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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Private equity and venture capital funding, in Florida, are going in opposite directions
Private equity money — despite some outsized opposite examples — has been staying away from Florida, according to a new report from the Florida Council of 100, a Tampa-based, statewide nonprofit that promotes economic development. But while private equity sits, venture capital, usually with investors more willing to take risks, has been showering Florida with cash. More from the Business Observer.
‘Gig’ economy workers in Sarasota-Manatee strive for higher pay
Because Instacart shoppers, Uber and Lyft drivers and other gig economy workers are independent contractors, they’re not covered by the same employment and labor protections as people who are legally classified as company employees. This creates complications for workers, many of whom said they’re basically treated like they’re salaried without the benefits or substantive reimbursements. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Feds give $480 million to Florida timber industry
Gov. Ron DeSantis says nearly half a billion dollars from the federal government will help Florida timber growers recover from the impacts of Hurricane Michael. The governor met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in Tallahassee on Friday to discuss the struggling industry. Hurricane Michael, which hit last fall, is estimated to have damaged the industry by $1.3 billion. More from WJCT.
2,000 jobs available at Wednesday job fair in Sunrise
More than 2,000 jobs will be available with employers participating in a job fair Wednesday in Sunrise, according to organizer Job News USA. Employers looking to hire include: American Express, which has an office in Sunrise, Norwegian Cruise Lines, G4S security firm, Target, Macy’s, and telecommunications companies Verizon Wireless and Hotwire Communications. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Destructive super termites are swarming in South Florida, worse than ever, experts say
Did you think the termite take-over in South Florida couldn’t get any worse? Think again. Two relatively new species of the voracious buggers are worse than ever this year. Pest control company phones are ringing off the hook now that swarming season is here. And reluctant homeowners better act when telltale wings and colonies appear. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Arts Business
The art of insuring fine art gets tricky sometimes
Tiffany Raulerson has a different eye for art from most. As the registrar at the Orlando Museum of Art, part of her job involves preventing threats to objects in her museum. “Temperature and humidity are big ones,” she said, “especially if they fluctuate in a short time.” It’s not something that most art viewers typically think about, but it’s a question that’s cropped up more since Notre-Dame in Paris caught fire in April: How do we protect the fine art of the world? And when disaster strikes, who picks up the check? Florida is certainly no stranger to disaster.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Business Profile
Masterfit Golf beating the odds after 25 years in business
No facet of the golf industry was hit harder during a flattening of the game’s participation rate in recent years than equipment. Some of the larger companies have changed ownership (TaylorMade), others were absorbed by bigger companies (Cleveland by Srixon, Cobra by Puma, Adams by TaylorMade) and Nike stopped making golf equipment altogether and has re-focused on shoes and apparel. Which makes the local success story of Masterfit Golf all that more impressive.
» Read more from the Florida Times-Union.
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