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B2B Stories

TOP 10 LIST: 2026 Predictions and Hopes

Publisher’s Note: What happens in the economy, financial markets, the Federal Reserve, and government/politics affects our business environment and personal finances in the CSRA.  Dr. Rick Franza’s 2025 predictions graded out as a “B”, which would make his students proud! WHAT WILL HAPPEN ECONOMICALLY IN 2026? In some cases, Dr. Franza is separating his predictions from his hopes. Without further ado and in ode to David Letterman, here is Dr. Rick Franza’s Top 10 List. The U.S. Economy, Financial Markets, and the Federal Reserve Prediction #1: GDP Growth for the

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Dr. Rick Franza, AU Hull College Professor January 8, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Aiken set economic records in 2025

Aiken is looking back at a year when the number of visitors pushed tourism to reach new levels. Aiken welcomed an estimated 10,000 more visitors in 2025 than it did in 2024. That translates to a 10% growth rate. Why? Speaking with ABD, Eric Gordon, Tourism Manager for the City of Aiken’s Visit Aiken initiative, attributed the growth to an aggressive marketing campaign. “We definitely have put more of Aiken forward in the way of different kinds of advertising, social, digital, print, television, billboard,” he listed. “We have a broader

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 7, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

50-year business sold to Reynolds Street company

Two family-founded companies are coming together to grow business in the CSRA and Columbia, South Carolina. KAMO Facility Solutions & Supplies, a family-owned distributor of janitorial supplies and equipment, founded in 1947 and based in downtown Augusta, just acquired Waper, Inc., a family-owned company founded in 1973 and based in Columbia, S.C. This will be KAMO’s second Columbia office. KAMO’s headquarters are at 1326 Reynolds Street in Augusta. As part of the transition, Waper will continue operating as “Waper — A KAMO Company,” ensuring continuity for customers, employees, and partners

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Neil Gordon January 7, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

FIFA World Cup and Augusta!

Although FIFA activities will be centered around Atlanta, Destination Augusta jumped on the opportunity to sell the Garden City to those millions of tourists visiting to watch the World Cup competition. It is part of the “Make Yourself at Home in Georgia” campaign. “We participated in a cooperative advertising placement, digital advertising placement in the United Kingdom, which is one of our biggest international markets for the state of Georgia, alongside Canada and Germany,” Karen Lee Davis, Chief Marketing Officer with Destination Augusta, told ABD. “Those who are going to

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 6, 2026 No Comments
Awards

CSRA “C” Store Owner wins national award in midst of legal battles

Greg Parker, owner of several CSRA Parkers Kitchen stores and more than 100 regional stores, just won a national industry award. At the same time, he’s involved in several legal issues related to the Murdaugh family in the Low Country of South Carolina. Earlier in December, Parker was in Austin, Texas, to accept the 2025 Retailer Executive of the Year award by Convenience Store News. The award coincided with Parkers Kitchen’s 50th year in business, while surpassing 100 stores in Georgia and South Carolina. Parker is routinely lauded for his

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Neil Gordon January 5, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Busy year ahead for Accelerate Augusta

Augusta’s newest small business incubator is laying out an ambitious schedule for its first full year in operation. Executive Director Shaun Andrews told ABD they will be focusing on what he called the Three “Fs”: Foundation, funding, and the future for entrepreneurs. Accelerate Augusta, a partnership between Augusta Technical College and the Downtown Development Authority, officially opened in October 2025. It is in the former Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce building at 600 Broad Street. The microenterprise center was created to support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and help local small businesses develop

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Dana Lynn McIntyre January 5, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

A look back and ahead for economic growth

ABD spoke with the leaders of the Richmond, Columbia, and Burke County economic development offices, as well as Western SC and the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO), about their favorite accomplishments of the past 12 months and what is anticipated in the next 12. At the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA), President and CEO Cal Wray said supporting the county’s existing industries topped his list. “With all of the tariff conversation and uncertainty, with the administration change and with politics, and with this last excise tax that the Commission looked at

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Dana Lynn McIntyre December 31, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Jerry Maguire was right: Show Me the Money

One of the biggest hurdles facing any budding entrepreneur or small business owner is how to find the seed money to grow the idea. A national organization, which has a chapter in Aiken County, offered solutions to the dilemma in a recent online seminar titled “Finding Grants and Sponsorships: Locate Opportunities, Apply Confidently, Stand Out to Funders.” The online seminar was led by Cheryl Smith, CEO of Dewlyn Nonprofit Services (https://dewlyn.com/), who also provides services to small businesses. Her presentation included where to find grants and how to successfully apply.

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Dana Lynn McIntyre December 30, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Augusta spotlighted in “Selling Georgia” campaign

Did you know the “Augusta Adventure” made the cut as one of the best trips to take by The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD)? Explore Georgia, the GDEcD office that promotes tourism in the Peach State, has released the 2026 Travel Guide and best places to visit. It breaks down the state by region and highlights areas tailor-made for daytrips. This year, Metro Augusta is one of those spotlighted. “Any guide, whether it’s the Explore Georgia guide or the guide that we create in Augusta, it’s all meant to

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Dana Lynn McIntyre December 29, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Chamber leaders reflect on past and plan for the future

ABD spoke with the leaders of the Richmond, Columbia, and Burke County Chambers of Commerce, as well as those in Aiken and North Augusta. They looked at accomplishments in 2025 and set their sights on 2026. At the region’s largest Chamber of Commerce, Angie Cox, President and CEO of the Augusta Metro Chamber, said 2025 kicked off with a fresh start after recovering from Hurricane Helene. “I think a reenergized approach to engage our members, and we tweaked some programming,” she said. “We were able to change some timing on

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Dana Lynn McIntyre December 24, 2025 No Comments
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