We're Chamber Strong! Edition E-Connection

Volume 40 l September 2021

Weekly eConnection

801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770

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

We're Chamber Strong! Edition

FINAL DAY! Individual tickets $49.75 - purchase here

BioLife Plasma Services Ribbon-Cutting

Last week we celebrated BioLife Plasma Services - Largo location with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony! Thank you to Mayor Woody Brown for celebrating with us. Thank you to Advanced Video Systems for the photos and video.

Welcome new members!

Your Chamber has welcomed about a dozen new members in the past month! In the photo above we see some of them posing with their member plaques. From left, Larry Wilmoth with Joe's NY Pizzeria & Restaurant, Jay Ratwani with Options Medical Weight Loss and Dianna Grimm with PT Solutions. It's great to belong!

RECOGNIZING MANUFACTURING DAY! Largo Mayor Woody Brown, center, presents the Chamber with a City of Largo proclamation acknowledging manufacturing and its impact on our regional economy. National Manufacturing Day is this Friday, Oct. 1. Joining in the presentation, from left, Largo City Commissioners Eric Gerard, Michael Smith and Jamie Robinson, David Puckett of GTE Financial, Mayor Brown, Jake Prokop of Pinellas Technical College, Collin Bottolfson of Gulfside Wealth, Chamber President Tom Morrissette, Largo Commissioner Donna Holck, Largo City Manager Henry Schubert, and Largo Economic Development Coordinator Isabella Nunez. The Chamber will be coordinating several activities to commemorate Manufacturing Day. Look for more in next week’s E-Connection.

Annual North Pinellas County College & Career Fair

A great opportunity for businesses to reach potential new hires or customers and network with fellow professionals!

Where: Countryside High School

When: October 11th, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Registration fee: $50

For information on how to register, please follow this link https://www.pcsb.org/Domain/12787

Are you a people person and interested in welcoming new members to our Chamber? Then join us at the Ambassadors Committee Orientation

on October 6th, at 8 am!

Coffee An' Networking

When: October 14th @ 7:45 a.m.

Where: Serenity Funeral Home, 13401 Indian Rocks Rd., Largo 33774

Start off your day with some informal networking and a fun

"get to know you" round robin. Free for members;

$25 for non-members.

COVID-19 deaths, infections continue to fall in Florida

Florida’s fever may have finally broken. New COVID-19 infections continue to fall, dropping to about 8,000 cases per day. And for the first time in 10 weeks, the number of coronavirus deaths has fallen.

Florida’s major theaters mount comebacks, but with COVID-era guest policies enforced

Last week, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa’s Straz Center were two major theater venues in the Sunshine State to announce new COVID-19-era guest policies.

Hurricane Sam has strengthened to a Category 4. It hasn’t made a major turn yet

As predicted, Hurricane Sam now blows with Category 4, 145 mph winds according to the National Hurricane Center. It still should miss Florida after it turns. But, that hasn’t happened yet.

DeSantis hikes surgeon general salary by 72%, as other agency heads get increases, too

Florida’s new surgeon general received a pay raise of 72% compared with his predecessor, as leaders of several state agencies under Gov. Ron DeSantis saw their paychecks grow last week under a hike approved by the Legislature this year.

Afghan refugees could resettle in South Florida soon

In the coming months, South Florida may be an unlikely landing place for an unknown number of Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban regime.