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Consumer Stories

Faith Friday: Like a Good (Thy) Neighbor: One Insurer Ensures Purpose Before Profit

Eddie Bussey can tell you, he’s heard God’s voice. In 2001, Eddie Bussey – State Farm, was a fledgling enterprise. It was a low point in his personal life as well. He says he belted an anguished cry. Almost as instantly as in the biblical story of the Saul-to-Paul conversion, he made a promise to God. “I was under so much pressure and the momentum was not what I wanted or to be for the business,” he said. “I found myself praying out loud by myself in the office late

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Monique Williams July 7, 2022 No Comments
Top Story

Local fast-food restaurant owners confront labor shortage

Offering sign-on bonuses is one of the strategies many companies, including fast-food restaurants, have used to recruit employees. But Gary’s Hamburgers owner, Gary Gibson said that’s a strategy he isn’t willing to try. Gibson has owned and operated the CSRA restaurant chain for nearly 40 years, and like many other businesses, Gary’s has been hit with a serious labor shortage. There are currently three locations in Martinez, Evans, and North Augusta. He had planned to open a new location on Wrightsboro Road last year, but he said it will remain

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Josh Heath July 7, 2022 1 Comment
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Best labor markets in Georgia, S.C. are on the coasts

Last week, I compared the labor market in Augusta to other metro areas in Georgia. However, two counties in the August metro area are in South Carolina (Aiken and Edgefield), so how does Augusta stack up against South Carolina cities? Like Georgia, the fastest-growing labor markets in South Carolina are on the coast. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Charleston grew at 2.5 percent over the last year and by a whopping 4.7 percent in Myrtle Beach. (The fastest growth in Georgia was Savannah at 3.6 percent). Over the past

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor July 6, 2022 1 Comment
B2B Stories

Local young professionals selected as top future business leaders

Dalton Self is a local entrepreneur with a passion for creating opportunities for future business leaders. Self, Vice President of Jani-King of Augusta, was selected by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and Augusta Magazine as one of the Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch. Self, who is also responsible for overseeing other Jani-King locations, including Macon, Savannah, and Memphis said in the future, he will be one of the top business leaders in the CSRA because he strives to help others become successful commercial cleaning franchises. According

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Josh Heath July 5, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Fireworks entrepreneur launches Augusta store

Brent Munnerlyn has opened a new fireworks store with a familiar name, just in time to help you light up the night sky for your July 4 celebrations. Munnerlyn recently opened Joe Dirt Fireworks located at 1090 Claussen Road near River Watch Parkway and next door to Candlewood Suites Augusta. Joe Dirt was a 2001 comedy starring David Spade. The 5,000-square-foot store sells a variety of products, including sparklers, Roman candles, and artillery shells. “We are excited about this location and how visible it is from I-20,” he said. “Our

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Josh Heath July 1, 2022 No Comments
Consumer Stories

Business Lunch: Dave and Buster’s

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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Wes Hennings June 30, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: First quarter labor stats look good for Georgia, up slightly in Augusta

Data through the first quarter of 2022 suggests that the Georgia economy remains strong. The Labor Market Index (LMI) for Georgia increased by 2.4 percent in March 2022 from March 2021. The corresponding number for the fourth quarter of 2021 was 2.2 percent. Savannah saw the largest year-on-year increase at 3.6 percent. All metro areas, except Hinesville, saw improved labor market conditions in the first quarter of 2022. The LMI for Augusta increased by 0.8 percent. Employment has increased by 2,300 over the last year and the unemployment rate has

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Dr. Simon Medcalfe, AU Economics Professor June 29, 2022 No Comments
Closings

North Augusta office supply store location to close in August

A big-box office supply store in North Augusta is closing its doors and offering discounts of up to 30 percent on all items. Office Depot, which is located in Martintown Plaza at 1117 Knox Ave. between Planet Fitness and Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology, will close around August 20 because the company didn’t renew the lease in time to keep it open, according to a store employee. “It’s only this store that’s closing; there are other stores in Augusta and Evans,” he said. The Augusta store is located at 3675

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Josh Heath June 28, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Entrepreneurs cook up a successful oil business

Unlike the Beverly Hillbillies who struck crude oil, Craig Doughtery and his partner, Bob Thrift, owners of High Country Olive Oil, aren’t millionaires but they have found their niche in the oil business. They have two locations for High Country Olive Oil, in Aiken and Pawleys Island, where they sell high-quality olive oil and a variety of balsamic vinegar. Thrift had retired and Doughtery was winding up 20 years in the car business when they partnered to look for a small business concept. The idea came from visiting an olive

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Mitzi Oxford June 27, 2022 No Comments
B2B Stories

Corporation buys longtime Augusta-based HVAC business

When the temperature is 105 degrees and your house feels like the Sahara Desert, you need your air conditioning fixed right away. A local company that’s been repairing and replacing heating and air conditioning systems for 96 years is now under new ownership. Sig Cox Heating and Air Conditioning, which was founded in 1926 by Sigman Cox, has been sold to JSM Family Holdings Corp. for an undisclosed amount. The company’s president, Jeff Miller, will serve as CEO of Sig Cox. “As new owners, my wife, Suzi, and I see

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Josh Heath June 24, 2022 No Comments
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