Bradenton Times News Articles

AT&T announced it has upgraded 45 cell sites in Manatee and Sarasota counties year-to-date, in order to optimize network performance and provide faster data speeds. The company says it has invested more than $425 million in their Florida wireless and wireline networks in 2011 alone.

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From an investment perspective, there’s little doubt that getting out and seeing and touching the products made by companies whose shares we buy and sell regularly is a really good way of getting a handle on consumer satisfaction and demand. Peter Lynch, the legendary investor who built Fidelity’s Magellan Fund into an industry giant, used to regularly observe that investors shouldn’t buy shares in any company whose product they couldn’t understand. more»

The "Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery" grants, also known as "TIGER" provide a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, transit and port projects that promise to achieve critical national objectives. And that is just what they will achieve in Port Manatee.  

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The Manatee Economic Development Council (EDC) recently unveiled a five-minute, sports performance video the organization will use in its recruitment missions and meetings nationally and around the globe. The video is now available for public viewing online at their website. more»

President Obama recently released his latest proposal for stimulating the American economy and to encourage hiring by employers, titled the American Jobs Act of 2011. While much of his proposal is focused on financing infrastructure improvements across the country and supporting the employment of teachers, first responders and others, there are several tax-related provisions. These various provisions are generally extensions of items already enacted, or proposals that have been on the President’s wish list for some time. more»

Early Thursday morning, the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company completed the dredging of Port Manatee's eagerly awaited Berth 12 (including the bid alternate area and the final sweep of Berth 11). The dredge California has now disconnected and is standing by for the completion surveys to begin. more»

Amid lingering double-digit unemployment and the recurring threat of a double-dip recession, there is a bright spot in the Sarasota-Manatee region. CareerEdge, a nonprofit workforce-development initiative, is helping local employers create and fill real jobs with skilled workers. It is helping incumbent workers in the healthcare sector gain new skills, and the pay raises that come with them. And it is helping the unemployed secure jobs at growing manufacturing businesses like PGT Industries. more»

The focus of attention this week will be on the potential for new Federal Reserve strategies resulting from the FOMC meeting on September 20 & 21. The equity markets rallied sharply last week due to expectations that Ben Bernanke would initiate a third round of quantitative easing (QE3). In the two previous examples (QE1 and QE2) the equity markets soared following news of aggressive Fed easing. more»

The Manatee Board of County Commissioners approved $60,000 in performance-based incentives for the company, matching a $240,000 commitment from Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund and Enterprise Zone incentive programs to lure Global Components Inc. to Manatee County. The company, a division of U.K.-based plastic component manufacturer TCB-Arrow, plans to create 50 jobs over three years. more»

The high volatility in the equity markets the past two months is due to the abrupt weakness in the U.S. economy and the risks associated with the debt crisis in Europe. The situation in the Eurozone is particularly ominous due to the fact that the banks in Germany and France own much of the sovereign debt that is in jeopardy of default.. more»