Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Daily Pulse

Hiring rebound expected to continue

If the economic tea leaves are correct, Friday morning should bring another dose of positive jobs news for the United States. That would bode well for South Florida's ongoing hiring rebound. Nationwide, employers added 325,000 jobs last month, according to calculations by ADP, the country's top payroll company. Though not a surefire predictor of the official government data being released this morning, the ADP report suggests momentum is building behind the nation's economic recovery. Florida releases countywide December jobs data later this month, so the national report will only hint at what's in store for the Sunshine State. [Source: Miami Herald]

Related:
» Reasons for hope as nation's jobs update approaches
» Florida's planned job cuts higher than average
» UPDATE: Employers add 200,000 jobs, unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent, lowest in nearly 3 years


Crackdown begins on Internet cafés

It could soon be Game Over for the spread of Internet cafes that offer casino-style gaming and payouts, while avoiding Florida gambling restrictions. Palm Beach County on Thursday approved a temporary ban on new cafes, also known as sweepstakes cafes. That's expected to grow into a year-long moratorium to allow time for crafting new restrictions for the gaming attractions spreading to shopping centers across South Florida. In Fort Lauderdale, city commissioners on Thursday directed their staff to put together an ordinance restricting the gaming cafes. About 1,000 Internet cafes have spread across the state. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]


Florida Trend Exclusive
Timber giant Rayonier sees the forest and the trees

Paul G. Boynton takes over as CEO of Jacksonville-based timber powerhouse Rayonier this month from Lee M. Thomas, who is retiring. Boynton has been with Rayonier since 1999. He spoke with Florida Trend about the company and its plans.


How to do business with the Republican National Convention

Tampa Bay companies that want a piece of the Republican National Convention can learn more about how to compete for the business on Jan. 19 at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. The 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee will hold a forum from 9 a.m. to noon that day to give locals a chance to find out about its new small business networking program. The convention, scheduled for Aug. 27-30 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, is expected to bring an estimated $175 million in direct spending to the area, according to convention organizers. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]


Teachers at A-rated Florida schools still waiting on bonuses

Florida educators at high-performing schools will have to wait until at least early February for their state bonuses, according to the Department of Education. The state had been waiting on high school grades — released Wednesday —before paying the bonuses to all state schools. Schools that earn an A rating or improve by at least one letter grade are eligible for the bonuses. But Department of Education spokeswoman Cheryl Etters said the agency still must wait for any appeals to be heard. [Source: StateImpact Florida]


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tourism industry optimistic after sold-out Christmas, New Year's
The BP oil spill never actually came within hundreds of miles of Southwest Florida, but the stigma suffocated tourism. But, with people finally convinced that either way the spill is now just a memory, local resorts and hotels have seen resultant upswings in bookings. "Christmas business was up about 5 percent," said Marco Island Marriott marketing director Bob Pfeffer. "New Year's (week) is sold out thanks to a local promotion we did," he said. "The oil spill is behind us."

› Publix to end its curbside pickup experiment at Citrus Park
Publix announced today that it is ending its curbside pickup program at Citrus Park, the only store where the supermarket chain offered it in the Tampa Bay area. The program was in place for more than a year as a test.

› Buses with perks begin serving Jacksonville market
The options for taking a bus to or from Jacksonville are growing. Seven weeks ago, Megabus started daily buses to and from Orlando and Atlanta. Wednesday, Greyhound Express announced that it was expanding service to Jacksonville with a different level of ride than its standard buses.

› Rick Scott wants Floridians to lure companies via Facebook
Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants Floridians to help him lure companies to the state by giving him suggestions on Facebook. Scott posted the request on his Facebook page on Thursday morning, saying he's looking for success stories to use when talking to companies either planning on expanding or relocating to the state. Within minutes of the posting, Scott's Facebook page was filled with dozens of comments.



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› Tampa's vacant historic federal courthouse could become luxury hotel
A four-company team of private developers has been chosen to redevelop Tampa's historic but long-closed U.S. courthouse as a luxury hotel, Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced Thursday. Tampa Hotel Partners, LLC consists of the Development Service Group (DSG) of Memphis, Ferrell Redevelopment of Tampa, Kobi Karp Architects of Miami, and The Beck Group of Tampa. "This restoration will breathe new life into downtown," Buckhorn said in a prepared statement.

› Old Amway Arena to be imploded after all
Orlando's old Amway Arena will go out with a bang after all. Developers of the site where the arena sits have revised their demolition plans and now say they'll use explosive charges to implode the entire building sometime in March. In August, the developers of the Creative Village and city officials announced that the 23-year-old former home of the Orlando Magic would be carefully dismantled, with much of its materials recycled or reused. But last week, they hired a demolition contractor who recommended implosion.

› Florida to sue firms promising homeowners they could stay in their homes despite foreclosure
The state of Florida is suing two South Florida firms which promised to keep homeowners facing foreclosure in their homes. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that her office has filed a lawsuit against MGD Management and CRS Marketing. The suit accuses the companies of misleading customers into thinking they could stay in their homes for years while paying nothing on their mortgage, taxes, insurance or HOA fees.

› Sarasota blood bank objects to merger
A small Sarasota blood bank is urging the state to halt a planned merger of Florida's three largest blood centers, including the one based in Orlando. The antitrust division of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is about to complete an inquiry and issue an opinion on the proposed consolidation of Orlando's main blood center with ones in St. Petersburg and South Florida.

› St. Petersburg mayor to meet with Tampa Bay Rays owner to talk about a new stadium
A long-awaited meeting between Mayor Bill Foster and Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg is planned for Jan. 17, a sit-down that will break a months-long silence between the two people with the most control over the club's future at Tropicana Field. Foster said Thursday he called Sternberg in December and arranged the meeting. It will be held in St. Petersburg, but Foster wouldn't reveal a specific location or the scope of the meeting.

› Stallion farms keep producing winners
After two years of success, Brent Fernung convinced Wildcat Heir's owners to keep the stallion in the state instead of moving him north, like so many other stallions have done after finding early success. That decision paid off, as Wildcat Heir topped Florida's stallion list for the second straight year.