NOTE FROM NEIL:

The Evans, Augusta, and North Augusta Brusters Ice Cream are also giving customers 75 cents off their ice cream purchase if they bring in a canned food donation to the Golden Harvest Food Bank.

IT TASTES GOOD TO DO GOOD  Bruster’s® Real Ice Cream™ is Feeding America

BRIDGEWATER, PA (June 1, 2010)Bruster’s Cares about fighting hunger, and so can you. Bruster’s® Real Ice Cream™ announced today that for every SNICKERS® ice cream product sold during the upcoming Bruster’s Cares campaign—June 15 through July 31, 2010—the company will donate one meal to Feeding America, up to a total value of $10,000. “Stop by your favorite Bruster’s location and help feed America, while indulging in the extraordinary taste of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream,” said Kim Piper, vice president of marketing. “When we learned that 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger – we knew we had to do something to help. How often does the purchase of a sweet treat for yourself also result in the provision of one meal for a man, woman or child facing hunger?” Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Its mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage the country in the fight to end hunger. Member food banks support approximately 61,000 local charitable agencies and 70,000 programs, which provide food directly to individuals and families in need. For additional information on the Bruster’s Cares campaign, visit www.brusters.com.

About Bruster’s Real Ice Cream

Based in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is ranked one of the country’s leading franchise chains with more than 240 locations in 18 northeastern, mid-Atlantic and southeastern states. Bruster’s has more than 140 recipes of real ice cream – with nearly 40 fresh flavors available at any one time. Delicious products are made fresh at each location, including: ice cream, waffle cones, sorbet, Italian Ice, Blasts, milkshakes, sundaes, and ice cream cakes and pies. Flavors vary by store and include seasonal product favorites, such as strawberry shortcakes and hot apple dumplings. To locate a Bruster’s near you, visit www.brusters.com. For franchise information, call Lori Molnar at 724-774-4250 ext. 109.

source: City of Augusta’s Mayor’s Office

Friends,

As many of you may know, yesterday the Brookings Institute ranked the Augusta Metro Area as having the 7^th most resilient metro economy in the nation for the first quarter of 2010.  Their MetroMonitor Report ranks the 100 largest metro economies in the nation and our most recent ranking represents an eleven position move from our 18^th ranking for the fourth quarter of 2009. Augusta was one of only 10 metropolitan areas that experienced positive job growth in both the first quarter of 2010 and the fourth quarter of 2009 and the recognition has led to even more national press in today’s Huffington Post.  As our city continues to build momentum, I definitely felt this information was worth sharing!

Thanks,

Deke

11 Cities That Are Beating The Recession

Huffington Post |  Sara Yin First Posted: 06-16-10 08:58 AM   |   Updated: 06-16-10 11:22 AM

Read More: Brookings Institute, Brookings Institution, Economic Recovery, Economy, Employment, Metro, Metro Areas, Recession, Slidepollajax, Unemployment, Business News

This recession has been particularly brutal on American cities. Nearly one in five Americans are unemployed — or can’t find enough work — housing prices have fallen 17% since 2007, our $13 trillion debt is out of control, and experts are now preparing for the possibility of a double-dip recession.

But at a local level, some cities are recovering much faster than others. The Brookings Institute has released its latest quarterly MetroMonitor report, tracking the economic recovery of America’s 100 largest metro areas. The ranking considered the changes in four economic indicators over the last three years: employment, unemployment, gross metropolitan product (like a city’s GDP), and housing prices.

The ranking suggests that Southern cities, many of them in Texas, have shown the most economic resilience since the downturn began. The weakest-performing areas were clustered in California and Florida.

READ the full Brookings Institute report here, and check out the 11 MOST resilient cities here.

7. Augusta, GA

Percent change in employment, from peak to the first quarter of 2010: -2.6%
Percent change in unemployment rate, March 2007 to March 2010: 4.2%
Percent change in real Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP), peak to 2010Q1: 1.3%
Percent change in real Housing Price Index (HPI), first quarter 2007 to 2010: -6.2%

Augusta jumped 11 spots since the Brookings Institute’s last edition of its Metro Monitor, which tracked the metro areas during the fourth quarter of 2009.

source: Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.(Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, today announced that R. Joseph Pollock, President of Pollock Company of Augusta, Ga. has been selected for the inaugural 2009 Konica Minolta Dealer Award of Excellence. Recognized for ongoing and extensive commitment to the local Augusta community, the Pollock Company was chosen to receive this newly established annual award from among four nominees in the respective regions of Konica Minolta’s U.S. dealer channel.

The Pollock Company aims to help Augusta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina businesses become more productive through delivery of state-of-the-art office equipment, service and support. Contributing to the local communities has been a major commitment for the Pollock Company for many years.

“As part of promoting the continued success of our dealer channel, we strive to recognize those partners that go above and beyond to not only be successful business partners, but also give back to the communities in which they have a presence,” said Alan Nielsen, Executive Vice President, Dealer Sales and Administration, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “Joe Pollock and the Pollock Company share the Konica Minolta dedication to corporate social responsibility initiatives which is the reason for their selection for this year’s award.”

Mr. Pollock was also chosen to receive this award for his commitment to the employees of the Pollock Company. The spirit of this new award is to not only recognize Konica Minolta dealers for their charitable activities and social responsibility, but also for their efforts toward building long-term relationships and loyalty with employees.

“On behalf of Pollock Company, we are honored to receive this award. Our long term relationship with Konica Minolta enables us to offer the latest and best equipment and solutions for our customers,” said Mr. Pollock. “We recognize and welcome our obligation to be a part of and partner with our communities and give back, in order to make our markets a better place, both for our customers and employees.

Mr. Pollock adds: “Our stable, long term employees (35 percent have been with us 15+ years) allow us to be the best business solution for our customers. We believe they deserve nothing less than outstanding service, solutions and benefits, offered with integrity and local accountability and we are committed to deliver more than we promise and simply be the best at what we do.”

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop. For the third consecutive year, Konica Minolta was recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Marketby Brand Keys. For more information, please visit CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook (@Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.) and Twitter (@KonicaMinoltaUS).

About Pollock Company
Since 1965, the Pollock Company has made Augusta businesses more productive and more efficient with state-of-the-art office equipment, service and support. Pollock’s office in Columbia, South Carolina, offers the same excellent services since 2001.

NOTE FROM NEIL:

Yours truly attended part of the groundbreaking story and was amazed by three things:

1) Somewhere around 150 business leaders were there
2) The actual facility will be HUGE, basically stretching from the Marriott Hotel to the Marriott Suites on Reynolds Street. Several buildings will be demolished including the building across from Beamie’s and the Lock and Key business that had been there for so many years.
3) The Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau has already identified at least 10 statewide organizations for a convention here. There are local representatives here trying to help “close the deal” at the statewide level. Total accrued visitor spending for these events could top $10 Million.

Late yesterday afternoon the ACVB put together this e-newsletter to its’ contacts to arrange a site visit:

Augusta is making your next meeting or trade show decision easy.  The new Trade, Exhibit and Event (TEE) Center is now officially under construction. The city broke ground today on the new facility to expand the Augusta Convention Center.

• 38,000 square feet of new column-free space
• 29,000 square feet of new pre-function space
• 372 attached hotel rooms
• 49,000 square feet of existing attached meeting space
• Along the Savannah River in the heart of Downtown
• Dozens of restaurants within steps of the Center

Opening in 2012

Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) takes great pride in the concierge-level service provided to meeting planners. This service means you’ve got a designated partner at the ACVB who is your source for everything you and your guests may need. From hotels to tours to caterers to you-name-it, you’ve got an assistant on-site who knows the local vendors and can help you get things done. Now that exceptional service is paired with extraordinary facilities. The new TEE Center is part of a multi-faceted effort to make Augusta the meeting place of the South.

For more information or to plan your hard hat tour contact Peggy Seigler, ACVB VP of Sales & Marketing, at pseigler@augustaga.org.

The “boyz”, Bill Botham and John Patrick are tackling a number of issues today…selecting from awards for the local Konica dealership, to a roll-out of a Comcast, high-speed internet service, to a local tie in with Brusters and Snickers to help feed the hungry, to more national honors for the City of Augusta and jobs, to follow-ups on the Tee Center. They’ll also welcome into the program the following guests:

12:20pm – DAVID TUCKER – will come to the studio to chat about his award.  He is the Curator of Education and Deputy Director of the Morris Museum of Art, has been named the recipient of the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s 2010 President’s Award, the highest honor given by the GAAC. We’ll ask him, “how’s biz”?

12:45pm – Kevin Wade of Intellisystems stops by each Tuesday to discuss your office and your office needs. Intellisystems is a Microsoft provider, and does Networking, Monitoring, and Voice and Data services for clients. For more information, log on towww.intellisystems.com

1:20pm - -    JOHN OLIVERIO will be chatting about ‘GROUND ZERO FIGHTING’ They are celebrating their second anniversary in Evans and have just introduced “KRAV MAGA” (self defense class) to their facility.  They are the only gym in the augusta area to have it. www.groundzerofighting.com

1:45pm - -  Hospitality experts from The Partridge Inn join us to discuss the exciting events planned for the hotel’s 100th Anniversary in 2010. They will also discuss some hospitality “do’s” and “don’t's” to help you plan your upcoming event. Find out more by logging on to www.partridgeinn.com

Augusta Businesses Can Now Experience One of the Fastest Internet Speeds in the U.S.

Augusta, GA – June 15, 2010 – Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services, is beginning to rollout its 100 Mbps high-speed Internet service to businesses throughout Augusta This new speed tier is one of the fastest broadband services available in the nation.

Following the initial launch of the “Deluxe 100” service in the Twin Cities, Augusta area businesses are among the first in the nation to have access to this premium speed tier.

The service is another demonstration of the power of Comcast’s deployment of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 technology, which sets a new standard for delivering high-speed Internet service across fiber-optic networks. The technology, also referred to as wideband, will enable Comcast to continue to deliver progressively faster speeds well into the future.

The 100 Mbps service tier, which is available to Comcast Business Class customers for $369.95 per month, is part of a comprehensive business solution that includes Microsoft Communication Services (valued at more than $500), a world-class productivity suite that combines Windows® SharePoint and Microsoft Outlook email powered by Microsoft Exchange Server for no additional fee.  In addition, the service includes Norton Business Suite™ software (up to a $490 retail value) that protects up to 25 PCs from viruses and spyware.  There are a range of other website hosting, design features and options available as well.

“We are excited to be able to bring Comcast business customers 100Mbps high-speed internet in Augusta,” said Pat Kelley, Business Services Manager in Augusta, GA.  “We understand that businesses need a fast connection and we are glad to continue to be able to help our customers grow their businesses with the most cutting-edge technology available today.”

With download speeds of up to 100 Mbps, customers will be able to operate their businesses more efficiently and productively than ever.  For example, downloading a large 2 GB file (such as a hi-res X-ray or a graphic design) can be completed in about 2 ½ minutes.  To download the same sized file on a typical business class 1.5 Mbps T1 line would take almost 3 hours.

Backed by industry-leading, 24/7 business-class support, Comcast Business Class provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations meet their business objectives. Through an advanced, hybrid-fiber coax network that provides high-quality customer experience, Comcast delivers Business Class Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management.

For more information about the service, customers can call 1-800-391-3000 or visit http://business.comcast.com.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.5 million cable customers, 16.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.9 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast’s content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast’s Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wachovia Center, and manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.

Media Contacts:

Kristina Baggott  706-739-1830  kristina_beasley@cable.comcast.com

The boyz will be back discussing today’s groundbreaking of the Augusta Trade Exhibit and Event Center (Tee) which takes place at 11am.  The city of Augusta is hosting and also won a special workforce award that John and Bill will discuss. Here are some of the scheduled guests:

12:20pm – Cindy Crawford is part of our “What’s Cooking” segment. She is starting her 11th year in business with Cindy’s Cafe & Catering. Cindy will talk about her specials, and the business of running a daily restaurant and catering for small and large events throughout the CSRA. To find out more, log on to www.cindyscatering.com

12:45pm – Typically, attorneys charge a hefty fee for their services, our attorney, J. Edward Enoch spends ten great minutes with you each week to help out with human resource issues, contract issues, wills and real estate law. To contact Ed, give him a call at (706) 738-4141

1:20pm –   LAUREN McFARLAND will be joining us over the phone to talk about her business “send out cards”.  The website is ……… https://www.sendoutcards.com/mcfarland -

1:45pm — KYLAIN SWAIN will come to us with RHIAN SWAIN GIBONEY of RED WOLF INC…  They will be making a plea for volunteers and sponsors for the upcoming “ARTS IN THE HEART” (30th annual).  THe festival isn’t until Sept 17th to 19th … but, they are working now to try to plan ahead. Visit www.artsintheheart.com.  

photography by: John Forde

Happy 4th Anniversary to the financial team at First Command on Columbia
Road in Martinez. The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce celebrated with
about 50 guests for their ribbon cutting\anniversary celebration. Certifed
Financial Planner and area director Robin Jones introduced her team and
shared a 10 minute powerpoint presentation themed, “building relationships.”
She also shared some expansion “buzz”. Her team now “commands” many of the
suites at her current office on Columbia Road and is planning for another
office to serve Aiken clients.