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Entrepreneurs

    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • November 2, 2018
Entrepreneur finds fuel for leasing success

Peter Wasmer reconstitutes Chrome Capital as Fuel Capital with plans to capture the pre-owned Harley-Davidson leasing market

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Brian Hartz
  • October 25, 2018
Dan Bavaro, 39

Dan Bavaro, 39, is the founder of Bavaro Foods in Tampa, Florida.

  • Class of 2018
    By
  • Brian Hartz
  • October 25, 2018
Thomas Paterek, 32

Thomas Paterek, 32, is the co-founder and co-owner of Stevie & Fern, a St. Petersburg, Florida-based marketing agency.

  • Class of 2018
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • October 19, 2018
Senior adviser

Bruce Rosenblatt Senior Housing Solutions

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • September 7, 2018
After early hurdles, rockstar entrepreneur finds her way

Memberships — the recurring revenue stream that’s the lifeblood of her business model — have increased from 100 in 2016 to 315 today. Jenny Townsend expects to be around 400 members by the end of 2018, and plans to expand into more adult lessons later thi

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • August 24, 2018
Big call: Local companies receive retail giant's blessing

Walmart's fifth annual open call competition was a success for three Gulf Coast companies that will soon find their products on the retail giant's shelves.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Grier Ferguson
  • August 17, 2018
Entrepreneur's journey takes him from night clerk to store owner

John Nguyen worked his way up from a 7-Eleven night clerk to a franchisee with three stores. Success, he says, stems from systems — and a willingness to take out the trash.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • John Haughey
  • August 10, 2018
Roast of the town: Iraq war vet wows Publix with expanding business

Mulberry High School graduate and Marine Corps Iraq War veteran Chris McArthur has hit the jackpot with grocery giant Publix, which began to sell Patriot Coffee in 350 stores statewide in June.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • July 20, 2018
Six years later, Zoomers owner is still riding high

Mike Barnes bought bankrupt and incomplete Zoomers Amusement Park in Fort Myers in 2011 for $1.3 million and invested $5 million more to open

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • July 13, 2018
Software 'excelerates' fraud detection

Excelerate Technology founder Barbara Steinberg is exclusive U.S. reseller of Altia-ABM fraud detection software

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • June 29, 2018
The metal to succeed in roofing products fabrication

Two-year-old company Architectural Metal Flashings disrupts the industry and earns second place in the Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Awards

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • June 22, 2018
Naples company finding sweet success in sugar substitute market

Pyure Brands founder Benjamin Fleischer build his stevia business by hiring entrepreneurial-minded employees.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • June 22, 2018
Entrepreneur creates an Oasis in a franchising desert

Oasis Senior Advisors CEO Tim Evankovich grows franchising business with heavy support and has been inducted into The Cleaning Authority Hall of Fame

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Brian Hartz
  • June 8, 2018
Rowdy return: Leader comes back with a plan

Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards had double-bypass heart surgery last year, but he's back and ready to resume his visionary role in St. Petersburg.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Beth Luberecki
  • May 28, 2018
Area businesswoman — one fan is a Kardashian — delivers on new baby-centric business

Erika Perry , 32, started the company in 2014, while she was living in Chicago. The Stork Bag. The name plays off the iconic image of a stork delivering its infant package and also shows that it differs from the typical subscription box. (Items are sent i

  • Entrepreneurs
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