Jim Stinson

Florida, Tampa, Washington, D.C., United States

Tampa Bay Business Editor at Business Observer

Reporter and Writer at Freelance

Journalist and writer. Reported on Trump White House, trucks, energy, CRE, Florida business. Former McDonald's cook. Boston U., Indiana U. ... Go Hoosiers!

Articles

Republicans saved Indiana from stagnant Democratic rule

Oct 31, 2024 | indystar.com | Jim Stinson

In her recent guest column, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat in charge of her party's gubernatorial elections committee, said Indiana needs "a governor unafraid to take on the tough issues, who will put Hoosiers first."Republican governors pushed through road projects including investment in finishing Interstate 69, U.S. 31 and more — investment free of gas tax hikes for 10 years. Indiana roads are much improved since I was a grad student and statehouse reporter in Central Indiana.
Fatalities

May 28, 2024 | ttnews.com | Rachel Graf |Hope Yen |Jim Stinson |Ken Ward Jr.

Fatalities Business, Technology, Safety, Fuel, AutonomousTesla Settles Fatal Crash Suit Ahead of California Trial Tesla reached a deal to resolve a lawsuit over the death of a Model S passenger in a 2016 crash, marking the second time in two months it has avoided a jury trial in California over a fatal wreck.
Tech company uses AI-connected program to save hospitals millions

May 8, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

To fight a computer task, one must think like a computer task. Kali Durgampudi thinks computers, ever since he earned his master's degree at the University of Central Oklahoma. His company, Apprio, was recently tasked with killing time-wasting computer jobs at one of the nation's largest hospital chains, with 10 Tampa Bay locations. Durgampudi declines to disclose the name of the hospital, but a third-party report identifies it as having 52 hospitals nationwide.
Police forces get aggressive, creative to recruit officers

Apr 30, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

When a law enforcement hiring expo was held in the Chicago last October, there were some (way) out of town guests: a pair of Bradenton police officers. The duo drove all the way north, some 1,200 miles, to recruit some experienced Illinois cops. The Bradenton cops were not turned away because the expo wasn't actually limited to Illinois police agencies. The long northern drive was seen as gutsy by other agencies, says Meredith Censullo, Bradenton Police Department public information officer.
Beef 'O' Brady's parent company buys sandwich chain, angles for growth

Apr 25, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

After he earned an accounting degree at the University of Georgia, Chris Elliott didn't go to a numbers firm. Instead, he became a store manager for Wendy's. It didn't seem like a track to executive positions at Pizza Hut, Church's Chicken, Cinnabon and now one of Tampa Bay's largest franchising outlets. But Wendy's turned out to be the just-right starting spot. It was because Elliott liked people.
Family therapist on family businesses: Policies and preparation are musts

Apr 11, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

The family that does business together needs to have policies together. That's the opinion of Dennis Jaffe, a senior research fellow at BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisors in San Francisco. Jaffe recently spoke at the third annual Resnick-Wynn Family Business Conference, held Feb. 29 at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. It's easy to understand why he is sought.
USF embraces opportunities to connect with more businesses

Apr 10, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

When he walked into his office on his first day of new job in higher education in 2022, despite already being an accomplished academic and University of South Florida executive, Eric Eisenberg had an all-too familiar concern of businesspersons — really, of anyone new on the job. How do I do this? Eisenberg, a former dean of the USF College of Arts and Sciences, had been promoted to USF senior vice president of University Community Partnerships. His mission?
Tampa siblings from noted family grow multimillion-dollar ice cream business

Apr 9, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

CompanyChill Bros. Scoop Shop. The ice cream store is locally famous, with deep roots in Tampa and plans to expand into Pinellas County. "I never thought ice cream would be the ultimate route," says Max Chillura, 29, the chief stakeholder and a University of Florida business graduate. "I worked a real estate job. I just could not stomach it."So after a date where the choice of an ice cream shop was a question, he made the decision. He laid down his vision to his family in 2019.
Study: Gen Z in Tampa Bay will pay $23K more for rent than millennials

Apr 6, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

By the time they reach the age of 30, Tampa's Generation Z will spend $23,000 more on rent than their generational predecessors, the millennials, according to a recent study by RentCafe. But the Tampa Bay kids appear to be all right, as, nationally, Gen Z will make more money than millennials — about $68,000 — by the time they hit 30. The one big hurdle for Tampa's Gen Z is they will spend almost $150,000 on rent before they hit 30, the report found.
Eager entrepreneurs aim to shake up the Tampa networking scene

Apr 5, 2024 | businessobserverfl.com | Jim Stinson

Joe Staiber cracks a big grin, when, at a recent business networking event he's asked the most basic of business networking questions: Do you have a business card? "Oh, we don't use business cards," says Joe Staiber, 25, while overseeing his March 14 networking event at the tony Motor Enclave's event center in northeast Tampa, by the executive airport. "We use Instagram."Instagram as a business card?