Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida's 350 biggest companies

Florida Trend's list of 2023's top revenue-ranked 125 publicly traded and 225 privately held companies, headquartered in Florida. See the list of public companies here and the list of private companies here. The full list is available for purchase — with additional contacts, phone, fax, website, full company address, and other information not previously published. Over 800 email addresses included with both files!

Florida’s truck drivers’ strike fell short of expectations. Why?

The word got out on social media about the planned suspension of deliveries to and from the state on July 1. Many, including Latino truck drivers from different states, started sharing messages and videos, threatening to boycott Florida in response to the new immigration law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. But when the day arrived, the boycott didn’t materialize. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

With no Florida hurricane threat in sight, time to examine accuracy of NHC, tracking models

Over the past few decades, the National Hurricane Center’s one- to three-day track forecast errors have diminished by 75%, with reductions of about 60% over the past 20 years at four- and five-day lead times. In 2022, NHC track forecasts set accuracy records at most lead times. With the Tropical Atlantic currently in a mid-summer lull, let’s chat about those models before they go viral on the various rage platforms as storms threaten. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

What does Farmer’s Insurance leaving Florida mean for policyholders?

Florida’s tumultuous insurance marketplace took yet another hit on Tuesday when Farmers Insurance announced plans to drop policies across the state, potentially impacting tens of thousands of people. If you’ve lost coverage or think you might be at risk of being dropped, you’re not alone. In the past year, four companies including Farmers have pulled out of Florida. So now what? [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Floridians can expect 'dangerously hot, humid conditions' to continue

"Dangerously hot and humid conditions expected to continue across South Florida before expanding statewide. "Triple digit heat indices expected for several days. "Heat advisories will likely be necessary throughout the week and into the weekend." That's the five-day weather outlook from Florida issued by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. On the bright side: the tropics have been quiet. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Astronauts’ new rides for Artemis missions arrive at Kennedy Space Center [Orlando Sentinel]
While the next humans to fly to the moon will rely on the Orion spacecraft for the nearly half-million-mile trip next year on the Artemis II mission, the final 9 miles to the launch pad will come while riding in one of three new astronaut transports now parked at Kennedy Space Center. Three curvy electric vehicles officially referred to as CTVs, as in crew transportation vehicles, were built by California-based Canoo Technologies and arrived to KSC on Tuesday. They will be used during training leading up to the Artemis II flight slated for no earlier than November 2024.

› L3Harris clears first hurdle to win Brevard property tax break to expand in Palm Bay [Florida Today]
A proposal to give L3Harris Technologies Inc. county property tax breaks on two different projects moved forward Tuesday, after a split 3-2 vote by the Brevard County Commission. The vote is the first step of a three-step process that could lead to the County Commission granting as much as $6.68 million in tax abatements over a 10-year period.

› St. Petersburg’s China Finders is closing, and 300,000 items are on sale [Tampa Bay Times]
The Grand Central District business, which has shipped orders to every continent but Antarctica, has priced its last items at 50 to 75 percent off. While the area has boomed in the last decade or so, it hasn’t impacted the specialty shop too much. 95 percent of China Finders’ business revolves around shipping items to online shoppers.

› Miami is using eminent domain to take a Miami River site. Jury to decide the price [Miami Herald]
The city of Miami wants to buy a small parcel of land to create a new park on the Miami riverfront without knowing how much it will cost taxpayers. A proposal to establish a park honoring Venezuelan national hero Simón Bolívar has led to a multi-year legal battle. Soon, a judge is expected decide whether the city can take a piece of land on the south side of the Miami River for the park, a project spearheaded by Commissioner Joe Carollo.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› New Broward superintendent’s salary is lowered by $10,000, but bonuses are possible [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Peter Licata is now the superintendent of Broward Schools, with less money and job protection than he had negotiated. He’ll also have to move from Boynton Beach to Broward County within a year, under a provision added to his contract during a three-hour meeting Tuesday morning. Licata, who was hired on June 15, is leaving his job as a longtime administrator for Palm Beach County schools.

› European budget fashion retailer Primark opening North Jacksonville distribution center [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Called Project Roar, European-based budget fashion retailer Primark is leasing a roughly 550,000-square-foot Imeson Park South building in North Jacksonville to serve its expansion in the southern U.S. The city is reviewing a permit for The Conlan Co. of Jacksonville to make tenant improvements for the European company at a project cost of $14.565 million.

› Orlando homebuilders serve up pickleball in new neighborhoods [Orlando Sentinel]
Step aside, tennis. The pickleball mania is here and it’s propelling homebuilders to rethink what amenities to include in new Central Florida neighborhoods. Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes is the latest developer to announce plans to feature pickleball courts in an upcoming project, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. When its 57-lot subdivision opens on 305 acres in Windermere in early 2026, residents will have a place to play the fast-growing sport.

› Inter Miami is having a welcome event for Messi, and only certain fans are invited (at least, for now) [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
After international soccer star Lionel Messi told the world he wanted to continue his career playing with the MLS in South Florida a little more than a month ago, the world has been waiting. After a couple weeks, Inter Miami CF announced they were targeting July 21 for Messi’s first match with the team. Still, waiting. It looks like maybe the wait is ending.

Over 800 email addresses included with both files!