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Consumer Stories

Mondays with Rick: Co-Founder of Mailchimp

Editor’s Note:   Recently, Rick Franza, Dean of AU’s Hull College of Business attended a meet-and-greet with Ben Chestnut, the co-founder of the marketing platform Mailchimp. External media was not allowed to the meet-and-greet or Chestnut’s “fireside chat” (Click here to watch the video) with nearly 100 AU students and faculty. ABD: I know he spent some time with AU President Brooks Keel and AU’s Scott Thorp, faculty coordinator of Innovation Project (see photo above). What were your impressions of him at the meet-and-greet? Rick: He’s proud of his roots

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Neil Gordon January 31, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local teens need businesses to support March event

For many high school girls, the prom is an exciting event, but not everyone can afford to go. A local event provides everything teen girls need to enjoy the evening in style. Cinderella Day (see photo above story) is a free event hosted by the Augusta Dream Center – a nonprofit that provides a variety of services for those in need in the CSRA. The fifth annual Cinderella Day will be held on Saturday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center located at 3364 Peach Orchard

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Josh Heath January 31, 2022 No Comments
Darin Myers

Coach Darin: Get The Monkey Off Your Back!!!!

Almost 50 years ago, the Harvard Business Review published a story about managers and how difficult it can be to delegate tasks to subordinates. Darin Myers, Area Director of www.tabcsra.com re-visits the article and says the same issues exist today for CSRA leaders.      

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Darin Myers January 31, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local mentoring program extends application deadline

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce has extended the application deadline for its Young Men on the Move program to Monday, Feb. 7. Young Men on the Move (see photo above story) is a mentoring program for local male professionals between the ages of 23 and 30. Each year, 20 professionals are selected to participate in the program. Participants attend a monthly luncheon at the Chamber from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to learn about various personal and professional development topics, and attendance is mandatory. The cost of the program

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Josh Heath January 31, 2022 No Comments
Top Story

UPDATE: Incoming co-owner shares company vision

Ed Felton has worked for Southern Industries for 35 years, but he will soon take on a new role with the company: co-owner. Southern Industries owns several other companies, including Southern Siding & Window Company. Felton currently serves as vice president of operations for one of those companies – Southern Wholesale, Inc. – located at 1823 Gordon Highway in Augusta. The company sells building materials, such as siding and windows, primarily to homeowners and contractors. He, along with Corporate Manager Fran Felton and President Derek Thexton, is buying Southern Industries

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Josh Heath January 28, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

New Chamber program takes companies to the next level

11 business owners are ready to take their businesses to the next level, thanks to a generous bank sponsorship and the guidance from The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. Level Up Business Academy launched its six-month course for small business owners on January 26th. To qualify, owners had to operate a healthy business for at least three years and show desire to take their business to the next level. The program is designed to accelerate growth opportunities through education, counseling and resources. Multiple guest experts will provide entrepreneurial strategy and

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Neil Gordon January 28, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

‘Divine drinking’ the way to better health, says soldier-turned-entrepreneur

Editor’s Note: Our Faith Friday columnist Monique Williams is off this week and will be back with a new story sure to inspire you next weekend. In early November, she profiled a special family utilizing God’s creation to quench the thirst of others. Geoffery Jackson wants to leave a legacy for his children’s children. It’s a seed he says was planted one day while listening to a sermon from his pastor. “That’s something we don’t do,” he thought to himself. “Leave a legacy. But, I asked God how did that

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Monique Williams January 28, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Renamed professional group hosts kickoff event

A local organization that connects professionals between the ages of 22 and 40 just held its inaugural event under its new name. ABD previously brought you a story about Connect Aiken, which used to be referred to as Aiken Young Professionals. It’s similar to Young Professionals of Augusta. Supported by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, the organization kicked off the new year by hosting a drop in to Connect Aiken (see photo above taken from Facebook) at Sheffield’s at Rose Hill on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The event was designed to

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Josh Heath January 28, 2022 No Comments
Shawna Woodward

FREE ACCESS: Real Talk Real Estate – How many homes will you buy in your lifetime?

In Q2 of 2021, the rate at which Americans owned their own home was 65.4%, or roughly 2/3rds of our population. What was the most reported reason for purchasing a home in 2021? Well, the NAR (National Association of Realtors) reported that 27% of all buyers had a desire to be a homeowner. That’s the American dream – to care for your family, or soon-expected family, and to provide them with a safe place to live. So, how many homes does the average American buy in their lifetime? It is

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Braydon Woodward, Re/Max Reinvented Evans January 28, 2022 No Comments
Top Story

55-year-old local company changing hands

A longtime Augusta businessman is retiring and selling his company to his president and two family members, after a 2021 deal fell through with a private equity firm. ABD has learned Jim Felton – founder and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Industries – is turning his home remodeling company over to his son Ed Felton, Vice President of Operations for Southern Wholesale with 35 years’ experience; his niece Fran Felton, Corporate Manager with 29 years’ experience; and President Derek Thexton with 14 years working for Mr. Felton. Founded in 1967,

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Josh Heath January 27, 2022 No Comments
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