Need to catch up on business news in Southwest Florida? No problem, here are the top stories of the week pulled from our daily newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily.
Friday, March 2
American Heart, Stroke Associations Add Two to Staff
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association of Southwest Florida announced two new staff appointments, as well as the relocation of its office to a new Estero location. Kelly Glewa has been named the organization’s executive director, market vice president. Glewa joined the organization four years ago as the Lee County Heart Walk Director. In that role, Glewa led the Lee County Heart Walk to a record-breaking fundraising goal. Prior to working for the American Heart Association, Glewa served as a sales associate in the automotive and commercial landscaping industries. Lee Lucas has been named the organization’s Target Blood Pressure Coordinator, a joint resource community program of the American Heart Association and American Medical Association. Prior to joining the American Heart Association, Lucas was the structural health program coordinator for the Shipley Center at Lee Health in Fort Myers. Lucas earned her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. The new address of the American Heart Association of Southwest Florida office is 9200 Estero Park Commons Blvd., No. 7, Estero.
Thursday, March 1
Herc Holdings Posts Q4, 2017 Profits
Bonita Springs-based Herc Holdings Inc. reported net income of $214.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared with a net loss of $13.2 million for the same period in the prior year. The 2017 fourth quarter included an estimated one-time net benefit of $207.1 million associated with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Equipment rental revenue was $414.5 million and total revenues were $491.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, up from $356.7 million and $405.2 million, respectively, for the same period in the prior year. For 2017, the company posted a profit of $160 million, up from a loss of $19.7 million the year prior.
Wednesday, Feb. 28
RTP Seeks Tech Awards Nominations
The Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership (RTP) is seeking nominations for the 10th annual Technology Awards Meeting. Award finalists will be revealed at an event on April 12, and awards will be presented at the 2018 Annual Awards Meeting, held May 17 at The Club at Grandezza in Estero. Nominations are being accepted in the following categories: Innovention Award, recognizing technical achievement by a Southwest Florida technology company; Transformation Award, highlighting the use of technology in government, nonprofit, or companies outside the technology sector to address a business or operational challenge; and Technology Woman of the Year Award, which honors the accomplishments of a Southwest Florida woman in a technology role and her commitment to diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Nominations can be submitted by email to awards@swfrtp.org and must include the following information: award category for the nomination, name of nominated company or individual and contact information for company or individual (email and phone). The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on March 9. Everyone accepting a nomination will be sent an application to complete. Awards event sponsorships are available. For more information, visit www.swfrtp.org.
Tuesday, Feb. 27
NABOR Report: Luxury Market Drives January Sales
Total closed home sales increased 11 percent to 671 home sales in January from 603 home sales in January 2017, unlike national figures of home sales in January, which dropped 4.8 percent compared to sales in the same period last year, according to the January 2018 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). Closed homes above $1 million performed particularly well, with a 123 percent increase over the number of closed sales of luxury properties in January 2017. There were 1,030 total pending sales in January, up 11 percent from 924 in January 2017. Pending sales of homes priced above $1 million increased 67 percent in January compared to last year, said Bill Coffey, broker manager of Amerivest Realty Naples. To view the entire report, visit www.NaplesArea.com.
Monday, Feb. 26
Inaugural Face Diversity Summit to be Held April 5
Gulfshore Business and D’Latinos magazines are pleased to present the inaugural Face Diversity Summit on April 5 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs. The daylong event is dedicated to the many companies that believe developing and nurturing a diverse workforce is good not only for the employees but also for the bottom line. Summit attendees can choose from different educational tracks, such as leadership, new marketing trends, sales, corporate culture, social integration, recruiting, immigration and much more. Seminars and panel discussions will be led by local and national experts from companies such as Univision, Pandora, Lee Health, Barron-Collier Cos., Lipman Produce and Goodwill of SWFL. In addition to the summit programs, guests can partake in an expo and networking opportunities. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit faceswfl.com.
