Charlie Green, Lee County Clerk of Court, is in the midst of cutting positions even while fees are soaring and there is a huge backlog of foreclosures in the system.

Clerks vs. courts

New state laws pit county clerks of court against the judiciary, which got more money by getting the clerks’ funds, resulting in higher fees, slower service and plenty of wounds.

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top headlines

• Homeowner measure stirs critics
• T. Rowe Price buys land in Pasco
• Lee County foreclosures decrease
• Bonita Bay group offers takeover terms

New technology for Lee County tourism

The travel industry was one of the first to be rocked by the recession. So companies that specialize in lowering the cost of vacation packages have grown in demand.

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FDIC approves Naples bank merger

In the midst of the credit collapse and tightening federal standards, opening a bank on the Gulf Coast has been all but impossible.

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Healthcare group reports fast growth

Outsourcing continues to drive up the balance sheet for one Lehigh Acre company.

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Environmental Biotech sees change

Perhaps Manatee County truly is in the process of changing its reputation toward business, even if it is only the chamber.

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Tax break for a Lee County business

In a move to spark fiscal growth, the Lee County Office of Economic Development has been approved to provide tax incentives to area businesses.

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Katherine Robinson, who has worked in human resources for Gulf Coast banks for nearly 30 years, now speaks to groups in the area about overcoming hard times. One of her presentations is called Advantageous Adversity.

No More Pity Parties

Think you’ve got it bad? Katherine Robinson, a now out-of-work Gulf Coast banking executive who really knows about having it bad, is here to help.

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Mark Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, believes an economic strategy will help Florida transition back to growth.

Game Plan

Working with businesses, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has, for the first time, come up with an economic road map to get the state to a healthy, long-term growth mode.

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Paul Mongerson is tired of wading through opinionated blogs. Unbiased, accurate and well-edited blogs could displace struggling newspapers, he says.

Go Read a Blook

Paul Mongerson, 86, wants to shake up the blogosphere. Tired of reading opinions, the retired Fortune 500 chief executive just wants the facts.

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Roger Branton, a senior executive with Sarasota-based xG Technology, hopes the company’s technology for using the Internet to make cell phone calls will with revolutionize the mobile phone industry.

A Gulf Coast technology company, courtesy of a major investment from a Swedish billionaire, saw its revenues grow more than 5,000% in one year. Now, after a decade lurking in the background, the company is going into attack mode.

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Tony DiBenedetto, founder and chief executive officer of Tribridge in Tampa, is one of a number of companies that have continued to grow despite the slower economy.

Winning FORMULAS

Yes, the softer economy has affected all businesses, but some Gulf Coast firms have carved a niche in an industry in demand and have continued to grow.

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Physicist-turned-entrepreneur Aharon Friedman recently launched Healthy Chocolate, a Bradenton-based manufacturing company that makes a sugar-free dark chocolate nugget.

Choco-preneur

A physicist set out to create something kids can use to help them eat healthier. He ended up inventing a natural kind of chocolate, which is now made on the Gulf Coast.

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