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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
Darin Myers

FREE ACCESS: Measuring your KPI (Key Performance Indicators)

You’ve heard of P & L’s and balance sheets, assets and liabilities—but how about KPI’s? Coach Darin Myers of www.tabcsra.com defines KPI’s and explains how to look back (lagging) and look forward (leading) to plan for a successful 2022.    

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Darin Myers January 27, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local events spur major economic impact

Destination Augusta, along with the Augusta Sports Council, are responsible for bringing many events to the CSRA each year. Augusta has become a popular destination for large events, such as meetings, conferences, and athletic competitions. These events are expected to add about $4 million to the local economy in just the first three months of 2022, according to a news release from Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council. The events, which bring thousands to the city each year, help to generate revenue for local businesses, such as restaurants and

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Josh Heath January 27, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Dr. Thom and the Kit Fox Hunt

It sounds like the title of a children’s book, huh? But it’s as real as the long history of fox hunting in Aiken. It’s as real as the bronze foxes scattered among city parks and downtown business locations. It all started with Dr. Thom Akins, owner of Kitfox Pediatric Dentistry. His vision was to create a fun way to engage families and encourage locals and tourists to stay and play downtown. In case you didn’t know, a “kit” is a young fox. We learn something every day. Since Dr. Thom

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Mitzi Oxford January 27, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Meet you at The Back Porch

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings is on vacation from eating out this week! He will return with a new restaurant review next Thursday. Yours truly chose a review he did more than three months ago—a bit off of the beaten path. Enjoy! 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 the tasty across the CSRA. He

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Wes Hennings January 27, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Career fair to support $10 million re-opening

This Friday and Saturday, the iconic Partridge Inn will be using its sister hotel to try and hire up to 75 full and part-time hospitality workers for the grand re-opening scheduled for late February. The Career Fair is from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on both days at another North Pointe hotel—the Crowne Plaza in North Augusta on 1060 Center Street. About 20 longtime Partridge Inn employees are staying on through the current six-month renovation and will be part of a workforce numbering nearly 100. Positions that are available include:

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Neil Gordon January 26, 2022 No Comments
Top Story

Simon Says: Google data shows impact of Covid on CSRA companies

We won’t know how the Omicron variant affects employment in the Augusta area until March 18th, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the data for January. Unfortunately, government statistics, particularly at the local level, lag real activity by several weeks if not months. This makes their use for business planning less useful. Fortunately, several organizations have started to produce real time data during the pandemic that provides useful information. For example, Google releases COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports for counties, based on information gathered from products such as Google Maps.

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor January 26, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local franchise helps combat food shortages

According to a recent article from Reuters, the number of out-of-stock items in U.S. grocery stores has risen from 7-10% prior to the pandemic to its current level of 12-15%. If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you’ve probably seen empty shelves and limited supplies of just about everything (see photo above story), but Addie Strozier gets quality food delivered right to her door. Strozier – a local photographer – has been a customer of Southern Foods at Home for about six months. “We’re about to place our second

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Josh Heath January 26, 2022 No Comments
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