Georgia small businesses are breaking records in international trade and the Plant Vogtle reactors are going to cost Georgia Power more – Augusta Business Daily by Mike Petchenik.
Best-selling author and inspirational speaker, Jon Acuff has helped such renowned companies as FedEx, Nissan, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Chick-fil-A, Nokia and Comedy Central. Now he’s coming to Augusta to offer his insights at the Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting. Acuff, author of seven books, will be the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s 113th Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 3 in the Olmstead Exhibit Hall at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. His presentation is called “Turning
The labor market in Georgia grew at a 2.2 percent annual rate in 2021 but the growth was not evenly spread around the state. Urban areas around Atlanta and coastal cities fared best. The fastest growing labor market, at 3.8 percent, was Savannah with nearby Brunswick also reporting 2.1 percent growth. Atlanta and Gainesville grew at 2.1 percent and 2.3 percent respectively. Augusta recorded growth of 0.4 percent. Two cities saw deteriorating labor markets: Albany and Columbus. Only two Metropolitan Statistical Areas beat the Georgia growth rate suggesting non-MSA areas
Jason Blackburn is a third-generation owner of the Delta Pest and Termite Company headquartered in Burke County, but he’s not set in doing things the way they’ve always been done. “For the first time in 40 years, we optimized all of our routes,” he said from his spacious office on Millen Highway in Waynesboro. (see photo above) That’s not only a tall order, but a big deal since his grandfather Jimmie and grandmother Frankie founded the company in December, 1963. Frankie is alive and ensures Delta is run with the
In part 2, Neil Gordon talks to Best Office Solutions owners, Robin Baxley and Sandi Shields and their coach Darin about how they make their partnership work, and how the peer-to-peer The Alternative Board (TAB) helps keep them on track.
In part 2, Neil Gordon talks to Best Office Solutions owners, Robin Baxley and Sandi Shields and their coach Darin about how they make their partnership work, and how the peer-to-peer The Alternative Board (TAB) helps keep them on track.
If a traditional gift bouquet of flowers seems too passé, a basket overflowing with popcorn from Mack’s Poppin Kettle Corn might do the trick. In 2018, Mack’s Poppin Kettle Corn began selling its snacks at events and fundraisers in Augusta and Columbia. The business has since grown and opened its own storefront in Evans. Located at 4272 Washington Road in the Publix Plaza behind Evans Cinema, Mack’s sells kettle corn in a variety of flavors, such as bacon cheddar, caramel, ranch and even pizza. The store also offers gift baskets
Andrea Fanfan looks forward to selling her Hawaiian-inspired snack bags again at this year’s Evans Market, which is now accepting 2022 vendor applications. Fanfan launched PJ’s Snacky Sack in October 2020 in honor of her now 6-year-old son PJ, who was diagnosed with autism. He helps with various tasks, such as labeling and packaging bags, while his mother bakes snacks. The mother-son team sold their treats at last year’s Market and received a positive response from the local community. “We absolutely love meeting new people and seeing all of our
Willy Wonka, the most memorable chocolatier of all, said, “So shines a good deed in a weary world.” Think of James Stefanakos, owner of Agape Chocolates, as the Willy Wonka of Graniteville. His business card reflects his mission. Instead of CEO, it reads CFG or Chief Food Giver. He dedicates 15 percent of his chocolate bar sales to Golden Harvest Food Bank in support of their Backpack Program. “Our motto is Buy a Bar, Feed a Child,” he said. “Since we opened in 2015, our donations have helped feed close
Michelle Cooper has survived severe asthma and four strokes to become a boiled peanut entrepreneur. Cooper, owner of MC Homemade Boiled Peanuts in Augusta, officially founded her business on Oct. 25, 2020. She sells and delivers peanuts throughout the CSRA and charges customers a small delivery fee based on the distance she drives. Cooper said she has also shipped her products to various locations throughout the U.S. and as far away as Haiti. She got the idea to start the business when her brother came to her house with a
