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Navigating federal recovery programs after Helene

The Small Business Administration (SBA) joined with the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce to explain the types of loans available to recover after the storm. SBA is best known for assisting small businesses with financial needs, including startup and disaster recovery. However, the agency held a workshop on Friday to explain it can also help homeowners, renters, and nonprofit organizations. Stephen Clark, Public Affairs Specialist, told ABD they hold workshops like the one in North Augusta to reach as many people as possible. “We do have physical damage disaster loans

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Consumer Stories

Solving CSRA’s Healthcare Shortage

Laurie Ott’s fourth leadership position in her impressive 30-year CSRA career may be her most challenging. She’s playing catch up with the influx of businesses and employees moving to the Peach State.  For 11 straight years, a trade publication voted Georgia the top-ranked state to do business. However, there is a major impact on additional employees and families moving here. “We need 1,500 more nurses in the CSRA,” she said Friday at the 2nd Annual Columbia County School District Career Health Expo. Ott says there is also a huge statewide

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B2B Stories

New Location for Columbia County Chamber Breakfast

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce has selected an alternative site for its annual Legislative Breakfast. Damage to the Savannah Rapids Pavilion in the wake of Hurricane Helene meant individuals and organizations, including the Chamber, had to find alternate locations for their events. The annual event is set for Nov. 14. “We’re going to be at the DoubleTree Augusta,” Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Chamber told ABD. “Everybody’s looking for space, and so DoubleTree Augusta was one of our options that wasn’t already booked, so we chose to

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B2B Stories

Shop small. Think big.

November 1 kicked off the annual holiday shopping season, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). It runs through Dec. 31. The NRF predicts retail sales growth of 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023. The North Augusta Chamber of Commerce wants shoppers to remember locally-owned businesses for holiday shopping. The Chamber launched its Fourth Annual Small Business Season to raise the profile of the unique offerings at small businesses. “Some of my most favorite memories are of celebrating the holidays and the traditions my family holds dear. Many of those revolve

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B2B Stories

Hiring boom for construction workers

Metro Augusta will have roughly 1,300 new job openings within the next 18 to 36 months. That’s based on recent economic development announcements in Richmond and Burke Counties in Georgia and Aiken County in South Carolina. Some, including Meta in the Sage Mill Industrial Park, GF Casting Solutions in the Augusta Corporate Park, and TMC Transformers in the Burke County Industrial Park, plan to build new facilities for the approximately 500 employees the three of them will hire. “All of them have construction-related jobs,” Cal Wray, President of the Augusta

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Consumer Stories

Tapping into an untapped labor force

Is your company hiring? Are you searching for an employee who shows up on time every day? Do you want to improve your company culture and expand your customer base? Your next great hire may come from a talent pool you might not have considered, people with disabilities. Aiken’s South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation office serves Aiken, Barnwell, and Edgefield counties, matching about 200 employees with employers annually. Sara Wilson has almost 20 years of experience in workforce development, including the past 8 years as the Business Development Specialist for the

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B2B Stories

Chamber Leaders weigh in on tomorrow’s continuation of 1% sales tax vote

Chamber leaders in Richmond and Columbia County considered the future workforce of the area and how out-of-area companies factor our schools in their decisions to relocate to the CSRA. The Executive leadership for both the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia County Chamber are in agreement on extending the 1% Sales and Use Tax. Voters are encouraged to vote “Yes.” In Richmond County, leaders want to support various essential projects. The extension will go towards constructing and renovating school buildings, improving classroom technology, upgrading athletic and arts facilities,

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B2B Stories

Update: Augusta airport Helene damage

The Augusta Aviation Commission heard an update from staff members on the damage suffered during Hurricane Helene. Chief Richard Beal, the Fire Chief and EMA Director at Augusta Regional Airport, said they are still working on a formal report. What he presented on Thursday was an overview. “The airport dealt with pretty much the same thing that the entire community did,” he said. “A lot of trees down, power issues and water issues. We had them across the airport. On top of having some of the power issues we had with

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B2B Stories

A successful year and big plans at Augusta Tech

The president of Augusta Technical College hit the high points of the previous 12 months while laying out ambitious plans for the next 12 in his State of the College address. As anticipated, enrollment was up, crossing the 5,900 mark to reach 5,940 students, a 3% increase over last year. But Whirl said that number is somewhat deceiving. That represents students enrolled in credit classes, achieving certificates and degrees. Thousands more were on campus for non-credit classes, the so-called continuing education offerings. “The last few years, we’ve only really talked

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B2B Stories

350 trees wiped out on AU campus

Officials with Augusta University are continuing cleanup and repairs in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Work is ongoing at the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses, and the Forest Hills campus, which includes the Christenberry Field House. On Oct. 18, ABD was taken on a tour of the campuses to see the progress being made and get an update on what has been lost. Repairs are underway on the Christenberry Fieldhouse, along with the tennis courts and golf course, with the properties bounded by piles of cut-up trees. “These are some

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