The Business Layoff and Closure listing, reported to the Georgia Department of Labor, shows 80 employees of Showa Group (Best Glove) of Menlo is laying off 80 people as of Aug. 22. It is the first major layoff reported as part of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The most recent reports from… Read more
For more than a decade, Bob Blumberg has been all about downtown Rome. He invested heavily into rehabbing what later became Johnny’s New York Style Pizza on Broad Street and kept it hopping for a decade. During all that, he took another building across Broad Street and opened Seasons, a fine dining hub that… Read more
For three months this year, the folks at LCCL Strawberry Farm kept a steady line of vehicles flowing up and down Old Dalton Road for a different type of pickin’ and grinnin.’ From strawberries beginning in April to blueberries and blackberries at the end, families stopped by to pick their own, purchase prepicked, try strawberry,… Read more
Slowly, Old Navy is making its way to East Bend. The latest word comes from the words displayed big and huge in the store’s front windows now on display. It was assumed the store would open in time for the Christmas shopping season; the signage saw “opening this fall” so there you go. Also,… Read more
Recent filming in downtown Cartersville now part of new Mercedes-Benz commercial: You probably saw some of the merchants’ videos of the filming in late March. Shot under the bridge near Appalachian Grill, you can see some familiar spots — briefly — in the “SUV Family Commercial ‘Rivals – Anthem.’ ” Go to the 16-second mark… Read more
The number of people identified as unemployed rose 11.7% across Northwest Georgia in June vs. the month before, even as local employers were begging for more workers with many offering incentives. Just over 6,000 people were without jobs, the most coming from Bartow and Floyd counties — each of which saw totals rise by about… Read more
Two projects intended to enhance downtown Rome are progressing as the city is seeking “qualifications” for the River District streetscape as well as plans to add “gateway” signage at two spots. Quick deadlines for submissions are in place. Voters approved $2 million for the streetscape in the November 2017 special tax package. The Downtown Development… Read more
That hot “corner” at Tennessee and Cherokee in Cartersville just got .. sharper. Game of Throwns, an “urban axe throwing” venue that also offers knives, is now open. Reservations are suggested for weeknights and weekends. Game of Throwns completes an interesting trio in that neighborhood. First on the scene in the Carlton Buildling was Drowned… Read more
Home sales down in June from May but sales volume stays high: The latest report from the Greater Rome Board of Realtors shows 121 home sales closed last month — the same as in June 2020 but down from 149 from May of this year. But then there are the dollar signs. The sales volume… Read more
Bluem at 217 N. Fifth Ave. in the River District is getting some regional attention (if not national) in the latest edition of Southern Lady. The Rome Floyd Chamber shared an update about one of the top new businesses in the past year. Master Gardener Carol Rutledge is behind it all. Southern Lady is a bimonthly publication… Read more
Some of the preliminary work needed for Anheuser-Busch’s $150 million new investment into the Cartersville campus is under way. On July 15, the “planning schematics” for the company’s expansion were posted, per Dodge Data & Projects. In January 2020, AB announced plans for an $85 million expansion that would lead to 12 more jobs. Then in late… Read more
Media release: Greater Community Bank announces Katie Knight Jones, a Cartersville native, is joining the team as a mortgage lender in the Bartow County market. Katie, an energetic professional with an extensive background in mortgage lending, will be instrumental in the continued success of the Bank’s operation throughout Bartow County. “I am truly thrilled to be joining… Read more
Media release: Highlander Partners, L.P., a leading middle market private investment firm based in Dallas, Texas, today announced the sale of Profile Custom Extrusions, LLC (“Profile”) to KPS Capital Partners, LP (“KPS”). KPS also completed its acquisition of Metra Holding S.p.A. and Metra S.p.A., (collectively “Metra”), a global manufacturer of extruded aluminum. Profile and Metra will be… Read more
The above image, taken Thursday morning at the Kroger pumps in Rome, were a surprise to us. We expected maybe $2.87. Instead, a gallon of unleaded was selling for $2.999 before applying any of the store’s discounts ($2.77 was the final price). Gas had gone up during the recent Colonial Pipeline extortion but not to… Read more
Rome, White join the Georgia Wine Highway tour in August. The event, sponsored by Georgia Wine Producers, is now a month long and takes in wineries and vineyards in Georgia. The 2021 edition includes two locals, Newby Farm & Vineyard on Broad Street and Big Door Vineyards in White. Two other nearby spots are included… Read more