Membership Edition E-Connection

Volume 110 l January 2023

Weekly eConnection

801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770

Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112

Membership Edition

One week left to purchase your tickets! Click the link below

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Coffee An' Networking at Serenity Funeral Home

More than 50 business joined us at our first Coffee An' Networking event of the year! A big shout out to Serenity Funeral Home and Serenity Gardens Memorial Park for hosting us. Thank you to our sponsors Piper Fire Protection and Cloud Law Firm, P.A. for making this event possible, and thank you everyone for coming! Check out the video here.

Photos courtesy of Stacy Gillis, Advanced Video Systems.

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

B&D's Junk Removal

JUNK REMOVAL

Bradley Rice

2020 Coronet Lane, Clearwater, FL 33764

727-744-3113

[email protected]

www.BDsJunkRemoval.com

Fibrenew Largo

RESTORATION - LEATHER, PLASTIC, VINYL

Vazrik Sahakian

516 Garland Avenue, Seffner, FL 33584

813-809-7301

[email protected]

www.fibrenew.com/largo

Ink Godz Tattoo Largo

TATTOOS

Neil Marcus

800 East BayDrive, Largo, FL 33770

813-580-6442

[email protected]

www.InkGodzTattoo.com

Innovative Education Services, LLC

EDUCATION SERVICES

Donald Wix

660 Shore Drive, Largo, FL 33771

727-455-3480

[email protected]

www.challenge-island.com/stpete/

Mod Wash

CAR WASHES & DETAILERS

Edgar Torres

4700 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33764

727-228-0362

[email protected]

www.ModWash.com

Planet Fitness

HEALTH & FITNESS CLUB

Zoey Cupps

11912 Seminole Blvd., Suite B, Largo, FL 33778

727-286-5031

[email protected]

www.PlanetFitness.com/gyms/largo-FL

Sam's Club #6420

RETAIL STORE

Raquel Reuda

2575 Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33765

727-791-8081

[email protected]

www.samsclub.com/club/clearwater-fl-sams-club/6420

Synovus Bank

BANKS & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Roy Muro

7490 Bryan Dairy Road, Largo, FL 33777

727-824-8729

[email protected]

www.Synovus.com

Virtual Career Institute International

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Jennifer Williams

5250 Neil Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33714

813-415-8110

[email protected]

www.VCIIntl.com

YouFit

HEALTH & FITNESS

Rylee Ableman

1111 Missouri Avenue, Largo, FL 33770

727-228-9500

[email protected]

www.youfit.com

Saluting Chamber Loyalty!

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

Advanced Video Systems – 2-Year Member

Britten Periodontics – 8-Year Member

Century 21 Commercial Coastal Alliance – First Renewal

Cloud Law Firm, PA – 6-Year Member, Gold Trustee

Gulf Coast Consulting, Inc. – 15-Year Legacy Member

Holiday Inn Express and Suites – 15 Year Legacy Member

Infinium Medical, Inc. – 15 Year Legacy Member

Keiser University – 14-Year Member

McDonald Pest Control – 7-Year Member

Melody Hunter Homes – 15 Year Legacy Member, Gold Trustee

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union – 7-Year Member

National Aviation Academy – 10-Year Member, Gold Trustee

Office Services 101, LLC – 8-Year Member

Options Medical Weight Loss – First Renewal

Palms of Pinellas Apartments – 4-Year Member

Professional Systems Printing & Promotions – 4-Year Member

PSTA – 14-Year Member

Sheraton Sand Key Resort – 41-Year Legacy Member

Spectrum Reach – 5-Year Member

St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater – 4-Year Member

Shumaker Advisors – 2-Year Member

Tommy's Express - Missouri Avenue – 2-Year Member

VSL Computers – 3-Year Member

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

When: Tuesday, January 31

4 - 6 PM

Where: Planet Fitness

11912 Seminole Blvd.,

Suite B, Largo 33778

The NSU Tampa Bay Regional Campus International Dental Program is now open and ready to provide affordable services to community patients. Thirty-eight experienced dentists and orthodontists, with years of experience and from 17 different countries, were selected to study American dentistry at the Clearwater Campus and provide service to community members. The services provided are ideal for uninsured adults, veterans, and seniors. Learn more at NSU Health's Clearwater Dentistry Office | NSU Health (nova.edu)

COVID surge on the wane in Florida: Here's why

Hospitals statewide are discharging more COVID patients than they’re admitting. Infections are not rising. And there are now two Florida locales where coronavirus in sewage is disappearing.

Florida jobless rate down to 2.5 percent

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released a report Friday that showed the December rate down from 2.6 percent in November and from 3.5 percent in December 2021. About 271,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed last month from a workforce of 10.76 million.

Florida businesses open pop-up shopping area after being impacted by Ian

Months after Hurricane Ian devastated areas in southwest Florida, the city of Sanibel is hoping a recently passed resolution will allow impacted businesses to get back on their feet.

Hurricane Ian left derelict boats in its wake. That caused one marina's business to transition from recreational to recovery.

It's been nearly four months since Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's coast, leaving a terrible path of destruction in its wake. And the cleanup is nowhere near over.

Icon of the Seas dome an engineering feat for world’s next largest cruise ship

Royal Caribbean and the shipbuilders tackling what will be the world’s largest cruise ship performed a Herculean task to get the most prevalent feature in place for the Florida-bound Icon of the Seas.