BUSINESS OBSERVER

+ Paul Malton joins RE/MAX Alliance Group
Paul Malton has joined RE/MAX Alliance Group as a team member with Allen Conrad in the Siesta Key office.

Malton enters the real-estate profession after a 40-year executive career, serving as the vice president/CFO of Cadbury Schweppes and vice president of property management for Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc.
He also is active in the Sertoma Club.

RE/MAX Alliance Group is a full-service real-estate company that has been serving the residential and commercial real estate needs of Southwest Florida for more than 15 years. The Siesta Key office is located at 5140 Ocean Blvd.

For more information, call Malton at 525-2744 or email to [email protected].

+ Suncoast Center announces relocation
The Suncoast Center for Independent Living recently relocated to the Northeast Plaza shopping center at the intersection of Lockwood Ridge and 17th Street in Sarasota.

Suncoast Center is a non-profit organization that provides services to those with disabilities.

+ Gulf Coast foundation president visits White House
Teri A. Hansen, president of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, joined a delegation of business and community leaders from around the state to discuss the Florida’s infrastructure needs such as economic development and job creation.

During her time in Washington, D.C., Hansen met and shared her work with federal lawmakers at the annual Foundations on the Hill.

+ Mavai Chocolate opens in Sarasota
Mavai Chocolate, a company specializing in handcrafted gourmet chocolates, has opened in Sarasota at 4034 N. Washington Blvd. No. 3.

Mavai offers chocolate bars crafted from Swiss chocolate with toppings including freeze-dried nuts, crystallized flowers and edible flakes of 23-karat gold.

For more information, visit Mavai’s website at mavaichocolate.com or call 587-1374.

+ Hoveround Corp. moves to Sarasota
Hoveround Corp., a manufacturer of compact power chairs, has opened its new headquarters in Sarasota, at 6010 Cattleridge Drive.

The company, which was previously headquartered in Manatee County, has relocated to Sarasota and has brought 280 workers to its new location.

+ Retired executives help fight unemployment
CareerEdge Funders Collaborative has teamed with the Senior Friendship Centers’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Sarasota/Manatee to provide mentoring to unemployed individuals who are seeking to enter the workforce.

The RSVP mentors, many of whom are retired senior-level executives, offer guidance, encouragement and support to trainees in CareerEdge’s Bridges to Careers for Low-Skilled Workers program. 

Bogey’s opens Sarasota location
Bogey’s Sports Restaurant last month celebrated the grand opening of its third location, its first in Sarasota.
Conquistadors from the Hernando De Soto Crewe’s Historical Society greeted customers during the celebration. The restaurant also hosted a raffle, with proceeds benefiting the historical society.

The new Bogey’s is located at 6606 S. Tamiami Trail at the corner of Stickney Point Road and U.S. 41. For more information, call 225-7200.