Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Southwest Fla. & Tampa Bay Business Briefs - October 2010

BRADENTON — Wide World Security, which operates a training center for security and first-responder personnel, plans to hire up to 100 employees over the next five years. The company was founded last year.

CLEARWATER — IT products distributor Tech Data is buying Netherlands-based Triade Holding for $189 million in a three-way deal also involving Brightstar Europe. CEO Robert Dutkowsky says the deal is part of Tech Data's diversification strategy.

CRYSTAL RIVER — A coalition of public and private entities has bought manatee habitat Three Sisters Springs for $10.5 million, allowing the spring to become part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will manage the 57-acre property.

FORT MYERS — TZ Insurance Solutions will get up to $273,000 in state and Lee County incentives to move its headquarters from New Jersey to Lee County and create 125 jobs.

LAKELAND — Publix Super Markets is testing an online grocery service at two stores, one in Tampa and one in Atlanta. The service, called Publix Curbside, will enable customers to place orders online and then pick up their groceries at the store without going inside. The fee will be $7.99 an order.

LAKEWOOD RANCH — UTC Fire & Security will move the headquarters for three of its groups into an existing facility in Lakewood Ranch, adding 23 jobs.

LEE AND COLLIER COUNTIES — Edison State College has received a $383,112 grant from Workforce Florida to train workers in both counties.

SARASOTA — The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has reached a $50,000 settlement in a case it filed to challenge the city's noise ordinance. The Sarasota law allowed police to seize and impound a vehicle if a driver played the car's stereo too loudly. As part of the settlement, the city will no longer enforce that part of the ordinance.

ST. PETERSBURG — The City Council approved Mayor Bill Foster's plan to tear down the city's landmark inverted Pier, which opened in 1974 and needs $50 million in renovations.

» The city and the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council have agreed to chip in $2.5 million each to help the Salvador Dali Museum finish its new, $36-million facility on the city's waterfront. The new building is scheduled to open Jan. 11.

TAMPA — Using federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds, the county spent $7.5 million to buy the 76-unit Cedar Pointe Apartments. The transaction means the county has spent its entire $19.1-million allotment of neighborhood stabilization funds. The apartment complex had undergone foreclosure and was 50% occupied.

WINTER HAVEN — Legoland Florida has chosen Denver-based PCL Construction Services to build its park on the old site of the now-defunct Cypress Gardens. The park, which will include more than 50 rides and thousands of large Lego models, is expected to open in fall 2011.

Real estate
Surf's Up

123% Gain in the median sales price for a Naples Beach home in July: $1.117 million vs. $500,000 a year earlier

Source: Naples Area Board of Realtors