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Consumer Stories
Consumer Stories

Music, games, and how businesses benefit

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

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Dana Lynn McIntyre August 11, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Here’s where the job gains are!

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

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor August 11, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

International bakery to open in CSRA

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

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Neil Gordon August 10, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Augusta realtor expands national footprint

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

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Neil Gordon August 10, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

300,000 square foot plant gets cash infusion

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

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Neil Gordon August 6, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Local Army Veteran opens second health café

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

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Neil Gordon August 5, 2026 No Comments
B2B Stories

Masters golf cart supplier adds to its’ golf client list and sustainability footprint

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.

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Neil Gordon August 5, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Big swing in jobs in Augusta

The Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest employment growth of all Georgia metro areas in 2025.  Did that trend continue from January to June of this year? The answer is a resounding “no.” In the first six months of 2026, employment in Augusta fell by 300 to 253,900 in June. The state of Georgia, including non-metro areas, added 5,800 jobs so far this year, and 5,200 of them were in Atlanta. Other metro areas to add jobs were Athens and Columbus, both +700, while Valdosta added 600. Warner

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Hull College of Business Economics Professor August 4, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Pet Care Company building new store on Furys Ferry Road

There’s another friend in the pet business to make sure your dog or cat can thrive and stay alive for many years to come. Soon, you and your pets will be invited to a grand opening. An experienced professional and pet care lover is opening at 229 Furys Ferry Road and the Riverwatch Parkway in the Furys Ferry Station. A few restaurants used to be in the space, so there is a patio that will be utilized for pets and their owners. The locally owned boutique offers curated essentials for

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Neil Gordon August 4, 2026 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Members to receive a nice surprise in their August bill

It’s not every day that consumers get money back by doing business with a successful organization. That’s the case this year for members of a CSRA cooperative. Many of the 30,000 utility members of Jefferson Energy Cooperative will be sharing in a return of more than $4.5 Million. These capital credits will be divided amongst the members based on their electricity usage, if they had service in 2025. Most will receive the credits on their August bill. Traditionally, JEC retires capital credits on an average rotation of approximately 25 years.

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Neil Gordon July 24, 2026 No Comments
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