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B2B Stories

Progress but work remains one year later

Damaged buildings, thousands of trees lost, and a $6 million cleanup faced Augusta University one year ago. Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the CSRA as a full-strength hurricane, something the region had never experienced. The one-year anniversary is this Saturday. There are still areas of destruction and scars marking where trees and buildings once stood, but there are also signs of recovery. At the Summerville campus of Augusta University (AU), damaged roofs and facades have been repaired, but the decorative ironwork at the main entrance off of Walton Way is

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Dana Lynn McIntyre September 24, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Signs Augusta’s Economy is Weakening

4 of the 5 key indicators of the CSRA’s economy are not where they should be. Hence, the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) fell 0.6 percent in July from June. It remains 0.3 percent higher than July 2024. Of the five components in the LEI, only the Dow Jones Industrial Average improved. The two indicators of future labor market vitality declined. Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 20 percent, and job openings fell by 4.3 percent. We have already seen a weakening of the local labor market in recent

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe September 23, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Getting a peek inside Accelerate Augusta

Hurry over to Accelerate Augusta if you want to get an early look at how it can help your business. Accelerate Augusta Powered by SRPFCU (SRP Federal Credit Union) is having a series of workshops through September as a “soft opening” leading up to the official opening on October 10th. The downtown business incubator is a partnership between Augusta Technical College and the Downtown Development Authority. “We’re doing this to give an overall view of who we are and to actually get some traction for our grand opening, Executive Director

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Dana Lynn McIntyre September 23, 2025 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

From Layoffs to Leadership: Erik Smith’s Faith Journey with Chick-fil-A

From time to time, ABD spots something we think is “must-see.” CSRA business owners, Robert Kelly from Augusta Staffing and Job Shop and Phillip Stanley from Brightworx Productions regularly host “Glory Stories” podcasts. Please be inspired by the humble beginnings of an owner/operator of a local Chick-fil-A restaurant, whose faith led the way to new heights.

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Glory Stories: Erik Smith, Chick-fil-A September 23, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Business Education: New opportunities available

The Hull College of Business is trying to make sure that students have a chance to take coursework and start to learn how to run a business. Its Dean, Mark Thompson explains more: “One of the things that Hull College has done and continues to look to do is to create dual degree options. We do this with our professional students, where we have medical school students, we have dental school students that are pursuing their MD and DMD while also pursuing an MBA. So that’s one of our sets

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Neil Gordon September 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Up close with Augusta’s First Ladies

The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s September Women in Business event turned the spotlight on three of the women whose husbands lead the community. Toni Seals-Johnson, wife of Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, and Karen Keen, wife of Augusta University President Dr. Russell Keen, joined Charlene McCorn, married to Paine College President Dr. Lester McCorn, for a panel discussion on balancing their responsibilities with their personal lives. The women came from different fields in their own careers. Seals-Johnson was in tourism, then she started Augusta Office Solutions with her husband. Keen

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Dana Lynn McIntyre September 19, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Hungry college students get help

The Community Foundation for the CSRA (CFCSRA) and Golden Harvest Food Bank are continuing their partnership to attack food insecurity head-on on a local college campus. The Knights Corner Food Pantry opened in Aiken Technical College’s Student Activities building in the fall of 2024. That anniversary was celebrated during a recent open house. A study by the Government Accountability Office found that 3.8 million college students, that’s an estimated 23%, face food insecurity. Of that number, 2.2 million are classified as very low food security, meaning they often skip meals

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Dana Lynn McIntyre September 18, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Planning and managing capacity for service company success

One of the enjoyable and interesting aspects of teaching college-level business courses is that you often encounter examples of the concepts you teach on a regular basis in everyday life.  I think one of the reasons students enjoy my classes is that I often bring my personal experiences to the classroom to demonstrate what we are learning.  In addition, as I relate my personal experiences, the students tend to recognize that they have had relevant experiences as well, which reinforces their learning.   This was particularly evident this past week as

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Dr. Rick Franza September 17, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Part 2: Impact of tariffs on imports, sales, and the Georgia Ports

Georgia’s deepwater ports are responsible for $174 billion in sales, representing 11% of the state’s total sales. That’s $77 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or 9% of Georgia’s total GDP. More than 650,000 jobs, full-time and part-time, are supported by the ports. High on the list of imports coming into the Georgia ports are retail consumer goods, including furniture, automotive, and electronics. Goods that are then distributed across the CSRA, Georgia, and the rest of the country, generating income for businesses. A recent report by the National Labor Federation

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Dana Lynn McIntyre September 17, 2025 No Comments
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