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Results for:

  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • December 26, 2003
Let the Bidding Begin

The possibility of redeveloping a parking lot on Palm Avenue in Sarasota attracts big-name developers with visions of multimillion projects.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • August 29, 2008
Coffee Talk

+ Awards are nice,sales are nicerTop 10 lists aren't what always what they appear.+ Rooney buysKraft ConstructionWhen Kraft Construction Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fred Pezeshkan hinted to the Review about a joint venture a few weeks ago, turns out the deal was a little more than that.+ CNL makesanother big buyCNL Commercial Real Estate, which bought Two Harbour Place, a 12-story office building on Harbour Island in downtown Tampa in January, said it was bullish on Tampa Bay.+ Money in motiongains speedHere's another sign of life in the residential real estate industry. It's what mortgage broker and real estate investor Jeff Tumbarello calls "money in motion."+ What brain drain?Seeking to turn the tideA trio of Sarasota-area business have dropped a plug into the so-called brain drain of college students and young professionals leaving the Sunshine State for supposedly sunnier opportunities elsewhere.+ Naples visitorcount rises in JuneThe number of visitors staying at hotels in the Naples area rose 3.5% to 110,700 in June compared with the same month last year, according to research by Research Data Services for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.+ Mountain man holdsmountainous optimismDoug Dieck is president of the Tampa office for development company Ryan Southeast, which designs and builds commercial buildings.+ ClarificationThe const

  • News
  • By Grier Ferguson |
  • May 23, 2019
Top Entrepreneurs: Founder, CEO of real estate empire built company with focus on values, customer service

Michael Saunders overcame a mountain of obstacles — including obtaining a $5,000 loan — to grow her real estate firm. Her laser focus on the company’s core values is paramount.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • June 9, 2023
Creative organizations and entrepreneurs get real with artificial intelligence

Entities across the region discover a variety of ways to incorporate advanced technology into the daily workflow, with an eye toward increased efficiency.

  • Technology
  • By Brian Hartz |
  • May 5, 2022
Local leaders rethink how to train, recruit workers

The prolonged and profound labor shortage runs deeper, many companies have discovered, than boosting pay and benefits. Two organizations have seen that dynamic, with some innovative solutions at the ready.

  • Strategies
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 27, 2007
Coffee Talk

Raymond James quarterly a surprise: If you're hearing cheers inside St. Petersburg brokerage Raymond James Financial Inc. it's because fiscal third-quarter profit rose 20%, helped by a big increase in revenue at its banking unit.WCI Communities stock loses altitude: WCI Communities, the Bonita Springs-based homebuilder that's for sale, saw its stock drop 22% in the five trading days ending July 24 to nearly $12 per share.Creative Loafing not on the fringe anymore: Move over, sexed-up personals ads. Creative Loafing, Tampa's hip, urban alternative weekly, is becoming corporate, in its own way.Lee County considers raising taxes...again: When revenues are down, at least one county has a solution: Raise taxes, and then raise taxes some more.What housing slump? Not in Tampa: The online edition of Forbes magazine says the Tampa Bay area is the No. 1 area in the country to buy a house.Perlman opens NYC home for charity: Music lovers take note: World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman is opening up his New York City home for an intimate concert Oct. 30, with the proceeds going to support the Sarasota-based Van Wezel Foundation and the musician's popular winter residency program.Sembler Co. plans ambitious project: Sembler Co., the St. Petersburg retail developer known for BayWalk in St. Petersburg and Centro Ybor in Ybor City, is planning its biggest development to date. But it's not in Florida.Southwest singles out Fort Myers: Sou

  • News
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 28, 2006
A plan to expand

Tribridge's founders plan to grow the company by at least 20% annually over the next five years. It'll hit $50 million to $100 million in five years, depending on how many more acquisitions it makes.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • December 22, 2006
Coffee Talk

Florida foreclosure numbers show big gainDon Ackerman will step down as chairman of WCI Communities at the company's next annual meeting, a sure sign that significant changes are in store for the struggling Bonita Springs-based homebuilder. Going into December, shares of PGT, the Venice-based impact-resistant window and door manufacturer, had been hovering in the $11-per-share range, and what's more, overall, the stock had decreased 15% since its June IPO and 33% since its all-time high of $18.84 Aug. 3.That was until SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Keith Hughes upgraded his rating on the stock to buy from neutral.Coffee Talk is always a little weary when it hears about new products that come with a "change the entire dynamic" tag, be it small business banking or the latest stock craze. A little dose of skepticism can go a long way.But we perked up after talking to a few bankers about remote deposit capture, a federally approved system that equates digital check images with paper checks. It allows banks to provide a way for clients to scan paper checks and deposit them electronically. Coffee Talk usually takes the color-blind approach to judging businesses - or more to the point, if there's any color to be judged, the one with the most cache would be green. Hence, lists breaking down entrepreneurs by racial or gender categories are usually little more than window dressing.

  • News
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • August 24, 2007
Static Success

Good thing Anthony Murfin doesn't listen to doubters. The former airplane mechanic's defiance toward nay-sayers has been the catalyst in launching a $3 million-plus flooring company.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • July 6, 2006
No Gorillas

With a strategy of giving each unit an independent board, Bancshares of Florida has grown rapidly. And the directors of those boards share the wealth, so power isn't controlled by one player.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 28, 2006
Do the Right Thing

Frank Crum was a minister for a year before taking his faith into the business world. Now he leads an employee leasing company with $1.2 billion in annual billings.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • December 16, 2005
Coffee Talk (Sara/Mana/Tampa)

Better than Buffet, Branson: The comparison has been made before, but we're just glad he's one of ours.Looking for capital?: The Florida Venture Forum's 2006 conference is Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at the Sawgrass Marriott, Ponte Vedra Beach.WCI stock inflates as competitors deflate: Shares of WCI Communities, the Bonita Springs-based residential builder, got a boost when the company predicted a rosy outlook at its first-ever investor conference in Hollywood earlier this month.How do you pay the bill?: When Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley recently spoke to Sarasota's Downtown Partnership about his suggestions for urban revitalization, Coffee Talk wondered: Who paid for all of Charleston's wonderful improvements touted by the mayor?Make sure you like dad: When entrepreneurs are looking for venture capital, there's a lot more involved than the financial aspects of the transaction.Entrepreneurs speak: The University of Tampa is adding a new wrinkle to its speaker series on entrepreneurship.King of all Bay area media: Joe Redner has done it again.

  • News
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • February 3, 2006
How Bankruptcy Saved the Tidemark

Out of money, Nick Easterling and his partners saw one way to save the Tidemark Lodge and Marina: bankruptcy.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • February 10, 2006
So Long HMO

An entrepreneur exploits a new concept in medical insurance. But raising capital has been hard. He predicts one in 20 Floridians will be covered by his company in five years.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • February 24, 2006
Low-Ender

Warren Hickernell is profiting while working against the tide. 'I really see my job as preservng the low-impact mom-and-pop hotels.'

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • March 17, 2006
Government Efficiency

It's no joke: A pair of top government officials have found that using technology keeps them on top ofSouthwest Florida's rapid growth. It saves money, too.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • May 7, 2006
The Team Approach

At first, Tom Wallace wasn't going to put a penny into online education firm RedVector.com, citing poor finances. Two years later, he's the CEO and the biggest shareholder. The comeback started with a change in the company culture.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • 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
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • July 15, 2004
Consumer Victory?

Plaintiffs in a truth-in-lending action against Bill Heard Chevrolet Inc.-Plant City win a favorable ruling on appeal.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 10, 2004
Real Estate Briefs (Sara/Mana edition)

This week's items: Partnership acquires North Port storage facilityNeal Communities buys Northwest Manatee siteNorth American Properties buys Old Tampa Road landSarasota businessman buysthree lots in Crestwood

  • Manatee-Sarasota
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