Wed, April 08, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

B2B Stories
B2B Stories

Simon Says: South Carolina beats Georgia economically

There was mixed economic news at the national level last week. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter. The decline in economic activity was driven by imports, which increased by 41% from the fourth quarter of 2024. Imports are subtracted from GDP because they represent expenditures by US residents on goods and services from overseas. Much of these imports ended up in firms’ inventory as they tried to get ahead of expected tariffs. We

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

CSRA estimates: $3 billion economic development/4,000 jobs

Last week, the President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA) walked business leaders through the impact of regional development. Cal Wray brought the report to the Chamber’s first Member Economic Luncheon of 2025. He pulled together numbers from Richmond, Columbia, and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken County in South Carolina. “Aiken, $1.36 billion in new investment, 1,452 new jobs,” he began. “Burke was $50 million investment, 244 new jobs. Columbia County, $158 million with 1,600 new jobs. Richmond County, $1.335 billion and 778 jobs. That is what manufacturing,

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre May 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Splish Splash: Your dog’s taking a bath!

Hollywood Feed is expanding this summer in West Augusta. Now, your pets will be able to come into the store and feel part of the expansion. Managers tell ABD that pet parents will have two self-service bathing stations to keep their “best friends” clean. Contractors are cutting through the side wall of the main store to connect two more storefronts that Hollywood Feed will be leasing. The existing 3,150 square feet store will expand to more than 5,000 square feet to allow for the new pet area and for an

Read More »
Neil Gordon May 5, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

2 Questions for the Dean: MBA

There’s a little-known intangible reason why you or your colleagues should consider joining the MBA program at Augusta University’s Hull College of Business. Here are two questions with the Dean, Mark Thompson. ABD: What’s unique about your MBA program in terms of attracting professionals in the CSRA? HULLL: One of the things that we really highlight is recruiting. We want to recruit a cohort of students into the MBA program. You come into a class and you have all of these other working professionals from a number of different industries

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

Air taxis one step closer to reality in CSRA

An Augusta company is watching as a Japanese aeronautics company hits two recent milestones. On April 9, SkyDrive, Inc. successfully conducted a demo flight of the SkyDrive SD-05 model of its air taxi at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Bravo Air, which provides charter jet service at Augusta Regional Airport, has been following the advances. “I think it’s very exciting, because this is going to open up new realms of aviation and our ability to transport passengers in an innovative way in the future,” Pamela Davison, CEO of Bravo Air,

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre May 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Another local transportation group asking for public input

The organization tasked with identifying transportation issues wants to hear what people see as challenges today and for the future. The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) focuses on Richmond and Columbia Counties in Georgia and the South Carolina counties of Aiken and Edgefield. It is updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) through 2055 with a focus on multimodal transportation projects and priorities. Kaycee Mertz, Vice President and Georgia Planning Lead at engineering company WSP, told members of the Rotary Club of Aiken that they will use data from traffic counts,

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre April 30, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Speedy service on Ft. Eisenhower

In a significant leap towards enhancing digital connectivity for military families, eCommunity™ Fiber, in partnership with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange), has successfully completed the installation of its cutting-edge fiber-optic internet infrastructure at Fort Eisenhower. The event commenced with welcoming remarks and introductions, followed by detailed presentations from representatives of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange), Boldyn Networks, and eCommunity™ Military. Speakers emphasized the project’s pivotal role in modernizing the base’s infrastructure and its positive impact on the community, echoing sentiments highlighted in recent reports regarding the

Read More »
Staff Report April 30, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Performance Reviews: Threading the Needle

This is an important time of the year for students and faculty members at Augusta University and other higher education institutions throughout Georgia. As the semester wraps up, the students will soon receive their grades for their performance in the Spring Semester. For the faculty, in addition to having to assign students their grades, many have recently received annual performance reviews of their own work. Therefore, performance reviews have been top of mind for me in the last few weeks. Challenges being faced both in grading students and evaluating faculty

Read More »
Dr. Rick Franza April 29, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Reunion for CSRA Women Leaders

ABD’s been doing regular spotlights on our strategic partner, The Hull College of Business. Dean Mark Thompson discussed a Women’s Leadership Academy Reunion. This was a huge success with many graduates from just before the onset of COVID-19. ABD sponsors the whole program and the reunion. sponsored by ADP. Guest speaker, Patrice Buckner Jackson, Ed.D., motivated the ladies—many of which who’ve gone on to take key leadership roles and business ownership in the CSRA. Ladies were thankful to Stacy Roberts, DBA, SHRM-CP, CDP, Mark Thompson, and Dave Brendza from ADP

Read More »
Neil Gordon April 29, 2025 No Comments
Load More