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B2B Stories
B2B Stories

Pitches hit home runs in entrepreneurs’ competition

From a program to boost SAT scores to a way to keep swimming pools clean with less chlorine, 10 entrepreneurs had the chance to lay out their dream to a panel of judges. The No Boundaries pitch competition awarded $20,000 to the winners and added a surprise for the youngest competitor. One of the goals of the event was to show how businesses can thrive on both sides of the Savannah River. It was a goal that resonated with Jim Tunison, President and CEO of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce.

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 24, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Business Leaders Meet Meta

The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s April Power Lunch provided the chance for business leaders to meet a new neighbor coming to Aiken County. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and other social media platforms, is building an $800 million data center in the Sage Mill Industrial Park. Laura Warren, Meta’s Community Development Regional Manager, brought the importance of data centers to the personal level. She explained that everything an individual does on their computer or smartphone is processed in a data center to be shared as intended.

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 23, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Why the Fed’s Independence Matters

As I write this column late on Monday afternoon, the major U.S. equity market averages (Dow Jones Industrials, S&P 500, and NASDAQ) are each off between two and three percent for the day, continuing a downward trend that has been going on since mid to late February. While much of the recent volatility in these markets have been blamed on uncertainty related to the Trump administration’s tariff policies (please see my April 9 column), additional uncertainty has been thrown into the mix, as President Trump has threatened the traditional independence

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Dr. Rick Franza April 22, 2025 No Comments
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Augusta’s Other Spring Tradition Set to Take Flight

It doesn’t bring in Masters level money, but the impact of the upcoming Augusta Air Show is slated to pack an economic punch of more than $500,000. Commercial and corporate jets that flew in for the season’s first major golf tournament of the year are being replaced by fighter jets and helicopters. The Augusta Air Show is returning for its third year. It will be April 26 and 27 with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels as this year’s headliner. “The advance pilot for the Blue Angels will be coming in

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 22, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Business Institute to Enhance Success Strategies

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is kicking off its annual Business Institute on Thursday, May 1. The two-hour programs run monthly through August. The goal is to help business owners or employees learn new techniques and processes to run their business. “Because some businesses, it’s really just one person running the show, and they have to wear lots of hats, and so this is an opportunity at a low cost for them to get at least something that they can use,” Ivana Beckworth, the Chamber’s Programs and Events Director,

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: A Few Bright Spots in Augusta’s LEI, Except for Buying a Home

The Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased 0.2 percent in February from January. It is 0.9 percent higher than a year ago. The largest change was seen in initial claims for unemployment insurance, which declined by 65 percent on the month. Initial claims for unemployment insurance often fall in February, but there were just 653 new claims in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in February, the lowest since November 2019. The percentage decline was greater than the state of Georgia as a whole, which saw claims fall by 40

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe April 21, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Business groups’ solutions to minimize tariffs

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is watching how Trump Administration’s tariff policies can impact the state’s economy. The Chamber released Guidance and Advice on Tariffs and Trade Regulations (www.gachamber.com/data/tariffs-briefing-april-16-2025-guidance-advice-on-tariffs-and-trade-regulations/), a 14-page report examining the current situation while providing guidance on ways to mitigate the impact. Coinciding with the release of the report, Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber, held a virtual news conference with reporters across the state, including ABD. The latest report focused on Georgia’s most valuable sectors, including manufacturing, retail, and agribusiness. One recommendation is

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Dana Lynn McIntyre April 20, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

2 Questions for The Dean: Student Internships

When your son or daughter gets ready for college, they’ll be faced with juggling classes and perhaps a job, and an internship. If you send them to the Hull College of Business, chances are all three will be taken care of. Here are two questions with the Dean! ABD: You have a very unique internship program, and talk a little bit about the value that it brings to the students that actually go to work while they study. HULL: It’s something that we did a couple of years ago, where

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Neil Gordon April 20, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Spring Cleaning for Your Business

You’ve heard of spring cleaning at the house, but how about at your business? You could be 1 of 8 CSRA business leaders or HR professionals to receive a one-hour Spring Policy Refresh. Sign up (QUICKLY) in the ad below or at the end of the article below, in which Gia Hunter from Talentworks explains how shaping priorities is JOB 1! Gia Hunter has 20 years of Human Resources experience, including talent development, talent acquisition, compliance, engagement, people operations, career counseling, and conflict management strategies. She is a highly skilled

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Gia Hunter April 20, 2025 No Comments
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