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Entrepreneurs

    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 14, 2008
Against the flow

Building a residential real estate brokerage firm in this economic environment isnot for the faint of heart. But Art Darmanin is confident the market will come back.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 14, 2008
Disputing Septic Skeptics

More government regulation of the septic-tank businessmay overcome problems with the industry's reputation.One Gulf Coast company is leading the charge.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 14, 2008
State of Selling

Building a residential real estate brokerage firm in this economic environment isnot for the faint of heart. But Art Darmanin is confident the market will come back.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 11, 2008
Calendar of Events

View events from around the Gulf Coast for free.

  • Strategies
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 11, 2008
Calendar of Events

View Events from around the Gulf Coast for free.

  • Strategies
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 10, 2008
Power Hitter

Michael Morizio did customized software development for various clients before carving a niche with Major League Baseball.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 10, 2008
Club Slippage

The "dockominium" boom appears to be suffering just as much as thecondominium market. Yacht Clubs of the Americas is counting on new President Jon Finstrom to keep the business going through the sales slump.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 10, 2008
Hoffman's return

Legendary Gulf Coast developer and investor Al Hoffman Jr. is backin the real estate game, scouting for deals in Florida. That's a good sign we're nearing a bottom in the residential real estate market.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • July 10, 2008
Signs of the time

With sales down 30%, a GulfCoast entrepreneur is getting creative - and contrarian - about makingit through the tough times. He'simposed a no-layoff rule, for instance. And he's tripled his marketing budget.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Calendar of Events

View events for free.

  • Strategies
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Turning the Ship

When John Barnott first took his customer-first, private-business principles to county government, mostof the employees on his watch quit. Now he's got his hands on a Gulf Coast county building department.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Still Truckin'

The risks in building on spec are heightened in a rough economy. A Gulf Coast manufacturing firm mitigates that risk by working with the U.S. Army.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Rooms Service

John McKibbon continues a family tradition of building and managing hotels, expanding the company throughout the Southeast.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Naples protection bubble

Naples was spared the overbuilding of shops that occurred in other areas of the Gulf Coast, and retail sales have not declined there as sharply. Is Naples immune to the retail downturn?

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • June 27, 2008
Injecting Innovation

Entrepreneur Frank Daniels carries on a family tradition of leading a water-powered chemical injector company in Largo into new markets.

  • Entrepreneurs
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