Tuesday's Afternoon Update
Nearly a quarter of Florida employers plan to hire by year's end
Statewide, 24 percent of employers said they plan to hire more employees, according to a new survey by by staffing company ManpowerGroup. Four percent plan to reduce payrolls, and 71 percent expect no change to staffing levels through year’s end. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Fort Myers News-Press.
How Florida builder BCB Homes thrives after 25 years
Southwest Florida—based luxury home builder BCB Homes just celebrated its 25 year anniversary last month. The company was founded by a group of second-generation home builders with a vision of raising building standards in their community. More from Builder Online.
Even after record storms, 1 in 5 Floridians say they won’t evacuate for a Category 4
One in five Floridians said they would not evacuate their homes if a Category 3 or 4 storm was headed their way, according to new survey results revealed as Hurricane Florence heads toward the Carolinas and others churn in the Atlantic. More from the Miami Herald.
Private equity firm acquires Florida Food Products
Private equity firm MidOcean Partners has acquired Florida Food Products (F.F.P.) from Kainos Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Eustis, F.F.P. manufactures healthy, natural, clean label vegetable- and fruit-based ingredients. More from Food Business News.
Tampa Electric rolls out smart meters for homes
Tampa Electric Co. is rolling out smart electric meters for its customers. In a statement released Monday, the Tampa utility described the meters as part of a smart energy grid that will "deliver safe, more reliable and affordable energy to more than 750,000 customers." More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
Tampa’s first KittyCon is coming, and cat lovers are purring
Tampa is getting its first KittyCon and that makes it official: Cat people are having a moment. KittyCon, described as "a fan convention devoted solely to the love and rescue of cats, for people crazy about cats," is also a fundraiser for the St. Francis Society Animal Rescue.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Business Profile
Palmpress Coffee
Miami is home to the most self-employed people in the country. One of them is Jessica Do. Like many other Magic City solo bosses, Do works from home, in downtown’s Edgewater neighborhood. But unlike other home offices, Do’s is also a logistics hub. And her storefront, if you want to call it that, is Instagram.
» Read more from the Miami Herald.