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Results for:

  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Elizabeth King |
  • March 11, 2025
Benderson targets 'big, national' firms with $60M-plus industrial project

More than half a million square feet of industrial and office space is opening this spring in North Port.

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Louis Llovio |
  • March 19, 2025
Clearwater firm grows facility, customer base while remaining largely unnoticed

Pinellas County manufacturer Florida Seating, with a client roster that includes some of the most well-known restaurant brands in the country, has added 18,000 square feet to its compound.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Louis Llovio |
  • June 11, 2025
Golf club's comeback began the day after Hurricane Milton made landfall

The Carrollwood Country Club in Tampa was hit hard by the hurricane, but within a week players were back on the course. The $2 million rehab project includes valuable lessons in resiliency and redundancy.

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • June 23, 2006
'Because God Ordained It'

Arthur Allen felt right at home with his angel investor. He has borrowed against his home to make 30 acquisitions and build his ASG Inc. to a $200 million software-service business.

  • 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 Mark Gordon |
  • January 3, 2020
Retailer reframes industry, internal challenges

A move to refine brands within Chico’s FAS — focusing on simplification, elegance and commitment to customer’s first — will be in full swing in 2020.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Mark Gordon |
  • February 7, 2020
Entrepreneur makes big push for shipping container homes

Although shipping container homes aren’t new, the niche has mostly been one-offs that make for cool, funky-looking sustainability or downsizing projects and nice spreads in architecture and interior design magazines

  • Strategies
  • 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 Mark Gordon |
  • July 3, 2015
Lessons learned

Seven Beall's senior executives share lessons learned about retail, corporate culture and business at Beall's.

  • Strategies
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • March 21, 2008
Coffee Talk

Hooters founders sell restaurants: The Clearwater-based founders of Hooters Inc. have agreed to sell their 22 restaurants for $55.1 million.Bear Stearns debacle traps Sherman: The Bear Stearns collapse has been felt across the globe.Construction firm alleviates growing pains: A Sarasota-based construction company that is pinning its ambitious growth plans on a national focus on renovation and restoration projects is going smaller so it can get bigger one dayWCI chief's home for sale: $14.25 million: Jerry Starkey, the president and CEO of Bonita Springs-based homebuilder WCI Communities, is selling his Naples home, according to the Web site of a real estate agency.Sonberg elected H&K managing partner: Holland & Knight Miami partner Steve Sonberg has been elected managing partner of the 1,150-lawyer Tampa-based firm.Government triggeredeconomic downturn: Jay Brady, the executive director of the Gulf Coast Builder's Exchange, gets paid to look out for the best interests of contractors, developers and construction firms.St. Petersburg builderdevelops hurricane additive: Despite the downturn in the homebuilding market, one Tampa Bay area CEO tells Coffee Talk that he has found a successful niche and a corporate structure that is keeping his workers busy and his companies profitable.Wachovia's Vitner now calls for recession: Wachovia Senior Economist Mark Vitner toured Southwest Florida in February telling investors that

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • May 2, 2008
Coffee Talk

Tampa entrepreneur sees houses move: The slowdown in the housing market has been reported nationally, but one Tampa company has found a niche in that industry and is seeing signs of a potential turnaround.Eastern Europeans look to Florida: When various marketing and branding gurus on the Gulf Coast coined a version of the 'Time to Buy' slogan for the struggling real estate market last year, they were mostly targeting Floridians.Lee foreclosures hit 1-in-33 households: RealtyTrac, the firm that tracks foreclosures nationwide, recently issued a report ranking metro areas with the steepest rates of foreclosures in the first quarter.Ms. Baugh goes to Washington: Vanessa Baugh, a Lakewood Ranch jewelry store owner who sometimes serves as the unofficial spokeswoman for small businesses in Sarasota and Manatee counties, is used to getting phone calls for help, sometimes even desperate ones.Bradenton bank losses one executive, gains another: Gerry Anthony, one of the grandfathers of community banking in Manatee County, is retiring from his position as chief executive of Bradenton-based Freedom Bank.Software back-ups can cost a little and save a lot: Through last year, former IT professional Dave Miller was running Westcoasthost.com, a successful St. Petersburg-based Web hosting business.Recruiter narrows the executive job search: The growing numbers of unemployed managers, supervisors and executives on the Gulf Coast and Florida could b

  • News
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 23, 2007
Florida's Who's Who vs. THE SHARKS

Carl Icahn, one of America's most relentless shareholder activists, celebrated his 71st birthday Feb. 16. The party: He launched another proxy battle, this time for control of Bonita Springs-based WCI Communities Inc.Icahn in recent months has acquired nearly 15% of the homebuilder's shares. He wants to replace the entire board of WCI with his own slate of directors, including himself and Hugh Culverhouse Jr., owner of Sarasota-based Palmer Ranch and son of the late Tampa Bay Buccaneers' owner, who, in his day, waged his own share of takeover battles.

  • Entrepreneurs
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • April 29, 2005
Real Estate Briefs (Sara/Mana)

LWR Communities gears up for Lake ClubBeach City Market, Grille sold, available for leaseSarasota County buys about 500 acresSecond PurchaseWCI buys land for Bradenton development

  • Manatee-Sarasota
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • February 1, 2019
Real estate industry: confidence is high

A deeper look at three markets in the region — Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater; Sarasota-Bradenton; and Fort Myers-Naples — reveals several core themes. One is the market, after a lengthy run-up is, in some cases, flattening out. And to some, that’s OK.

  • Construction-Development
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • June 6, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Collier to develop San Carlos retail, storage areasHadge & Associates buys final interest in Summerlin landPrimerica will develop new retail, office centerCedars Tennis Club's new owners plan renovationKaplan Bennett auctioning a pair of landmarksSarasota's Atco buys U.S. 301 BP stationGeorgia auto dealers buy Wesley Chapel ToyotaBlackhawk Realty Advisors buys Hidden Lake ApartmentsClearwater firm buys and plans makeover of St. James Place

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • January 23, 2009
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Partnership buys San Carlos building

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • September 19, 2003
16&17 Real Estate Briefs

Deal of the week: The sale of the Sunchase at Clearwater, 6550 150th Ave. N., Largo, to Jasmine at Clearwater LLC for $17.9 million/ New condo-hotel planned for downtown Fort Myers/Carlyle affiliate closes on Hendry Ranch land/Ramada Inn Gulfview sells

  • Tampa Bay-Lakeland
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Business Observer Staff |
  • October 30, 2008
Commercial Real Estate Briefs

Fort Myers physician buys buildingRegent Properties buys land,betting on residential recoveryPort Charlotte buyers acquire Courtyard Retirement CentreGora/McGahey Associatesdesigns Coronado High SchoolIrish group buys Citrus Falls CommonsCapital Realty Investorsbuy Selmon's Plaza in LargoCapital Realty Investorsbuy Selmon's Plaza in LargoW.S. Badcock Corp.buys Ruskin store, franchiseMobile Home Depot owner buys Antique MallBenderson Developmentfiles revised BofA plansAfter reorganization,Patrick regains Tropic IsleMedical Education Technologiesplans Bee Ridge expansionSam Rodgers Homesstart work on 'Gran' clubhouse

  • Charlotte–Lee–Collier
  • For Subscribers Only
  • By Adam Hughes |
  • September 30, 2005
Bank Directory

The Gulf Coast Business Review's list of banks and their information.

  • Entrepreneurs
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