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JEFF POLVERINE of the Pepsi Bottling Group speaks Thursday at the Lakeland Economic Development Councils annual meeting.

PEPSI BOTTLING GROUP'S NEW FACILITY
Economic Development Meeting Highlights Growth

Pepsi Bottling Group showed off its new Lakeland home Thursday: an 110,000-square-foot facility at Interstate Commerce Park that will be used to refurbish thousands of vending machines and soda fountains each year. The arrival of Somers, N.Y.-based Pepsi Bottling was one of several announcements more»

BUZZING OFF
Mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder Stings Hives' Owners in Polk, Elsewhere
When The Ledger visited David Adams in December 2006, the beekeeper was just beginning his struggle with a puzzling affliction now known as Colony Collapse Disorder. more»
- Bees Disappear
Florida Tourism Numbers Are Up
The weak dollar may be helping Florida's economy as state tourism officials Thursday touted increases in visitors for the first three months of this year. (Polk County does not track visitor figures, but local hotel and vacation home rentals for the quarter totaled $48.1 million, up 14.7 percent... more»
COLOR THEM HAPPY
UPS Scores Coup With Sponsorship of Big Brown
A horse by any other name simply wouldn't have worked for UPS. Capitalizing on the buzz around thoroughbred racing's biggest event, UPS has inked a sponsorship deal with Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, who was named in honor of the shipping giant known for its distinctive brown trucks and... more»
CBS to Purchase Online News Site CNet for $1.8 Billion
NEW YORK |CBS Corp. is acquiring a big online reach with its acquisition of CNet Networks Inc., but also a company that's faced heavy criticism from investors. Those concerns as well as the hefty $1.8 billion price tag helped send CBS's shares down after the deal was announced Thursday. more»
THE INSIDER
Last Call Until Fall?
If you didn't stop by 210 City Club last weekend you probably missed your last chance for the summer. Gus Palas, owner of the downtown Lakeland wine and martini bar, said the nightspot, (which was once the site of Trader's), will at least be closed through the month of June. "We wanted to take a... more»
TALLAHASSEE
Fla. Wants Verizon Fined
Florida's attorney general is joining consumer advocates in calling for Verizon to be fined for failing to repair phone lines quickly enough. Attorney General Bill McCollum, the AARP and Florida Public Counsel J.R. Kelly are asking regulators to slap the phone company with a $6.5 million fine. They... more»
LAKELAND
Publix, Mosaic Ads Say It's Easy Being Green
Publix Super Markets and the Mosaic Co. are among two Florida firms touting their Earth-friendly practices in commercials from the Environmental Defense Fund and Florida Wildlife Federation. The ads, which are running in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, are part of a campaign to... more»
Icahn Says He Will Try To Oust Yahoo Chief
SAN FRANCISCO | Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Jerry Yang spent months fending off Microsoft Corp.'s unsolicited takeover bid. Now he may only have a few weeks to persuade the software maker to revive its last offer of $47.5 billion, or risk being fired in a shareholder mutiny led by activist investor... more»
THE MARKETS THURSDAY
Positive Economic News Sends Dow Up 94.28
NEW YORK | The stock market notched its second straight daily advance Thursday, with investors assuaged by a pullback in oil prices and some better-than-expected economic data. more»
WASHINGTON
Plane Biofuel Planned
Plane maker Airbus and diversified manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. on Thursday said they are developing a biofuel that by 2030 could satisfy nearly a third of the worldwide demand from commercial aircraft, without affecting food supplies. Along with JetBlue Airways Corp. and International... more»
Cell Headsets Have Less Bulk, Background Noise
Wireless cellphone earpieces can make people look faintly ridiculous as they stroll down the street or around the office, seemingly talking to themselves with ugly appendages sprouting from their heads. The devices' pulsing blue lights on these things can make people look like robots. And these... more»

POLK COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

(Published: Monday April 28, 2008)

DEALER RISING
Jarrett's Knowledge, Maturity to Serve Him Well in Chairman Stint
WINTER HAVEN | As auto dealers go, Brian Jarrett is an in-the-trenches type of guy, a Ford loyalist who has earned his living on car lots since his teenage years. more»
RESTAURANT STRATEGIES
In Slow Times, Mom and Pops Have the Edge
WINTER HAVEN | In an economy where people are struggling to make mortgage payments and fill gas tanks, restaurants are taking steps to prevent patrons from sliding back from the dinner table and tightening their belts another notch. more»
THE PCBJ GREEN SERIES
Executive Proud of 'Green' Investment, Looking to Do More
LAKELAND | For those who don't work in dry cleaning, who simply want the spaghetti stains removed from their pants, the massive green machine at Executive Cleaners and Launderers doesn't mean much. more»
AUTO SALES
As Economy Slows, Service and Small-Car Sales Gain Interest
AUBURNDALE | If automobile dealers got overly concerned about the bumps and hazards on the road to prosperity, they'd find another line of work. more»
FUEL PRICE CRUNCH
Fleet-Based Companies Struggle to Reduce Mileage, Costs
WINTER HAVEN | D.L. Livingston has experienced hard times in his more than 40 years in the trucking industry, but none compare to his current situation. more»
Think There's A Lot of Cars Now? The Number Will Triple By 2030
AUBURNDALE | If people are concerned now about gasoline at $4 and $5 a gallon, they'd better not gaze two decades into the future without rose-colored lenses. It may not be a pretty picture, according to Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association. more»
DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY
Ever Heard of ASI? Maybe Not, But Car Buffs in Ghana Have
LAKE WALES | It's 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday and Miguel Diaz is looking for cat urine. Yes, cat urine. No, Diaz, owner and president of ASI Chemical, doesn't have some bizarre affinity for the putrid odor of cat pee. In fact, it's quite the opposite. more»
At Event, Execs Break Down Doing Business with Wal-Mart
TAMPA | Whether you love it or hate it, Wal-Mart is a sort of holy grail for small businesses. more»
THE PCBJ PROFILE
After Stroke, Stained Glass Artist Finds Work Therapeutic
LAKELAND | For Ken Berman, the decision to pursue what he enjoyed - and somehow make a living out of it - changed everything. Berman, 44, first set out to be a doctor, a career chosen because his mother died when he was 11, not to mention it would have been steady, lucrative work. more»
IN THE OFFICE OF
At cnp_studio, Sleek D�cor Combines with Toys, Video Games
WINTER HAVEN | There's video games, action figures and a bunch of guys glued to their keyboards, but no, this isn't a computer camp for middle schoolers. It's cnp_studio. more»
HOW I GOT MY JOB
From Broke On a Bench To the Helm of Successful Dealership
LAKELAND | The turning point in Philip Joseph's life came as he was sitting on a bench outside Steak 'n Shake on Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland in 1977. more»
Commercial Building Permits
Information obtained from the Polk County Growth Management Department and the City of Lakeland. Listings include general contractor, address, project description and project value. more»