Click here to hear the podcast with Kevin Wade

Kevin Wade, the CEO of Intellisystems stops by the radio version of the BUZZ for his weekly “tech-talk” visit with Bill and John.  This week, Kevin talks SOPA and PIPA and i-Textbooks…..

Click here to hear the podcast with Janis Ann Parks

Janis Ann Parks, the author of Gravely Mistaken stops by the radio version of the BUZZ to talk to Bill and John about her book.  Janis, a nurse by trade has written a book about the grave robbing, attributed to the Medical College of Georgia, that took place in the late 1800′s.

WRDW 1630AM 12-2PM OR STREAMING LIVE AT WWW.WRDWAM.COM

12:20pm – - Ashley Sweet from Sweet Green & Cleaning will join us over the phone to chat about her business and how they utilize “green products” to benefit you and your house cleaning needs.  For more info, please visit their website at: www.sweetandgreencleaning.com

12:45pm – - Kelly & Brent Mallek, from Talent Focus Consulting will join us in the studio to chat about the formation of their company to help business owners and executives make better decisions about their most important resource, their “human capital” or talent/workforce.  For more info, please log on to: www.talentfocusconsulting.com

1:20pm – - Neil Gordon, “Buzz on Biz” founder,  joins us to talk about the Mathnasium ribbon cutting he attended and other Buzz on Biz happenings.

1:33pm – - Robin Jones, regional director from First Command, join us  for the first of two “Money Monday” segments to help us make better choices in our businesses and home.  For more info, please visit: www.firstcommand.com

1:45pm – - Robin Jones (First Command) “Money Monday” segment two.

After two months of delays with contractors and building inspectors, Bullchicks opened Sunday for lunch in Surrey Center. They are a Texas-based franchise that focuses on 20 different flavors of chicken wings and 20 different ways to prepare a hamburger. One of the partners is a former GM of the Waffle House and Burger King.

Courtesy: The South Carolina Hospitality Association

The South Carolina Hospitality Association is pleased to announce the winners of the prestigious Stars of the Industry awards in various categories of service to the hospitality industry. The award winners that include Employee of the Year, Hotelier of the Year and Restaurateur of the Year, among others exemplify the highest standards of quality and service in the hospitality industry across the state of South Carolina.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Embassy Suites on Monday February 13, 2012 at a luncheon.

Award winners were as follows:

JHM Hotels, Greenville: Hotelier of the Year

David Howard,Neighborhood Dining Group, Charleston: Restaurateur of the Year

Jim EggenMyrtle Beach Seaside Resorts: Hotel Manager of the Year

Gigi Roy,Drunken Jacks Restaurant and Lounge, Murrells: Inlet Restaurant Manager of the Year

Nichole NeumanCourtyard by Marriott, Greenville: Lodging Heart of the House: Employee of the Year

Sterling Chisolm,Charleston Marriott: Restaurant Heart of the House Employee of the Year

Dorothy SwintonCourtyard by Marriott, Charleston: Lodging Front of the House Employee of the Year

Chuck McDonaldSoby’s, Greenville: Restaurant Front of the House Employee of the Year

Michael FlintomQuality Sales and Marketing, St. Matthews: Hospitality Supplier of the Year

JHM Hotels, Greenville: Onetime Special Event

The Kickin’ Chicken, Charleston: Ongoing Special Event

The Willcox, Aiken : Good Earthkeeping

Chuck LauerEmbassy Suites Hotel, North Charleston: Community Service Award

All award winners are members in good standing of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina and were chosen from nominations submitted by industry representatives and selected by a distinguished panel of judges including previous award recipients.

For more information about the Stars of the Industry and to view the award winners, visit www.schospitalitystars.org or call the association office at 803-765-9000.

About the South Carolina Hospitality Association

The South Carolina Hospitality Association is the state’s trade association for the commercial foodservice and lodging industry. With nearly 2,000 member companies located throughout the state of South Carolina, the Hospitality Association works to protect, promote, and educate the hospitality industry. The Association is the state affiliate of both the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Motel Association. The Association has two membership divisions – the South Carolina Hotel & Motel Association and the South Carolina Restaurant Association – that were founded in 1947 and 1951 respectively. Local chapters include the Charleston Restaurant Association, Columbia Hotel and Motel Association, Columbia Restaurant Association, Greater Greenville Chapter of SCHA, Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association and the Spartanburg Area Restaurant Association.M Hotels, Greenville

Courtesy: Southern Pines, North Carolina Newspaper

Walk in. Look around. Be prepared to be impressed.

And, if you’re a golfer, expect to leave with something new for your game or your appearance. There’s just too much good stuff for you to leave empty-handed.

The place is Golf Augusta, and while it’s not a new golf equipment outlet, the location is new, and the 5,000-square-foot building is bursting at the seams with the latest golf goodies on the market.

Want some new golf shoes? Golf Augusta can fix you up with a selection from more than 4,000 pairs. Honest. There’s an entire room packed with stacks of shoes.

Scott Shepherd, a 49-year-old Tom’s River, N.J., resident who has been in the Sandhills since taking a job with Tom Graber as an assistant professional at Foxfire in 1986, and his brother Greg are co-owners of the store, and they aim to please.

Golf Augusta opened originally in 1997 with a location on N.C. 5 between Aberdeen and Pinehurst as part of a chain that originated in Augusta, Ga. The new address is 1545 U.S. 1.

“We bought in as a franchise,” Scott Shepherd said, “but we’ve been on our own for the past 10 years.”

The reasons for moving are more room and more traffic. And despite being the fourth golf equipment store to be located on a short stretch of U.S. 1 in Southern Pines, Shepherd says he thinks there’s plenty of business for everyone. After all, two of the biggest golf equipment stores in the Carolinas, Martin’s and Golf Dimensions, are located across the street from each other in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and customers are standing in line daily.

“We’re not concerned about the other outlets here,” Shepherd said. “Our only concern about the move is being located a mile farther away from Pinehurst.”

Plans are to expand the new store to 7,500 feet as soon as possible, and with a new launch monitor being installed on premise soon, Shepherd expects business to be brisk.

“We buy, sell and trade used clubs,” he said, “and that’s a big attraction to golfers. Allowing them to trade up to the next line of equipment seems to really have been a catapult to our growth.

“We’ve also had an online business for the past 12 years, and that enables us to have so much more product. That’s why we have more than 4,000 pairs of shoes. And, next to clubs, the shoes are our biggest sellers.”

Shepherd feels the huge inventory and customer service are the keys to doing well in economic times that have been harsh for most people in the golf business.

“I’ve been a Class A PGA professional since 1989,” he said, “and we have other PGA professionals working here. Being PGA-owned and operated makes our customer service stand out.

“We’re newer, we have more inventory, we’re larger, and we take club trade-ins. We have a significant inventory of all the major brands, and if we don’t have it, we’ll get it for you. We’ve prided ourselves on that since the day we opened in 1997.”

Shepherd points out that Golf Augusta is not a discount store. “The prices are set by the equipment companies,” he said, “and we all have to sell the major lines for the same thing.

“But when a company comes out with a new line, we can reduce prices. For instance, when Foot-Joy closes out a line of shoes, because of our large inventory, we get in on the deals faster than some other stores.”

Shepherd, who was a walk-on as a senior for the Gettysburg College golf team, plays a strong game. He won the 2000 Moore County Match Play Championship, beating out his old boss Graber in the finals. But he’s happiest these days fixing a customer up with a set of clubs that both hope will create game improvement.

“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do,” he said. “It would have to be something outdoors.”

Shepherd admits that January is one of the slowest months in the equipment business, but expects it to start picking up next month.

“We’re busiest from mid-February to Memorial Day,” he said. “Things are pretty steady through the summer, except when the U.S. Kids Championship comes to town. I’d really like to thank the Chamber of Commerce and anyone else who has a hand in bringing the U.S. Kids here. Any week they’re here is better than any U.S. Open week we’ve ever had.”

Meanwhile, Shepherd is concentrating on completing the move, getting everything situated, putting the new launch monitor into service, and making customers happy.

“We’re planning on a grand opening in February or March,” he said. “We’ll have a different equipment company represented each day, demonstrating their clubs and fitting equipment. From the experts to you.

“There’s a great pride in having your own business. It’s not like we’re living in New Jersey or somewhere and calling down here to see how things are going.

“Greg and I are not going to be satisfied if everything is not spot-on perfect.”

WRDW 1630AM 12-2PM OR STREAMING LIVE AT WWW.WRDWAM.COM

12:20pm – – Troy Post, Executive Director Development Authority of Columbia County, will be joining us in the studio to chat about business development, expansions, growth in Columbia County.  For more info, please log on to: www.choosecolumbiacounty.com

12:45pm – - Neil Gordon, founder of the Buzz on Biz, discusses recent ribbon cuttings and other “Buzz” from the community.

1:20pm – – Al Mooney, Postal Service Revenue Driver for the Augusta area, will join us over the phone to chat about an upcoming seminar:  “Every Door Direct Mail” (EDDM) to business customers. EDDM is an inexpensive mailing option, that allows a company to advertise their business, to every residential address in a targeted area for less than 15 cents per piece. No permits or annual fees are required.

1:30pm – – David Jones from the Gerald Jones Dealer Group shares with us what is new on the lot on Washington Road and his “Deal of the Day”

1:45pm – – Many of our listeners have senior citizen parents or are seniors themselves. Kathleen Ernce from the Senior Citizens Council stops in each week to warn folks of scams, share volunteer opportunities, and discuss business opportunities.  This week’s topic: Identity Theft.  For more info, please visit: www.seniorcitizenscouncil.org

WRDW 1630AM 12-2PM OR STREAMING LIVE AT WWW.WRDWAM.COM

12:20pm – - Local author, Janis Ann Parks, join us today in the studio to chat about her historical fiction novel, Gravely Mistaken: Tales of Medicine, Mishaps, and Body Snatching in Augusta, Georgia. She has recently had the book published in an e-book format that is now available on the Amazon Kindle!  More information about Janis and her book can be found on her brand new website at: www.GravelyMistaken.com

12:45pm – - Kevin Wade of IntelliSystems stops by each week to discuss your office and your data needs. Intellisystems is a Microsoft provider, and does Networking, Monitoring, and Voice and Data services for clients, along with telephone systems. For more information, log on to www.intellisystems.com

1:20pm – - Rick Griffin of Care South will join us in the studio to chat about Care South.

1:30pm – - Don Dyches from Gerald Jones Mazda & Mitsubishi joins us over the phone with their “Deal of the Day”

1:45pm – - Brian Tucker of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce joins us for “Chamber Chat”, a weekly look at networking events, workshops, seminars and activities to get involved with as a business leader.  Brian also updates us on area business and state lobbying efforts. For more information log on to www.northaugustachamber.org

In the last few weeks, a few new tenants came aboard at the Eastgate Shopping Center off of Whiskey Road, near the Aiken Mall.

Elaine Redd entered into a licensing agreement with the owner of Sports Cuts in Le Pavilion to open her own Sports Cuts at Eastgate.

Ms. Redd was previously a stylist at the Sports Cuts at Le Pavilion. Sports Cuts now has two locations and is not to be confused with the National Chain Sports Clips, which has several CSRA locations as well.

A few bays down from Sports Cuts is Hibachi Grill, which is now closed for remodeling, while a new owner takes over.

The Wilcox Inn/Restaurant in Aiken is rolling out a food truck. They are a fast growing trend in cities but there isn’t one in this area. Buzz on Biz founder Neil Gordon spoke to the co-owner on Wednesday and her co-owner husband is in Florida this week inspecting and picking up the truck. Once the truck arrives in Aiken, the Department of Health and Environmental Control will inspect the vehicle. Representatives with The Wilcox have had some preliminary meetings with Bridgestone and contractors at SRS to set up “lunch days”. They also have interest in getting involved with on-site events like Polo in Aiken and doing catering at office parties\business functions in the CSRA.  The menu is still being worked on but food will be prepared in the Wilcox kitchen.

Enrique Romero, the owner of Brown Bag, an Augusta based food truck operator has still not gotten permitted because he doesn’t have a base kitchen.  He is looking at leasing a facility in the Maple Square Station at Belair and Columbia Road to be the food prep station.

According to Lara Plocha, editor of Verge and a Buzz partner, Manuel’s Bread Café will also be doing a food truck from their existing North Augusta restaurant as a base of operations.