• 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
    • Health Care
    • 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
    • Health Care
    • 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 Business Observer Staff |
  • November 20, 2008
Walsh: Review and Comment

Have babies; it's all about economic survival

  • Opinion
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 6, 2004
Repeat Performance?

Coast Bank of Florida stumbled in 2003 after going public, a familiar situation for founder Gerald L. Anthony.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • January 14, 2005
Parking Plot

A Tampa valet service with alleged underworld ties goes to court - of all places - when a former employee starts a competing company.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • August 15, 2008
Coffee Talk

+ Kleiner Perkinsinvests in companyKleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of the best-known venture capital firms in the world, recently disclosed it is an investor in Lehigh Technologies, a Naples-based company that was the winner of the Gulf Coast Business Review's technology innovation award for the Lee-Collier area in 2006.+ Newsflash: Checkthe copyright booksThe irony of this story is especially sweet: Seems that a group of supposedly well-intentioned attorneys across Florida goofed on a basic legal principle when forming a group to provide free legal services to homeowners facing foreclosure.+ Walter Industriesstock rises and fallsWalter Industries saw its stock jump to more than $104 a share this month on the New York Stock Exchange on the heels of a good quarterly report.+ Commercial propertyowners find tax helpNot every real estate-related business is in the doldrums.+ Developer doesn't give up,despite a massive loan issueA $40 million loan default isn't exactly what Brent Virkus had in mind when he made his initial foray into the Gulf Coast development pool two years ago.+ PODS marksmillionth milestoneClearwater-based PODS Enterprises Inc., the portable storage company, delivered its one millionth PODS container recently to Paul Johnson, a customer doing a home remodeling job in Fullerton, Calif. + Manatee business climatecontinues to sufferIn many cases, the issues facing senior exec

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Jay Brady |
  • March 11, 2011
Mandatory Proof

Florida lawmakers are joining the E-verification wave, hoping to require all employers to use an imperfect federal system of tracking new hires. Expect a fight.

  • Florida
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 21, 2011
Economic Forecast 2012 Overview

The yearning for optimism in how next year's economy will turn out is palpable. The facts, however, don't always meet the desire.

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Rod Thomson |
  • February 3, 2012
Scott Stays on Track

Despite surprising decisions to spend more money on education and Everglades restoration, Gov. Rick Scott is sticking to his principles of shrinking government and growing the economy.

  • Florida
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Amanda Postma |
  • August 19, 2021
The restaurant industry faces disruption in the current model with a new concept — ghost kitchens

The restaurant industry is facing a restructured model with the rise of ghost kitchens. A few spirited and ambitious restaurateurs are all-in on the concept.

  • Travel-Tourism
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Grier Ferguson |
  • February 19, 2021
Personal care products firm delivers refreshing approach

Raw Sugar's careful growth strategy, including a heavy emphasis on brick-and-mortar in a world ruled by e-commerce, has proven to be fruitful.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • March 13, 2020
Food for thought: Restaurant industry leaders ponder their future

Ghost kitchens, automation and third-party delivery are among the many challenging developments Tampa Bay area restaurateurs are grappling with.

  • Travel-Tourism
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Andrew Warfield |
  • July 5, 2019
Students get an early taste of business success

A student-operated benefit corporation that doubles as a business training program is giving teens a rare education opportunity. Some big business growth challenges are the next obstacle.

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 20, 2019
Small yet mighty: Two community banks outperforming many of their peers

Leaders at Sanibel Captiva Community Bank and First Citrus Bank discuss the strategies that have allowed them to not only survive, but thrive, in a post-recession era of industry consolidation.

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Grier Ferguson |
  • February 22, 2019
Family farm market grows into four-store operation with hundreds of employees, plans for more growth

Behind the success of Detwiler’s Farm Market? An intense focus on the customer.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • April 19, 2019
Bank shot: CEO returns to his roots with strategic acquisition

Katz Capital, a multifaceted Tampa, Florida, investment and finance holding company, has acquired Camp Grove State Bank, a tiny bank serving farmers in rural Illinois. CEO Brian Katz explains the thought process behind the purchase.

  • Finance
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Andrew Warfield |
  • June 29, 2018
The right conditions for succession

Tim Dupre’s ascension to CEO of Conditioned Air frees Theo Etzel to pursue growth. For a company that averages 40 promotions from within per year, it's also validation of a core belief.

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Kevin McQuaid |
  • July 20, 2018
Region's CRE markets show enduring momentum in 2018 first half

Despite rising interest rates and the prolonged growth cycle, Gulf Coast commercial real estate's deal velocity continued unabated in the first half of 2018, notching $1.16 billion for the region's Top 10 deals

  • Commercial Real Estate
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • February 5, 2024
Life after lockup: Roofing CEO reflects on year in prison for PPP loan fraud

Casey Crowther is contrite yet driven as he continues rebuilding his life and roofing company after serving time in prison. "I get that this is on me, and it’s my job to show people who I am."

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • December 12, 2025
Hoffmann Marine's top executive navigates $150M in deals

Hoffman Marine President Jenny Gezella navigates the acquisition-hungry business of boating through a high-energy, high-reliability approach.

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • February 2, 2026
Leadership secrets revealed from a day at Disney's famed leadership institute

Lessons, in leadership and in life, abound at the Disney Institute. One example: It’s OK to be off task if you’re on purpose. Another one: What gets recognized gets repeated.

  • Leadership
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • June 19, 2006
Coffee Talk

Name change, 2.0: The DOS Computer Center is getting a name upgrade.Sparkling ethics: Most would agree that Gary Trippe is one of the most ethical people around, which is why few will begrudge him keeping a $10,000 diamond he won at an ethics-award banquet.Wealthy people have feelings: The majority of the wealthiest Americans - and Floridians - are pessimistic when it comes to the housing market (who isn't?) yet as a group, these big spenders are almost at record high-levels when it comes to being optimistic about the overall economy.Mercantile pays premium: Quincy, Ill.-based Mercantile Bancorp paid a healthy premium for Naples-based Royal Palm Bancorp of Naples-about three times book value.Really smart people: Sarasota-based New College is Florida's honors college, so by definition, the school has a lot of smart people walking around its leafy campus a few miles north of downtown Sarasota.Sailing delayed: Material delays and labor shortages have forced Bonita Springs-based Expoships to move up the inaugural sailing of its Grand Luxe ship from December 2006 to June 2007.Money in the bank: It's much too early to count the cash, but organizers of the not-yet-chartered Insignia Bank have reason to feel positive.Lead by doing: Surveys and polls from various outlets show the poor numbers when it comes to employee job satisfaction.Insurer to grow in Florida: At a time when insurance companies and brokers are figurin

  • News
« 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 »
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