A new CSRA nursery and landscaping company is decking the halls for businesses and homes. Wreaths, trees, and poinsettias are just a few of the finds at Southern Carolina Palms. Mike Petchenik has more in today’s Biz Bits.
The inventory value of horses and their equipment in Aiken County is $68 million. The horse business includes stabling, saddles and bridles, feed, workout rings, riding apparel, and farrier fees, not to mention the visitors who spend money attending polo and steeplechase events. This fall, Aiken Technical College partnered with the Aiken Horse Park Foundation to create a new equine technician course through the College’s Office of Continuing Education. The inaugural cohort of students were recognized during a completion ceremony yesterday at Great Oaks Equine Assisted Programs location, 1123 Edgefield Highway
Apparently, coffee and cookie dough just don’t mix. The Evans franchisee of Alumni Cookie Dough had high hopes when she cut a deal to share space with the owners of Rooted Coffee House earlier in 2023. Recently, Jen Harpley, the ACD franchisee decided to transition out of Suite 213 at the Meybohm Building in Evans Town Center. Rooted is transitioning into more space as construction is underway for a big expansion project that will be ready in 2024. Heather Needles, co-owner of Rooted Coffeehouse said, “We’re excited to curate a
While it may seem that the economic picture for Augusta is about as clear as the muddy banks of the Savannah River, there are a few signs of hope for 2024. One of the sure bets is learning the ups and downs of the Labor Market Index (LMI), Leading Economic Index (LEI), measuring the value of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), among many other contributing factors, and how those will impact your business in 2024. Dr. Simon Medcalfe is a Professor of Economics and Finance at the James M. Hull College of Business at
See how the Augusta Technical College is using a new platform to help students find jobs in today’s edition of BizBits with Mike Petchenik.
Neil Gwynne was more known in the CSRA in a suit and tie leading 130 managers and 3,500 associates for Amazon, including at the fulfillment center in Appling. This spring and summer, you may see him work a bit more in swim trunks during his first full season as a PoolWerx franchisee. Gwynne feels like a whole new person and was candid recently during a franchisee spotlight that PoolWerx distributed nationally. “Eventually, I got tired of being in the corporate world, I really wanted a better work-life balance. Amazon isn’t
The Georgia Chamber Foundation has issued its 4th quarter economic report, and the title, the War for Talent, sums up what the state is facing. The report looks at where Georgia stands in filling current job openings and anticipating future needs. It states that Georgia’s current workforce participation rate is about 61%, meaning 40% of adults are not engaged in the workforce. That translates to 3.2 million Georgians. At the same time, there are more than 350,000 job openings in each quarter. The Chamber Foundation says the War for Talent
Like many visitors, Sarah Dodge and her husband came for the horses but fell in love with the community. Four years ago, after visiting friends in the Winter Colony, the dressage horse trainer and her farrier husband packed up their bags in Colorado and moved to Aiken. When she went looking for Aiken-themed products at the request of friends and family, she couldn’t find them. Her entrepreneurial skills took over and in a few weeks, she will open True Aiken. “I’ve always thought about opening a shop and I thought
The weather outside was not frightful and the shopping was delightful for retailers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mike Petchenik has a sled full of good news in today’s Biz Bits.
Editor’s note: If you read Dana Lynn McIntyre’s story from the Georgia Chamber Foundation, you know the struggle is real for finding workers. However, there is a bright spot in the latest employment numbers for Augusta. The Augusta Labor Market Index increased 0.2 percent in October from September. This constitutes five consecutive months of growth. The index now stands 0.3 percent higher than a year ago, the first time it has shown year-on-year growth since October 2022. Three components of the index grew month-on-month. Employment increased by 1,000 to stand
