There are many traits and tools that make a good leader, including “squinting” with your ears to improve listening skills. Retired Air Force Gen. Perry Smith tells Deke Copenhaver what he learned about leadership during his time in the military and after.
Unlike the Beverly Hillbillies who struck crude oil, Craig Doughtery and his partner, Bob Thrift, owners of High Country Olive Oil, aren’t millionaires but they have found their niche in the oil business. They have two locations for High Country Olive Oil, in Aiken and Pawleys Island, where they sell high-quality olive oil and a variety of balsamic vinegar. Thrift had retired and Doughtery was winding up 20 years in the car business when they partnered to look for a small business concept. The idea came from visiting an olive
It looks like some Baby Boomers might be hanging out in the job market a bit longer. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that retirement accounts collectively have lost more than $3 trillion since January – $1.4 trillion in 401(k)s and $2 trillion in IRAs. That has a lot of people near retirement age nervous about their future. “That is something that concerns retirees,” John Travis, a financial advisor with Richard Young Associates in Augusta, said. “That is a real fear.” So far this year, the index
A local college can now stay afloat and has the potential to grow, thanks to a multimillion-dollar investment from a New York-based impact investment firm that supports small businesses in rural and underserved communities throughout the United States, including Georgia. Paine College, a historically black college located in downtown Augusta, received financing from Enhanced Capital Group’s impact fund in December 2021. For many years, Paine has struggled with financial problems. The college has used this funding to restructure its current debts and free up cash, according to the company’s Georgia
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 benefits of mentors. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: In some of our past conversations, you’ve mentioned the idea of mentoring. How do you define that? Rick: Someone who mentors provides advice to navigate careers, to not make the same mistakes, to provide some to the experiences they’ve had. It’s kind of an advisory role. People try to
Avoid wireless mesh networks in your business. Patrick Reynolds of Crosslink Consulting advises on how to keep your home and business networks safe.
Trip Patat is quick to sum up the services Augusta Junk Removal offers: “If you can name it, we can haul it away.” However, the blessings God bestows, he says, cannot be summed up if he tried. The Destin, Fla., native has called the CSRA home since 2007. Since 2021, he’s been to dozens of homes in the CSRA doing what most people hate: taking out the trash. Someone else’s trash. “We are a waste management company that provides full-service junk removal,” Patat said. “This includes driving to a customer’s
When the temperature is 105 degrees and your house feels like the Sahara Desert, you need your air conditioning fixed right away. A local company that’s been repairing and replacing heating and air conditioning systems for 96 years is now under new ownership. Sig Cox Heating and Air Conditioning, which was founded in 1926 by Sigman Cox, has been sold to JSM Family Holdings Corp. for an undisclosed amount. The company’s president, Jeff Miller, will serve as CEO of Sig Cox. “As new owners, my wife, Suzi, and I see
When companies are deciding where to locate, the main considerations focus on workforce development opportunities including affordable housing, cost of living, quality of schools – and healthcare. The recent addition of a new primary care facility and a soon-to-open freestanding emergency room to the North Augusta area should help check those boxes for prospective employers. The Aiken Physician Alliance opened its fourth location in Aiken County last month, at 336 Georgia Avenue in North Augusta, where a variety of basic services will be offered. “We recognized the need for primary
According to Libby Conkey, earning a Professional MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina has created many opportunities for networking and future career advancement. Conkey, a risk analyst for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, graduated from the program in 2021 after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2017. “I know having earned my MBA in the early stages of my career will only benefit me in the future as I strive to advance in
