Firm moves and expands -- without gov't help

The building industry is still mostly in the dumps. But a Gulf Coast firm that supplies aluminum for everything from parking garages to schools to custom homes offers a much rosier outlook.

In fact, the company, Sarasota-based Mullet's Aluminum, recently opened a 16,000-square-foot welding and fabrication facility. The plant is near its showroom, and it features state-of-the-art fabrication gear and equipment, says Mullet's marketing director Nate Yoder.

“It seems like things are coming back,” Yoder tells Coffee Talk. “Our products are becoming more and more in demand. We are seeing a growing trend in renovations” of existing buildings.