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.
St. Petersburg College has partnered with Hope Villages of America, formerly RCS Pinellas, to offer food boxes for SPC students, staff and the surrounding community. Funded by the Pinellas CARES grant, food boxes will include non-perishable items including canned fruits, vegetables and meats, and pasta and sauce, along with community resource flyers. Each of the eight campuses chosen for distribution will have 150 boxes of food for pickup. In order to get a box, people can fill out this survey and select the campus where they’d like to pick up. The food is first come, first served, so once all a campus’s boxes are claimed, that pickup location will disappear from the options list in the survey. SPC is planning a distribution in the coming week, as well as again in December.
DentalWorks USA in Tampa was acquired by Bindley Capital Partners and Brian Bell, the former CEO of ForeSight Medical. Financial terms were not disclosed. DentalWorks USA manages the care and cost of workers' compensation dental claims. Bell has 19 years of experience as a workers' compensation executive, a news release said. He co-founded ForeSight Medical in Tampa and led it through its sale to Paradigm Outcomes in 2017. ForeSight was backed by Bindley Capital Partners, a private investment firm.
Two more bus drivers tested positive for Covid-19, according to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, bringing the total number of PSTA employees who have tested positive for the virus to 40. The first driver last reported to work to work Wednesday, Nov. 11. The 14 days prior to that time, the operator only drove Route 23. The second driver last reported to work Monday, Nov. 16. The 14 days prior to that time, the operator drove Route 66 and 19 Nov. 6, Route 58 Nov. 11, Route 52 Nov. 15 and Route 4 Nov. 16. Both drivers are currently under treatment. PSTA does not believe any passengers came in contact with the driver, who remained socially distant from all passengers. PSTA requires riders to wear protective face coverings while riding, and to use transit for essential travel only.
Commissioner Dave Eggers was elected chairman and Commissioner Charlie Justice was elected vice chair of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for 2021. Eggers has served as vice chair this year. He will succeed the current chairman, Commissioner Pat Gerard, at the start of 2021. Eggers served as mayor of Dunedin from 2009 to 2014 when he was elected to the Pinellas county board, where he represents District 4. Justice lives in St. Petersburg and represents District 3, a countywide district. He was first elected to the Pinellas county board in 2012, and won re-election in 2016 as well as earlier this month. He previously served in the Florida House and the Florida Senate. Eggers and Justice were elected unanimously by the seven commissioners on the board at its Tuesday meeting. It was also the first meeting for newly elected Commissioner Rene Flowers, who succeeded former Commissioner Ken Welch for the District 7 seat.
