• 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
    • Healthcare
    • 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
    • Healthcare
    • 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

Results for:

  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Louis Llovio |
  • July 29, 2022
Prosecutors and investigators in Florida take on COVID fraud

With trillions of dollars handed out during the pandemic, the opportunity for fraud was ripe. Now federal prosecutors locally are going after the criminals — and the stolen funds.

  • Law
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • August 24, 2007
Coffee Talk

The Barby just got hotter: It's still king of the hill in number of locations, but it got a little hotter in the kitchen, or near the barby this month for Tampa-based OSI Restaurant Partners, parent company of Outback Steakhouse.Sunshine state employees are smiling: Given the plethora of negative economic news lurking around Florida and beyond, Coffee Talk was mildly, and pleasantly, surprised to see the results of a statewide survey on employment confidence.Hurricane season: high-risk shell game: As Gulf Coast residents watched Hurricane Dean with trepidation, one insurance expert says public opinion is beginning to shift in the industry's favor as the benefits from a state-run insurer are not being delivered as advertised.Commercial real estate broker goes cross-country: Sarasota-based commercial real estate broker Andrew Greenwell knew the market was slowing. But he had no idea his best opportunity would take him 2,500 miles away, to downtown Seattle.Marco bank sees jump in problem loans: Marco Community Bancorp, the Marco Island bank that's being acquired by an investment group led by the prominent Barron Collier and Lutgert families, recently reported a jump in non-accrual loans, according to securities filings.SeaFair takes art to the high seas:SeaFair, the traveling art gallery on a ship, will be making its inaugural sailing from Greenwich, Conn., next month.

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 7, 2007
'Heart and Soul'

A banking career that started as a teller in Palmetto 25 years ago has led Anne Lee to running the bank at the epicenter of the current real estate slowdown.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 21, 2007
Fast and fair

Taking a cue from the retail industry, a chain of urgent-care networks called Solantic strives to deliver great customer service. Founder Richard Scott has $100 million to back his effort.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 22, 2008
Coffee Talk

Man chamber seeks menbers: Guys, this could be a chamber for you.Amscot not roiled by down economy: The slower economy hasn't stopped people from cashing checks, and that pleases Ian MacKechnieHome swap interest on the rise: When David Moskowitz created a Web site early last year to assist people looking to trade homesExercise the body, grow the profits: A Harvard MBA and management experience can be valuable to a Gulf Coast CEO. But what's just as valuable?And the coveted Stevie award goes to...: If the Oscars and the Grammys have left you with a bout of award envy, worry no moreBonita Bay Group's Hendry projects delayed: The housing bust that is gripping Southwest Florida is pushing back some of developer Bonita Bay Group's plans for residential communities in eastern Lee and Hendry counties.It's only rock n' roll, but we like it: Put away the motivational posters. Reconsider the free monthly back massages in the break room. Another team building exercise on the ropes course?CLW takes stand for heart health: The employees of CLW Real Estate Services Group in Tampa are no strangers to the danger caused by heart disease.Existing-home prices in Naples fall 29% Talk about an eye-popper.Calling Florida entrepreneurs

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 29, 2008
Coffee Talk

Of fairy tales and housing sales: When Michael Saunders recently addressed the 400 or so real estate agents that make up the bulk of the sales force at the Sarasota-based firm that bears her name, she wanted to combine a pep talk with humor.New Dillard's store may mean transition: Dillard's has started construction on a new store at the sprawling Wiregrass Ranch mixed-use development in Wesley ChapelPopulation slowdown threatens Gators: Construction isn't the only thing that's going to suffer from a decline in population growth in Florida.Non-profit CEO, for-profit style: Mary Labyak, 59, is president and CEO of the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast in Clearwater.Retired entrepreneur gives big for Wellness: An ambitious fundraising campaign for a new building for the Wellness Community, a Sarasota-based support group for cancer patients and their families, is off to a rousing start.Luxury hotel secret officially official: One of the worst kept secrets in the Sarasota development community is no longer a secretCalling GULF COAST entrepreneurs: The Review is seeking the best and brightest Gulf Coast entrepreneurs for its 2008 Entrepreneur Award.

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • February 4, 2005
'Doomsday' Scenario Not Gloomy At All

Sarasota County's finance team produced conservative proformas on the proposed conference center.It looks like a money maker.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • August 25, 2006
Business titans shift to political arena

Businessmen Vern Buchanan and Tramm Hudson are leading Republican candidates to replace Katherine Harris as the party's nominee for the 13th District congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. And since the district - which covers Sarasota, Hardee and DeSoto counties and parts of Manatee and Charlotte counties - is Republican-heavy, the winner of the Sept. 5 primary is considered a likely favorite to take the general election in November.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • September 19, 2005
Landlords' Market

Get ready for sticker shock if you plan to negotiate a new lease for office space in Lee and parts of Collier counties.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 20, 2004
Be Good to Your Employees

International speaker and employee motivator Barbara Glanz might sound corny at first. Then she cites statistics and the bottom line. CEOs are listening.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • March 12, 2004
Dealing with NIMBYs

Debra Garrett's efforts to win approval for a Publix in east Sarasota County show the new reality for developers. Before you file for anything, be aggressive getting out the facts and be willing to make a lot of concessions.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • January 28, 2006
FCCI: Healthier, Bigger, Wiser

FCCI's $58 million acquisition of an Indiana insurer came with some costly surprises. But the board has no regrets. It helped transform the company.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 10, 2008
Coffee Talk

+ Wine entrepreneur seeksconnoisseurs with cashGrant Cats built a multimillion dollar, 30-plus franchise wine business in Canada over 10 years - no easy feat in a country with alcohol taxes so high that customers sometimes pay as much as $5 in taxes on a $12 bottle of wine.+ Southwest Floridaregionalism gets a new lookThere's nothing like an economic downturn to revive the talk of regional cooperation.+ Red hot Sirionon a roll of good newsSirion Therapeutics, Inc., a five-year-old Tampa biopharmaceutical company, is on a serious roll.+ Sarasota real estate firmtakes auction process nationalWith the residential real estate market puttering along, auctions have become a Realtor's salvation on the Gulf Coast. Several of the recent top-dollar sales in the Greater Sarasota market, for instance, have been conducted through auctions.+ Real estate vetsbranch out to investThe heads of CLW Real Estate Services Group in Tampa have formed another company, LVR Real Estate Partners, to focus on real estate investment opportunities.+ The millionaire next door:Neighborhoods are crowdedThe Gulf Coast economy might be slogging its way through, but the number of millionaires, at least in the Tampa area, is growing. + Sher takes on rolewith LightningCraig Sher, executive chairman of the Sembler Co., the St. Petersburg-based retail development and management firm that did BayWalk and many other projects, is now part

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 11, 2008
Coffee Talk

+ Optimism a tough sellfor small business ownersIf you like optimistic outlooks on the economy and feel-good statements about when things will turnaround, then the latest survey from the National Federation of Independent Business isn't for you.+ Bank of Floridastock takes a hitWhat prompted the precipitous fall of the stock of Bank of Florida in recent days?+ Candidate's support comesfrom surprising sourcesJono Miller, an unabashed pro-environment Democrat running for Sarasota County Commissioner, is getting some big-name support from some unlikely sources. Namely, three of the area's most prominent landowners and homebuilders.+ Russell index leaves littleroom for Gulf Coast muscleThe annual reconfiguration of the stocks that make up the family of Russell Indexes wasn't very friendly to Gulf Coast companies this year. + Russell index leaves littleroom for Gulf Coast muscleThe annual reconfiguration of the stocks that make up the family of Russell Indexes wasn't very friendly to Gulf Coast companies this year. + The search is onfor new chamber headAfter seven years at the helm, Kim Scheeler has announced that he is leaving his post as president of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to accept a similar job in Richmond, Va. + Tampa tech forumhits the right chordsThey've come a long way since their early days at the Tampa Theater.

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 9, 2008
Coffee Talk

+ Lee development... in 2014?Investors betting on future residential land development in Lee County may have to wait a little longer than anticipated, if a recent deal there is any indication.+ Are you in?Ad campaign hopes soWhat do a police chief, a bombastic Hall of Fame TV sports personality and the president of an arts and design college have in common?+ Winning changes everything,on and off the fieldWhat a difference a year makes at the ol' ballgame.+ Ayn Randfor every studentEvery student at Florida Gulf Coast University who signs up for the new free-markets course that will be taught there will receive a copy of Atlas Shrugged, the pro-capitalist novel by Ayn Rand.+ + Incumbent congressmanbuilds big lead in one pollOne of the most contested congressional races in the country taking place in Sarasota and Manatee counties might not be much of a contest after all, if a new poll is accurate. + Florida businesshopes to attract neighborsThe Florida real estate market is really hot after all. + Goodbye, bulletin boards, Hello, eDeanThe days of posters and paper stapled and tacked to cork college bulletin boards outside of class buildings and in libraries and dining halls may be quickly coming to an end, thanks to a two-year-old Tampa technology company.+ Put away the Capeopolyuntil next yearCapeopoly, the annual Cape Coral confab that used to draw hundreds of real estate business executi

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 16, 2008
Corporate Report

Blinkx withdraws offer to acquire MIVAGeneral Dynamics wins$34 million Army contractSeminole Electric Cooperativefights transport rate increaseFineMark National B&Treaches $111 million in assets NeoGenomics Labs teams withResponse Genetics in new testsOSI Restaurant Partners callson AT&T for phone servicesPegasus Imaging Corp.upgrades Prizm ViewerSyniverse Technologiesextends deal with VerizonCountry Inn & Suitesopens in Pinellas Park Economic development grouppicks Chisano Marketing firm Chico's September sales'disappoint,' comparables fallSource Interlinksigns deal with Taffy

  • Industries
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 10, 2004
From Farmer to Developer

Manatee Fruit Co., one of the area's larger landowners, changes with the times.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • December 5, 2003
Biolife LLC (Innovation Awards)

A revolutionary product that instantly stops bleeding is just what the doctor ordered. It's only one of the innovative aspects of this Sarasota company.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • December 12, 2003
The Cable Guy

Steve Dvoskin took a risky career leap when he came to Comcast. Now he's helping solidify the cable giant's spot in the pole position.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 15, 2004
BlackBerrys to Servers

Cost savings and efficiencies drive law firm investment in technology.

  • Entrepreneurs
« 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 »
The best of Business Observer, delivered directly to your inbox

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

Sign Up

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 © 2026 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