Features
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Small Business Hiring and Wage Growth Hold Steady in May
June 06, 2019
The Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch for May shows job and wage growth were essentially unchanged from the previous month. The national jobs index stands at 98.76 and has been relatively stable throughout 2019. Hourly earnings have increased 2.53 percent ($0.67) over the past 12 months, remaining slightly ahead of the 2018 average growth rate (2.49 percent).
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Georgia Chamber Partners With U.S. Chamber To Host Small Business Series June 12th
June 05, 2019
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be partnering to host the Small Business Series on June 12, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mason Fine Art and Events in Atlanta.
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Georgia Power Customers to See Credit on June Bills
June 05, 2019
The second of three credits associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will be applied directly to Georgia Power customers’ bills in June. These credits are a result of the reduction in Georgia Power’s federal corporate tax rate from 35% down to 21%.
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Congress Passes Disaster Relief Bill
June 04, 2019
Help is on the way. Nearly nine months after farmers in South Georgia were devastated by Hurricane Michael, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill Monday, sending the measure to President Donald Trump. The legislation was approved 354-58 by Congress.
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10 Most Expensive Places to Retire in the U.S.
June 04, 2019
Retirement might be a financial struggle for many retirees, but there is a segment for whom money is not a problem. To help those who like to dream big, Topretirements.com has developed a list of the 10 most luxurious places to retire. Communities where the hardest task is to choose whether it will be the beach club, marina, golf course, or take the plane out for a flight.
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UGA SBDC: Launch of New Small Business Accelerator Series for Rural Georgia June 18th
June 03, 2019
The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) will launch the first class in their new Small Business Accelerator Series, Accelerate Your Marketing: Grow Business and Build Loyal Customers, in Moultrie on June 18th.
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Conservative Writer Talks Free Speech at Georgia Public Policy Foundation
June 03, 2019
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation hosted longtime National Review writer and free speech expert David French last week. Besides being his writing duties, French is a veteran of the Iraq War and has spent much of his career as an attorney fighting for free speech rights.
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Small Businesses Gain Big Wins from Community Involvement
May 31, 2019
Strapped and under-resourced small businesses might have the very most to gain from community involvement. Authentic outreach can be a powerful way to expand the company’s relationship network, raise business awareness and build loyalty among customers and employees. goBeyondProfit’s Corporate Generosity Research Report cites that 71 percent of Georgia’s employed adults prefer to buy products from companies who are generous to the community.
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2021 MLB All-Star Game Awarded to Atlanta & SunTrust Park
May 31, 2019
Major League Baseball announced Atlanta as host to the 2021 MLB All-Star Game. The annual matchup between the American League and National League’s top athletes will be played at SunTrust Park. This marks the third time Atlanta welcomes the Midsummer Classic, the first since 2000.
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Invesco to Expand Atlanta Global HQ with 500 Jobs and $70M Investment
May 31, 2019
Governor Brian Kemp announced that Invesco, one of the world’s leading investment managers, plans to significantly expand its global headquarters in Atlanta, adding 500 jobs and investing $70 million as part of a major expansion of its business.
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VSU Investment Club Gives Students Real Stock Market Experience
May 30, 2019
When it comes to learning about financial investments, games and virtual simulations are helpful, but nothing comes close to the learning experience of investing with real money, said Dr. Elvan Aktas, professor of finance and director of graduate programs at Valdosta State University’s Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration.
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Georgia Public Policy Foundation Releases Study on Healthcare Waivers for Georgia
May 30, 2019
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation has long advocated for market-oriented solutions to Georgia’s healthcare challenges. As one way of accomplishing this goal, the Foundation supports the use of a Section 1332 State Innovation Waiver under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Georgia General Assembly has authorized Gov. Brian Kemp to use this tool to pursue more flexibility in how Georgia administers certain aspects of the ACA.
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Reynolds Lake Oconee to Host Second Annual Reynolds Cup, October 1st-3rd
May 30, 2019
The second annual Reynolds Cup presented by National Car Rental, a golf tournament for leaders in business who thrive on the competition and camaraderie that are the spirit of the game, is set for Oct. 1-3 at Reynolds Lake Oconee, the award-winning golf community and destination resort between Atlanta and Augusta.
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Proposed Legislation Designed to Help Americans Prepare for Retirement
May 29, 2019
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) joined Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut Tuesday and re-introduced bipartisan legislation that he says will help Americans ensure they do not outlive their retirement savings.
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11th Annual Historic Preservation Award Winners Announced
May 28, 2019
May of each year is National Historic Preservation Month and this year’s theme is “This Place Matters,” a campaign for showcasing one’s favorite historic building. The city of Valdosta is celebrating with the 11th annual Historic Preservation Awards. These awards are given to a select few who have gone above and beyond to rehabilitate and preserve a particular contributing historic building or construct a new building which blends well with the historic character of the District.
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Global Payments and TSYS Combine to Form Leading Pure Play Payments Technology Company
May 28, 2019
Global Payments, a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions, and TSYS, a leading global payments provider offering innovative solutions across the issuing, merchant and consumer segments, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals.
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Senators Isakson, Perdue Secure Long-Awaited Disaster Aid Funding for Georgia
May 24, 2019
U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., praised Senate approval of critical disaster relief funding for Georgia and other states impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. Isakson and Perdue have fought for months to secure disaster funding for Georgia, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018.
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Beer Industry Contributes $8.1B Annually to Georgia's Economy
May 23, 2019
Just ahead of Memorial Day, which marks one of the top beer selling holidays of the year and the start of the summer beer selling season, a new economic impact study shows America's beer industry contributes $8.1 billion annually to Georgia's economy and supports 54,084 jobs in the state.
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Georgia Credit Union Affiliates Awards Volunteer of Year to Southeastern Credit Union Board Chair
May 22, 2019
Georgia Credit Union Affiliates, the state trade association for credit unions, recently awarded a 2018 Volunteer of the Year distinction to Anthony Payton, Board member for Southeastern Credit Union.
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SGRC Receives 2019 Excellence in Regional Transportation Award
May 22, 2019
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) in Valdosta has been awarded a 2019 Excellence in Regional Transportation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Southern Georgia Regional Transportation Sales Tax Initiative.
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Sen. Isakson Talks Middle East, Trade, National Security, Disaster Aid, Veterans
May 21, 2019
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., outlined top pressing national and state priorities in an episode of the “Inside the Box” podcast on Thursday. During the interview, Isakson shared his views on his recent trip to Iraq, the increased tensions with Iran, his leadership on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. trade relationships, national security and his work to secure federal disaster aid for Georgia.
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Coleman Talley LLP Wins 8th Consecutive Georgia Legal Food Frenzy with Record Breaking Point Total
May 20, 2019
Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Valdosta-based law firm Coleman Talley LLP won the Grand Prize in the 2019 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy Competition, a statewide effort among legal organizations to raise money for Georgia’s food banks. Coleman Talley received the Bar President’s Award for the third year in a row, having raised $34,250.
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AG Chris Carr: Georgia Legal Food Frenzy Generates 1.7 Million Meals for Children in Need
May 20, 2019
Attorney General Chris Carr announced that law firms and legal organizations across Georgia raised a record breaking 419,321 dollars and 17,617 pounds of food during the 8th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy. This is the equivalent of 1.7 million meals for Georgia’s food banks and a 9.5 percent increase from last year.
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Valdosta Youth Council Completes Productive Fourth Year
May 17, 2019
The 15-member Valdosta Youth Council (VYC), initiated by Mayor John Gayle in 2015, successfully completed the 2018-2019 academic year with a variety of accomplishments. The VYC, now in its fourth program year, was created for youth to build leadership skills and learn about civic responsibility, to gain a better understanding of municipal government, and to prepare youth for a lifetime of public and community service.
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Isakson, Perdue Help Secure $35M in Disaster Relief
May 16, 2019
Last week we wrote about the work U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) are doing to secure much needed disaster relief funds for Georgia farmers impacted by Hurricane Michael.