Need to catch up on Southwest Florida business news? No problem. Here are the top stories of the week pulled from our daily newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily.
Friday, April 12
UNITED AIRLINES TO START NONSTOP FORT MYERS-WASHINGTON DULLES SERVICE
United Airlines will inaugurate new service between Fort Myers and Washington, D.C., on Oct. 29. United will operate twice-daily, year-round service between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). United currently operates more than 140 daily flights to 12 Florida cities. For more information or to book a flight, visit https://www.united.com.
Thursday, April 11
‘GET CONNECTED’ EVENT AIMED AT SMALL-BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS
The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will host the “Get Connected” luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on April 18 at Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport-Town Center in Fort Myers. The luncheon features 10 professionals who are considered industry experts in their respective fields, from branding and wellness to website development and team building. During lunch, guests can participate in an educational roundtable aimed at helping small businesses thrive in Southwest Florida’s marketplace. Admission to the April luncheon is $30 for chamber members and $40 for guests. To learn more or to register for the event, visit FortMyers.org or call (239) 332-3624.
Wednesday, April 10
DISTINGUISHED ENTREPRENEUR AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
The Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) announces the 2019 finalists for the Distinguished Entrepreneur Award of SWFL. The 18 finalists were selected from a pool of 66 nominees from the five-county area of Southwest Florida. They are: Reema Bhatia, Stickboy Creative; Tyrone Belford, 4 Corner’s Creative; Ryan Carter, Scotlynn USA Division; Brian Chapman, Chapman Insurance Group; Rafael J. Feliciano, Food Idea Group; Catina Fletcher, Diamonds Haircare; Rochelle Graham-Campbell, Black Onyx World/Alikay Naturals; Teri Hansen, Priority Marketing; Timothy Hoffman, Hospitality Group Holdings (HGH); Samuel Lewis, Wear The Fund; Martin Ndungu, Medicab Transportation; Michael Peterman, VeraData; Key Powell, Key Security Services; Brian Rist, Storm Smart; Marilyn Santiago, Creative Architectural Resin Products (CARP); Samantha Scott, Pushing the Envelope; Caryn Smith, Driven by Design; and Jordi Tejero, CRS Technology Consultants. The awards dinner is set for April 30. Individual tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at www.fsbdcswfl.org.
Tuesday, April 9
CHRISTY’S CAUSE TO CHAMPION HUMAN TRAFFICKING DATA PROJECT
Christy’s Cause has been chosen to champion the Human Trafficking Data Project (HTDP) under the leadership of the 20th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office (SAO). Developed by The Southwest Florida Women’s Foundation in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, the mission of the HTDP is to provide insight into the patterns and trends of human trafficking in Southwest Florida’s five county area. The database includes information about gender, age range, type of trafficking and risk factors. This information is centralized, analyzed and reported by the state attorney’s office. Task Force members will be able to share non-identifying information on the victims served by their respective agencies without violating privacy laws or risking the safety of their clients. The project is currently in pilot phase. For more information about the data project or Christy’s Cause visit www.ChristysCause.com or email info@christyscause.com.
Monday, April 8
BASE OPERATIONS AT PAGE FIELD EARNS INTERNATIONAL RANKING
Base Operations at Page Field has been ranked in the top 10 percent of fixed-base operators in an international survey conducted by Aviation International News (AIN). This is the seventh consecutive year Base Operations at Page Field has been named a top fixed-base operator by AIN. Base ranked first in the Fort Myers/Naples area, had the third-best score in the facilities category and landed in the top 20 overall for FBOs in the Americas. The FBO Survey is conducted annually and asks pilots, flight attendants and dispatchers to provide feedback on the level of customer care at individual business and general aviation service providers throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
In other news…
The last day to nominate a young leader of the community for our 2019 40 Under 40 awards is Monday, April 15. Nominate here.
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