• Alternate Text
  • Loading

  • Newsletters
  • Podcast
  • Public Notices
  • 40 Under 40 Nomination
  • Mobile App
  • Subscribe
  • Login
  • News
  • Strategies
  • Entrepreneurs
  • M&A
  • Leadership
  • Regions
    • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
    • Manatee-Sarasota
    • Charlotte-Lee-Collier
    • Florida
  • Industries
    • Business Support
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Residential Real Estate
    • Development
    • Finance
    • Food-Beverage
    • Health Care
    • Manufacturing
    • Retail
    • Sports–Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Travel-Tourism
  • Insights
  • More
    • Advice
    • Transactions
    • 40 Under 40
    • Big Book of Business
    • Subscribe
    • Opinion
    • Executive Diversions
    • Change-Makers
    • Reprints
  • News
  • Strategies
  • Entrepreneurs
  • M&A
  • Leadership
  • Regions
    • Regions
    • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
    • Manatee-Sarasota
    • Charlotte-Lee-Collier
    • Florida
  • Industries
    • Industries
    • Business Support
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Residential Real Estate
    • Development
    • Finance
    • Food-Beverage
    • Health Care
    • Manufacturing
    • Retail
    • Sports–Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Travel-Tourism
  • Insights
  • More
    • More
    • Advice
    • Transactions
    • 40 Under 40
    • Big Book of Business
    • Subscribe
    • Opinion
    • Executive Diversions
    • Change-Makers
    • Reprints
  • Newsletters
  • Podcast
  • Public Notices
  • 40 Under 40 Nomination
  • Mobile App
  • Subscribe
  • Login

News

    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 13, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Arthrex buys HellermanTyton buildingLiberty Bank buys land for second Cape Coral branchBilly's Rentals acquires Chitwood warehouse spaceAlbertson's sheds Florida stores in deal with PublixSouth Florida Materials buys 200 acres near portFlorida restaurateur buys 19 acres in North PortWellSpring Pharmaceutical buys University Park unitsChrist Church of Longboat Key buys Longview Realty buildingSoutheast Milk Inc. buys Plant City dairyTampa Electric buys Ruskin land for future substationOM Ventures Inc. buys, revises Magdalene East

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 13, 2008
Coffee Talk

ASG on the acquisition path: Is Naples-based ASG Software Solutions on the verge of another blockbuster software-company acquisition?Tom James shares a few pearls: It was akin to an E.F. Hutton moment.Sunny days are here to stay in Sarasota: The business axiom of thinking and selling global is in full rotation at Sun Hydraulics, the publicly traded Sarasota-based cartridge valve manufacturing firm.And the not so sunny news awards go to...: While Sun Hydraulics basks in the glow of its Business Week Hot Growth companies rankings, two other Gulf Coast-based publicly traded companies are wilting from being included on a related listCrashing through transportation barriers: Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos recently visited Bonita Springs to discuss one crisis when she ran up on another.Region's women still strong on Barron's rankings: A pair of Gulf Coast financial planners have made the cut on Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors list - one for the third straight year, while the other finished third place for the second time in a row.Happy days if you manufacture and export: We all keep looking and hoping for a positive consensus from the economic prognosticators. Who needs yet another economist telling us what we already know?

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 6, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Collier to develop San Carlos retail, storage areasHadge & Associates buys final interest in Summerlin landPrimerica will develop new retail, office centerCedars Tennis Club's new owners plan renovationKaplan Bennett auctioning a pair of landmarksSarasota's Atco buys U.S. 301 BP stationGeorgia auto dealers buy Wesley Chapel ToyotaBlackhawk Realty Advisors buys Hidden Lake ApartmentsClearwater firm buys and plans makeover of St. James Place

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 6, 2008
Coffee Talk

Check out on aisle nine: Sweetbay boss moves on: Unless she stays local, the Tampa Bay area may soon lose one of its more colorful and candid chief executive officers.Housing comeback might not be soon: Don Atha might not have the polished resume of well-known Florida housing economists such as Hank Fishkind or David Denslow.Analyst rates Chico's a rare 'sell': Even after all the brokerage scandals earlier this decade, few stock analysts rate the equities they cover a "sell" for fear of incurring the wrath of the management of the companies they follow.Peaceful, easy feeling as Bayshore hooks up park: This one may go down as one of the most interesting projects ever for Tampa-Based Bayshore Technologies, an IT services firm.Growth on agenda in Sarasota County, again: The pace of growth in Sarasota County is yet again primed to take center stage on Election Day, this time in a race for an open seat on the county commission.Bonus commissions could spur more deals: Everyone knows these are not the best days for the real estate industry, but people are taking creative approaches to kick start activity.GULF COAST RETAIL: What the data show: The index of retail activity is constructed to measure personal consumption and it combines the categories of autos, consumer durables, tourism and consumer nondurables.

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 30, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Bradenton developer plans surgery centerOsprey investor buys Myakka agricultural landPlaza Hotel bound for Burns SquareForeign investor buys Tuscany ReserveCenterco Properties company buys Applebee's in EsteroTalk of the Town Diner buys Mel's Diner in Fort MyersCastriota dealership expands to Port RicheyRyan Cos. buys, begins developing in Telecom ParkPasco County School District buys land for new high school

  • Manatee-Sarasota
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 30, 2008
Coffee Talk

IT folks, others, make a show of force: Where did all these techies come from? The Gulf Coast is well known for its housing and tourism businesses, but a recent tech gathering in Fort Myers shows how technology cuts across all industries.Federal legislators try to control gas prices: Even for a legislative body known more for photo ops than passing bills with actual substance, a recent vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was a true head-scratcher.Going green from Dallas to Tampa: Tampa Heights, the redeveloping urban area just north of downtown Tampa, will be getting a new corporate tenant at the end of the month: The Beck Group, a Dallas-based construction company.On demand flyingexpands on Gulf Coast: Airlines big and small have been fleeing the Gulf Coast, another facet of the economic slowdown.Let's go this summer to Camp CEO: Forget canoeing or archery.High school juniors and seniors will have an opportunity to be chief executive officers at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers this summer.Evos wants faster growth, hires Chipolte exec: The Review profiled Evos, a growing a Tampa-based restaurant chain, in July, and now comes word that the company is preparing to make a major leap in growth.John Sykes gives to University of Tampa again: Tampa businessman John Sykes, whose name is on the University of Tampa's School of Business building, has made another sizable gift to the university, which sits on the edg

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Coffee Talk

Construction company continues to cut costs: Kesselring Holding Corp., one of the few Sarasota-based, publicly traded construction firms, continues to lose money - including $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2008.Broken home then, executive homecoming now: Jayme Harris grew up in a broken, dysfunctional home in Plant City. She finished high school, enlisted in the Air Force and the rest is history.Say what? Toll gives Naples an "A": Robert Toll, the chairman and chief executive officer of the luxury homebuilding company that bears his name, is well known for dishing out grades for various areas where he builds luxury homes.Fundraiser prospers despite gloomy economy: The weak economic climate on the Gulf Coast, no surprise, has led to a slowdown in donations for all sorts of charities and nonprofit organizations.Economic scorecard drops Tampa to last: The impact of the soft housing market pulled down the 2008 numbers on the Tampa Bay area's economic scorecard compiled by the Tampa Bay Partnership.Madden dishes out sizzle and steak: The next time you're in Denver, give John Madden a call. He might treat you to a nice steak dinner.Gulf Coast legislators receive recognition: The Associated Industries of Florida's annual list of pro-business legislators includes a trio from the Gulf Coast:Junk wars wage in Tampa Bay: Coffee Talk introduced you in March to a junk hauling company that relocated from Washington to Tampa, run

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

GLL Partners buys Naples PromenadeNew York investment firm buys Laguna Bay unitsPunta Gorda company buys Wal-Mart storeBOOKS-A-MILLION SET FOR MERCATO IN NAPLESPreston family sells 46 acres for SevenShoresTJM Properties acquires Bradenton OaksWal-Mart Stores plans to expand Cattlemen storeEola Capital closes on Westshore landGoodwill Industries-Suncoast buys ex-motel, vacant landInternational firm Praxair buys Tampa warehouse

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
Coffee Talk

WCI: Banks and Icahn hold the cards: The ink was barely dry on the news that Bonita Springs-based WCI Communities lost $2 per share in the first quarter when some observers said the company might have to file for bankruptcyVisitor spending falls in Hillsborough: Total visitor spending in Hillsborough County fell 1.5% and hotel occupancy declined 5.9% in 2007 compared to 2006Affordable housing? Not near my home value: Here's a twist on the housing market slump: A group of north Manatee County homeowners is suing one of the largest homebuilders in the county for setting prices too lowDon't look a cracker horse in the mouth: With all the serious legislation going on in Tallahassee over the budget, it's good to know our legislative crew sneaks in a few good neighs every now and then.Mystery bank seeks buyer for large loan portfolio: First Financial Network, an Oklahoma City-based firm that specializes in running auctions to sell tarnished loan portfolios nationwide is spreading the word on its newest, and biggest, projectTaxes may rise in Lee County: Taxes on new construction may rise in Lee County.Executive seeks to put his time to other uses: John Cranora was known for guiding others through the complications of time management during his 35-year business careerGULF COAST BUSINESS INVESTMENT: What the data shows: Taxable sales of business investment include store and office equipment, computer shops, medical supplies, comm

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Yacht dealer acquires site for showroomPort Charlotte group pays $55 a foot for Paulson flexFormer owners reassume Lehigh industrial park landThomas Ranch developer trades with countyLongboat Key resident buys former Starfish MotelRainmaker Trading Co. buys two Venice storesTwo office buildings sell for $19.25 millionGrocery chain Aldi buys land for Plant City storeTwo investment groups buy B-of-A buildings

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Coffee Talk

Minimize taxes on new construction: Builders dread the taxes on new construction because they're so high on the Gulf Coast that many projects now don't make financial sense.Westshore hotels continue to lure investors: Westshore, the Gulf Coast's biggest business district, has seen another hotel change hands - the Sheraton Suites on Cypress Street in Tampa.Sarasota college student shines: Executives and entrepreneurs searching for employees who 'get it' have long complained that the Sarasota-Bradenton area is lacking in colleges and universities that can produce those types of job candidates.Sneaky, er, creative way to get new business: Here's one sign that it's a rough time for mortgage brokers.Downtown Tampa grows, still lacks residents' needs Downtown: Tampa is maturing as a residential location and urban destination for residents and workersFort Myers fundraising maestro is back: Bill Merwin is back and he'll help you shake some money out of those trees.Largo dentist develops tool to help athletes excel: If you're tired of hearing about steroids, a Largo dentist has developed a natural way to help athletes and non-athletes improve performance: the Pure Power Mouthguard.Worrisome Gulf Coast banks being watched: Gulf Coast financial institutions have a starring role on an updated 'watch' list of Florida banks complied by a national banking analyst for financial Web site thestreet.com.

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Arthrex acquires 22 acres in Creekside, Ave MariaCham Holdings buys floor in Schwab buildingChick-Fil-A plans Estero restaurant for '09Stevens Construction completes renovationsGoodwill buys office in Palmer Ranch areaPeninsula Bank plans North Port branchSarasota entrepreneur buys Fruitville Taco BellMiami investors acquire Tampa apartmentsJerry Ulm auto dealer buys Circuit City storeOdyssey, Nure International buy Springwood Villas

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 2, 2008
Coffee Talk

Tampa entrepreneur sees houses move: The slowdown in the housing market has been reported nationally, but one Tampa company has found a niche in that industry and is seeing signs of a potential turnaround.Eastern Europeans look to Florida: When various marketing and branding gurus on the Gulf Coast coined a version of the 'Time to Buy' slogan for the struggling real estate market last year, they were mostly targeting Floridians.Lee foreclosures hit 1-in-33 households: RealtyTrac, the firm that tracks foreclosures nationwide, recently issued a report ranking metro areas with the steepest rates of foreclosures in the first quarter.Ms. Baugh goes to Washington: Vanessa Baugh, a Lakewood Ranch jewelry store owner who sometimes serves as the unofficial spokeswoman for small businesses in Sarasota and Manatee counties, is used to getting phone calls for help, sometimes even desperate ones.Bradenton bank losses one executive, gains another: Gerry Anthony, one of the grandfathers of community banking in Manatee County, is retiring from his position as chief executive of Bradenton-based Freedom Bank.Software back-ups can cost a little and save a lot: Through last year, former IT professional Dave Miller was running Westcoasthost.com, a successful St. Petersburg-based Web hosting business.Recruiter narrows the executive job search: The growing numbers of unemployed managers, supervisors and executives on the Gulf Coast and Florida could b

  • News
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 2, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

MAB Investments relocating to Bee Ridge sitePacific Tomato Growers buys Taylor & Fulton buildingsPennsylvania mover buys University storage buildingInvestors pay $11.5 million for Bank of Florida CenterPunta Gorda building leased for urgent care centerDeltona Corp. increases Cape Coral holdingsRENOVATION COMPLETED ON FIRST STREET CENTERHilltop Center sells for $3 millionTri-Tech Inc. acquires Tampa West buildingHealthy Vision buys Eye Institute building

  • Manatee-Sarasota
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • April 25, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Exeter Property Group buys Fowler centerFurniture Row Cos. buys Tampa warehouseBright House buys Brandon centerJoMar Development plans port industrial parkInvestors buy Holmes Beach propertiesFederal Express plans Manatee centerOaks Development buys, restructures Cypress CenterCole buys Fort Myers Pep Boys, eight othersLutgert renovates Village on Venetian BayFort Myers group buys office building

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
« 1470 1471 1472 1473 1474 1475 1476 1477 1478 1479 »
The best of Business Observer, delivered directly to your inbox

Get the latest business and commecial real estate news from Tampa Bay to Naples.

Sign Up

Latest News

1
  • December 13, 2025
Report: Small business optimism up, but worries percolate
2
  • December 12, 2025
CEO of Bradenton EDC announces retirement
3
  • December 12, 2025
Manatee County to break ground on $40M veterans complex
4
  • December 12, 2025
Moez Limayem confirmed as USF’s new president
5
  • December 12, 2025
Developer proposes three-story mixed-use project on St. Armands

Contact

  • 1970 Main St.
  • Third Floor
  • Sarasota, FL 34236
  • Phone: 941-362-4848

Extra, Extra!

  • Newsletters
  • App
  • Podcast
  • Big Book of Business

more

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Distribution Points
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Accessibility Options

sister sites

  • Your Observer
  • Jax Daily Record
  • Orange Observer
  • Accessibility Options
  • Copyright © 2025 Observer Media Group Inc., All Rights Reserved
×
3 Articles Remaining!
Not a Subscriber?

Click here to Subscribe

Already a Subscriber?

Click here to Login

Sign Up for Daily Brief

Start your day with the top Gulf Coast business news you need to succeed.

Sign Up for CRE Central

Stay updated with a weekly roundup of big deals, market shifts and the people shaping commercial real estate from Tampa Bay to Naples.


Smart People Subscribe.

Turn headlines into game plans. The playbook’s right here.
Subscribe to the Business Observer today.

Subscribe Now