BAE Systems was awarded a contract for the production of 30 Army M88A2 heavy equipment recovery combat utility lift and evacuation system recovery vehicles, four sets of authorized stock list spares and three spare engines. 1.5% of the work will be completed at the Aiken, SC facility.

Citing non-profitability, SuperPetz will close the store at 1589 Whiskey Road this Fall. Merchandise liquidation begins this week.

No, this isn't the 1987 movie starring Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt about a US Air Force program to train primate pilots. Aiken's Project X has been the rather quiet investigation by an unnamed company to potentially locate operations in Aiken County coupled with efforts by the Economic Development Partnership and Aiken County Council to attract them here. We now know that the previously unnamed company is MTU Detroit Diesel Incorporated.

The Aiken Board of Realtors met last Tuesday with some South Carolina lawmakers to discuss laws they think will be detrimental to home sales and economic recovery.

Southern Bank Financial Corporation has announced that all common stock shareholders of record as of February 5th, 2009 are eligible to receive a cash dividend of 13 cents per share payable on February 18th, 2009.

Books-A-Million has opened it's 14th store in South Carolina, a 14,200 sqft. facility at the Aiken Mall.

Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation, the holding company for Georgia Bank & Trust Company and Southern Bank & Trust Company, reported income of $2.4 million for the 2nd Quarter of 2008. This figure is down from $3 million for the 2nd Quarter of 2007.

In the face of an approaching national economic recession, the sub-prime mortgage calamity, the burst of the supposed housing bubble and the retail numbers for this past holiday season being lower than expected...the local economy for the Aiken and Augusta area remains strong. Naturally, with all of the national media voices proclaiming the sky is falling, one would expect the train of economic ruin to pass right through our community. However, this just isn't the case.

VistaBank has raised enough cash to get regulatory approval to open.

The Article

The latest local firm to become part of a national franchise is Dufour & Associates Realty, which recently joined the Coldwell Banker franchise. The firm is now named Coldwell Banker Dufour Realty. This is the most recent firm in a string of local firms becoming part of national franchises in Aiken.