Corporate Report: September 27

i9 Sports franchisee grows southern territories
Former heavyweight boxer Larry Jackson has purchased and started operating the i9 Sports franchise territories in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Jackson began his career with i9 Sports as a coach in 2006 before becoming an owner in Manatee County in 2008. The expansion more than doubles the number of kids in his league from 1,350 to almost 3,000. As part of the expansion, Jackson goes from managing one location to seven and will double his staff from 15 to 30.

Founded in 2003, Riverview-based fitness franchise i9 Sports has franchises in 30 states, and reported $5.4 million in 2012 revenues to the Business Observer. It offers flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball and cheerleading.

Tampa's Amscot Financial opens two new branches
Tampa-based Amscot Financial has opened new branch locations in Ormond Beach and Coral Springs. This brings the total number of Amscot Financial branches to 221.

The new Ormond Beach branch is located at 1425 W. Granada Blvd., near the intersection with North Williamson Boulevard. The Coral Springs branch is in the Ramblewood Square shopping center at 1307 N. University Drive.

Founded in 1989, Amscot Financial employs more than 2,000 people. It has operations in 20 Florida counties, including Hillsborough, Manatee Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota.

Cruise line docking second ship from Port of Tampa
Royal Caribbean International has announced plans to deploy a second ship at the Port of Tampa beginning in fall 2014. Royal Caribbean International has been operating one ship at the port during winter cruise seasons since January 2002. Brilliance of the Seas, which will sail seasonally four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises, will now be joined by a second Royal Caribbean ship, Vision of the Seas, which will offer seven-night Western Caribbean cruises, throughout winter 2014-15.

“The Port of Tampa has been a great partner for more than a decade, and we look forward to continued growth with the Tampa Port Authority in the future,” Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, says in a press release.

There will now be six cruise ships that homeport in Tampa. More than a million passengers are expected to pass through the port, the largest number in the port's 31-year history as a cruise port.

Tampa's DOW Electronics buying Shifting Sands Stereo
Tampa-based DOW Electronics has purchased certain assets and the operations of Dania-based Shifting Sands Stereo Distributing Inc.

This acquisition is expected to bring DOW Electronics an additional distribution location, customer list, vendor relationships and employees with industry knowledge of consumer electronics and custom integration products.

“This acquisition better positions our company as a leading Southeast consumer electronics and custom integration distributor by providing us with stronger technical knowledge and a broader product offering to help better serve our existing and future customer base,” John Yodzis, executive vice president of DOW Electronics, says in a press release.

The 54-year-old DOW Electronics is a wholesale audio and video technology distributor focusing on independent retail businesses. It currently has 154 employees operating out of 14 sales and distribution locations servicing nine Southeast states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Formed in 1988, Shifting Sands Stereo Distributing Inc. is a distributor of audio, video, home theater and control systems.

Cale America signs distribution deal with Minnesota engineering firm
Tampa-based Cale America Inc. has entered into a distribution agreement with automation engineering firm IQa Engineering LLC.

IQa Engineering will be responsible for selling and supporting Cale products and services in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and parts of Wisconsin. The firm already partners with 3M for its off-street products and Daktronics for digital signage products.

The Blaine, Minn.-based engineering firm specializes in factory automation and industrial control systems, including parking and access-control projects.

Celebrity chef Emeril films show at Beach Bistro
The Beach Bistro will be featured in a future episode of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's 13-part “Emeril's Florida” television series. The Food Network show and Lagasse filmed at the Holmes Beach restaurant earlier this month.

“Two locations and six dishes in, he was praising my rack of lamb,” Sean Murphy, owner of the Beach Bistro and operating partner/founder of Eat Here restaurants, says in a press release. “He loved the Bistro Bouillabaisse, and he told me that the Bistro's Food Heaven was amazing and that I should be locked up for being crazy enough to imagine a dish with lamb, butter-poached lobster and foie gras all on one plate.”