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Economics
B2B Stories

FOLLOW UP: Old (and Young) Men (and Women) Should Plant Trees

After the positive feedback I received from readers on last week’s column on Ben Sasse, I further contemplated two of the themes that Mr. Sasse has been espousing: delayed gratification and humility (i.e., others above self). As I reflected on these themes, I realized they could be captured by the ancient Greek proverb, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” that was popularized in the 1950’s by American author and theologian, D. Elton Trueblood.   The quote captures the willingness

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Dr. Rick Franza, Professor, AU Hull College of Business May 21, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Georgia’s Governor signs his final budget with HUGE cuts

Gov. Brian Kemp (R) put his signature on a budget plan for FY 2027, marking the eighth and final time he will do so. Kemp is wrapping up his second term in office. Prior to signing the budget bill, Kemp cut $300 million in new spending to keep it in balance at $36.6 billion. Kemp said the cuts were necessary to address changes in anticipated revenue following his approval of the personal income tax cuts and property tax cap. Kemp said the cuts he made were to what he called

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 18, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Hospital construction in the home stretch

Wellstar and AU Health leadership provided a tour and media briefing at the new hospital under construction in Columbia County.   The six-floor, 254,000 square foot hospital is being built off Interstate 20 exit 190, just below the Columbia County Exhibition Center. It remains on track to open from late August to early September. In addition to providing healthcare, the hospital and surrounding complex can act as a magnet to draw new businesses to Columbia County. The hospital itself will add about 1,200 jobs. “We have 300-plus staff already hired. We

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 15, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Tax cuts in Effect for Augustans

A series of tax-cutting bills passed by the Georgia Legislature have been signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Kemp said the legislation will lower the tax burden on Augustans and all Georgians, while working to secure the state’s reputation as a top place to do business. Kemp said the cuts were possible because of budgeting conservatively. “That approach has allowed us to return billions of dollars to taxpayers, and the legislation I signed today will keep that momentum going as we further lower our state income tax rate,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 14, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Doing business with a large SRS contractor

One of the largest employers in the CSRA is inviting small businesses to learn how to connect and engage for projects. The annual Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Small Business Opportunity Day is set for June 11. Normally, small businesses deal with the procurement department. This event gives them the chance to meet directly with stakeholders and end users to learn about current and upcoming projects. “It is an opportunity for small businesses to connect with SRNS end users and representatives as well as partner organizations,” Jana Chavous, SRNS lead

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 13, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Huge tournament impact at Augusta Regional this year

Leaders at Augusta Regional Airport are still crunching the numbers, but the first review showed increased activity and revenue. Members of the Aviation Commission learned results are up across the board, from arrivals and departures to security screening and jet fuel sales. “The fact that what we pull off with the size of the facility, and what we try to do every year, it’s really miraculous. We kind of punch well above our weight come Masters Week,” executive director Herbert Judon, Jr. told commission members. Kenneth Hinkle, the airport’s Director

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 7, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

American Airlines and Delta are growing, while Airport targets new major city

One airline is adding several new flights, another is growing operations, and Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) is preparing a grant to secure a third airline focused on a major Midwest city. American Airlines informed airport management that it will be adding additional service in May and August. It will connect to the Charlotte hub, so it will not add a destination city, but will increase capacity. “They’re going to add more overnight flights, so they’ll have more of a peak,” Airport Executive Director Herbert Judon, Jr. explained to members of

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 6, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Doing business with local government

Small and minority owned businesses need certifications in order to bid on government contracts at the local, state, and federal levels. The City of Augusta’s Compliance Department is holding a workshop to help small business owners navigate the process of being certified to compete for government contracts.  “I created the workshop to cover all types of certifications,” Dr. Yolanda Jackson, interim director of the Compliance Department, explained for ABD. “I do go over federal, state, and local certifications. How those benefit them and who the certifying agencies are.” The goal

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Dana Lynn McIntyre May 5, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

The Financial Road Ahead: Politics and the Economy

Publisher’s Note: Despite Professor Franza’s friendly “jab” at my favorite baseball team, he’s done a great job in this column to crystallize how the Federal Reserve, the War in Iran, and Mid-Term Elections are affecting our economy.  Rick: Even though I am not an economist, my role as a college business professor at AU requires me to pay attention to the economy and how it is impacted by numerous factors. In addition, one of my favorite avocations is following domestic politics, motivated by time spent in Washington, D.C. in the

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Dr. Rick Franza, Professor, AU Hull College of Business April 30, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Company on cutting edge of power generation opens in CSRA

A company working on what may be the next step in supplying electric power to public and private developments has opened an office in the CSRA. Local government and business leaders were on hand when Antares Industries, a California-based company, officially opened its local office at 106 Park Ave SW in Aiken, SC. Antares specializes in nuclear fission energy systems, including fission microreactors, also known as Small Modular Reactors (SMR). “For over 20 years, we’ve been talking about small modular reactors, micro reactors, the private sector getting involved in the

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 28, 2026 No Comments
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