B2B Stories

B2B Stories

Simon Says: Leisure and hospitality jobs sluggish, but hotels thrive

Boosted by the Masters Tournament, employment in the leisure and hospitality sector increased by 500 in April to stand at 27,000 in the Augusta Metropolitan Area. However, this was the lowest April total since 2014. Between 2014 and 2019, employment increased on average by 3,700 jobs between March and April. The bump the local labor market receives from the Masters Tournament in the pandemic era has clearly declined. Data from Smith Travel Research shows that hotel occupancy in Richmond County has held up well in the pandemic era. In April

Read More »
B2B Stories

Engineering firm with local office joins professional services network

A Southeastern engineering firm has formed a partnership with a major professional services company. Cranston Engineering Group, P.C., which has offices in Augusta, Charleston, and Hilton Head, provides many services, including civil and structural engineering and planning. Based in St. Louis, The HFW Companies invest in engineering firms like Cranston. “This partnership with HFW will give Cranston a new platform on which to strengthen our presence in the communities we serve across both Georgia and South Carolina while allowing us to forge ahead in growing the Cranston brand,” said company

Read More »
B2B Stories

Local program manager discusses supporting future female entrepreneurs

Female business professionals can’t always provide college scholarships, but they can provide support and mentor for the next generation of businesswomen, according to Revellee McNeil. “Women can provide their time and their presence,” McNeil said. “Make a phone call or meet for lunch.” McNeil, program manager for IntelliGenesis, LLC’s Augusta office, spoke about the importance of women helping women at the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Program on Tuesday, June 21. Company President and CEO, Angie Lienert was originally scheduled to speak, but she was unable to

Read More »
B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: What it takes to be an entrepreneur

  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 entrepreneurship and whether it can be taught. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: How do you define entrepreneurship? Rick: I define it as the ability to start a new business, of being able to bring a product or service to market and make money from it. It could be a new product or it could be a new way

Read More »
B2B Stories

Thoughts from the General: Helpful hints on how to plan

For two marvelous years, I had the pleasure of being the top planner in the Air Force. The learning experience was extraordinary. Helping the military as well as corporations, churches, and non-profits with long-range planning have been great fun. Here are a few techniques that can be used in any organization, for-profit or nonprofit, large or small. Never make any important decision without considering the long-term implications. Here are a few examples. When Saint Paul’s church decided to complete the upper rooms, it was decided to make them very attractive.

Read More »
B2B Stories

Aiken entrepreneur joins the crowded digital marketing field

It’s long been said there is a drugstore on every corner and there just might be a digital marketing company nearby. The two have little in common except for the sheer numbers of both types of businesses. That fact has not deterred Christa Turner from entering the crowded field of website development, PPC, SEO, and the full slate of digital acronym offerings. She is an Aiken native with a family history of entrepreneurial spirit; her grandmother started Supply Services Company in 1970. Turner is blazing her trail with Shining Sons

Read More »
B2B Stories

Two major business services firms to merge

A major business services firm with a local office and a Texas-based accounting firm have announced they are merging. Elliott Davis, LLC, which has eight locations throughout the Southeast, including one at 1 10th Street, Suite 400 in downtown Augusta, will merge with Whitley Penn LLP to form Elliott Penn LLP. Founded in 1920, Elliott Davis offers a variety of services, such as tax preparation, business valuation consulting, and forensic accounting. Founded in 1983, Whitley Penn also offers many services to its clients, which include audits, strategic consulting, and wealth

Read More »