Top Story

Consumer Stories

CSRA retailer rises from the smoke to a sweet new location

It’s been a wild ride for True Aiken shop owner, Sarah Dodge since the first of the year. That might seem appropriate for a retailer smack in the middle of Aiken’s horse country and whose first sales came from last year’s Steeplechase event in November. Response was great for her line of merchandise, much of which is Aiken-branded. In January, Dodge opened at 311 Hayne Avenue SW. Less than two months later, the office next door caught fire and the smoke damage was too much, resulting in the closing of

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Owners add 2nd restaurant in Evans Plaza

A new barbecue restaurant will be opening on the site of a failed Japanese restaurant and breakfast cafe in Evans. Natty BBQ will be opening up in a spot just down from Ironwood Tavern in the shopping center in front of the Riverwood Plantation subdivision in Evans. Ironwood Tavern’s owner won’t have far to walk to oversee operations at Natty BBQ. Their restaurants are about 50 yards away. A limited liability company was formed with Georgia’s Secretary of State to operate Natty’s on February 21st. Both of the restaurants in

Read More »
B2B Stories

Legislation to boost military spouse employment in the CSRA

“Georgia is home to 11 military installations that contribute more than $19 billion in economic impact annually to our state,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO, Chris Clark in a news release. “The spouses of our active-duty service members deserve the opportunity to live, work, and raise their families here in Georgia without the burden of excessive wait times for their occupational licenses.” A bill that will have a far-reaching impact on the families of soldiers stationed at Fort Eisenhower is awaiting Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) signature. The Georgia House

Read More »
B2B Stories

Showing off Augusta to business leaders from around the world

While much of Augusta is awash in Masters green, a swath of red was rolled out at a hospitality tent on Washington Road. A red carpet pointed the way for business leaders arriving for the 62nd annual Red Carpet Tour. The event is coordinated by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Department of Economic Development, and the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. “It is a great way to showcase the state, but also our region for all new employers looking to come to town, but also as a thank you

Read More »
Consumer Stories

Georgia film tax credit survives legislative review

The Georgia Legislature passed hundreds of bills, both statewide items and those addressing local concerns, in the just-ended 2024 legislative session and sent them to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for his signature. House Bill 1180 was not among them which is good news for movie-making in Georgia. The bill would have revised one of the state’s most popular tax credit incentives, the one available to filmmakers to entice them to film productions in the Peach State. Productions are eligible for a tax break of up to 30%. Randy Davidson, Founder

Read More »
B2B Stories

Columbia County Chamber gearing up for busy spring

While Augusta is in the spotlight at this time of year, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is preparing to offer a slate of events heading into the summer. Up first will be the return of the Business Institute, a series of four workshops held in May, June, July, and August. The series focuses on hot topics for businesses. Three of the four topics have been selected, Madalyn Brantley, Director of Programs and Events for the Columbia County Chamber, told ABD. “This year’s topics range from HR, how to hire

Read More »
Awards/Celebrations

Innovating students with an eye to the future

Teams of graduate and undergraduate students at Augusta University identified local challenges and worked to create solutions. It was part of the Annual Innovate Pitch Competition, held March 28 at the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center in Downtown Augusta. More than a dozen teams tackled challenges that ranged from addressing inflation and food insecurity to dealing with migraine headaches and ways to expand the North Augusta Greeneway. “We’re proposing expanding it into the Downtown Augusta area and other areas, such as the Augusta Canal and River Watch to Top

Read More »
B2B Stories

An extra month of income in a week

Destination Augusta said the Masters Tournament and related activities, including the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) Tournament, can be like a 13th month of revenue for some businesses. ABD requested a breakdown from Destination Augusta comparing money spent in 2022 to 2023, as well as the economic impact of ANWA since it began in 2019. One source Destination Augusta uses to track numbers is STR for hotel/motel data. Its website is quoted as saying: “STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights for the global hospitality industry.” According to

Read More »
B2B Stories

Masters Week in the making: Here’s what’s happening in the CSRA

Days spent on the golf course watching some of the premier golfers in the world can turn into enjoying fine music at some of Augusta’s largest social events. Festivities kick off Saturday, April 6 with the Mayor’s Masters Reception at the Augusta Common at 836 Broad St. from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will feature live music, food, games for children and end with a fireworks display. The event is free to attend. Started in 1999 by then-Mayor Bob Young, it had originally always been held on Sundays. “Moving

Read More »
B2B Stories

Freddy’s Frozen Custard coming to Washington Road

The Finem Group of Meybohm Commercial recently managed the sale of a property on Washington Road that will soon become a Freddy’s Frozen Custard. Located at 3038 Washington Road in Augusta, the property was sold for $2 million which also brought the popular 7-Brew coffee chain to the area. The Finem Group represented the seller in that transaction, and John Metts with Wilson Kibler represented Freddy’s Frozen Custard. According to a press release sent to ABD on April 2, The Finem Group noted that it conducted a comprehensive analysis to

Read More »