ST. PETERSBURG -- Humana Cares, headquartered in St. Petersburg, is now hiring 177 additional people to handle the expansion of the company’s national chronic care management programs.
Humana Cares, which opened its doors in February 2009 with about 200 employees, will employ nearly 1,000 by the summer. About 130 of the new positions will be at the national care center in St. Petersburg and, after an initial training period, some positions include a work-at-home option.
The company is looking for registered nurses, social workers, community health educators, a registered dietician and administrative support to serve Humana commercial health plan and Medicare Advantage members. For more information about the new positions at Humana Cares or to apply online, visit www.humana.com/resources/about/careers/.
Humana Cares is also hosting an on-site job fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its Humana Cares Center, 800 Carillon Parkway, Suite 240, St. Petersburg.
Cancer Center hosts open house May 5
MANATEE -- Manatee Cancer Center, 6215 21st Ave. W., is holding an open house May 5, which will also elebrate Cinco de Mayo.
A tour of Manatee Cancer Center will give local cancer care providers, residents and elected officials an opportunity to speak with physicians and staff at the center.
The event is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. For more information, call (941) 209-0891.
SAP Sons buys office unit
SARASOTA -- SAP Sons. INC. has purchased the office unit at 3900 Clark Road, Sarasota from The Wellness Community – Southwest Florida, Inc. for $120,000.
Rico Boeras of Preferred Commercial, Inc. represented the buyer and Bruce Dilges of Hembree and Associates represented the seller.
GFS holds fundraiser for March of Dimes
MANATEE -- GFS Marketplace of Bradenton, 4605 14th St. W., will be having a fundraiser/vintage car show for the March of Dimes from 1 to 4 p.m. May 1. Admission is free.
Chamber, State College partner for online learning
MANATEE -- The Manatee Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Workforce Solutions, have launched online courses for the business community.
The classes are available to all local businesses and all of their employees. The online courses are $89 to $139 and range from accounting, finance, graphic design to health care and law. Go to www.ManateeChamber.com and click on the online classes icon on the homepage. From there you can click on education to go and explore new, popular and featured course topics.
For more information, visit www.ManateeChamber.com and click on the online classes icon or call the chamber at (941) 748-3411.
USF chiller plant has been completed
SARASOTA -- An energy and cost-saving chiller plant has been completed at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
The project involved upgrading the air-conditioning system from an air-cooled system similar to the ones found in most houses to a water-cooled and ice storage system designed for large facilities that consume most of their energy during the day. The project, which was designed by Fawley-Bryant Architects and Engineering Matrix, Inc. and built by W.G. Mills, Inc. of Sarasota, began in August 2010 and was completed this month.
Businesses boosted durable-goods orders
WASHINGTON -- Businesses increased their orders for heavy machinery, computers, autos and steel in March, boosting demand for long-lasting manufactured goods for a third straight month.
Orders for durable goods rose 2.5 percent in March, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
That’s up from a revised 0.7 percent increase the previous month.
A key category considered a proxy for business investment rose 3.7 percent in March, rebounding after a slight gain in February and a big decline in January.
Unemployment falls in 80 percent of large cities
WASHINGTON -- The unemployment rate fell last month in more than 80 percent of the nation’s largest metro areas, adding to evidence that the recent pickup in hiring is widespread.
The unemployment rate fell in 303 of the nation’s 372 largest cities in March, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That’s up from the more than the 287 cities that reported a drop the previous month and the best showing since September. The rate rose in 43 cities and was unchanged in 26.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate dipped to a two-year low of 8.8 percent in March and has dropped a full percentage point since November.
Businesses added a net total of more than 200,000 jobs in March and February, the fastest two-month hiring spree in five years.
Allstate reports surge in 1st quarter net income
NEW YORK -- Home and auto insurer Allstate Corp. said Wednesday that its profit more than quadrupled in the first quarter as it paid out less money for damage claims.
The performance handily beat Wall Street expectations. In the three months ended March 31, the Northbrook, Ill.-based company said net income climbed to $519 million, or 97 cents per share. That’s up from $120 million, or 22 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Starbucks profit up 20 percent on sales
SEATTLE -- Starbucks Corp.’s said Wednesday that its second-quarter net income jumped 20 percent as more customers visited its stores, and it bumped up its earnings forecast for the year.
The coffee giant said it earned $261.6 million, or 34 cents per share, for the quarter that ended April 3 -- meeting analysts’ average expectations. That’s up from the $217.3 million, or 28 cents per share, earned in the same quarter last year.
EBay first-quarter profit rises 20 percent
SAN FRANCISCO -- EBay Inc. on Wednesday said its first-quarter profit rose 20 percent on reinvigorated auctions activity and continued swift growth at its PayPal payment service.
Revenue from the company’s marketplace business, which is its largest and includes eBay.com, climbed 12 percent to $1.55 billion -- well ahead of the single-digit growth eBay reported in the second half of 2010.
-- Herald staff,
wire reports
