Serving St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties
Treasure Coast Business News 5.30.23
Russ Blackburn honored with Pete Hegener Leadership Award
Russ Blackburn, Port St. Lucie’s recently retired city manager, was presented with the prestigious Pete Hegener Leadership Award by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) at its ninth annual leadership dinner on May 18. The award is presented annually to a dedicated business leader who has made significant contributions to St. Lucie County’s economy and quality of life... Read More>>
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Egan family has been a stalwart in the citrus industry for more than a century
While many of its competitors were felled by the extremely challenging business environment of the Florida citrus industry in the past 15 years or so, Bernard Egan & Co. remains a solid fixture. Read more...
Preserving a family’s storied legacy
When we met Greg Nelson a few months ago, we had to persuade him to let us profile the company he heads, Bernard Egan & Co., a fixture in the Florida citrus industry for more than a century. Although initially hesitant, Greg agreed to a story thanks to the persuasive powers of our writer, Bernie Woodall.
It’s the kind of story we like to tell, especially when so many intergenerational businesses are vanishing.
Read more...
A ROCK-SOLID COMMITMENT
Working with various veterans groups, Real Stone Monuments has created memorials that recognize the ultimate sacrifice of service men and women in maintaining the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Vietnam veterans, Navy SEALS and veterans of World War II, Korea, Pearl Harbor, and recent conflicts have had memorials built in their honor.
What makes Real Stone’s involvement with veterans groups so special is... Read more...
Completion of commerce center rolling along
The Interstate Commerce Center, under construction at 3800 Crossroads Parkway in the Crossroads Park of Commerce, has 1,300 feet of clear Interstate 95 frontage and is in St. Lucie County at the northernmost point where I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike intersect...Read more...
NEW LOCATION, SAME PASSION
Pat Murray recently celebrated Indian River Bikram Yoga’s one-year anniversary at its new location at Seaway Plaza on the corner of North U.S. Highway 1 and Seaway Drive in Fort Pierce after spending the previous five years in Vero Beach.
So far, the move and reception have been quite positive... Read more...
Total Truck Parts breaks ground for new PSL location
Construction has begun on a 47,000-square foot building for Total Truck Parts’ largest facility. After an almost two-year search, the employee-owned company with six locations in central and South Florida selected a 6-acre site in Midway Business Park to build... Read more...
Cover StoryHooked on a system
On the west side of Vero Beach, 15 acres of verdant farmland are producing an environmentally sustainable food product. And there is something decidedly fishy about it. Read more...
Downtown UpswingDowntown Fort Pierce, like many other historical neighborhoods, is always in a state of flux. Businesses come in, some succeed while others fall by the wayside.
In recent years, the newcomers have outnumbered the failures, although there have been a few of the latter. Fort Pierce seems to have reached a steady-state period after a period of heady growth. According to reports by local merchants, shoppers are still discovering the charms of downtown and its small, independent stores that offer one-off boutiques, gift stores and eating and drinking establishments not found anywhere else. Read more...
Most folks in their 80s living on North Hutchinson Island are well into retirement, enjoying natural amenities found on the beautiful stretch of the barrier island between the Indian River County line and Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.
Retirement? At age 84, Bob Lowe chooses to remain active by selling this Treasure Coast gem to out-of-towners looking to relocate, especially from the East Coast, North Florida and South Florida. Read more...
ExpansionSteering toward the future
A major renovation and expansion project at Bev Smith Toyota, located at 3350 South U.S. Highway 1 in Fort Pierce, will get underway this spring to accommodate continued business growth.
Frank Gonzalez, Bev Smith Automotive Group vice president, said the building will be completely gutted and then expanded. The front portion will be extended outward to where the customer parking spaces are located. Read more...
Home run slugger Aaron Judge uses bats made on Treasure Coast
Even as the National Football League and college football get into high season, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is grabbing the attention of the American sports fan with his chase of Roger Maris’ record 61 home runs in a season, poetically 61 years after that mark was set.
As sports networks and websites break into regular programming to show Judge’s plate appearances, Treasure Coast residents can be proud that the bat he is using was made in Port St. Lucie at the manufacturing plant owned by privately held Chandler Bats... Read more...
Modern-day land rush
There is a land rush like no one has ever seen for large plots ripe for industrial development on the Treasure Coast.
Jeff Chamberlin is one of the most active real estate professionals who deal in the large parcels in high demand mostly west of the heavily populated areas... Read more...
TCMA Voice
A newsletter presented by the Treasure Coast Manufacturers Association
Indian River County Chamber boot camp gives grads a leg up
The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce held its third Manufacturing Boot Camp session this summer, with 12 students participating, including two Charter High School graduates. And, for the first time, there were three girls who participated in the program.
The program was launched in 2019 with just eight students and has grown steadily each year... Read more...
Do your homework before buying an existing small business
Do you dream of owning your own business? There’s more than one way to make this dream come true. Some entrepreneurs launch a business from scratch, while others buy an existing business. There are certainly advantages to buying an established business, but is it the right move for you? Let’s find out... Read more...
Census Bureau service provides timely updates on business startups
Florida has seen unprecedented growth during the past two years in the number of new business starts. In 2020, more than 495,000 new applications were filed to start a new business — up 26.8% from the previous year. While these were staggering numbers, the pace continued at the same robust rate in 2021. Last year, there were more than 632,000 new business applications [another 27% increase year-over-year]... Read more...
St. Lucie Battery & Tire experiences growth spurt during tough economic times
St. Lucie Battery & Tire, at 54 years old, is about to experience another growth spurt.
Even without adding any stores, the Fort Pierce-based privately held company with 235 employees is poised to become one of the top 50 largest independent tire dealers in the United States as private equity and consolidation take out some of those with more than the company’s 17 outlets service centers.
Doug Miller, company president, says... Read more...
Corporate Air owner named Business Person of the Year
Rodger Pridgeon, owner and president of Corporate Air Inc., has been named the 2022 South Florida District SBA Small Business Person of the Year.
Corporate Air Inc. is a fixed base operator that provides fuel, aircraft maintenance, hangar space and charter jet services at the Vero Beach Regional Airport.
This year’s National Small Business Week awards celebrate the sacrifices and achievements of small business owners and their significant contributions to the economy and communities... Read more...
Workshops provide Treasure Coast owners with tools to succeed
Americans often start their own businesses to circumvent obstacles related to lack of education or experience needed to succeed in the formal economy.
Most minority-owned businesses operate under the premise of owner/operator and struggle to gain access to capital that will help sustain the business over a long period of time.
Historically, in comparison to other racial groups, Black and minority business owners possess fewer personal assets such as home ownership or stocks/bonds to generate startup capital for their businesses.
Scores of studies have shown that this deficiency results in less... Read more...
Small business owners’ concerns with inflation and lack of workers hit record low
Small businesses are gloomy about their future, with an index of future expectations plunging to a 48-year low. The top concerns: inflation and worker shortages.
The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index stood at 93.2 in April. The net share of owners expecting better business conditions in the next six months eased one point to a record low... Read more...
Small businesses can offer job candidates advantages when competing with larger companies
You have the business, you have the production, but you don’t have the people to make it all happen. Is this your business?
Imagine you’ve landed a big government contract but you can’t find enough workers to execute it. Right now, the talent shortage is affecting companies globally. In the fourth quarter alone, 15 million Americans resigned their jobs. This Great Resignation trend continues, according to Katherine Culhane, a business consultant at the Florida SBDC at Indian River State College... Read more...
Indian River State College news
National Science Foundation’s $2.7 million award to fund electric vehicle consortium at IRSC
Indian River State College has received a three-year, $2,735,771 award from the National Science Foundation to establish a National Electric Vehicle Consortium to help alleviate an immediate shortage of skilled technical workers across almost every sector of the fast-growing electric vehicle industry.
The consortium will focus on manufacturing, installation, operations, maintenance, repair, vehicle conversion, safety and standards, and emerging technological advances within the EV sector... Read more...
Treasure Coast business movers and shakers contributing to regional growth
Vision for the future is an important component for any business owner, manager or aspiring entrepreneur. Whether it is a nonprofit, for-profit, government, small or big business, the organization will always require a vision for growth, expansion or innovation. The mechanism that allows the organization to execute this vision is leadership. From motivating and inspiring the team and community to creating and organizing the tasks and work plan — leadership plays a critical role.
So, what is good leadership? Read more...
Treasure Coast business movers and shakers contributing to regional growth
Vision for the future is an important component for any business owner, manager or aspiring entrepreneur. Whether it is a nonprofit, for-profit, government, small or big business, the organization will always require a vision for growth, expansion or innovation. The mechanism that allows the organization to execute this vision is leadership. From motivating and inspiring the team and community to creating and organizing the tasks and work plan — leadership plays a critical role.
So, what is good leadership?
The most common definition is the ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals. An important element regarding leadership is that... Read more...
TCMA Voice
A newsletter presented by the Treasure Coast Manufacturers Association
IRSC President outlines new workforce center at annual meeting
After two years of pandemic-related delays, more than 70 members and guests recently attended the Treasure Coast Manufacturers Association’s annual meeting.
Board member and committee chairman Jack Chadam emceed a diverse program highlighting small- and medium-sized manufacturers held at the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County’s Westside Campus last month... Read more...
Interruption of supply chain is painful for companies and consumers
If your small business is experiencing supply chain interruptions, you are not alone. Not a week goes by that I don’t hear about another small business experiencing supply chain issues.
Throughout the Treasure Coast, manufacturers are struggling to ... Read more...
Center provides multiple training programs for aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners
The FSBDC at IRSC provides high-value training programs throughout the year that focus on vital business issues including social media marketing and financial management. The center also offers Start-Smart, a class for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners... Read more...
Center’s guidance designs contract strategy for graphics company in Stuart
What began as a simple inquiry regarding attracting and acquiring government contracts has quickly grown into a high-value business model for Kimberly Amsalem and her company, Graphic Designs International... Read more...
Underserved communities banking on businesses to help wipe out hunger
More than 12% of Florida residents are facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. This means the chances are high that you know someone suffering from food scarcity, even if you don’t realize it. More than 2.5 million Floridians live in households without consistent access to food and more than 700,000 are children... Read more...
Indian River State College news
New college program to offer graduating seniors free tuition
In response to a pandemic that has disrupted lives and derailed plans for so many in the community, Indian River State College recently revealed its most significant investment ever in eliminating barriers to higher education.
At a special assembly for Fort Pierce Central High School seniors, the college launched the IRSC Promise Program — announcing tuition-free associate degrees for qualifying 2022 high school graduates from public and public charter schools in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties... Read more...
Indian River State College news
Bloomberg Terminals link students with financial world
Students studying at Indian River State College now have access to the platform used by the world’s leading banks, corporations and government agencies to view real-time global financial data, news feeds and messages.
The college has installed 12 Bloomberg Terminals, providing students with unparalleled coverage of markets and securities with information across asset classes — from fixed income to equities, foreign exchange, commodities and derivatives... Read more...
Treasure Coast Business News 7.20
Indian River Magazine takes home four statewide awards
Indian River Magazine took home four awards during the annual Florida Magazine Association gala ceremony held Friday night in Sarasota. The magazine received an overall best writing award that cited the works of, from right, Donna Crary, Kerry Firth, Bernie Woodall and Mary Ann Koenig. Crary also won a best writing public service award. Publisher Gregory Enns, left, won a a best column-writing award. The magazine also won a best special section award for its annual Best of the Treasure Coast competition.
If providing expert advice and coaching for entrepreneurs can help new businesses avoid potholes on the road to success using the Business Accelerator Program, perhaps the same approach could be of use to business owners in Main Street programs.
That was the idea behind a pilot Better Business Program first suggested by the state Main Street organization to... Read more...
St. Lucie County undergoing tremendous building boom along commercial corridors
Stop at almost any Interstate 95 interchange in St. Lucie County and listen carefully. That rumbling in the background isn’t traffic noise, it’s a rapidly intensifying torrent of industrial and commercial development coming down the pike.
The world has finally discovered St. Lucie County’s wide-open spaces for business parks. Easy access along I-95 to South Florida and an... Read more...
Scarcity of homes could cool off real estate market
Realtor John Slivon is happy homes are selling so fast these days, but he’s also a little worried about the future of real estate in St. Lucie County.
Slivon is the manager of Bowen Realty’s Port St. Lucie office. He’s a past president of the Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie County Realtors Association. He also chairs the St. Lucie Realtors Charitable Foundation, which awards grants in the form of down-payment assistance to qualified buyers seeking attainable housing... Read more...
Stuart likely location of Brightline station
Brightline has shown an interest in adding a station on the Treasure Coast and one on the Space Coast. Cocoa is the most likely location for the Space Coast station due mostly to its proximity to the Port Canaveral cruise lines... Read more...
Experienced manufacturing specialist joins SBDC consulting team
Manufacturing specialist Duane Reiff is the newest member of an expanded business consulting team at the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College. Reiff’s specialization will be manufacturing with a concentration on growth and resources for trade industries within the Treasure Coast marketplace... Read more...
SBDC network urges business owners to have a plan to deal with hurricane damage
The Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, urges small business owners to prepare for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and extends through November... Read more...
IRSC returning to normalcy as it readies campuses for fall semester
Indian River State College will be returning to pre-pandemic operational capacity beginning with the fall semester that begins Aug. 18.
In addition to expanding classroom occupancy, the college will resume full in-person participation... Read more...
USA diving forms partnership with IRSC; Educational center to be developed on fort pierce campus
USA Diving recently announced during its Olympic team trials in Indianapolis that it is moving its executive offices to Indian River State College’s main campus in Fort Pierce.
The college and diving organization plan to develop facilities and resources to support athlete and coach development and the growth of diving in the United States. The partnership greatly expands the ability for... Read more...
Restaurants need to adopt technology to help survive effects of pandemic
To survive revenue disruption and other financial challenges, restaurants need to find ways to adapt into the technology-driven future of meal ordering and delivery that seems to be here to stay.
The pandemic didn’t create technology innovation — it accelerated existing trends...Read more...
Pharus Group Expands Ecosystem of Services; Launches New Business Units To Better Serve Its Customers
Leading FL-based full-service business management advisory firm launches new suite of services with the unveiling of nine new business units to help customers nationwide.
Pharus Group LLC, an award-winning Florida-based business management advisory firm, recently announced that the company has unveiled a new ecosystem of services under the brand Pharus Global to better serve businesses throughout Florida and nationwide. The Pharus management team is proud to unveil these new additions to the ecosystem which includes...Read more...
Intraprenuers are vital employees if a company is going to succeed
Internal Intraprenuership. If you’ve not heard the term, it’s time you get familiar with it as it could save your company or organization. The term intrapreneur is given to employees within organizations who exhibit entrepreneurial tendencies. These are employees who are motivated, optimistic and driven to solve problems. They are the idea generators, status quo disrupters and change agents. They can be leaders, managers, supervisors or frontline employees...Read more...
Here are guidelines on how to qualify and apply for new PPP loans
Updated Jan. 20: The SBA has released guidance for new PPP loans available under the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act [the Economic Aid Act]. This article includes the latest guidance from the Small Business Administration along with the new application forms.
What are Paycheck Protection Program Loans?
The Paycheck Protection Program [PPP] loan is a type of SBA loan designed to provide funds to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19 to keep their workers on payroll. These loans may be completely forgiven if... Read more...
Tips to help working from home be a success for management and employees
Large and small businesses are finding interesting ways to keep employees engaged and feeling like they are part of the team while they are working from home. And amid the new reality, workers are expressing a desire to make the new arrangement work, even beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
Is remote work here to stay? The jury is still out on what the post-COVID world will be like, but some workers already are asking for... Read more...
Qualifying requirements outlined for second round of Economic Injury Disaster Loan program
Update Jan. 20: The Economic Aid Act, signed Dec. 27, includes additional funding for Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. This article includes information about the targeted EIDL grant application process provided by the Small Business Administration.
Congress has allocated another $20 billion in EIDL grants [advances] in the new stimulus bill. Read more...
Do employers have the authority to require vaccinations?
Recent announcements regarding the availability of vaccines for the COVID-19 virus have been both exciting and concerning for some employers and employees.
Employers need to consider how they will address questions and concerns with respect to the vaccination and its effects on the workplace.
One question is whether employers may require employees or new hires to be vaccinated. In March, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirmed that ...Read more...
Florida small businesses are resilient, even in face of hurdles presented by pandemic
Small business owners are nothing if not intrepid. They demonstrate their flexibility no matter what situation arises. Their resiliency has never been more apparent than in recent months as they encountered setbacks related to COVID-19.
To determine the specific challenges owners have and continue to face, the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, recently partnered with the Florida Chamber Foundation and the University of West Florida Haas Center to survey nearly 5,000 business owners about the effects of the pandemic. The results were telling...Read more...
Treasure Coast business owners improvise during pandemic shutdown
For about a decade, Patty O’Connell has had an informational website for Gumbo Limbo Coastal Chic, her downtown Stuart home accessories shop. But none of the store’s eclectic collection of goods were for sale online. The plan was to eventually gin up the website for e-commerce, but there was no hurry. Most all her customers were loyal locals. All sales were in-store, just as it had been since its opening in 2008.
That was all BC — Before COVID... Read more...
Community banks benefit from willingness to approve PPP loans for small business owners
In South Florida as well as around the nation, small business owners applying for the Paycheck Protection Program often struck out with big lenders — even when they had been loyal customers. They had better luck with smaller, community banks that were less deluged with applications and nimbler.
According to the Small Business Administration, about 52% of the loans and 44% of the PPP program dollars were approved by local community banks and specialty lenders... Read more...
SBA approves record number of loans designed to help business owners
At a time when small businesses across the country are struggling to stay afloat, some business owners are investing in business growth by expanding their facilities or buying equipment. In fact, a record number may be, according to some very recent loan data.
With Small Business Administration 504 loans, businesses are able to purchase land, buildings, or other major assets such as large equipment. Besides low interest rates and long payback periods, what makes them attractive to small business owners is... Read more...
Treasure Coast Business named best new magazine in state
Treasure Coast Business Magazine, a publication of Indian River Magazine Inc., has been named the best new magazine in the state by the Florida Magazine Association.
The general excellence award was announced July 24 during the FMA’s annual awards ceremony. Read more...
Local citrus, cattle industries holding own against pandemic
The two big agricultural industries on the Treasure Coast, citrus and cattle, have so far weathered the impact of COVID-19, even as cattle prices plunged in March and April and as growers and packers are on guard for the pandemic’s affect once the citrus season resumes in October, industry participants said.
Day-to-day life for citrus growers and cattle ranchers and their workers has not changed much since the virus began to... Read more...
Pandemic forces nonprofit organizations to find alternate ways to fund services
Nonprofit organizations typically rely on one major event to raise the bulk of funds needed to support their services for the upcoming year. And the month of March is the most popular time to hold those events. But March of 2020 will forever be remembered as the year the world shut down due to COVID-19. Businesses were closed, events were canceled and people were asked to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus.
As the state reopens, businesses implement new pandemic policies and apply for government loans to... Read more...
St. Lucie County launches Port of Fort Pierce master plan update
The central question facing St. Lucie County as it updates the Port of Fort Pierce master plan is how the port will handle future economic and social opportunities.
The port, which is one of Florida’s 14 deepwater seaports, was initially created as a maritime freight and logistics center to ship agricultural products and cargo from the Treasure Coast. It now functions as a hybrid of working waterfront elements and community infrastructure. It is unlike most traditional cargo- and cruise-dominant seaports in Florida. Read more...
Nonprofit fund provides loans and mentoring for Black business owners
Established in 1987, the Black Business Investment Fund of Florida is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that has successfully developed, capitalized and trained minority and underbanked businesses statewide for 30 years.
A Black business and investment corporation, BBIF was created through the Florida Small and Minority Business Act in 1985. This act was a response to the reality that Black business owners were being overlooked by large, traditional lenders, making it nearly impossible for them to obtain financing for their businesses. Read more...
Absence of a succession plan could be costly and put company future in jeopardy
Succession planning isn’t just for family businesses and large corporations. Many small business owners don’t plan for what will happen to their companies during a prolonged illness or after their deaths. Unforeseen circumstances could put their businesses at risk of shutting down. Read more...
Tips to help small businesses in today’s tumultuous world
Owning a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest is extremely challenging for any small business owner and its employees. Unlike technology companies, most small businesses do not have the technical infrastructure to support virtual business operations during a complete shutdown.
Small business owners had no idea how disruptive a pandemic would be — literally destroying businesses and livelihoods overnight. How does a small business survive during a deadly pandemic? Here are five suggestions to help save small businesses. Read more...
Guide to business resiliency in times of disaster
• Cash Management • Pricing and Cost Containment • Supply Chain Management • Marketing Read more...
Small business guide to Covid-19
Tips to Do Right Now to Stay Afloat. SBA Loan Programs explained. Read more...
Florida Small Business Development Center
STAY TUNED FOR ALL THINGS BUSINESS
Want to be in the know about Treasure Coast business? Then tune in to WPSL and WSTU for Startup Talk, a weekly business talk show entering its fifth year of broadcasting.
Startup Talk has broadcast more than 175 live episodes of the program. The show was designed and created to promote and create awareness regarding the business assistance and resource programs available at Indian River State College under the Dan K. Richardson Entrepreneurship Development Institute. Read more...
Interview on Aug. 16, 2019 with Indian River Magazine Publisher Gregory Enns about the company’s new business publication, Treasure Coast Business Magazine, on Tom Kindred’s “Startup Talk’’ show on WPSL radio. Read more...
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