Kia, Toyota, BMW, Acura and Hyundai-Genesis stores change hands in Q1, Q2 deals
Three growing dealership groups and megadealer Terry Taylor expanded their footprints with acquisitions representing Kia, Toyota, BMW, Acura and Hyundai-Genesis stores.
DMS provider Tekion lays off 'small percentage' of work force
The dealership management system company makes “organizational adjustments” as economic conditions evolve.
Floridians stung by DeSantis veto that cost $346M in energy-saving programs
The 22-year-old air conditioning and heat pump in Daniel Milligan’s Deltona home was on its last legs, and it would cost at least $10,000 to replace, a large sum for a man in his 60s who’d been laid off and was getting by on temp work.
He’d heard about a new $8.5 billion federal rebate program targeting lower- and moderate-income homeowners and was eager to apply to the program to help pay for the upgrades that would help lower his electric bills.
But when he contacted the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Department to see if it was participating in the program, the office’s blunt response sent on July 31 surprised him: “On June 15, 2023, Governor DeSantis used his veto power to eliminate nearly $30 million in energy programs,” said an unsigned email from the FDACS Office of Energy.
With a stroke of the pen, DeSantis had wiped out the seed money needed for Florida to get what would have been $346 million from Washington for Milligan’s heat pump and other energy-saving programs, the email said.
Theme Park Rangers Radar: Minion Land’s PX-41; Zombie Fingers and Mirabel at Magic Kingdom
During this week’s Theme Park Rangers Radar, we’re cooling off with creative new non-alcoholic beverages at Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios, where we also eyed banana bread beer thanks to Minion Land. Also on the menu as we inch toward Halloween: Zombie Fingers with Florida flair. Plus, the “Encanto” crowd gets more face time at Walt Disney World.
Radar is a weekly assortment of theme park happenings and hankerings. It appears on OrlandoSentinel.com on Wednesdays.
Minion mixers
Just before Minion Land opened at Universal Studios, Executive Chef Robert Martinez Jr. walked us through beverage options at Minion Cafe. Two are specifically themed “Despicable Me 2,” including the PX-41, a bright purple concoction.
“The drink category here, we knew that was going to be equally as important as the menu itself. We wanted it to be fun,” Martinez said.
“The [film] storylines themselves lend very well to be able for us to say ‘Hey, how about we try to create the PX-41?’”
In the 2013 film, PX-41 is a serum that causes subjects to turn into little, purple, out of control, furry killers, basically evil minions. The theme-park version, dubbed PX-41 Punch, is more low-key, of course.
GM invests in battery materials startup in quest for lower-cost EVs
GM is the primary automaker customer of Mitra Chem, which aims to reduce battery costs through the use of iron-based cathodes.