
New arena could be a huge boost to the CSRA economy
The question remains: Will the voters be singing “I feel good” about the tax to fund the JB Arena in November? Mike Petchenik has more in today’s Biz Bits.

The question remains: Will the voters be singing “I feel good” about the tax to fund the JB Arena in November? Mike Petchenik has more in today’s Biz Bits.

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

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

“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”

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

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.

Millennials in the workplace, how to attract, engage and retain them were just a few of the topics highlighted in the monthly Good Morning, North Augusta breakfast session, sponsored by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. A panel discussion, moderated by Manpower operations manager Nate Lauger, was made up of young professionals from assorted industries. Tashara Johnson, HR generalist of Aurubis Richmond, LLC; Haley Napier, business development manager at Manpower; Jimmie Smith, workforce innovation coordinator at Shamrock Social Impact and Jeannine Steinkuhl, director of sales for Crowne Plaza, all fielded

There’s not an easy button. Here’s a look back at May’s Employment Recruitment & Retention Panel discussion from ABD’s Conference and Expo, as Patrick Reynolds, CEO of Cross Link Consulting, explains the necessity of working together, even in difficult situations.

Talent acquisition and retention can be difficult for many businesses, even in the best of times. No doubt, these post-pandemic years have exacerbated HR challenges due to all kinds of fluctuations in the labor market and business landscape. Gone are the days, at least for the foreseeable future, in which employers have the luxury of sifting through hundreds of qualified resumes to handpick their next great hire. The good news is that current employment dynamics are compelling business owners to rethink the way they approach not just their HR, but

Editor’s note: Last week, ABD reported that heavy metal rockers Metallica would present $100,000 to Aiken Tech through their foundation. The college is one of 11 that will receive funding from the Metallica Scholarship Initiative, through the band’s charitable foundation, All Within My Hands. It is the first time a South Carolina college has been included. Dana Lynn McIntyre’s story takes a closer look at how the investment will benefit students and the workplace. Students and the CSRA workplace will be the beneficiaries after the internationally known heavy metal band,