Economics

Awards

Local economic development leaders soak in Top-Ten list

A national publication recently studied economic growth and site development along the more than 1,500-mile stretch of Interstate 20. Augusta made a big impression. Site Selection Magazine, a publication that caters to business executives and site selection consultants, found the highest concentration in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington with 772 sites. Atlanta and New Orleans rounded out the top three. However, Augusta made the list, sitting at number 10. The study looked at all new corporate and end-user, facility investment projects over the past two years in the counties the interstate passes through.

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B2B Stories

Augusta makes the top 10

A report done by a national publication lists Augusta in the Top 10 locations for site development. Site Selection Magazine is the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC). Founded in 1954, it is currently based in Norcross, Ga. “We are a controlled circulation, B2B publication that goes to corporate leaders with decision-making responsibility when it comes to facility, locations, and expansions,” Adam Bruns, Editor-in-Chief, head of Publications, explained for ABD. “We’ve gone to what would typically be a job title like the director of global real estate

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B2B Stories

Strong outlook for back-to-school shopping

As students begin returning to classrooms, parents are hitting stores for clothing and school supplies. The National Retail Federation (NRF) examined consumer data and the impact of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school spending. ABD joined a webinar held by NRF to outline the findings. Mark Mathews, Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research for NRF, said what he refers to as “consumer sentiment” is very low, but he has seen a recent bounce. “When you look at the consumer’s finances, household net worth remains near record highs. We have discretionary

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Awards/Celebrations

CSRA bankers celebrate milestones with trip to New York

Ding ding ding! Ring the bell. Three area bankers, along with Colony Bank’s executive team, board of directors, and division leaders, just got back from Wall Street. The July 15th bell ringing on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange was a joint celebration of Colony’s move onto the NYSE and its 50th Anniversary. “We have been publicly traded for many years on the NASDAQ but made the decision to move to the NYSE last fall,” said ABD member Hugh Hollar, who attended the ceremony with colleagues Chris McLaughlin and Jennifer

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B2B Stories

Local Manufacturers score big win against imports

Augusta-based Club Car and Textron, manufacturer of EZ GO and Cushman, led the way in a yearlong battle against Chinese imports of golf carts, personal transportation vehicles, low-speed vehicles, and light utility vehicles (collectively, LSPTVs). The U.S. International Trade Commission has made an affirmative final determination in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on LSPTVs from China. The Commission found that domestic producers have been materially injured by unfairly traded imports of Chinese LSPTVs, paving the way for trade remedy orders to be put in place. The

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B2B Stories

REDI for economic development

Business executives and consultants who specialize in helping companies choose just the right spot for a location have a national database at their fingertips. Called REDI Sites, Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment, it is provided by the Site Selectors Guild (SSG), an organization created to provide businesses with an experienced location strategy professional. Georgia and South Carolina have programs that highlight properties that are prime spots for new or expanding businesses. In South Carolina, they are called Palmetto Site, administered by the South Carolina Department of Commerce. According to

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Hurricane Helene job impact

As the 2025 hurricane season gets underway, the first county-level data capturing the labor market impact of Hurricane Helene last September has just become available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Across the 13 Georgia counties of the Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission (CSRA), employment fell between the third quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter in 6 counties. The largest decline was 1.75% in Lincoln County. Other counties that saw declining employment were Columbia (0.27%), Hancock (0.68%), Jenkins (1.21%), McDuffie (1.17%), and Washington (0.27%). In Georgia, employment increased

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B2B Stories

NOAA and NWS cuts could impact CSRA

Today we are battling deadly heat index readings, or “feels like temperatures” of more than 100 degrees. Based on flooding of historic proportions in Texas recently, you might be surprised to learn extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard, causing more fatalities than other weather events, including hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. The cuts from President Trump for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) amount to more than $1.5 billion and a staff reduction of 1,800 employees. That is the beginning as more cuts are

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B2B Stories

Using SPLOST dollars for a new mega site

The Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) has a request on the list of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 9 projects going before the Augusta-Richmond County Commissioners. AEDA is requesting $25 million. It will be used for a pump station, gravity, and 24” force mains to extend residential, commercial, and industrial sewer capacity through South Augusta. The commissioners will review the $426 million worth of projects remaining after County Administrator Tameka Allen culled the original one-billion-dollar wish list that departments and organizations had requested. It will open South Augusta

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B2B Stories

SPLOST project can help grow part of CSRA

Augusta-Richmond County Commissioners are preparing to finalize the list of projects for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 9. The initial wish list of projects totaled more than one billion dollars. County Administrator Tameka Allen whittled it down to $426 million over seven years, and the tax will be collected. One of the projects that made Allen’s list would have a substantial impact on developing South Richmond County. The Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) is requesting $25 million to extend residential, commercial, and industrial sewer capacity through South Augusta.

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