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B2B Stories

Simon Says: Job openings up, savings rate way down

In my continued effort to bring good news to the Augusta metro area, I can report that after several months of declining job openings, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced last week that job openings in August were up 27,000 (8%) in Georgia and 7,000 (4%) in South Carolina. However, the only other variable in the Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) that improved was residential housing permits, up six percent. Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by ten percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Index fell 2 percent on the

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Shawna Woodward

Real Talk Real Estate: The benefits of virtual Tours in real estate marketing

In the rapidly evolving landscape of real estate marketing, virtual tours have emerged as a game-changing tool, offering an immersive and interactive experience for potential buyers. As technology continues to advance, the benefits of virtual tours in real estate marketing have become increasingly apparent. In this article, we’ll explore why virtual tours are a valuable asset and why we market every one of our listings with one. Immersive experience: Virtual tours provide a 360-degree view of a property, allowing potential buyers to explore every nook and cranny from the comfort

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B2B Stories

Financing for the Columbia County hospital takes a major step forward

Members of the Columbia County Hospital Authority have approved the funding mechanism for the 100-bed hospital planned for the Grovetown area. Earlier this year, the Columbia County Commission and the authority finalized a contract to issue up to $375 million in bonds to pay for construction. On Oct.19, authority members unanimously approved a supplemental resolution for the bonds. “So, the supplemental resolution you’ve got in front of you, it’s easy to look at the red line, the final amounts for the series A bonds, I keep saying bonds, but they

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B2B Stories

Four students at Augusta Tech receive scholarships from Aurubis

One of Richmond County’s newest corporate citizens has presented scholarships to four students at Augusta Technical College (ATC). The financial aid from Aurubis Richmond, LLC came through its Women4Metals program. The goal of the program is to attract more women to the metal industry while filling more expert and leadership positions with women. Aurubis started the program in 2019 and in 2022 invited other companies and organizations in the metals industry to participate. “The whole idea was to bring more awareness to the industry, because the metal industry is now

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B2B Stories

Columbia County industry announces major expansion

One of the largest employers in Columbia County has announced a major expansion. Club Car will be expanding into a 105,000-square-foot facility in the White Oak Industrial Park in Appling, Ga. The new facility will join Club Car’s existing facility that opened in the industrial park in 2019. “Our team is dedicated to provide the best vehicles and service for our customers,” said Mark Wagner, president of Club Car. “This new facility gives us the opportunity to extend operations in the United States.” The new building will provide additional space

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Consumer Stories

Simon Says: Location restrictions are bad for business

Imagine you want to open a new business in a town. The main street of this town is ten miles long and the residents are equally distributed along the street. Where would you locate your business? It may seem that if you are the only business, it does not matter where you are physically located, but some places are better than others. Locating at one of the ends may mean that the travel costs end up being so high, that some residents will choose not to buy at all. Remember,

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B2B Stories

GA and SC deliver one, two punch for best in business

For the 10th straight year, Area Development Magazine named Georgia number one on its annual list of “Top States for Doing Business” report. Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA), joined by former Governor, Nathan Deal (R), members of the general assembly and state and local economic developers, made the announcement earlier this month. “For 10 straight years, the people who help businesses choose where to make long-term investments have repeatedly said Georgia is the best state in the nation for opportunity,” said Kemp. “Despite the unprecedented challenges we’ve seen in recent years,

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B2B Stories

Publix to open second store in Aiken

For those who believe that customer-focused Publix is the Chick-fil-A of grocery stores, you’ll be happy to know the chain is opening a second store in Aiken. It will be located at Silver Bluff Road and Village Green Boulevard. The store will employ about 140 people and is slated to offer almost 47,000 square feet of groceries and pharmacy items. The new Publix is projected to open in 2025 and will join another store in Aiken in the Eastgate Shopping Center. Apparently, social media followers are excited, as more than

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Faith

A Special Place

I had planned to share something else with you this week. That is until hearing of the war in Israel. My love for Israel started decades ago. I was fortunate to grow up in a home that attended church regularly. I still have my first Bible; one my folks gave me for my eighth birthday. Faith has percolated in my heart since an early age. I remember looking in the very back of a Bible and seeing maps of Israel. A seed found a place to grow early in my

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Shawna Woodward

AFFORDABLY priced new construction options in the CSRA

Happy Friday the 13th to you! After last week’s spooky market report, I thought you may want to know where you could buy a new home and stay within a universally affordable price range. A little treat after the last mind trick. First, why focus on new construction? That answer is simple, when a buyer is looking at homes, they will 9 out of 10 times choose a new home over a resale. In today’s market, mortgage payments are highly affected, so the burden of unexpected expenses weighs on the

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