May 2018 Features

• Nationally Recognized Expert in Computer Technology Named Dean of the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences

  May 31, 2018

  lexander Schwarzmann, a nationally recognized expert in computer technology whose work primarily focuses on cybersecurity of electronic voting, distributed computing, survivable distributed information systems, and fault-tolerant systems, has been named dean of Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences following a national search.

• Connecting Georgia’s Communities to Spur Economic Development: RuralWorks

  May 31, 2018

  The newest division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Rural Georgia Initiatives, has one primary focus in mind: to help rural Georgia communities become more competitive for economic development projects and identify new strategies for attracting jobs and investment.

• Georgia Department of Transportation Heads into 2018 Summer Construction Season

  May 30, 2018

  With Memorial Day in the rear view mirror, the unofficial start of summer has begun. For Georgia Department of Transportation, summer road construction is gearing up across Georgia. The Department announced plans for an active 2018 summer construction season, with hundreds of construction and maintenance projects along interstates and state routes across Georgia.

• Augusta Breaks Jobs Records in April

  May 29, 2018

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Augusta prospered even as the state saw generally down numbers in April for several cities. In Augusta, the April unemployment rate fell sharply while the number of employed residents and total jobs both climbed to record-setting numbers.

• Delta Offering More Trans-Atlantic Flying Than Ever

  May 29, 2018

  Memorial Day weekend marked the start of Delta's biggest ever summer on the trans-Atlantic. Some 11 routes – both new and old favorites – will begin over the next couple of days connecting the U.S. and nine countries in Europe.

• U.S. CEOs' Confidence Soars As Hunt For Sustained Growth Continues

  May 29, 2018

  U.S. chief executives are highly confident in the growth prospects for their companies over the next three years and will focus on M&A and collaborative efforts such as accelerator or incubator programs for startup firms to achieve sustained growth, according to a study released today by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm.

• Georgia Banks & Industry Groups Applaud Dodd-Frank Rollback

  May 24, 2018

  Georgia-based community banks, regional banks, and industry groups are applauding the significant rollback of Dodd-Frank Act regulations. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) helped craft the bipartisan rollback plan, which included three of his provisions. The rollback plan now heads to President Trump’s desk to become law.

• Georgia DOT Restricts Construction-Related Closures Statewide During Memorial Day Holiday Weekend

  May 24, 2018

  To ease Memorial Day weekend traffic congestion, the Georgia Department of Transportation is suspending construction-related lane closures from Friday, May 25th through Tuesday, May 29th on Interstate Highways, and limiting lane closures on state routes that directly serve major tourist and recreation centers.

• Zillow: Federal Tax Cut Will Inject Nearly $40B into the Housing Market

  May 21, 2018

  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted at the end of last year could result in tens of billions of dollars being reinvested into the housing market, according to the Zillow Housing Aspirations Report. This is despite the fact that legislation expressly limited a number of longstanding tax benefits for homeowners.

• EDTS and EDTS Cyber Announce New Operations in Charleston & Charlotte

  May 18, 2018

  Nationally ranked cybersecurity firm EDTS Cyber, LLC, along with its affiliate EDTS, LLC, an 8-time Inc. 5000 Managed Services Provider, have expanded their operations to the Charleston, SC and Charlotte, NC Metropolitan areas. These two industry leaders are headquartered out of Augusta, GA, with offices also located in Columbia and Greenville, SC, Asheville, NC and Savannah, GA.

• Financial Technology Report Shows Georgia Leads as Global FinTech Hub

  May 17, 2018

  The Technology Association of Georgia, the state's leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia's technology industry, has unveiled its 2018 State of Georgia's FinTech Ecosystem Report.

• Columbia County Chamber of Commerce to Host Post-Legislative Breakfast May 16th

  May 15, 2018

  The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Post-Legislative Breakfast on Wednesday, May 16 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., at Savannah Rapids Pavilion.

• GDOT Commissioner: Georgia Well-Positioned for Infrastructure Plan

  May 15, 2018

  This week is National Infrastructure Week. There will be events across the nation to bring awareness to the criticality of infrastructure conditions and the need for investment. The Georgia Department of Transportation is focused on improving both the state of good repair of our infrastructure and investing in mobility enhancements to our transportation network in order to facilitate growth and improve the quality of life for all Georgians.

• ACG Atlanta Announces 40 Fastest-­Growing Companies in Georgia

  May 14, 2018

  The Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, a global professional organization with the mission of Driving Middle-­Market Growth, announced the 2018 Georgia Fast 40, recognizing the top 40 fastest-­growing middle-­market companies in Georgia.

• The RADCO Companies & Columbia Ventures Break Ground on Luxury Apartment Complex in Augusta

  May 11, 2018

  The RADCO Companies, one of the nation’s leading opportunistic real estate developers, gathered with Columbia Ventures and city officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of The Foundry in Augusta.

• Augusta Rallies in Support of Travel and Tourism Industry

  May 09, 2018

  The 35th annual National Travel and Tourism Week unites communities across the country to celebrate what travel means to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being. Across Augusta, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees to restaurant, attraction and retail workers, and supports related sectors such as construction, manufacturing and finance

• AU Health Economic Impact Exceeds $1.5B

  May 08, 2018

  Augusta University Health is good medicine for Georgia in more ways than one. The health system affiliated with Augusta University provided care to more than 410,000 adults at AU Medical Center and more than 110,000 young patients at Children’s Hospital of Georgia in 2016. That same year, AU Health contributed over $1.5 billion to the financial wellbeing of the state, according to the latest data from the Georgia Hospital Association.

• Georgia’s 2017 Tourism Economic Impact Tops $63M, Breaks Records

  May 08, 2018

  Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the state’s tourism industry generated a record-breaking $63.1 billion in economic impact in 2017, for an increase of 3.8 percent over last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics.

• The Home Depot Co-founder: Profits are Not the Only Measure of Success

  May 07, 2018

  American businesses are giving and doing more than ever before, like the hundreds of companies that have pledged bonuses, raises, new or expanded benefits, or price reductions since December, when Congress retooled the federal tax code for the first time in 30 years. Those responses are tremendous—they could mean a family’s first vacation or provide hope of paying down medical expenses or debt—but understand that business need not rely on unexpected windfalls before realizing the benefits of giving back.

• Club Car Renews Commitment to the National Club Association as Executive Partner

  May 03, 2018

  Club Car has renewed its commitment to the National Club Association’s corporate partner program to support the growth of the private club industry as an Executive Partner.

• Governor Signs $26 Billion State Budget

  May 03, 2018

  Gov. Nathan Deal held budget signing ceremonies in Atlanta, Acworth, Blue Ridge, Statesboro and Tifton for next year’s $26 billion state budget. HB 684, the FY 2019 budget, continues Deal’s efforts to invest in Georgia’s citizens and its economy through education and transportation initiatives.

• Georgia's Credit Unions Finish 2017 with Strong Loan Growth

  May 02, 2018

  Georgia credit unions finished 2017 with strong loan growth aided by near cyclical highs in U.S. consumer confidence. Lending at Georgia credit unions grew by 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter – eclipsing the third quarter’s 1.5 percent rate but landing short of the 3.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to data collected by the Credit Union National Association.

• Billy Payne’s Olympian Triumph

  May 01, 2018

  The story of Atlanta’s emergence as an international city began, as unlikely triumphs often do, with one man’s improbable dream. And yet, William Porter “Billy” Payne was not known as a dreamer. In fact, before 1987—when he resolved to bring the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games to Atlanta, in defiance of all odds—the then-middle-aged real estate lawyer wasn’t widely known at all.