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B2B Stories

Augusta Chick-fil-A location celebrates grand re-opening

ABD wondered how many millions of dollars in acquisition or renovation costs Chick-Fil-A paid to expand its store to include the old Mi Rancho property. The operators didn’t want to discuss those numbers or how many millions in increased sales they believe is possible. Chick-fil-A, 3066 Washington Road, celebrated its grand re-opening yesterday morning. The new store has a larger parking lot, a fully updated kitchen, patio seating, two drive-thru lanes, and a drive-thru door instead of a window, according to franchise operator, John Powell. “Employees won’t be leaning out

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Story and photos by Josh Heath November 3, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Young Aikenite builds successful boutique business

The timing may not have been ideal for Brooke Thomas to open a boutique in downtown Aiken. She signed the lease on her Laurens Street shop in March 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down, but she used the downtime to complete renovations. A few months later, when shoppers began to venture out, Ginger Bee Boutique was ready. Ever since, there has been a hive of activity at her shop. Even at the age of 24, Thomas was ready for that as well. She has a passion for fashion

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Mitzi Oxford November 2, 2022 No Comments
Darin Myers

Free Access: Top tips for recession-proofing your business

Darin Myers is the local facilitator of  The Alternative Board (TAB), a peer-to-peer advisory board designed to help company leaders maximize their opportunities and work through challenges. Darin recently retired after a 30-year career in the nuclear industry as the leader of Plant Vogtle I and II. He has proven success regarding strategic planning and alignment, employee development, organizational performance improvement, accountability, and coaching. Recently, he started a family business in Augusta focused on home health care, providing him the knowledge and experience surrounding small- to medium-sized business operators. There

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Darin Myers November 2, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

New staffing agency seeks to remove barriers to employment

Lack of transportation prevents many from getting or keeping a job. But a new non-profit staffing agency in Augusta has eliminated that barrier to employment for its workers. First Step Staffing, which is located at 1765 Broad St. in the Salvation Army’s First Stop Center, opened its doors on Monday, Oct. 3. The agency primarily provides staffing services for entry-level light-industrial and warehouse jobs, according to its Chief Mission Officer, Kellie Brownlow. “These are jobs that people with barriers to employment can succeed in right away,” Brownlow said. She said

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Josh Heath November 2, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Remodeled Chick-fil-A re-opens today on Washington Road

New and much bigger than before, Chick-fil-A at 3066 Washington Road will re-open for business this morning. The Chick-fil-A location had been closed for remodeling since April. A First Bite Ceremony takes place at 9:30 a.m. and the restaurant officially opens at 10:30 a.m. “Chick-fil-A is synonymous with quality, so it’s important to ensure that our restaurant is a modern, efficient and hospitable destination for our guests,” said John Powell, the franchise operator with more than 20 years of experience. “We want our guests to have a great experience that

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Gary Kauffman November 2, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Frog and the Hen

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 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”. Food

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Wes Hennings November 2, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Evans entrepreneur empowers people, helps them create do-it-yourself wooden crafts

Christina Purkapile often reassures her customers that even if they’ve never picked up a tool in their lives, they can still create their own wooden crafts. Purkapile owns Nailed It DIY Studio Evans located at 7025 Evans Town Center Blvd., Suite 217 near Stay. Social Tap & Table. She launched the business on Friday, Oct. 7. Purkapile compares her business to Build-A-Bear Workshop, except it uses wood. She gives her customers all the materials and helps when they need to complete custom wood projects, such as signs. Many are initially

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Story and photos by Josh Heath November 2, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Rural counties harder hit by job loss than metro areas

Last week, I reported the labor force was down 500 people in the local area. Unfortunately, I was not specific about the “local” bit. I was referring to the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), while the headline referenced the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA). These are not the same with the MSA including Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, and Richmond counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. The CSRA is a 13-county region, entirely within Georgia as seen in the map below (source: csrarc.ga.gov). The CSRA does

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor November 1, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local business owners donate funds for Hull Business College scholarship

Future business students at Augusta University have some additional scholarship opportunities, thanks to a donation from two former students and long-time business owners. Local entrepreneurs, Brad and Paige Usry recently donated $100,000 to support student scholarships at AU’s James M. Hull College of Business. “First of all, we are thankful that we have the resources that we can do this,” said Brad Usry, a third-generation business owner who earned his business management degree in 1982 from Augusta College, a legacy school of Augusta University. “Secondly, Augusta University is such a

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Gary Kauffman November 1, 2022 No Comments
Office Support

Free Access: Dispelling myths about billboard advertising

Billboards are a large way to catch the eyes of a large audience. Debbie Reeves of Lamar Outdoor Advertising talks with Amy Richardson of Richardson Professional Solutions about how and why billboards are still a good form of advertising.

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Amy Richardson November 1, 2022 No Comments
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