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Results for:

  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 23, 2004
Big Business

Donald D. Conn and an assistant mostly rely on outside help to solve Tampa Bay Water's legal problems.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • May 7, 2004
Feuding Falkners

They're still at it. The Michigan transplants make millions growing cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. After a year in court, their internecine squabble is far from patched up.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jean Gruss |
  • September 10, 2009
Smaller is Better

Few banks on the Gulf Coast showed a profit so far this year. But small community banks make up a disproportionate share of those that made money in the second quarter.

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Matt Walsh |
  • January 6, 2012
If capitalism is to prevail, you need to speak up

Capitalists, Believers in Capitalism, Defenders of Capitalism, it's OK.

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Matt Walsh |
  • January 6, 2012
If capitalism is to prevail, you need to speak up

Capitalists, Believers in Capitalism, Defenders of Capitalism, it's OK.

  • Opinion
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Kevin McQuaid |
  • August 18, 2021
Multifamily momentum mows down other sectors

Apartment deals once again rule top commercial real estate sales through the first half of 2021.

  • Commercial Real Estate
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • December 16, 2021
Home base: With focus on local lending, community bank raises its profile

With consolidation continuing to roil Florida’s banking sector, St. Petersburg, Florida-based First Home Bank stays true to its core values — while making aggressive moves to grow and expand.

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Matt Walsh |
  • January 5, 2022
The word for 2022: Courage

We all would like to wipe away the strife of 2021. But unfortunately, much of it will continue. To turn the tide and preserve what the Founders created, we must act with courage.

  • Opinion
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • March 13, 2020
Couple's grit, creativity leads to tasty company

Angie and Dan Bastian's secret sauce for a thriving business — and lucrative exit — lies in a underutilized principle: Go forward, with gusto, but without all the answers.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Grier Ferguson |
  • June 10, 2020
During pandemic, region’s community foundations harness customer service tactics

To quickly make a difference during the coronavirus, community foundations are making processes easy for both nonprofits and donors.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Andrew Warfield |
  • January 18, 2019
'The People's Mayor' is also all business

Naples Mayor Bill Barnett has helped lead the business resurgence of Naples with a smart growth approach

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • July 6, 2018
IT powerhouse makes a change at the top

Tech Data CEO Bob Dutkowsky spent years searching for his replacement at the Clearwater-based IT distributor. He found the ideal candidate by looking to his roots at IBM.

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • July 27, 2018
Prominent business family perseveres through odds, obstacles

Richard Gonzmart he’s the fourth generation of his family to run Columbia, the oldest restaurant in Florida. In addition to the flagship Ybor City spot, which opened in 1905, there are six other Columbia Restaurant locations, from Sarasota to St. Augustin

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • March 7, 2014
Funds for the fight

The fundraising race for the two main Florida gubernatorial candidates has begun, with nearly a combined $20 million raised since October.The who-supports-who list has some surprises.

  • Florida
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • May 15, 2015
Entrepreneurs of the Year: Overall Winners | 'Old Guys'

What makes two of the best entrepreneurs on the Gulf Coast successful? Forget what. It's all about why.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Beth Luberecki |
  • April 11, 2025
Michelin Guide's arrival in St. Pete-Clearwater brings foodies — and pressure

The highly sought-after Michelin Guide is expanding its presence in the region. It's a pressure-is-a-privilege moment for chefs and restaurateurs.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Louis Llovio |
  • August 2, 2025
Hoffmann Family's new Naples boutique a step toward national expansion, says matriarch

More than 50 years of marriage and helping create a multibillion business has not dimmed Jerri Hoffmann’s entrepreneurial drive.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Anastasia Dawson |
  • November 7, 2025
Florida tortilla manufacturer seeks to conquer retail with new chips brand

Steve Allen, the Pinellas County-based retail manager for Florida-based industrial tortilla manufacturer Easy Foods, is helping the company launch its first snack food: Island Time Snacks.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Louis Llovio |
  • June 29, 2023
Immigrants fear a new law as advocates, builders try to separate fact from fiction

As a new immigration law is set to take effect in Florida, there are mixed messages about what its impact will be on the state’s key industries and economy.

  • Florida
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Beth Luberecki |
  • November 4, 2022
Sod business balances new opportunities with inflation-laden anxieties

The second-generation leader of a fast-growth sod company modernized the company in a host of ways. But some old-school principles — quality and a strong work culture among them — remain a priority.

  • Strategies
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