For more than a century, the name Barnett was synonymous with Florida banking. From its humble beginnings in 1877, Barnett Bank grew to be the largest and most dominant banking organization in the state. The bank, and the remarkable executives who led it, made significant contributions not only to the growth of Jacksonville, its headquarters city, but also to the economic development of Florida and the evolution of the American banking industry. 
After surviving countless challenges— from yellow fever epidemics and the great 1901 Jacksonville fire to the perilous Depression times of the 1930s and the real-estate lending crises of the 1970s and 1990s — Barnett finally succumbed to the merger frenzy that overwhelmed the banking industry. When NationsBank purchased Barnett in 1999, it represented the most expensive bank acquisition in U.S. history. 
But the Barnett name did not fade away. Instead, in an unprecedented action for a large, publicly owned company, a group of senior officers organized a non-profit corporation — the Barnett Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. _ to preserve and publicize the company’s historic legacy. One result of the Foundation’s activities is this detailed history of the most important financial institution ever headquartered in Florida.

Barnett: The Story of Florida's Bank

Ginzl, David J.

Business & Money

Univ of Tampa

Growing from a single store in Greenville, Mississippi, to a 270+-store national chain, Stein Mart's story is a remarkable one. At the heart of that story is the Stein family -- and the greater "Stein Mart" family of employees and customers. 
Sam Stein, a Russian immigrant, arrived in American in 1905. He built a successful business selling good merchandise at low prices. That model was further refined by his son, Jake, who grew the family store until it covered an entire city block. But it was Sam's grandson, Jay Stein, who set Stein Mart on the path to national expansion. It was his vision that made Stein Mart into a "hybrid" cross between a department store or a specialty shop and an off-price retailer. 
Today, Stein Mart is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

Stein Mart: An American Story of Roots, Family, and Building a Greater Dream

Biographies & Memoirs

University of Tampa Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ginzl, David J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ginzl, David J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ginzl, David J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Barnett: The Story of Florida's Bank

Stein Mart: An American Story of Roots, Family, and Building a Greater Dream