From the Publisher December 2008
Publisher Advantage Publishing Inc. Scott Costello 4140 NW 37th PL, Suite D Gainesville, FL 32606 Gainesville: 352-372-5854 Ocala: 352-368-1707 Scott@advantagepublishingInc.com www.advantagepublishinginc.com Advertising Sales Manager Kyle Lindsey Kyle@advantagepublishinginc.com Advertising Sales: Andrea Huegel Sarah Sander Jill Salansky Dillon McLean Monica Hernandez Jamie Milanese Managing Editor: Holly Christensen Senior Writer: David Greenberg Contributing Writers: Roland Sosa Linda Tozer Staff Writers: May Smith Molly Bruce Victoria Phillips Public Relations: Erica Blake Design: Brad Palmer Contributing Photographer: David Johnston
We are excited with the transformation that is taking place with this publication. Early feedback from the release of the first issue with the new name has been fantastic. Overwhelmingly, the name appears to be more popular, taking on an approach that leads more towards the trends in the industry. This issue continues with the transformation, as we add more articles that meet the requests of our readers, while maintaining the quality of the appearance of the publication. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, as we want to hear what you like and don’t like about your trade magazine. This month we bring you the story of Chris Luetgert and Luetgert Development Corporation. Chris, a third-generation builder, is one of the premier high-end, custom-home builders in Marion County. Much of his work is done in Golden Ocala and Jumbolair Aviation Estates. Chris has a great success story, and I am thrilled that I can bring it to you. We have two Association News articles this month. The first is a wrap-up of the Parade of Homes™ hosted by our three associations – Builders Association of North Central Florida (BANCF), Marion County Building Industry Association (MCBIA) and Columbia County Builders’ Association (CCBA). All three reported a lot of activity and some serious buyers. The second Association News article is on Larry Cretul’s visit to the MCBIA. Always a friend to our industry, Larry talked about what to expect in the coming legislative session, where he will serve as speaker pro tempore for incoming House Speaker Ray Sansom. This issue also includes a terrific Energy Perspective by Linda Tozer, the director of marketing and education for the Florida Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation (FlaSEREF) and the SunBuilt Program. Linda writes about an award-winning, zero-energy project. It is something to which we should all be paying attention for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that many economic experts agree that energyefficient construction will be one of the factors involved in turning the industry around. Our spotlights this month are on Mark Golden with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, a Gainesville mover who is not only very active in the building industry, but is a great community supporter as well, and Dave Liner of PrecisionAIR in Ocala, who has been an active member of the building industry for many years. And as always, we have a great cartoon from Jake Fuller. While we end 2008 in a depressed economy and a tremendous slowdown in growth from the highs, there are signs that we are on an upswing. This issue caps our five-year anniversary, as our first issue kicked off in December 2003. I can say that there have been a lot of unexpected turns along the way, but I have enjoyed the ride so far. Next month, we return to Lake City, where we will feature the incoming CCBA president, Bryan Zecher and Bryan Zecher Construction. Until Next Month,
Enews Brief: Taylor Carson Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Building Trends cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. Copyright 2008, Building Trends Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
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