Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Wednesday's Daily Pulse

Aging population a boon for health care workers

As Baby Boomers age into retirement by the millions each year, their growing health care needs require more people to administer that care. That makes fields such as nursing one of the fastest-growing occupations, and hospitals are hiring now to prepare for what's to come. Read more from USA Today and see also:

» Want a job? Look to the energy field
» In tech jobs market, data analysis is tops

Related Florida Trend Content
» Advanced Training for Health Care Professionals in Florida
» Medical Arms Race
» Florida Health Care Highlights
» Florida's Hospitals


Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Don 'Big Daddy' Garlits

Don Garlits The 80-year-old drag racer talks about the excitement of speed, running for Congress and what he does to combat "those hateful lovebugs."

» In the beginning, we actually drag-raced the cars we drove to work. There were no spectators. We put lines on the asphalt and raced on a stopwatch. Then, it caught the fancy of the general public. People built drag strips and charged a lot of money to get in. In 1958, I got paid $450 to show up with my car in Texas, and I’ve been winning races and making money ever since.

» Read our full interview...


Regulators OKs Citizens' increases for homeowners

Florida business and homeowners' doing business with the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will see double-digit premium increases in most cases early next year. The state's insurance regulators announced Tuesday they have approved the increases that are scheduled to take effect as early as Jan. 1. [Source: Times/Herald and AP]


Florida High Tech Corridor among top 5 U.S. tech hubs

The Florida High Tech Corridor ranks among the top five technology hubs in the United States, according to a jobs study by Bright Labs. The study shows the Florida High Tech Corridor is the fourth largest high-tech hub based on the 7,752 jobs openings posted in the state's 23-county region on online websites Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]


Big bank backlash proves nonexistent

Remember all that rage at the too-big-to-fail banks accused of cratering the economy? Recall last year’s National Bank Transfer Day, which promised to push a deluge of deposits from Wall Street giants to credit unions and community banks? Never mind. Read more from the Palm Beach Post and see Florida Trend's reports on banking and Finance in Florida:

» Big Banks Still Dominate Florida's Financial Landscape
» Disappearing Act for Some Florida Banks
» Full report


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Marlins Park attendance suffers amid team’s failure
Year One for Marlins Park, both on the field and off, did not go entirely as team executives had hoped. Despite the addition of more than $200 million in free agent players, the rebranded Miami Marlins were a last-place disaster that lost more games this year than it did the one previous.

› Naples man sees the light and turns his inspiration into decorative bollard business
When Dick Metchear saw metal lights at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando corroding from the sprinkler system's reclaimed water, a light bulb went off in his head. Why not make them out of precast concrete?

› Developer says he wants to build Rays stadium at Channelside
A St. Petersburg developer wants to buy the struggling Channelside Bay Plaza and build a baseball stadium on the site for the Tampa Bay Rays. Joel Cantor, who built the Signature Place condominium tower in St. Petersburg, said Tuesday a 33,000-seat stadium could fit on the waterfront site, much like AT&T Park in San Francisco where the Giants play.
» See also: Developer's plans to build Rays stadium over Channelside faces skepticism

› Economy, jobs top political factors for Florida small business owners
A new study by George Washington University and Thumbtack.com reveals that the economy and jobs are the most important factors for Florida small business owners when selecting a president.
» See also: Small Business Political Sentiment Survey


Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Films pump less into Tampa Bay economy, but state incentives still good investment
A-listers Channing Tatum, Selena Gomez and James Franco brought out the paparazzi when they filmed movies in the bay area during the past year. Yet they didn't bring big bucks to the local economy like one tailless dolphin did in 2010, according to figures released by Florida's Office of Film and Entertainment.

› FitNet's Raul Espinosa helps minority-owned businesses
Raul Espinosa knows what it’s like to be on his own without any help. When he was 14, he fled communism and Fidel Castro and left his native Cuba for the United States in 1960. Espinosa said his St. Augustine business with three employees takes in about $1 million to $2 million in annual revenue. But that revenue comes from serving as a consultant for other minority and small business contractors who may not know how to bid for work.

› UF discovery of mouse that regenerates tissue could help advance limb care
Scientists are now one step closer to understanding the regeneration of scar-free skin and hair. University of Florida researchers published a study in the Sept. 27 issue of the journal Nature describing a mammal with salamander-like regenerative abilities.

› St. Petersburg's RNC costs still murky
Taxpayers might not learn for 30 days whether they'll be stuck with expenses connected to Republican National Convention events held in the city.