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Economics
B2B Stories

Simon Says: CSRA housing getting expensive

When I moved to Augusta over 20 years ago, one of the selling points was its affordability, especially for housing. Unfortunately, that may be changing. According to the Home Ownership Affordability Monitor tracked by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, housing in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has been unaffordable since May 2022. Housing unaffordability is defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as annual costs of home ownership exceed 30 percent of the annual household income. Costs include principal and interest on mortgage loans, associated

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe September 2, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Celebrating a $33 million expansion at Augusta airport

A dedication ceremony was held for a major expansion to a legacy business at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), just a year after construction began. The expansion includes a new hangar at StandardAero, an aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services business that has been at the airport for over 50 years. Russell Ford, Chairman and CEO of StandardAero, said the team in Augusta is part of an industry he believes is one of the most impactful in recent history. “Without the aerospace industry, there wouldn’t be a lot of materials and

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 29, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Businesses welcome athletes with special perks

One of Metro Augusta’s largest sporting events is offering local businesses an opportunity to welcome participants and volunteers. The Augusta Sports Council is inviting businesses in Georgia and South Carolina to participate in this year’s IM Local program. It is connected to the annual IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta triathlon, set for Sept. 28 this year. “We saw a need and an opportunity to promote what we have locally, to the athletes that were coming, the family and friends that they were bringing with them, but also for the volunteers that were

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 28, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA’s current and future growth needs

An examination of economic development and growth in metro Augusta today and for the future is the focus of an event planned in Columbia County. Future Forward: A CSRA Development Summit, organized by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, is set for Sept. 4 at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown. “I think it’s an opportunity for us to really look at the future of not only Columbia County, but our region, and how that’s going to impact our business community, and our community at large,” Russell Lahodny, President

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 27, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Jackson Hole: Beautiful Economic Views?

At the end of last week, the Federal Reserve held its annual “Jackson Hole Economic Symposium,” a three-day conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The conference is attended by central banker leaders, academics, financial industry leaders, journalists, and government officials to discuss world events and financial trends and potentially provide insights on the direction of interest rates. The symposium is held at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming. I had the pleasure of spending a few days in Jackson and

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Dr. Rick Franza August 27, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

“Counting” on Hockey

It was a hoped-for announcement years in the making, and it has come true. Professional hockey is returning to Augusta. The Grand Lobby of the Bell Auditorium was filled with people for the announcement that the ECHL Board of Governors has approved an expansion team for Augusta, beginning with the 2027-2028 season. The team will play in the new Augusta arena, currently under construction. In the weeks leading up to the 2023 vote to approve a Construction Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (C-SPLOST) to build a new arena, Coliseum

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Game On: The puck will drop again in Augusta

Big news for the CSRA as successful sports leaders team up to bring back hockey to the area for the first time in seven years. Heisman Trophy winner, two-time National Champion, SEC Nation on-air personality, former NFL quarterback, and founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, Tim Tebow, along with business leader David Hodges, announced that the ECHL Board of Governors has approved the expansion application for Augusta, Georgia, for admittance into the league. The team, set to begin play in the new Augusta Arena for the 2027–28 season, will be owned by

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Staff Report August 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

AU adds more than $1.6 billion to Georgia economy

The growth of Augusta University has made an impact that goes well beyond the River Region. With a growing statewide network that includes regional and clinical campuses for the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and the Dental College of Georgia, as well as clinical sites and research projects that serve the state’s 159 counties, it’s easy to see how AU continues to provide value, including economic value, to the city, state and region. During fiscal year 2024, which ran from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, Augusta University provided a

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Staff Report August 20, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Updates on CSRA building, unemployment, and inflation

The Augusta Leading Economics Index (LEI) fell 1.1 percent in June from May. It remains 0.3 percent higher than June 2024. Declines were seen in all components except the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Residential building permits fell from 306 in May to 291 in June. Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased from 684 in May to 879 in June. The inflation rate in the South Census region increased to 2.3 percent, up from 2.0 percent in May and 1.9 percent in March. Job openings in Georgia declined from 328,000 in

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe August 19, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Augusta leaders trending in Georgia

What do Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, Augusta Metro Chamber President and CEO Angie Cox, Greater Augusta Black Chamber President and Cofounder Ronic West, and Downtown Development Authority Director Margaret Woodard have in common? Each has helped carve a path for economic development in the CSRA, and their efforts are highlighted in the August edition of Georgia Trend magazine. Some of the articles focused on the region’s response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene, lost lives, and the millions of dollars in cleanup. Mayor Johnson and Augusta Metro Chamber’s Angie Cox

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Staff Report August 19, 2025 No Comments
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