MSN Money reports that Tampa-based company RiverHawk Fast Sea Frames, LLC has been awarded with a $70 million FMS contract for the detail, design and construction of two offshore support vessels and equipment for the Iraqi Navy.Read the complete story.
The New York Times announced President Obama's plans to visit Florida in April to speak at a conference regarding his proposal for the future of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration program.Read the complete story.
Improvements to Tampa's transportation system continue with a multi-million dollar project to assist traffic flow on Interstate 275 and a proposed penny sales tax increase in Hillsborough County to expand transportation development.The Tampa Bay Business Journal also reports the The Tampa Port Authority celebrated an accomplished fiscal year due to their diverse endeavors in trade, shipbuilding and repair, and cruise passenger traffic.Read the special report.
Tampa Bay Water will receive $31.25 million in construction funding from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination plant successfully completed a four-part test to turn seawater into high-quality drinking water for the 2.5 million residents it serves in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.Read the complete story
A team of graduate students from the College of Business at the University of South Florida have been named as finalists in the International Case Competition on the Strategic Value of IT Management. CNBC reports that USF is one of 11 schools chosen to compete at CA's user conference, CA World 2010, in Las Vegas.Read the complete story.
The Ringling International Arts Festival announced plans for its upcoming October event including premieres by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz and performances by renowned dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. The success of last year's inaugural event led to the announcement that the festival would be held on an annual basis instead of biennially.Read the complete story.
Louis Vuitton will significantly increase its presence at Tampa's International Plaza this year with a major expansion and relocation. The current Louis Vuitton store at International Plaza, located on the upper level near Nieman Marcus, will remain open as construction takes place on a site that will give the store 75 percent more space. "We are thrilled to be such a successful location for Louis Vuitton, and most importantly our customers will be excited to have an even larger and more luxurious store," says International Plaza Marketing and Sponsorship Director Nina Mahoney. "We are the 'fashion center' of the Tampa Bay market, and our customers appreciate the style and quality of Louis Vuitton." The expanded Louis Vuitton store will feature a larger selection of leather goods, including men's and women's shoes and accessories. The new site also will include a Louis Vuitton "Bag Bar," which will highlight the brand's latest collections. There also will be a "Mon Monogram" station, which will allow customers to choose from among 17 colors to add stripes or monograms to their bags or other leather items. Louis Vuitton, founded in 1854, has 445 stores in 62 countries. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Nina Mahoney, International Plaza and Bay Street
Avenida Suites, a Tampa-based temporary housing firm founded in 2007, has expanded its services to Orlando. Avenida Suites offers upscale, furnished, temporary and long-term housing for business travelers, executives and members of the military. The company also can accommodate families who await construction on a new home or are between homes. President and CEO Dan Gorman, an officer in the U.S. Marine Reserves, says Avenida has access to 15,000 units in Central Florida, including about 10,000 in the Tampa Bay region and about 5,000 in the Orlando region. "As the demand for hotel alternatives increases as shown with new interest in companies such as HomeAway, we want to continue to grow and provide the same service we have been giving since our very first guest," says Gorman. "We realize that our potential client base is expanding and so are we. Growing our operation into the Orlando market is all about making Avenida Suites convenient for our guests." Gorman says his business has experienced a "50 percent increase in gross revenues" and that "profits have more than doubled over the past couple of years." He attributes that success to a high level of customer service provided by himself and his wife, Claudia, a native of Brazil. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Dan Gorman, Avenida Suites
Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey opened a new medical tower and new medical arts building in February, part of a $49 million expansion that continues throughout this year. "By doubling the size of our campus and adding the latest available technology and equipment, the expansion in effect creates a new hospital campus," says John Couris, CEO of Morton Plant North Bay Hospital. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot Starkey Medical Tower brings the total of patient beds at Morton Plant North Bay Hospital to 154, a 25 percent increase. Also included in the tower are a new intensive care unit, a cardiac unit, a surgical unit, new respiratory care services and a community education center. The four-story, 56,000-square-foot Medical Arts Building features the hospital's outpatient care center, a four-bed sleep disorders center and rehab facilities. Patient registration will take place at the Medical Arts Building, which is connected to the hospital by a covered walkway. Also included at the Medical Arts Center are offices for primary care physicians and specialists. Additional renovation and expansion planned for 2010 includes a fitness trail with exercise stations, improvements and additions to the emergency room, renovations to the Mitchell Rehabilitation Hospital and a physicians lounge. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Beth Hardy, BayCare Health System
Fort Myers based Home-Tech, an appliance repair and sales company, will begin construction in April on a new regional office and showroom in east Manatee County. Through small-business incentives approved by Manatee County government, Home-Tech could receive as much as $22,000 for adding 21 jobs over the next five years, and the company is eligible for $5,743 in impact fee refunds. The new office and showroom will be housed in two buildings with a total of 20,000 square feet. The showroom is scheduled to open by early 2011. Home-Tech was founded in 1981 by Steve Marino, the company's president and CEO. Its primary focus originally was home air conditioner repair, and Marino was the only employee. Additional services, such as air conditioner installation, appliance repair and sales, were added over the years as the company expanded its territory across Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties. Marino transitioned the company into an employee-held entity in 1996. Home-Tech now employs more than 115 people and has a fleet of more than 80 vehicles. Writer: Carter GaddisSource: Eric Basinger, Manatee Economic Development Council
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