B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Simon Says: Augusta’s hospitality industry reaches a milestone

A major Augusta milestone was achieved with May’s employment data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Leisure and hospitality employment surpassed the pre-pandemic peak. There were 29,600 people employed in the leisure and hospitality sector in May. The previous peak was 28,000 in May 2019. The sector lost 11,000 jobs in the depths of the stay-at-home orders in spring 2020. Moreover, the leisure and hospitality industry now employs more workers than retail, a position it lost during the pandemic. The retail sector lost about 1,000 jobs in May. As

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Stress test: One website ranks Augusta as being full of stress

If you’re feeling relaxed and at ease, maybe you know something the folks at the personal finance website WalletHub don’t. They just ranked Augusta as the 11th-most stressed city in the country. Augusta just missed the top 10, coming in slightly lower than Toledo, Ohio, but well ahead of Atlanta, which ranked 42nd. This may be a little confusing for any local residents who’ve had to drive in the traffic melee in our capital city. How could we be more stressed than that? To figure out what’s going on, we

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SRP Federal Credit Union announces new CEO

Eric Jenkins will become the new Chief Executive Officer of SRP Federal Credit Union on Sept. 1. He will succeed interim President, Woody Shuler. Jenkins, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, had served as CEO at Education Credit Union in Amarillo, Texas. “The Board is pleased and excited that Mr. Jenkins will be joining the SRP team as CEO,” said SRP Board Chair, Sandra DeVoe Bland. “His energy, leadership, and vision, fit well with SRP. The Board feels that Mr. Jenkins is the perfect leader to continue and

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Aiken Technical College celebrates its 50th anniversary

The average cost of tuition for four-year colleges in South Carolina is around $12,500, but Aiken Technical College’s tuition this fall may be free for eligible S.C. residents. It’s part of the SC WINS scholarship program designed to address workforce shortages in the state. It supplements Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTAP) to help cover tuition and other fees left after applying for other scholarships and grants.  Aiken Tech is in celebration mode for good reason. Offering free tuition, providing community service for United Way and other nonprofits, honoring former employees and

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Mondays with Rick: Internships benefit both students and businesses

  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 internships benefit students and businesses. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: I know that internships play an important part in education at the College of Business. What is their purpose of them? Rick: We require all of our graduates to have a four-credit internship of at least 120 hours, but typically most students end up working more than

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New management company helps CSRA businesses focus on success

No less an authority than Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban lists salesmanship, creativity, tenacity, and passion at the top of his must-have list of traits to be successful. While most business owners would agree, entrepreneurs and even established small businesses sometimes need professional guidance to cement their success. That’s what Rhodes-Porter Business Development and Management Company offers. Cynthia Rhodes grew up in a military family and has a background in logistics, and project management for construction and real estate. Ralph Porter was a combat Marine with credentials in agribusiness logistics.

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SRP gives teens a dose of financial reality

  Patti McGrath is a Marketing Specialist II at SRP Federal Credit Union. She has worked in marketing for more than 25 years and has five years in the credit union industry. Joining the SRP team has been rewarding for her due to their involvement in the community, especially regarding financial literacy. She wanted to share one of her experiences with you, our readers.   On Wednesday, July 20, about 30 teenagers representing numerous area high schools gathered at SRP Park’s WOW Club for a morning of interactive learning at

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Thoughts from the General: How about some good news

It is important to be aware of bad news and, more importantly, to take steps to deal with it. However, recognizing, celebrating, and enjoying the good news should be part of everyone’s life’s journey. A favorite expression in our family is “Don’t postpone joy.” Here is the good news list from far and wide. The strength of the dollar. For the first time in 20 years, the dollar is worth as much as the Euro (the only other important currency in the world). This news is mostly positive. It indicates

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