Florida: News

Hernando County Airport welcomes Brooksville Air Center, the aiport's second Fixed Base Operator. Pilots can do flight planning, fueling and aircraft maintenance at this full-service facility, and storage space is available for aircraft of all sizes within the 20,000 square foot hangar. (Read more)

Mercedes-Benz USA announced it will opening a 415,000-square-foot facility near the Jacksonville International Airport that will house several of its business units. It will employ 160 people and have four business units operating out of the facility when it officially opens in July. (Read more)

Orlando's .Com Marketing, a leading interactive marketing agency, has been selected to participate in a state-financed economic growth program called GrowFl. The muliti-million dollar GrowFl program provides support to carefully selected Florida businesses to help them grow. (Read more)

Trinity Graphics USA and American Finishing Inc., two companies approved for incentive grants by the Manatee County Commission, plan to add nearly 50 employees in the next five years. (Read more)

Energy Farm Inc. plans to build a $300 million photovoltaic plant in Florida's Walton County. The facility, capable of supplying 12,000 homes, will be built on 550 acres near Freeport. (Read more)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida a national leader in infrastructure (#1) and workforce development & training (#2). Read the full report or view Florida's Profile to learn more.

According to Newsweek, Florida schools account for 1 out of every 12 of the best high schools in the nation. Ranked by advanced-placement college-level courses and test scores, 135 Florida schools made the list, including 3 of the Top 10. (Read more)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida a national leader in infrastructure (#1) and workforce development & training (#2). (Read more)

Florida's Valencia Community College awards more associate degrees than any other two-year school in the nation, according to a report just published by Community College Week. Florida is home to nearly 1 out of every 5 of Community College Week's top schools, including 6 of the Top 10 four-year institutions. (Read more)

SEOP Online, a search engine optimization company headquartered in Ontario, Canada, has announced plans to establish Florida operations in Casselberry and create 200 new technology-based jobs within the next two years. (Read more)

Florida's Valencia Community College awards more associate degrees than any other two-year school in the nation, according to a report just published by Community College Week. Florida is home to nearly 1 out of every 5 of Community College Week's top schools, including 6 of the Top 10 four-year institutions. (Read more)

Palm Beach County's National Healing Corporation has recently acquired, and is planning to relocate from outside of Florida, an existing medical supply business which provides wound care products. The expansion will create 40 jobs with average salaries of more than $58,000, and will result in a 6,000 square-foot expansion of NHC's current headquarters. (Read more)

With 119 ranked companies, Florida was the No. 1 state on the 2010 HispanicBusiness 500. (Read more)

Orlando kicked off a $37 million program to deploy electric vehicle recharging stations in nine regions around the US with the first installed ChargePoint Networked Charging Station. Orlando will receive hundreds of free home and public ChargePoint stations for electric vehicles, preparing for the release of new electric cars from major manufacturers later this year. (Read more)

Florida counties dominated recent Forbes rankings, accounting for nearly half of the top spots on Where America's Money is Moving. Collier County ranked No. 1 in the nation followed by Nassau (3rd), Walton (5th), Sumter (10), Lee (11), Monroe (14), Palm Beach (17), and Sarasota (18). (Read more)

The medical device industry, already a powerhouse in Florida's economy, got a boost with the approval of state legislation that eliminates an entire layer of regulation. (Read more)

Florida hospitals earned top marks on U.S. News & World Report's recent rankings of America's Best Children's Hospitals. (Read more)

The Innovation Monthly is your source for the latest news and insights on Florida's Innovation Economy.       

June 2010 Highlights:

• Florida's Bioscience Workforce Earns Top Marks
• New $62M Institute for Aging Life Science & Research
• Orlando Company Wins 2010 National Small Business of the Year
• Free Whitepaper:  Advances in Nanotechnology

Read Full Newsletter

University of Florida and Gainesville leaders broke ground on the Florida Innovation Hub, a business "super incubator" designed to promote the development of new high-tech companies based on UF research. The facility is unique because in addition to providing offices, laboratory space and shared equipment areas for high-tech startup companies, it will house UF's Office of Technology Licensing and UF Tech Connect, the main commercialization offices for the university. (Read more)

Saab Training USA - an Orange County company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of advanced simulation training systems for the U.S. Military, Foreign Military, and Homeland Security - has expanded their operations in the Central Florida Research Park. (Read more)

Full Sail University cut the ribbon on the opening of the Full Sail Studios Gateway Project, a 22,000 sq. ft., multipurpose facility that features a 500-seat venue and game production and recording studio spaces. (Read more)

Florida's Office of Film & Entertainment is now accepting applications for the new five-year, $242 million entertainment industry tax credit incentive program. (Read more)

Watermark Medical Inc., a medical products and services company currently servicing the sleep-disordered breathing market, has closed a $15 million equity round. (Read more)

Hamilton County may soon be known for its ongoing efforts in renewable energy development. A renewable power development team called Hamilton Energy Resource Organization, or HERO, plans to break ground early next year on a 400-acre photovoltaic solar power system in Jennings, the Hercules Solar Park, where at least 50 megawatts of power will be produced. (Read more)

Charter jet service Sky King is moving from California to Lakeland and expects to employ 80 or 90workers by the end of this year. Beginning in August, Sky King's fleet of ten 737s will be maintained in Lakeland. (Read more)

Tampa electronic payment firm Fintech was named the nationwide Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. (Read more)

OpenPeak, a Boca Raton-based company selling multi-media touch screen devices and device management software, has raised $52 million in equity and debt funding. (Read more)

Martin County's Old Cell Phone Co. recently expanded into 20,000 square feet in Palm City and plans to add 863 jobs in the next 36 months. (Read more)

Palm Bay, Florida ranks 11th on Forbes' first-ever ranking of America's Most Innovative Cities. Rankings were based on a combination of data including patents, venture capital investment, and ratios of high-tech, science and "creative" jobs. (Read more)

An unmanned, privately built rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday on a successful test flight before it begins cargo runs to the International Space Station for NASA. (Read more)

Palm Bay, Florida ranks 11th on Forbes' first-ever ranking of America's Most Innovative Cities. Rankings were based on a combination of data including patents, venture capital investment, and ratios of high-tech, science and "creative" jobs. (Read more)

Defense-industry giant Lockheed Martin Corp. is dramatically expanding its Orlando-based high-tech training division's footprint by adding operations in Maryland and California to the local organization. The move means Orlando will become the headquarters for a newly created group that includes global mission logistics, engineering support services and wireless tracking systems, among other operations. (Read more)

A new five-year, $242 million transferable tax credit incentive program is now available to qualified projects in Florida's Film and Entertainment industry. The package also includes incentives for digital media and other independent and emerging media projects. Qualified businesses can apply by June 9. (Learn more)