Banking On ItRespect and roots in the community have led Donnie Gay to the top By John Eric Vona Donnie Gay was abruptly awakened by a phone call in the early-morning hours of Nov. 15 last year. A seafood…
DID YOU KNOW? According to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, average unemployment in the Forgotten Coast Corridor rose from 6.5% in December to 7.43% in January 2009, an increase of 0.93% in just one month. BY THE NUMBERS …
Food for ThoughtTallahassee restaurateurs bear the brunt of the legislative gift banBy Caroline Brewster EACH SPRING, THE CAPITAL CITY COMES ALIVE. Dogwoods bloom against a backdrop of Spanish moss, warmer weather beckons residents to explore their neighborhoods and legislators and…
Trading FairAllen Joseph has a passion for a way to buy that’s good for the Earth, and the people who live on itBy Donna Meredith Allen Joseph calls “fair trade” the world’s most important issue. If that’s a term you’ve…
Green Living Without the Guilt TripWill Thompson finds retail success in a down economy By Rosanne Dunkelberger Energetic and enterprising, 26-year-old Will Thompson is juggling four jobs that can keep him on the go 13 hours a day. And he’s…
DID YOU KNOW? According to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, average unemployment in the Capital Corridor rose from 6.4% in December to 7.8% in January 2009, an increase of 1.4% in just one month. BY THE NUMBERS 312: The…
A Walk in the ParkPier Park, the open-air regional shopping center in Panama City Beach, prospers despite tough economic timesBy Wendy O. Dixon After the worst holiday shopping season in decades and with the economy in a freefall expected…
Self-Made LegendCharlie Whitehead blends successful business and political careersBy Linda Kleindienst There is nothing half-hearted about Charlie Whitehead. A big man with a booming voice and ready laugh, he has an enthusiasm for work and politics that’s hard to…
A Family AffairLiz and Jane Bennett are family, friends and founders of Liz & Jane Clothes By Jennifer Ewing In-law jokes may be funny to most and all too true for some, but there are two Florida businesswomen who…
DID YOU KNOW? According to the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, average unemployment in the Bay Corridor rose from 9% in December to 9.8% in January 2009, an increase of 0.8% in just one month. BY THE…
Curious about how your federal tax dollars are being spent to stimulate Florida’s economy? Wonder no more.State Launches Web Site to Track Federal Stimulus MoneyBy Linda Kleindienst TALLAHASSEE – Curious about how your federal tax dollars are being spent to…
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped again in January, hitting 8.6 percent – the highest since 1992 and 3.6 percent higher than a year ago.State Unemployment Highest in 17 YearsFlorida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped again in January, hitting 8.6…
With a state economy teetering on freefall and many businesses struggling to stay afloat, Florida lawmakers kick off their 2009 legislative session today faced with a more than $2 billion budget shortfall and looming cuts to major state programs. Associated…
Researchers at the Florida State University College of Business have found evidence that suggests foreign investments are destabilizing to financial markets, confirming media speculation that sovereign wealth funds could do more damage than good.Researchers: Foreign Investments may be Destabilizing Financial…
Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Rise in January ORLANDO – Florida’s existing home sales rose in January, making it the fifth month in a row that sales activity showed increases in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data…
The St. Joe Company Reports 2008 LossesBusiness WireJACKSONVILLE — The St. Joe Company (NYSE:JOE) on Tuesday announced a net loss of $35.9 million, or 40 cents per share, for 2008 - compared to net income of $39.2 million, or 53…
INVESTMENT ADVISORS MAY FACE TOUGHER STATE SCRUTINYBy Linda Kleindienst TALLAHASSEE – Prompted by a series of high profile securities fraud cases, a push is on for the Florida Legislature to strengthen state laws to protect investors. “Recent headlines and alleged…
Investment Advisors May Face Tougher State ScrutinyBy Linda Kleindienst TALLAHASSEE – Prompted by a series of high profile securities fraud cases, a push is on for the Florida Legislature to strengthen state laws to protect investors. “Recent headlines and alleged…
The nation’s economic woes have claimed another victim - Red Hills Horse Trials, a perennial spectator favorite that brings world-renowned riders and a major economic boost to Tallahassee. The three-day equestrian event had been scheduled for March 13-15, but organizers…
Chamber Poll: Crist has High Approval Rating TALLAHASSEE — A new Florida Chamber of Commerce poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist with a 73 percent approval rating, an increase of 5 percentage points from only four months ago. The poll…
Visit Florida Escapes CutsBy Linda Kleindienst TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday restored full funding to Visit Florida as he vetoed more than $90 million in budget cuts approved by the Legislature last week.“I appreciate the difficult work of the Legislature…
State Farm Evacuates Florida Property Insurance Market By Linda Kleindienst TALLAHASSEE — State Farm, Florida’s largest private home insurer, on Tuesday announced its plans to withdraw from Florida’s property insurance market because of the hurricane risk.Over the next two years, the company—America’s second…
December Unemployment hits 8.1 percentTALLAHASSEE – Florida’s unemployment rate hit 8.1 percent in December, the highest since 1992 and higher than the national rate of 7.2 percent.The numbers mean one in 12 Florida workers – or 752,000 out of a…
Leadership Pensacola Seeks Nominations PENSACOLA — Leadership Pensacola, a program of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, is now accepting nominations to the Leadership Pensacola (LeaP) Class of 2010. The 2010 class year begins in August and the deadline…
Study: Northwest Florida's Job Losses Will Be Relatively Low Linda Kleindienst Northwest Florida’s major metro areas are expected to lose 15,500 jobs by the end of this year, with Pensacola and Panama City reaching an unemployment rate of 8 percent,…
Tourism Officials Warn Cuts Will Make Budget WorseThe News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE - The Legislature's $9.9 million cut to the marketing budget of Visit Florida, the state's tourism development agency, will only put Florida deeper in the hole, tourism officials…
As American shoppers tighten their belts and storefronts increasingly compete with Web sites for attention, treating customers like kings and queens could mean the difference between holding an anniversary or a going-out-of-business sale. By Michael Peltier Customer Service, Often…
For all its high-tech bells and Information Age whistles, the Internet serves an age-old business function. It’s all about marketing. But the key is clicking with your consumers – meeting your clientele’s needs is still job one. By Jason Dehart…
Sound BusinessBlountstown’s Matt and Dara Layfield, owners of the nationally recognized store Sound Off Audio, make waves in the world of small business.By Jennifer Ewing Between managing their company, Sound Off Audio, and its offshoot, Redneck Archery, handcrafting approximately…
Country Crossings Resort Planned for Jackson County Country Crossings, an entertainment resort and facility being developed by Ronnie Gillie that is being compared to the country music mecca of Branson, Mo., is being planned in Alabama just north…
Smart Gadgets, Smarter MindsPensacola-Based Research Center Develops Cutting-Edge Technologies to Improve Human PerformanceBy Tim Collie Think of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition as the place James Bond might turn for help if his tech support, Q, is…
Banking on SuccessWhether at Work or in the Community, Buzz Ritchie Brings Passion to Everything He DoesBy Linda Kleindienst Buzz Ritchie began honing his business skills at a young age, grabbing a shovel and knocking on doors in his…
Lori Kelley Proves You Can Have It All – With a Little MultitaskingBy Tabitha Yang For a while, Lori Kelley thought she wanted to go into a health-related field such as nursing. She was on her way to completing…
Dragonfly Design Wins National AwardThe 2008 Oasis Award for Outdoor Kitchen Design goes to Richard De Angelis and Mifflin Hollyday, landscape designers with Dragonfly Design & Detail in Santa Rosa Beach, for their “Living Green at Blue Mountain Beach” design.…
Experts say that while some cutting is probably necessary, this is actually the time to take advantage of a marketing environment that is less cluttered, less expensive, and ripe with opportunity for smart businesses. By Tisha Crews Keller Strike While…
The Performing-Arts-Center ConundrumBy Tabitha Yang The soaring crescendos and dramatic decrescendos of Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto rise and fall in the concert hall. Each note reverberates perfectly in the acoustically flawless venue, leaving the audience spellbound. This is the…
Bobby Bowden Practices What He Preaches“You’ve got to set standards and have credibility,” says FSU coaching legend Bobby Bowden is in his 33rd season as head football coach at Florida State University and, while times have changed since Bowden…
Daring to CareBenjamin L. Crump’s Crusade Against GoliathBy Caroline Brewster Benjamin L. Crump is no stranger to adversity. Raised by his mother and grandmother, the self-proclaimed “little black boy from the projects of North Carolina” has grown from his…
News & Notes from around Tallahassee Hotel Duval has signed Shula’s Steak House as its anchor restaurant. Named in honor of Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, Shula’s 347 will open in March with…
Whether revamping a business plan, cutting staff or swallowing hard and drawing down even further on an existing line of credit, the economy these days is not for the faint of heart. By John Kennedy ‘You Have to Get Real’Area…
Meticulous MarketingSpartacus Marketing Consultants Offers Clients a Focused Message and a Penny-Pinching ApproachBy Bill Hirschman Tammy Saylor-Ramey chose the name Spartacus Marketing Consultants for her Panama City firm partly because it’s a bold title that communicates strength “and cuts…
Drill or No Drill: Could Offshore Platforms Affect National Security?By Scott Jackson Beyond the wondrous vista of the shimmering and pristine coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico reside two of our nation’s most precious resources – the oil…
Niki Tudge’s Passion for Animals Leads Her to Find Love and Money By Stephanie Castellano In spite of the nation’s financial turmoil, the pet industry these days is thriving. With experts projecting an annual growth rate of between 10…
New Airport Gets New Web Site The Panama City-Bay County International Airport has launched a new Web site – newpcairport.com – to help educate the public on the progress of the new, $318.5 million airport. The user-friendly…
Adaptive Apalachicola Looks to Reinvent Itself – AgainBy Jason Dehart Living and breathing with the ebb and flow of tide and wind, Apalachicola is seeking to re-create itself – once again. Cotton, lumber, seafood – even World War II –…
Al Lawson didn’t have much time for football games or family outings this fall, instead spending an average of three to five days a week on the road trying to get Democrats elected to the state Senate. By Linda Kleindienst…
Getting Northwest Florida MovingBusy Ports, A Giant New Airport and Plans for More Roads Are Helping Open Up the Panhandle to the Wider WorldBy Linda Kleindienst It began with foot trails – narrow paths winding through the grassy savannahs,…
Power PlayerGulf Power CEO Susan Story Has Emerged as a Statewide Leader on Economic Development, Education, Energy and Taxation Issues By Gary Fineout For the past two years, Susan Story has been building her retirement home on a sliver…
No New Taxes in Special Session By Michael Peltier | The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Higher taxes on cigarettes, alcohol or just about anything else will be off the table next week when lawmakers return to battle the state’s $2.3…
FREEPORT — Landowner Jolly Bay LLC has sued Walton County seeking to reverse the county commission’s decision to deny its project. The planned development, which would include a recreational vehicle park, a bed & breakfast, a 73-unit condominium, a…
