Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Thursday's Afternoon Update

Strong durable goods orders buoy growth outlook

Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods rose more than expected in March and a measure of business capital spending plans surged, bolstering views of an acceleration in growth in the second quarter. More from Reuters. and the Wall Street Journal.


Defense contractors host rallies for federal funding

Harris Corporation and Boeing are hosting a rally to encourage Congress to extend funding for the manufacture of Growler and Super Hornet aircraft used by the U.S. Navy. The rally, which was announced in a recent press release, will start at noon Friday in the parking lot of a Harris facility at 2400 Palm Bay Road, Building 1 in Palm Bay, Florida. More at Florida Today.


Miami Beach opposes Beckham's soccer stadium plan

Business Profile

Skookoo LLC

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Two Central Florida fathers with backgrounds in engineering and online games are developing a toy to teach math and science skills.

Jeremy Scheinberg of Winter Park and Chris Harden of Apopka are both 39 and both have young kids. After participating in a startup event in December, they decided there was a need for better educational toys – especially ones that don’t make annoying noises.

» Full story from the Orlando Sentinel

Building a Major League Soccer stadium at PortMiami would create a traffic nightmare, according to officials and residents in the neighboring city. Miami Beach held a town hall meeting Wednesday to discuss English soccer star David Beckham's proposal to build a 25,000-seat stadium on Miami-Dade County land. More at the AP.


Indian businesses in Tampa enjoy spike in business from Bollywood Oscars

Normally, Prerana's Indian boutique is closed on Tuesdays. But this week, with celebrities and visitors arriving for the Bollywood Oscars, it opened its doors for shoppers seeking dresses and jewelry for Indian entertainment's biggest event of the year. More at the Tampa Bay Times.


In Disney's Florida shadow, homeless families struggle

A growing number of families in Florida's tourist corridor are living in hotels because they can't afford anything else and because their county has no shelters for the estimated 1,216 homeless households with children. More at the Florida Times-Union.

Out of the Box
Same Old Line Dudes

linesWhile some people dread the thought of waiting in lines, Robert Samuel turned the drudgery and frustration of line-waiting into a business. About two years ago, Samuel lost his job as a sales representative at an AT&T store. Looking to make ends meet, he posted an ad on Craigslist offering to hold a spot in line for people when the new iPhone 5 came out. His business, SOLD Inc., which stands for “same old line dudes,” employs a team to stand in line at various businesses.

» Full story from ABC News