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Economics
B2B Stories

Traffic and Travel Solutions for the tournaments

The first Practice round for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) begins this morning, marking the beginning of Metro Augusta’s busiest travel season. Traffic will start to increase, and activity levels are high at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS). In addition to the regularly scheduled destinations of Washington D.C., Dallas, Charlotte, and Atlanta, Delta and American Airlines will offer additional direct flights to accommodate increased travel demand.  From April 5th through April 13th, Delta Air Lines will offer direct flights to Austin (AUS), Detroit (DTW), New York (JFK) and (LGA), Boston

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 1, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Trend for retail spaces in the CSRA

Service-based tenants leased over half of the total retail space in 2025 for the first time, according to CoStar.  There are a few examples in local shopping centers. (See below) Crunch Fitness replaced the goods-based Bed Bath & Beyond in the Augusta Exchange shopping center. In the Village Plaza at 270 Bobby Jones Expressway, a former Electronics and Appliance store is getting replaced with a service provider. Nail salons and Botox (medical) bars are also increasingly located in retail real estate. These trends show up in local employment numbers for

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor March 31, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Can TSA agents handle influx of golf fans?

The first wave of golf fans will begin arriving in Augusta on Tuesday to attend the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). That kicks off the arrival of thousands of air travelers coming to Augusta for the Masters Tournament, ANWA and Drive, Chip and Putt. Funding for TSA agents is entering its second month of uncertainty. Leadership at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) is helping agents as the airport braces for its busiest time of year.  “We are concerned about the current shutdown and how it affects the TSA employees at Augusta

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Dana Lynn McIntyre March 30, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

March Mini-MBA: Good Service vs. Bad Service

Publisher’s Note: There are so many reasons to love what Chick-fil-A does. The Gordons go to the Mullins Crossing location weekly. I found this photo from 2 years ago! From the time I get “in line” until I have the food, it’s maybe 10 minutes! Great food. Great service. Every time. RICK: As consumers visiting an establishment for a service, we often find ourselves waiting in line. Whether it is at a drive-thru for a fast food restaurant, placing an order at a fast casual restaurant, checking out at the

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Dr. Rick Franza, Professor, AU Hull College of Business March 26, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Best and worst unemployment story for Augusta

The last bit of economic data for 2025 was just released for the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The unemployment rate has risen from 4.1% in September to 4.5% in December. This is the highest unemployment rate across the fourteen Georgia MSAs.  There may be a good reason why Augusta “finished last.” As I previously reported, the Augusta MSA had the largest increase in employment, and the rising unemployment rate may just reflect people entering the workforce to find jobs in a relatively strong economy.  This is borne out by

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor March 24, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

March Mini-MBA: Essentials of Supply Chains

Class is now in session for the third week of Augusta Business Daily’s Mini-MBA for the month of March. Hopefully, you found our first two lessons, “Competing on Quality” and “Effectively Managing Inventory,” beneficial as you run your business.    For those of us who teach Supply Chain Management (SCM), events of the recent weeks (Iran), recent months (tariffs), and recent years (pandemic, bridge collapses, hurricanes) have given us plenty to discuss in our classes.  I will also discuss their importance in today’s column. However, before looking into those events, it

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Dr. Rick Franza, AU Hull College of Business March 19, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Internships and apprenticeships help drive local economic growth

An Aiken County manufacturer, undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion, uses its unique relationships to find trained employees. Representatives from Rolls-Royce Solutions America, formerly known as mtu, participated in a panel discussion sponsored by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. Karson King, Mechanical Engineer, and A.J. Campbell, CNC Machine Operator, said working with schools like Aiken Technical College and USCA is vital during this period of growth. “Really getting to expand on our young workforce coming in. It’s going to help with skilled workers joining our workforce,” King told ABD. “We

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Dana Lynn McIntyre March 17, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: How far has the CSRA come in 20 years?

About 50% of CSRA counties are growing, and 50% are not. I usually use Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) data for this column, as it is released more frequently than county-level data and is more up-to-date. However, I was giving a talk to the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Regional Commission on Friday, so I dug into some county-level data.  The CSRA Regional Commission is a group of area economic development organizations from 13 Georgia counties: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, and Wilkes. By

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor March 17, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Mini-MBA: Managing Inventory

Publisher’s Note: Do you have a Costco membership off the Riverwatch Parkway? The Gordons do through our company. My wife loves it, and though I enjoy the experience—there is a certain level of frustration. Dr. Rick Franza continues his “Mini-MBA” lesson with a look at how the pros and cons of a Costco membership are tied to the all-important inventory juggle. Welcome to the second weekly lesson in the “Mini-MBA” I promised you in this column for the month of March. We kicked off the Mini-MBA last week with a

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Dr. Rick Franza, AU Hull College of Business Professor March 12, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Major economic news for 2 CSRA Counties

Organizations whose mission is to create partnerships and advance economic development are celebrating financial windfalls. Entrepreneurs and start-ups are right in the middle of it. Economic Development Partnership of Aiken and Edgefield Counties, Inc., better known as Western SC, learned it is one of 14 groups chosen for 2026 Relentless Challenge grants. Collaborating with Western SC are the South Carolina Research Authority and the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. “Our organization is looking for job creation and capital investment opportunities,” Will Williams, President and CEO of Western SC, told ABD. “The

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Dana Lynn McIntyre March 11, 2026 No Comments
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