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Consumer Stories
ABD Extra

Economic Update: ABD Extra Conference and Expo Edition

In this week’s economic update, we take a look at the employee recruitment and retention panel discussion from ABD’s Conference and Expo last week! Darin Myers, who is co-owner of TAB CSRA, speaks about interviewing job candidates and creating company values. This panel was moderated by Mike Petchenik who creates the weekly Georgia Business Minutes and other media for Augusta Business Daily.

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Darin Myers May 22, 2023 No Comments
ABD Extra

Simon Says: Looking at the labor market

The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area had the worst labor market over the last year of all metro areas in the state of Georgia. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Augusta fell 0.4 percent from March 2022 through March 2023. Only Hinesville and Warner Robins also saw declining LMIs. The Georgia LMI grew by 0.9 percent over the past year. Columbus had the best labor market over the last year. Across the state, employment increased by 2.8 percent, or 133,400 jobs over the last year. By contrast, Augusta lost 1,100 jobs

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe May 22, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

CSRA ice cream shop celebrates 10th anniversary by giving back

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Neither rain, sleet, snow, nor hail stops the love for the frosty treat which has been popular since the 1700’s. Flanigan’s Ice Cream is celebrating its 10th anniversary under the current ownership, quite an accomplishment since 65% of businesses fail in the first 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “My parents retired in Aiken and my husband, Jay, and I moved here in 2002. The following year, the previous Flanigan owners moved further south. My husband had done some landscaping work for

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Mitzi Oxford May 21, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local barbecue team to compete in national championship series

Kurt Mueller and his brother, Aleki Fualau have been busy preparing barbecue for CSRA events and fundraisers, but this summer, they’ll hit the road to test their culinary skills against other teams in various cities throughout the United States. Mueller, a local certified financial planner, and Fualau, pitmasters for Ironhead BBQ, formerly known as Atomic City Smokers, have been invited to participate in the Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que of America All-Star Series as “celebrity” pitmasters. Famous Dave’s is a popular chain of barbecue restaurants that had a location on Washington Road

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Josh Heath May 21, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

“Lending” a hand? A look at new mortgage rules

New mortgage lending rules have stirred up a heated debate, with some critics arguing these regulations unfairly target homebuyers with good credit. According to Fox News, under the new rules which took effect May 1, “borrowers with lower credit ratings and less money for a down payment will qualify for better mortgage rates than they otherwise would have, while those with higher ratings will pay increased fees.” Critics of the new rules claim they disproportionately affect, for example, Asian homebuyers, who have the highest credit scores of any demographic group,

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Mike Petchenik May 18, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Tale of a Rental Home Nightmare: Why Hiring a Property Manager is a Game-Changer!

Imagine this: you’ve just decided to buy an investment home. It’s in the perfect location, is in excellent condition, and fits your budget. Little did you know that your endeavors could quickly turn into a living nightmare. From unresponsive tenants to maintenance disasters, owning a rental home can sometimes be a harrowing experience. That’s where the value of hiring a property manager truly shines. Let’s talk through a real-life rental home nightmare and explore how a property manager can save the day. The Tale of the Rental Home Nightmare: You

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Shawna Woodward, Re/Max Reinvented Evans May 18, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local businesses continue to face hiring struggles

Like many business owners, Dave Barrett has struggled to find employees to work in his local store and deliver products to customers. Barrett owns Dave’s Appliance Warehouse located at 368 Furys Ferry Road, Suite 3 in Martinez, which was formerly occupied by Earth Fare. He was one of more than 40 local employers who participated in yesterday’s ABD Expo. Other participating companies included ADP, Manpower, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Tub Doctor. “The majority of people who schedule interviews don’t show up; showing up is half the battle,” he said. “It’s

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Josh Heath May 17, 2023 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Slim Chickens

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 May 17, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Georgia and South Carolina among top states with highest job resignation rates

As the economy has continued to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in job openings, with some employers having a difficult time filling all their open positions. Millions of Americans are quitting their jobs each month, even in the face of high inflation. The incentives available from changing jobs, as well as a desire to get away from careers impacted most by COVID-19, are two big factors driving what’s been dubbed the “Great Resignation.” As a result, new job applicants have a lot

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Staff Report May 17, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local auto glass entrepreneur makes windshields clearer

Jose Pringle has always been interested in cars, but he never thought he would enjoy working in the auto glass industry, until he tried it for himself. In March, Pringle launched Let’s Get It Clear Auto Glass, LLC, a mobile business that repairs and replaces damaged windshields caused by rocks, break-ins, and even domestic violence situations. “I’ve been in the car industry for over 15 years, and I started off as a car washer,” the Miami native said. He worked his way up to jobs at dealerships and body shop

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Josh Heath May 16, 2023 No Comments
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