Economics

B2B Stories

USCA to meet the need for electrical engineers

A constantly growing need for trained electrical engineers has prompted USCA to add to its degree program catalog. In a news release, USCA said the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) will focus on teaching students how to design, test, build, and maintain electrical and electronic systems. It will be launched in the Fall 2026 semester. Scott McKay, Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering, told ABD that adding the new program was a lengthy process. “We basically got a ground swell of interest from our regional industry

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Job Gains

The number of job postings that require at least one artificial intelligence (AI) skill has increased from 0.5 percent in 2010 to 1.7 percent in 2024. This is according to a new study by three economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. This growth in demand is due to more technical roles used to produce AI and more workers using AI at their jobs. Over one-quarter of workers have used AI at work. AI skills are more than being able to use ChatGPT. Top AI skills for Bachelor’s or

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SRMC helps save $2 billion for DOE

Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) strategic sourcing program for contributing $38 million of a $2 billion total cost savings over three years. The Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC) recently passed a significant milestone, achieving more than $2 billion in savings by National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOE Environmental Management (EM) prime contractors across the country. SCMC is a strategic supply chain program dedicated to simplifying the buying process to enable savings for those prime contractors. SCMC helps sites stretch

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New tort reform and liquor liability laws in South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has signed H. 3430 into law. Titled the Tort Reform and Liquor Liability law, its goal is to reform the state’s liability laws and address rising insurance costs for businesses. It also creates safety and insurance guidelines for businesses that serve alcohol. “In March, we called on the General Assembly to take bold action on tort reform by finding a commonsense solution that provides accountability, certainty, and just compensation without damaging our economy,” said McMaster in a bill signing ceremony broadcast on SCETV. “Getting to this

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Club Car Leads Fight Against Chinese Imports in D.C.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will soon make a final determination in the antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) case concerning Chinese low-speed vehicle imports. Club Car leaders and other representatives of the coalition representing the United States’ leading manufacturers of golf and personal transportation vehicles (PTVs) recently traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional leaders and seek support. The above picture on Capitol Hill features Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12), who met with leaders from Club Car and EZ-GO in Washington, D.C., to address the impact of illegally dumped

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Simon Says: New Housing BOOM in the CSRA!

The Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased 1.9 percent in March from April. This is the highest monthly increase since August 2020, when we were coming out of the covid lockdown. The LEI is 1.4 percent higher than a year ago. The big driver of this month’s data was residential building permits, which were 631 in March, the highest on record going back to 2000. 298 permits were for 1-unit structures, and 329 were for 5 units or more. Although there has been news of a cooling of the national

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Final numbers for Masters Week impact at the airport

The initial numbers looked good, and the final numbers look even better for how Augusta Regional Airport fared during Master 2025. Ken Hinkle, Director of Aircraft Services, provided members of the Aviation Commission with the impact of aircraft traffic on jet fuel sales and broke down the fees versus expenses and operational costs. Hinkle said one difference this year was the decision to begin parking aircraft on the other side of the runways. That increased the number of aircraft they could accommodate. The report breaks down operations, which are every

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Federal money to expand, renovate, and equip Augusta airport

Members of the Aviation Commission learned how two federal grants, first approved by the Augusta-Richmond County Commission, will be used at Augusta Regional Airport. In all, the grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) total just over $5 million. The grant for the Airport Terminal Program (ATP) is $4 million, the remainder is an Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG). Herbert Judon, Jr., airport Executive Director, told ABD the funds for the ATP became available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. “It was a competitive grant. We were awarded that

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Regional Manufacturing Ripple Effect

The recent announcement that a primary metals manufacturing facility is coming to South Carolina shows how growth in one place can promote growth in another. Mega Metal, a Turkey-based company, is investing $34 million to build a copper wire manufacturing plant in Fairfield County, just north of Columbia. It will create 135 jobs and is expected to be operational by September 2025. “Fairfield County celebrates the arrival of Mega Metal, bringing 135 new jobs and a $34 million investment to the central region of South Carolina. With a strong foundation

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Aiken Projects Have Regional Impact

Tuesday’s groundbreaking for two projects at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) will be felt across South Carolina and Georgia. The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) is building a 26,000 square foot Cyber Integration Center (CIC) next to the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. The CIC will include a student-run Regional Security Operations Center (RSOC). Regional was a word heard often during the groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers told attendees the work done at CIC will benefit both South Carolina and Georgia. “In leveraging the power and proximity with a centralized location, bridging

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