Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Tuesday's Afternoon Update

Florida ranks among top states in growth rates of personal income, earnings

Challenging its reputation as a low-wage state, Florida registered strong gains in personal income growth Tuesday, ranking third in growth last year among all states, according to data out Tuesday from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida authorities prep for Xi Jinping's visit

The Chinese and American presidents are scheduled to hold talks at the Mar-a-Lago Club on April 6 and 7 in Palm Beach, but Xi will be staying at the nearby Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa instead. More from CNBC.

See also:
» South Florida congresswoman wants White House to pay for cost of Trump's weekend visits to Mar-A-Lago
» U.S. government watchdog to review Mar-a-Lago trips, Trump hotel profits

New record for home prices nationally, but not in South Florida

Nationally, home prices keep soaring. They reached another record high in January, according to the latest Case-Shiller home price index. In South Florida, however, home prices remain well below their December 2006 apex. More from the Palm Beach Post.

See also:
» Tampa Bay home prices post fourth-biggest jump among major metros
» How to make Florida's volatile home prices work in your favor

Effort underway to make panhandle "Florida's Cyber Coast"

Silicon Valley is known for its technology, Hollywood for its movies and possibly one day, northwest Florida for its cybersecurity. On Tuesday, stakeholders in the community will take the first big step in that effort when they come together to do a “SWOT analysis.” More from WEAR.

Vector Space Systems will launch microsatellite rockets from Florida

Eyeing a projected boom in demand for microsatellites, startup Vector Space Systems on Saturday (March 25) unveiled plans to fly its small launch vehicle from a Florida-owned launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. More from Space.com.

Out of the Box
Fresh squeezed, emerging artists in Florida

florida Brian Feldman, 36, is a performance artist from Orlando whose work often includes bizarre feats of endurance. Last week he drove to St. Petersburg to continue work on his first-ever performances in Tampa Bay, which include squeezing oranges, washing people's dishes and climbing inside a coin-operated game.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Business Profile
Vak Pak

florida originalsDavid Sutherland always admired his father’s aquatic filtration business Vak Pak Inc. and he even admitted he dressed up as a company service worker when he was a kid for one Halloween. Now, the 32-year-old Sutherland is running the Jacksonville company that pulled in $5.5 million in revenue in 2016.

» Read more from the Florida Times-Union.