s elite arrives in Savannah, Georgia, for the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. And, while the star power brings fans — and their disposable income — from far and wide, key players in the entertainment industry see it as something more for our state. Walker Dalton, Executive Director of the Savannah Regional Film Commission: “Historically, the film industry is in Los Angeles. But around 2006, they implemented the incentives program here — which at the time was the most robust incentive program to come out, and which has been

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B2B Stories

FEMA administrator tours Augusta damage

FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell spent Wednesday in Augusta discussing clean-up efforts with city leaders. Criswell joined Mayor Garnett Johnson, Administrator Tameka Allen, and Chief Antonio Burden, Fire Chief, Augusta Fire/EMA for a briefing prior to taking a tour of damaged areas. “I had an opportunity to fly over the Augusta area to see the damage, but I had a good opportunity today to talk with the mayor and his team about what their concerns are now that we are moving into the long-term recovery phase,” said Criswell. “I also had

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Sports / Entertainment

Working for the Weekend: Sara’s Farm Adventure

There are only two weekends left to experience the CSRA’s newest spot for fall family fun – Sara’s Farm Adventure. Sara’s has long been known in our area for quality produce (especially those sweet South Carolina peaches) but it won’t take long for folks to know that this is a high-quality weekend outing for the entire family. Sara’s has taken the farm fun that we’ve seen in other places and stepped it up a notch. They have a lot of open space to work with, so the entire experience feels

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Residential Real Estate

Real Talk Real Estate: Buying or Selling in the Next 6 Months? Here’s the Necessary Advice You Need!

So, you’ve decided to either buy or sell a home in the next six months. Congratulations! Or should I say, welcome to the jungle? The housing market can be a wild ride, full of ups, downs, and a few plot twists. Whether you’re scouring Zillow at 3 a.m. or putting out freshly baked cookies for prospective buyers, navigating the market can feel like a full-time job. But don’t worry—I’ve got you covered with some essential advice to keep your sanity intact. Dear Buyers, be ready to fall in love. First

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B2B Stories

Businesses pitch in to help students impacted by Helene

Hurricane Helene prompted the cancellation of an in-person fundraiser, but organizers converted it to an online event to help students. The Aiken Technical College Foundation sponsors an annual scholarship and fundraiser. It had been set for Oct. 17, but the event was transformed to raising money for the Student Emergency Support Fund. The original event included a raffle. “So what we decided to do is we had these wonderful items donated to our raffle that we said, ‘Well, hey, we can still go ahead and have an online raffle and

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Human Resources

Is Your Company Sponsored 401(k) Ready for the New Year?

As the last quarter of the calendar year is upon us, most employers are accustomed to performing end-of-year processes to ensure their companies are optimally performing and ready for the next year. No doubt budgets for the new year are being evaluated and restated, health and welfare insurance plans are being reviewed and shopped to ensure employee benefits are maximized while minimizing premium increases, and payroll data are being scrubbed to ensure all W-2’s and 1099’s are accurate and ready to process by deadline dates. But what about your company-sponsored

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