Coffee Talk smells a trend brewing. On Nov. 10, we reported on Sarasota-based luxury homebuilder John Cannon's plans to open a commercial construction business, partly to make up for decreasing revenues stemming from the residential building slump. A recent report shows that Bradenton professional employer organization Gevity HR is the largest PEO in Florida and the third largest in the country. Members of Florida's largest nonprofit business group, Associated Industries, spoke at a Nov. 17 public hearing before the U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, urging the government to open two million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Inventory is up 180% from a year ago and sales are down, way down, but the Pinellas Realtor Organization says the housing market is stabilizing.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust bought 887,000 shares of WCI, or 2.1% of the shares outstanding, for about $15.5 million. Finance chiefs and other top executives responsible for complying with federal accounting requirements are in line for some hefty raises in 2007, a leading staffing services firm reports. Top bankers, information technology managers and auditors will also have thicker wallets and purses.
