Search
Close this search box.

Log in

Top Stories

BEST OF BUSINESS VOTING CLOSES FRIDAY

There are two days left to vote for your favorite firms to be honored in our 2020 Best of Business Awards. Gulfshore Business is honoring firms in six sections: The Best in Business Finance & Insurance, The Best in Legal, The Best in Marketing, The Best in Commercial Building & Real Estate, The Best in Business Services, and The Best in Business Dining & Drinks. Cast your vote at gulfshorebusiness.com/best-of-business/ by midnight this Friday, May 15.
 

Credit: U.S. Small Business Administration, via WINK News

VIRTUAL CONVERSATIONS AVAILABLE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Any small business owners looking for help rebounding during the pandemic can now get it thanks to a series of virtual conversations, a WINK News story reports. A series that kicked off Monday focuses on leading during the time of crisis, the best way to move forward and how to be creative in attracting business. The National Retail Federation launched the conversations with the heads of Walmart, Lowe’s, Starbucks, Gap and Target. For more information and to take part in the virtual conversation, visit the National Retail Federation website here.
 

COLLIER COUNTY BEACHES WILL HAVE RESTRICTED HOURS AND PARKING ON WEEKENDS

Collier commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to keep the county’s beaches open but with some of the restrictions put in place Monday for Naples city beaches. County beaches will be open as usual weekday hours with no additional restrictions, but changes are temporarily in place for weekends. Hours will be bifurcated Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day when beaches are open 7 to 11 a.m. and then 5 p.m. to sunset, to mirror the times for city beaches. Also during the weekends, county parking garages and lots will be limited to access only by residents whose vehicles have Collier or Naples beach parking stickers. County beaches include those at Barefoot, Bluebill, Conner, Vanderbilt and Clam Pass in the unincorporated areas, as well as South Marco and Tigertail on Marco Island. Commissioner Bill McDaniel was the lone dissenter for the county order because he is not in favor of any additional restrictions for the public beaches. 

 

Video courtesy of WINK News

FORT MYERS BEACH HOTELS PREPARE TO ACCEPT RESERVATIONS, GUESTS

Hotels on Fort Myers Beach can begin accepting reservations again Friday. Hotels, which have already been receiving phone calls from people looking to book rooms, are confident they’ll be able to fill their rooms and keep the beach safe. Most potential guests are not looking to stay on Fort Myers Beach immediately, but are looking to book throughout the summer. Hotels and Mayor Ray Murphy are confident they can open rooms while avoiding overcrowding on the beach. “There’s plenty of beach for people to stretch out on and distance themselves from each other, and I know that can be accomplished,” Murphy said. While their doors have been shut, hotels have been preparing with sanitizing teams, cleaning rooms, keeping masks and thermometers on deck for staff and guests and posting social distancing signs. Story reported by WINK News.
 

Tomato and basil gnocchi from The Local.

MORE BUSINESSES REOPEN AFTER COVID-19 CLOSURES

The Local has re-opened and is offering indoor seating of up to 25% capacity with tables spaced out at least six feet apart, plus curbside pickup and deliveries for orders $100 or more. To see the menu and make reservations, visit thelocalnaples.com. Salon Adrian reopened on Monday. The salon will operate in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and at a reduced capacity, allowing only 10 people (including staff) in the salon at a time. Salon Adrian has integrated additional safety policies. For more details, click here. All six St. Matthew’s House thrift stores and other social enterprise operations, including the St. Matthew’s House Car Wash & Detailing Center, Café M25, and Delicious by Design Catering have reopened for business. All social-distancing guidelines are being followed, including limiting store occupancy, maintaining six feet of separation, masked employees, regular disinfecting and hand-sanitizing stations. For more details, visit stmatthewshouse.org.
 

CREATIVE MARKETING SERVICES INCREASES MASK, HAND SANITIZER INVENTORY

Creative Marketing Services has increased in-house inventory levels of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved masks and hand sanitizers and reduced minimum order quantities to assist companies as they prepare to re-open for business. The company has also added more products to assist with the sanitizing of hard surfaces where sanitizing is deemed critical between patients and clients. For more information, visit covid19supplies.square.site or call 239-357-0805.
 

NAPLES LAWYER REAPPOINTED TO FLORIDA BAR FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Attorney John P. Cardillo, of the Naples law firm Cardillo Keith Bonaquist P.A. ckblaw.com, has been selected by the Supreme Court of Florida to serve an additional three years. His term will begin on July 1. Cardillo, who is listed under the Personal Injury Litigation category, is a native of Fort Lee, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Furman University, continued to West Virginia University for graduate work and received his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina. Cardillo recently received the 2020 Platinum Compleat Lawyer Award from his alma mater, the University of South Carolina School of Law. Cardillo has been practicing law in Naples since 1972. Cardillo Keith Bonaquist is the longest continuing law firm in Naples, according to a press release.
 

Brandon Sherwood

SHERWOOD NAMED ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT AT NOISE INC.

NOISE Inc. has appointed Brandon Sherwood as assistant vice president and interactive director. Sherwood has served as the interactive director at NOISE since 2018, responsible for web design, web programming, search engine optimization, data-building campaigns, and E-CRM. Sherwood graduated from Rasmussen College with a Bachelor of Arts in game and simulation programming. He has designed and programmed more than 30 brand websites. NOISE is a consumer brand activation agency specializing in building brands through multi-media strategic programs that engage consumers, create loyalty and expand revenue growth. For more details, visit Make-Noise.com.
 

CHARITABLE NOTES

Suncoast Credit Union challenges community to match $100K Lee Health gift

Earlier this month, Suncoast Credit Union  suncoastcreditunion.com announced a $1 million donation to provide economic relief to those affected by COVID-19 in the communities the credit union serves, while focusing on three primary areas of need: healthcare, hunger, and education. Lee Health Foundation has received $100,000 from its long-time community partner to aid in ways the funds will be most impactful in the fight against COVID-19. Suncoast is challenging the Southwest Florida community to join them and show support for the healthcare heroes on the frontline of the crisis. To learn more about Lee Health’s efforts as well as opportunities to aid in the local fight against COVID-19, visit LeeHealthFoundation.org.
 

Offshore Sailing School offers free lessons for first responders

Offshore Sailing School’s founder and owners Steve and Doris Colgate are offering free 2-hour sailing lessons for first responders and frontline healthcare workers and their families of up to five on Wednesdays in May from the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Free sailing lessons are limited and require an advance reservation by calling Cheryl Jones at 239-985-7530. The first responder/frontline healthcare worker will need to provide a copy of their employer ID at the time of booking and everyone will need to sign a waiver before boarding the Colgate 26 sailboat. Children age 7 and up are invited to enjoy the lesson with their parents in a private group of up to five. Available dates are today, and May 20 and 27, at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. at the Pink Shell Beach Resort marina. The instructor and participants are required to wear facemasks during the lesson. The company is slowly resuming its comprehensive sailing and power-boating courses as of Monday. For more details, visit OffshoreSailing.com.
 

Youth Haven Inc. receives $65,000 grant for rehousing program

Youth Haven Inc. has received a $65,000 grant from United Way of Collier County. The funds received will benefit Youth Haven’s Rapid Rehousing program, which supports teenagers ages 16 -19 that reside in its cottage for homeless teens, Rob’s Group Home, as they leave Youth Haven’s program and advance into transitional living or student housing. The Rapid Rehousing program is critical in preventing teens transitioning out of Rob’s Group Home and the foster care system from becoming homeless, a press release states.
 

Storm Smart donating whole-home protection systems to nurses

Storm Smart is donating a whole-home hurricane protection system each month during hurricane season to a local nurse through its “We Care” Program. In honor of National Nurses Day, providing these state-of-the-art systems to nurses is Storm Smart’s way of saying “thank you” for the resilience, courage and tireless efforts of nurses across the region. In order to nominate yourself, a family member, friend or neighbor, email Storm Smart at WeCare@StormSmart.com. You may nominate a person based on need, circumstance, or merit. Additional nomination rules apply. Click here for more information.
 

Neighborhood Health Clinic receives various support during pandemic

First Horizon Bank has donated $10,000 toward COVID-19 relief efforts at the Neighborhood Health Clinic to support the additional expenses of PPE for medical and dental volunteers. The grant also made possible the preparation of isolated triage rooms equipped with dedicated medical equipment. Through the partnership of Direct Relief and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), the Neighborhood Health Clinic received a separate $25,000 to support the additional burden of daily operations during the pandemic response. Two Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms have been renovated with reverse ventilation systems allowing for air changes throughout the day specifically for treating those presenting with coronavirus symptoms. The grant piggybacks on the clinic’s recent addition of Care Message, a platform provided by Direct Relief until 2021 to maintain patient- and care-provider communication for safety-net providers such as the clinic. Additionally, Arthrex has donated face shields to healthcare facilities, including 250 protective shields to Neighborhood Health Clinic, for protection against the spread of COVID-19.
 

Don’t be the last to know what’s happening in Southwest Florida. Sign up for our free daily newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily, to stay connected.

Copyright 2024 Gulfshore Life Media, LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior written consent.

Don't Miss

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Please note that article corrections should be submitted for grammar or syntax issues.

If you have other concerns about the content of this article, please submit a news tip.
;