Florida Trend Exclusive
350 Biggest Companies in Florida

Who's number 1? Find out in Florida Trend's annual listing of the biggest public and private companies in the state. Companies on the list must be headquartered in Florida. They are ranked by revenue.

» Main 350 Biggest Companies section
» Preview the top 50 records on the 125 Public Companies list
» Preview the top 50 records on the 225 Private Companies list

Big firms buy Florida homes, then rent out

In the decade since the housing boom deflated into a bust, financial firms recognized an investment opportunity in hard-hit areas like the Orlando suburb of Apopka. Single-family homes lost to foreclosure could be bought cheaply and transformed into rent-generating income streams. [Source: AP]

Algae emergency empties Florida beaches on July 4th

Four Florida counties experienced drops in tourism on the Fourth of July weekend, as the algae emergency on their coastal waters kept beachgoers away. Martin, St. Lucie, Lee and Palm Beach counties typically see a spike in tourism during the summer holiday weekend, but business is down due to the thick, blue-green algae. [Source: WSVN]

See also:
» Algae bloom puts financial strain on coastal town
» Florida launches hotline for residents to report algae bloom
» Your turn: Which of these is most urgent to stop more toxic algae in South Florida: Raise dykes, limit pollution, or what? (quick poll)

Hispanic growth in Florida: Will it determine the election?

The state remains a crucial swing state in the presidential sweepstakes but, since 2012, Florida’s electorate has changed in important ways — exacerbating the role of its growing Hispanic and elderly populations and potentially sowing seeds of a more disruptive revolution to come. [Source: Times/Herald]

See also:
» Taboos over talking politics at work loosen during divisive election season

Enterprise Florida cut by $6 million, 24 jobs

Florida is going to slash jobs at the state-created agency that is responsible for trying to bring jobs to the state. The Enterprise Florida board of directors voted Friday to make roughly $6 million in cuts that include eliminating more than two dozen jobs. More from the AP and the Tampa Bay Times.

See also:
» Enterprise Florida executive pay increased 75 percent in six years

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Kennedy Space Center: Boeing signs up to sponsor attraction [Orlando Sentinel]
Boeing Co. will be the title sponsor of Legends & Heroes, an attraction set to open this year at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It will be the first time that the complex has had a a corporate sponsor.

› Records show Fort Myers phone company in financial trouble [Fort Myers News-Press]
Employees of Fort Myers company that provides cheap phone service to jail and prison inmates are complaining about bounced payroll checks. Customers have logged more than 150 complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

› Restaurant chain continues push into Sarasota [Business Observer]
Less than five months after filing plans for its first restaurant in Sarasota, Pollo Tropical has targeted another location in the area. The Caribbean-themed concept, which has more than 160 locations, was founded in Miami in 1988.

› Gators’ popularity means Southwest Florida businesses gobble up profits [Naples Daily News]
The popularity in recent years of gators featured on television shows — and a child killed by one at Disney World last month — means the creature's mystique increasingly continues to draw hunters to Florida to capture them.

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› Want to start a business? Learn how through free Broward program [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
CareerSource Broward is launching a new program for would-be business owners and entrepreneurs. The free program, called Start-Up Now, is designed to help local residents develop a solid business plan and learn what it takes to build a thriving business.

› Full Sail University wades into virtual reality coursework with new lab [Orlando Sentinel]
In response to growing need, Full Sail University in August will introduce coursework within its simulation and visualization program that teaches students AR and VR development.

› Port Tampa Bay still finding its way as expanded Panama Canal opens [Tampa Bay Times]
After years of buildup, the widened Panama Canal opened last week but Port Tampa Bay still finds itself struggling to see where it fits in. To stand out, Port Tampa Bay spent $21.5 million for two post-Panamax gantry cranes to help grow its cargo container business.

› Rectrix Aviation is attracting business to Sarasota-Bradenton as it grows [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Business on the noncommercial side of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has come a long way since Rectrix Aviation moved in there eight years ago.