Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Tuesday's Afternoon Update

Florida sees growing electric vehicle market

Industry analysts say Florida has emerged as the nation’s fourth-largest market for electric vehicle (EV) sales. From 2017 to 2018 the number of electric vehicles sold in Florida nearly doubled and the number continues to climb thanks to the Sunshine State’s love of vehicles. According to Dylan Reed, the director of Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), back in July, Florida was home to 21.8 million registered vehicles even though the state that has around 21.5 million people. More from Florida Daily.

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» Electric vehicle interest, options grow alongside questions

Publix makes Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 23rd straight year

For the 23rd consecutive year, Publix has been named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, ranking No. 39. Publix is one of only 8 companies to have made the list every year since its inception in 1998. For the 2nd consecutive year, Publix has been recognized as one of Fortune’s Best Big Companies to Work For, ranking No. 7. This list debuted in 2019 and features only companies with more than 100,000 employees. Read more at Florida Trend and Fortune.

Should Florida lakes and forests have rights in court? Lawmakers weigh in.

To preserve Florida’s environment, some activists have started pushing an idea that many lawmakers still consider radical: giving natural bodies, like springs and rivers, legal rights. Florida’s Legislature wants to stop those efforts before they can really begin. A bill under discussion this session would ban any such measures at the local level. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

The future will see sophisticated hacking. This South Florida company wants to help

In the year since PQSecure, a Boca Raton-based computer security company, won the trade and logistics vertical in the Miami Herald’s 2019 Startup Pitch Competition, it has continued to rack up government support for its research as well as garner interest from major corporations. More from the Miami Herald.

Manufacturer unveils massive new headquarters in Tampa Bay area

Madico Inc., a maker of window films, officially opened its new, 247,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Pinellas Park. Madico’s new home has been several years and $40 million in the making, dating back to 2017 when it acquired the property, which is three times larger than the company’s former locations in St. Petersburg and Woburn, Mass. More from the Business Observer.

Florida Agriculture
Citrus Leprosis is a considerable threat to Florida citrus

 Currently, the disease is widespread in South and Central America, including Mexico, and is transmitted by false spider mites that are present in Florida. The combination of the existence of the disease vectors in Florida and the presence of the virus in nearby production areas makes it a potential threat to the Florida citrus industry.

» More from Fresh Plaza.

 

Business Profile
New business uses salt therapy for health and healing

floridaMegan Forcey first encountered salt therapy three years ago in Asheville, North Carolina, as a potential way to help her allergies. “It was life changing for me,” she said. “It was a peaceful, beautiful experience and when we left, I turned to my husband and said, ‘I need to do something like this for the rest of my life.’ ” On Feb. 1, she began to do just that. Forcey is the owner of Relax Salt Rooms in Gainesville.

» Read more from the Gainesville Sun.