Is Florida becoming the capital for marine startups in the US?
Florida has become one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the United States. In 2023, Miami attracted nearly 70 per cent of Florida’s venture capital funding, while Tampa – though smaller in scale – has steadily built the networks and infrastructure needed to support founders. Together, these two cities show how Florida is moving beyond its traditional industries to establish itself as a serious hub for innovation. More from Marine Industry News.
Jacksonville City Council considering incentives for TV or movie production company
Jacksonville City Council could offer up to $400,000 in public incentives for a California-based movie or TV production company to film in the city. Ordinance 2025-0720, introduced by City Council member Rahman Johnson, would transfer $400,000 from the city’s debt management fund to the Office of Economic Development for the production, code-named Project T in city documents. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Pinellas County begins beach renourishment without federal support
For the first time since 2018, Pinellas County has begun beach renourishment along its barrier islands that will help strengthen the coast against future storms. But the county will proceed without financial support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which now requires all beachfront property owners to grant ongoing public access to their property. The Army Corps historically picked up 65% of the cost. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Publix has the best workplace among Florida retailers, new report shows. Here’s why
For the 12th year in a row, Florida’s native grocery chain Publix was named among the best workplaces in retail as part of Fortune’s annual ranking. The list examines the top 20 companies in the U.S. based on surveys given to over 1 million employees working for U.S. retailers. Overall, the top-ranked company was Wegmans Food Markets, headquartered in Rochester, New York. But Publix Super Markets, based in Lakeland, earned the No. 3 slot for this year’s ranking. More from Click Orlando.
Developer adds huge resort district to Lake County’s Wellness Way
The developer who paid $165 million a year ago for prime acreage in Lake County’s Wellness Way is planning to create a resort district just minutes from Walt Disney World with 1,200 hotel rooms and up to 1,000 vacation homes. GT USA submitted its zoning application on Friday for the Panther Run master-planned community, which would sprawl over nearly 2,400 acres between U.S. 27 and the Orange County line and could be open to its first residents in two or three years. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Hospitality Trends
It’s been a brutal summer for Tampa Bay restaurants. Unfortunately, that’s nothing new.
Summer months in Florida are tough in the hospitality world: Tourism slows to a trickle, snowbirds are gone and many residents leave the state for summer vacation and cooler temps. But this past summer has been particularly rough. On top of the usual seasonal slog, local businesses particularly in Pinellas County have been thrown additional curveballs: tariffs and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the economy; the loss of Tropicana Field and the business fueled by Tampa Bay Rays games; and the continued effort to rebuild beach towns still recovering from last years’ hurricanes.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Good gas line
A new Cummins X15N natural gas engine for big-rig trucks could be a tipping point for moving away from diesel, and a Miami-based renewable gas manufacturer hopes to ride the resulting wave. Nopetro Renewables started in 2007 targeting mostly government fleets of buses and garbage trucks with compressed natural gas fueling stations. It serves fleets in Tallahassee, St. Augustine and the Orlando area’s Lynx transit system. As technology advanced, the company moved into capturing and processing methane gas emitted from landfills, mixing it with compressed natural gas.
» Read more from Florida Trend.