It’s back-to-school time and a good time to save money on a home purchase in the CSRA. In today’s real estate roundup, Broker John DeFoor from DeFoor Realty in Appling explains why there is more room to negotiate. https://d4realty.com/back-to-school-home-hunting-navigating-the-late-summer-real-estate-market-in-columbia-county-ga/
One of Metro Augusta’s largest organizations announced an ambitious goal to support smaller organizations, like the dozens of groups it had to turn down last year. The Community Foundation for the CSRA (CFCSRA) laid out plans to raise $1 million through its 2027 Community Grants Campaign. The money will fund the grants CFCSRA awards each spring. Earlier this year, almost $736,000 was distributed among 59 smaller organizations. Although proud of the amount, Shell Berry, President and CEO of CFCSRA, said nonprofits requested more than $2.1 million during that grant cycle.
While the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is soliciting input on road projects for east-central Georgia, the City of Augusta and Accelerate Augusta have teamed up to help small businesses reap financial benefits from the projects. A key meeting is set for next Thursday. The State Supported Funding Program (SSFP) Workshop will connect local businesses, contractors, consultants, and service providers with GDOT contracting opportunities. It was organized by Dr. Yolanda Jackson, the city’s Compliance Director. “The exciting thing about it is it doesn’t require the local businesses to have any
USCA is preparing to kick off its new academic year with the return of a downtown party. The marketing arm of downtown Aiken businesses is providing an extra push, while students will soak up good times and good job opportunities. The second annual Downtown Takedown is set for August 22 from 5-9 p.m. Aug. 22 on Newberry Street in Downtown Aiken. The event is co-sponsored by USCA and the Aiken Downtown Development Association. “The hope was that our students, our faculty, our staff, along with our community, could come together
Last week, I reported employment fell in the first six months of the year, but which industries bucked the trend in the Augusta area? Five industries saw employment rise over the last six months. The biggest increase, maybe surprisingly, was in “other services,” which added 955 jobs. This was closely followed by private education and health care services, which added 886 jobs. Government jobs were up by over 500, with the gains being equally shared between state and local government. Retail added over 300 jobs, and manufacturing added 100. Large
Paris Baguette is set to compete with any donut shop, coffee bar, cake shop, sandwich café, and supermarket bakery in the Augusta/Aiken area. The brand was founded and built in Seoul, South Korea, and is all things baked goods for everyone. When the first one opens in Evans later this year, you’ll have your choice of breads, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, lunch salads, wraps, and sandwiches. Paris Baguette also offers about 20 specialty cakes for every occasion. The first bakery will open next to the Cava restaurant in front of the
Here they grow again. An Augusta-based realtor with offices in 9 other major cities is expanding more into a nearby market. Auben Realty just acquired Peach State Property Management, a Metro Atlanta-based property management company. Auben will take over the management of more than 150 residential units. The acquisition expands Auben’s growing presence in Georgia and strengthens its ability to serve real estate investors throughout the Atlanta market. “This acquisition represents another important step in Auben’s strategic growth across high-opportunity markets,” said Tyson Schuetze, Founder & CEO of Auben Realty
An $18 million investment in new equipment and infrastructure is paving the way for 90 full-time jobs at a shuttered manufacturing plant that closed in 2023. The plant is at 285 Midfield Road in Barnwell, South Carolina. What’s now called Barnwell Tissue Solutions was shut down in July 2023 and acquired by ST Group of Companies in 2025, a family-owned business that manages other manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and Virginia and is one of the largest producers of toilet paper rolls in the country. The financing from National New Markets
Franchisee Antwaun Wade opened his second Smoothie King location at Eisenhower Crossing, 3970 Harper Franklin Blvd. Eisenhower Crossing is located near a major intersection of Jimmie Dyess Parkway and Gordon Highway. It is anchored by Kroger and opened in 2024. In April of 2024, Antwaun opened his first Smoothie King at the Villages at Riverwatch. “We are beyond excited about this new opportunity to serve another section of our community, especially Fort Gordon,” said Wade. The Smoothie King team celebrated over the weekend with a ribbon-cutting and party. Wade is an Army veteran, retiring
More than 160 electric vehicles will be shipped to Europe from a manufacturing facility in Augusta. E-Z-GO and Cushman ELiTE Series vehicles will be used at the 2026 Solheim Cup event in the Netherlands, which pits the top 12 female golfers from the United States competing on the LPGA Tour against their top European counterparts from the Ladies European Tour. The 2026 Solheim Cup will take place from Sept. 7-13 at Bernardus Golf, a prestigious championship golf course in Cromvoirt, Netherlands, which has also hosted the European Tour’s Dutch Open.
