SRS LAYOFFS: With work winding down and no guarantee of new missions, Savannah River Site's contract operator Westinghouse Savannah River Co. announced in mid-December plans to lay off 1,200 employees in 2005 and 800 more in 2006. The job loss at the federal nuclear installation would be the largest since Westinghouse took over the site in 1989.
CASTLEBERRY'S ACQUIRED: Augus-ta-based Castleberry/Snow's Brands Inc. was acquired Wednesday for $93 million by the Canadian-based owner of the Bumble Bee canned-seafood brand. Castleberry's, a leading producer of canned meats and stews, will be merged with Toronto-based Connor Bros. Income Fund's other canned-food brands, including Sweet Sue and Bryan. Connor Bros. said it plans to keep Castleberry's management team intact, with the exception of CEO Robert P. Kirby, who will step down. Castleberry's was founded in Augusta in 1926.
FLANDERS ANNOUNCEMENT: A subsidiary of specialty filter manufacturer Flanders Corp. announced in December that it would build a $60 million factory in New Ellenton to produce nuclear containment systems, creating as many as 800 jobs. The plant is expected to be built and operational in a year. Officials are hopeful that the company is the first of many private-sector ventures to move to the area to capitalize on nuclear research at SRS.
REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP: Officials in Richmond and Columbia counties spent most of the year trying to agree on a plan to create a new multicounty organization to market Augusta to new business and industry. The plan was effectively killed by leaders of the Richmond County Development Authority, who said the partnership would too closely resemble the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, which they allege wasted economic development money during the years it was hired to recruit industry.
TARGET/KOHL'S: Retail giant Target Corp. confirmed in July it would build its second Augusta store, in Columbia County off Washington Road. The 440,000-square-foot shopping center, developed by Augusta's Mullins Land Co., also includes a Kohl's discount department store and 11 other retailers. The shopping center is expected to open during fall 2005.
CONTINENTAL LEAVES: Continental Express made its last flight from Augusta in October, just 18 months after becoming the third carrier to operate out of Augusta Regional Airport. The airline, citing weak business travel, said it probably would not resume service. Local officials maintain the airline did not make its flight schedule convenient enough for business travelers.
WACHOVIA-SOUTHTRUST MERGER: Wachovia Corp., already Augusta's largest bank, became even larger when its merger with SouthTrust Corp. was completed in early November. To satisfy regulatory concerns, SouthTrust had to put three of its Augusta branches up for sale. Those offices have been purchased by Orlando, Fla.-based R-G Crown Bank.
PFIZER PLANT: Pharmaceutical powerhouse Pfizer Inc. announced in July it would sell its manufacturing plant on Lovers Lane. The company said that it would close the plant and lay off its 200 employees if it could not locate a buyer by February. The plant is still on the market.
LOWE'S/THE HOME DEPOT: Lowe's announced during the summer its plans to locate in North Augusta on an 18-acre parcel on the west side of Knox Avenue, across the street from the city's recently built Wal-Mart Supercenter. The Home Depot confirmed it is eyeing a location in the vacant Wal-Mart store at the Edgewood Square Shopping Center on Edgewood Drive but has not submitted building plans to the city. The Lowe's store is expected to be completed late next year.
EVANS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROPERTY: The Columbia County Board of Education in May sold the 21-acre Evans Middle School site to Augusta's Blanchard and Calhoun Commercial Corp. and Abernathy & Timberlake Investment LLC, the Atlanta company that developed the Augusta Exchange and Aiken Exchange shopping centers. Commercial development of the property is expected to begin after the new Evans Middle School opens in August 2006.
