Economics

B2B Stories

Cyber attack hits millions including the CSRA

A sprawling cyber attack late last week compromised data for millions of people including state and federal agencies. On the list of those hacked was the Department of Energy. The Savannah River National Laboratory is under the DoE umbrella. The University of Georgia was also impacted by the breach. How many of you have kids that attend UGA or donate to the University? What does this mean for us and what is the potential impact? How does Fort Gordon’s Cyber Security Center fit into the mix? ABD turned to our

Read More »
B2B Stories

Augusta’s all grown up like me!

In July 2001, I packed my Pontiac Sunfire coupe full of clothes and a few furnishings and shipped it from my hometown just north of Chicago to my new home in Augusta. My license plate at the time read “IBDRMN5” (shorthand for “Ibdrummin” because of my love for all things percussion) but one of my new colleagues read it as “I be dorming” because it looked like I’d packed my entire college dorm into the car. A few months earlier, I graduated from journalism school and was about to embark

Read More »
B2B Stories

Funding for new and existing small businesses

If you are an entrepreneur just starting a business or if you already have a small business, the City of Augusta Business Equity Fund (CABE Fund), administered by the Greater Augusta Black Chamber Foundation, may be able to help you. The GABC is hosting an orientation session this week. It provides funding for small businesses and social enterprises in the Greater Augusta Area that are seeking economic relief due to the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Specifically, this program assists small businesses with less than 10 employees by providing

Read More »
ABD Extra

Simon Says: A look at pay data in local counties

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just released annual pay data for 2022 for all counties in the U.S. Locally, Burke County has the highest annual pay at $98,427, followed by Aiken County at $48,118. The BLS has not yet provided a breakdown of the average annual pay by industry, but it is likely that these high county averages represent engineers at Plant Vogtle and Savannah River Site. The more rural counties of Lincoln and Edgefield saw the largest percentage change in average annual income between 2021 and 2022, with

Read More »
ABD Extra

Economic Update: Here’s a great deal!

As mentioned in articles from last week, Coach Dave Holdeman from The Alternative Board of the CSRA and Augusta Business Daily publisher, Neil Gordon take the time to discuss the ins and outs of sales. They also congratulate the local award-winning SHRM chapter and give a warm welcome to a new military-themed restaurant. Be sure to learn the latest on all this and more in the economic update of the week!

Read More »
B2B Stories

Lakefront living on nearby Clarks Hill is on the rise once again

Life is but a dream, if you are living on the lake and Georgia’s lakefront properties are a hot commodity including Clarks Hill Lake, otherwise known as Georgia’s Freshwater Coast. When our summers can be hotter than Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, a cool lakefront breeze is sought after by many potential investors from across the country. You might be surprised to learn that more than 60% of the buyers for Georgia’s lakefront properties aren’t from here. They hail from Washington, D.C., New York, Greenville, S.C., Tampa, and Chicago. According to

Read More »
B2B Stories

Upgrades and fresh new look taking flight in Augusta

Equipment upgrades and an updated look are coming soon to Augusta Aviation, Inc. at Daniel Field Airport.   Utilizing grants currently available, work will begin in the next few months to do a complete electrical upgrade and replacement on the airfield.   Becky Shealy, VP of Business Development, said Augusta Aviation decided to use the opportunity to upgrade the logo and color scheme for the first time since the 1940s. The most noticeable change will be dropping “Inc.” from the logo.    “It’s subtle, the lettering changes are subtle. It’s not something that’s

Read More »
ABD Extra

Economic Update: Grovetown Growth

Just as Dana Lynn McIntyre reported last Friday, Coach Dave Holdeman from The Alternative Board of the CSRA and Augusta Business Daily publisher, Neil Gordon talk about Palmetto Industries’ groundbreaking at Horizon South Industrial Park and what that means for local employment. Gordon and Coach Dave also congratulate a local business owner on her retirement and reflect on the importance of exceeding customer expectations. Be sure to learn the latest on all this and more in the economic update of the week!

Read More »
ABD Extra

Simon Says: Here’s where employment was during Masters month

Despite the upturn in the Augusta Leading Economic Index reported last week, employment in the metro area continues to decline. Employment fell slightly by 200 jobs in April from March and is down almost 4,000 jobs since November 2022. Obviously, April was Masters month, and leisure and hospitality employment jumped 3,400 (not seasonally adjusted). This was less than in 2022, when the Masters bump was 4,200. With little month-to-month change in the seasonally adjusted total employment level, most industries did not see big changes in seasonally adjusted employment levels. Most

Read More »
B2B Stories

New but familiar face tapped for leadership role at SRNL

USC Aiken provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at USC Aiken, Daren Timmons, will lead the Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL) office dedicated to industrial and strategic partnerships. His last day at the university is June 30. “SRNL leadership has had a very positive work experience with Daren on the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative being constructed on USC Aiken’s campus and many other projects,” said Dr. Vahid Majidi, Director of SRNL. “His knowledge of the AMC, as well as his connections with regional industrial and academic partners, make him

Read More »