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Southwest Florida Business Briefs - Aug. 2006
DE SOTO COUNTY -- Cameratta Properties, a builder of master-planned communities, has acquired 5,860 acres south of Arcadia along two miles of SR 31.
FORT MYERS -- Motorsports Management, which operates seven Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country, purchased two dealerships in Michigan, American Harley-Davidson/ Buell of Ann Arbor and Brighton Harley- Davidson/Buell.
? The D'Jamoos Group has kicked off construction of the Galleria at the Forum, a mixed-use commercial center with 126,240 square feet of commercial space. Design and engineering firm WilsonMiller will occupy 25,000 square feet of office space at the center, the firm's third Fort Myers location.
OLDSMAR -- Using $156,000 in state and local tax incentives, student loan company OneSimpleLoan is expanding its headquarters to consolidate its loan processing functions. It will add 52 jobs to create a total of 82 positions.
NAPLES -- The Barron Collier Cos. announced plans to develop a 165-acre business park in northeastern Collier County, between the town of Ave Maria and Immokalee. Construction is expected to begin next year.
? Homes in Naples are the most overvalued in the country, according to a recent study by the National City Corp. and Global Insight. The median home price in the first quarter of 2006 was $383,000, or nearly 103% overvalued.
? Orion Bancorp recently surpassed $2 billion in total assets, a growth of more than $1 billion in the past two years. The company operates 18 full-service banking centers in the state and plans to open 15 to 18 locations over the next three years.
PORT MANATEE -- An increase in dry bulk and general cargo shipments at Port Manatee spurred an 11% growth in port operating revenue, from $5.3 million to $5.9 million, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2006.
ST. LEO -- Saint Leo University is adding bachelor's programs on other campuses, including criminal justice at South Florida Community College in Avon Park and Tallahassee Community College. It will add a bachelor's in criminal justice and business administration on the Brooksville campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College and Santa Fe Community College in Starke.
ST. PETERSBURG -- Jabil Circuit (NYSEJBL) is planning to close plants and lay off employees as part of a $250-million restructuring.
TAMPA -- Interior Design Services of Florida, a full-service office furniture dealer with revenue of more than $20 million, was purchased by North Carolina-based Storr Office Environments and will be operated as Storr Office Environments of Florida.
