Augusta Business Daily

Thu, September 28, 2023

Economics

B2B Stories

The “H” word is back at the James Brown Arena

Hockey was on the agenda of the September 26 meeting of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority. Members of the authority heard a report on the feasibility of bringing hockey back to the Garden City, prepared by David Stone of Stone Planning, LLC. Stone said since a local team would likely be affiliated with the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), his team looked at the 29 teams currently in that league. Eight of the teams were eliminated because they are in large cities that have other professional sports teams such as

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B2B Stories

Job openings take big hit

As expected, and I wrote about it last week, the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) turned negative for the first time in six months. The LEI fell 0.4 percent in July from June. All the component indicators fell, except the Dow Jones Industrial Average which increased by 3 percent on the last day of July compared to the last day of June. Unfortunately, the Dow gave those gains back in August. The data release for the final component of the LEI was for job openings. In Georgia, there were 311,000

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B2B Stories

Impacts of an aging population: The good and the bad of the silver tsunami

Editor’s note: Yesterday, we reported on a franchise that recently opened called Seniors Helping Seniors. The business employs seniors to provide caregiving services to their counterparts. It’s working well because the caregivers have the skill sets to understand the challenges of their clients. Today, we delve into the impact of an aging population on the economy and the workforce. Whether you call it the “graying of America” or the “silver tsunami,” the fact is that the American population is steadily becoming more dominated by older people. In other words, the median age

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B2B Stories

Multimillion-dollar project nearing completion at Augusta Airport

Members of the Augusta Aviation Commission got a first look at a facility nearing completion across Doug Barnard Parkway from the airport. The public will likely never see the $9.5 million development; however, it is expected to improve their experience when they visit Augusta Regional Airport. The project is a 12,000-square-foot building that will be the new base of operations for the rental car companies serving Augusta Airport. It is being built on approximately 16.5 acres off the newly named access road, Majestic Skies Way. “In a lot of ways,

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B2B Stories

Movies are back and making big bucks. Thanks, Barbie!

Despite the ongoing strikes and fewer releases than in the past year, “the movies” in America have done well. Like, REALLY, well. Box Office Numbers continue to break records and make headlines even as the industry has grinded to a halt. Of course, the main players still are Warner’s Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer, which take the number 1 and number 5 spots (respectively) on the top 5 Domestic Grosses. Barbie has earned 1.4 Billion dollars globally, with $626 Million in domestic grosses, since opening eight weeks ago. There has yet

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: More jobs, but are they the right kind to grow the LMI?

The employment level in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose for the fourth consecutive month in July. It now stands at 244,700, up from 241,600 in March. However, it continues to remain below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate has inched up this year from 3.5% in January to 3.8% in July. The rise in unemployment coupled with a rise in employment can be explained by an increase in the labor force. The labor force has increased for six consecutive months, adding over 2,400 workers or potential workers to the

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B2B Stories

Projects abound in North Augusta

Members of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce heard updates ranging from the new public safety headquarters under construction to infrastructure projects on September 14. City Administrator, Jim Clifford was the guest speaker for the monthly “Good Morning, North Augusta” breakfast in the Palmetto Ballroom at the municipal building. Clifford began by running down a list of projects he believes make North Augusta attractive for residents and businesses. He pointed to the historic downtown and the “Live, Play Work” community that’s grown in Riverside Village. “We’re a very strong, growing

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B2B Stories

Sponsored: Happy Birthday Kevin and Hyatt Insurance!

Editor’s Note: Happy 27th birthday to a great friend of ABD, Kevin Hyatt! He is also approaching his first anniversary in business and has taken the CSRA by storm with his initiative to help people save money on their insurance… Including many ABD members, who provided testimonials below. Kevin Hyatt is a walking (and stationary) billboard for his Hyatt Agency, LLC firm. You may have noticed his outdoor billboard while shopping at Costco or noticed him networking at area Chambers of Commerce, on “Thirsty Thursdays” at GreenJackets games, and twice

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B2B Stories

Chamber recognizes citizen panel overseeing major road projects

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce has honored the men who have been leading the ambitious road projects in East Central Georgia. This is the 10th year that road projects in the Department of Transportation’s District 12 have been funded by a transportation special purpose local option sales tax (T-SPLOST). The individuals recognized were Phil Wahl, James Kendrick, Mark Ivey, Ben Tarbutton III, and James Alfriend who make up the Citizen Review Panel (CRP) that oversees progress. Assisting the panel was Don Grantham, a former GDOT board member, and former

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B2B Stories

Through the strikes, Hollywood reflects corporate realities

Dylan James graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in Dramatic Writing. He has studied both the ‘show’ and ‘business’ aspects of show business since childhood, and writes through sociological analysis, seeking relevance in the art and commerce for the moment. In today’s column, he offers his opinion on the Hollywood labor strikes and the facts on their economic impact for Georgia. It’s been nearly seventeen weeks since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached their negotiation deadline with the Alliance of Motion Picture &

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