Economics

B2B Stories

Energy to make your company GO!

The state’s business leaders recently met to examine Georgia’s current energy needs and anticipate future demands. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce sponsored the third annual Future of Energy and Sustainability conference in early May. It brought together leaders from Georgia Power and Oglethorpe Power, Norfolk Southern, Delta Airlines and Kia Georgia. Savannah Taylor, Research Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation, said they examined how businesses are working to provide a feasible investment by looking at sustainable energy and increasing natural resources to support expanding economic development. In addition to traditional energy

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B2B Stories

May Meetings and Events Pack an Economic Punch

Some have already been held, one is wrapping up tomorrow, and yet another is coming up later this month, but May is shaping up to be pretty profitable for the CSRA. According to Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council, 3,465 visitors are attending meetings, conferences, and events this month, generating more than $838,000 in total economic impact. Both organizations agree that recruiting and hosting these events play a critical role in sustaining the nearly 30,000 jobs that are part of the Leisure and Hospitality industry, the fourth largest employment

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Awards

SRNS receives prestigious award for small business development

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Small Business Programs was honored with the 2025 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Services by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) this week. Small Business Liaison Officer Lisa Tanner accepted the award on behalf of SRNS during the National Small Business Week ceremony in Washington, D.C. The SBA recognizes excellence across small businesses and key resource partners to empower American job creators and drive economic growth in government contracting. “This Dwight D. Eisenhower Award represents the highest honor for a contractor as a small business advocate,”

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B2B Stories

Legacy company in Aiken County expanding

One of the largest manufacturing companies in Aiken County is kicking off a major expansion. Kimberly-Clark is pumping more than $200 million into their facility on Old Jackson Highway in Beech Island. While headquartered in Texas, the Beech Island location is already the company’s largest facility. “I’m pleased to hear the news of this major expansion at Kimberly-Clark’s Beech Island facility. Kimberly-Clark has been a cornerstone in Aiken County’s economy for decades, and this investment represents a continued vote of confidence in our community and what it offers the manufacturing

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: South Carolina beats Georgia economically

There was mixed economic news at the national level last week. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter. The decline in economic activity was driven by imports, which increased by 41% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Imports are subtracted from GDP because they represent expenditures by US residents on goods and services from overseas. Much of these imports ended up in firms’ inventory as they tried to get ahead of expected tariffs. We

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B2B Stories

CSRA estimates: $3 billion economic development/4,000 jobs

Last week, the President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) walked business leaders through the impact of regional development. Cal Wray brought the report to the Chamber’s first Member Economic Luncheon of 2025. He pulled together numbers from Richmond, Columbia, and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken County in South Carolina. “Aiken, $1.36 billion in new investment, 1,452 new jobs,” he began. “Burke was $50 million investment, 244 new jobs. Columbia County, $158 million with 1,600 new jobs. Richmond County, $1.335 billion and 778 jobs. That is what manufacturing,

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B2B Stories

Air taxis one step closer to reality in CSRA

An Augusta company is watching as a Japanese aeronautics company hits two recent milestones. On April 9, SkyDrive, Inc. successfully conducted a demo flight of the SkyDrive SD-05 model of its air taxi at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Bravo Air, which provides charter jet service at Augusta Regional Airport, has been following the advances. “I think it’s very exciting, because this is going to open up new realms of aviation and our ability to transport passengers in an innovative way in the future,” Pamela Davison, CEO of Bravo Air,

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B2B Stories

Another local transportation group asking for public input

The organization tasked with identifying transportation issues wants to hear what people see as challenges today and for the future. The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) focuses on Richmond and Columbia Counties in Georgia and the South Carolina counties of Aiken and Edgefield. It is updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) through 2055 with a focus on multimodal transportation projects and priorities. Kaycee Mertz, Vice President and Georgia Planning Lead at engineering company WSP, told members of the Rotary Club of Aiken that they will use data from traffic counts,

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B2B Stories

First look at Masters Week’s impact on the airport

Members of the Augusta Aviation Commission heard a positive report on how Augusta Regional Airport managed this year’s tournament traffic. In a nutshell, operations went smoothly, with no runway incursions or accidents involving aircraft. The best news: The numbers were up across the board. “We had about 400 extra operations from the previous year, with 617,544 gallons of fuel delivered,” said Kenneth Hinkle, the airport’s Director of Aviation Services. “That is a 4,000-gallon increase from the previous year.” He said not all numbers are available, while staff members conduct the

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Healthcare and Education Jobs

Employment in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell by 100 in March from February. With such a small change in overall employment, it is no surprise that employment changes in different industries were also mostly small. Triple-digit changes in employment were seen in only four industries. Education and health services grew by 262 employees, while mining, logging, and construction grew by 180. Manufacturing employment grew by 105 workers, but since this is March data, it would be hard to suggest the increase is the result of tariff policy. The

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