Chamber News

Circa 2005, I vividly remember a meeting at the Sunrise Grille in Martinez with the first Columbia County Chamber President, Gordon Renshaw, and a few of his volunteers. Over scrambled eggs and home-fried potatoes, they talked with me about helping them sell memberships as a help to the community. Fast forward to the modern-day Chamber—there have been two full-time employees growing the membership! 20 years ago, the scrappy Columbia County Chamber was the stepchild in town to the well-established Augusta Metro Chamber. I even sensed some friction and a bit

The Georgia Chamber Foundation has published its annual report of where the state stands and what to anticipate in the future. Called the 2025 Economic Competitiveness Redbook, or Redbook for short, it breaks down every segment of Geogia, with demographics, business applications, international competitiveness, and transportation among the topics. “Our goal is to continue to provide valuable business intelligence and long-term forecasting for your business. Having access to high-quality data will enable strategic decision-making by Georgia business and elected leaders to sustain Georgia’s record-breaking economic success,” said Daniela Perry, Executive

Almost every leading business publication in America has written about the perks of coffee in the workplace, from improved creativity and communication to increased motivation and morale. From February 1 through the end of March, the focus will be “Go Green for Caffeine” a two-month initiative to encourage eco-conscious coffee consumption. Three local coffee shops are participating including Goat Kick Coffee Co., Harlem Java House, and Ubora Coffee. Each participating coffee shop has implemented unique sustainability initiatives, demonstrating their commitment to a greener future by: Utilizing reusable cups for product

The President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce traveled to Texas to present her 2025 State of American Business address. Suzanne Clark stepped away from the Chamber headquarters in Washington, D. C. to emphasize the fact that, in her words, all business is local. “Because the economic growth that powers people’s lives comes from cities and regions and states where private enterprise, supported by smart public policy, drives progress and creates opportunity,” said Clark. “And that kind of public-private partnership not only helps propel thriving communities but helps

The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC) is preparing to host an annual Resource Business Fair and is calling for vendors to participate. This marks the third year the Chamber is sponsoring the event. Shagraila Hammond, GABCC Program Manager, told ABD the first was December 2023 and the second in April 2024. They chose February this year, making it the kick-off to the Chamber’s yearly activities. “It is essentially something that was created through a program that we had running in 2023 where we wanted to put everything that