Gulfshore Business April 2025

Secure your legacy

Are you taking full advantage of your lifetime estate and gift tax exemption?

Commerce Trust, working in conjunction with your estate planning attorney, can guide you through the in-depth conversations required to assess how the use of tax exemptions could most effectively be incorporated into your estate plan.

The holistic, team-based approach at Commerce Trust, consisting of financial and tax planning, investment portfolio management, and trust administration, is designed to guide you toward achieving your family’s goals while safeguarding your legacy.

Connect with the Commerce Trust team at commercetrustcompany.com/estatetax to secure your legacy.

Giving to Family: Tax Efficient Gifting Strategies for Your Estate Plan

By Scott LaPresta, CTFA, Senior Vice President, Director of Private Client Advisors, Commerce Trust, and Amy Stiglic, CTFA, Senior Vice President, Market Executive, Kansas City, Commerce Trust

Gifting to family members provides for their needs while advancing your estate plan. In addition to the benefits your relatives receive, strategically gifting may decrease your transfer tax liability by lowering the value of your estate. Below are five methods to maximize the value of family gifts for donors and recipients.

1. Annual gift exclusion

For tax year 2025, the IRS allows you to gift up to $19,000 tax-free to as many people as you want, and married couples can give up to $38,000 to an individual without triggering a taxable gift.

Both recipients and donors can benefit from annual gifts. In contrast to an inheritance, recipients can enjoy the gift immediately without losing any value to pay transfer taxes.

Donors can coordinate annual gifts to achieve estate planning objectives like potentially decreasing their estate tax liability by lowering the value of their estate.

2. 529 accelerated gifting

By making an accelerated gift to a qualified tuition program (QTP) like a 529 plan, you can contribute up to five times the annual exclusion ($95,000 for individuals and $190,000 for married couples in 2025) in a single year tax-free.

This strategy can provide significant value for those aspiring to attend college while lowering the value of the donor’s estate.

3. Lifetime estate and gift tax exemption

The 2025 federal lifetime estate and gift tax exemption amount is $13.99 million for individuals and is effectively doubled to $27.98 million for married couples.

This means the total value of one’s estate plus any taxable gifts can generally be transferred tax-free up to that amount. Using the lifetime exemption now, at its historically high level, may lower your eventual estate tax liability.

4. Medical exclusion

The medical exclusion is another way to give a gift to family members by paying for their medical expenses without triggering a taxable gift.

GIFT STRATEGICALLY WITH COMMERCE TRUST

Gifting to family members may seem straightforward, but care is needed to ensure the value of the gift is not diminished by taxes. If gifting is a priority for you, contact Commerce Trust at www.commercetrustcompany.com/estateplanning to learn how our tax management,* estate planning, and education planning professionals collaborate to execute a customized estate plan that is unique to you.

*Commerce Trust does not provide tax advice to customers unless engaged to do so.

The opinions and other information in the commentary are provided as of January 16, 2025. This summary is intended to provide general information only, and may be of value to the reader and audience. This material is not a recommendation of any particular investment or insurance strategy, is not based on any particular financial situation or need, and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified tax advisor or investment professional. While Commerce may provide information or express opinions from time to time, such information or opinions are subject to change, are not offered as professional tax, insurance or legal advice, and may not be relied on as such.

Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Commerce Trust is a division of Commerce Bank.

Investment Products: Not FDIC Insured | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee

By Brian Tietz

Sand Aid

The necessary expense of renourishing our coastline

Orthopedic Powerhouses

How three local health systems are driving musculoskeletal care in the region and beyond

Unlocking the Power of Commercial Real Estate

By Jim Shiebler, CCIM Broker, CBRE Investment Sales

Phone: 239-421-8880

Cell: 239-770-2940

Jim.shiebler@cbre.com

THOUGHT LEADER OF THE MONTH Southwest Florida

commercial real estate. Like I once did, they assume their best investment options lie in the stock market or other liquid assets. But when you analyze the returns, control, and tax benefits associated with owning commercial real estate, typified as hard assets, the comparison is staggering.

So, what makes commercial real estate such a powerful vehicle for financial growth?

Pre-Tax Advantages

3Control Over Outcomes–Unlike stocks and bonds, where investors are at the mercy of market fluctuations, commercial real estate allows for direct influence over property selection, tenant success, and exit strategy.

3Built-in Rental Increases –Rental income can be structured to grow over time, outpacing inflation and increasing asset value.

3Leverage Through Financing —Investors can control larger assets with a relatively small down payment, using debt as a tool to amplify returns.

3A Wealth-Building Strategy Like No Other—The financial benefits of commercial real estate become even more compelling when comparing long-term returns.

Consider these general after-tax annual return averages for the first 5-year ownership period:

•Commercial Real Estate (without a 1031 exchange): 10.15%

•Commercial Real Estate (with a 1031 exchange): 12.96%

Over 20 to 40 years, the yield between commercial real estate and traditional stocks and bonds can translate into vastly different financial outcomes, which could mean the difference between an investor achieving upper-middle class success or significant wealth.

An Invitation to Learn More

Life is interesting ... For many investors, the world of commercial real estate remains an untapped frontier—an investment class often overshadowed by traditional stocks, bonds, and CDs. That was certainly the case for me. Many years ago, when I first entered this field, I was astounded by its intricacies, benefits, and sheer potential for wealth creation. I couldn’t believe how little I had known about it before.  Fast forward to today, having facilitated more than $850 million in commercial retail property sales, I find myself wishing I had discovered this asset class much sooner. It’s a sentiment I share with my clients, many of whom are seeing these opportunities for the first time.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Commercial Real Estate

The reality is a vast majority of people have never had full exposure to the advantages of

3 Principal Paydown –Each month of ownership, the loan ratio becomes more favorable allowing the landlord to pay down the principal and build equity.

3Strategic Buy-and-Sell Opportunities Tactically timing the market and understanding property and macro market dynamics lead to substantial gains.

After-Tax Advantages

3 Depreciation Deductions —Investors can reduce taxable income through both straight-line depreciation and accelerated cost segregation strategies.

3 Mortgage Interest & Amortization Write-Offs—Interest payments and loan amortization costs are tax-deductible.

31031 Exchange Benefits—This strategy allows investors to defer capital gains taxes, enabling them to reinvest profits and build wealth more efficiently.

If you live in SWFL, are not a real estate agent or broker , and have a genuine interest in commercial retail real estate, I invite you to register for a potential in-person educational forum. If 150+ people register, my team and I will host a complimentary Southwest Florida exposition within the next 90 days. This event will introduce investors to commercial real estate fundamentals and provide a rare insider’s perspective.

Register Here for Commercial Retail Real Estate Forum

PUBLISHER Carin Keane

PRESIDENT Jim Schwartzel

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Heidi Rambo Centrella

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ART Creative Directors Scott Glick, Jerry Pomales

Photo Editor Mary Rich

ADVERTISING

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CIRCULATION

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PRODUCTION

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A DAY AT THE BEACH

Talking with a colleague in a northern state, I was recently reminded how fortunate we are to live in a coastal community where one season slowly fades to the next, and extreme weather events aren’t as frequent.

It’s easy to take for granted the beauty all around us, or even appreciate it while subconsciously thinking of it as a simple fact of Floridian life — at times forgetting the magnitude of the work involved in maintaining it. And keeping the area comfortable and appealing for residents and visitors requires ensuring our signature beaches remain pristine. All this beauty, of course, comes at a price.

Our extreme weather events might be less frequent, but they are quite costly; just ask the federal government. In total, Southwest Florida stands to lose at least $877 million annually to natural disasters, according to FEMA’s National Risk Index. (See the breakdown for Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties on page 18.) Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in September 2022 as a Category 4, caused an estimated $112 billion in damage. The storm surge reached heights of 13-plus feet in areas including Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, and along with all the damage it caused on land, that surge pulled enormous

amounts of sand out to sea. After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, similar damage to area beaches reoccurred.

Restoring the beaches comes at great expense — fortunately for civic budgets, that is largely paid for by revenue generated through tourist development taxes. Both Lee and Collier counties levy these taxes that help pay for sand renourishment, shoreline improvements and maintenance. In fiscal year 2023-24, Lee County’s tourist development tax raised more than $44 million; Collier County generated $41 million. Artis Henderson explains more about the mechanics and monetary commitments vs. substantial benefits involved in keeping local beaches pristine and inviting in “Sand Aid,” beginning on page 30.

We celebrate Earth Day this month, recognizing this time for renourish-

ment, renewal and growth. And it’s also a good time to recognize some local businesses for keeping sustainability top of mind — companies large and small are finding ways to do their part for the planet by implementing environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling.

Today, the paper industry recycles nearly 60% more paper than it did in 1990. And paper and cardboard now are among the most highly recycled materials in the United States. Read more about two local companies that are part of the paper and packaging industry’s ongoing work toward sustainability as Bill Wasinger speaks with leaders from Custom Packaging & Products and Craters & Freighters on page 28. Their practices and commitments are commendable for all our sakes.

As we fade into spring, perhaps it’s worth examining our own environmental footprints. Meanwhile, enjoy these balmy, relaxing days here in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA EDITOR IN CHIEF

2025 GIVING GUIDE: BUSINESS GIVES BACK

In the239

SPOT

NEWS / MAKERS / TRENDLINES / ECONOMIC COMMENTARY / LEADERSHIP / INNOVATION / ENVIRONMENT

Claire Rohweder captures the beauty of nature through ink on paper p_14

By Justin Paprocki

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

NEW AVIATION HANGAR

Charlotte County High School broke ground in February on a new aviation hangar on campus, marking an exciting development for students interested in pursuing careers in aviation. The partnership with Space Florida and Key Innovations aims to prepare students for aviation jobs coming to the state. Though it is less than a year old, the aviation program has quickly become the school’s most sought-after program. The new aviation hangar will house the school’s avionic systems, aviation assembly and fabrication programs.

Spo t News

“If you need something, the biggest piece of advice I could say [to entrepreneurs] is, ‘Don’t forget to reach out to all kinds of different avenues. First, try to come up with the answers on your own, but if you’re hung up on something, don’t be embarrassed to ask the question.’”

— Korrie O’Donnell, Sound Electric owner

COMING NEXT MONTH

Gulfshore Business will recognize 10 businesswomen for their remarkable achievements in Southwest Florida. These women are business owners or senior-level executives, each of whom found a path to excellence in her own way. Join us next month as we honor Gulfshore Business’ Women in Business 2025.

FORT MYERS BEACH PIER

The Lee Board of County Commissioners announced that the new, larger, more resilient Fort Myers Beach Pier is estimated to be completed in August 2027, ahead of the previously planned completion of summer 2028. In June 2024, the board voted to direct staff to rebuild the Fort Myers Beach Pier to 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide, 70.85% longer and 50% wider than the pier destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026. The rebuilt pier will be in the same location as the destroyed pier.

HOME BUILT BY ROBOT

PulteGroup executed its first-ever robotic-built home, using Hadrian X robotic bricklaying technology developed by Australian-based robotics company FBR. The structural walls of the four-bedroom home were constructed in the DiVosta community of TerraWalk at Babcock Ranch. The system uses artificial intelligence and an advanced robotic arm to place blocks of any material precisely using a moisture-friendly polyurethane adhesive, which bonds twice as strongly as traditional mortar. Company officials said this construction method enhances safety, minimizes waste and accelerates build times without compromising quality. Hadrian X can build structural, load-bearing walls in as little as a day. Currently, this is one of 10 homes in the U.S. to be built using this robotic technology.

ELEVATE FLORIDA

The Florida Department of Emergency Management launched Elevate Florida, a residential mitigation program, in February. It is designed to help homeowners strengthen their properties against future hurricanes and floods. It offers eligible homeowners the opportunity to elevate, reconstruct or implement wind mitigation measures on their homes, with up to 75% of costs covered by the program. Visit floridadisaster.org for details.

Spo t News

TOURIST TAX COLLECTIONS

Collier County tourist tax collections for the first three months of the fiscal year totaled $5.6 million, lagging 4.5% behind 2023. The total number of visitors increased 5.1% compared to December of 2023, with 259,900 visitors for the first quarter, and direct spending by visitors rose 6.3% and the total economic impact of tourism increased 5.8%, according to Collier County Tourism Director Jay Tusa. Occupancy increased 4.4% to 66.9%, while the average daily rate decreased 0.9%, but revenue per available room totaled $234.14, a 3.5% increase from the prior December. Tourist development taxes come from the county’s 5% bed tax and revenues from hotels, Airbnbs and other rentals of six months or less.

FLORIDA DOGE

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the creation of the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency task force to eliminate waste within state government and save taxpayers money. Designed in the same vein as the Trump administration’s DOGE, headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, DeSantis said the Florida version will eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence to examine state agencies further to uncover hidden waste and audit the spending habits of local entities. The task force will serve a one-year term, which will sunset following the completion of the term.

NEW PINK SHELL RESORT HOTEL

MK Architecture completed the preliminary design drawings and received Town of Fort Myers Beach approval for the new Pink Shell Resort Hotel building. It is set to be located on the bay side, directly across from the Pink Shell Beach Resort, and features five stories over parking, introducing 40 new hotel units. Construction of the new hotel is expected to begin within two years.

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MAKERS

PRINTED CONNECTIONS

By Justin Paprocki

A lifelong artist, Claire Rohweder grew up in Minnesota as the daughter of a musician and an architect who nurtured her creative side. Her career is in art education, and though she recently moved to Southwest Florida to take a job at the Children’s Museum of Naples, she had been coming to the area for at least a decade, falling in love with its natural environment.

She started The Lady Printmaker to create cards, prints, stamps and other crafts. Growing up, her family took frequent camping trips, so much of her art now is reflective of her love of the outdoors: a mix of snowy scenes from the North along with reptiles and wildlife from her new home in Florida.

Rohweder largely sells online through her website (ladyprintmaker.com) and Etsy. Because she’s a full-time educator, she does most of her work on the weekends. She has experience in many artistic forms, including photography, but she’s drawn to the solitude of the printmaking process.

“I find it so satisfying and relaxing,” she says. “It’s kind of like a meditative process.”

Claire Rohweder on capturing the beauty of nature through ink on paper

Kevin Bires

While working full time in arts education, Claire Rohweder started a printmaking business, one she considers a meditative outlet that is reflective of her love for the outdoors.

Printmaking is a delicate and timeconsuming process, with some steps taking upward of 10 hours to complete.

Kevin Bires

The process can be delicate and time-consuming. She starts with a drawing. Then comes the transfer process, where she hand-carves the drawing into the wood block that she’ll use to make the prints. That can take up to 10 hours at times, given the degree of precision necessary. Then she starts to ink the block and transfer the image onto paper.

She focuses on the emotional connection to an image — meaning she may have been inspired by a photo she took while camping, but the result is ultimately about her emotional connection to the scene. From there, she just hopes it resonates with other people.

“I create what I enjoy, then put it out into the world,” she says.

CALAMITY COSTS

SWFL’s financial ramifications from natural disasters

By Justin Paprocki

Southwest Florida stands to lose at least $877,000,000 annually due to natural disasters, according to FEMA’s National Risk Index.

The index looks at the potential damage caused by hurricanes, flooding and the like, and estimates how much that would cost in damages in each county. Collier ($307,633,018), Lee ($448,543,023) and Charlotte ($120,875,120) all rate “relatively high” on the index’s risk scale, primarily due to the area’s susceptibility to major hurricanes. The densely populated Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties are the only ones in the state that rank higher.

TRE NDLINES

COLLIER

HAZARD TYPE

Hurricane

LEE

CHARLOTTE

EXPECTED ANNUAL LOSS RATING

EXPECTED ANNUAL LOSS VALUE

$281,093,862 $12,224,995 $5,686,987 $4,446,763 $2,212,794 $1,054,646 $396,500 $264,100 $83,408 $82,332 $64,731 $21,900 $387,926,607 $33,313,671 $11,374,532 $10,372,237 $4,122,685 $461,815 $427,833 $198,006 $161,111 $117,284 $45,342 $21,900 $109,070,166 $4,247,731 $3,629,385 $2,163,217 $1,255,151 $229,369 $149,928 $50,224 $44,731 $21,900 $9,180 $4,138

ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

LOCALLY GROWN

Is food from your farmers market saving the planet?

I love community farmers markets. Everywhere I have lived, for at least the last 25 years, I have been a regular at local farmers markets. Lee County alone boasts eight different places you can have this experience — according to the “Buy Local Lee” website — including the one I visit most: Lakes Park on Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers.

Farmers markets are fun. You get to meet the people growing your food, you can try a new food truck, you log lots of steps on your Fitbit and maybe you can even enjoy live music. You will likely make new friends as you mill around, browsing vendors’ booths. I don’t know what it is about the culture of farmers markets, but it’s more likely you’ll actually meet new people there, among the other shoppers, than you ever will in the canned vegetables section at a supermarket. People just seem more friendly in the casual outdoor setting.

These are the reasons I love farmers markets, but others

By Victor V. Claar

shop them because they think it’s “greener” to shop there than elsewhere. The argument goes like this: “Buying local” has a smaller carbon footprint than buying food produced elsewhere because buying local reduces pollutants caused by transportation. If your food didn’t travel far, presumably it comes with less environmental guilt than if it was grown far away. But here’s what you probably don’t know: Whether your food was grown nearby or far away, the difference in its transportation carbon footprint is negligible. Why? Because transporting your food doesn’t contribute to global greenhouse gases as much as other stages along the food supply chain. In fact,

most estimates suggest that the greenhouse gases created by food transportation amount to just 5%-11% of your food’s total carbon footprint. Instead, it’s which foods you are choosing — not where they were produced — that matter most. Yet good-hearted consumers continue to believe that “buying local” is saving the planet. According to a 2022 survey by Purdue University, most people believe that local food is better for the environment than the alternative.

If you want to reduce your diet’s carbon footprint, you’d be much better off focusing on foods that generate the most greenhouse gases during production, not transportation. Most greenhouse gases from food production come from either changes in land use or the production processes on the farm. Land use changes include things such as deforestation; and production-generated sources include methane gas from cows (aka “cow farts”) and fertilizers. And the foods that do the most damage are beef (remember

the cow farts?) and dairy (also cow farts), as well as coffee, chocolate and farmed shrimp.

In contrast, foods with tiny carbon footprints include citrus, apples, nuts, peas and tomatoes. In fact, according to Our World in Data, carbon dioxide emissions from most plant-based foods are 10%-50% lower than most foods that are animal-based.

In short, if you choose to visit the farmers market, do it because you like supporting local farmers or because you enjoy its unique

experience. Don’t do it because you think you are making a meaningful dent in greenhouse gas emissions.

And when you visit the farmers market, be a savvy consumer. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages you to ask good questions, such as:

 “Do you grow these yourself? Do you grow all that you sell? If not, is it local or do you buy wholesale? What do you consider local?”

 “Where is your farm located? May I visit your farm? How are your

Many patrons of farmers markets believe shopping local helps save the environment. But it’s not so much where the products are sold as what the products are. Certain foods produce more greenhouse gases than others.

products grown?”

 If organic, “Who certifies your farm or may I see your certification?”

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is going to require hard choices — not ones as easy as shopping your local farmers market. It may give you a “warm glow” of self-satisfaction, but it’s probably not saving the planet.

—Victor V. Claar is an associate professor of economics in the Lutgert College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University.

LEADERSHIP

David MacLennan Former executive chair and CEO of Cargill

IN BUSINESS AND LIFE

Experience in abundance as NextGen series concludes

By Therese McDevitt

Audience members at the NextGen Naples speaker series

aren’t the only ones who come away inspired from the events each season.

Michael Benson, CEO of Naplesbased financial services firm Benson Blackburn and founder of the NextGen series, said several previous speakers have returned to hear other entrepreneurial leaders share their experiences in life and business, and have told him how much they learn from the audiences, as well.

“I think people just learn from people,” Benson says. “They learn valuable lessons, and not only about business. I encourage the audience in my opening introductions to pick up something that the speaker says that is going to help you in your life — not only in your business, but in your life, and how to make it better.”

David MacLennan, the final speaker in the 2025 NextGen series April 15, agreed. MacLennan, former executive chair and CEO of multinational food corporation Cargill, the largest privately held company in the U.S., said he always learns something new when speaking to the next generation of business leaders.

“I learn what people are thinking about; how they are making their decisions about their life or their career,” MacLennan says. “I learn what their anxieties are, what are their worries. What do they see as the biggest opportunities?”

He said, as a frequent speaker, he also learns by the questions people ask during the Q&A sessions.

“You can tell what someone thinks or believes or values by the questions they ask,” he says. “And I also believe it’s very important to keep your finger on the pulse of multiple generations; I think it’s important to not just self-perpetuate your own worldviews or your own values by spending time only with people that you have been [around] your whole life, or that look and talk and act like you do or that are the same age.”

NextGen; Benson Blackburn

Michael Benson Benson Blackburn CEO

McLennan, who spends part of his time as an executive coaching consultant in what he calls his “post-official-career life,” said he sees mentoring and speaking to audiences of other business leaders as part of giving back.

“I’ve had a philosophy of thinking of your career as ‘learn, earn, return’: Learn what you’re good at, learn your skills, learn what you’re passionate about,” he says, “then earn your responsibilities, your network, your position, your respect. Return is giving back, and I’m clearly in the return phase of my life and my career.”

“You can tell what someone thinks or believes or values by the questions they ask ... And I also believe it’s very important to keep your finger on the pulse of multiple generations.”

He said speaking to audiences of developing professionals can also instill a sense of hope for what’s ahead because of the different “energy level.”

“It’s a way to fill up your own ‘energy bucket,’” MacLennan says, “and to see: What are they thinking about? They have got their whole futures and their whole lives in front of them, and I often leave those opportunities feeling hopeful. I mean, [there are] tough things going on in the world today. And you meet a younger generation, and you think, OK, they can do different things. They’re optimistic, they’re smart, they’re interested in succeeding and doing good things — and I think that gives you hope for the future.”

David MacLennan, the final speaker in the 2025 NextGen Naples speaker series this month, says he always learns something new when speaking to the next generation of business leaders.

Details and ticket applications for the final 2025 installment of NextGen can be found at nextgennaples.com.

INNOVATION

‘THE OSCARS OF INNOVATION’

The Edison Awards returns to Fort Myers

By David Dorsey

The fifth edition of the Edison Awards in Fort Myers will honor a man known as the godfather of artificial intelligence and an innovator in higher education. And the event, taking place April 2-3 at Caloosa Sound Convention Center in downtown Fort Myers, offers so much more to those residing near the winter home of Thomas Edison and the surrounding communities of Southwest Florida, said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

Founded in 1987, the Edison Awards were held at various venues in New York City through 2019. A series of conversations between Bonafilia and former Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson led to moving the awards in 2021 to Fort Myers, where the city and Lee County each contribute $50,000 per year in taxpayer funding to the event, and have committed to doing so through 2027 as part of a fiveyear agreement.

“The Edison Awards is the Oscars of innovation,” Bonafilia says. “Clearly when we made the trip from New York to Fort Myers, we believed we could build a bridge from Fort Myers to the rest of the world and from the rest of the world to Fort Myers. You’ve got the spirit of innovation that has always lived there.”

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of software company Nvidia — and known for being the “godfather of AI” — and Michael Crow, president of Arizona State Uni-

versity and education innovator, will be honored as the 2025 Edison Achievement Award Honorees.

“What’s remarkable about Jensen is he started out working at Denny’s,” Bonafilia says. “He came up with this idea … He was a gamer. And he thought that there was a better way to process data or graphics. The way it has been designed is completely different. It has efficiencies in it that nobody had ever thought of. They realized how fast data could move through this. That’s where artificial intelligence comes from. It really has changed the game.”

As for Crow, he changed national and international perceptions of Arizona State, drawing more than 100,000 students who take classes from around the world.

“He changed ASU from the No. 1 party school to the No. 1 innovation school for 10 years running,” Bonafilia says. “It enables anybody, through online access and virtual reality and working to creating classes, to meet the schedules of working professionals.”

This year’s award ceremony will draw approximately 500 executives and innovators from worldwide companies, Bonafilia said, giving the region a special networking opportunity.

“It has really energized the region to think differently,” he says. “To act differently. To consider a future where it doesn’t have to be built in Fort Myers. But we sure

The Edison Awards, founded in 1987, relocated to Fort Myers in 2021, showcasing innovation from worldwide companies. This year, a hydrogenpowered car is on display.

would like to understand what they are doing and how they can make the region a better place.”

There will be a forum for 85 area high school students to participate in, as he says, “reimagining what Lee County will look like in the next 20 years. The students will focus on some of the challenges the region has; one of the things happens to be more STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) type careers. A lot of students, they know science. They know technology. This is a chance for them to showcase their skills, give us fresh ideas and give them a certificate to show they have done it.”

Dozens of innovations also will be on display, and Lee Health will be showcasing one of them. With a state grant of $1.1 million, the region’s largest health care provider developed a mobile health unit it deployed for the first time to northwest Cape Coral last fall, giving Pine Island residents easier access to health care following Hurricane Milton.

Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of Hyperion, and his team create the Hyperion XP-1, a hydrogen-powered super car that has zero emissions, 450 to 1,000-plus miles of range, more than 1,800 horsepower and rapid refueling, and sells for $2.5 million.

“What makes this thing unique is it’s a 36-foot unit that supports an advance provider, a nurse and a customer service representative,” says Michael Nachef, chief of staff for Lee Health.

The unit has dual redundant power, two types of generators and 5G high-speed internet connectivity from two providers in case one of them fails. Lee Health partnered with engineering company Black & Veatch, a longtime Edison Awards sponsor, in developing the unit.

“As we conceived it, we thought it could be put in a location for a number of days at a time if needed,” Nachef says. “Right now, we’ve been stationing it in Lehigh Acres at Veterans Park. When you’re not having hurricane season, we’re using it as a family alternative medicine clinic. We’re now looking at opportunities to deploy it in different locations.”

That’s just one of dozens of innovations that would be showcased at the Edison Awards, Bonafilia said.

The Hyperion XP-1 by Hyperion Motors, a hydrogen-powered super car, will be on display. It has zero emissions, 450 to 1,000-plus miles of range and rapid refueling. It has more than 1,800 horsepower, can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.24 seconds and can reach a top speed of 228 mph.

There are just two catches. The car sells for $2.5 million, and there aren’t any hydrogen fuel tanks in Southwest Florida. But the cost should only go down, and fuel tanks would spread as more hydrogen cars come online, said Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of Hyperion.

“Yes, the car’s expensive,” Kafantaris says. “But also, it’s very easily scaled in large volume.”

A decade ago, Kafantaris had been hoping and waiting for mainstream automobile manufacturers to get more serious about developing hydrogen-powered vehicles. Toyota and Kia each sell them, but only in California and Hawaii.

“The more I waited, the less it happened,” Kafantaris said. “I figured I would have to do it myself. We’ve been spending over a decade building 24 different pieces of IP for the company. Vehicles, power systems and refueling.”

Bringing that technology to the Edison Awards will boost Hyperion’s exposure, he said.

“What I’m excited about with the Edison Awards is, first of all, Thomas Edison is the pinnacle of American ingenuity. I grew up looking up to his genius. To be recognized at the awards is an honor; it’s just another feather in our cap. We’re honored to have the car there. We’re hoping to get as many people as we can in the technology space to learn about the car.”

ENVIRONMENT

SUSTAINABILITY IN PAPER

SWFL printing, packing companies keep recycling in mind

By Bill Wasinger

In 2023, 46 million tons of paper were recycled in the United States, according to the American Forest & Paper Association. In that same year, the paper recycling rate (calculated based on the amount of paper recycled compared to the amount of paper available for recovery) was at 65% to 69%, while cardboard was recycled at a 71% to 76% rate. And, thanks to its own sustainability efforts, the paper industry recycles nearly 60% more paper than it did in 1990. Paper and cardboard are now among the most highly recycled materials in the United States.

Those numbers aside, in an age when everything from dinner to desks can be delivered to your door, the use of paper wrappers, packaging and cardboard continues to increase. And though 79% of Americans have access to community residential-curbside recycling programs, some Southwest Florida businesses go the extra mile to focus on sustainability and reduce their environmental footprints.

“We are an independent manufacturer of custom-printed deli paper and sandwich wraps in small quanti-

ties for customers all over the United States. Paper is basically a renewable resource and, as we’ve seen more bans … of anything that has plastic in the product, you’re starting to see a move back to paper again,” says Ryan Van Horn, CEO of Custom Packaging & Products in Fort Myers. “A lot of people want paper that’s recyclable. Companies that print deli paper in the United States have a higher

“We’re always looking to change with the times ... we count the crates that we sell, and for every crate we sell, we plant a tree.” — Gary McKinley

standard because you’re dealing with direct food contact. So those necessities need to be taken into consideration when you’re producing the product.”

For Custom Packaging & Products, those production standards include using only sandwich wrap grades approved by the Food and Drug Administration and wa-

ter-based printing inks that are direct food use-approved. Most importantly, Van Horn said his industry has stopped the use of PFAS chemicals, which are known as “forever chemicals” since they break down slowly and can build up in the environment and in living things.

“Companies started using PFAS because they were a chemical sub-

In 2023, the paper recycling rate was at 65% to 69%, and cardboard was recycled at a 71% to 76% rate. The paper industry recycles close to 60% more than it did in 1990.

stance that was really resistant to heat, grease, oil and water,” he says. “A lot of manufacturers quitting the use of PFAS has been huge for end-users to know that they’re getting product that does not have that in it. And I think every single paper mill in the U.S. is now using PFAS-free product for any type of papermaking.”

To transport and deliver items larger than sandwiches, more and sturdier packaging is often required. And when every item you’re packing and shipping

is different, it can take more effort to be sustainable.

“We specialize in large, high-value and fragile goods, and we do the pickup, the packaging and the delivery. We do domestic and international shipping, and we do custom crating for industries. We ship a lot of art and antiques … and we’ve moved entire factories,” says Gary McKinley, president of Craters & Freighters in Cape Coral. “We build a custom crate for everything. We use veneer plywood

or we use corrugated, 350-pound double-wall cardboard. We don’t throw away everything when it’s cut. It goes to a recycle bin and the team goes to that recycle area when they’re building crates to see if there’s a size that will fit.”

For Craters & Freighters, the use of sustainably sourced, reusable and recyclable packaging — and dedication to minimizing its ecological impact — serves to support a healthier planet and help its customers achieve their own sustainability goals. To do that, the company works to divert waste from landfills, advises and assists customers with recycling options and promotes conservation and reforestation. And McKinley said his business is also striving to be prepared for new challenges in the future.

“A big part of our sustainability is the ability we have to do a varied palette of tasks for our clientele. We’re always looking to change with the times,” he says. “Corporately, we count the crates that we sell, and for every crate we sell, we plant a tree.”

Though the recycling and renewal efforts of these Southwest Florida businesses may look like a small element of everyday business, they’re both part of the paper and packaging industry’s larger work toward sustainability. That’s something Van Horn notes in every email he sends.

“Part of my email tagline is, ‘The paper industry plants more than it harvests, and today there are 25% more trees in the developed world than in 1990. Paper is biodegradable, renewable and sustainable and, when recycled, it will come back to you as paper or board.’ That’s part of the tagline in every email I send out.”

Gary McKinley Craters & Freighters president

Ryan Van Horn Custom Packaging & Products CEO

By Artis Henderson

SAN D

Brian Tietz

AID

Collier County’s Park Shore Beach Renourishment Project is scheduled to finish this month. The Board of County Commissioners approved the project last December, designating funds from the county’s Tourist Development Tax to cover the expense; the anticipated cost is $5.5 million.

The Park Shore Beach Park is in good company. Across Lee and Collier counties, multiple beach renourishment projects are ongoing. Some are the result of major hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton, while others are a response to the natural ongoing erosion process. Whatever the cause, they come with hefty price tags — but can hardly be considered optional.

A Post-Ian World

In the past, island-wide beach renourishment hadn’t been a necessary part of Sanibel’s plan, city of Sanibel’s Natural Resources Director Holly Milbrandt said. But in the wake of Hurricane Ian — and, more recently, hurricanes Helene and Milton — beach renourishment has become a fact of island life.

Historically, Sanibel’s east-west orientation has protected the island from the longshore current, a north-south running current along the Gulf Coast of Florida that has long affected neighboring barrier islands including Captiva and Fort Myers Beach. Those islands, with their north-south orientation, experience continuous erosion from the north end of the island and accretion at the south end. This calls for an ongoing beach renourishment process in order to maintain the width of those beaches. The longshore current, by contrast, has had a diminished effect on Sanibel’s beaches, which means it’s been possible to let nature take its course.

“The Sanibel Plan and our associated beach management plan and land development code are really quite explicit in their philosophy,” Milbrandt says. “We’ve had minimal intervention on Sanibel’s beaches. We’ve had erosional hotspots we’ve had to

Since Sanibel has an east-west orientation, the island is much less affected by the longshore current, which causes continuous erosion to the nearby islands of Captiva and Fort Myers Beach.

SAND AID

“We love it when people go to the beach and just lie there and say, ‘What a great beach. This is awesome.’ They don’t know that a lot goes into it.”

— Steve Boutelle,

public works operations manager, Lee County Natural Resources

Milbrandt Sanibel’s Natural Resources Director

SAND AID

When Hurricane Ian struck the area, Sanibel’s minimal intervention on its beaches changed. The storm pulled massive amounts of sand out to sea, and after additional damage from Hurricane Milton, Sanibel faces a cost of more than $23 million to repair its beaches.

address as they occurred, but Sanibel’s beaches weren’t subject to the routine beach renourishment that other beaches in the area are used to. But now we’re living in a post-Ian world.”

Hurricane Ian — which made landfall Sept. 28, 2022, as a Category 4 and caused an estimated $112 billion worth of damage, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history at the time, according to the National Hurricane Center — demanded more direct intervention in order to restore Sanibel’s beaches.

“Ian’s magnitude created such a severe impact that it would take an extremely long time for the beaches to return to their pre-storm condition [on their own] — if they ever returned at all,” Milbrandt says.

Ian’s tidal surge reached a height of nearly 13 feet on Sanibel and pulled enormous amounts of sand out to sea, following the path of least resistance along pedestrian beach access paths and scouring these already exposed tracts, creating deep gullies. And it didn’t stop with Ian. In late 2022, the city surveyed Sanibel’s beaches as part of its post-Ian renourishment plan and identified 75 scoured gullies. After Hurricane Milton in October 2024, the city identified 23 areas where the same scouring damage had reoccurred. “Those kinds of features would likely not self-repair in any sort of reasonable time frame,” Milbrandt says.

For millennia, barrier islands like Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach have shifted with currents and storms. But today, the necessity of maintaining these beaches for human habitation — and, more to the point, a tourism economy — means dedicated measures must be taken to restore the beaches. Letting nature take its course is no longer an option. On Sanibel, that translated to a cost of more than $23 million.

“While the amount of money seems significant, it’s greatly outweighed by the returns in tax revenue generated by tourists,” Milbrandt says. “It’s important to us and our citizens that we look at the available dollars and use that money to get sand back onto the beach.”

Who pays for all that sand?

With beach renourishment projects routinely reaching into the millions of dollars, people want to know who’s paying the bill. The short answer: tourists, mostly. Both Lee and Collier counties levy a 5% tourist development tax on all accommodation booked for less than six months. This is sometimes referred to as the “bed tax.” Collier County allocates 42.56% of its tourist development tax revenue to its beaches (3.58% for beach park facilities and 38.98% for renourishment, pass and inlet maintenance), and Lee County allocates 26.4% to beach and shoreline improvements and maintenance. In fiscal year 2023-24, Lee County’s tourist development tax raised more than $44 million. Collier County took in $41 million for the same time frame. Beach renourishment projects are largely paid for by this revenue, and they also receive funding from the state of Florida, as well as FEMA.

Holly

Getty;

Brian Tietz

SAND AID

Florida’s Most Valuable Asset

The state of Florida is a brand, and its white-sand beaches are its defining feature, according to a landmark study released by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. The 2015 study is often used as a benchmark during state and county budget meetings to determine how much money should be allocated to ongoing beach nourishment projects. The report’s analysis of data from self-conducted surveys determined that Florida’s beaches accounted for 25.5% of the state’s attractiveness to visitors, claiming the top spot over theme parks, retail/dining/nightlife, outdoor recreation, access to international ports or airports, sports, festivals, parks and historical significance.

The study determined that the state’s investment in its Beach Management Program generated a consistent positive return on investment. Between fiscal years 2010 and 2013, that return on investment was 5.4%, which means that for every $1 the state spent to restore its beaches, $5.40 in tourist dollars was generated. This placed beach renourishment programs third on the list of the state’s ROI-rankings, just behind the Qualified Target Industry program at 6.4% and the Florida Sports Foundation Grant Program at 5.6%. It beat out other programs such as Visit Florida advertising (3.2% ROI) and Enterprise Zones (-0.05% ROI).

Pepper Uchino, president of the Tallahassee-based Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, puts it succinctly: “Is the money spent on beach renourishment justified? Look at the numbers. What drives the Florida economy is tourism, and what drives tourism is our beaches. They’re Florida’s most valuable asset.”

The Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association is a consortium of representatives from universities, municipal governments, coastal engineering firms and other associated industries across the state. Founded in 1957, the group is committed to addressing the problem of beach erosion along Florida’s coastline. This includes hosting conferences dedicated to presenting the latest findings on beach nourishment and erosion, as well as lobbying the state Legislature to provide funding for ongoing beach nourishment projects.

A major draw

According to the annual report from Collier County’s office of tourism, close to 3 million tourists visited the county in fiscal year 2024. These visitors accounted for $2.8 billion in direct spending and $3.9 billion in economic impact. They supported 32,250 jobs and $1.4 billion in wages. Their No. 1 reason for choosing Collier County? The beaches. In a survey, 50% of respondents ticked beaches as their prime motivator. No other option — visiting friends and family, playing golf, getting a good deal — came close.

Pepper Uchino President, Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association

The return on investing in Florida’s beaches between fiscal years 2010 to 2013 was 5.4%, meaning for every dollar spent to restore beaches, $5.40 in tourist dollars was generated, according to a study released by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

Getty; Brian Tietz; Pepper Uchino

Bonita Beach & Lovers Key By the Numbers

$44 million:

Total cost of the project “It’s very expensive, but that will include over a mile on Lovers Key and about 2.6 miles on Bonita Beach,” says Steve Boutelle, public works operations manager for Lee County Natural Resources. The project is funded by allocations from the Lee County Tourist Development Tax fund, as well as post-hurricane grants from the state government and FEMA. The City of Bonita Springs is also a funding partner.

1,015,000 cubic yards:

Amount of sand required for the project

“That’s a huge pile of sand,” Boutelle says.

18 cubic yards:

Amount of sand carried by the average over-the-road dump truck

“The prospect of truck hauls for this project would have significant implications in terms of traffic and roadway costs,” Boutelle says, explaining why the county decided to dredge sand from offshore rather than have it trucked in from sand pits.

30 miles:

Distance of the offshore sand dredging zone from the project area

Getting sand to shore is no simple task. The dredge fills up a scow — a small type of barge — in the offshore dredging zone. The scow transports the sand to an unloader several miles from shore. Then the sand is pumped through a pipeline onto the beach. “Dredging versus hauling is something we look at on every project,” Boutelle says. “We consider multiple sand sources and see what makes sense economically and logically at the time.”

Beach renourishment isn’t just important for tourism; it is crucial for sea turtle nesting. When the beaches are eroded, there isn’t enough space for sea turtles to make their nests.

SAND AID

Uchino holds both a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a master’s in marine affairs and policy from Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science. He served as staff attorney and then staff director for the Florida Senate’s Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee. He said that beach erosion wouldn’t be a problem if we didn’t have the built environment to protect, but because of the investment along the shoreline, the coast is now essentially static. That means it can’t go through the natural erosive and accretive cycles that it did for thousands of years. “Natural processes happen in geological time,” Uchino says, “not human time.”

Sea Turtles Need Sand Too

Human beachgoers aren’t the only ones to benefit from renourishment projects. Sea turtles and shore birds rely on wide, sandy beaches for their nests. When natural resource managers are making decisions about which beaches are critically eroded, they factor in wildlife habitats, as well. “Beach Bonita is a great example of that,” says Steve Boutelle, public works operations manager for Lee County Natural Resources.

Before the recent Bonita Beach renourishment project began, the beach had been eroded all the way to the seawall, which meant that at high tide there was no sandy beach. “No turtle nesting habitat there at all,” Boutelle says.

Once the county had the go-ahead to begin building back the eroded beach, engineers were careful to schedule work around the sea turtle nesting season, which

runs May 1 to Oct. 31. They also put in place a monitoring program where a sea turtle monitor would visit the site each morning at dawn to see if any turtle crawls had happened overnight. If a new nest was discovered in the work zone, the eggs were transferred to a new location, out of the way of the renourishment project. “We’ve had good success on those relocations,” Boutelle says. “If done by the appropriately trained people on correct timelines, they work well.”

These “appropriately trained people” are part of Turtle Time Inc., the Southwest Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the sea turtle population. Founded in 1989, Turtle Time is the state-permitted sea turtle monitoring organization for the coastline that runs between Fort Myers Beach and the Collier County line. Eve Haverfield, founder and director of Turtle Time, acknowledged the importance of beach nourishment projects to nesting turtles, especially now.

“Recent hurricanes along the west coast of Florida have resulted in significant erosion of beaches that provide necessary nesting habitat for endangered and threatened sea turtles,” Haverfield says. “A beach renourishment project, while only temporary, plays an important role by replacing lost sand, thereby creating a new and wider shoreline for turtles to successfully lay their nests.

“It may take a couple of years for a newly renourished beach to reflect improved nesting success, but we are looking forward to a successful sea turtle nesting season in 2025 on our newly renourished beaches.”

Steve Boutelle Lee County Natural Resources public works operations manager

ORTHOPEDIC POWERHOUSES

How three local health systems are driving musculoskeletal care in the region and beyond

By Therese McDevitt

In the year since Gulfshore Business last took an indepth look at the health care landscape in Southwest Florida, a hot topic in medicine has become a big part of the conversation: musculoskeletal, or MSK for short.

As the aging — and still very active — population in Southwest Florida continues to grow, a focus on orthopedic care and surgeries is growing in tandem, with MSK offerings becoming the backbone, if you will, that is fueling the engines of three major acute-care health systems in the area.

And while those systems see these advanced service line offerings as enabling those who live here to receive world-class health care without leaving home, Naples Comprehensive Health and Physicians Regional in Collier County and Lee Health in Lee County also are setting their sights on Southwest Florida becoming a destination for orthopedic surgeries that will attract patients from outside the region.

HOSPITAL

FOR SPECIAL SURGERY AT NCH

For NCH, the idea for a free-standing orthopedic hospital started, as many large projects do in Southwest Florida, with Patty and Jay Baker.

The Bakers are one of the region’s most active and recognized philanthropic couples, and had high praise for the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City — the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health — after Jay Baker was a surgical patient there.

As a member of the board at nonprofit NCH, he offered to connect the health care system’s president and CEO, Paul Hiltz, with the powers-that-be at HSS. Hiltz, Baker and others from the NCH leadership team toured HSS in New York, met its leadership and came away convinced the partnership would be a good one.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Paul Hiltz NCH president and CEO

Musculoskeletal care has become top of mind at health care systems in SWFL, with three systems in Collier and Lee counties aiming to make the region a destination for orthopedic surgeries.

“More important than having the machines is that we’ve got surgeons that are adept at using them.”

— Dr. David Backstein

By the numbers

NCH

Total beds: 731

Total operating revenue:

FY24 $882 million

Orthopedic surgeries across the system: 3,700

Lee Health

Total beds: 1,812

Total operating revenue:

FY24 $3.25 billion

Orthopedic surgeries across the system: 11,000+

Physicians Regional

Total beds: 357

Total operating revenue: Not disclosed

Orthopedic surgeries across the system: 4,500

ORTHOPEDIC POWERHOUSES

Jay and Patty Baker Philanthropists

A $20 million fundraising challenge grant from the Bakers lifted the project off the ground, and in November 2023, NCH broke ground on the Patty & Jay Baker Pavilion, a 100,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open this spring on the NCH North Naples Hospital campus that will be the home of HSS at NCH and will include The Kapnick Foundation Ambulatory Surgical Center. Total costs for the project are estimated at $140 million.

Hiltz said the goal set by Jay Baker and the rest of the board was to make HSS at NCH one of the best orthopedic hospitals in the country, offering a state-of-the-art facility that would become a destination for comprehensive outpatient and inpatient MSK services, and make it possible for those who live here not to have to travel for specialized surgery.

“We believe we’ve done that. We believe it’s got the very latest and greatest; Arthrex has also been involved in helping design and equip the building,” Hiltz says, referencing the role of the privately held Naples-based medical devices company in the project. “We’re really excited about how that is changing orthopedic care in this region.”

Building a ‘world-class’ orthopedic center

In addition to the latest in technology and equipment, Hiltz said NCH — which recently was named one of Healthgrades’ top 50 hospitals in the country — also has been recruiting doctors for what he said will be a “worldclass” orthopedic center.

One of those physicians, Dr. David Backstein, was recruited to be the medical director for HSS at NCH; he was formerly at the University of Toronto where he led the division of orthopedics at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi, based at HSS in New York City, serves as chief medical officer of HSS Florida.

Backstein, a surgeon specializing in primary and revision total knee replacement, said he was drawn to the project for the opportunity to help build it from the ground up.

NCH North Naples Hospital campus will be home to HSS at NCH, which includes the Patty and Jay Baker Pavilion and The Kapnick Foundation Ambulatory Surgical Center.

“As a surgeon, the number one thing for me is to have a self-contained orthopedic center,” Backstein says. “This is an opportunity to have an exclusively self-contained orthopedic facility that we, for lack of a better word, can

ORTHOPEDIC

control. We can control the patient experience better. We can control the type of surgery that’s being done, and we can control our quality. And we’re not going to be bumped by somebody whose aorta ruptured and our whole [surgical] day is canceled. It’s going to be our facility, and we’re going to do the volume that we feel we can do safely.”

Available procedures at the new hospital will include spine and interventional spine surgeries; foot and ankle surgeries; hip and knee arthroplasty; sports medicine surgery; nonoperative sports medicine; physical medicine rehabilitation; and musculoskeletal injury care.

Backstein has special expertise in minimally invasive and robotic techniques. And while the facility will include the very latest in technology, including robotic capabilities, he said it will be the surgeons who make the difference.

“More important than having the machines is that we’ve got surgeons that are adept at using them,” he says.

Elevating the experience

During a recent hard-hat tour of the construction site off Immokalee Road in Naples, HSS at NCH Vice President Justin Blohm offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse at

Dr. Larry Antonucci Lee Health CEO and president

“We’re elevating the experience and also the expertise for our patients, meaning there are no generalists in this facility.”

some of the areas of the hospital that will make it elite, including the ambulatory surgical center that will incorporate Arthrex designs and equipment, and an observation theater for physician education.

On the first floor, the 100,000-square-foot Baker Pavilion includes the 20,000-square-foot Kapnick Foundation Ambulatory Surgical Center, with five operating rooms. The remaining 80,000 square feet includes clinic space, outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation, 15 private inpatient beds and five additional operating rooms on the second floor; the third floor will contain

— Justin Blohm

In January, Lee Health broke ground on a new 53-acre health care campus in Fort Myers that will include a 168bed acute care hospital and the new Musculoskeletal Institute.

the imaging area for MRIs, CTs and two X-ray suites, with two additional rooms for office-based procedures, according to Blohm.

“We’re elevating the experience and also the expertise for our patients, meaning there are no generalists in this facility,” Blohm says. “Having surgeons here that are hyper-focused on the types of surgeries they do just elevates the quality and level of care that we can provide. There are phenomenal orthopedic surgeons in this community; however, with our growing community and our active population, the need for specialists in the orthopedic realm is growing every day.”

LEE HEALTH MUSCULOSKELETAL INSTITUTE

Like NCH, Lee Health in Fort Myers is focusing on a new hospital, one that will serve as home to the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute.

The system, which converted from a public to a private nonprofit in November, broke ground in late January on a new 53-acre health care campus in Fort Myers that will include a 168-bed acute care hospital and the new Musculoskeletal Institute that the system also sees becoming a destination for those needing orthopedic surgery.

The new hospital will include 400,000 square feet of hospital space; 125,000 square feet of medical office and ambulatory surgery space; and an 18,000-square-foot central energy plant.

The new Lee Health Fort Myers campus, with a total estimated cost of $481 million, will be located at 4453 Challenger Blvd., with the first phase of construction slated for completion in 2028. Lee Health officials said the current flagship hospital, 227-bed Lee Memorial on Cleveland Avenue, which also recently was named to Healthgrades’ ranking of the top 50 U.S. hospitals, will remain open through 2027 to provide emergency care, inpatient beds and surgical services until the new hospital is fully operational.

Asked at the groundbreaking ceremony what the new campus will mean for health care in the county, Lee

Health CEO and President Dr. Larry Antonucci said the system will be able to “expand and grow” with the rapidly growing region.

“As we run this state-of-the art facility here, it’s going to house a hospital, an outpatient surgery center and an office building to begin with, but there is a lot of room to do other things,” Antonucci says. “But mostly it’s going to be housing our Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute, and that’s where I think we’re going to see incredible innovation over the next 20 years.”

In keeping with the goal of becoming a health care destination, future plans may include a hotel that could accommodate patients having surgery or other treatment after their discharge from the hospital, Antonucci said.

“There aren’t any immediate plans, but there is a

“What we’re trying to design here is really comprehensive musculoskeletal care.”

— Duke Walker

space here for a hotel, so we anticipate that very well may be something that’s added in the future,” he says.

“We’re not in the hotel business, but having a hotel adjacent to an orthopedic, a musculoskeletal hospital is a very common thing. People can have surgery, they can spend the night, come back to therapy and then maybe go home the next day.”

The 168-bed acute care hospital will include 24 ICU beds, a 44-bed emergency department and 10 inpatient operating rooms. The medical office building will include eight state-of-the-art operating rooms, which will be home to the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute.

Bringing specialists together on one campus

Health care executive Duke Walker was recruited from Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee in 2023 to serve as vice president of operations for musculoskeletal medicine throughout the Lee Health system. Musculoskeletal services include orthopedics, spine, neurosurgery, trauma, physical medicine, imaging and rehabilitation.

The new Lee Health Fort Myers campus is estimated to cost $481 million, with the first phase of construction slated for completion in 2028.

Walker said the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute will provide “next-level care for the residents of Southwest Florida.”

“For the Musculoskeletal Institute, the new campus will be the hub, but we will have regional sites, as well, including Coconut Point, Surfside and Cape Coral,” he says. “So, we’re still going to service the entire region.”

He said the new campus will allow Lee Health to bring more specialists together for collaboration in patient care.

“These could be orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and even rheumatologists,” Walker says. “And that’s powerful: You can bring that many specialists together on one campus in a beautiful new facility with the latest technology.”

Walker said the Musculoskeletal Institute will offer a full range of orthopedic surgeries and will have expanded capabilities when it comes to surgical spaces and the latest technology, including robotics.

“What we’re trying to design here is really comprehensive musculoskeletal care,” he says. “It’s multidisciplinary, and it’s something like you might receive if you went to a big metropolitan area like Atlanta, but you don’t have to do that. You can get that right here.”

Competitive differentiators

What does Walker think will set the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute apart from the freestanding HSS at NCH facility?

“I think our missions are a little bit different, where HSS started out really heavily focused in orthopedics,” he says. “Our thought here is to be a little bit more comprehensive than that, to have these other specialties like neurosurgery, rheumatology, physical medicine, rehabilitation, pain management, anesthesia, and we’re building that as part of a full-service hospital.

“Our campus, you’re going to have full specialist support,” he says. “Let’s say you need a total knee replacement, and you have a heart issue or other medical problems. If you have it there (on the new Lee Health campus), you’ve got a full brand-new hospital and a specialist like Dr. [Malissa] Wood and her cardiac team, as well.”

ORTHOPEDIC

Physicians Regional Healthcare System

While Naples-based Physicians Regional, the only for-profit system of the three, does not have a standalone facility dedicated to MSK practice, Market CEO Scott Lowe said the system is proud of its offerings and the advances in technology offered in orthopedics.

From a system growth perspective, Lowe said he is “very excited about the MSK side of things.”

Physicians Regional features a full range of orthopedic procedures, including for foot and ankle; hand and wrist surgery; hip resurfacing; laminectomy; reconstructive surgery; shoulder surgery; spine surgery including discectomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion and vertebroplasty; and total replacement of the hip, knee, shoulder and elbow.

Staying competitive with new technologies

Asked about staying competitive with NCH and Lee Health in the MSK realm, Lowe said, “Honestly, we’re already there.”

“I think they’re doing a better job than us as far as selling what they’re developing,” he says. “We’re already doing over 3,000 orthopedic and spine cases a year. That’s across all three campuses — and in particular, we’ve got our North campus that has 20 dedicated inpatient beds and four operating rooms specific to MSK services; that’s all we do at that portion of the hospital.”

Data provided by a system spokesperson showed a total of 4,500 MSK (orthopedic and spine) cases in 2024, with an increase of 5% to 7% expected in 2025.

The Physicians Regional North campus, which features Mako and ROSA surgical robots used in knee replacements, has been designated an Orthopedic Center of Excellence, Lowe said, and early this year, the system’s Pine Ridge campus also was named as a Center of Excellence in robotic and minimally invasive surgery by nonprofit patient safety organization Surgical Review Corporation.

“At the Collier campus we added a Globus robot, a [minimally invasive] neurosurgery and spine robot, which is pretty exciting for the community because that reintroduced spine surgery to that campus,” Lowe says. “We just added an ORBEYE surgical microscope, which does 4K 3D imaging to better support our neurosurgeons in that endeavor.

“So, again, just a lot of technology growth. Some of it is growth in the way we’re doing the procedures, but some of it is just a new way of doing things, a replacement of an older procedure or older method of performing that type of care. The [population] growth is going to continue in Southwest Florida, so we want to make sure we’re on the forefront of that and we’re delivering on the highest level of care that we possibly can.”

One example of that technology growth is the Globus Excelsius robot. Dr. Amanda Sacino, a Naples-based neurosurgeon in practice at Physicians Regional, recently gave WINK News a look at how the robot’s technology works in brain and spine surgery.

“Excelsius is the only robot used in both the brain and the spine,” she explained. “Tools are slid into the body through a single arm paired with a high-powered vision system. It allows doctors to operate in small spaces and it helps us to be more accurate if we have to place hardware into the body. It also helps us to be more accurate through the use of navigation if we have to make different cuts in the bone to, say, take out arthritic tissue, or to remove a tumor or to help with a fracture in the spine.”

“We’re already doing over 3,000 orthopedic and spine cases a year. That’s across all three campuses.”

Sacino said that because it’s a “smaller” surgery, “it’s less taxing on the body and also it’s less pain-causing, and it helps [patients] to recover quickly after surgery.”

Partnering with community physicians

Lowe said that in addition to the investments in robotic care, Physicians Regional also continues to develop partnerships with doctors and surgeons in the community.

— Scott Lowe

“We’re very proud of the MSK services that we’ve been able to develop and foster,” Lowe says. “And one of the things we’ve done is to develop those relationships with our community-based physicians, the ones that are already in this town that are already very well trained and are as good as some of the HSS physicians that are coming into this community. We’ve partnered with them, and we want to continue to foster that relationship.”

BUILD

Founded in 2006, BUILD is a leading general contractor delivering high-quality commercial projects across Southwest Florida and beyond. The company specializes in a diverse range of commercial construction, including offices, clubhouses, restaurants, hotels, car dealerships, aviation hangars, and nonprofit facilities. BUILD is also a trusted name in multi-family community construction, shaping residential developments that enhance communities.

Notable projects include The Naples Players Theater, Naples Jet Center, Shelly Stayer Shelter, Baker Senior Center, Altair by Soltura, and the Greater Naples YMCA. BUILD’s commitment to quality and a seamless building process has earned the trust of repeat clients such as Arthrex, Culver’s, Kolter Homes, and Toll Brothers.

With a focus on excellence and client experience, BUILD consistently delivers exceptional results that stand the test of time.

(239) 594-9984 build-ghcom

UNLOCK LUCRATIVE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH GCM CONTRACTING SOLUTIONS

With its sunny climate and expanding population, Southwest Florida offers exceptional investment opportunities in commercial real estate. The region is highly appealing to businesses and investors, with key trends including mixed-use developments, sustainable buildings, flexible office spaces, and revitalized retail spaces. This thriving market, along with a strong design-build partner like GCM Contracting Solutions, promises lucrative returns and tax advantages.

Since 1988, GCM Contracting Solutions has been connecting investors and businesses looking to capitalize on this robust market. With a deep understanding of market demands, we cater to both business owners looking to build to suit and investors seeking reliable support. We ensure efficient resource allocation and financial prudence through cost control measures and value engineering. Our collaborative design-build approach tailors solutions to meet specific needs. With GCM’s experienced in-house structural engineering team, comprehensive services, and strong local relationships, we offer a seamless experience and ensure transparent financial planning for optimal project outcomes and investor satisfaction.

We stand ready to navigate the complexities of your next commercial real estate project—delivering excellence and value every step of the way. Give us a call today at 239.334.8800.

(239) 334-8800 gcmcontracting.com

PBS CONTRACTORS: EXCELLENCE IN COLLIER COUNTY SINCE 1986

As your trusted Concierge Builder®, PBS Contractors is committed to excellence in commercial construction across a diverse range of projects, including restaurants. Our dedicated team collaborates closely with clients to ensure every aspect of the build aligns with their concept and brand. We understand the unique challenges of the restaurant industry and collaborate closely with clients to bring their visions to life.

What sets us apart is our deep-rooted knowledge of the communities we serve. We actively engage in the growth of our local environment, fostering strong relationships with clients and industry professionals. As part of the “Who’s Who in Commercial Contractors,” PBS is committed to elevating the dining experience through innovative design and construction solutions.

Let us help you create the perfect atmosphere for your guests. Contact us today to start your project and make a meaningful impact in Collier County!

Quarles & Brady LLP, founded n 1992, is a full--service Am Law 200 firm with approximately 550 attorneys offering an array of legal services to clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small entrepreneurial businesses to individuals. The firm has practices focused in bankruptcy, restructuring and creditor’s rights; business law; energy, infrastructure and environment; estate, trust and wealth preservation; health and life sciences, intellectual property; labor and employment; litigation and dispute resolution; product liability; public finance; and real estate and land use. Its 13 U.S. offices are in Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Naples, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Diego, Tampa, Tucson and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found at quarles.com, as well as on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Our Naples team has a client-first mindset and a deep commitment to giving back to the communities in which we live and work. at (239) 659-5026 or

Joseph Kohn David Lupo

with a national footprint.

+ Years of Excellence

RYCON CONSTRUCTION: NATIONWIDE LEADERS IN HEALTHCARE AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

With 36 years of experience and an 87% repeat client rate, Rycon Construction is an employee-owned firm built on strong relationships. Our healthcare expertise includes ground-up hospitals, small-format facilities, medical office buildings, and labs, as well as ERs, ORs, ICUs, nursing units, heliports, and MRI, CT, and LINAC installations. We specialize in phased renovations, major infrastructure upgrades, central utility plants, and clean rooms, delivering seamless execution in complex environments. As a trusted nationwide partner in healthcare construction, Rycon combines technical proficiency with a client-first approach, supported by nine offices, including Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale. In addition to healthcare, Rycon has a proven track record of success across various markets, including retail, commercial, self-storage, multi-unit residential, education, dining/food service, and industrial/warehouse construction. Contact us today to discuss your next project. Johnny Limbaugh, Director of Business Development, jlimbaugh@ryconinc.com Mobile: 239-410-0266

SUFFOLK: REDEFINING HOW FLORIDA BUILDS

Suffolk is the leading builder in Southwest Florida, delivering projects across every sector, including Aura at Metropolitan Naples (pictured left), Southwest Florida International Airport, Ritz-Carlton Residences Naples, and Moorings Park Assisted Living. As a national enterprise that builds, innovates, and invests, Suffolk adds value throughout the project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up (Suffolk Technologies) and innovation research/development. With $5.5 billion in annual revenue and a proven track record in complex, high-profile projects, Suffolk is shaping Florida’s skyline and leading transformative developments nationwide. Ranked #8 on ENR’s lists of “Largest Domestic Builders” and “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors,” we are proud to be America’s Contractor and a trusted partner in the industry. With 15 offices across the country, we continue to redefine what’s possible in construction. Learn more at www.suffolk.com.

(239) 791-3000 suffolk.com

Proud to Build Southwest Florida

The construction projects reshaping the Sunshine State are more complex and sophisticated than ever. To rise to the challenge, our tech-savvy teams leverage data and cutting-edge solutions to build safely and efficiently. We’re honored to be America’s Contractor, proud to be Southwest Florida’s most innovative builder, and grateful to our clients for trusting us to transform their dreams into reality.

Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort

At Titan Contracting, we’re more than just builders—we’re problem solvers, innovators, and community partners. As a full-service, multifaceted construction company, we take projects from concept to completion with expertise, efficiency, and integrity. With a team of over 80 skilled professionals, we self-perform all work, ensuring top-tier quality and seamless execution across every phase of construction.

We specialize in both commercial and residential projects, including ground-up construction, remodels, and tenant build-outs. But what truly sets us apart is our in-house divisions—plumbing, electrical, roofing, site work & hauling, and low voltage giving us total control over timelines, costs, and craftsmanship. As a licensed general contractor, we don’t just build structures; we build lasting relationships and strong communities. Whether it’s a large-scale development or a custom home renovation, Titan Contracting is the trusted partner to bring your vision to life—on time and on budget.

WRIGHT CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Wright Construction Group has fostered a family-oriented work culture and a warm workplace environment for nearly eight decades. Our team members provide quality service while developing long-lasting trust-based relationships by treating clients with respect and great care. For this reason, Wright has become the builder many prestigious public and private clients choose. Wright has played a large part in enhancing Southwest Florida’s growth and quality of life with our building and civil divisions undertaking a wide range of projects, including educational, senior living, hospitality, and municipal, as well as public and private infrastructure.

Wright acknowledges our formidable team as key to delivering on the company’s commitment to Safety, Quality, Timeliness, and Value. We strive to listen to team members’ needs, support their growth, and empower them to succeed. That family feel and spirit of collaboration set the company apart and earned Wright Construction Group the honor of being nationally ranked #1 Best Place to Work in Construction by Best Companies Group.

(239) 481-5000

Fred Edman, President

B&I Contractors is a leading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractor serving Florida’s commercial construction industry since 1960. With expertise in HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and service work, the firm has a diverse project portfolio that includes education, healthcare, government buildings and other commercial construction. Operating across Southwest, Southeast and West Central Florida, B&I leverages advanced technology and skilled employee-owners to provide efficient and cost-effective solutions from design to completion. B&I has built its strong reputation as a trusted industry leader by prioritizing the core values that the company was founded on: quality, integrity, teamwork and safety. B&I’s commitment to excellence continues to drive growth, innovation, and long-term success in the commercial construction industry.

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN CONSTRUCTION

For 35 years, Chris-Tel Construction has built a legacy in Southwest Florida. Led by Howard Wheeler II, whose family has been shaping Lee County for over 100 years, Chris-Tel Construction continues to build some of the most iconic projects in the area. The firm specializes in commercial construction and has a diverse portfolio of award-winning work. From concept to completion, Chris-Tel ensures the best building experience by providing personalized attention, transparent communication, and innovative solutions to each client. Chris-Tel’s longevity, financial strength, and reputation for completing projects on time and within budget have solidified their position within the industry. They are known throughout the community as a competitive construction firm that can do it all.

40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE A BOUTIQUE APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTION

For four decades, Compass Construction has been a trusted name in Southwest Florida, delivering high-quality projects with precision and care. Our boutique, concierge style service ensures personalized attention, honesty, and integrity in every build. Named Best of Cape Coral for 10 years, we bring expertise, value, and commitment to excellence. Experience the Compass difference where craftsmanship, trust, and quality come together.

For four decades, Compass Construction has been a trusted name in Southwest Florida, delivering high-quality projects with precision and care. Our boutique, concierge style service ensures personalized attention, honesty, and integrity in every build. Named Best of Cape Coral for 10 years, we bring expertise, value, and commitment to excellence. Experience the Compass difference where craftsmanship, trust, and quality come together.

(239) 542-7118 compassconstruction.com

LAI GROUP: YOUR SINGLE SOURCE FOR DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

LAI Group is a true design-build firm comprised of LAI Construction Management, Inc and LAI Design Associates, LLC. Our services provide our clients with a one stop solution from concept through construction. We pride ourselves on our long-term relationship with repeat clients. Our experience includes commercial, educational, religious, industrial, and high-density residential projects. At LAI, we recognize that just as no two projects are the same, neither are our clients. As a result, we tailor our services and solutions to suit the unique, individual needs of each of our clients. From initial planning through complex design, engineering, and construction, we can be your single source of responsibility for your next big project. We are a small business that provides services parallel with those of any large firm. Our work area not only includes our backyard here in Southwest Florida, but also includes the Southeastern U.S. and Wisconsin.

At Key Private Bank, we know that your wealth story is your own. We also know that your financial life is complex. But it doesn’t have to be confusing.

That is why we will work closely and creatively with you to help you realize your vision. We’ll handle the numbers, graphs, and charts, so you can live your story. Our experts will help you navigate the latest political and industry news with their commentary and insights on current topics and issues that affect your wealth management planning.

From day one, we are a team. And you will always be at the heart of our award-winning service.

Michael T. Schneider

Florida

Market President

239-659-8803

michael_t_schneider@keybank.com

Visit key.com/florida

FAMILY OFFICE

GUIDE BUSEY

Relationships Guide Busey Family Office

FAMILY OFFICE

Brent Crawford

Brent Crawford

Executive Vice President

For 157 years, Busey has built relationships spanning generations, making the growth of our Family Office a natural evolution. Busey’s Family Office helps multi-generational, enterprising families prosper—financially and personally—by combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of their unique needs, goals and relational dynamics. Delivering personalized services such as estate planning strategy, complex custom reporting, concierge banking and cash flow management, our team creates a cohesive plan aimed at achieving sustainable success and durable family harmony. Through strategic oversight and personalized support, Busey helps families navigate complexities, preserve wealth and focus on what truly matters–enjoying life and safeguarding legacy for generations to come.

Learn more at busey.com/wealth-management.

For 157 years, Busey has built relationships spanning generations, making the growth of our Family Office a natural evolution. Busey’s Family Office helps multigenerational, enterprising families prosper—financially and personally—by combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of their unique needs, goals and relational dynamics. Delivering personalized services such as estate planning strategy, complex custom reporting, concierge banking and cash flow management, our team creates a cohesive plan aimed at achieving sustainable success and durable family harmony. Through strategic oversight and personalized support, Busey helps families navigate complexities, preserve wealth and focus on what truly matters—enjoying life and safeguarding legacy for generations to come.

Learn more at busey.com/wealth-management.

For 157 years, Busey has built relationships spanning generations, growth of our Family Office a natural evolution. Busey’s Family multigenerational, enterprising families prosper—financially and personally—by combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of their goals and relational dynamics. Delivering personalized services such planning strategy, complex custom reporting, concierge banking management, our team creates a cohesive plan aimed at achieving success and durable family harmony. Through strategic oversight and support, Busey helps families navigate complexities, preserve wealth what truly matters—enjoying life and safeguarding legacy for generations

Executive Vice President

Executive Managing Director

Brent Crawford

Executive Marketing Director

Wealth Advisory at Busey Bank

Learn more at

Wealth Advisory at Busey Bank

Executive Vice President

Executive

Managing Director

Wealth Advisory at Busey Bank

Your one-stop shop for financial planning

Let’s face it—life can be busy. Whether you’re navigating retirement, working, caring for family, or just managing a packed calendar, Sharon Treiser and Chelsea Seibel understand you’ve got a lot going on.

That’s why they take care of all aspects of your financial planning. Their firm, Manning & Napier, provides comprehensive wealth management, considering your investments, taxes, estate planning, and more. Manning & Napier clients enjoy:

• Ongoing advice – Sharon and Chelsea don’t just set it and forget it. They provide ongoing advice and plan monitoring, giving you peace of mind that you’re on track to meet your goals.

• Personalized support – You will have a whole team on your side to provide the white-glove service you deserve.

• An established track record – Few investors can say their strategies have been tested through 50+ years of market environments, but Manning & Napier’s investment track record dates all the way back to 1970.

If you’d like to set up a no-obligation consultation or just want a second opinion on our existing plan, they’re here to listen. Request a call at go.manning-napier.com/gulfshore-free-financial-plan or learn more at www.manning-napier.com.

(800) 551-0224 manning-napier.com

Simplified Money Management for Stress-Free Living

Total financial wellness goes beyond great investments, which is why we also consider taxes, estate planning, and more as we build your customized plan. With more than 50 years of experience in wealth management, our firm provides time-tested, all-in-one planning solutions.

Book your complimentary consultation at: go.manning-napier.com/gulfshore-free-financial-plan

Secure your legacy

Are you taking full advantage of your lifetime estate and gift tax exemption?

Commerce Trust, working in conjunction with your estate planning attorney, can guide you through the in-depth conversations required to assess how the use of tax exemptions could most effectively be incorporated into your estate plan.

The holistic, team-based approach at Commerce Trust, consisting of financial and tax planning, investment portfolio management, and trust administration, is designed to guide you toward achieving your family’s goals while safeguarding your legacy.

Connect with the Commerce Trust team at commercetrustcompany.com/estatetax to secure your legacy.

AfterHOURS

HORSEPOWER / WELLNESS / UNWIND / BACKSTORY

By James Raia

The MC20 Cielo puts the AI in Maserati

HORSEPOWER

ITALIAN INGENUITY

The MC20 Cielo puts the AI in Maserati

By James Raia

Maserati may have the most bizarre and complicated legacy in automotive history. Numerous owners, pitifully small yearly sales, iconic designers and vast racing success all have contributed to the more than 110-year-old Italian automaker’s pedigree.

Now the iconic carmaker is pursuing another challenge — autonomous driving in Italy. Maserati has introduced the MC20 Coupe and MC20 Cielo.

The former, featuring a robo-driver developed by Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s leading university of science and technology, set a record last November. It reached 177 mph in dense fog on the runway at Piacenza-San Damiano Air Base in Italy; the fastest speed yet achieved by an AI-driven production car without human intervention.

The MC20 Cielo, featuring an AI driver as part of the Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous project, also was developed by researchers at Politecnico di Milano. It was showcased

Acceleration: 0-to-60 mph, 3.0 seconds

Airbags: 5

Gas mileage: 18 mpg (city), 15 mpg (hwy)

Horsepower: 621

Manufacturer’s

Suggested Retail Price: $276,995

Price as reviewed: Not available

Manufacturer’s website: maserati.com

Range: 238.5 miles (city); 397.5 (hwy)

Transmission:

Eight-speed automatic with manual auto shifting

Warranty:

Bumper-to-Bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 4 years/50,000 miles; Corrosion, 4 years/50,000; Roadside Assistance, 4 years/50,000 miles

AUTHORITY WEATHER THE

Zach Maloch WINK Meteorologist

Matt Devitt WINK Chief Meteorologist

earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and further develops the technology for real-world use.

“It’s reliable, it’s safe, it’s an excellent car,” says Sergio Savaresi, a professor at the university instrumental in the project. “Now, we are trying to bring our technology to the real urban cars.”

Behind the Trident Maserati was founded in 1914 in Bologna, Italy, as the progression of a multibrother business whose legacy includes selling spark plugs and powering racing boats. The automaker’s success began in 1926 with

the introduction of its first racing car. Maserati drivers won the Indy 500 in 1939 and 1940. Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina won the 1957 Formula 1 World Championship driving a Maserati.

Despite its success, Maserati also has been beset by financial woes and an enduring curse. Orsi, an Italian industrial family, purchased floundering Maserati in 1937.

Under its new management, Maserati debuted the A6, its road car, in 1947. Gran touring cars followed.

Much has happened in the past nearly 80 years. Maserati has been owned by Ferrari, partnered with Alfa Romeo and was purchased

by Stellantis in 2021. Its legacy also includes ownership by Citroen, Alessandro de Tomaso and Fiat. Last year Stellantis was rumored to announce the stoppage of Maserati vehicles, but the carmaker denied it.

Maserati’s entry into autonomous driving is the carmaker’s attempt to reclaim some of its prestigious past with vehicles for the future. The MC20 Coupe

and MC20 Cielo are the automaker’s first in-housebuilt vehicles in 20 years.

“We hope to make Maserati Maserati again,” says Savaresi. “It’s not Ferrari anymore.”

The carmaker’s tumultuous tenure includes yearly sales of only 518 in 1998, and a monthly record for sales of more than 3,000 in May and 13,411 cars total in 2014, the manufacturer’s North American best. Maserati

Model Achievements

Known for its smooth, lowslung designs, a trademark of Italian designer and coachbuilder Pietro Frua, Maserati was the featured class at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and was showcased at various auto shows throughout Florida.

The Italian carmaker unofficially has one of the best car names in history: The

Maserati Quattroporte was introduced in 1963, incorporating the brand’s coupe characteristics and sport style into a four-door sedan. The Quattroporte (four doors in English) is the manufacturer’s flagship. It’s best known for its greenhouse-like windows and protruding front grille with the Trident logo.

Eight years later, Maserati unveiled another of its

most well-received cars, the Ghibli. Conceived by Giorgetto Giugiaro, a former Ghia designer, the Ghibli has a curvy tail end and shark-like nose. Long, low and wide, it’s only 46 inches tall.

The GranTurismo was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show in 2007. It has Pininfarina lines with a streamlined body and is marketed as a two-door take on the Quattroporte sedan. The front grille has an oversized Trident logo, and buyers had six variations including one styled after the fashion house Fendi.

Like other high-end manufacturers, Maserati decided

to join the sport utility vehicle market in 2016 with the Levante. The mid-size, fivedoor luxury crossover featured the brand’s signature features. But it couldn’t compete in the market segment with so many established vehicles. The Levante was discontinued in 2024 when some of its models reached $180,000.

The Cielo’s starting price is about $100,000 more than its defunct siblings. But the high-performance, outside-the-box race car still includes Maserati traditions. It has a chance for success beyond just performance records.

WELLNESS

SOLID FOOTING

For better health and overall wellness, take a walk

By James Raia

Walking is a simple exercise. It’s ideal for individuals or when practiced in groups. It provides well-being for all without the potential for injuries prevalent in more intense activities. In Southwest Florida, area gyms and fitness centers feature treadmills and walking tracks. Area trails and pathways are numerous.

Founded in 1992, the Naples Walking Club embraces all practitioners. It incorporates exercise with social activities in scheduled walks several times a week, with a goal of helping alleviate health issues associated with inactive lifestyles.

Janeth P. Castrejon American Heart Association of Southwest Florida spokeswoman

For decades, Southwest Florida has trusted WINK News —every day, every storm, every moment.

FIRST FAIR EVERYWHERE. The faces you trust. The local news you rely on.

A sedentary life affects 25% of U.S. adults who sit for longer than eight hours daily, according to the American Heart Association. That can have severe negative effects on physical and mental health.

“Heart disease can affect everyone,” says Janeth P. Castrejon, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association of Southwest Florida. “Staying healthy and being mindful of your body can help you decrease the negative effects of AFib (Atrial fibrillation) or any cardiovascular disease that you can encounter at any age.”

Furthermore, regular walking is among the least potentially detrimental exercises, and with the most benefits. A recent Harvard University study examined those benefits; it

Sedentary life affects 25% of U.S. adults who sit for longer than eight hours daily, which can have severe negative effects on physical and mental health, according to the American Heart Association. Walking just three hours a week at a 3 mph pace can reduce heart disease by about 40%.

detailed that maintaining a moderate pace of 3 mph (a 20-minute per mile pace) for about three hours per week can reduce heart disease in women by as much as 40%, and in men by nearly the same amount.

Consistent walking workouts also combat depression, bolster the im-

mune system, improve circulation and breathing, control weight and prevent osteoporosis. The AHA touts walking as beneficial to helping improve blood lipid profiles and mental well-being, reducing breast cancer, colon cancer and non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes.

Getty

“It’s amazing what walking can do for the body, including cardiovascular health and brain health,” says Castrejon. The benefits of exercise will be sharply in focus April 3 during National Walking Day.

According to healthline.com in San Francisco, walking properly involves the entire body, with focus required on each part of the body and starting with the correct posture.

An ideal start is to keep your head up. Focus on standing tall when you begin your walk. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and your ears aligned above your shoulders. Keep your eyes gazing forward and focus on an area about 10 to 20 feet ahead of you while you walk. Focus on elongating your spine while you walk. Try to avoid slouching, hunching or leaning forward, which

can put stress on your back muscles. Keeping your shoulders down and back erect is integral to improving and maintaining walking posture and technique.

For proper shoulder alignment while walking, bring your shoulders up high in a shrug-like motion, then let them fall and relax. Using shoulder shrugs helps relieve tightness or tension, and puts your shoulders in a natural position that allows you to move your arms easily.

Core muscles also play an important role in fitness walking. With every step, focus on tightening and engaging core muscles by pulling your navel toward your spine. It helps maintain balance and stability and can release stress and pressure on your back. Gently swinging your arms back and forth at your sides is equally important. Make sure you

swing your arms from your shoulders, not from your elbows.

Maintain a steady heel-to-toe gait. This involves striking the ground with your heel first, then rolling through your heel to your toe, and pushing out of the step with your toe. Avoid flat-footed steps or striking the ground with your toes first. Walking with the correct gait and posture isn’t difficult, but it may take practice. If unsure, contact a sports medicine physician, physical therapist or exercise expert about ways to learn the walking technique.

And, of course, determining where to walk is an integral component of the exercise’s appeal. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on a treadmill, at an indoor or outdoor track, in a park or around a lake — walkers who like where they’re exercising will likely return.

Where Sustainability Shapes the Future

AFTER HOURS

UNWIND

The Pitch

Variations of lawn-bowling games — called boules — have been played for centuries. Archeologists have discovered evidence of the games from ancient Egypt, and scholars believe they spread from there to the Middle East and Asia. The Greeks played a version, which they passed on to the Romans, and the Romans spread it throughout their empire.

The classic version involves rolling balls across a lawn, often with a quick run-up to the throw. But in the early 1900s, in a small French town not far from Marseille, a local cafe owner created a new set of rules for the benefit of his rheumatism-stricken friend. In this new version, the court was shortened, and players threw from a stationary place. The game was rechristened pétanque, a word derived from pieds tanqués — feet planted.

THIS IS HOW WE ROLL

Springtime in Southwest Florida is just right for an outdoor game of boules

By Artis Henderson

What’s in a Boule?

The original throwing boules were made from a hard, durable wood, but the advent of the Industrial Revolution and cheaper manufacturing — especially after World War I — transformed the game. Hollow metal boules became the norm for pétanque.

Bocce

vs. Pétanque

Are bocce and pétanque the same? No, though they are similar. The most important difference lies in the throwing: Players are stationary in pétanque, and the throw is more of a toss, with less emphasis on rolling. That’s why the terrain, or boulodrome, is made from gravel or dirt, to heighten the unpredictability of the ball’s final landing place. By contrast, bocce players roll their balls with a palm-up motion. The playing court is created to encourage this roll and reduce bounce.

Glass in Hand

Though pétanque has spread across the globe, its origins are firmly planted in the south of France — Provence, in particular, where locals like to enjoy a glass of pastis after a game. Originally developed in Marseille in the 1930s, the anise-flavored liqueur is made with herbs from the arid hills of the Provence region. It comes out of the bottle clear but turns a milky white when water is added.

More locally, we like to enjoy a tropical beverage with our boules. At the Naples Yacht Club, the talented mixologists behind the bar have created The Roller for bocce season. It’s the club’s take on the coconut-rum-pineapple Painkiller, made famous — or infamous — by the Soggy Dollar Bar in the Virgin Islands.

The Roller

1 1/2 oz Goslings rum

1 oz Cointreau

2 oz fresh-squeezed orange and pineapple juice

1 oz fresh lime

1/2 oz house-made orgeat syrup

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail mixer, shake and pour over ice. For an extra zing, add a mini bottle of Zacapa 23 for a rum floater on top.

Backstory

FLOATING ROADS

Traveling the Seminoles’ Water Highway

By Justin Paprocki

Long before roads and rails crisscrossed the Everglades, the Seminole Tribe had their own method of transportation: The Water Highway. Forced deep into the Everglades after war with the U.S. government in the 1800s, the Seminole Tribe learned to live in the swampy environs. Tribal members used a network of trails to navigate the swamp. Water levels rise and fall depending on the time of the year, so when the paths were submerged, the tribesfolk would employ dugout canoes made of water-resistant bald cypress with bows shaped

into a point to make it easier to cut through the sawgrass. They’d use long poles to push these lightweight boats around the shallow waters.

Their transportation made it easier for the Seminoles to conduct trade. Their settlements were purposefully hidden deep in the Everglades, away from the new residents of the burgeoning towns along the coastal areas. But the tribe would establish trust with a few trading posts, such as Ted Smallwood’s store in the Ten Thousand Islands. There, tribal members would barter alligator hides,

egret plumes, deer pelts and such in exchange for flour, grits, gunpowder or pots and pans. (Pictured above is a member of the Seminole Tribe in a dugout canoe at Smallwood’s store circa 1930.)

Soon, modern transportation began to change the South Florida landscape. The Tamiami Trail was built in 1928, and it, along with irrigation and drainage projects, altered the water flow in the Everglades in the coming decades. A new era was arriving, and the Water Highway was coming to an end.

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