Tue, April 14, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

B2B Stories
B2B Stories

Land prep for new business

ABD has learned the type of business developing a large lot on Stevens Creek Road near the Riverwatch Parkway. A financial advisory firm will build offices on the Columbia County side of Stevens Creek Road on the same side of the street as one entrance to the Watervale Subdivision. That part of Stevens Creek Road has seen a resurgence since 2024 with the development and opening of a Dollar General Store. The financial advisors will be across the street from DG.

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 8, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

U.S. Secretary of Energy on hand for opening of AMC

The latest feather in the cap for USC Aiken opens this morning, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will join Savannah River National Laboratory leadership and partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC), located on the campus of the University of South Carolina-Aiken, will provide a platform for public-private partnerships to improve advanced manufacturing in areas such as additive manufacturing, AI-driven automation, energy resilience, and nuclear applications. This facility will be a catalyst for regional economic and technological growth, while supporting partnerships and technology commercialization. “The

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford August 7, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Government Contracting 101

By actively engaging with the government contracting process, businesses in the CSRA can tap into a valuable source of revenue and contribute to economic growth. If the task seems daunting, help is on the way. The government is the largest customer in the country, generating more than $400 billion in goods and services, and more than $100 billion in contracts are awarded to small businesses. Is your business ready to reap those rewards? Tomorrow, Thursday, August 7, from noon until 1:00 pm, Piedmont SCORE will host a webinar on Government

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford August 6, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

SRNS continues workforce development initiatives

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) continues to advance innovation and strengthen research partnerships that deliver solutions for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) critical missions. SRNS recently invited two representatives from Florida International University (FIU) Applied Research Center (ARC) to visit the Savannah River Site (SRS). The collaboration was formalized with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2025, with a shared goal of identifying pathways, increasing the number of interns transitioning into full-service positions, strengthening technical capabilities, and raising ARC’s visibility. “One of our primary goals is to

Read More »
Staff Report August 6, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Competence can be undermined by lack of honesty and accountability

While it has been a while since I have written a column on leadership, recent events have indicated to me that this is an appropriate time to address what I consider some of the most important and necessary leadership traits. Understandably, we put significant emphasis and priority on a leader’s competence. We expect a good leader to demonstrate expertise, relevant knowledge, and the ability to make sound decisions. Such competence is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for effective leadership. In my opinion, and the opinion of many others, a

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza August 6, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: 2025’s Been a Good Year!

It has been a while since I updated the Augusta Labor Market Index (LMI) because the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis had not updated its website since December. Recently, it did so through April, and the Augusta LMI has increased by 0.5 percent from December and is 1.2 percent higher than April 2024. The LMI measures labor market vitality through five components: employment, unemployment rate, labor force, average weekly earnings, and average weekly hours worked. Over the past five months, employment increased by 1,200, and the unemployment rate fell

Read More »
Dr. Simon Medcalfe August 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Busy late July for Augusta banker and parent company

The Augusta market president for a Southeastern Bank has had a busy few weeks, from a trip to the New York Stock Exchange, also to receive an honor across the Peach State. All while the parent company of his bank acquired another bank! Chris McLaughlin from Colony Bank in Evans will be serving a three-year term as a member of the Leadership Georgia Bankers Association Board of Directors. Leadership GBA supports the advancement of career bankers by providing leadership development training, serving as a forum through which career bankers can network and

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Success for sales strategies seminar coming soon

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is holding its final Business Institute of 2025 on August 7th. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, told ABD the program was originally going to be called the Small Business Institute, but they realized the information offered benefits for businesses of all sizes. It provides a unique, face-to-face forum to learn tips and tricks to improve their business. “There are so many opportunities on the internet that you can sit down and watch YouTube videos all day long,

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre August 1, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Always Sunny in Augusta

Once the sun sets on the hot summer, there will be another option to keep your tan year-round. The fourth location of Palm Beach Tan between Evans and Augusta is going to replace the Cardboard Castle Games shop located between Belk’s and Larson Chiropractor in the Mullins Colony Shopping Center. Palm Beach Tan offers spray tans, tanning beds, and skincare products from its 650 centers nationwide. Local stores include one less than a mile away on 4276 Washington Road next to Publix, plus a store at 4115 Columbia Road and

Read More »
Neil Gordon August 1, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

August meetings and conventions coming in HOT!

The temperatures are hot, and so are the projections for the economic impact of visitors headed to the Augusta River Region for meetings, reunions, and other events. More than 7,000 visitors will be in town, generating almost $6,400,000 in the month of August. The largest boost comes from the TechNet conference to be held in mid-August. This will be the 12th year TechNet has been hosted in Augusta. It brings in at least 6,000 attendees, with more than half coming from outside Georgia and South Carolina. That conference alone is estimated to generate more

Read More »
Mitzi Oxford August 1, 2025 No Comments
Load More