
Week in Review
In today’s Biz Bits week in review, Mike Petchenik looks at new uses for an old property.

In today’s Biz Bits week in review, Mike Petchenik looks at new uses for an old property.

The 2024 session of the Georgia Legislature is in the history book. Gov. Brian Kemp has finished signing or vetoing legislation passed during the session and the postmortems are underway. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce held its annual post-legislative breakfast on May 9. The keynote speaker was one of the leaders of the Georgia Legislature, House Speaker Jon Burns. Burns touched on some of what he sees as the most important bills passed during the session, most of which the governor has signed. He started with the legislature’s consistency

Stephanie Stuckey’s visit to ABD’s Inspire 24 conference wasn’t just about pecan log rolls and her new book, “Unstuck.” She shared with ABD founder, Neil Gordon some ways that small businesses can thrive on social media.

Cousins, Oscar and Frank Salsas have spent many years in the restaurant business. Oscar still owns one in New York, but Frank returned to Aiken a couple of years ago where he had lived for 20 years. Both have found success serving Mexican and Japanese cuisine. When Sombreros closed in the fall of last year, Frank said, “This is where we need to be.” A couple of weeks ago, the former Sombreros location at 1695 Richland Avenue East became Okinawa Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bowl, with Oscar as owner and

Family trips across the country introduced generations to the familiar teal roof of Stuckey’s and the magic of their unique brand of candy and novelties. Stephanie is rebuilding the brand through road trips. She stopped in recently at ABD’s Inspire 2024 conference.

While Richmond and Columbia counties have been in the economic development spotlight recently, Aiken County is joining in the economic success. Columbia Vehicle Group, an electric vehicle manufacturer based in Reedsburg, Wis., is moving its manufacturing operations to University Parkway in Aiken. The $12.2 million plant will mark the company’s first location in the Palmetto State. It will create 180 new jobs. “We’ve been investing in great communities since 1947 with Aiken being a superb fit for our continued global expansion of the Tomberlin and Columbia brands. It has been

Food Quality: 5 Service: 4 Business Meeting: 4 Value: 5 Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 I’ve never tried sushi and don’t plan to change that anytime soon, so when a good friend invited me to lunch at Kinki Sushi many years ago, I was less than enthusiastic. This time, I visited the restaurant in Le Pavilion Shopping Center in Augusta for dinner with my wife, Rebecca. I may be too picky to try sushi, but I love Japanese food. I especially enjoy hibachi restaurants, where a chef prepares your

Congratulations to all those owners out there who still have super-low interest rates! You have managed to survive this crazy real estate market unscathed, but why stop there when you can leverage this opportunity to build equity rapidly and position yourself for future financial gains? In this article, we’ll explore savvy strategies to pay off your mortgage loan quickly, maximize your equity, and prepare for a potential surge in home sales and prices when interest rates inevitably come back down. Let’s start with the obvious, making extra payments towards the

Friday’s announcement that GF Casting Solutions will build a plant in the Augusta Corporate Park off Mike Padgett Highway creates a problem for the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA). This is an example that not all problems are bad. GF Casting Solutions has contracted for 147 acres. This plant has pushed the park to near capacity. “We have a 40-acre site and a 65-acre site available. Otherwise, the park is completely full,” AEDA President, Cal Wray told ABD. Wray said they are actively looking for new industrial sites. He anticipates

She’s a former legislator and attorney who bought the rights to her family brand, the iconic Stuckey’s. Eat a pecan log roll for a sugar boost and follow her day from Neil Gordon’s recent chat with her at ABD’s recent Inspire 2024 conference.