Wed, April 22, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

B2B Stories
ABD Extra

Get to know Azalea Investments LLC

Azalea Investments 699 Broad Street www.azaleaoutdoor.com Contact: President Derek May Phone: 706.823.3302 As a former professional table tennis player, Derek May knows a thing or two about winning. May, a former national collegiate champion from Augusta College and U.S. national team member, is the current over 50 national table tennis champion. In his day job as president of Augusta’s Azalea Investments, he draws from that competitive spirit to harness success in the business world. “I like to compete,” May told Augusta Business Daily.  “In sports, you learn discipline.” May’s ascent

Read More »
Mike Petchenik April 24, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Mondays with Rick: CSRA Economic Development: The Holes that Need to be Filled

In my previous two columns for this newsletter, I discussed many of the positive aspects of the CSRA when it comes to economic development. Remember, when we discuss an area’s potential for economic development, we have to consider the aspects of that area that would attract existing businesses to move or expand to that area and the area’s ability to provide an environment that stimulates the creation of new businesses. In my first column on March 20, I provided a number of reasons as to why the CSRA is a

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza April 24, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Construction projects that will grow workforce development for jobs

Ambitious projects at Aiken Technical College and the Aiken County Public School District will create new pathways for workforce development. Aiken Tech will build a new, state-of-the-art Nursing Education Center. The school district will replace its aging Career and Technology Center with a new facility. The combination will allow both institutions to expand educational programs to train future job seekers in myriad fields. The school district has started looking at fields that are in demand and growing. “We’ve talked about a few specifics, particularly with cyber,” said Superintendent King Laurence.

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre April 24, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Getting Along with Co-Workers

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 getting along with co-workers. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Most of us either work with other people or have in the past. But co-worker relationships can be kind of sticky. How important is it to have co-workers get along? Rick: It’s particularly important to a small business because one bad person can poison the well. There’s a

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza April 23, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Update on CSRA Racquet Club purchase

Columbia County will take ownership of the Petersburg Racquet Club effective May 1, after commissioners approved the $1.5 million purchase during their April 18 regular meeting. PRC’s owners, Craig and Gail Jones announced the sale on the club’s Facebook page. There was also a news release from Columbia County on April 19. Cassidy Harris, Public Relations Manager for the county, said the purchase was paid for through the county’s Ad Valorem Capital Project Fund. The purchase was not listed on the agenda for the meeting, which was available on April

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre April 20, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Ownership of CSRA Racquet Club is changing hands

The Petersburg Racquet Club, located at The Pass, will be under new ownership, effective May 1. Owners, Craig and Gail Jones announced on the club’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/prctennis) that PRC will become part of the Columbia County Parks and Recreation system at the beginning of the month. A separate news release from the county said commissioners voted to purchase the facility during their April 18 regular meeting. “Petersburg Racquet Club has a long, rich history of tennis in Columbia County, and the county is excited about the future of this

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre April 19, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Role Models: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Rather often in life, it is helpful to find role models. Both good role models and bad ones can help you make good decisions and avoid making bad ones. I once worked for a boss in the Pentagon who was a micromanager, did not trust his people, and was afraid to make decisions. After working for him for a year, I learned so much. Often, I would ask myself, what would he have done in a certain situation.  Avoiding stupidity is almost as useful as making good decisions. After a year,

Read More »
Ret. Maj. General Perry Smith April 19, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Experts share advice on growing Augusta’s economic base and workforce

The tournament has ended and golf patrons have left town. Now, the focus returns to growing Augusta the other 51 weeks of the year. That was the message to the Women in Business luncheon on April 18, sponsored by the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce. Three experts who well know hospitality, downtown development, and economic growth brought their expertise to the luncheon. Bennish Brown, President of Destination Augusta, Margaret Woodard, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority, and Cal Wray, President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority explained the selling

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre April 18, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

How health (good and bad) impacts your business in the CSRA

Are employees in the CSRA unhealthy? That’s a big yes from a recent study by WalletHub. Not one single southern city made the list for healthiest places to live, but almost all the unhealthiest locations were in the southeast including two in Georgia. Columbus came in at #4 and Augusta was #5 in the Top 10 unhealthy cities. WalletHub’s analysis used 43 metrics to rank the cities, including the cost of medical care, residents’ diets, levels of physical activity, and access to green space. Improving our unhealthy ranking has the

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford April 18, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

University to address supply chain cyberattacks

Supply chain leaders predict that food, gas, and computer chips are most at risk of impact in 2023. Who does that impact? Every business and consumer, in other words, all of us. USC Aiken will host a virtual panel discussion to discuss those concerns led by Dr. Hala Strohmier Berry, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Director of the university’s Center for Cyber Initiatives and Awareness. “Supply chain cyberattacks have been a concern for cybersecurity experts for many years, mainly due to the chain reaction triggered by one attack on a single

Read More »
Staff Report April 17, 2023 No Comments
Load More