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B2B Stories

Local businesses provide protection against school shootings

Like everyone else, Rian True was saddened by watching news coverage of the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that killed 21 people. But True, a local business owner is now doing his part to help prevent tragedies like that in the future. He owns and operates two local businesses: Carolina CoverTech, a manufacturing facility in North Augusta, and School Safety Solution, a company that sells and ships a variety of products designed to keep students and employees safe in schools throughout the U.S. One of

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Josh Heath July 10, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: The numbers gap between young women and men in college

  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 disparity in college enrollment between women and men and the value of the trades. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: A statistic I saw recently was startling – the ratio of women to men in college is around 60-40. What is happening to the young men? Rick: That’s true in business schools as well and it’s been going

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Gary Kauffman July 10, 2022 No Comments
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Local fast-food restaurant to be demolished by ANGC

The Augusta National Golf Club has found a new purpose for a longtime fast-food restaurant. Local Wendy’s franchisee, Mike Iezzi leased the location at 2738 Washington Road next to Olive Garden from a company called Meadows Inc. from 2007 until a few years ago, when Augusta National purchased the property. Iezzi said he’s been paying the golf club monthly rent to operate the busy franchise location. According to Golf Magazine, the restaurant property was purchased for $3.4 Million by AGNC. Iezzi added that Wendy’s will close permanently on Sunday, July

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Josh Heath and Neil Gordon July 7, 2022 No Comments
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Simon Says: Best labor markets in Georgia, S.C. are on the coasts

Last week, I compared the labor market in Augusta to other metro areas in Georgia. However, two counties in the August metro area are in South Carolina (Aiken and Edgefield), so how does Augusta stack up against South Carolina cities? Like Georgia, the fastest-growing labor markets in South Carolina are on the coast. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Charleston grew at 2.5 percent over the last year and by a whopping 4.7 percent in Myrtle Beach. (The fastest growth in Georgia was Savannah at 3.6 percent). Over the past

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor July 6, 2022 1 Comment
B2B Stories

Local business owner invests in three downtown properties

A local business owner and investor has added three more properties to his growing portfolio of dozens in downtown Augusta. Rafy Bassali has purchased 1293, 1296, and 1297 Broad St., according to the Finem Group with Meyboym Commercial Properties, which represented the seller in this transaction. Bassali, who owns the building next door to these businesses, said all three are currently occupied. “It’s the gateway to downtown Augusta, and I think in the future, it can be beautified,” he said. The Girl Cave Boutique occupies 1293 Broad St.; Johnson, Laschober

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Josh Heath July 6, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Insights from flawed leaders and their enablers….

I may be one of the few folks in our area who watched, on live TV, the McCarthy, Nixon, and Trump hearings. There are some interesting comparisons between and among these powerful political leaders and their close advisors. As a cadet at West Point, I watched the McCarthy hearings in 1953. I was in the hospital and a black and white TV was at the far end of my ward. Twenty years later, I watched intently many of the 1973 Watergate hearings. Within the past couple of weeks, the January

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Ret. Maj. General Perry Smith July 6, 2022 No Comments
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Local photographer to provide headshots for Chamber members

A local photographer and the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide professional headshots exclusively for its member businesses and their employees. Crystal E. Smith Photography, LLC will take these photos on Monday, July 11 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, July 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chamber boardroom. Various timeslots are available on both days. “There is availability for five sessions per half hour, and each person will receive three digital images for $65,” said Chamber Executive Vice President, Angie

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Josh Heath July 6, 2022 No Comments
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Branding Your Small Business

  Don MacNeil is the former Marketing Director of Windsor Jewelers and long-time on-air radio professional.   Is it just me, or… Branding Your Small Business Editor’s Note: This first ran a year ago in ABD but it still offers timely advice for any business. No, this isn’t going to be some highfalutin’ cerebral slog. Branding your business should be fun, but please, do me (and yourself) a favor by not trying to do it yourself, and then too late, call in a pro after you’ve blown through the cash

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Don MacNeil July 5, 2022 No Comments
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Local young professionals selected as top future business leaders

Dalton Self is a local entrepreneur with a passion for creating opportunities for future business leaders. Self, Vice President of Jani-King of Augusta, was selected by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Augusta Magazine as one of the Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Self, who is also responsible for overseeing other Jani-King locations, including Macon, Savannah, and Memphis said in the future, he will be one of the top business leaders in the CSRA because he strives to help others become successful commercial cleaning franchises. According

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Josh Heath July 5, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Sister act paints their way to curbside success

Painting curb numbers in the summer heat may sound like a brutal way to make a buck, but for young entrepreneurs, Bailey and Reese Kirkland, it’s the perfect summer job. The twin sisters started their business in mid-May. They had little input and a lot of support from their family. Think of it as a summer gig to make a little pocket money. So far, these young ladies surpassed their goal of a couple of hundred dollars by a long shot, with earnings of a couple of thousand. “The idea

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Mitzi Oxford July 5, 2022 No Comments
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