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Southwest Florida & Tampa Bay Business Briefs - Dec. 2008
Bradenton —
» Phil Coon, a former Coast Bank executive, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges as a result of the Bradenton bank’s failed venture with St. Petersburg builder Construction Compliance Inc. As part of his plea deal, Coon agreed to forfeit assets worth up to $1.5 million in order to stay out of prison.
» Fifth Third bank took over Bradenton-based Freedom Bank last month after federal regulators declared Freedom insolvent. The bank had four branches and $250 million in deposits.
Cape Coral —
» The Federal Reserve has warned Riverside Bank to improve its credit risk and boost its finances. The bank listed assets of $554.4 million as of Sept. 30 and posted a third-quarter loss of $28 million.
Clearwater —
» Clearwater’s Harper, Van Scoik & Co. accounting firm has merged with Alabama-based accountants Carr, Riggs & Ingram.
» Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance has assumed 45,000 homeowners’ policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Fort Myers —
» Allyn International Services has won a one-year, $82,000 contract to transport documents for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Hillsborough County —
» A $110-million construction project to improve a six-mile stretch of U.S. 301 from Gibsonton Drive to Balm Road is under way.
Lakeland —
» The Lakeland-based Florida Department of Citrus expects a 2.5% drop in Florida’s citrus crop this year. Revised estimates indicate the 2008 crop will include 166 million boxes of oranges and 23 million boxes of grapefruit.
Naples —
» Turf Ecosystems has received a patent for its Platinum TE turf grass, a salt-tolerant variety that can be irrigated with saltwater.
» Kenneth Oscar Johnson, the namesake of the Hodges University Kenneth Oscar Johnson School of Business, has died at age 88.
New Port Richey —
» Pasco County commissioners have agreed to buy a 600-acre ranch owned by Frank Morsani of Lutz for conservation purposes. The land includes the headwaters of the Pithlachascotee River. The deal includes $750,000 for 214 of the acres and another $1.8 million to buy a permanent conservation easement for the rest of the ranch.
Pasco County —
» Longleaf has been ranked No. 2 on NewUrbanMom.com’s annual ranking of the nation’s top New Urbanism communities.
Polk City —
» Indiana-based Browning Investments, a real estate development and construction company, has broken ground on a 1.2-million-sq.-ft. bulk distribution center near I-4.
Sarasota —
» Medical Education Technologies, a maker of human patient simulators and related educational software, will build a 70,000-sq.-ft. facility east of I-75 off Bee Ridge Road.
» Cinders Slimfold, a British gas grill maker, has opened its U.S. sales and marketing division in downtown Sarasota.
St. Petersburg —
» The University of South Florida St. Petersburg has announced plans to “sponsor” Harborside, a planned 350-unit residential development for adults 60 and older to be built two blocks from campus. The school’s affiliation with the project, being developed by the Praxeis Group of Jacksonville, will allow residents to have privileges similar to those enjoyed by USF St. Petersburg faculty, staff and students.
Tampa —
» Tampa International Airport has instituted a “pick a lane” program, allowing fliers to chose one of three security-screening lines: One for frequent travelers, one for casual travelers and another for travelers needing special assistance.
» The Tampa Bay History Center has scheduled a Jan. 17 grand opening of its new building. The $52-million facility is under construction downtown.
Venice —
» Tervis Tumbler, the insulated-cup maker, signed a licensing agreement with the National Football League, allowing the company to reproduce team logos on its products.
Wesley Chapel —
» The Shops at Wiregrass, featuring 800,000 square feet of retail space, including Dillard’s, Macy’s, JCPenney and 100 other shops and restaurants, has opened in Pasco County.
