Off the beaten path

Photos by Penny Rogo Michael Saunders is an iconic member of the Sarasota business community, you may know her by her colorful scarves. The woman with a man’s name built her waterfront luxury real estate business during a time when women needed a male signature to get a $5,000 loan. She’s a leader that doesn’t … Read more

ONE LINERS Polk

► Florida Polytechnic University announced the creation of its Advanced Mobility Institute, a university-affiliated technology research center, focused on the development and testing of autonomous vehicle related technology. 

►Family-owned, international berry supplier Wish Farms broke ground on its new  headquarters in Plant City. ►Polk State College and United Way of Central Florida launched a pilot program to provide students financial assistance, called “Destination Graduation.” ►Kaylee Strickland of Lithia opened The Back Pocket Recording Studio in Plant City at 1514 S. Alexander St., suite … Read more

ONE LINERS Manatee/Sarasota

►J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp., a Venice-based commercial construction company, broke ground on the new 23,437-square-foot Manatee County headquarters for RSP USA, a full-service marketing services provider.

► The Sarasota YMCA Schoolhouse Link program received a grant of $2,000 from the Millie Rice Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support the educational needs of homeless youth.  ► M/I Homes promoted Kevin Archer to vice president of operations in Sarasota. ► Watercrest Senior Living Group and United Properties will start … Read more

ONE LINERS Pinellas

►The Woodhouse Day Spa in downtown St. Petersburg had its ribbon cutting with owner Ginger Lettelleir, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce President Chris Steinocher and St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman on hand.

►The Sembler Company, a St. Petersburg-based shopping center developer, completed construction of Disston Plaza, a Publix-anchored neighborhood center at the corner of 49th St. N. and 38th Ave. N. ►Digital Media Solutions in Clearwater, an independent digital advertising agency, acquired the BetterLoanChoice.com personal lending marketplace. ►Protect My Car announced that funds managed by Crestview Partners, … Read more

ONE LINERS Hillsborough

►Cushman & Wakefield negotiated the sale of Tampa Bay Center, a 142,350-square-foot urban infill shopping center in Tampa’s Westshore Business District, anchored by Ashley Furniture HomeStore and Floor & Décor.

►Heart Gallery of Tampa, an organization that creates photographic exhibits aimed at placing foster children in permanent homes, named Amanda Page-Zwierko as executive director. ►Automated Industrial Machinery, a CNC wire bending machine supplier, will relocate its headquarters from Addison, Illinois to Hillsborough County. ►Kyle Mynatt, vice president of technology solutions for DAS Health in Tampa, … Read more

Letter from the publisher: The holidays are upon us

The theme of this month for Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, and the rest of our country, is gratitude.  We are thankful!  Thankful for you, for this great community we get to live and work in and blessed to have amazing friends and family rallying with us on a daily basis.  The cards, letters, calls, … Read more

Bill Edwards sells the Tampa Bay Rowdies to the Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay area businessman Bill Edwards sold the Tampa Bay Rowdies  to the Tampa Bay Rays for an undisclosed sum. Management will transition at the conclusion of the season, at which time the Rays will take over the existing contract with the City of St Petersburg for management of Al Lang Stadium, where the team … Read more

Here’s how to fuel your company’s success online

What’s the first thing potential clients do after they hear about your company? They look you up online, of course. These search results may help them decide if they want to do business with you, so make sure they see that your company does high-quality work, provides an excellent workplace environment, and stays on top … Read more

How to Present Beyond Public Speaking Fears and Misperceptions

People say “Fake it ‘til you make it,” that “You’ll get better at presenting by presenting,” to “Picture everyone in the audience naked, or look over their heads, to calm your nerves,” and “When you practice, it sounds scripted, so just shoot from the hip to sound real,” and yet these untruths are part of … Read more

Closing the year strong with less stress

Jim Marshall

As the holidays approach and year-end is almost upon us, many companies and individuals are preparing for that “final sales push” to reach their annual sales goals. It can be a time of considerable stress on sales teams and managers who are trying to reach the highest possible numbers and reap the benefits for themselves … Read more