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Weekly E-Connection
801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602
Largo, Florida 33770
Tel: 727-584-2321 www.CentralChamber.biz
It's Great to Belong!
Membership Edition
May 26, 2026
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Springtime Expo Reflections
It was all about networking and fun at last week's Business in Springtime Expo. Thanks to everyone who took part - our sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and guests!
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Top Expo Honors!
The creativity that went into this year's array of exhibits was inspiring, many keeping with the theme "Spring - A Time of New Beginnings."
A trio of judges representing Chamber Ambassadors had the tough job of selecting our annual exhibitor award recipients. They are, from front row left, Sherry Yagovane of Lighthouse of Pinellas for Most Interactive, Melissa Fusillo and Chris Cook of Regions Bank for Best in Show, and Carla Robinson of Professional Systems Printing & Promotions for Most Original.
Our Ambassador judges, back row, are Kris Belvis of Applied Innovation, Dan Coates of Primerica Advisors and Tim Caldwell of Applied Innovation.
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Saluting Chamber Loyalty!
Our sincere thanks to the following businesses who renewed their membership with us during the past five weeks. Their loyalty is inspiring! For more about them, please visit: www.CentralChamber.biz
Advanced Impact Technologies, 7-Year Member
Bill Campbell State Farm Insurance, 40-Year Legacy Member
Compass Self Storage – Belcher, 2-Year Member
Elison of Pinecrest, 28-Year Legacy Member
First Citizens Bank, 7-Year Member
Hampton Inn & Suites-Largo, 20-Year Legacy Member
Heartland Institute of Financial Education, 7-Year Member
Holiday Inn Express-Clearwater, 27-Year Legacy Member
Home Instead Senior Care, 11-Year Member & Trustee
Largo Glass, Inc., 5-Year Member
LegalShield/IDShield, 11-Year Member
Melitta USA, Inc., 21-Year Legacy Member
Nourish-Her, First Renewal
Optimum Healthcare, First Renewal
Peter Wittwer Global Logistics, 19-Year Legacy Member
Piper Fire Protection - A Fortis Brand, 18-Year Legacy Member & Trustee
Raymond James & Associates, 28-Year Legacy Member
Schooner Prints, Inc., 41-Year Legacy Member
Slyce Pizza Bar, 13-Year Member
Sugar Creek Mobile Home Community, 44-Year Legacy Member
The Barrington, 3-Year Member
Vacation Village RV Resort, 13-Year Member
(Legacy Member = 15+ Years)
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Celebrating our Ambassador of the Month
Kris Belvis, center, of Applied Innovation was recognized by The Ambassadors earlier this month for achieving the most outreach service on behalf of the Chamber in April. Thanks, Kris!
If you'd like to meet other businesses while helping to promote the Chamber, The Ambassadors is for you! The group meets the first Wednesday monthly from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Reach out to Tom for more: Tom@CentralChamber.biz.
| | We’re pleased to welcome the following as part of our growing network of businesses and community leaders. We encourage everyone to connect with them, learn more about their services, and show them a warm Chamber welcome. | | |
All Pet Care
Lynda Wysong
VETERINARIANS
1453 Sunset Pt Road
Clearwater, FL 33755
727- 442-9111
lynda.wysong@cvpco.com
allpetcare.com
Colonial Life
Joseph Bernabei
INSURANCE
13799 Park Blvd N, Suite 119
Seminole, FL 33776
727-415-0683
joseph.bernabei@coloniallifesales.com
Direct Auto Insurance
Miguel Diaz
INSURANCE
13256 66th Street N.
Largo, FL 33773
727-207-2428
Miguel.Diaz@DirectAuto.com
www.DirectAuto.com
Empanadas Express
Laura Guastella
RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, CAFES
410 Waters Ave
Tampa, FL 33782
727-546-6693
empanetLLC@gmail.com
www.Empanet.US
Graze Craze Largo
Kimberly Mason
CATERERS
2480 East Bay Drive, Unit 31
Largo, FL 33771
727-380-4050
kim.mason@grazecraze.com
grazecraze.com
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Moe's Original BBQ
Janeen Fairhurst
RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, CAFES
10801 Starkey Rd, Suite 3
Largo, FL 33777
727-256-0110
janeen@moesoriginalbbq.com
moesoriginalbbq.com/seminole
ONICON Incorporated
Rob Neumann
MANUFACTURER
11451 Belcher Road S, Largo, FL 33773
727-447-6140
rneumann@onicon.com
www.onicon.com
Poblano Mexican Grill & Bar, Inc.
Juan Yannuzzi
RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, CAFES
2659 Roosevelt Blvd., Unit 107, Clearwater, FL 33760
727-221-7860
PoblanosClearwater@gmail.com
www.PoblanosMex.com
Professional Appliance Repair
Viktoriia Kotsiuba
APPLIANCE REPAIR
3337 Hickorywood Way
Tarpon Springs, FL 34688
727-361-9800
lanagroupint@gmail.com
profapplianceservice.com
St. Petersburg College
Lisa Borzewski
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
P.O. Box 13489
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
727-394-6110
borzewski.lisa@spcollege.edu
www.SPCollege.edu
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Lawmakers complete budget deals, set for vote Friday - House and Senate leaders reached a final deal on the state budget late Sunday night, the last step in an extended process that required a special session to complete for the second year in a row. The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 will be nearly $115 billion, less than the Senate’s preferred budget but not the $113.6 billion plan preferred by the House. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Homeowners insurance in Florida has increased by how much? - A new report found that Florida homeowners’ insurance premiums rose nearly double the national average between 2021 and 2025. Across the United States, homeowners insurance premiums increased an average of 38 percent, while in Florida, premiums shot up 75 percent during the same period, according to a report from national nonprofit group the Coalition for an Insurable Future. There’s no consensus on what’s driving Florida’s soaring insurance rates. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
3 Florida beaches make Dr. Beach annual Top 10 list - It’s been a few years since Florida nabbed the top spot in the annual Dr. Beach Top 10 beaches in the U.S. list, but with three Sunshine State strips of sand making the list in 2026, that wait could be ending soon. Just not this year. Instead, the 2026 title goes to Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, as determined by Stephen Leatherman, a professor at Miami’s Florida International University. He came up with his Dr. Beach list in 1991. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
In Florida, an agricultural town in need of an economic boost eyes hyperscale data centers - For much of its existence, Indiantown has derived its identity from the land. The tiny community between Lake Okeechobee and Palm Beach is part of Florida’s heartland, a bountiful agricultural region encircling the state’s largest lake. Here, ranchers and farmers raise cattle, rice, sod, vegetables such as lettuce, celery, corn and, most notably, sugarcane. The region has remained relatively untouched by the explosive growth and development that has enveloped much of modern Florida. Now, Indiantown is bracing for a new potential crop: hyperscale data centers. [Source: Inside Climate News]
What’s in a name? Hurricane season starts Sunday and here are the storm names for 2026 - There are 26 letters in the alphabet but only 21 are set aside each year for potential tropical storm and hurricane names in areas tracked by the National Hurricane Center. The names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season are Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. There are no names for Q, U, X, Y and Z, and each of the 21 names alternate from female to male. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Rays CEO: Work to finalize ballpark deal won’t include financial concessions [Orlando Sentinel] - Taking a quick break from talks with Tampa and Hillsborough County officials to attend to the more fun part of the job — watching his majors-best team play the Yankees — Rays CEO Ken Babby said there is still “a lot of work to be done” in finalizing agreements to fund construction of a new ballpark. But he made clear that work would not include any substantial changes to the financial terms laid out in the nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was approved by the governing bodies of both municipalities.
Blue Origin to expand Florida campus with new $600 million facility [Reuters] -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday announced a $600 million expansion of Blue Origin's Rocket Park campus in Cape Canaveral. The expansion comes as Blue Origin rival, Elon Musk's SpaceX, prepares to go public targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion. The new 830,000-square-foot upper stage manufacturing facility will support 500 aerospace jobs, with an average salary of more than $98,000.
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