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Southwest Florida Business Briefs - June 2005
BRADENTON -- Invisa, a maker of security devices, has moved from Sarasota to Bradenton, with 10 employees and plans to expand.
Grand Blanc, Mich.-based MacArthur Corp., a producer of custom labels for the auto industry, plans to open a manufacturing operation in Bradenton, creating 25 jobs.
CLEARWATER -- Tech Data (Nasdaq-TECD), a computer reseller, edged out AutoNation of Fort Lauderdale to become the state's largest company on this year's Fortune 500 list. Tech Data reported $19.79 billion in revenue, taking the 110th spot on the list, beating AutoNation by $56 million, which ended up at 112. Publix Super Markets ranked 117.
Morton Plant Hospital and Safety Harbor-based Mease Hospitals are merging. Though the hospitals have collaborated in certain areas over the past 10 years, saving them $100 million in costs over that time, hospital executives say fully combining will help them serve the community better and further reduce costs. Mease will become a member of BayCare Health System.
COLLIER COUNTY -- The Collier County School District plans to build nine schools over the next five years to accommodate the more than 8,000 new students expected to enroll over that time. Five of the schools will be open by the 2007-08 school year.
PINELLAS COUNTY -- WorkNet Pinellas has been awarded $688,000 by the Agency for Workforce Innovation as part of the president's Personal Re-employment Account (PRA) initiative to help unemployed workers find jobs. Florida is one of seven states selected to participate in the PRA pilot program.
ST. PETERSBURG -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service will move its Southeast regional office from St. Petersburg's Gateway area to the city's Bayboro district -- known as the largest marine science district in the Southeast.
Medical Home Products has acquired Fort Lauderdale-based Strictly Diabetics for an undisclosed price. Both companies produce medical supplies.
David Goodwin was recently named St. Petersburg's economic development director. He replaces Ron Barton, who held the position for about four years.
TAMPA -- Bob Merritt has retired as CFO of Outback Steakhouse (NYSE-OSI), one of three top executives to leave the restaurant group within weeks. Co-founders Chris Sullivan and Bob Basham also resigned recently as CEO and COO, respectively.
Emily Kass, director of the Tampa Museum of Art, has resigned less than a month after city officials, including Mayor Pam Iorio, scrapped a $76-million plan to build a new museum. Kass had been director of the museum since 1996. The museum's board plans a national search for Kass' replacement.
TAMPA BAY -- The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater market led the state in existing home sales in March with 4,974 sales, or 21% of the state's total, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.
