Equine Outreach

    SPOTLIGHT

    Marion County is often called the Horse Capital of the World, with the equine industry creating nearly 21,700 direct and indirect jobs in the county and 195,000 acres dedicated to the horse business, according to the American Horse Council.

    With equine workers often facing a lack of access to health care, AdventHealth Ocala has started a Harnessing Health: Equine Worker Health Initiative to bring medical care directly to workers.

    The initiative will include a mobile clinic where workers can have physicals and point-of-care tests. Also included in the initiative is funding for a bilingual health care navigator who will travel to farms and other locations to provide outreach and help workers navigate the health care system, says Amy Mangan, executive director of the AdventHealth Ocala Foundation.

    AdventHealth Ocala continues to take donations and will be able to extend the program’s outreach once the mobile clinic is purchased. Leaders hope to secure $350,000 to buy the mobile clinic, Mangan says. The foundation had raised nearly $100,000 by early July.

    Next year, primary care residents at AdventHealth Ocala will work with the health care navigator to provide care to equine workers through the program.

    RELOCATION

    • ATP, the group that oversees the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour, both related to men’s professional tennis, will move its headquarters from Ponte Vedra Beach to Atlantic Beach and downsize from 28,000 square feet to 9,500 square feet atop of the Grand Ocean building. The organization says it needs less space due to more hybrid and remote jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic.

    DEFENSE

    • The U.S. Transportation Command has awarded a $2.3-billion, seven-year contract to Jacksonville-based Crowley to continue to provide military transportation and logistics under the Defense Freight Transportation Services program. Crowley says that it will continue to use small business and diverse suppliers, including more than $600 million in small business contracting. The original contract was awarded to Crowley in 2017.

    DEVELOPMENT

    • The Phoenix Arts & Innovation District has received a $5.5-million incentive package from the City of Jacksonville’s Office of Economic Development. It also received approval for the rezoning of its planned unit development to allow commercial and multifamily residential uses. Called PHXJAX, the district includes 10 separate properties across 8.3 acres in the North Springfield neighborhood and will include event spaces, artist studios, retail and restaurants.

    COMMERCE

    • JaxPort recently hosted the inaugural Puerto Rico-Jacksonville Ports and Partners Summit in San Juan. Port leaders say Jacksonville handles 90% of all sea trade between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. Other Jacksonville-based event participants included Crowley, Tote Maritime Puerto Rico and Trailer Bridge.

    EDUCATION

    • Kent Fuchs is now the interim president of the University of Florida. Benjamin Sasse, who had been at the helm of the school since February 2023, resigned after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy. Fuchs was president of UF from 2015 to 2023.
    • The University of North Florida will now offer a doctor of health administration degree as well as a Ph.D. in computing. The programs start this fall.

    TRANSPORTATION

    • The Jacksonville Transportation Authority broke ground on the Autonomous Innovation Center at LaVilla, which will serve as the command-and-control center to store, repair and maintain Jacksonville’s electric autonomous mobility system. The center is part of an initiative to introduce autonomous vehicles by next year.

    HEALTH CARE

    • Marion County is often called the Horse Capital of the World, with the equine industry creating nearly 21,700 direct and indirect jobs in the county and 195,000 acres dedicated to the horse business, according to the American Horse Council.The UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital opened over the summer. It includes 150,000 square feet and has 10 inpatient rooms and 10 emergency department rooms, as well as four operating rooms.

    ACQUISITIONS

    • The engineering firm Prime AE, with locations in 10 states, has acquired Connelly & Wicker of Jacksonville. Connelly & Wicker focuses on civil engineering, highway engineering and design, and landscaping architecture, among other areas.

    AI

    • Duos Technologies Group of Jacksonville has formed Duos Edge AI, which will aim to provide AI data centers in rural areas. Doug Recker will head the subsidiary. Duos Technologies focuses on railroad safety technology.

    CREDIT UNIONS

    • Sam Inman is now CEO of Community First Credit Union of Jacksonville. He takes the place of John Hirabayashi, who retired this summer. Inman was previously CFO and chief risk officer for Community First, which has $2.7 billion in assets and 175,000 members.

    NONPROFITS

    • Nathan Stanley was named executive director of Jacksonville’s Seamark Ranch, which provides a home environment and therapy for more than 150 children. He previously managed the Latin American region for Samaritan’s Purse.