Florida Trend

09/09/2026

On Sept. 8, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés defeated a French settlement and claimed the land for Spain, naming it St. Augustine in honor of the Catholic saint.

The city is now considered the country's oldest continuously occupied European settlement, though Pensacola actually got there first before hurricanes forced a habitation gap until 1698.

This year's Founder's Day Celebration brought the Men of Menéndez ashore in chalupa boats. That same history now drives an estimated $3.8 billion and supports more than 30,000 jobs for St. Johns County each year.

Would you have guessed St. Augustine's founding started with defeating a rival colony?

City of St. Augustine - Government

09/09/2026

🌟 Big moves, big impact! Congratulations to this week's Florida Trend Movers & Influencers making waves across the state!
🏆 See who's making headlines: bit.ly/4yhs45v

Have news to share? Submit your company's movers at floridatrend.com/movers/submit

Unikwax Balfour Beatty

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

Florida is racing to protect its last wild land before developers get there first.

The Florida Wildlife Corridor connects 18 million acres of forests, rivers, ranches and farms from the Everglades to Georgia and Alabama. Ten million acres are already protected. The remaining 8 million sit mostly on ranches and farms that could be sold to developers.

State programs have helped protect more than 470,000 acres since 2021, but demand from landowners is now outpacing what the state can afford to fund.

Once this land is developed, it's gone forever. Is there an area near you that you'd hate to see disappear?

Photography by Carlton Ward, Floridamanphoto and maxharlynking



Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation Archbold Biological Station Live Wildly MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife

09/02/2026

🌟 Big moves, big impact! Congratulations to this week's Florida Trend Movers & Influencers making waves across the state!
🏆 See who's making headlines: bit.ly/4yhs45v

Advanced It

09/01/2026

📰 Our September issue is here!

Inside this month:
🌱 Connecting the Corridor: A state-supported effort to save Florida's remaining green spaces before development creeps in.
⚖️ Wastin' Away: The ugly fight over Jimmy Buffett's estate shows how even the best-laid plans can unravel.
🌊 Mote's Big Move: A showcase new aquarium unlocks a key piece in Mote Marine Lab's R&D ambitions.
🔐 Breakthroughs: The next advance in cybersecurity might not be new software; it could be a smarter solid-state drive.

➡️ Explore the digital issue & subscribe today: bit.ly/3hkdN5P

08/28/2026

From engineering grad to wh***ey founder to community builder, Darrin Eakins has been moving on his own terms since day one.

The Jacksonville entrepreneur launched Dublasé Wh***ey in 2021. Within six months, he had landed Sam's Club as his first national account. Sales were up 82% in 2025, and the brand now sells online in 38 states.

But the brand is only part of the story. When Eakins launched Dublasé, he simultaneously started a foundation to fund STEM scholarships and youth innovation in his hometown. More than $30,000 in scholarships awarded so far.

His advice for other young entrepreneurs? "Collaboration is key versus compete."

08/27/2026

Tony Massey started at $18,000 a year, sweating in the field for nine months before his first air-conditioned job. His father, Harvey Massey, made him earn it. Today, he runs Massey Services, Inc., a $411 million Orlando-based pest control company serving 1 million customers across 10 states.

The company has never implemented layoffs. It covers 80% of healthcare premiums and spent nearly $37 million on employee benefits in 2025. That's not a policy. That's a philosophy passed down from father to son.

08/26/2026

WeWork's founder is back. Adam Neumann raised $350 million from Andreessen Horowitz to build Flow, a Miami-based apartment company built around the idea that renting should feel like community living, not just a lease.

Flow now has more than 4,000 units across seven buildings, four in South Florida. Neumann plans two 32-story towers in Aventura, expansion into San Jose, and buildings in Saudi Arabia.

Is the community living model something you'd actually pay for?