Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

Popular CSRA food truck opens new location

After his family was tired of the Watertown, New York winters, they packed up and moved south. Matthew Papaianni brought his Italian heritage with him through great recipes. He started a food truck you might have seen rolling across the CSRA. The bright colors and animated food pictures adorn the Beefed Up truck which began serving burgers, hotdogs, and more in 2020. “Business started slow but then we began serving food at Bridgestone and Generac. That is when our food truck business started picking up,” Papaianni explained. Before Hurricane Helene

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Consumer Stories

Authentic Italian Eatery Opens in Augusta

You could say a piece of Italy moved into Augusta’s thriving medical district. Aroma’s Italian Grill opened in late summer and one of the partners tells ABD the restaurant is far different from others in the CSRA. “All of our products are imported from Italy. Our entire menu was built by Performance Company Food Groups in their test kitchen.” So far, the favorite dish has been Beef Lasagna, (even though they admit the sausage they use enhances the flavor)! Another point of difference is that they bake their fettuccine and

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Sports / Entertainment

Working for the Weekend: The “Toy Bridge”

This little weekend adventure found my wife out of town and this dad trying to entertain three girls. We headed to our neighborhood park, but then my girls asked to go to the ‘Toy Bridge.” That’s our name for one of my favorite things that the city of Augusta has done: renovating the old rickety Fifth Street Bridge into a walking bridge for the community. They added several fun interactive elements like puzzles and large musical instruments, which is how my girls gave it our moniker. But as our lovely

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Consumer Stories

Best of Real Talk Real Estate: Refinancing Your Home Mortgage: The Comedy of Rates, Points, and Perpetual Uncertainty

If you’ve been keeping tabs on the real estate market recently, you may have noticed something strange — it’s been a bit like trying to read the stock market while blindfolded…on a roller coaster…with a squirrel in your lap. In other words, it’s wild, unpredictable, and slightly ridiculous. But, whether you’re looking to buy your dream home, refinance your mortgage, or simply get a handle on the market, there are some essential things to know. So, let’s look into the essentials of refinancing your mortgage in today’s bonkers real estate

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B2B Stories

Legislative Breakfast Spotlights Workforce-Education Connection

Sonny Perdue, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, delivered the keynote address at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Breakfast Thursday morning. Perdue has worn many hats over his career. Veterinarian, served in the Georgia State Senate, two terms as Georgia Governor and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said serving as Chancellor is the most impactful job he has ever had. “We have over 350,000 lives a year in our university system, learners that are looking for life changes,” he said. “And that’s the

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Consumer Stories

Veterans Virtual Career Fair Today

Governor Henry McMaster, the South Carolina Department of Administration (Admin), and the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA) encourage all South Carolina Veterans looking to continue a career of service to take part in the Veterans’ Virtual Career Fair today, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. “South Carolina state government is committed to connecting Veterans to the wide variety of career options available in state government,” said Admin Executive Director Marcia Adams. “This year’s event not only includes a way for Veterans to easily connect directly with agencies in

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B2B Stories

CSRA company expands with $4 million investment

The parent company of a manufacturing company on West Five Notch Road in Edgefield County, just south of Murrah Road, plans to expand. A news release from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) announced Portland Bolt and Manufacturing will add a new facility alongside the former Southern Anchor Bolt facility. The $4.3 million investment will create more than 20 jobs. “We applaud Portland Bolt’s continued investment in Edgefield County and the new opportunities it creates for South Carolinians with this expansion. This announcement highlights Portland Bolt’s commitment to our community,

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B2B Stories

SRP accelerate$ Augusta

Augusta Technical College, in partnership with the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta, has announced that SRP is the naming sponsor for Accelerate Augusta, the region’s newest small business incubator and microenterprise center. SRP has made a significant multi-year commitment to support the project. As a result, the initiative will be referred to as “Accelerate Augusta Powered by SRP” for the next 10 years. SRP’s investment will provide furnishings and technology for the program, which will be headquartered at 600 Broad Street, as well as underwrite training programs for emerging businesses.

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Our strong labor market

In a stunning victory last Tuesday night, Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon trounced Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-1. Now, the hard work begins as Amorim tries to rejuvenate a moribund Manchester United. In other news, the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Labor Market Index (LMI) increased by 0.3 percent in September from August. It is 1.0 percent higher than September 2023. As I reported last week, employment and nominal average weekly earnings hit record levels in September. Additionally, the labor force expanded, and the average hours worked increased. The only component

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Consumer Stories

Solving CSRA’s Healthcare Shortage

Laurie Ott’s fourth leadership position in her impressive 30-year CSRA career may be her most challenging. She’s playing catch up with the influx of businesses and employees moving to the Peach State.  For 11 straight years, a trade publication voted Georgia the top-ranked state to do business. However, there is a major impact on additional employees and families moving here. “We need 1,500 more nurses in the CSRA,” she said Friday at the 2nd Annual Columbia County School District Career Health Expo. Ott says there is also a huge statewide

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