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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Top concern for Florida's small businesses: trained workers
Florida’s small business owners say their No. 1 concern is a lack of skilled workers, according to a new Small Business Index Survey from the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It is the fifth quarter in a row in which employers say they are concerned about having a skilled workforce to meet the demands of open jobs. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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» Read or download the report, "Florida Small Business Index," here.
Orlando International is nation's 11th busiest airport
Orlando International now ranks as the 11th busiest airport in the nation, moving from its long held 13th spot. According to the airport and the trade group Airports Council International, Orlando’s MCO also is the busiest in Florida. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Construction begins on Tampa's 'Water Street' with a JW Marriott Hotel
Strategic Property Partners, LLC broke ground today on a 519-room JW Marriott hotel that will mark the luxury brand’s debut in the Tampa Bay region. The hotel also represents the first project of 10 buildings that SPP, the developer behind the Water Street Tampa neighborhood, plans to begin building over the next year. These buildings will join the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine and Health Heart Institute, which broke ground in Fall 2017. More in the news release.
Amazon will now deliver to certain cars in Miami and across Tampa Bay
Amazon's latest perk ... free delivery to your car. The Seattle company said Tuesday that it has begun delivering packages in 37 cities — including Miami, Tampa and St. Petersburg — to Prime members who own newer General Motors or Volvo vehicles. See the company announcement, with video, here. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Oklahoma-based Private Jets expanding in Naples
Private Jets is spreading its wings in Naples, with more planes and more pilots. The Oklahoma-based charter jet company announced Monday it has signed a five-year lease on a new hangar at Naples Municipal Airport. More from the Naples Daily News.
Tech Trends
SmartHouse Integration
Smart homes have graduated from a collection of complicated remote controls for each device, cluttering tables and frustrating residents. Today, homes are far more intelligent. Mark van den Broek, the founder and chief executive of SmartHouse Integration, located in Sarasota’s Rosemary District, installs the ELAN Entertainment and Control System for his clients here and elsewhere in the country.
» More from the Florida Times-Union.
Business Profile
The Farm House
Steven and Nancie Sheardown opened a brick-and-mortar store in Bradenton in 2017 that carries the Sheardown’s furniture with an added twist — donuts. Now the couple is behind a budding furniture empire that's couched multiple revenue streams, including trade shows, online, wholesale and a retail store.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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