Business Observer

Entrepreneurs

October 28, 2026

Hoffmann buys Naples yacht club

The business empire with local roots has added the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club to its ever-growing lists of companies.

October 21, 2026

With over 10M followers, viral Manatee toy store owner rides squishy fame wave

Fidget Toys Plus owner Faith Bench is a teacher-turned-entrepreneur who has become a global sensation for her videos of sensory toys and pioneering an activity called fidget trading.

September 11, 2026

Work to begin on $15M luxury car and social club in Sarasota

Scott Stevenson recently began accepting memberships for Sarasota Motor Club, which will offer a place for car enthusiasts to gather and store their luxury, exotic or collector vehicles.

September 9, 2026

Madeira Beach boutique damaged by Helene reopens two years later

Hubbard’s Marina’s shop in John’s Pass Village in Pinellas County is back after suffering structural damage and facing delays in construction work.

Healthcare

October 28, 2026

VA commissions 135K-square-foot outpatient clinic in Sarasota County

Construction is expected to start at the Lakewood Ranch Boulevard site in summer 2027, with the project's completion projected for summer 2029.

October 23, 2026

$23M Tampa health firm pursues deal for telehealth, drone delivery tech

DataMEDS AI’s proposed acquisitions and licensing agreements would expand its digital health platform, with one partner seeking a 19.9% ownership stake.

October 19, 2026

Chewy Vet Care opening clinic in Manatee County

The Parrish location will mark the ninth veterinary clinic in Florida for Chewy.

Residential Real Estate

October 28, 2026

Naples-based brokerage names next CEO

Budge Huskey, the CEO of Premier Sotheby's International Realty, will turn over leadership of the firm in 2027.

October 27, 2026

Builder plans 825-home community in south Sarasota County

More than 800 homes will be built between Englewood and Wellen Park by the end of 2029, according to Pat Neal, owner of Neal Communities.

October 22, 2026

Gulf-front Naples mansion sells for $71M in off-market sale

The waterfront estate spans more than 9,500 square feet under air-conditioning and was just completed in 2026.

$7.7B insurance firm acquisition backstory: meet the (AI) speed of the moment

The Baldwin Group, in conversations that began in April, put together a $7.7 billion deal to sell itself and go private to adjust to new industry realities.

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