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Consumer Stories

Local & Holiday shopping expected to hit record levels

A leading industry organization has checked the trends, conducted surveys, crunched the numbers, and believes spending for the 2025 holiday buying season will top $1 trillion. Ray Carnes, founder of Recteq in Evans and part-owner, says he can tell already it’s going to be a strong holiday season. Friends and others are constantly asking, “When will Black Friday sales start?” Carnes says the earlier people ask, the better their season is. The National Retail Federation (NRF) lists the time between November 1st and December 31st as the holiday shopping season.

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B2B Stories

Military Intelligence Veteran develops $1 million business in CSRA

Luke Cain joined the Marine Corps after 9/11, serving 16 years in the Military Intelligence community. “I deployed 3 times while active, and deployed again after getting out as a contractor in the military community,” said the Evans resident. Cain had no college degree or business background. “Civilian life didn’t have the same structure and standards,” said Cain. He looked for a team and found it in the Pest Control industry. “Mosquito Squad is made up of numerous locations and owners across the US. We all share our experiences and

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Consumer Stories

National toilet paper/paper towel brand launches in CSRA

In 2009, Augusta’s Ray Carnes built his family-focused legacy with Recteq. In 2023, he expanded his brand with Ray Ray’s car wash. Now, he hopes to be king of the paper towel and toilet paper space, designed for healthier homes and cleaner living. “At Recteq, we built products that changed the way people cook — Throne Bamboo does the same for how people clean,” said Ray Carnes, founder of Throne Bamboo. “We spent 18 months perfecting every detail so families could have products that are good for their homes and

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B2B Stories

Zoning for a major development in South Augusta

The rezoning of a portion of a 280-acre tract clears the way for the development of a major warehouse project near the Augusta Regional Airport. If the deal goes through, a 300,000 square foot building will be built on the property. Members of the Augusta Planning Commission approved a request to rezone 100 acres from Agricultural (A) to Heavy Industrial (HI) at 1550 Four H Club Road. Ashley Catterton, development service administrator with Augusta Planning, noted that nearby tracts have already been rezoned from A to Light Industrial (LI). The

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Consumer Stories

Rallying around Federal workers at Augusta’s airport

As the Federal government shutdown enters its second month, employees at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) are rallying around coworkers going without a paycheck. Impacted employees include those working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Those employees are part of what are considered “essential workers” who must continue to report to their jobs. Nationwide, an estimated 730,000 essential workers are going without a paycheck. Herbert Judon, Jr., the airport’s executive director, briefed members of the Aviation Commission on how the shutdown is being felt at

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Consumer Stories

World-famous company partners with Aiken Tech

A company whose name personifies quality and luxury is joining with Aiken Technical College (ATC) to train new employees. An information session on Thursday will go over how to enroll. Rolls-Royce Power Solutions America is collaborating with the school to create a new, pre-apprenticeship program. Dr. Steven Simmons, Dean of the School of Technical and Continuing Education, told ABD that it will provide individuals with the basic knowledge and skills of a particular discipline, like machine tool technology, to have those skill sets prior to going into a full apprenticeship

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B2B Stories

Extra fees could hinder development in one CSRA city

A $62 million budget vote is coming tonight in North Augusta, with property tax adjustments and fees for water getting discussed. (For more info, read more at the end of our story.) This is on the heels of new impact fees that took effect on Saturday, November 1. These fees impact developers and homeowners. Tiffany Heitzman (pictured above), Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association Greater Aiken-Augusta Region, told ABD she sees the potential for a negative effect on growth. These impact fees will be charged on new commercial, residential,

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Closings

Store closing after almost 35 years

A few years back, InkBoy lost one of its two founders due to a sudden illness. Around that time, Amazon and virtual-based printers started taking its toll on the local business. Now, their lease is up, and it’s time to close the brick-and-mortar side of the business. InkBoy is at 138 Davis Road and is liquidating its store of remaining copiers, printers, ink cartridges, and office supplies. InkBoy started the business behind Applebee’s in the Shartom Road plaza just off Washington Road. They moved in between the Martinez Walmart and Bi-Lo.

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B2B Stories

Annual networking event wows attendees

Most every seat was filled for a business summit conference on Tuesday in Augusta. With the theme “The Power of You,” the conference brought together speakers presenting topics useful across all industries and career levels. “I’ve been very blessed to be able to travel around the country and do conferences and participate in conferences, and we just don’t really have anything like that here,” said Amy Richardson, President and CEO of Richardson Professional Solutions, who spearheaded the event. “Talking to other business owners, they may not have the means or

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B2B Stories

Improvement projects underway at the airport

Motorists heading for Augusta Regional Airport notice the start of new development inside the airport property along the Doug Barnard Parkway fence line. Heavy equipment is being used to prepare for the construction of additional apron space and a new ramp. “You’re seeing a lot of dirt, that’s for sure,” Elizabeth Giles, Senior Construction Project Manager, told ABD. “We are doing the initial excavating and undercutting of dirt, because we do have to drop the elevation to build the new ramp and apron space. And the new ramp and apron

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