B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Bowtie Comedian headlines Columbia County Chamber’s annual banquet

It’s been a tough couple of years for many businesses. Period. Maybe it’s time for a laugh or three. Mike Goodwin, the Bowtie Comedian can probably deliver. What’s more, he knows your leadership pain. The Camden, SC native will make you laugh, and he is also in business. Goodwin holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of South Carolina, is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and is a former primary and secondary education professional. He infuses his varied life experiences into his act, making him relatable to

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B2B Stories

Georgia one of the best states to start a new business in 2023

With almost weekly announcements of a new business coming to the state, it’s no surprise that Georgia is consistently ranked as one of the best states for business. WalletHub, a personal finance website, recently ranked Georgia as the sixth-best state to start a business in 2023. WalletHub ranked states in various categories and Georgia ranked in the top 10 in three of them – eighth in growth in number of small businesses, and 10th in cost of living and the average length of work week. The biggest drawback for the

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B2B Stories

Female business leaders discuss working with people from other cultures

Kimberly Barker believes in taking risks and thinking outside the box. Barker, Director of Marketing for Hull Barrett Attorneys in Augusta, attended this month’s Women in Business Program hosted by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce yesterday. For this event, the Chamber partnered with the U.S.-Japan Council for Regional Women in Leadership to present a panel discussion called “Womenomics Across Cultures.” “We get so caught up in our own routine, we lose sight of the fact that there’s a big world out there,” she said. Nozomi Morgan, CEO of Michiki

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B2B Stories

Evans coffee shop owners hold off on launching a second location

While many local businesses are expanding, owners of a Columbia County coffee business have announced they have changed their minds about opening a second location at this time. Heather Needles and her daughter, Ali Kocher, own Rooted Coffeehouse located in the Market at Riverwood at 3116 William Few Parkway in Evans. They had previously announced plans to open a second location at 380 Milledgeville Road in Harlem. Needles and Kocher provided no reason for their decision in their Instagram post, but the new shop would have been located very close

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Ups and downs continue in most recent jobs report shows healthcare lagging

As I reported last week, the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area had a strong jobs report for November with employment increasing by 1,300 jobs. Heading into the holiday season, it was no surprise to see that half the jobs were in the leisure and hospitality industry. Retail establishments also increased employment by 100 to a record high of 30,360. That equates to an additional 3,600 jobs from pre-pandemic levels. Professional and business services increased employment by 600 jobs, to a total of 34,250 in that sector. That is a post-pandemic peak,

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B2B Stories

CSRA Auto Group to buy another dealership

The Gerald Jones Auto Group drives a hard bargain when it comes to fellow car dealers. For the third time in the last seven years, owner Andy Jones is going on a shopping spree for dealerships. ABD has learned a deal is being finalized for the Auto Group to close on the purchase of another dealership in the next 30-45 days. In early 2016, the Gerald Jones Auto Group Ford purchased Bobby Jones Ford Lincoln from the heirs of former owner, Frank Lawrence. It continues to operate on Wrightsboro Road

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Champion Dawg knows football and pizza?

You know they can run up the score for back-to-back Nattys and some are cashing in on the title. Plus, will a new Labor Commissioner spell good news for our labor market? Here’s the latest buzz from around the state.

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Mergers/Acquisitions

Evans Vietnamese restaurant merges with similar Augusta eatery

A long-time Evans Vietnamese restaurant has closed its doors permanently and relocated to a similar restaurant in Augusta. Pho Bac located at 4300 Towne Centre Drive off Washington Road in Evans has moved to Pho Augusta Grill & Bar located at 4045 Jimmie Dyess Parkway, according to one of its employees. “We’ve been open for about two and half years, but we just merged together,” the employee said. She said she wasn’t sure why the owners of Pho Bac decided to merge the two eateries. Pho Augusta serves a variety

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Hull College benefits local businesses in several ways

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the quality of education available at the College of Business. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: The CSRA is fortunate to have a strong business school in the area. What are the educational aspects of it, both for undergraduate students and for those who are already in the professional business world? Rick: We give all undergraduates a core education

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