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B2B Stories

Simon Says: 2025’s Been a Good Year!

It has been a while since I updated the Augusta Labor Market Index (LMI) because the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis had not updated its website since December. Recently, it did so through April, and the Augusta LMI has increased by 0.5 percent from December and is 1.2 percent higher than April 2024. The LMI measures labor market vitality through five components: employment, unemployment rate, labor force, average weekly earnings, and average weekly hours worked. Over the past five months, employment increased by 1,200, and the unemployment rate fell

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe August 5, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Part One: Not your father’s video games

Augusta University (AU) has added to its sports lineup, but not in the traditional sense. This team does not need to even step outside, and it is calling for new members. AU’s Esports program is based in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, complete with a dedicated room as an arena for activities. It provides opportunities to participate in competitive esports leagues and tournaments using a shared passion for video games to meet other students. Esports at AU had gone dormant following the 2019-2020 season. It was revived in

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 4, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Add On for Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas

A new service center is now open between Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas and Top Golf at the far end of the Village at Riverwatch. Power Pros is the installation and service arm of the outdoor-focused businesses. Technicians specialize in marine and ATV electronics and accessories. They are equipped to service and handle a variety of needs, such as the setup of fish finders, TRACKER motors, GPS systems, and much more. Their certified technicians are there to ensure that your boats and ATVs are ready for peak performance. Jordan Trotter Commercial Real

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Neil Gordon August 4, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Always Sunny in Augusta

Once the sun sets on the hot summer, there will be another option to keep your tan year-round. The fourth location of Palm Beach Tan between Evans and Augusta is going to replace the Cardboard Castle Games shop located between Belk’s and Larson Chiropractor in the Mullins Colony Shopping Center. Palm Beach Tan offers spray tans, tanning beds, and skincare products from its 650 centers nationwide. Local stores include one less than a mile away on 4276 Washington Road next to Publix, plus a store at 4115 Columbia Road and

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Neil Gordon August 1, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

What I learned on my summer vacation

When I was growing up on Long Island, New York, I always looked forward to summer. My father was a high school math teacher; his second career after first being a mechanical engineer. Most summers, he worked a temporary engineering job with Grumman Aerospace, but always ended that job a couple of weeks before the school year started so that we could take a family vacation. In those years from the early 1960’s through the early 1970’s, we typically took a one-to-two-week automobile vacation. In that time, we covered most

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Dr. Rick Franza July 30, 2025 No Comments
Awards

Aiken Regional receives top award

Some of the top considerations for any company in relocating or expansion include tax environment, talent pool, affordable housing, and quality healthcare. Aiken has placed itself in a prime position. Aiken Regional Medical Centers has been named among U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospitals edition as a High Performing hospital for Pacemaker Implantation. This is the highest distinction a hospital can earn as part of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings. U.S. News’ annual Procedures & Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their health care providers in

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Staff Report July 30, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Local Home Healthcare Provider wins statewide award

Nuclear Care Partners was recently honored as one of only two Home Healthcare Providers in the state to be recognized as Best of South Carolina 2025 in the Guide to South Carolina.  The agency has played a big part in helping Savannah River Site employees recover from major illnesses and ailments. The local staff is in Aiken at 933 Dougherty Road and services the entire state of South Carolina and Georgia. There is also a satellite office in Augusta. Nuclear Care Partners is in its 15th year of providing our nation’s

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Neil Gordon July 29, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

More jobs in the Augusta area this summer

The Georgia Department of Labor announced late last week that the seven-county Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded an unemployment rate of 4.4% in June. A year ago, the rate was 4.8%. “June’s unemployment trends tell a familiar story — Georgia’s students are stepping into our workforce as schools let out for summer, creating the temporary unemployment and hiring fluctuations typical for this time of year,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner, Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “With Georgia’s recent historic announcement of 5 million jobs, these students are stepping into a local workforce that

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Staff Report July 29, 2025 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Site visit spurred selection of “The Forge” on the Riverwalk

A year ago, City of Augusta leaders wanted to see what the Riverwalk’s future would look like. It was decided a small investment of time and money was good business when taxpayer funds were on the line. So, they traveled to the Midwest and eyeballed an Outdoor Adventure Center. It’s one managed by the same group that is contracted to design, build, and operate Augusta’s version at the Freedom Center Bridge. Based on recommendations after the site visit, City of Augusta commissioners voted on July 22, 2025, to greenlight an

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Neil Gordon July 28, 2025 No Comments
B2B Stories

Strong outlook for back-to-school shopping

As students begin returning to classrooms, parents are hitting stores for clothing and school supplies. The National Retail Federation (NRF) examined consumer data and the impact of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school spending. ABD joined a webinar held by NRF to outline the findings. Mark Mathews, Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research for NRF, said what he refers to as “consumer sentiment” is very low, but he has seen a recent bounce. “When you look at the consumer’s finances, household net worth remains near record highs. We have discretionary

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Dana Lynn McIntyre July 25, 2025 No Comments
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