December 2022 Features

• Augusta University Gives Back to the CSRA through Days of Service

  December 21, 2022

  Days of Service, Augusta University’s annual community service project, takes place each November. This year, more than 1,100 volunteers registered to participate and help out with various community service projects.

• AT&T Names Venessa Harrison President, Southeast Coastal States

  December 21, 2022

  AT&T has appointed Venessa Harrison to the position of President, Southeast Coastal States, where she will lead the company’s strategy, policy and corporate affairs activities, as well as guide governmental and community policy decisions in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

• Georgia Lottery Reaches Milestone $25B Generated for Education in Georgia

  December 21, 2022

  Governor Brian P. Kemp is excited to announce the Georgia Lottery Corp. has raised $25 billion for education in the State of Georgia since its inception in 1993. These funds have allowed thousands of Georgians to receive essential early learning and provided the opportunity for higher education through the HOPE Scholarship.

• Apprenticeships Open Doors for Georgia’s Future Workforce

  December 20, 2022

  Georgia is proactive in educating the workforce of the future and is proving its commitment by investing in apprenticeship programs so more Georgians can enter the workforce prepared for success.

• Georgia Department of Education Announces 2023 Priorities

  December 19, 2022

  The Georgia Department of Education is announcing its 2023 priorities, which will guide its work during the 2023 legislative session and beyond.

• Cranston Engineering Appoints New President

  December 16, 2022

  CRANSTON, an engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, and planning firm serving Southeast communities for more than half a century, has appointed CRANSTON veteran and principal Dennis Welch, P.E., as its new president and CEO.

• Cities Connect: The Truth About Georgia’s Widening Urban-Rural Divide

  December 16, 2022

  In this episode of Cities Connect, we speak with Charles Hayslett, an award-winning journalist, speechwriter and public relations counselor, about the costs and consequences of Georgia’s widening urban-rural divide.

• goBeyondProfit CEO Interview: Enrique Alvarez, Co-Founder of Vector Global Logistics

  December 16, 2022

  In part 2 of our conversation with goBeyondProfit Champion Enrique Alvarez, Co-Founder of Vector Global Logistics, we explore the case for this purpose-based culture and how it made Vector Global Logistics more resilient throughout a global health and supply chain crisis.

• Georgia Is the 11th Fastest-Growing State in the U.S.

  December 15, 2022

  The world population recently passed 8 billion, just 11 years after reaching 7 billion. But across the globe, more countries are experiencing slowing or declining rates of population growth. The U.S. and Georgia are no exception.

• Augusta Business Owner Appointed to Small Business Administration Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs

  December 14, 2022

  The U.S. Small Business Administration appointed Greg Hill to the Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs. On the committee, Hill represents G.B. Hill Medical Supply, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business he founded in 2018.

• AAA Forecasts Record-Setting 3.5 Million Georgians To Travel for Year-End Holidays

  December 14, 2022

  Tis the season to travel, and AAA estimates over 3.5 million Georgians will journey 50 miles or more away from home, December 23rd to January 2nd. That’s an increase of almost 113,000 people over last year and a new record-high for the year-end holiday travel period in Georgia.

• Five Business Owner Observations Heading into 2023

  December 13, 2022

  Business owners are feeling optimistic about their business in 2023, amid economic concerns. Most notably, business owners are confident their own business operations can withstand an economic downturn but don't expect relief from current economic challenges in the near future, according to data from a new Agency Forward survey from Nationwide.

• Georgia Economic Outlook: State is in for a Mild, Short Recession

  December 12, 2022

  While Georgia’s economy made a near-record recovery from the COVID-19 recession in 2022, tighter monetary policy and energy price shocks will likely trigger a mild and brief economic slowdown in 2023.

• Investing in Georgia Today for the Economy of Tomorrow

  December 09, 2022

  In 2019, McKinsey marked the 40th anniversary of its Atlanta office with a report on the state of Georgia’s growth prospects. The three years since the report’s publication have brought massive economic, geopolitical, and societal shifts that have changed the trajectory of the state and the nation. In this report, we revisit the original question of Georgia’s growth potential in the years to come.

• Inaugural Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant Recipients Announced

  December 09, 2022

  Five Georgia-based family foundations today announce the awarding of inaugural Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grants in support of efforts that advance climate solutions and prioritize equity in Georgia.

• goBeyondProfit CEO Interviews: Enrique Alvarez, Co-Founder of Vector Global Logistics

  December 09, 2022

  Vector Global Logistics, and its Co-Founder and Managing Director Enrique Alvarez, were recently awarded the goBeyondProfit Champion award for their dedication to leveraging logistics to change the world. Everything from the phone in your hand to the pens you use has some element of logistics involved in it, which is why Vector believes they are uniquely situated for meaningful impact.

• Gap-filling Weather Radar Installation Nearing Completion in Columbia County

  December 08, 2022

  Today, Columbia County announced that its partner, Climavision, a climate tech data pioneer, has completed installing a new weather radar system in Columbia County, helping to fill a dangerous low-level radar coverage gap in the region.

• Gov. Kemp: Hyundai Motor Group & SK On To Build EV Battery Facility

  December 08, 2022

  Governor Brian Kemp today announced that Hyundai Motor Group and SK On have selected a site in Bartow County for a new electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility that will supply Hyundai Motor Group’s plants in the U.S. One of the largest economic development projects in state history, stakeholders estimate it will create more than 3,500 new jobs through approximately $4-5 billion of investment in Bartow County.

• Tripadvisor's Year in Review: Unpacking All the Good in 2022

  December 08, 2022

  With borders open and flight routes reinstated (almost) all over the world, this year will forever be known as the great travel reboot. In 2022, travelers learned how to travel again — exploring new terrain, rediscovering favorite places, and making the most of long layovers.

• RedLine Powersports Acquires Augusta Powersports

  December 07, 2022

  RedLine Powersports has recently announced the acquisition of Augusta Powersports. The dealer group is proud to expand its footprint into Georgia, both excited and dedicated to offer premier brands of on-road, off-road and watercraft manufacturers to adventure enthusiasts.

• EY Survey Shows Technology Leaders are Optimistic

  December 07, 2022

  Ernst & Young LLP announced the release of a new pulse poll examining technology leaders' perspectives on the economic downturn heading into 2023. In October 2022, EY surveyed 250 senior business leaders at US technology companies to see how they are preparing for a potential recession.

• Georgia Ports Authority to Renovate Ocean Terminal Docks

  December 06, 2022

  The Georgia Ports Authority Board has approved a plan to renovate and realign the docks at the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal to better accommodate its expanding container operation.

• Small Business Hiring and Worker Wages Hold Steady

  December 05, 2022

  The rate of job growth and hourly earnings growth held relatively steady at U.S. small businesses in November, according to the latest Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch.

• Augusta Metro Chamber Honors Entrepreneurial Spirit, Corporate Commitment at 2022 Best In Business

  December 02, 2022

  With this year’s Best In Business awards, the Augusta Metro Chamber celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit within our community as well as the outstanding commitment of corporations to our local economy.

• goBeyondProfit CEO Interview: Jeff Jones, CEO of Ad Victoriam

  December 02, 2022

  Why would a company worry about generosity in start-up mode? Our CEO Deep Dive with software consultancy Ad Victoriam Solutions’ Jeff Jones has plenty of insight for companies of all sizes, on the benefit of taking on a B Corp framework and how early investment in purpose pays off.