Local businesses boast successful events
The Connerton community on U.S. 41 recently treated 700 guests to an extended holiday celebration with its July Fifth Big Event — an old-fashioned neighborhood party in its new town community.
The event included local bands, food trucks, games, and 30 minutes of holiday fireworks.
Also having a successful recent event was Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care for its first Founder’s Day celebration in New Port Richey. More than 150 people attended.
The program celebrated 25 years of the company, which was originally founded as Central Gulfside Hospice in 1988.
Watch N’ Play comes to Radiant
David and Aggie Gainer of Land O’ Lakes will compete with Redbox with a new Watch N’ Play kiosk at Radiant stores in the area.
The first has opened at the Radiant on the corner of Collier Parkway and State Road 54, with a second location in the next couple months at a new store under construction near State Road 54 and Interstate 75 near the entrance to The Grove shopping center in Wesley Chapel.
The kiosk offers new DVD movies and video games 28 days ahead of Redbox, David Gainer said, as well as the ability of customers to purchase movies and games directly from the kiosk.
The franchise, also owned by Selma Jones and Keisha Jones, plans to open seven locations in Pasco and northern Hillsborough counties over the next year, joining more than 190 Watch N’ Play locations at Radiant nationally.
The Pasco locations are the first in Florida for the service.
Marketing summit in Tampa
The Tampa Bay Marketing Summit will take place Aug. 8 beginning at 8:45 a.m., at Mainsail Conference Center, 5108 Eisenhower Blvd., in Tampa.
The event is hosted by EMSI in Wesley Chapel, which provides news content for print and online news outlets, as well as television and radio talk shows.
For information, visit TampaBayMarketingSummit.com, or call Marsha Friedman at (727) 443-7115, Ext. 201.
Florida Traditions acquisition finalized
Home BancShares Inc., the parent company of Centennial Bank, has finalized its acquisition of Florida Traditions Bank, and its branches located in eastern Pasco and Hillsborough counties, among other places.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but previous published reports put the sale at $43 million in stock. The combined Centennial Bank will now boast $7 billion in total assets, and $5.5 billion in total deposits in nearly 150 branches in Florida, Arkansas and Alabama.
Bud Stalnaker, the chief executive of Florida Traditions, will stay on with the new Centennial as division president for Central Florida.
Florida Traditions was founded in 2007 by a group of East Pasco County business owners who saw a need for a locally owned and locally managed bank, according to the company’s website. It had eight branches in Zephyrhills, Dade City, Spring Hill, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Plant City, Kissimmee and St. Cloud.
Pasco EDC annual banquet
The 2014 Pasco Economic Development Council annual banquet will be Sept. 2 beginning at 5 p.m., at Saddlebrook Resort Grand Pavilion, 5700 Saddlebrook Way in Wesley Chapel.
Cost is $75 per person.
For more information, or to make a reservation, call (813) 926-0827, or email .
EDI2 needs applicants
Hillsborough County’s Economic Development Innovation Initiative will stop taking applications for its fourth funding cycle Aug. 1.
The program is developed to drive the growth of technology and innovation at start-up companies and small businesses. It encompasses the need for financial, technical and infrastructure support, and addresses the Hillsborough County Commission’s support of the business community.
Since its launch last year, 55 applicants have received just under $600,000 in funds to support the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem through support of events, industry promotions and service providers.
For information, visit HillsboroughCounty.org/EDI2, or call Jennifer Whelihan at (813) 272-6217.
‘Dancing With Our Stars’ returns
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will once again host “Dancing With Our Stars,” with a performance scheduled for Oct. 18.
The chamber still has a few dance slots to fill, as well as a need for volunteers to help behind the scenes for the “stars” who will be trained by dance professionals to perform a short routine.
The overall winner will be based on monetary votes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting arts programs in the community.
To participate, volunteer or even sponsor, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.
Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.
For information, call (813) 073-1657.
