B2B Stories

B2B Stories

North Augusta toy store to celebrate first anniversary

Orange Otter Toy Store will celebrate its first year in business with a ribbon cutting with the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce this week. Customers are invited to celebrate the company’s milestone at their location on Aug. 17, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A free board game and Kona Ice will be offered to those in attendance. In a statement, Aubrey Hinkson, owner of Orange Otter Toy Store, said, “We created this store with busy parents and families in mind, and we are honored to help folks find unique,

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B2B Stories

Infusion of new health care workers in the CSRA

While the nursing industry continues to struggle nationwide to hire and retain personnel, other medical fields are also facing challenges. A ceremony at Aiken Technical College on Aug. 11 will provide a measure of relief. A pinning ceremony was held for 64 graduates of the college’s health science programs.  This cohort was for students in the expanded duty dental assisting, medical assisting, medical coding, and surgical technology programs. “We gather to celebrate not just your accomplishments graduates, but also the profound impact you’re poised to make in the fields of

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Generational holdouts impact worker shortages

Where have all the workers gone is still a question I hear. Restaurants are closed some days because they cannot get the staff. Dry cleaners refuse to accept clothes after 5 pm for the same reason. In the Augusta MSA, there are 263,000 people in the labor force, down from 270,000 pre-pandemic (see below). Nationally, about 2.6 million workers are in the workforce compared to pre-pandemic. Although the labor force level by demographic is not available for the local area, national data suggests who has returned to work and who

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B2B Podcasting

Local BBQ pitmaster gets Golden Ticket

There’s a whole lotta smokin’ goin’ on this summer across the country leading up to the World Championship this fall. Local BBQ legend, Kurt Mueller is in it to win it. Mike Petchenik has more in today’s Biz Bits.

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: School sports teach skills applicable to the workplace

Dr. Rick Franza, Professor of Management at the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the advantages of hiring people who played sports in school. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Although academics is often the focus of preparing for a career, some companies are finding that people who participated in sports in high school and/or college have valuable assets. Why is that? Rick: Sports and even marching band provide kids with the

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B2B Stories

Local environment-friendly food shop to open next month

Alexia Gonzalez wants to provide food for people in downtown Augusta and protect the environment, so she’s opening a business that will allow her to do both simultaneously. At the end of September, Gonzalez plans to open The Earth Pantry at 1026 Broad St., the former home of Sew Co. The business, which she refers to as a sustainable refill store, will sell a variety of dry goods, including rice, pasta, and candy, as well as some of her homemade items, such as cleaning products, soap, and shampoo that don’t

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B2B Stories

Taking the mystery out of marketing

“If it don’t sell, it ain’t creative.” My maternal grandfather, D.J. Morris, was a serial entrepreneur who dropped out of school in the third grade to go to work, so he could help take care of his siblings when his mother died. He ran a very successful general store/service station in the small country village I grew up in (Morristown, NC). I was sharing some “clever” advertising ideas for bundling lunch meals at a modest discount for tobacco workers and logging laborers. When he rejected my brilliant concept as “unworkable”

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B2B Stories

Annual cyber conference brings big economic boost to CSRA

The 10th Anniversary of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International’s (AFCEA) TechNet Augusta kicks off today, bringing 5,000 attendees to the Augusta Convention Center at the Marriott. The 4-day cyber-centric conference will generate an estimated $3,990,154 in visitor spending. “TechNet, which attracts attendees from across the globe, is Augusta’s largest conference and continues to grow and expand,” said Destination Augusta’s Bennish Brown, President & CEO. Many businesses have directly benefited from this conference and visitor spending. Over the course of their 10 years in Augusta, TechNet has generated $20.8 Million

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B2B Podcasting

Having a healthy CSRA

CSRA leaders and the Georgia Department of Community Health are looking at ways to expand healthcare in the area. Mike Petchenik discusses how in today’s edition of Biz Bits.

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