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B2B Stories

Columbia County businesses working on Hurricane Helene recovery

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is checking in with businesses across the county to gauge their needs in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Chamber, told ABD he and his staff split up contact information in their database and have been calling to get updates from businesses, large and small. “The big thing is just making sure that our business community has the resources they need, letting them know that we’re here to support them through this, whether that be resources with

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Dana Lynn McIntyre October 20, 2024 No Comments
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Helene takes a toll on small business spending

Hurricane Helene took a significant economic toll on small businesses in Georgia, according to new data from Fiserv. At the height of the storm’s impact, consumer spending came to a virtual standstill, with statewide small business sales plummeting 19% from 9/26-9/29 (compared to the same period in 2023). Since 9/30, though, sales have recovered somewhat – up 5.5% year-over-year, driven by a surge in spending on lumber, hardware, and accommodations. Fiserv measures spending at some 2 million small businesses nationwide every month – but can also track sales over specific

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Staff Report October 17, 2024 No Comments
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Two years before a popular CSRA event venue is available

The Savannah Rapids Pavilion has hosted Chamber of Commerce meetings and has been a popular choice for weddings and other events. Because of damage from Hurricane Helene, many of those events will be postponed for quite a while. A planned $8 million had been set aside for renovation. Now, that will have to be revisited based on damage to the facility from Hurricane Helene. Officials in Columbia County have been briefed on the extent of damage done to the 25,000-square-foot Savannah Rapids Pavilion conference center. Sitting high atop an 80-foot

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Dana Lynn McIntyre October 17, 2024 No Comments
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One stop 411 for CSRA hurricane relief

Our neighbors across the river who are looking for answers and help for Hurricane Helene relief have two great opportunities, one today, Thursday, October 17, and another tomorrow, Friday, October 18 at Team South Carolina County Days. Gov. Henry McMaster and Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, other state and federal officials, and representatives from nonprofits will host the information-filled events in Allendale on Thursday and Aiken on Friday. Team South Carolina County Days provides residents affected by Hurricane Helene with a one-stop opportunity to learn about relief resources available to them.

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Staff Report October 16, 2024 No Comments
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Retail predictions for Halloween and Christmas

An industry group has released its predictions for retail spending through the upcoming holiday season. The National Retail Federation (NRF) is predicting a steady growth in sales through November and December. It defines the holiday season as Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, six days shorter than the 2023 holiday period. ABD sat in on a virtual briefing NRF provided for reporters on Tuesday. It included NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay, and NRF Chief Economist, Jack Kleinhenz. NRF predicts winter holiday spending will increase between 2.5% and 3.5% over last

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Dana Lynn McIntyre October 16, 2024 No Comments
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CSRA Facebook groups kept everyone connected post-Helene

During a disaster, social media provides up-to-the-minute news information – power outage alerts, road closure updates, designated help areas, shelter locations, and more. Of all the social media platforms, the CSRA benefitted most via Facebook. Like many businesses and residents, our Augusta Business Daily staff was also impacted by Helene’s 100+ mph wind gusts and 8’ to 12” of rain. Like many of you, most of us had no power, we were running on fumes in our cars and lost food in our refrigerators and freezers. When we found limited gas

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Mitzi Oxford October 15, 2024 No Comments
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Helping Hurricane Helene victims recover

Small businesses and individuals in need of financial assistance can now meet in person with federal agencies. The Small Business Administration (SBA) and FEMA have set up locations to assist people in storm-impacted counties in Georgia and South Carolina. The centers have been set up to facilitate applications for federal monies available for small businesses and individuals. One of the centers is available at The Hub for Community Innovation at 631 Chafee St. in Augusta. A news release from Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff said staff at the FEMA Disaster Recovery

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Dana Lynn McIntyre October 15, 2024 No Comments
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Two-Way Courtesy Pays Dividends to Businesses and Customers

In the words of Michael Jordan upon his return to the NBA after his foray into baseball, “I’m back!” Maybe you didn’t notice, but I haven’t written a column for Augusta Business Daily (ABD) since the last Wednesday in August. I took the month of September off to help provide space for the sponsors of that month’s ABD Connections and Careers event. Then, my return was further delayed by the impact (both literally and figuratively) of Hurricane Helene. My wife and I have been refugees/vagabonds for the past couple of weeks. We were

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Dr. Rick Franza October 15, 2024 No Comments
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Simon Says: Positive labor news

Employment in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) continued to grow for the fourth consecutive month. In August, employment was 247,800, up 700 from July. 3,300 net new jobs have been created in the last year. Over two-thirds of the net new jobs were created in the education and health services sector, reflecting national trends. Private education and health services jobs have grown by 3.8 percent over the last 12 months. Government employment represented almost a quarter of the net new jobs in the Augusta MSA over the last year.

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe October 14, 2024 No Comments
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