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Consumer Stories
ABD Extra

South Augusta’s surge in development: Part two

A quiet explosion of economic development has been underway in South Richmond County, $3.2 billion in all. A long-time plant has expanded, another major new manufacturing plant is under construction and two other companies are expected to start construction in the months ahead. All are in the Augusta Corporate Park on Mike Padgett Highway. But, two things are lacking outside of the I-520 perimeter, a pool of trained workers and sufficient new housing units to attract employees at the plants to move into Richmond County. Cal Wray, President of the

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Dana Lynn McIntyre June 12, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Simon Says: Here’s where employment was during Masters month

Despite the upturn in the Augusta Leading Economic Index reported last week, employment in the metro area continues to decline. Employment fell slightly by 200 jobs in April from March and is down almost 4,000 jobs since November 2022. Obviously, April was Masters month, and leisure and hospitality employment jumped 3,400 (not seasonally adjusted). This was less than in 2022, when the Masters bump was 4,200. With little month-to-month change in the seasonally adjusted total employment level, most industries did not see big changes in seasonally adjusted employment levels. Most

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe June 12, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Practical ways to improve your workforce

Staffing experts, Robert Kelly and Lynn Billing have some simple solutions for employers falling short of finding qualified candidates. They say taking the long view of improving the pipeline of candidates and matching it with schedule flexibility for those candidates will make the difference in solidifying your staff. Kelly, the chapter president of the nationally awarded SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) group, led last Thursday’s conference on recruiting, retention, and upskilling. “The key is to not scramble to fill a position by hastily filling it,” said Kelly, the long-time

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Neil Gordon June 12, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Practical ways to improve your workforce

Staffing experts, Robert Kelly and Lynn Billing have some simple solutions for employers falling short of finding qualified candidates. They say taking the long view of improving the pipeline of candidates and matching it with schedule flexibility for those candidates will make the difference in solidifying your staff. Kelly, the chapter president of the nationally awarded SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) group, led last Thursday’s conference on recruiting, retention, and upskilling. “The key is to not scramble to fill a position by hastily filling it,” said Kelly, the long-time

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Neil Gordon June 11, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Clothing business “Chalks it Up” for Father’s Day

Father’s Day is coming up in less than a week. You still have time to make your mark in honor of your dad. A few years ago, Lionel Smith Ltd. started a promotion that honors dads and gives back to the community. The initiative is a perfect fit for a clothier and tailors in business since 1976. Tailor’s chalk is used to make temporary markings on a suit as it’s being fitted. This time, a different type of chalk is being used to mark a memory of your dad. When you

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Mitzi Oxford June 11, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

A buffet of updates on a beloved BBQ restaurant

A year ago today, Duke’s Bar-B-Que caught fire. It’s been closed ever since. Daily progress is being made towards the reopening of a local favorite franchise that started more than 45 years ago and now has 14 South Carolina locations. On Friday afternoon, owner Christian Judy, conducted a Facebook Live tour of the new place. Generations of customers weighed in during the FB session and many others have been on social media platforms in the past few months, about what they would like to see and taste in the upcoming

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Mitzi Oxford June 11, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Iconic BBQ restaurant to reopen soon

A fire in a barbecue pit is good. A kitchen fire at the restaurant which serves BBQ is not. When Duke’s BBQ in Aiken caught fire in June last year and destroyed the family-owned restaurant, it was devastating to the owners and to all their customers. After all, it was founded 45 years ago. That means generations have grown up with Duke’s. Aikenites have craved Duke’s enough in the past year, that they’ve driven more than an hour away to Orangeburg to again sample the chicken, pork, sauce, and sides.

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Mitzi Oxford June 8, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Palmetto Industries break ground at Horizon South Industrial Park

A long-time tenant in Columbia County’s Horizon South Industrial Park in Grovetown is ready to grow. Palmetto Industries broke ground Thursday, on the first phase of a two-phase expansion project. ”We’re excited to be here,” Chamber President and CEO, Russell Lahodny said. “It’s not every day that we get to do these things. So, when we get to do a groundbreaking, it’s pretty impressive.” The new phases are being built alongside the company’s existing facility on Horizon West Parkway. It will add 50,000 square feet of new office, factory, and

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Dana Lynn McIntyre June 8, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local baker to celebrate opening of second CSRA location

Last summer, Alice Garner’s dreams came true when she opened a bakery kiosk in the Augusta Mall, but about one year later, she’s preparing to open a second location in Columbia County. Garner owns Garner’s Sweet Dreams, LLC, which sells a variety of desserts, including cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and banana pudding. Garner, a U.S. Army veteran, established Garner’s Sweet Dreams as a home-based business in Aug. 2019. Her kiosk opened on July 24, 2022. “We’ve been doing great in the mall,” she said. Her new location will be at 280

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Josh Heath June 7, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

BEST OF RESTAURANT REVIEW: Business Lunch Review: Frog and the Hen

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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Wes Hennings June 7, 2023 No Comments
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