Consumer Stories

B2B Stories

CSRA Realtors expand during unknown time

The Realtors of Greater Augusta now includes North Augusta in its physical location. The group opened a satellite location at 510 W. Martintown Road. The NA Chamber cut the ribbon at the office last Thursday. “We are delighted to open our doors in North Augusta, furthering our mission to empower and support realtors in South Carolina,” said Regina Wadsworth, RGA President. “This expansion represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing unparalleled resources and services to our real estate professionals. “ The new North Augusta office will provide

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B2B Stories

EXCLUSIVE: Hockey insider talks chances for return to Augusta

Is another hockey team lacing up the skates in Augusta? A man who dreamed about sports as a young boy will share his opinion and the importance of entrepreneurship to Columbia County later this week. Andy Kaufmann, CEO of Zawyer Sports, is the guest speaker at the Feb. 8 Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s 19th Annual Banquet. Among his holdings are East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) teams, the Jacksonville Icemen, and the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Kaufmann spoke with ABD about his path that started with a childhood dream and now

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Awards/Celebrations

Local leader recognized as one of Top 100 in the state

Augusta Technical College President, Dr. Jermaine Whirl has been recognized as a 2024 Georgia Titan 100. Dr. Whirl was the ONLY Augustan selected for this honor. The Titan 100 program recognizes Georgia’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that include demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. It’s really no surprise as Augusta Tech employees have high praise for Dr. Whirl. Many stories covered by ABD, include him as a catalyst for revitalizing parts of the city that

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Consumer Stories

Mental Health Matters: Love Yourself

Checkmark both boxes for New Year’s resolutions and the longest month of the year in January being completed. At the start of February, we all are hopefully off to a new great start for the year with our hopeful resolutions, goals, and dreams…..maybe. Following the hype and joy of the holiday season, January becomes one of the longest months of the year. As we navigate through our excitement for what the next year of life may bring, alongside the lull of getting back into the swing of everyday life, the

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B2B Stories

Sports team owner draws big crowd for upcoming chamber event

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s 19th annual banquet is set for the county’s Exhibition Center in Grovetown. The showcase begins at 4:30 p.m. on February 8 and flows into the 6:00 p.m. banquet. “We’re expecting over 500, we’re not too far off that number right now. I imagine by the time all is said and done, we’ll probably have easily over 500 people in the room,” Russ Lahodny, Chamber President and CEO told ABD. “It’s a good opportunity, a lot of the smaller businesses for sure, enjoy that opportunity

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Consumer Stories

Popular furniture brand to open store in the CSRA

Broad River Retail, one of the largest and fastest-growing independently owned and operated Ashley Store licensees, is bringing Ashley Furniture to Aiken. Next to Target in the Aiken Exchange Plaza, the new Ashley will occupy the former Aiken Furniture Company. The 25,230-square-foot showroom will showcase Ashley’s latest 7.0 store concept. The showroom is curated to provide shoppers with the newest product offerings inspired by today’s trends. The 7.0 store design features a contemporary open floor plan, an expanded sleep gallery, and stylish interior design elements. The Aiken Ashley represents Broad

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Consumer Stories

Ava DuVernay, Origin, and the power of collaboration

Full Disclosure: I will be removing my critic’s hat in this piece and will instead write about a particular 2-day experience of working on the set of the new film Origin. Movies are still magic tricks: no matter how much the standards of visual effects, storytelling, or range of talent may expand. Likewise, the eyes of the audience are still drawn, our bodies moved to theaters even as viewing abilities try to grow more immediate and convenient. It is a deep fascination and one that is a pillar of our

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Awards/Celebrations

Team Building for Valentine’s!

This Valentine’s Day, you can reach the heart of your staff and best customers through the power of music with a Singing Valentine from Garden City Chorus. “I have been booking Singing Valentines for 10 years now,” says Dr. Emmanuel Ngoh, dentist at Augusta Endodontist Center off Wheeler Rd. Dr. Ngoh was gifted a Singing Valentine 10 years ago from a golfing buddy of his. They came to the office and sang for him and his staff. He said, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the building.” After that experience,

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B2B Stories

Multi-million dollar contract for a company with an Augusta office

A Virginia-based company with more than 100 offices nationwide has been awarded an $889 million contract with local impact. The contract will support the U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) and its mission partners. “The ARCYBER contract showcases the multi-faceted ability of Peraton to support the integration of cyberspace-related operations with EW, IO, and other IAE activities to provide information advantage,” said Tom Afferton, President, Cyber Mission sector, in a news release announcing the contract. The company opened an office in Augusta in 2020, located in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and

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Consumer Stories

Students ready to dazzle employers

While job fairs are a popular way for businesses to attract new employees, students in Columbia County are flipping the script. The Columbia County School District (CCSD) is partnering with Columbia County, the Columbia County Chamber Foundation, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) for the fourth annual CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Workforce Showcase Competition on Friday, Feb. 16. Brooks Smith, director of the school district’s CTAE programs, told ABD this showcase is also a competition for students to show off to potential employers the skills they are

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