Mon, May 04, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu
Consumer Stories

Windsor Jewelers, Doctors Hospital, and Gerald Jones Auto Group

Scouts honor a small business legend in the CSRA. Donnie Thompson will be the guest of honor next week at a special award ceremony put on by the Georgia-Carolina Council Scouting America chapter in Columbia County. Thompson will receive the distinguished citizens award at a luncheon next Tuesday, February 5th.  He’ll be introduced by a good friend and business colleague, Andy Jones from the Gerald Jones Auto Group. Each year, the two businessmen help pay for a free, patriotic fireworks show called “Thunder over Evans.”  The keynote speaker will be

Read More »
Neil Gordon January 27, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

This Thursday public meeting to chart Columbia County’s future

The public will have a chance later this week to weigh in on Columbia County’s vision for the future. A public hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 29 for the draft proposal of the Foundations for the Future Comprehensive Plan.  Georgia requires local governments to update their comprehensive plan every five years. The Columbia County Chamber is working on its five-year plan as well. Scott Sterling is working on the five-year plan for the Columbia County government.  He is the Planning Services Division Director and explained the process for ABD.

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 26, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

FBI man becomes CSRA businessman to continue investigations

Chuck McKee spent 20 years working for the FBI. Now he leads the FBIS (Forensic Brothers Investigation Services) unit in the Augusta/Aiken area and TrustVault.  TrustVault is a “Good Housekeeping-like seal of approval” for people’s character and perhaps the companies they work for. McKee’s FBI career brought him to the Augusta region in 2005, and he worked in the following fraud divisions: Healthcare Mortgage—McKee investigated those who misrepresented their mortgage applications related to employment, bank account information, property repairs, and more. Counterintelligence—McKee looked into employees at Fort Gordon, NSA, Plant

Read More »
Neil Gordon January 26, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Connecting CSRA medical needs with business good deeds

The founder of the nation’s largest human resource company for small and medium businesses has made a $50 million investment in the Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia (WCHOG).  The investment by Tom Golisano, founder of Paychex, brings WCHOG into a national consortium of children’s hospitals.   “Children’s hospitals are essential to the health and future of our communities, and each one serves families with unique needs and challenges,” said Golisano in the news release announcing the investment. “The team at Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia has a deep commitment to advancing

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 23, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Teaching veteran business owners how to thrive

A training program designed for Metro Augusta’s large veterans’ community is underway at the Accelerate Augusta microenterprise center on Broad Street.  ABD first wrote about Mission: Accelerate Lab in the Jan. 5 edition. It is a partnership with Accelerate Augusta, Mission United, and the United Way of the CSRA. It was created to help veteran-owned businesses succeed and develop a pipeline to hire veterans and military spouses.  “If you’re brand new, or if you’ve been in business for a few years, the goal of the program is to help vets

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 23, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Georgia joins new federal tax credit program; Augusta benefits

A new education tax credit will soon be available to Georgia families following a Tuesday announcement by Gov. Brian Kemp (R).  Kemp said the state is opting in to a program through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The credit became available as a provision of the Trump Administration’s most recent tax package, approved last year. It is an individual, dollar-for-dollar tax credit.  During his press conference, Kemp said this latest step is in the same vein as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, through which families can use tax dollars to choose education

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 22, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

The Federal Debt and Annual Federal Deficits: Why You Should Care

Last week, I shared with you my disappointment related to the possible threat to the Federal Reserve’s independence by President Trump. In particular, I expressed how limitations on the Fed’s independence could negatively impact our nation’s economy and each of us. Fortunately, this week, I have some better news.  Earlier this month, a bipartisan resolution (House Res. 981) was introduced to the House of Representatives, which set a goal of reducing the annual federal deficit to 3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product…the primary measure of the size of our national economy). As a frame

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza, AU Hull College of Business Professor January 22, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Investment firm acquires iconic Augusta hotel

A West Augusta hotel is about to get a serious makeover to the tune of $12 million. It’s the largest investment in upgrading an area hotel since a $10 million investment was made about four years ago in Augusta. The DoubleTree by Hilton Augusta on 2651 Perimeter Parkway near I-20 and I-520 was recently acquired by an affiliate of Flacks Group, a Miami-based investment firm. Flacks has selected StepStone Hospitality to manage the property. The planned renovation will include refreshed guest rooms, upgraded public areas, a reimagined food and beverage experience, new

Read More »
Neil Gordon January 21, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Growing # of jobs at the airport

The next generation of airport employees in the CSRA may just come from area high schools. A new internship is introducing high school students to a diverse number of career opportunities at Augusta Regional Airport. Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) and the Richmond County Board of Education (RCBOE) have announced AIR EDU. Lauren Smith, Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations, said the goal is to address a growing workforce shortage in operations, maintenance, air traffic controllers, and airport management. The forecast is that the industry will need more than two

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 21, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Community groups receive nearly 3/4 million dollars

A local organization celebrated its 30th anniversary by distributing $735,000 in grants to 59 area nonprofit, educational, arts, and historical groups. The Community Foundation of the CSRA (CFCSRA) grants will support groups in Richmond, Columbia, Burke, and McDuffie counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. “The Community Foundation really exists so that we can give back,” Shell Berry, President and CEO, explained for ABD. “It is a community endowment that’s been contributed to, most significantly by the Masters Tournament for 29 of those 30 years. And

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre January 20, 2026 No Comments
Load More