Daily Record Financial News &
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 042 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
A new path without a familiar face
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
Eagle View Windows leaders Kevin Spinks, William Myers, Terry Tuten, Paul Arsenault and Jack Dunham are moving the company from West Jacksonville to the Jacksonville International Tradeport to boost production. Equipment is being installed in the new location, above.
One Spark puts focus on capital efforts; Rivas out
By Marilyn Young Editor There’s a professional side to growing a business. But there’s a personal side, too. News came Monday of the creation of One Spark Ventures, which will focus year-round on connecting entrepreneurs with capital. A way to build on Jacksonville’s burgeoning reputation — bolstered by the annual One Spark festival — of being a city that supports entrepreneurs. Tucked away deep in a news release was that One Spark and Elton Rivas had parted ways. Rivas was CEO of One Spark Inc. and a co-creator of the annual crowdfunding festival that debuted in 2013. He was the public face of the festival; Peter Rummell is its biggest financial patron. The two had stood shoulder-to-shoulder from the beginning, a mix of generational visionaries. Ending that relationship was difficult. Rummell, a tenacious businessman, struggled to talk as he fought the emotions of discussing One Spark without Rivas. “Change is hard,” said Rummell, his voice cracking. “I wouldn’t pretend otherwise.” After a slight pause, he added, “He and I started this together.” Rivas said he was thankful for Rummell’s leadership and his friendship, and said he would “absolutely” work with Rummell again. But both men saw the parting as a necessary transition.
Window to expansion
Eagle View investing $9M in Tradeport move
A 3-year-old startup is setting its sights on growth in Northeast Florida residential real estate. “When we look at the building forecast, it is exceptional,” said Terry Tuten, CFO of Eagle View Windows, Inc. With that backdrop, the company, which makes vinyl windows and doors, is more than quadrupling in size in an estimated $9 million move from Westside to North Jacksonville. The move should allow it also to almost triple sales from about $3 million last year to nearly $9 million this year and to more than $15 million next year. Eagle View’s primary business targets are builders, specifically members of the Northeast Florida Builders Association. It sells to those who construct homes, apartments and condos. To accommodate the growth, the company is moving from about 17,000 square feet at 5465 Verna Blvd. into about 82,000 square feet at Jacksonville International Tradeport. The move should be completed in February. Tuten said Eagle View makes an average of 80 windows a day, a number that will grow to a minimum of 200 a day after the move to larger space. The new state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment can
File photo by Carole Hawkins
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Eagle View Windows makes vinyl windows and doors for the construction market and expects to triple sales this year. boost it to 800 a day. Tuten said there could be further expansion when Eagle View exceeds the capacity of the new facility. The staff of 53, including about 10 administrative jobs, should expand by 20-25 people in the next few months. CEO William Myers said he expects to have 100 employees working there by the end of 2017, including the hires for Eagle View Installation Services Inc. That company was created in December. “We will ramp up after that as our sales increase,” Tuten said. “We have a great sales forecast.” If area construction trends continue on track, more single-family homes are on the way. Eagle View
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More chicks than eggs
Rummell said the original con-
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Rummell
cept of One Spark was to bring creators together, make them realize they’re not alone and build a creative community in Jacksonville. “I think it worked,” he said. What’s been learned over the last several years, he said, is the more powerful idea is to focus on pairing creators with investors and helping them grow their businesses. The subtle lesson didn’t come through a sudden epiphany. “There was no Wednesday afternoon where we said, ‘Damn, I’ve got it,’” Rummell said. Investors are interested in a project that is still embryonic, Rummell said, but not one that’s a week old. “They want chicks instead of eggs,” he said. Chris Carter has been hired as president of One Spark Ventures, Rummell will be the chairman. Chris Byers, chief operating officer for One Spark Inc., will One Spark
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By David Chapman Staff Writer
Pastors often can have great influence in the lives of their congregations and their communities as a whole. On Monday, more than a dozen clergy members stood in a chilly Springfield park to support expanding the city’s human rights ordinance. The contingent was just some of the 100 who had signed on to say protecting all Jacksonville people is important enough to take a stand. More than a dozen others a month ago gathered at a Northside church to say they weren’t in favor of expanding the city law. And if any decision is to
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be made, it’s Jacksonville voters who should decide. Discussions on the hot-button topic shift from community forums back to City Hall, much like they did in 2012 when an initial expansion push was defeated. Two bills have been filed for expansion — one asking voters to decide, the other keeping the decision with elected officials. “I hope that we can be extremely influential,” said the Rev. Torin Dailey of First Baptist Church of Oakland. “I just believe that as leaders in the faith community, it is important to us that we send that message loud and clear.” Dailey was one of the 100 who signed in support of expanding the law. He served as a panel-
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ist during the second community conversation. He said the issue is not about endorsing homosexuality but instead not treating people differently when disagreement arises. Since making his stance public, Dailey said he’s had “zero pushback.” All comments made to him have been “extremely positive” and others have taken his lead in making phone calls and sending emails to the mayor and City Council members in support — efforts he said will continue. The Rev. Linda Girouex of Riverside United Church of Christ calls her congregation of about 50 as diverse as they come. Ministers continued on Page A-4
Photo by David Chapman
Religious leaders try to set tone on HRO
Rabbi Howard Tilman of the Jacksonville Jewish Center is joined Monday by more than a dozen other faith leaders who are supporting expansion of the city’s anti-discrimination law.
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