Consumer Stories

Consumer Stories

Strike could result in a heyday for Augusta’s film industry

There could be a silver lining playbook for Augusta filmmaking, despite a Writers Guild of America strikes now in its third week. Destination Augusta and local producers are keeping a close eye on what will happen next, as they should. Craig Miller believes Augusta could end up benefiting from the strike. He should know. Miller served eight years as the Co-President of the Georgia Production Partnership, the grassroots organization that established the Georgia Film Incentive. You could say his finger is on the pulse of Georgia movie making. “Jobs are

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Consumer Stories

Local wellness studio owners offer holistic approach to common ailments

A few years ago, Jamie Cressend battled a chronic health problem and traditional medical treatments offered little relief, so she decided to try a holistic approach to healing. When Cressend, co-owner of Synergy Studio located at 7013 Evans Town Center Blvd., Suite 203 in Evans, discovered scalar light therapy, she found rapid relief from her pain. Cressend and her business partner, Amy Iseman held their business’s soft opening on Tuesday, May 2, and its grand opening on Saturday, May 6. Scalar light therapy refers to the use of light waves

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Closings

Two CSRA retail locations to close following company’s bankruptcy

After years of struggling to stay afloat, two retail giants have announced plans to close all their stores nationwide, including locations in the Augusta Exchange shopping center. Bed Bath & Beyond located at 221 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway and buybuy BABY located at 242 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway will both close their doors permanently after Bed Bath & Beyond, the parent company of buybuy BABY, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. ABD contacted both Augusta stores, which had recorded messages that said, “We have made the

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B2B Stories

Bagel business heating up in the CSRA

It’s a bagel lover’s dream. A few weeks ago, Straight Outta Brooklyn opened in Aiken, and now Oh Mie Stella Bakery is open for business as of May 6. For the record, Oh Mie Stella is Italian for Oh My Stars, thus the name. Italian bakers are known for their unique baking techniques and passion for the art and craft of breadmaking. Crissy Kuhl didn’t start out as a baker. Her background is in law enforcement and as a project manager for the Savannah River Site. But she was bitten

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ABD Extra

Local meeting highlights workforce development, business initiatives

Nate Lauger helps people find local jobs in a variety of industries and has noticed a significant decline in the number of skilled workers he serves. On Thursday, Lauger, operations manager for Manpower, was one of several CSRA business professionals who attended this month’s Good Morning, North Augusta speaker series hosted by the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors for the event included Bridgestone, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, and SRP Federal Credit Union. “If you’re looking for skills, it’s a lot harder,” he said. Specifically, Lauger said many workers lack

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ABD Extra

Simon Says: Here’s the latest numbers on recruitment and retention

I am looking forward to the Augusta Business Daily Conference and Expo on Wednesday. As a primer for the recruitment and retention panel discussion at 11 a.m., I wanted to provide statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on recruitment and retention. By far, the most popular strategy for recruiting is higher pay, with 7.1 percent of firms in Georgia and 7.6 percent of firms in South Carolina using this strategy. Offering higher pay is the most popular choice across all industries. The next most popular strategy is expanded

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ABD Extra

What does the Writer’s Guild strike mean for Augusta’s film industry?

Augusta’s burgeoning film industry could be threatened by a nationwide strike. The strike by members of the Writers Guild of America is entering its third week. This is the union’s first strike in approximately 15 years. Among the first shows to be impacted were nighttime talk shows, specials, and comedies, like Saturday Night Live. Atlanta television station WSB is reporting even catering businesses are impacted. When productions halt, so do catering requests. “We are carefully watching it,” said Jennifer Bowen, Vice President of Destination Development & Community Engagement at Destination

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Consumer Stories

Local development company to open CSRA luxury apartment complex

Shelly Martin is excited about bringing the CSRA’s only housing development with its own rooftop lounge to downtown Augusta. Martin, Vice President of Operations for ATC Development, said phase 1 of construction on The Augustan, a four-story, 136-unit luxury apartment complex located at the corner of 12th and Greene Streets, is expected to be finished by mid-November. Phase 2 should be finished by Jan. 2024. Pre-leasing for phase 1 is expected to begin in early September. She said one-bedroom units will start in the $1,500 range, and two-bedroom units will

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B2B Podcasting

Is it a Buyer’s or Seller’s Market?

Carey Pifer is the relocation director for Southeastern Residential and works with CSRA companies to help its employees find a great place to live. She sat down with ABD’s Neil Gordon to see how the market is as we approach the summer months.

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Ironwood Tavern

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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