B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: AU pumps billions of dollars into the local economy

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the financial impact Augusta University has on the community. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Last week, some numbers came out about the financial impact Augusta University and AU Health Systems have on the community. Combined, they add more than $2.1 billion to the local community, but it looks like AU provides about half of that, at $1.054 billion

Read More »
B2B Stories

AGS test program helps groceries take flight

Up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, and it’s….a drone delivering your weekly groceries? That could be a possibility in the future, thanks to a business project developed by the Augusta Regional Airport. The airport created Airworx Innovation Xchange, an aerospace business incubator, a few years ago to support startups in the aeronautical and aviation industries, according to its Director of Marketing and Business Development, Diane Johnston. “It provides an opportunity to move the industry forward,” Johnston said. “If they need help with marketing, we can help

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Inaccurate Facebook post generates interest in doughnut shop franchise

People love to post news on social media about businesses coming to the CSRA, but a recent Facebook post about a doughnut shop with an unusual name opening soon was inaccurate – at least for now. The post stated Duck Donuts is opening soon in Columbia County, and more than 250 people have commented so far. “I’ve heard these are the best donuts ever,” Nzuri Davis posted. “This just made my day,” Victoria Smith posted. But a public relations spokeswoman for the company said they haven’t received a signed franchise

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Local chef to launch downtown sports bar

Greek chef Manny Hatzis has big plans for the former home of The Hive Bodega in downtown Augusta. In a few weeks, Hatzis will launch Manny’s Sports Off Broad, a sports bar and grill, located at 215 10th St. near The Bee’s Knees. Manny’s will serve a variety of meals, including smash burgers – made by smashing beef patties on a grill – and Cuban sandwiches. He also plans to offer Sunday brunch. The sports bar will feature several TVs just in time for football season, which kicks off in

Read More »
Shawna Woodward

Free Access: Real Talk Real Estate: Stats show local home resales remain strong

As we continue to closely watch the market to see what trends emerge with the adjusted interest rates, I still find that even though we have more inventory slowly building, the sales continue to be strong. Only time will tell if overall sales will slow, but as of today, I do not see things slowing as far as volume. New construction numbers declined even more drastically, making way for resale homes to become the only option for many buyers. Some agents have reported that offers that are way over the

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Local Realtor Seals Deals with God as the Closer

Each morning before the workday begins, Paul Myers, owner of Myers House Buyers, and his team of five, each recite three things for which they are thankful. The Augusta native says it is the one time of day he knows his team is completely focused on gratefulness and God’s word. When buying distressed homes, one has to see the good that could come from something seemingly bad. Giving thanks daily, he says, helps keep things in proper perspective. “That’s helped us immensely,” Myers said. “Having a ‘gratitude’ time each morning

Read More »
Consumer Stories

New pediatric urgent care coming soon to North Augusta

Your newborn cries incessantly during the night with a persistent fever. Your toddler takes a nasty tumble just before bed. What are your options? The pediatrician’s office is closed. That leaves a trip to the emergency room, which according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, can involve a long wait, and may be costly – or even unnecessary. Now, there are not one but two options in the CSRA. KidsStreet Urgent Care opened in Martinez last month and NiteOwl Pediatric Urgent Care opens in North Augusta next week. “This area was underserved

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Local roofer hits a hole in one with the second business

Jason Page grew up playing golf and has now channeled his passion for the sport into a second business. In May, Page, owner of Page Roofing & Contracting, and his wife, Deb, bought Bartram Trail Golf Club, an 18-hole public course off Columbia Road in Evans, for $3.8 million. He lives in the neighborhood, which contains more than 450 homes, and has been a member of the club for the last five years. He sold some commercial property to fund the purchase. Page has already made some changes to Bartram

Read More »
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: The C’s that define extraordinary leadership

There are 11 “C’s” which I believe help define extraordinary leadership. They are Compassion, Creativity, Confidence, Consistency, Consideration, Courage, Charity, Competence, Communication, Courtesy, and Collaboration. Leaders who follow the eleven C’s make our world a better place. You may wish to grade yourself in each category. I would like to highlight five extraordinary leaders in Augusta who embody the eleven C’s: Shell Berry, Randy Hatcher, Kim Evans, Clint Bryant, and Jeff Annis. Compassion. Medal of Honor and Carnegie Medal recipients can be our guide. In many cases, these people acted

Read More »
B2B Stories

Local chapter of an international institute to host Mega Meeting event

The Augusta-Aiken chapter of the Project Management Institute is calling all collaborators for the first-ever Mega Meeting next week. The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 21, 6-8 p.m., at the Snelling Conference Center located at 3165 Washington Road in Augusta. Dr. Mike Perry, CEO of Katalis Beyond Leadership, will serve as the guest speaker and discuss team leadership and development. Katalis’s clients include corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. For this meeting, PMI wants to collaborate with various local organizations, such as Young Professionals of Augusta, Junior League

Read More »