The Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown became a networking hub Thursday evening for those looking for jobs, connections and a sense of who’s who in the local business of rental housing.
“We’re seeing a lot of people right now kind of looking, a lot of people that are hiring,” said Clint King, president of the Apartment Association of Greater Augusta, which hosted its Trade Show and Job Fair at the expo center. “Everything in the community has kind of been on hold with COVID right now, so with big enough space, we’re just trying to invite the public to try and join the multifamily industry.”
The Apartment Association of Greater Augusta is a trade association representing the multifamily residential industry in the area. The AAGA hosts a trade show each year, with businesses ranging from maintenance and trades to management exhibiting their wares. This year, however, the Apartment Association coordinated the event as a job fair as well, to attract potential seekers into jumping in the industry.
Each year, King says, the trade show is organized around a kind of theme, often something lighthearted such as an 80’s or 70’s-style theme. As the apartment industry endured its own hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
King notes that last year the trade show was held at SRP Park in North Augusta, since it was a large outdoor space, but was hampered by inclement weather. Before that, the Columbia County Expo had to shut down the even due to COVID restrictions. Therefore, to commemorate an enthusiastic return to form, King says, this year’s theme was “Back to Business: Show Us What You Got.”
“Right now we have a lot of maintenance tech positions that are opening,” said King. “Entry level roles, like leasing agents; so you don’t need experience or anything like that. We’re trying to bring as many people as possible.”
A diverse host of vendors attended and set up booths, such as industrial supplier HD Supply, Buford, Ga.-based gym equipment company Ready Fitness, Alpharetta-based industrial chemical retailer Pro Chem and North Augusta-based fire restoration service Duraclean.
Scott Gunter and Weston Link of Armour Roofing set up a table, their first time participating in the trade show, primarily for networking and to gather business contacts, Gunter says.
“We also get to see a lot of other vendors,” said Link. “One way or another, we cross paths with most of these people on the job. We replace a roof after a tree falls on an apartment, you know Duraclean’s probably going to be out there.”
The event is also a suitable place for vendors to connect with property managers, King says, bringing everyone “out of the woodwork” to meet each other and even raise awareness about available properties, as well as business ranging from larger vendors to those native to the area.
“There’s so many properties in the area that are super small, so you don’t know their name and you don’t know their management company,” said King. “They might just be a mom and pop kind of place. And so this highlights them for vendors to meet them, and they can they can grow their business too.”
For more information about the Apartment Association of Greater Augusta, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AAGAonline.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
