Cash will not be accepted for parking, concessions and retail purchases at Super Bowl LV in Tampa in February. Visa (NYSE: V) and the National Football League said in a news release that payments for the big game and future Super Bowls would be digital only. For fans who require assistance, ATMs that exchange cash and dispense Visa-branded pre-paid cards up to $500 will be available, with no load fees. Visa pre-paid cards dispensed in-stadium will also work outside the venue, the news release said. More than 20 stadiums nationwide are moving to a cash-free model or plan to do so in the near term, the release said. Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg became the first cashless sports venue in North America in 2019.
Florida's job market continues to regain ground lost when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March, according to a new report from Wells Fargo Securities. Florida lost nearly 1.2 million jobs in March and April and has since regained 699,700 jobs, the report said. Most major industries saw payrolls advance during October. The leisure & hospitality industry added more than any other sector, with overall headcounts expanding 29,600. Arts, entertainment & recreation employment rose 8,500, while payrolls at bars, restaurants and hotels added 21,100. During October, the statewide unemployment rate fell to 6.5 percent from 7.2 percent in September.
Florida Funders has invested an undisclosed amount in Artie, a Los Angeles-based next-gen gaming start-up. Artie has technology that lets game developers bypass app stores and their fees, Florida Funders said in a news release. It lets consumers play mobile games that they discover inside social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter without leaving the app. The gaming industry is exploding and Artie is shaking up the status quo, Tom Wallace, managing partner of Florida Funders, said in the release. Florida Funders, based in Tampa, is a hybrid of a venture capital fund and an angel investor network. The organization has fully deployed its first fund and recently launched Florida Funders Fund 2 LLC.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) said he has tested positive for Covid-19. Scott came into contact with someone after returning to Florida on Friday, Nov. 13, who subsequently tested positive, according to his office. Scott has been quarantining at his home in Naples since then. He took multiple negative rapid tests earlier in the week, but a PCR test he took Tuesday came back positive Friday morning, Nov. 20. Scott issued a statement, saying he is feeling good and experiencing very mild symptoms. He said he would work from home in Naples until it is safe to return to Washington, D.C. He also encouraged Floridians to listen to public health officials and follow their guidance.
iQor, a customer support and business solutions company headquartered in St. Petersburg, has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since filing a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in September, the company strengthened its capital structure, improved its financial stability and recapitalized its funded debt, it said in a news release. In the months ahead, the iQor said it would remain focused on customer performance, organic and strategic new growth, and continuing its disciplined financial planning analysis for key business decisions under new ownership. iQor is among the larger companies based in St. Pete. It has 35,000 employees in nine countries, and had $940 million in revenue for the 12 months ended March 31, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
Florida Funders has raised $10 million from 29 investors for Florida Funders Fund 2 LLC. The fund is anticipated to total $75 million, according to a Nov. 18 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Florida Funders, a hybrid venture capital firm and angel investor network, declined comment on the filing. In August, Tom Wallace, managing partner, told the St. Pete Catalyst that Fund 1, which launched in mid-2017, had invested in 34 companies and nearly fully allocated the $18 million in that fund.
Tampa General Hospital said it is one of the first hospitals in the United States to provide monoclonal antibody treatments to some patients with Covid-19. The treatment from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under an emergency use authorization. It's for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate symptoms from Covid-19 before they deteriorate further or require hospitalization. It is a single dose infusion-based treatment that is provided on an outpatient basis and marks a dramatic shift in Covid-19 care, a news release from Tampa General said. Production is just ramping up and there is a limited supply of the treatment, so physicians are only approving its use on high-risk patients, the hospital said. Tampa General received some of the first supplies in the country and has the option to request additional doses on a weekly basis, the hospital said.
Sen. Marco Rubio named Boyd Industries of Clearwater as the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week. Boyd Industries manufactures custom medical and dental furniture and pioneered the lounge-style dentistry chair that’s now a standard feature in dental offices nationwide, Rubio said in news release. The company manufactures nearly all the components used to build its products at its factory in Clearwater. In April, Boyd Industries was approved for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, allowing the company to keep 77 workers on the payroll, Rubio said. Rubio is a Florida Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Shepherd's Village, a nonprofit dedicated to helping single mothers and children get back on their feet, is the latest recipient of funding from 100 Women Who Care St. Petersburg. The award was presented at a meeting Tuesday night where three nonprofits including Girls on the Run and My Daughter's Keeper pitched their funding needs. Shepherd's Village received the highest number of votes and will receive the organization's Impact award, which now stands at $9,500. Additional contributions can be mailed directly to Shepherd's Village.
JPMorgan Chase has donated $500,000 to two Florida nonprofits to support more than 750 small, minority-owned businesses in Florida struggling to overcome the economic crisis. The organizations, Prospera and Ascendus (formerly Accion East), will work together to assist small business owners in the greater Orlando, Miami and Tampa Bay areas who need support to withstand the ongoing challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a news release said. Through this donation, Prospera and Ascendus aim to retain 320 quality jobs. They also are joining forces to offer individual guidance and consulting, training in Spanish on topics that are vital for business recovery and sustainability, technical assistance that will address specific management and operational needs, loan repayment relief, and financial resources and expertise.
Proleve Distribution, a Tampa company that manufactures all-natural CBD products, said it will add 20 new jobs as the company closes out a year of record revenue. In its third full year of operation, Proleve posted a 178 percent sales increase, from $1.8 million in 2019 to $5 million in 2020, a news release said. Proleve was founded in November 2017 by Jonathan Solomon, who is president of the company. Proleve produces and distributes products containing the hemp extract CBD or cannabidiol. It is registered with the Food & Drug Admnistration and licensed and certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service. Proleve is building a new distribution center near Tampa International Airport. New jobs added in the coming weeks will help support operations at the new facility, as well as at the company’s existing headquarters, which will be converted into a retail store in South Tampa, the news release said.
Country Day School has announce the expansion of its portfolio of independent school campuses in Tampa Bay with the addition of Montessori House Day School. The transaction marks the joining of the Tampa Bay area’s two longest-standing and most recognized Montessori schools across four campuses in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Future plans include new programs, state-of-the-art digital student information and learning management systems, robust distance learning options, facility enhancements and the addition of new campuses.
