Tuesday's Afternoon Update
Orange juice lovers could feel the squeeze as Florida groves flounder
Orange juice, a staple at the breakfast table and a champagne-laced treat for brunch, could get more expensive as Florida groves are expected to grow their smallest orange crop in more than 75 years. Florida’s thinner harvest, forecast to be down 18% from last season, comes at the same time orange juice from concentrate has gone up in price, rising 13.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
JaxPort signs 20-year, $60 million lease deal with new Dames Point operator
Ceres Terminals Inc. intends to acquire JaxPort operator TraPac Jacksonville LLC from Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd. and enter a 20-year, $60 million agreement to lease and modernize the container facility at Dames Point Marine Terminal. Port officials said Feb. 14 that the deal with Ceres would have $31.49 million more base revenue than the existing lease with Mitsui. The Jacksonville Port Authority Board voted unanimously to execute the lease deal with Ceres. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
University of Florida launches program for small, diverse businesses
The University of Florida has announced the launch of its Emerging Small Business Program to diversify the construction industry in Alachua and surrounding counties. The Emerging Small Business Program is a two-year course designed to develop small and diverse businesses within the construction industry. Dwan Courtney, Director at UF Small Business & Supplier Diversity said the main thing they want people to understand is that the University of Florida is an institution that wants to work with a small and diverse business community. More from WGFL.
Florida's panhandle communities are getting more than $90 million for septic, stormwater and wastewater repairs
The state is pouring more than $90 million into the Florida panhandle to address aging and damaged stormwater treatment and sewer systems. In some cities, the grants are equal to nearly half their budgets. Much of that funding, about $60 million, is being pumped into cities and towns in Jackson County. The city of Marianna is getting the largest share with two grants worth about $19 million. More from WFSU.
Global cybersecurity firm moves HQ to Tampa airport’s SkyCenter One tower
It’s been just over a year since cybersecurity company OPSWAT moved its corporate headquarters from San Francisco to Tampa. Now the company is ready to settle in. OPSWAT has signed a long-term lease at SkyCenter One, the new office building at Tampa International Airport, the company announced Tuesday. More than 100 employees will occupy 31,660 square feet on the top floor of the new building starting late this year. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Business Profile
Cecil W. Powell & Company: Keeping the business in the family for 87 years
Cecil W. Powell established his company in Jacksonville in 1935 because he believed the city represented the best opportunity to start and grow an insurance agency. “My grandfather figured out he had sold all the insurance he could sell in Fitzgerald, Georgia. He decided he needed to come to a bigger city, so he came to Jacksonville,” said Fitzhugh Powell Jr., the 69-year-old president of Cecil W. Powell & Company and the third generation to lead the agency.
» More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Entertainment
Film based on Gibsonton’s carnie history is done, more to come
Production is nearly finished on The Beast Comes at Midnight, a movie with a fictional story set in modern times that also tells the true story of Gibsonton’s history as a residential hub for the sideshow workers who travelled the nation and performed locally each year at the Florida State Fair.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.