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Industries

  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): Tony Phelan

Restaurants are notorious for their short lives. In an economic downturn, their survival rates are even more dismal. Tony Phelan knows all about that, but he's not going to be one of the casualties this time around. Phelan owns a chain of seven seafood restaurants from Sarasota to Naples called Pinchers Crab Shack.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): The Pena Sisters

The MTV Music Awards are later this month and you can be sure Erika Pena will be there to add to the bling.Pena is among a handful of jewelry designers invited to display her wares at an MTV Awards "gifting suite," where stars browse the offerings and take what they want as "gifts." There will be Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Jessica Alba and a gaggle of other glitterati you've probably never heard of. "They all pretty much go," Pena says.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Arnie Bellini

Arnie Bellini appeared to be set. He had his MBA and CPA and a solid job as an IT consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. But when the first personal computers came out, he had a vision: They would remake the way business was done. And, companies needed someone to maintain them and their networks.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Mihir Taneja

Mihir Taneja, 33, is chief executive officer with GeoPharma, a Largo pharmaceutical and health care products company. He started GeoPharma out of college, with five employees in 1995 in Brandon.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Bob Johnston

Bob Johnston's best decision as an entrepreneur is one he admits he would never recommend to his children.The decision: At 21, dropping out of college, marrying his wife and moving from Tallahassee to Tampa to help run a little fondue restaurant business called The Melting Pot in 1985.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • 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
Merchants of Hope

Providing death with dignity on the Gulf Coast is big business. It requires big-thinking executives.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Miles ahead

A decision to pump $1.5 million into a company with declining revenues during a deep industry downturn can test anyone's resolve. "My instinct was to build," says Roger Miles.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Precious and Private

In person or by mail, Suzanne Perry, a former cosmetics executive, sells jewelry to affluent clients, and she likes it that way.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Building New

Is this any time to start a construction company? Two Gulf Coast entrepreneurs are betting it is.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Gulf Coast Week

Toll road plans dying: The proposed 3-mile, $155 million east-west road linking New Tampa to Interstate 275, talked about for years as a way to lessen traffic in New Tampa and southern Pasco County, may be scrapped.St. Pete to open talks: St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker has asked the city to begin negotiations with two of three developers that submitted bids to remake Tropicana Field into a mixed-use development No-growth initiative passes: In a special election held May 6, Sarasota County voters overwhelmingly approved two ballot measures that some in the local business community considered pro-business initiatives.Rural project expansion: The potential developer of 26 square miles in rural southern Sarasota County is planning to put an additional $90 million into the project.Gyrocam lands huge deal: Gyrocam Systems has been awarded a $302 million contract from the U.S. Army Lee permits hit bottom: Lee County issued permits for 47 single-family homes in April, the same number the county did in March. However, April's number is down 82% from the 262 issued in April 2007.Tech group launched: A group of technology executives has created a coalition of companies in eight counties and plans a launch event May 22 in Fort Myers

  • Finance
  • 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 9, 2008
Corporate Report

Walter Industries to separate businessesQuantum Immunologics testing cancer vaccineMIVA hires Perot Systems for ad management servicesNeoGenomics settles US Labs staff poaching caseGateway Bank approved to openLand company Alico declares new dividendTIB Financial increases salaries of four officersBrown & Brown declares 7-cent dividendCL Verify LLC hires new CEOUTEK TekScout partners with European news serviceTECO Energy adds half-cent to dividendCEO alerts shareholders to new CarBiz strategy

  • Industries
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 2, 2008
Corporate Report

Swedish bakery firm acquires St. Petersburg's Euro-BakeXpressO sales reach 1 million oscillators for FoxBank of St. Petersburg will become Florida BankQuality Distribution lays off 60 workersCryo-Cell study shows new stem-cell sourceFlorikan's staged fertilizer awarded U.S. patentIBHS of Tampa plans new research centerData Age Business Systems expands with Dallas officeStinger sues Taser, alleging 'injurious falsehood'Ritz-Carlton to host qualifier for U.S. Open

  • Industries
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 2, 2008
Sleep on it

Turns out that turnaround jobs of underperforming hotels is management- and labor-intensive work. And a slowing economy only means growing opportunities.

  • Entrepreneurs
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