Consumer Stories

Old-time mercantile store opens on “the hill”

A local shopping center is celebrating its 70th Anniversary by leasing to a retailer from an era gone by. This new store is in part of the old Comcast building in the Daniel Village Shopping Center. The shop offers a mixture of timeless antiques and decor along with wine, floral arrangements, and much more. It’s adjacent to Truist and Cadence banks. In recent years, Daniel Village has gotten a facelift and added restaurants like Sunrise Grill and retailers like Ace Hardware to complement anchor tenants Food Lion and Walgreens. As

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B2B Stories

$12 million investment in CSRA

A manufacturer of paper towels and toilet paper is set to move into a South Carolina plant once occupied by another manufacturer producing similar products. Barnwell Tissues Solution’s $12 million investment will restore 50 new jobs at 285 Midfield Road in Barnwell. That is the former home of the Cascades Tissue Plant. It’s also good news for Barnwell County, which has struggled with a 4.9% unemployment rate, compared to Aiken County with a 3.8% rate and Edgefield County, which is 3.4%. Cascades used to employ 300 workers. Cascades Tissue Plant

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B2B Stories

Roadmap to development in the River Region and the state

Georgia makes it easy for companies wishing to locate in the state to find the perfect location with a simple search. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) website has a page dedicated to guiding companies to a location that will check all the boxes on their wish list. The site selector map allows the user to search by multiple tools, including location, workforce, and demographics. “It’s kind of our best-kept secret, and it’s really on us to kind of spread that word honestly,” Bob Kosek, Division Director of Global

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Consumer Stories

Health care break for CSRA businesses and consumers

Congress has passed H.R. 1, a major update that makes it easier than ever to access Direct Primary Care (DPC). Starting in January 2026, you’ll be able to use your Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for a DPC membership—removing a long-standing barrier for individuals and businesses alike. This change is a big win for patients who want more time, better communication, and consistent access to their doctor. It’s also a win for employers looking to improve workforce health and reduce long-term costs,” according to Welcome Health, a DPC provider

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Closings

Electronics superstore closes after 21 months in CSRA

Apparently, Best Buy is the best choice for electronics customers in Augusta. BrandsMart U.S.A., its across-the-street competitor, is selling off its display items and shutting its doors as soon as next week. It was confirmed by a store manager. The store celebrated its grand opening in October 2023. According to a press release back then, the 40,000-square-foot discount superstore carried thousands of products from brands like Samsung, LG, GE, Whirlpool, and Sony, with an emphasis on having the lowest prices on electronics in the market. It was the first Georgia

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B2B Stories

Zipping over the Savannah River

A plan by Destination Augusta to create a recreation facility along the Savannah River was approved by an Augusta-Richmond County Commission committee. Members of the Public Services Committee gave the green light for a proposed management and operations agreement with The Forge for the Outdoor Urban Adventure Center. The company operates a 300-acre adventure park in Lemont, Ill. “Finding the right group with the right vision to make this attraction a reality was the first step,” said Destination Augusta President & CEO Bennish Brown in a news release announcing the

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B2B Stories

Clearing begins for North Augusta multipurpose development

Work clearing a wooded section of land between E. Martintown Road and E. Buena Vista Avenue has grown enough to begin attracting attention. The site preparation marks the first tangible progress on a development that initially went before the North Augusta Planning Commission in August 2021 as a sketch plan review. First known as the Mealing tract development, the official name was Bluegrass Place. The 53-acre multipurpose development went before the North Augusta City Council in early 2022 and was approved. Site work began early this year. “Finally, we have

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B2B Stories

How to build a healthy workplace culture

A big part of building a successful business is leading from the ground up. An upcoming workshop is geared for developing a thriving workplace culture. An engaging and interactive workshop, “Foundations of a Healthy Workplace Culture,” led by expert speaker and Leadership Coach, Sarah Harris, is coming up on September 9. This 90-minute workshop will equip you with the tools and insights to: Align communication strategies, onboarding practices, and policies with the values of a thriving workplace. Assess your current culture through grounded, real-world examples. Implement meaningful changes that enhance the employee experience from day one.   Workshop Details:

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Consumer Stories

$17 million acquisition marks entry into CSRA real estate market

Arlington, Virginia-based Blackfin Real Estate Investors, LLC has closed on the purchase of Sage Creek Apartments located at 1315 Marks Church Road in West Augusta for $17.3 million. It’s the firm’s first acquisition in Georgia. Built in 2016, Sage Creek offers a fully gated three-story garden-style design with 9’ ceiling heights, modern level finishes, washer/dryer connections, and an above-market amenity package. Blackfin Managing Director of Investments, Matthew Petrillo, stated, “Not only is this a great physical asset on a compelling basis, but Augusta’s diverse economic drivers provide stable job growth

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B2B Stories

USCA alumni establish $25,000 scholarship

A pair of graduates from USC Aiken created a scholarship at the School of Business Administration for students who want to “invest” in their future. Jason Crane and Gerry Owen, co-founders and owners of Crane & Owen Financial Solutions in Aiken, pledged $25,000 to start the Jason K. Crane and Gerry L. Owen Endowed Business Scholarship for students majoring in accounting or finance. “We look in our industry and in accounting, and there’s a growing need. There are a lot of folks in financial fields that are closer to retirement

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