►Nord Bay Capital of Tampa and its advisor, New York-based Tri-Artisan Capital Advisors, has closed on the acquisition of Clearwater-based Hooters of America from H.I.G. Capital, a Miami-based private equity and alternative assets investment firm.
► Hampton Inn and Suites, a $14 million project, opened at 2641 Michael Place, Dunedin.
► Sunstar Paramedics, the 911 service provider for Pinellas County residents, has been renewed as an accredited medical transport system by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.
► Bayfront Health St. Petersburg named Sharon Hays CEO.
► Finitive, a financial technology platform providing institutional investors with direct access to alternative lending investments, closed a $100 million senior secured warehouse line of credit for Platinum Auto of Tampa Bay.
►Tegna (NYSE: TGNA) promoted Kari Jacobs to president and general manager of WTSP-Channel 10 in St. Petersburg.
► The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County voted unanimously to appoint Beth A. Houghton as the new chief executive officer and accept the terms of a two-year employment contract.
► CareerSource Pinellas has accepted an offer from the City of St. Petersburg to buy the Science Center at 7701 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg for $3.15 million.
► Pilot, the parent company of Pilot Bank and National Aircraft Finance Co., moved to the OTCQX market.
► Jiffy Lube franchisee South Bay Lube acquired a four-bay store at 9420 Ulmerton Road, Largo, which is currently open and operating under the name Jiffy Lube Multicare.
►MarineMax (NYSE: HZO), based in Clearwater, entered into an agreement for the acquisition of the Fraser Yachts Group from the Italian-based Azimut/Benetti Group.
► SPCA Tampa Bay’s Animal Resource Center opened at 34088 U.S. 19 N., Palm Harbor.
► Franklin Street arranged the sale of 45 percent of the units at Enclave at Sabal Point, a garden-style condominium community at 2148 54th Ave. S., St. Petersburg for $7.3 million, or $66,972 per unit.
►Catherine Stempien, president of Duke Energy Florida, received the 2019 Glass Ceiling Award as part of the Florida Business & Professional Women’s Club’s 100th anniversary conference.
► KnowBe4, a provider of security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, will receive a $300 million investment led by leading global investment firm KKR, with participation from existing investors Elephant and TenEleven Ventures, valuing the company at $1 billion.
► Accenture, a professional services firm in St. Petersburg, named Julie Sweet as its global CEO.
► Bluewater Media, was named the winner of the Gold Stevie Award in the Best Viral Video category in the 17th Annual American Business Awards.
►Kathryn Younkin, former deputy zoning official for St. Petersburg, has joined Behar + Peteranecz Architecture’s St. Petersburg team.
► RCS Pinellas has formed a partnership with St. Petersburg College and launched the RCS Express Center at the St. Petersburg College Midtown Campus, which will provide services such as small meal ingredients, immediate turn-around referrals and direct support related to homelessness, domestic violence and energy assistance.
► Sandy Waterbury has been named managing broker of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s St. Petersburg office at 120 2nd Ave. N.E., Suite 102A.
► TAO Connect, a St. Petersburg digital health company, has received a half-million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and launch a chatbot.
► Apyx Medical Corp., formerly Bovie Medical Corporation, (NASDAQ: APYX) has been added to the Russell 3000 and Russell 2000 Indexes.
