Fri, March 29, 2024

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B2B Stories

Addressing Augusta’s quality of life and economic health

Augusta is one of five cities chosen for a program focused on neighborhood housing conditions. The Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), offered through the state’s Department of Community Affairs, will provide training and technical assistance. Hawthorne Welcher, Jr., Director of Augusta-Richmond County Housing and Development told ABD his department will work with the Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia (UGA) to create a housing plan. “One of the things that I would like to see as we go through this process is that the technical assistance is

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B2B Stories

Multi-million dollar hiring plan

One of the Augusta area’s largest employers is hanging out the “Help Wanted” sign. Augusta University’s targeted student enrollment growth means the university itself needs to grow. Just over $6 million will be allocated for the immediate addition of 43 new faculty, 24 new full-time staff, two temporary positions, and 42 new student-worker positions. A portion will be used to add infrastructure supporting the new hires. The university needs additional faculty and staff after notching a student enrollment of 10,546 for fall 2023. That is a 7.5% increase over fall

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B2B Stories

Major retailer coming to North Augusta

A former grocery store in North Augusta will become a third location in the Aiken-Augusta area for a major national retail business. Hobby Lobby has signed a lease to move into the former BI-LO on Edgefield Road. It is in the Edgewood Square Shopping Center at 101 Edgewood Drive. BI-LO closed the store in 2019. The space briefly was home to the OTB Bargain Outlet. The location is halfway between at least five grocery stores on Edgefield Road from Walnut Lane to E. Martintown Road, making finding a new tenant

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B2B Stories

Acquisition moves local real estate firm into Top 10 in U.S.

Auben Realty, a full-service real estate investment brokerage based in Augusta, has acquired Voepel Property Management and Canopy Road Real Estate, renowned local experts in investment brokerage and comprehensive property management services based in Kansas City, MO. This strategic combination represents a significant step forward for both companies, combining their strengths to create an even more formidable presence in the real estate market nationwide. Auben Realty and Voepel Property Management share a common vision for providing property management solutions and fostering positive growth within the industry. The combination will leverage

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B2B Stories

Changing of the Chamber of Commerce Guard

Publisher’s Note: In Aiken, they don’t pass the gavel when one President leaves the Chamber of Commerce. They pass the scissors for future ribbon cuts! Longtime President, David Jameson handpicked Jim Tunison to be his membership sales leader five years ago and helped develop Jim into the chamber professional he is today. At age 72, Jameson was ready for a much-deserved retirement. At age 29, Tunison is eager to take the reins. Here is a lightly edited excerpt from our recent conversation. ABD: How was David’s retirement party on February

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Consumer Stories

New hotel opens just in time for upcoming big events

A few years ago, Hilton Hotels debuted a new brand concept designed to appeal to younger, tech-savvy travelers on a budget. It’s called Tru-by-Hilton and features a large open space for eating, gaming, and socializing. Mayor Briton Williams and the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed the hotel to one of the city’s busiest areas. The Tru-by-Hilton Hotel is on Austin Graybill Road off Edgefield Road at Interstate 20 exit five. It is next to the ER at Sweetwater. Williams said the welcome was a long time coming, noting

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B2B Stories

Big bucks bouncing into the CSRA

More than 500 visitors are expected to generate an economic impact of nearly a quarter of a million dollars for three days of basketball competition that starts today at Riverview Park in North Augusta. Eight high school basketball teams will face off in the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) Scholastic League, created by a partnership with the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). Teams from Canada and across the U.S. including, New York, Arizona, and Kansas will face off beginning tonight at 6:00 pm and continuing through Saturday, March 9.

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Awards/Celebrations

Scholarship students meet their benefactors

Students who receive scholarships through the Aiken Technical College Foundation had the opportunity to meet with the businesses and private citizens who help finance their education. After suspending the gathering for a few years because of the pandemic, the annual breakfast bringing together Foundation donors and scholarship students was held on February 27. “Often, it’s one of the most fun events that we do. Because it’s a time of celebration of philanthropy and making a difference in students’ lives,” Foundation Director, Beth LaClair told ABD. The benefits of the breakfast

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B2B Stories

New video debuts vision of downtown business incubator

A new video by Dickinson Architect offers a step-by-step tour of the Augusta Technical College’s incubator project planned for Broad Street. Posted on LinkedIn, it features Nick Dickinson and Augusta Tech President, Dr. Jermaine Whirl outlining the process and what the end result will be. The microenterprise center is being built in the former Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce building at 600 Broad Street. In the video. Dickinson and Whirl begin on the first floor, which they said will be called “The Den.” Click here to watch the video produced

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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Business earnings take a hit post-Covid

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents that Black and Hispanic persons are up to twice as likely to need hospitalization when contracting Covid-19 than white persons. The likelihood of death is over 1.5 times as high as white persons. Recent research by Robert Fairlee of the University of California Los Angeles has identified racial and ethnic disparities in business earnings. Pandemic-induced losses to businesses in 2020 were 16-19 percent for all business owners. However, Black business owners suffered a larger negative impact of 12-14 percent compared to

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