B2B Stories

B2B Stories

The “Hot Seat:” When to use it and how to handle it

It is August, one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons. Vocationally, it means the start of a new academic year. On Monday, we started classes at Augusta University, and I met two of my new Fall Semester classes for the first time. Students and faculty are reenergized, excited, and optimistic at this time of the year, so there is always a positive feeling in the air.  However, another reason this is one of my favorite times of the year is that the start of football season

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B2B Stories

More flexible options available for CSRA small businesses

Two area contractors will be turning the lights on at a new office park with warehouse space in Evans. It’s part of a trend ABD found offering up more space for rent to meet the needs of growing companies. Clark Develops, LLC will be the general contractor/owner of FlexSpace of Evans, and Newsome Electrical Construction LLC (NEC) will handle the electrical work from pre- to post-construction. The land is located at 4542 Washington Road in Evans between the back of the Bojangles Restaurant and the Eagle Pointe Shopping Center. That

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B2B Stories

Navigating Government Contracts

First, 95% of all businesses in the CSRA are small businesses. Government contracts can be quite lucrative for small businesses, offering a stable revenue stream and access to a large, consistent market. The U.S. government is a massive buyer of goods and services, and it’s legally obligated to consider small businesses for many contracts. In case you didn’t have a chance to access the Government Contract 101 webinar that ABD reported was available last week. Here is what you need to know. While the potential is high, the process of winning government contracts

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: More local government jobs in June

In June, several sectors in Augusta saw some big changes – the largest being government employment, which increased by 770. State employment accounting for about a third of the increase, and local government employment accounting for the other two-thirds. Federal government was unchanged. However, state and local employment were two sectors that saw big revisions at the national level, so these local numbers could eventually come in lower. The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) employment level remained unchanged in June at 248,100. As you will no doubt of heard from

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B2B Stories

The Culture Garden: A Leader’s Guide to Growing a Thriving Workplace from the Ground Up

Why Workplace Culture Matters Why does workplace culture matter? The days of the “company man” are gone. The workplace culture in the United States used to foster an expectation that once you start with a company, you will stay with that company until you retire. Mugs, pens, and plaques were given every 5, 10, 15, and 20 years to celebrate an employee’s tenure with the company. However, those times have passed, and today’s employees are looking for respect, growth, collaboration, and opportunities to make their mark in the industry. If

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B2B Stories

Popular Restaurant Expands

A popular Columbia County neighborhood bar and grill is adding a second location outside of another Columbia County neighborhood. Ironwood Tavern’s first location is at 5117 Washington Road in a shopping center next to Subway and Publix, bordering the Riverwood Subdivision in Evans. ABD’s confirmed that Ironwood will lease Suites 1 and 2 (far right end units) outside of the West Lake Subdivision in Martinez, in a newish shopping center on Furys Ferry Road developed by Rafy Bassali, co-owner of several Swank retail stores and Escape Outdoors. Swank, Oxygen Fitness,

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B2B Stories

Powering up for Georgia growth

Georgia Power has requested certification from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) of new resources totaling approximately 9,900 megawatts (MW) to meet the energy needs of a growing Georgia. Some will be located in the CSRA. The majority of resources – approximately 8,000 MW – submitted to the Georgia PSC were chosen from bids submitted in an “all-source” request for proposals (RFP). The request includes power purchase agreements (PPAs) from existing resources, as well as new company-owned natural gas generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and BESS plus solar identified

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B2B Stories

Here we grow again: E-Z-GO® Introduces New 2026 Golf Car

One way to keep driving the performance of more than 1,000 Augusta employees is to expand a product line. That’s just what Textron E-Z-GO LLC is doing—with the launch of new RXV models for the new season. According to a news release, both the two-passenger 2026 RXV 2 and four-passenger 2026 RXV 4 are available with electric or gas-powered drivetrains. MSRP for the RXV 2 starts at $8,914.00, and MSRP for the RXV 4 starts at $9,879.00. Electric models include ELiTE series vehicles with a zero-emission, fully electric drivetrain powered

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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.

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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

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