Lowe’s Rising
The walls are now up on the long-awaited Lowe’s, being constructed on 42 acres of land on State Road 54 just east of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. The 152,000-square-foot store is expected to open by winter, bringing 125 jobs to the area. The store was originally planned to open in 2009, but the poor economy pushed it back a few years.
Chambers consider merger
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce has opened up talks with the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce with the idea that the two could explore “integrating membership” of the two chambers. The goal, Wesley Chapel chamber executive director Hope Allen said, would be to “build a strong organization focused on membership development, community development and economic development in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.”
The Wesley Chapel chamber’s board of directors have appointed a task force to explore the logistics and benefits of a merger, and are now conducting a due diligence review, Allen said.
“While discussions are still in their infancy, we are always interested in reviewing partnerships that enhance our business community,” Allen said, in a statement. “After the task force completes its review, the next step is to engage a broader pool of people in the discussion, including current chamber members and community leaders.”
The New Tampa chamber, founded in 2009, has a little more than 100 members. The Wesley Chapel chamber was founded in 1998, and maintains about 460 members.
It’s not clear how big a new combined chamber would be, since some businesses are members of both chambers.
A decision is expected by October.
RN job fair
Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will host an experienced RN job fair Aug. 7 from noon to 5 p.m., in the hospital’s main lobby.
Hiring managers will be on hand to try and recruit registered nurses for the hospital.
Those who apply for an open RN position before the fair can receive a welcome gift, as well as learn about open opportunities and sign-on bonuses.
New owner with Jan’s Wines & Boos II
Norma Ruckey, along with her daughter Kristen Ruckey and son T.J. Ruckey, have purchased Jan’s Wines & Boos II at 19233 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.
The location offers wine as well as a full-service bar with beer and a wide range of liquor and gourmet cheese trays.
It is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to midnight. It’s open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For information, call (813) 948-0619.
Pep Boys coming to Lutz
Construction is set to begin soon on a new Pep Boys automobile service shop on State Road 54, just blocks from Collier Parkway in Lutz.
The company is planning a 5,500-square-foot service and tire center with six service bays, according to spokeswoman Lizabeth Galantino, and will hire six people.
The land is located on the corner of State Road 54 and Catfish Lake Lane, and is currently owned by Jerry and Linda Newton of Indian Rocks Beach, according to county property records. The Newtons purchased the 1.6 acres of vacant land in 2005 for $875,000.
This would be the area’s first Pep Boys location, complementing the closest one on North Dale Mabry Highway just north of Ehrlich Road.
Pep Boys recently remodeled many of its stores, removing a lot of the sterile garage environment many locations were known for, and replacing them with lounges that include flat-screen televisions, a beverage station, and free high-speed Wi-Fi access.
The Philadelphia-based company, founded in 1921, has nearly 800 locations nationwide.
Construction jobs slowly climbing
The number of construction jobs available in the greater Tampa Bay market rose 3 percent in June compared to what it was a year ago to 58,600 workers. Yet, when compared to the rest of the state, that growth is below average, according to a new report by Associated General Contractors of America.
The Fort Walton Beach and Naples area had the largest growth in the state with a 16 percent increase in workers. However, those two areas combined have just a little more than 16,000 construction jobs, a fraction of the Tampa Bay region.
The greater Orlando area, which has the second highest number of construction jobs with 54,900, had an 8 percent increase year over year.
The state added 44,500 construction jobs since June 2013, an increase of 12 percent.
Dollar Tree buying Family Dollar
Two popular low-cost retail chains with dozens of locations locally will become one company by early next year.
Dollar Tree Inc., says it will buy Family Dollar Stores Inc., in a deal said to be worth $8.5 billion.
While both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will share the same main office, not much else is expected to change, Dollar Tree executives said in a release. Stores will continue to operate under their own banners and their own policies, creating a combined force to compete with Dollar General.
The new Dollar Tree company will have 13,000 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces, with annual sales expected to hit $18 billion.
Family Dollar operates six stories locally, including four in Zephyrhills, and a store each in Dade City and San Antonio. Dollar Tree has stores in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Zephyrhills and Dade City.
Honors for Homes by WestBay
Homes by WestBay has won three awards from the Florida Home Builders Association Sales & Marketing Council’s 2014 Excel Awards, handed out during its annual Southeast Building Conference last month.
Among its awards, Homes by WestBay won for Best Interior Merchandising of a Model Home for its model at The Biscayne at FishHawk Ranch in Lithia. It also won for Best Corporate Video and Best Website.
Homes by WestBay is a builder in several local communities, including Connerton and LakeShore Ranch.
