Business Archive

New York (AP) — Cheap is the new chic for holiday gifts.

The Gulf Breeze Area Chamber is pleased to announce  SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach as the Chamber’s Business of the Month for December 2015.

When Andy Pike opened Auto Depot on Highway 87 south in Navarre in March it was on one of the three lots he was leasing for the business directly in front of Navarre Auto Repair.  The lot was originally approved for used car sales for eight vehicles in 2012.  The business grew quickly and Pike had to expand to the other two lots on the property.  What he didn’t realize, was one of those lots was zoned differently than the others.

Gov. Rick Scott issued a press release touting the highest level of Florida jobs available in a decade, with a total of nearly 300,000 openings across the state.  “Florida is leading all large states in job growth and we will keep working every day to be first for jobs,” Scott said.

The Florida Retail Federation  says that Florida retailers are in for a busy and successful holiday shopping season behind the strength of numerous positive economic indicators and a healthy economic climate overall in Florida.  FRF is projecting a 4.5 percent increase in sales for retailers, which would outpace the predicted national average of 3.5 percent.  This continues a recent hot streak for Florida retailers which included a record-tying back-to-school sales tax holiday in August and a successful Halloween season.

The Gulf Breeze Area Chamber announces Bayside Collision Center as the Chamber’s Business of the Month for November 2015.

By all accounts and everyone’s accounting, the 2015 Holiday Small Shop Crawl presented by the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce was a huge success.  More than a dozen Navarre shops participated, and each one said the event brought new customers into their shop.   The Director of Membership and Marketing for the Navarre Chamber Chanda Ryan said, “The main goal of the Small Shop Crawl is to increase awareness of all the local shopping options in the Navarre area.  I think we did that with over 300 purchases made.”

Freebies are falling out of fashion as a means to lure new employers to Santa Rosa County.

On Nov. 14, Navarre’s first fashion shoe store will open its doors to the Navarre community with a wide fall line of trending styles. Shoe Frenzy, located on Ortega Park Drive behind Cactus Flower restaurant, is sure to give shoppers an adrenaline rush just at the sight of it, and when the price points of $16.99 – $34.99 on their fall selection are discovered, success will follow.

Washington (NNS) — The Department of the Navy (DON) and Southern Company subsidiary Gulf Power signed a real estate outgrant Oct. 28, to develop two large-scale solar electric generating facilities in Florida that will have an estimated total capacity of 117 megawatts (MW) direct current (DC). On a sunny day, the combined capacity could power approximately 13,600 homes.