Peerfit, the Tampa digital health company with heavy-hitter financial backing, has found a lucrative niche by targeting sales outside of the major metropolitan areas, according to a new profile in Forbes. “We pride ourselves on being not in five major markets, but in 100 small and medium markets,” founder and CEO Ed Buckley told Forbes.
Bandit Coffee Co. in St. Petersburg is “on a short list of Florida essentials,” according to Food & Wine’s report on the best coffee in every state. King State Coffee in Tampa is cited as tops in Florida in the report.
The Florida Board of Governors voted unanimously to confirm Steve Currall as the University of South Florida’s seventh president. The vote came six days after the USF Board of Trustees selected Currall to succeed Judy Genshaft. Currall will take office on July 1.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems was awarded a $58.9 million contract to supply new and recapitalized cartridges for 120mm tank training ammunition. The work will be performed at the company’s St. Petersburg facility with an estimated completion date of Oct. 12, 202, the Department of Defense said.
The Tampa Bay Rays sold out the 2019 season opener today against the Houston Astros. It’s the 14th consecutive season have sold out their home opener, a news release said.
Paul Grove will join WEDU as president and CEO, effective June 10. The board of directors of the Tampa-based PBS station selected Grove after conducting a national search to replace Susan Howarth, who died in September. Grove has been president and CEO of WTCI PBS in Chattanooga for 13 years. Before that Grove was vice president of national programming and production at WEDU, a news release said.
David Herbert, the owner of Pirtek Altamonte Springs, has acquired Pirtek Pinellas and Pirtek Tampa. Pirtek is a franchise buisness that specializes in hydraulic and industrial hose services. The Tampa/Pinellas locations currently have eight employees, including Herbert, who expects to double that number in two years, a news release said.
Oragenics Inc. will collaborate with Florida International University to expand its pipeline of lantibiotics, a novel class of antibiotics. The collaboration will help Tampa-based Oragenics (NYSE American: OGEN) understand how its lantibiotics interact with bacteria, Alan Joslyn, president and CEO, said in a news release.
WellCare Health Plans Inc. will be acquired by Centene Corp. in a $17.3 billion cash and stock deal. WellCare (NYSE: WCG) is the third-largest public company headquartered in the Tampa Bay area, with $20.4 billion in 2018 revenue and 12,000 employees. The combined company will be headquartered in St. Louis, where Centene (NYSE: CNC) is based.
In a social media post Tuesday, St. Pete restaurant Pacific Counter announced an expansion inside Tropicana Field's First Base Food Hall starting Thursday. The Tampa Bay Rays face off against the Houston Astros for its season opener on Thursday.
Wells Fargo & Co. and several chambers of commerce launched a new Chamber Leadership Development Program to support diverse entrepreneurs in the U.S. The program will be offered at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce International Business and Leadership Conference in Tampa in August, as well as at other chamber events.
Thompson Cigar, America’s oldest mail order cigar company, is closing its Tampa site and integrating operations into a facility in Bethlehem, Pa.. The closure comes about a year after the company was bought by Scandinavian Tobacco Group for $62 million. In a WARN notice filed with the state, the company said it would lay off all of its 112 local employees, starting June 29 and continuing through the end of 2019.
