Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/15/2018

Florida retailers expecting strong holiday sales this year

Most Floridians should expect to see more presents under the Christmas tree this year. The Florida Retail Federation expects a 4.5 percent increase in holiday shopping sales for 2018. The average consumer is expected to spend more than one thousand dollars over the next month and a half. That number would be an all-time record. See the report from the Florida Retail Federation and read more from WTXL and Florida Politics.

AutoNation partners with car subscription service

Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation is again embracing emerging technologies with the announcement Thursday of a partnership with Fair, a car subscription service. Through the partnership, Santa Monica, Calif.-based Fair will provide a month-to-month subscription to used and certified pre-owned vehicles at AutoNation dealerships, by signing up and shopping via mobile app. See the full announcement here and read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Commentary: T-Mobile-Sprint merger will help Florida businesses grow

Ever since T-Mobile and Sprint announced in April their intentions to merge, 5G mobile broadband has become a major topic in the United States, and rightfully so. The merger is important to the universal deployment of next-generation mobile networks and to assuring the U.S. retains its global leadership position in wireless innovation. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida golf courses on a drive to lure more players with bigger, better, newer courses

Golf courses are closing all over the country. But in South Florida, many are opening, reopening and renovating. South Florida’s golf course investments run counter to some national trends, which show golfers as an aging demographic that is not being replaced by a new generation. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Brooksville's Cemex workers unionize with safety as top priority

Cemex cement plant workers who voted late last month to unionize did so with improving safety as their top priority, said an official from their union, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. "The plant there in Brooksville had some safety issues in the past, and they also had the feeling management wasn't listening anymore," said Jody Mauller, the union's director of organizing. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Natural gas put to the test

Florida Spectrum Environmental Services has been analyzing our water for more than 40 years. As a full-service testing laboratory, the company evaluates environmental contamination including analysis of groundwater, surface water, drinking water, soil and hazardous wastes. Read the full sponsored report here.

Sports Business
Miami to pay Arkansas State $400,000 as part of settlement for canceled game

A little more than two months after a judge ordered Miami and Arkansas State to use a third-party mediator to resolve their dispute over a football game canceled ahead of Hurricane Irma, the two schools have reached a settlement.

» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Florida 500
Ron Antevy

Ron Antevy founded e-Builder in 1995 with his brother, Jon. The firm sells construction program management software that helps eliminate waste in construction projects and reduces costs for a building’s owner.