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Industries

  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 30, 2008
Young Achievers

There is reason to be optimistic about the future workforce of America. A group of spunky, yet savvy fifth-graders can prove it.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 30, 2008
Data that Works

Some of the biggest names in the hotel industry use DataWorks' software to manage their retail operations.Now, the company has set its sights on international markets and other parts of hotel operations.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • 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
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 30, 2008
Gulf Coast Week

New owners for Busch?: InBev NV, a Belgian brewing company, is considering a $46 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.USF to cut 450 jobs: University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft said the college will cut $50.4 million by laying off 70 employees and not filling 380 open jobsRays anger Pinellas: After waiting for months for a detailed financial plans on a new open-air baseball park from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Pinellas County Commission got the news the team would be asking for $100 million from the county.No-smoking policy: Sarasota County is leading the way on the Gulf Coast with what is becoming a national trend: Refusing to hire people who smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products.More delayed projects: Add two more downtown Bradenton developments to the growing list of delayed projects up and down the Gulf Coast.County offers buyouts to 800: Lee County has offered about 800 higher-paid employees buyout offers to counter a projected drop in revenues this year.UPS adds jobs in Fort Myers: Package delivery giant UPS recently announced plans to expand its Fort Myers operations and hire another 20 employees.Alico closes Plant World: Alico, the agribusiness company headquartered in LaBelle in Hendry County, east of Fort Myers, has closed its Plant World operations and eliminated 30 jobs.

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
From the gut

Michelle Nelson built a $2 million-plus technology business mostly on her leadership instincts. One big lesson for other entrepreneurs: Never go against your intuition.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Capsules of Care

Intezyne, a Tampa company that uses polymers to protect medication until it can get to the bad cells, is on the verge of worldwide distribution.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Solar Independence

Government subsidies for "green" energy may be generous, but don't bet your business on them. They might disappear when the hoopla over green building fades away.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Corporate Report

WellCare postpones latest 10-Q filingNetWolves Corp. close to Chapter 11 exitTheHomeMag adds regions, lowers fees for smaller areasMax Muscle franchise flexing into Tampa BayChico's FAS reports downturn in store salesGunnAllen Financial settles with FINRAOdyssey Marine outlines response to SpainAerosonic gets contract for helicopter indicatorsJohn Heagney creates B&L campaign

  • Industries
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
The Pool Zapper

It's hard to persuade people their backyard pools are germ buckets. Entrepreneur Jon Lalibertesays he's got a better way to kill the toughest germs using ultraviolet light.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Patient Place

Billy Springer thought his latest project would be a fitting end to a distinguished career. But it's the delays that have been endless so far.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 22, 2008
Gulf Coast Week

Judge supports St. Joe's: St. Joseph's Hospital remains alive in the competition to build a hospital in the growing south shore area of southern Hillsborough County.Council delays brewery: Joe Redner, Tampa's famous strip club owner and continual political candidate, wants to try another business venture: brewing beer.St. Pete loses air carrier: High fuel prices have claimed another victim: USA 3000, the second-busiest carrier at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.Infrastructure spending: Sarasota County commissioners approved $14 million in infrastructure spending earlier this month, the first approvals since county voters approved an increase to the county's bond borrowing capabilities in a May 6 referendum.Arts Day canceled: Arts Day, an annual event held in downtown Sarasota to showcase the region's artists, musicians and performers, has been canceled for 2009Mercier exits commission: Paul Mercier, who has been considered by some to be one the most pro-development members of the Sarasota County commission during the past eight years, has decided not to run for a third termLee approves bond sale: The Lee County Commission approved the issuance of $63 million in private-activity bonds to finance Pacific Retirement Services' acquisition of Cypress Cove at HealthParkNew flood maps for Lee: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released the final flood-insurance maps for Lee County.New Le

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • 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
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Sarasota-Bradenton): Chad Roffers

Sensing a bubble burst was a-brewing, Chad Roffers left his lucrative executive job in the technology industry in 2000. He moved from San Francisco to Sarasota with his wife and decided to seek a new career. He settled on real estate, naturally, he says with a chuckle, knowing he was entering the biggest of bubble-bursting industries.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Sarasota-Bradenton): Joe Gonzalez

But long before that triumph, Gonzalez was a true New York City success story. The son of a Cuban immigrant and the grandson of an East Village bar owner, Gonzalez had grown up relatively poor in the Big Three of New York's notoriously tough neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan, Washington Heights in the South Bronx and Jamaica, Queens.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
Gulf Coast Week

Tampa water vision: Tampa's growth northward and increasing demand for water has city leaders thinking about using reclaimed waterApartment tower proposed: Although the condominium market has taken a hit, Crosland, a Charlotte, N.C. developer, thinks a 26-story apartment tower can work in downtown Tampa.Rail supporters fight on: A $649 million deal with CSX Transportation to create a commuter rail network in Florida has collapseProject delayed again: More than 25 acres of undeveloped waterfront property in downtown Bradenton is undergoing a foreclosure sale later this month, the latest problems facing what was supposed to be a mixed-use project with the potential to reshape the cityMills sells insurance firm: Former Sarasota County Commissioner David Mills sold his independent locally based insurance brokerage to Insurance & Benefits Consultants, a subsidiary of a publicly traded Southfield, Mich.-based firm.Project expansion denied: Citing congestion concerns, Sarasota County Commissioners voted down a major expansion for Thomas Ranch, a large-scale mixed-use project in the southern edge of the county.Naples mandates recycling: The Naples City Council on May 7 voted to require businesses to recycle. The vote was 6-to-1 in favor, with Teresa Heitmann dissenting.Business program incubating: Economic development groups from Sarasota, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry and Collier counties are working to create a small-business

  • Finance
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