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B2B Stories

Baltimore Port Closure: Impact on the CSRA

In both my undergraduate and graduate Operations and Supply Chain Management courses, I ask my students to post links on our course website that relate directly to the topic we will discussing in class that day. In my undergraduate class, this assignment is entitled, “Real-Time Examples,” while in my graduate class, the assignment is entitled, “Ripped from the Headlines,” a nod to the long-running television show, “Law & Order” (a personal favorite!), and highlighting the currency and relevancy of the requested examples. While there is no good time for a

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Dr. Rick Franza April 2, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Housing market in CSRA takes sharp turn

The Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) fell 0.8 percentage points in January from December. It remains 0.4 percentage points higher than January 2023. The major cause of the decline was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, which were up 36 percent in January. Claims were the highest for January in three years. Inflation in the south also continued to be above the national average at 3.7 percent, reducing the purchasing power of consumers. Job openings edged down about one percentage point and are now at the lowest level

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe April 1, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Hospital construction underway in Columbia County

A groundbreaking ten years in the making marked the official start of the building of a new hospital in Columbia County. Dignitaries ranging from Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to Board of Regents Chancellor Sonny Purdue grabbed shovels at the site off Interstate 20 exit 190, the Gateway to Grovetown, to mark the occasion. “We are so excited about this opportunity. And not only what’s happening today, but what’s going to happen in the future,” Kemp said. “I just want to congratulate and thank the entire WellStar team on this great

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 1, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Company dances its way into new shopping center

A dance studio is taking up three of the five open spots at a new shopping center getting ready to open this summer, according to its developer/agent, Billy Franke. It’s located on the new section of the Riverwatch Parkway in Evans and across from the new Junior Achievement Discovery Center near Columbia Industrial Boulevard. Franke says the yet-to-be-named dance studio will occupy the three middle bays for a total of 5,400 square feet. Both end caps units are available and he’s flexible on his choice of tenants. “I got very

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Neil Gordon April 1, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Major regional convenience store ready to take on local competitor

Crews are pumping out the work sunup to sundown to try and get Parker’s Kitchen open as soon as possible in 2024. Parker’s new neighbor directly across the street on William Few Parkway and Washington Road is The Pumping Station (TPS). The locally owned service station and convenience store have made significant changes in the last few months to prepare for Parker’s. They’ve installed new digital pumps to be more efficient and more attractive on in-store promotions. TPS has upped its game on food which has a much higher profit.

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Neil Gordon March 31, 2024 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

Biz Bits: Week in Review

New: Taxes, Restaurants, and a new hospital are just ahead. Growing forward. Mike Petchenik has the latest in this week’s Biz Bits review.

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Mike Petchenik March 31, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Changes to Augusta’s Masters Week traffic plan

Augusta’s traffic engineering division is ready to launch the traffic plan for Masters Week 2024. Assistant Director, John Ussery held a media briefing and outlined the plan. Much of it is familiar, steps created to improve traffic flow for the roughly 30,000 vehicles trying to access and depart the golf course. This year, however, the plan includes two major changes. A traffic light was installed at Washington Road and River Ridge Road. It is necessary because the Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC) purchased the former Electrolux building and turned it

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Dana Lynn McIntyre March 28, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

CSRA businesses help military spouses looking for work

No one would argue that military life is hard. It’s a commitment like few others. While service members know that no matter where they are sent, they will have a job, it’s very different for their spouses. A comprehensive Military Family Lifestyle Report (the largest annual study of military families, conducted by Blue Star Families) found that 20% of military spouses in the labor force are unemployed and actively seeking work. For perspective, the unemployment rate in Augusta/Richmond County is 4.4%. In partnership with Fort Eisenhower, the U.S. Chamber of

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Mitzi Oxford March 28, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

We’re paying for JBA construction starting Monday

If you’re among the tens of thousands of people who buy goods and services in Richmond County, you will begin paying an additional half-penny sales tax on Monday, April 1. Money collected will cover the cost of building a new James Brown Arena. Demolition of the existing arena is expected to begin in July. The $250 million bond issue was approved by voters in November 2023. Mike Harvey, Vice President of Project Design with Nations Group, owner’s representative for the Coliseum Authority, told ABD they are ready to bring in

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Dana Lynn McIntyre March 27, 2024 No Comments
B2B Stories

Failure is an Option

I recently assigned the MBA students in my Operations and Supply Chain Management course a very challenging case study to analyze. As I assigned the case, it brought back memories for me of the first time I assigned this case to a class of very gifted full-time MBA students at a previous institution at which I served as a faculty member. I team-taught the course with another faculty member who called me the day before the case analysis was due to ask me if I had recently checked the “Blackboard”

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Dr. Rick Franza March 26, 2024 No Comments
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