The Osprey Observer is preparing to celebrate 25 years of publishing positive, hometown news while entering a new chapter with a move to a smaller, more flexible office.
The family-owned publication began printing in January 2002 as a single edition serving FishHawk. Today, the Osprey Observer publishes more than 70,000 direct-mailed newspapers each month across five editions: Bloomingdale/FishHawk, Riverview, Valrico, Brandon/Winthrop and its newest edition, SouthShore.
In September, the newspaper sold its longtime office on Lithia Pinecrest Road and opened a satellite office on Bloomingdale Avenue inside the EZ Choice Realty office.
The move reflects how the newspaper’s staff and operations have evolved, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After the pandemic, most of our team took their positions home,” said Editor and Publisher Marie Gilmore. “So now, with Zoom staff meetings and staff working anywhere in the state and beyond, we are able to work remotely.”
While much of the Osprey Observer’s staff now works remotely, the publication will maintain a physical office where readers, advertisers and community members can continue to connect with the newspaper.
The new office, located at 116 E. Bloomingdale Ave. in Brandon, will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
“We still want to be a hub where members of the community can drop off press releases, pick up papers and prizes from our sweepstakes and still feel connected,” Gilmore said.
The new location provides the newspaper with a central place to maintain that personal connection while allowing the company to continue embracing the flexibility of a remote workforce.
For Gilmore, who founded the Osprey Observer after moving to FishHawk, the changes represent both growth and a return to the publication’s roots.
Over the past 25 years, the newspaper has grown from one community edition into a five-edition publication reaching tens of thousands of local households. Throughout that growth, its mission has remained focused on telling the stories of the people, organizations, businesses and events that make the community special.
As the Osprey Observer looks toward its next 25 years, its new office will serve as a reminder that while the way newspapers work continues to change, the importance of staying connected to the communities it serves has not.
To contact the Osprey Observer, visit www.ospreyobserver.com/about-us/contact-us/, email editor@ospreyobserver.com or call 813-657-2418.
