B2B Stories

Retired educator launches collaborative workspace in downtown Augusta

After retiring as a principal in Aiken County in June 2021, Natonia Tillman decided to launch a business that would provide space for other small business owners to work, network, and market their products and services. In February, Tillman opened that space, 10Twenty-Eight located at 1028 Broad St. She made the transition from education to business for various reasons, including the stress of being a school administrator and wanting more flexibility to spend time with her grandchild. Tillman also had experience hosting business events. But she makes a disclaimer about

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B2B Stories

Employees are seeking flexibility, work-life integration

How Americans work has changed drastically in the past few years and that has created a new term for both employers and employees – work-life integration. “‘Work-life balance’ is a dated term that is recognized by the older generations,” Melissa Furman, a leading Management Consultant and lecturer in the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University, said in a press release. “The younger generations are seeking ‘work-life integration’ and in some cases, view their jobs as ‘side hustles’ to support their career of life.” During the pandemic, many

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Food and Fun

Entrepreneur combines fun and sales experience to start video biz

Kevin Jay loves sampling restaurants and having a fun time in the CSRA. His new brand, Eat Play Explore Augusta, allows him to have his cake and eat it too. Jay uses his iPhone to record and edit videos for local hospitality businesses that want more exposure and content to use on social media. “I’ve traveled all over the country and see first-hand that small businesses don’t have a lot of money for advertising,” Jay said, himself a transplant to Martinez from Kansas City, Mo. Jay has spent 25 years

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Sunrise Grill

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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Top Story

Georgia’s economic development leader shares news with CSRA business leaders

In Fiscal Year 2022 alone, Georgia has added more than 35,000 jobs and invested $12.9 billion in business growth, according to Pat Wilson. Wilson, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, discussed jobs and state industries as the guest speaker for the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Member Economic Luncheon on Tuesday, April 26. The agency is responsible for overseeing the state’s business recruitment, small business growth, and tourism efforts, among others. “We create jobs in every corner of the state,” he said. “Many people think all the

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Economists agree on many things, including immigration policies

The United States (and the Medcalfe household) is deeply divided over many hot topics of the day. For example, should toast be buttered warm or cold? (Correct answer: warm). Should toilet paper go over or under? (Is this really a question of debate – OVER!) In economics circles, there is a remarkable consensus among economists about a range of economic matters. A new survey of American Economic Association members (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PSNIgpy37sbOBqQav4hqeokUyZZu1bQ0/view) found no consensus over just one out of 46 propositions. A strong consensus was seen in 15 of the propositions,

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B2B Stories

The new print shop offers innovative graphic solutions for small businesses

Billy and Mindy Van Veghel have built a successful design and print business by creating custom graphic solutions for small businesses. While many of the services they provide are inexpensive, others can be quite costly. One of these services is their shop, 411 Graphics, LLC located at 3105 Spring Grove Drive, Suite H3, off Deans Bridge in Augusta, which provides vehicle wrapping, a service that can cost thousands. Wrapping refers to completely or partially covering a vehicle in vinyl for advertising purposes. The Van Veghels wrapped vans for the new

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Stacey Campbell-Hopkins

Meet the woman who makes Duckworth Development run like a well-oiled machine

Name: Stacey Campbell-Hopkins Company/Title: Business Operations Manager for Duckworth Development Years Served: 7 years  Contact info: 706-922-6186 Stacey Campbell-Hopkins has found her dream job in an unlikely place – the male-dominated field of construction. Women comprise only 11 percent of the workforce in the industry. For executive positions, the number drops to 7 percent. To be both female and the Business Operations Manager of the fast-growing Duckworth Development makes her a phenomenon in the industry. When Campbell-Hopkins began working on her marketing degree in 2000, she took a job answering

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B2B Stories

New company offers tutoring in the CSRA

Need to brush up on your math skills, prepping for the SAT, or learning a second language for school or business? One-on-one tutoring services both in-home and online are now available through the Tutor Doctor. The husband-and-wife team of Aaron and Maria Washington provides tutors ranging from elementary students to adults. “I had looked at several franchise opportunities through a contact on LinkedIn and we decided Tutor Doctor was the best fit for us,” Aaron said. “The values and the family orientation of the company created a kind of educational

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