Laura Lyon

3 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

In 2022, Tampa General Hospital, already a top-five hospital in size with 1,040 beds and the 17th largest in the nation, set its sights on what Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute, called two "big, hairy, audacious" goals: to be the largest transplant center in the country and to perform 1,000 transplants in one year.

1 month ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

Two times Roy Kirchner, founder of Ultimate 3D Printing Store in Pasco County, didn’t think he was going to make it. Once was when he graduated from high school at a fourth grade reading level and was told he wouldn’t amount to anything. The other was in 2021, the year his company grew 355% — from four employees to 38, from 1,900 square feet of space to 65,000 square feet, handling $10 million in annual revenue. He also found himself in the hospital that year, racked with Covid for two months.

1 month ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

An entry-level job at Taco Bell 40 years ago when Kelia Bazile was in high school — she made $3.35 an hour, if her memory serves — turned out to be a career-affirming gig. Now a hospitality lifer, Bazile has hit a career milestone: she was named president of casual Italian dining brand Carrabba’s in February. Overseeing 190 locations , Bazile was appointed to the post after over a decade with the brand's parent company, Tampa-based publicly traded Bloomin' Brands.

1 month ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

Home Shopping Network’s parent company QVC has announced an update to its layoff plans. The company says 373 employees will be laid off over a 14-day period starting July 1. An additional 228 employees will remain either remotely or at the facility at 1 HSN Drive for the transition and closure, according to a release from the company. The information regarding the actual closing date of the facility was not disclosed.

1 month ago | businessobserverfl.com | Laura Lyon

Maru, the first of two concepts from South Carolina-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group, opened on the rooftop of Bayshore Gardens in Tampa May 2. The company announced last July its plans to open its first pair of restaurants in the area. The other, a sushi concept called O-Ku, is experiencing permit delays, but “we’re excited for O-Ku in the fall,” says Steve Palmer, founder and chief visionary officer for Indigo Road in an interview with the Business Observer.