Volume 82 l July 2022

Weekly eConnection 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770 Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112

Membership & Members' Promotions Edition

Reserve your AD SPACE in the E-Connection Newsletter today! RESERVE HERE *All Chamber members are eligible to provide business updates, events and special member-to-member offers/discounts. The E-Connection Newsletter is distributed weekly on Fridays.*

Networking with Results!

Jeff Petracco of Wealth Builders, a longtime Chamber Trustee, discusses his business at last week’s Leads Team breakfast at the Village Inn, Walsingham Road. The Leads Team Program provides group camaraderie and the potential of new business referrals. Dozens of leads and closed business deals are reported each month. Here’s a link to learn more: https://www.centralchamber.biz/chamber-in-action/business-leads-groups

Our sincere thanks to the following businesses who joined the Chamber during the past three weeks. To learn more about them, please visit www.CentralChamber.biz

PMI Clearwater VACATION RENTAL Caio Pavanelli 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 318, Largo, FL 33770 727-601-0961 info@PMIClearwater.com www.PMIClearwater.com   Any Lab Test Now - Largo LABORATORY SERVICES Ana Garcia 13847 Walsingham Road, Suite J, Largo, FL 33774 727-754-4004 Agarcia@AnyLabTestNow.com LargoFL@AnyLabTestNow.com   i2 Solutions ELECTRICAL SERVICES - LOW VOLTAGE & FIBER OPTICS Tom Jacobs 8780 126th Avenue N, Unit D, Largo, FL 33773 239-218-9653 TJacobs@i2solutionsllc.com   Disc Centers of Largo SPINAL DECOMPRESSION Dr. Marc Rogers 405 Seminole Boulevard, Largo, FL 33770 727-481-2446 DrMJRDC@aol.com DrMarcRogers.com Coffe Amor COFFEE HOUSE David Tilten 325 W Bay Dr., Suite 4B, Largo, FL 33770 419-979-9611 coffeamor@gmail.com coffeamor.com

Saluting Chamber Loyalty! Our sincere thanks to the following businesses who renewed during the past three weeks. Their continued loyalty is inspiring! To learn more about them, please visit www.CentralChamber.biz

Belleair Village Motel – 54-Year Legacy Member Big T Printing – 2-Year Member Central Park Performing Arts Center – 9-Year Member Elison of Pinecrest – 24-Year Member Hampton Inn Pinellas Park/St. Petersburg – First Renewal Home Instead Senior Care/Be A Santa to a Senior – 9-Year Member/Gold-Tier Trustee Louis Haskel CPA, PA – 13-Year Member Melitta USA, Inc. – 17-Year Legacy Member MicroType Engineering – 3-Year Member Mutual Mortgage – 11-Year Member Oyova – 2-Year Member The Palms of Largo – 29-Year Member/Silver-Tier Trustee Panera Bread - Belleair Bluffs – 8-Year Member Panera Bread - Pinellas Park – 22-Year Legacy Member   (Legacy Member = 15 years or more)

THE NOMINATIONS DEADLINE IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, July 27! Download the nomination form here. Email all forms, resumes, letters of support, etc. to membership@centralchamber.biz Or mail the forms to the Chamber office: 801 W Bay Center, Ste 602, Largo, FL 33770

Purchase your Inspire Award Ceremony & Reception tickets here.

B2B Happy Hour at Serenity Funeral Home Be our marketing sponsor for only $100! Includes logo placement on all promotions and time at the mic. Register here

Join us for some informal networking! When: NEXT THURSDAY, July 28 at 5:30 PM Where: Serenity Funeral Home & Serenity Gardens Memorial Park 13401 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo, 33774 Register here.

Additional Copies Available 2022-2023 Go-To Guides     Your Chamber’s 2022-23 Business & Community Go-To-Guide is being distributed around the region. We’re excited to have this publication to promote all our valued members who continue to support our efforts.     A special thanks to all our advertisers!     If you would like additional copies, stop by the Chamber offices at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602, Largo daily between 9 and 2.     They’ll also be available at upcoming Chamber events.

New Member Plaque Presentation

Tom Jacobs of i2 Solutions was presented with his member plaque by Chamber President Tom Morrissette. Welcome i2 Solutions to our Chamber! Check them out in our Business Directory here for low voltage and fiber optic electrical services.

A Valued Community Service

Dr. Lisa Negrini, executive director of Learning Empowered, discusses the organization’s outreach and new St. Petersburg headquarters during a community breakfast it held last week at Just Add Power in Seminole. Chamber President Tom Morrissette was among the guests. Learning Empowered provides supportive, educational programming to foster life-long learning and growth for families in the community. It has been a member of the Chamber for 5-years and host location Just Add Power has been with us since 2009.

Florida TaxWatch looks at Census 2020 and what Florida's business and community leaders need to know The report builds on the taxpayer research institute’s extensive work on the 2020 Census, focusing on how the recently reported 3.48 percent undercount – nearly 750,000 people – significantly impacts Florida’s taxpayers. Florida Trend Exclusive Miami's non-profit women's shelter Lotus House creates Children's Village as resource for survivors of domestic violence The Children’s Village will also serve as home to other community-based non-profits offering resources and programming to both sheltered and neighborhood children. Mortgage demand drops to a 22-year low as higher interest rates, inflation crush Central Florida homebuyers Consumers got hit with a double whammy. Interest rates have doubled. They started at 2.73% a year ago. Now they’re at 5.52%. For consumers, buying power has almost been cut in half. Not a scam: Receive a $450 check in the mail from Gov. DeSantis? Don’t toss it, cash it After Floridians began receiving $450 checks in the mail from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, they wanted to know: Is it a scam? Tourism is booming in Tampa Bay. Can the labor market keep up? The hospitality industry, long plagued by low wages and high turnover rates, reckons with how to retain employees and attract new talent.

Thank you to our Trustees and Newsletter Sponsors

Bay Care/Morton Plant Hospital Business & Family Insurors Check Before Hire Cloud Law Firm PA Duke Energy Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Home Instead/Be a Santa Jackson & Associates CPA Melody Hunter, Charles Rutenberg Realty National Aviation Academy

Nova Southeastern University - Tampa Bay Piper Fire Protection Platinum Information Services Regions Bank Spectrum Reach The Palms of Largo Valley National Bank Village Inn Wealth Builders

The Weekly E-Connection is made possible by the following generous sponsors:

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