Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 6/5/2018

Florida's tourism industry hits new highs in first quarter of 2018

Tourism is on a tear: Florida welcomed an all-time record 33.2 million visitors to the Sunshine State during the first quarter of 2018. This represents an increase of 7.4 percent over the same period in 2017 and is the largest quarter for visitation in Florida history. More in the news release.

Estimates of Visitors to Florida for Quarter 1, 2018 (in Thousands of Person-Trips)
	Domestic	Overseas	Canadian	Total
Quarter 1	29,148	2,666	1,400	33,215
% change	8.5%	-0.7%	2.5%	7.4%
Source: Visit Florida

Dr. R. Lawrence Moss

New CEO named for Nemours Children's Health System

The Board of Directors of the Nemours Foundation today announced Dr. R. Lawrence Moss has been selected to succeed Dr. David Bailey as the President and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health System. Dr. Moss, a renowned pediatric surgeon, biomedical researcher, educator and health system executive, will begin his tenure October 1, 2018. See the announcement from Nemours, here.

Navy working with Florida researchers on “mothership” drones to protect the coast

A group of researchers from Florida Atlantic University are working with the Navy to develop robotic boats to help launch both aerial and underwater drones. Over a five-year-span, the project will support “autonomous unmanned marine vehicle platforms for coastal surveillance, coastal surveys, target tracking and protection of at-sea assets." More from WTKR.

South Florida is coming off its EB-5 addiction

A program that was once described as the “crack cocaine of real estate financing” no longer seems to hold the same addiction for South Florida’s developers. “Two years ago it was one of the most widely talked about equity sources,” said Charles Penan of Miami-based debt brokerage Aztec Group. “Now, not so much.” More from the Real Deal.

Chris-Craft bought by Winnebago

Famed Sarasota-based boat brand Chris-Craft — rescued from being financially and reputationally bankrupt in 2001 — has been sold to Winnebago Industries Inc., the American maker of recreational vehicles, the companies announced Monday. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Around the State
A brilliant move

A consortium led by the University of Central Florida won a five-year, $20.15-million contract to take over management of the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, a mammoth radio telescope built into a limestone sinkhole that has been used for important astronomical discoveries — and as a setting for the James Bond movie GoldenEye.

» Full story from Florida Trend, here. This article is part of a business roundup for Central Florida.

Business Profile
City Furniture

Waterbeds are making a comeback at City Furniture this week. The Tamarac-based business got its start as Waterbed City in 1970s but sold its last waterbeds in 2003, going on to build a chain of 27 furniture stores in Florida.