Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/27/2017

Sunshine state still lags in solar as overcast New York surges

Despite its Sunshine state moniker, Florida is barely harnessing its bountiful rays for energy. The Solar Energy Industries Association ranks the state third in the US for rooftop solar potential but just 12th in terms of installed capacity. More from the Guardian.

Florida lawmakers ask Trump administration to avoid drilling in Gulf of Mexico

In a letter sent to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Friday, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson led a group of 16 Florida congressional representatives in asking to avoid drilling off the state’s west coast in the Gulf of Mexico. See Nelson's letter to Zinke here. The news release from the U.S. Department of the Interior that announced the "Lease Sale" of 163 tracts in the Gulf, is here. Also read more at the Bradenton Herald.

Osceola's high-tech BRIDG at NeoCity set for April 13 opening

The highly-anticipated high-tech research center near Kissimmee, now known as BRIDG, has announced its grand opening will be April 13. The facility is aimed at developing new advanced semiconductor designs for microelectronics, nano-electronics, sensors, fiber optics and photonics. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

It took decades for Matters Brothers to complete Sarasota move

The Matter family spent nearly four decades thinking about a move into the Sarasota market. Today, the Matter Brothers Furniture showroom is a hub for outfitting Southwest Florida's newest residents with coastal-style furniture for the next chapter of their lives. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Small Business Advice
Practical exercises to help reduce costs, raise profits

Just about every business wants to improve profits and do it quickly. There are three methods of accomplishing this: increasing revenue, reducing costs, and increasing revenues and reducing costs. More from Jerry Osteryoung.

Out of the Box
Front Yard Urban Farming

In broad daylight and right in the front yard, something is happening in New Port Richey. The New Urbanism movement has taken hold and urban agriculture is flourishing.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Profile
JetSmarter

Sergey Petrossov, the 28-year-old founder of JetSmarter, says when you go all-in as an entrepreneur, you don’t look back. That may be, but 2016 must have provided quite a tailwind. In December, the Fort Lauderdale-based private jet marketplace announced that it raised $105 million from new and existing investors.