Tuesday s Afternoon Update | 5/11/2021
What a no-show El Niño might mean for this year s hurricane season
This week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. It’s a chance for people to get a head start on their prep for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. And according to the tropical storm experts at Colorado State University it’s going to be a busy one. Their latest forecast is for 17 named storms during the season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Of those 17, researchers expect eight to become hurricanes and four to reach major hurricane strength. More from the WLRNand Florida Politics.
Recurring Attraction
While a student in Florida Atlantic University’s executive MBA program, Jonathan Beskin was attracted to businesses like those known as subscription boxes, which make recurring deliveries of niche products. Beskin focused the business on women, who make up the majority of subscription box buyers. SinglesSwag was born, shipping boxes with beauty items, fashion accessories, treats, books and other goods. It doubled profit to $5 million in 2020 on a 46% increase in revenue to $15.5 million. “We have had by far our best year ever in 2020, despite the pandemic,” Beskin says.
SinglesSwag ships 40,000 boxes a month and ranks No. 181 on Inc.’s national list of fast growers and No. 9 for Florida. It employs eight full time and outsources many functions. Last year, Beskin acquired Paradise Delivered, another subscription service, this one focused on “vacation-inspired, spa-like experiences” at home.
California-based CT Realty CEO James C. “Watty” Watson estimates a more than $300 million investment in plans for a 251-acre Westlake Industrial Park distribution center along Pritchard Road.
A partnership of CT Realty and Diamond Realty Investments LLC plans to develop 3.2 million square feet among eight buildings on property purchased April 29.
CT Realty said it will be the largest speculative industrial development in Jacksonville.
Watson said May 10 that the partnership will start with a first phase of more than 1.7 million square feet among three buildings to be completed for leasing in the second quarter of 2022.
The three structures will be 1,010,350 square feet, 416,000 square feet and 320,240 square feet.