
Development picture on both sides of the river
Downtown is buzzing, but what needs to happen next to take us to the next level? Derek Mays with Azalea Investments shared his thoughts with the ABD EXPO last month.

Downtown is buzzing, but what needs to happen next to take us to the next level? Derek Mays with Azalea Investments shared his thoughts with the ABD EXPO last month.

For 25-year veteran, Kelly O’Neal (pictured above) and his retired Naval vet wife, Tiffany, a new mission begins this morning with a ribbon cutting and this afternoon with a radio remote. Their new “mission” is to rally thousands of military men and women from the CSRA and “regular folks” who enjoy good food and drinks at their Rally Point Grille restaurant. “I retired with top secret clearance at Fort Gordon,” said Kelly O’Neal. Now, he must re-earn the trust of people following a decorated military career. They are “accidental restaurateurs,”

At last month’s ABD EXPO, Derek May with Azalea Investments discussed the excitement of new business openings in the CSRA.

Georgia Entertainment News has scheduled the Georgia Unscripted Roadshow to crisscross the state and highlight the impact the entertainment industry has on the Peach State. The organization advocates for Georgia’s entertainment industry and kicked off the road trip on June 22 in Athens. It will continue on its nine-city journey through the state, which includes a planned stop in Augusta on August 23. “We’re advocacy media, we’re a publication that covers the industry,” said Randy Davidson, President of Georgia Entertainment News. “Our editorial pages are pro the state investing further

Georgia Entertainment News has scheduled the Georgia Unscripted Roadshow to crisscross the state and highlight the impact the entertainment industry has on the Peach State. The organization advocates for Georgia’s entertainment industry and kicked off the road trip on June 22 in Athens. It will continue on its nine-city journey through the state, which includes a planned stop in Augusta on August 23. “We’re advocacy media, we’re a publication that covers the industry,” said Randy Davidson, President of Georgia Entertainment News. “Our editorial pages are pro the state investing further

Soaring job opportunities could be coming to the Peach State soon, thanks to an aircraft engine manufacturer expected to invest in our region. If accomplished, it would bring nearly 400 jobs to the area, adding to Georgia’s rank as one of the top five exporters of aerospace products in America. Learn more from Mike Petchenik reporting in Atlanta with the latest on this and other stories in this week’s Georgia Business Minute.

In my last two columns, I wrote about the positive impacts internship programs can have on individual students, companies, and the economic and workforce development of a community. The first of those two columns focused on two local internship programs for high school students, while the second discussed the value of Augusta University’s Hull College of Business, requiring its students to complete an internship prior to graduation. In my next two columns, I will conclude my series on internships by sharing the stories of my older daughter, Audie and my

Income inequality in the U.S. has been rising since 1980. However, the latest data for 2020 show a steep decline as shown in the chart below. The Gini index for the U.S. fell from 41.5 in 2019 to 39.7 in 2020. A value of 0 implies perfect equality and 100 implies perfect inequality. The decline probably represents the Covid checks and other support sent out by the federal government in 2020. Locally, county Gini estimates for 2021 show higher inequality. Columbia County had a Gini index of 41.9 and Richmond

We’ve got stories that will work up an appetite! Coach Dave Holdeman from The Alternative Board of the CSRA and Augusta Business Daily publisher, Neil Gordon talk about local entrepreneurs treading a path in the food business. Get to know the details on all that and more in this week’s economic update.

Putting in the time since 2009… For the past six months, the Auben leadership team has had a lot of conversations about our upcoming market expansion. As we seek to build teams and open offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Greenville/Spartanburg in the next 90 days, we want to ensure we act expeditiously to capitalize on market dynamics perfectly aligned with our SFR investor focus. However, we also want to proceed with the prudence of an organization which intends to be managing assets for our clients’ grandchildren. It’s a delicate balance.