Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Southwest FL - Business Briefs - February 2011

COLLIER COUNTY —

» The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that at least six animals, including goats and pigs, were attacked by panthers near the Golden Gate Estates area of Collier County in December.

CRYSTAL RIVER —

» Progress Energy Florida, after completing repairs on the damaged concrete it discovered last year inside a containment building, expects to restart its Crystal River nuclear plant early this year.

FORT MYERS —

» Alorica will get nearly $200,000 in county incentives to expand. The company, which provides management services to other companies, recently moved into a larger facility. It currently employs 350 but plans to add 250 jobs within the next three years.

» Edison State College announced plans to build a $26.3-million dorm to be ready for the fall 2012 semester. The four-story hall will have space for 405 beds.

NAPLES —

» The Naples Jet Center, which sells and services aircraft, plans to hire 14 workers by the first quarter of this year. The company says the move is in response to service demand and sales growth.

» The Ritz-Carlton Naples recently marked its 25th anniversary.

SARASOTA —

» Four Sarasota companies have received $415,000 in performance-based incentives grants: Resource One, a cleaning products maker, announced plans to move from Largo to Sarasota County, which gave it $50,000 in incentives. The company plans to add 16 jobs this year and a total of 36 over the next five years. Also, the Adams Group will get $300,000 to add 102 jobs over five years; Swimwear Boutique will get $50,000 for adding 25 jobs over three years; and RND Automation & Engineering will get $15,000 for adding up to two jobs over the next three years.

SPRING HILL —?

» Oak Hill Hospital has announced a $50-million expansion that will add 100,000 square feet, including eight operating rooms, 36 private rooms and 18 beds to the hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit.

ST. PETERSBURG —?

» The University of South Florida-St. Petersburg plans to spend $20 million this year to build a new student center and 200-bed dormitory.

» The new $60-million Jobs Corps campus has opened following more than two years of construction. Located on 16 acres in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, the facility will teach job skills to students ages 16 to 24.

TAMPA —

» The Florida Public Service Commission approved Tampa Electric’s conservation plan, which will include a variety of energy-saving initiatives, from rebates for using energy-efficient appliances to programs to teach customers how to save power. The utility plans to save 175 megawatts of electricity over the next 10 years.

C-27J Spartan full flight simulator
C-27J Spartan full flight simulator

» Lowry Park Zoo is planning to build a $10-million animal hospital and science center.

LUTZ —?

» Opinicus Corp. recently shipped a C-27J Spartan full flight simulator to Alenia Aeronautica in Turin, Italy. The simulator will be used to train Italian Air Force pilots.

VENICE —?

» PGT Industries plans to transfer its operations in Salisbury, N.C., to Venice, bringing 300 jobs to Sarasota County. The company, which makes impact-resistant windows and doors, also got a $600,000 incentives grant from the county to create 400 jobs over the next five years.