B2B Stories

The future of cancer treatment in the CSRA is here

There isn’t a single business, employee, or family in the CSRA that hasn’t been touched by cancer. The number of doctors who treat cancer is shrinking as the need for cancer treatment is growing. But the future of cancer treatment in our area is getting a boost from the Georgia Cancer Center’s mobile lab. The center brought its mobile lab to Richmond County’s A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School where students are training to join the healthcare industry. The timing is great considering the demand for cancer treatment

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Expo Preview

Expo Preview: Pollock

Company: Pollock Contact:  Matt Dyches Phone: 706-733-0537 Website: Pollock Company Address: 1711 Central Avenue, Augusta, GA In 1965, E.B. Pollock launched an office equipment business in the heart of Augusta. “Typewriters and adding machines and all those things, and then into copiers, printers, and other print devices,” said Matt Dyches, the company’s Director of IT Services. In 2020, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world forever, company leadership decided it was time to diversify. “How does the company continue to be successful and evolve with the times, if

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Closings

Local chocolatier temporarily closes one of its CSRA shops

Two months ago, Bebette Smith opened her Belgian chocolate business’s second CSRA location, but she’s already been forced to close that location temporarily and throw away about 200 pounds of chocolate. Smith owns La Bonbonniere located at 231 Furys Ferry Road, Suite 206B in Augusta and 227 Chesterfield St. South in Aiken. She said her Aiken store is one of three retail units located in the same building, and the building’s owner is currently revamping the other two units. Unfortunately, La Bonbonniere’s chocolates absorbed odors from a chemical used on

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Business Coaching

Coach Darin: How to tackle skills gaps in the workplace

Finding the right candidates for your open positions is hard enough, given current labor conditions. The challenge becomes more pressing when you hire a talented individual, only to find out they lack some mission-critical skills needed for continued productivity. That’s where the notorious “skills gap” comes into play. The term is pretty much self-explanatory. When workers lack the relevant skills, businesses face some serious problems. According to the Fellow Blog, a skills gap “is often signaled by a productivity loss, a loss in morale, higher turnover rates, a lack of problem-solving abilities,

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: BBQ Barn

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday, he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and the tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”.

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Business Coaching

Coach Darin: How to tackle skills gaps in the workplace

Finding the right candidates for your open positions is hard enough, given current labor conditions. The challenge becomes more pressing when you hire a talented individual, only to find out they lack some mission-critical skills needed for continued productivity. That’s where the notorious “skills gap” comes into play. The term is pretty much self-explanatory. When workers lack the relevant skills, businesses face some serious problems. According to the Fellow Blog, a skills gap “is often signaled by a productivity loss, a loss in morale, higher turnover rates, a lack of problem-solving abilities,

Read More »
Closings

The conflict behind the closing of historic golf club restaurant

A little more than a year after opening at the Aiken Golf Club, The Legends Grille has closed its doors. There was some buzz on social media regarding the closing which attributed the shutdown to staffing shortages. Former Legends owner, Michael Allen agreed that staffing was an issue. “Between staff calling out of work, not showing up, and not completing their jobs once they arrived, yes, it was a contributing factor.” But there were issues for the restaurant even before the staffing challenges. Allen and Aiken Golf Club owner, Jim

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Lessons Learned

Workplace Wednesday: Working styles for a prosperous and sustainable future

The latest research by IWG shows that both business leaders and employees are equally united in their concern for protecting the well-being of the planet – even at a time of almost unprecedented increases in the cost of living and conducting business. Climate change is a global problem, but the solution lies in the changes we can all make locally, which collectively add up to a more sustainable future for all. This means less commuting, sharing and utilizing resources better, making greener choices on the suppliers we choose, and taking

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B2B Stories

Travels with Rick: A busman’s holiday

You do not hear the expression, “busman’s holiday” much anymore. The phrase dates back to the 1890’s to describe someone who does something during his/her vacation, that he/she does for work. In the busman’s case, it is a vacation which requires him to do a lot of driving. For someone like me, who has taught and researched in the area of operations management for the better part of thirty years, I cannot help but observe things related to my work on an almost daily basis. However, when I travel, whether

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