Florida economists say Federal Reserve rate cut would help consumers and businesses
Wednesday’s expected interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve would impact a wide range of consumers. Anyone shopping for a home loan, car loan, personal loan or people with credit cards could all be affected. Lenders and economists will be watching how much the Fed cuts its federal funds rate, which will push the Ten-Year Treasury rate up or down and determine rates on home loans. More from Spectrum News.
Jacksonville-based Campers Inn RV acquiring Lazydays RV for $30 million
Jacksonville-based Campers Inn RV intends to buy Lazydays RV for $30 million, the companies said Sept. 16. Lazydays Holdings Inc. is a public company headquartered in Seffner near Tampa. It trades on the Nasdaq as GORV. It operates 14 dealership locations in nine states. Lazydays reported $131.3 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2025 with a net loss of $24.6 million. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
How will SpaceX’s massive Starship affect Central Florida?
Central Florida residents face flight delays, beach closures, and sonic booms in the middle of the night if SpaceX has its way, with plans to launch its powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket from the Space Coast as many as 120 times a year. The most dire predictions in two federal reports on the proposal could mean nearly 12,000 delayed commercial flights each year with more than 60 days of denied access to Playalinda Beach on Canaveral National Seashore and half of the launches and landings taking place while residents are asleep. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
New radars to help fill Florida’s weather coverage gaps
A private weather technology company is in the process of installing four new weather radars across the state, which are expected to significantly improve coverage gaps in NOAA’s Doppler radar network. According to Climavision, the company plans to place radars in Fort Myers, outside of Ocala, in Dixie County and in the southeast region of the state near Palm Beach County. The National Weather Service currently operates long-range Doppler radars in Key West, Miami, Tampa, Melbourne, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle. More from WLRN.
PGT parent company sells Tampa-based NewSouth Window Solutions
The parent company of PGT Innovations announced the sale of a Tampa-based window manufacturer that had been in the PGT portfolio since 2019. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based MITER Brands announced the sale of NewSouth Window Solutions to Fulton, Maryland-based Window Nation on Sept. 15. This is the second time in September that MITER Brands has announced the winnowing down of product lines once controlled by PGT Innovations. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Innovation
From flatscreens to bioimaging: Putting sargassum seaweed to good use
Next-generation flatscreen televisions that project sharper, cleaner pictures with more vibrant colors could soon be the wave of the electronics industry thanks to an unsightly foul-smelling alga bloom that often smothers beaches from Florida to the Caribbean. A University of Miami College of Engineering graduate student has been experimenting with clumps of sargassum seaweed for the past year, aerosolizing fine particles of the macroalgae into tiny droplets that are then superheated in a furnace at 800 degrees Celsius.
» More from The Invading Sea.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Big batteries
Florida Power & Light is installing 10 new, largescale battery storage systems in its Northwest Florida service area. The 400-megawatt battery systems will be integrated with the company’s massive solar plants currently producing renewable power in Escambia and Jackson counties. FPL Project Director for Development Stephen Heiman describes the battery systems for Florida Trend and the benefits they will bring to customers.
» Read more from Florida Trend.