Chamber News

B2B Stories

How hospitality touches every business

The second session of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Institute centered on hospitality and how every business should have it in their professional tool kit. The Business Institute is a series of four programs held each year during the summer months. The June program was Leaders in Hospitality. Leading the discussion was Erik Smith, Owner & Operator of Chick-fil-A’s location in Grovetown. Smith said hospitality is demonstrated by making guests feel welcome from the start. At Chick-fil-A, it is accomplished by several traits that mark the company’s philosophy.

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B2B Stories

Is your CSRA company pretty cool?

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is looking for businesses making the coolest stuff in the Peach State. The application period is open for “The Coolest Thing Made in Georgia, a competition the Chamber has launched with Synovus. All businesses in Georgia are eligible to participate in the drive to find the state’s outstanding innovators. In the news release announcing the competition, Chris Clark, President & CEO of the Georgia Chamber, said it is a way to celebrate talent, ingenuity, and enterprising spirit. He said those characteristics will shape Georgia’s future.

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B2B Stories

Chamber workshops to teach Artificial Intelligence

The Aiken Chamber of Commerce is offering a series of workshops to demystify artificial intelligence (AI). Jim Tunison, President and CEO of the Chamber, said he wanted to arrange workshops focused on AI to help members realize how the technology can be valuable. “I just wanted to be able to equip our members with the tools necessary to stay competitive,” he said. “It’s one of those things that, even I was a little leery at first when you started hearing about AI, but then you got playing around with it,

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Awards/Celebrations

Top 10 Young Professionals to Watch

They are described as leading the way, raising the bar, and setting the standard of service in our community. The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Augusta Magazine have announced the 2025 Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch.  The Chamber is proud of the promising young talent in our region and hopeful for the future of these leaders, including: Harshita Aildasani, Cherry Bekaert Advisory, LLC Anitra Bosley, Augusta Technical College Isaac Brinberg, Augusta University Taylor Hanks, Augusta Entertainment Complex Jeffrey Harden, Doctors Hospital of Augusta Rickey Jones Jr.,

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B2B Stories

Business Leaders Meet Meta

The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s April Power Lunch provided the chance for business leaders to meet a new neighbor coming to Aiken County. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and other social media platforms, is building an $800 million data center in the Sage Mill Industrial Park. Laura Warren, Meta’s Community Development Regional Manager, brought the importance of data centers to the personal level. She explained that everything an individual does on their computer or smartphone is processed in a data center to be shared as intended.

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B2B Stories

Georgia Chamber Praises Pro-Business Legislation

The 2025 Georgia Legislation Session is in the history books, and the state’s business community is touting the legislation that will help businesses. A news release from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce detailed a series of pro-business legislation that made it through the General Assembly. The measures await Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) signature. “The Georgia Chamber and our tens of thousands of members across the state applaud the Georgia General Assembly and our legislative leaders, in particular Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Speaker of the House Jon Burns, for their

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B2B Stories

Best in Business! Your Roadmap

The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce brought together leaders from four fields to answer the top question most businesses ask. How do I become the best? The April Good Morning, North Augusta breakfast centered on a panel discussion with leaders from a non-profit organization, micro/entrepreneur business, small business, and large business. Each had been named Best in Business during this year’s annual meeting. Moderated by Terra Carroll (left), President and CEO of the Chamber, questions first went to Mary Anne Bigger(right), Executive Director of the Arts and Heritage Center of

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Awards/Celebrations

Honoring Columbia County’s Businesswoman of the Year

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce dedicated its March Executive Luncheon series to “Women of Influence.” The event marked the 15th time the Chamber selected its Businesswoman of the Year, presented annually to “recognize a woman in the workplace for her hard work, dedication, and passion both professionally and personally.” Kathleen Ferguson, Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager with Bank of America, announced Wendy Perry, co-founder of Katalis, a company to foster leadership in any organization, as the honoree for 2025. “She is someone who has shown exceptional leadership,

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B2B Stories

More CSRA Leadership Opportunities

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and North Augusta Chamber are now accepting applications for upcoming leadership classes. Business and area leaders are encouraged to apply for the Columbia County Chamber program before the April 18th deadline. Leadership Columbia County (LCC) is designed to expose participants to the opportunities and challenges facing our community while promoting and fostering the development of leaders who are committed to shaping the future of our Region. The Class of 2026 will be led by program Chair Rhonda Banks (LCC ’10), Interim Associate Vice President at

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B2B Stories

Online Clearinghouse for Employers and Job Seekers

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce provides an online resource to help businesses find employees, job seekers looking for work, and students planning their futures. Talent2Work launched in May 2021 as a regional workforce solutions platform. “It is a job marketplace platform that curates open positions, typically within about a 50-mile radius of Augusta-Richmond County. And it pulls from everything, from USAJOBS, Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn,” Angie Cox, President and CEO of the Chamber, explained for ABD. Cox added it is also a tool local businesses and industries can use to

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