Return of oyster harvesting OK’d for Florida
Florida wildlife officials have given preliminary approval to a plan to reopen Apalachicola Bay for oyster harvesting, years after the waters were closed due to dwindling shellfish populations. The closure of the bay along what’s known as Florida’s “Forgotten Coast” dealt a blow to an area that historically produced 90% of the state’s oysters and 10% of the nation’s. Around the world, fish and shellfish populations have dwindled to dangerously low levels, as one of society’s oldest industries faces warming seas, global appetites and overfishing. More from the News Service of Florida and the AP.
Business Beat - Week of August 15th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Column: Florida manufacturers need workers. Here’s how to make it happen
For employers, the benefits of apprenticeship are well documented. In the United States, employers report an average return of $1.44 for every dollar invested in apprenticeship. Apprenticeship helps employers with hard-to-fill roles, as well as increase the productivity of workers. But even though apprenticeships are an age-old idea (dating back to Ben Franklin and Paul Revere) with plenty of data to back them up, they remain underused. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
FDA and USDA propose orange juice standard update to boost citrus industry
In a major policy shift to support American citrus growers, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins have announced a proposed rule to update the standard of identity for pasteurized orange juice. This move would end a 60-year-old regulation that many say disadvantages domestic producers and fuels dependency on foreign imports. [Source: Southeast AgNet]
Playboy to move global HQ from Los Angeles to South Florida
Playboy, the company best known for its magazine centerfolds and bunny logo, had a major presence in South Florida in the 1960s and ‘70s with a club and a hotel. Now, the brand is coming back to town. Playboy, which did not specify how many employees will be based in South Florida, described Miami Beach as “one of the nation’s most dynamic, culturally relevant, and business-friendly cities.” More from the Miami Herald and the South Florida Business Journal.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Faith groups push Miami-Dade to rescind cuts to food, social service programs
Nonprofits and charities take one of the largest hits in Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s spending plan for 2025-2026, which cuts about $40 million in grant money for nonprofits, including arts groups, social-services organizations and food pantries. Community-based organizations that offer health, human, social and educational services to hundreds of thousands of the county’s most vulnerable residents — including some run by faith-based institutions — stand to lose about $16.5 million in grants.
› Central Florida Youth sports drive billion-dollar tourism boom
Youth sports have become a multibillion-dollar industry in Central Florida, with massive players like the convention center, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, the Boombah Sports Complex in Seminole County and others among those hosting hundreds of events year-round. The games also are drawing big-money development.
› Wine & Wildlife Gala to benefit Florida parks
The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks will host its Wine & Wildlife Gala from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 4 at The Club at The Strand in Naples. Proceeds benefit education, exploration, and conservation efforts at Big Cypress National Preserve and Biscayne, Dry Tortugas and Everglades National Parks.
› Florida Council of 100 launching tech business accelerator program in South Florida
A business accelerator program is getting underway in South Florida that will run into the Fall with the hope of helping innovate in the tech space. The Gold Coast Tech Accelerator Program is being organized by the Florida Council of 100 this week. The Florida Council of 100, a business development organization, is collaborating with its own foundation, eMerge Americas and Related Ross to launch an eight-week hybrid business accelerator program designed to develop financial technology and dual-use and defense tech startup businesses.
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› Jobs crisis meets TLH Talent as employers, leaders meet at Tallahassee Chamber conference
A deep dive into Tallahassee's economy shows the city's low cost of living and a bump in economic activity are encouraging, but the capital city hasn't been able to shake its workforce crisis. The net job creation is slightly down compared to this time last year and shows no immediate signs of improving, economic experts and forecasters said.
› ‘Signature bridge’ project in Miami hits another snag, now won’t open until at least 2029
The hits just keep coming for Miami transportation-related construction projects. Last week, the federal government cancelled a $60 million federal earmark for a long-planned urban park designed to reconnect previously highway-divided neighborhoods. Now the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is saying that a repeatedly delayed project to double-deck a portion of the Dolphin Expressway and erect a “signature bridge” flourish over Interstate 395 in Miami is, well, delayed again.
› Home Base Florida receives $1.5M in state funding
Naples-based nonprofit Home Base Florida secured $1.5 million in state funding for fiscal year 2026 to expand programs supporting veterans, military families and families of the fallen. Sponsored by state Rep. Lauren Melo and state Sen. Jay Collins, the allocation will aid expansion in Pensacola and support outpatient, telehealth, fitness, traumatic brain injury and community education services.
› West Palm Beach private equity firm acquires longtime manufacturer
A West Palm Beach-based private equity firm has added a manufacturing company to its portfolio that produces branded cleaning fluids, wipes and related consumables for various industries. Blue Sea Capital announced it acquired New Britain, Connecticut-based MicroCare Holdings. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.