Tag Archives: Justine Griffin

Posted on by

Amazon fulfillment center in Lakeland has grand opening

amazon

 

“Work hard. Have fun. Make history.”

That’s the phrase that’s etched in black and gold letters over the entrance to the Amazon fulfillment center in Lakeland, a warehouse that ships online orders for the Seattle-based online retailer.

Next to it is a flashing red light that reads “no cell phone zone.” Security personnel screen each of the facility’s 800 workers with security wands and metal detectors, 24 hours a day.

On Wednesday, as Gov. Rick Scott, local officials and journalists from around the state were invited to see the inside of an Amazon facility in Florida for the first time.

Guests at the center had to have an Amazon escort anywhere they went, including the bathroom.

Read more here.

Posted on by

Why are we spending so much money on our pets? It’s complicated

josie face 1

They have their own beaches. Their own parks. They can come with you to dinner and even to the spa. You can pay a little extra for some of them to sit with you on an airplane.

We’re not talking about your infant. We’re talking about your fur baby.

We spend more on our pets these days — a projected $60.5 billion in the United States this year — than ever before, from outfits to organic kibble to matching diamond-studded collars and bracelets. Our dogs and cats have always made us feel good about ourselves and played a role in our family — that much hasn’t changed. They’re happy, cuddly friends that doesn’t care when you vent about a bad day at work, as long as you pet them and fill their bowl with food.

But at what point did Fido move out of the doghouse in the back yard and claim an expensive Tempur-Pedic bed that matches the decor of the master bedroom?

Read more here.

Posted on by

Yuengling tries to survive craft beer craze by staying in the middle

yueng

When Richard “Dick” Yuengling bought the former Stroh’s brewery in Tampa Bay in 1999, no one was talking about blueberry wheat beers or India pale ales.

The then-fast-growing Pennsylvania brewing company, D.G. Yuengling & Son, was ready to expand its footprint and start selling its signature lager in the Southeast. Fast forward to now, and Yuengling is still growing, but feeling the pinch as consumers’ palates have changed and more buy craft beers from independent breweries.

Yuengling is the largest brewer in Tampa Bay and the second largest in the state behind the Anheuser-Busch InBev plant in Jacksonville. It produces up to 1.5 million barrels in Tampa every year, about half of all the beer the company produces in a year from all three of its breweries — the two others being in Pennsylvania. Yuengling is the oldest operating brewery in the country and one of the largest American-owned ones.

But times are changing. Big beer companies that sell the traditional line-up of yellow, fizzy domestic drafts at sports games, in bars and in cans at gas stations pretty much worldwide, have seen sales slide as craft breweries grow larger in number and stronger in overall market share.

Read more here.

Posted on by

Florida’s construction worker shortage is stalling development

outlet

Florida is on the verge of another building boom, but there’s just one problem: No one wants to do the work.

Construction workers are scarce for a number of reasons. Many were burned by job losses during the recession and aren’t returning to the industry. Others are turned off by low pay or don’t want to work outside in the Florida heat.

Older workers are retiring and younger people aren’t eager to take their spots. Millennials don’t see construction work as a career path, and shop class is no longer featured in high schools as it used to be.

All this is threatening to derail a surge of new development in Florida as contractors struggle to find qualified workers. It could lead to higher prices and longer buildout times — not only for homes, but for major developments like new retail plazas and condominium high-rises. Even high-profile projects like Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik’s plans to reshape downtown Tampa, and the $953 million in ongoing renovations at Tampa International Airport could be stymied.

Read more here.

Posted on by

Will slumping Canadian economy keep snowbirds away from Florida this winter?

canadian

The Florida tourism industry has an affectionate relationship with Canadian snowbirds. The retirees from Canada who flock here for the winter months have helped build a year-round, bustling tourism season.

But some economists worry that the usual influx of Canadians — who own property here, spend weeks in seaside vacation rentals and camp out in RVs across the state — may rethink their travel plans this year as their economy slumps and the U.S. dollar remains strong.

“What very well could dampen Canadian visitation this winter is how their economy contracted during the first six months of this year,” said Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida. “The good thing is it’s still cold and snowy up there, which could still drive people here. But they face some significant headwinds for their economy.”

Canada is having a rough year. The country’s unemployment rate was 7 percent in August, continuing a spiral that’s steadily grown for more than six months. Canada is facing an impending housing bubble. The loonie, or the Canadian dollar, is currently worth about 76 cents when compared with the U.S. dollar, which is about the highest rate of depreciation for Canadians since 2009.

Read more here.