Mississippi-based Southern Pipe and Supply opened its newest branch location about three weeks ago in Navarre. The company is leasing a facility at 7534 Navarre Parkway, previously occupied by Bayview Flooring and Interiors.
Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman Gary Huston appeared before the Santa Rosa County Commission at their March 13 meeting, providing an update on activities since the departure of former chief executive Jim Hizer in August 2013.
“If you have to work more, you should get paid more” – those were the words last week of President Barack Obama as he directed Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to look at overhauling the nation’s laws regarding overtime. Obama went on to say that in his view, if more workers got fatter paychecks, they could spend more and stimulate the economy.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate for January 2014 is 5.9 percent, which is lower than both the state and national averages. Florida’s unemployment rate for January was 6.1 percent, the lowest since June 2008 when the state average stood at 6 percent.
Local economic development representatives spent part of the first week in March at a trade show in California working to lure jobs and investment back to northwest Florida, and according to Santa Rosa County Economic Development Director Shannon Ogletree, it was a very productive trip.
The Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce is set to host its inaugural Excellence in Business & Leadership Conference April 24 at the Hilton on Pensacola Beach. Organizers have lined up what they describe as an unprecedented group of speakers which they hope will attract leaders from all industries together to network and to learn tangible best practices.
The U.S. Small Business Administration March 11 conducted a webinar to share best practices for mitigating spring weather risks and getting businesses up and running after a storm. While many in Florida think first of tropical systems and severe weather, tornadoes can strike any time of the year with strong early-season twisters often targeting northwest Florida.
Sharon Triplett from the University of West Florida Small Business Development Center will present “Growing Wealth in Your Business” at 11:30 a.m., March 18 at the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, 8543 Navarre Parkway. It is part of the “Jump Start Your Business Workshop Series” sponsored by the chamber and Navarre Press.
