Business briefs
MANATEE -- Average retail gasoline prices in the Bradenton-Sarasota area have gone back above $2 a gallon -- and more than the national average.
Prices rose 15.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.01 a gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 308 area gas outlets. This compares with the national average that has increased 4.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $1.98 a gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.
But prices are still 41.2 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago. They're 33.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 27.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 44 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.
Statewide, average prices are $2.02 a gallon, up 11.6 cents per gallon from last week's $1.91 a gallon.
"With the U.S. average price of gas closing in on the $2 level, a price not seen since late December, it reflects a real paradox; we see simultaneously both a stark increase -- 25 cents per gallon in the past few weeks -- and a reminder of how much we're still saving," said Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.
LWRBA lunch to focus on Suncoast gems on a tank
LAKEWOOD RANCH -- The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance will focus on 100 gems of the Suncoast that residents and visitors alike can do and see on a tankful. Elliott Falcione, president of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota, will host LWRBA's March luncheon with an update on key developments in both counties.
Lunch is 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March 30 at the Fete Ballroom at Polo Grill, 6115 Exchange Way. Fee is $25 for members with reservations by March 28, or $35 for members after Monday and non-members. Register online at lwrba.org/event-2112504
Longboat Key Players Club opens new social center
LONGBOAT KEY -- J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp., a Venice-based construction company, recently completed the 3,900-square-foot social center for the residents of the Players Club Longboat Key.
The new clubhouse includes a fitness center with machines and free weights, library, multipurpose rooms for banquets, meetings and events with a state-of-the-art kitchen and management offices for staff. The building features a wraparound veranda, a covered patio, an outdoor entertaining area with grills and a fire pit and new landscaping.
The $1.3-million construction project encompassed an estimated 8,000 square feet. Originally built from 1981-83, the Players Club Longboat Key, 1401 Gulf of Mexico Drive, includes four mid-rise build
ings with two- to four-bedroom residences. For more information, visit PlayersClubLongboatKey.com.
30-plus employers to join job fair Friday in Sarasota
SARASOTA -- CareerSource Suncoast will host a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Booker Middle School, 2250 Myrtle St.
The fair will have positions ranging from entry-level to experienced. More than 30 participating employers are looking to fill positions including retail, customer care, nursing, human resources, housekeeping, maintenance, quality control, food and beverage, sales, security and front desk, according to a CareerSource release.
No registration is required for this open event. Participants are encouraged to dress professionally and bring multiple copies of their resume.
-- Herald staff and wire reports
This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 10:04 PM with the headline "Business briefs ."