ALACHUA —
» Sharklet Technologies, a spinoff company in the University of Florida’s biotechnology incubator, received its first equity investment, $1.5 million in venture capital to further develop its bacteria-resistant surface inspired by the pattern of sharkskin.
» Harbert Venture Partners II, a Birmingham, Ala.-based venture capital fund that invests in early-stage health and technology companies in the Southeast, opened its first Florida office in UF’s biotechnology incubator in Alachua. HVP II is a division of Harbert investment management firm, which manages $2.6 billion.
CLAY COUNTY —
» The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled that St. Vincent’s HealthCare of Jacksonville can build a $155-million, 98-bed hospital in Middleburg.
FERNANDINA BEACH —
» The Cumberland Sound Ferry between St. Marys, Ga., and Fernandina Beach has been designated an official connection as part of the East Coast Greenway, a cycling route from Maine to Key West.
GAINESVILLE —
» The National Institutes of Health awarded the University of Florida a $26-million grant to be part of a national consortium of medical research institutions working to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and speed up medical advances to patients. Additionally, the federal Economic Development Administration awarded the university an $8.2-million grant to help create the Florida Innovation Hub. The incubator will be built between campus and downtown, at the site of the former Alachua General Hospital that UF is shutting despite protests from residents who rely on the hospital. University officials say the facility will house startup companies and become a central location for all of UF’s commercialization efforts.
» Music industry giant EMI is suing Gainesville internet startup Escape Media, alleging that its Grooveshark free music streaming site is engaged in "widespread copyright infringement."
AMELIA ISLAND —  Paco Saldaña, director of guest services at the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, was selected by the U.S. Travel Association as the nation’s “Face of Travel” to represent the importance of travel-industry jobs on behalf of the industry to policymakers, the media and others. |
JACKSONVILLE —
» Jacksonville residents Michael Huyghue, the first general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Rick Mueller, the Jags’ first director of college scouting, launch their new football league next month: The United Football League. UFL, with offices in Jacksonville, will begin play in October with four franchises: Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Huyghue is commissioner and Mueller, vice president/general manager.
» Mayor John Peyton proposed increasing taxes by 14%, overhauling the city’s pension plan and cutting city staff to pull Jacksonville out of its financial crisis. The city last year lost $100 million in revenue under state tax reform, $40 million because of the recession and $40 million because of increasing pension costs.
» The developer of River City Marketplace announced plans for a $30-million shopping center next to its Northside center near Jacksonville International Airport. Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust hopes to start construction on the 365,000-sq.-ft. retail center, Parkway Shops, in 2011.
» CSX (NYSE-CSX) announced a plan to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions 8% by 2011. The reductions, which will be achieved in part by making its locomotives more efficient, will reduce emissions by 2.4 million tons — the equivalent of burning 5,598,000 fewer barrels of oil.
» Jacksonville-based Landstar System (Nasdaq-LSTR) acquired two technology companies, Premier Logistics and A3 Integration, both based in Michigan, that will allow the trucking company to offer more internet-based services to its freight customers.
OCALA —
» Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp., one of the largest wholesale mortgage lenders in the U.S., shut down after federal TARP agents raided its offices. The move left 1,000 jobless. Taylor, Bean and Colonial Bank recently terminated a deal in which Taylor, Bean was to lend the bank $300 million.