Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Thursday's Afternoon Update

Florida businesses support investigations into tech giants for possibly creating unfair monopolies

Tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon, which have helped connect small business with millions of customers, have come under fire by some local entrepreneurs, state prosecutors and federal lawmakers who say the online companies could be creating unfair monopolies and punishing those who don’t play by their rules. More from WFTS.

New Latin chamber aims to bring top startups to Tampa Bay area

The Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce launched last month with offices in downtown Tampa’s Park Tower. The new chamber has 40 member companies so far and aims to expand across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. The group will sponsor business showcases and networking events, the bread and butter of business chambers, but also plans to start a tech accelerator to help recruit top startups locally and from regions across the world — Latin America, the Iberian peninsula and West Africa, among them. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Who is inspecting the inspectors of smaller amusement parks in Florida?

There are only 17 people in charge of inspecting the more than 230 amusement parks, fairs and traveling shows in the state. In a span of two years, more than 300 people went to the hospital after being hurt at one of these amusement parks or traveling shows. The majority of these incidents were minor in nature and would not have been prevented by an inspection. More from WFLA.

Warehouses are growing in Broward and Palm Beach. JLL is beefing up its team there

Warehouses in Miami-Dade County can move aside. Although Miami remains the darling of the South Florida industrial marketing, major players in the industrial real estate market are looking to expand in Broward and Palm Beach. To get ahead of the curve, Chicago-based, commercial real estate firm JLL has hired veteran broker Peter Sheridan as its executive vice president for industrial leasing services in Broward and Palm Beach. More from the Miami Herald.

Florida’s tourism industry is behind a bill to block local laws that could create more benefits for workers

Florida’s top tourism and business interests are putting their combined political might behind a bill moving through the Florida Legislature that would prevent cities and counties from forcing companies to provide their workers with better benefits or more predictable schedules. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida Arts
Florida Artists Hall of Fame Photographer Clyde Butcher opens new Myakka exhibit

 Florida Artists Hall of Fame nature photographer Clyde Butcher is the focus of a new exhibit, Myakka River: A Florida Treasure, opening Feb. 7 at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. The exhibit will feature 30 mural-sized photographs of Myakka’s terrain and wildlife, with the goal of increasing preservation efforts for the park and its fresh water.

» More from Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

 

Out of the Box
Florida city moves to change code for emotional support chickens

floridaThe City of St. Augustine Beach is looking to amend its code to allow for emotional support animal requests, allowing the family of a 9-year-old boy with disabilities to keep his eight chickens at their residence. The need arose after Jennifer Wildasin requested a variance hearing in front of the Planning and Zoning Board to allow her to keep chickens for her son, who has a traumatic brain injury. City code prohibits the keeping of bees, insects, reptiles, pigs, horses, cattle, goats, hogs or poultry.

» Read more from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.