B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Local paint company owner launches CSRA party rental business

Michael Schiebel already owns a local painting company, but he’s excited to announce he’s bouncing into a second business in the party rental industry. Schiebel, owner of A Cut Above Painting Co. in Evans, is launching A Jump Above Party Rentals. The new business will rent out various items, such as bounce houses, cotton candy machines, tables, and chairs, for birthday parties, weddings, and other events. Prior to going into business for himself, he worked for Rainbow Play Systems. “I enjoyed working with families with kids in that industry,” Schiebel

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B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Reflecting on 2022 to prepare for 2023

  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 how to review the past year to prepare for the new year. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: 2022 is almost in the history books. The end of the year seems like a good time for business leaders to review the past year. Should we just breathe a sigh of relief at having made it through it and move

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Giving a gift of relaxation

Massages never get old – and they make great gifts for anyone on your list looking to unwind. Neil Gordon talks with Laurie Pratt, owner of Serenity Massage and Spa about her business and the services it provides.

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B2B Stories

Local Harley-Davidson to launch much larger Augusta dealership

About a week ago, Timms Harley-Davidson of Augusta Inc. held a ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new, much larger dealership in Augusta. The 40,000-square-foot facility will be located at 129 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway near Gander RV, CarMax, and Northern Tool + Equipment. Construction is expected to be complete by December 2023, according to the business’s Marketing Manager, Hannah Barrs. Barrs said the current location at 4200 Belair Frontage Road is 31,000 square feet. “It’s incredibly modern with glass windows from floor to ceiling,” she said. “It’s a

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B2B Podcasting

Free Access: Cleansing from the inside out

Cheryl LaRonde, owner of Serenity Wellness in Evans tells Neil Gordon about how her treatments help attain good health – and how her services can even make a healthy Christmas gift!

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B2B Stories

A gift of sage advice to young entrepreneurs in the CSRA

This story started as a question for business leaders in the CSRA who have found success: What advice would you give your younger self? To some extent, this 411 is incorporated into the stories ABD offers every day – the “how to” of putting together a strategic plan, marketing your business or dealing with a possible recession. The interviews are with those who’ve walked the walk and the advice isn’t just for professionals looking to stay on their “A” game. Whether you are a seasoned business owner, an employee or

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B2B Stories

Small businesses increasingly pessimistic about economy, poll finds

Small businesses have an increasingly pessimistic outlook about the economy and where it’s heading, according to the Job Creators Network Foundation (JCNF)’s latest Small Business IQ poll. According to the poll, 72 percent rate the U.S. economy as either fair or poor, but among companies in the South, that percentage is 80 percent. Also, 55 percent say the direction of the economy is getting worse, with 64 percent in the South saying so. JCNF has been polling small businesses monthly since May 2021. In November, JCNF contacted 500 small businesses

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B2B Stories

Long-time Augusta architects merge with Carolinas-based firm

Virgo Gambill Architects, a fixture in Augusta for nearly 40 years, has merged with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, a firm with offices throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. The merger took place on Dec. 7. Virgo Gambill Architects, a collaboration of Steve Virgo and Joe Gambill, has served the Augusta, Evans, North Augusta, Aiken, and surrounding communities since 1984 in a wide range of areas ranging from healthcare to government and from churches to commercial. Notable works in the area include the Richmond County Municipal Building, True North Church, Augusta Regional

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B2B Stories

Despite setbacks, couple skates to business success with seasonal business

For the past five years, people have flocked to Evans on Ice for family entertainment, but its owners, Mike and Christine Boerner have faced their share of obstacles in running the seasonal business. The Boerners opened the ice-skating rink, which was originally located in the Augusta Common, in 2017. At that time, it was called Augusta on Ice. After the first year, city officials told them they would have to pay a much larger amount to continue operating in that location, so the couple moved the skating attraction to Evans

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