2021 ENTRECON AWARDS
All Photos by Phil Salzman of Salz Studio
presented by
Studer Community Institute with Cox Business The 2021 EntreCon Awards presented by Cox Business are meant to recognize the achievements and economic impact leaders and businesses have on a community. The categories aim to honor businesses at every stage in their life cycle, from start-ups to family businesses that span multiple generations.
EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Rising Minds Learning Owner: Karyn Scarbrough
What does your company do? Rising Minds enhances K-12 students' education through private tutoring, weekly homework support, education consulting services, student advocacy, small group lessons and so much more. What makes your company special? Rising Minds was founded on the principle that not all students are alike. Our onboarding process for parents allows us to meet students where they are and work within their curriculum, rather than try to apply the same approach to all students.
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Focus on value. We strive to bring value to the lives of everyone involved in Rising Minds—our tutors, our students and our families. What keeps you in Pensacola? Our connections in the community are deep. We have former Escambia County teachers on staff, and we regularly work with local nonprofits, private schools and faith-based organizations to identify and fill needs where we can.
EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Grayson Bay Oyster Co. •Runner Up: Glow Paddle
FEMALE-OWNED BUSINESS & MICRO BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
East Hill Pizza Owner: Darlyne Zoltak
What does your company do? Our mission is to uphold the highest level of quality and integrity in all we do, while always providing a great and inviting atmosphere where everyone feels like family, and being the brand that gives back to the community. What makes your company special? We strive to provide amazing pizza and give back to our local community any way we can.
MICRO BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
(TIE)
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Success comes to those that work hard. What keeps you in Pensacola? Pensacola is my hometown and will always have my heart.
FEMALE-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Vivid Bridge Studios •Runner Up: Global Business Solutions, Inc (GBSI)
(TIE)
Elite Endodontics Owner: Dr. Josh Todd
What does your company do? We are a dental specialty office treating patients who need root canals. What makes your company special? We put a huge emphasis on our employees' well-being and extending excellent customer service to our patients. We believe in giving back to the community both financially and through donated dental services.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Treat your staff well and reward them for their hard work and they will in turn treat your customers well. Also, make sure to take time off to recharge your batteries. What keeps you in Pensacola? Family, weather, community and plenty of things to do for fun!
MICRO BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Ride More Bicycles •Runner Up: Sisters of Hope Corporation
Bear General Contractors
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Hire the best people, and get out of their way.
What does your company do? We build commercial buildings and manage construction projects.
What keeps you in Pensacola? The people! Our community is awesome, welcoming, kind, fun, ambitious, loving and grateful. Pensacola is a hidden gem and a gift to everyone who discovers it. Our town is growing organically and tremendously thanks to the pioneers of downtown and everyone involved.
Owners: Luke Pittman, Josh Sitton, Chris Jaubert
What makes your company special? The people! Our team, our clients, and our subcontractors and suppliers make us special and successful. We set ourselves apart by committing to excellence in the construction experience and the processes we practice to decrease our clients' anxiety and risk during the construction process.
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SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Arco Marine •Runner Up: Schmidt’s Music
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PRESENTED BY
2021 AWARDS MEDIUM-LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Children's Home Society
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Be bold; be brilliant. Never duplicate others. Work in partnership to fill the gaps for those in need.
What does your company do? We provide services to at-risk families and youth through evidence-based service solutions that create opportunities to bring brighter futures to those we serve and our community.
What keeps you in Pensacola? The community is supportive and family-oriented. These qualities are very present in our team at CHS, our board of directors, donors and funders. When looking for a place to work, it is unequivocally CHS, as the culture of our organization mirrors those same qualities.
Executive Director: Lindsey B. Cannon
What makes your company special? CHS delivers the right services at the right time to help children and families through the most difficult times of their lives. We work to help keep more kids safe at home with their families, giving parents confidence and opportunities to build upon their strengths.
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
(TIE)
Baptist Health Care CEO/President: Mark Faulkner
What does your company do? Baptist is the area's only not-for-profit, locally based health care organization and is honored to have served our growing community for over 70 years. Baptist includes three hospitals, four medical parks, Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine and a network of primary and specialty care providers located throughout the region. What makes your company special? Baptist's culture, team members and history of providing groundbreaking health care set us apart. Governed by representatives of this community, 100% of margin is reinvested directly into this community. Baptist is making the single largest
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Baptist Health Care •Runner Up: ESA South, Inc.
health care investment in the history of Northwest Florida by building a $636 million modern health care campus. What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? We remain guided by the bold vision of our founders and continue their legacy. They have been noted as a group of citizens who saw a star and possessed too much zeal and compassion for their fellow men to realize that their goal was impossible—and so they reached it. What keeps you in Pensacola? Born of and deeply rooted in Northwest Florida, Baptist will be here for generations to come. We are dedicated to providing quality care, employing a diverse group of team members and partnering with local organizations to fulfill our vision of being the trusted partner for improving quality of life.
(TIE)
Levin Rinke Realty
organization is separating what is critical vs. urgent. It can be very easy to be distracted with what is urgent and in turn you never end up accomplishing what is critical.
What does your company do? Real Estate
What keeps you in Pensacola? There are many beautiful places around the world, and Pensacola is one of them. What separates our area is the combination of natural beauty and the hospitality of the people. That is what intrigued me in the first place and has kept me here all of these years.
Owners: Robert Rinke, Abby Rinke, Teri Levin, Evan Levin and Rhys Rinke
What makes your company special? What makes Levin Rinke Realty so special is its unique mission combined with unmatched resources. Having a full-service brokerage in today's day and age is very unique. When we provide this level of support to our real estate agents, it equates to better service for our clients. What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? A reoccurring theme in our
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Larry Kuhn, Kuhn Realty
What does your company do? Kuhn Realty is your home-grown real estate company. We strive to provide our agents opportunities to cultivate their passion for real estate and community service in order to help serve their clients with the highest level of integrity and expertise. What makes your company special? Our agents strive to help clients not only find homes they love but help find a retiree a place to downsize, a family a place to grow and make memories and help investors find opportunity to expand their financial goals and freedom. What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Inspire young people, instill 212 1
MEDIUM-LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Children's Home Society •Runner Up: Gulf Coast Kid's House
a little confidence in them, make them feel good about one little thing and it will go a long way. As a broker, I try to inspire my agents and give them confidence to help grow their business. What keeps you in Pensacola? My family, my friends and the proximity to the water. There is something very special about the community of Pensacola. Every time I leave, I'm reminded how lucky I am to live here, and I always seem to find myself telling people about what Pensacola has to offer.
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Brian Arnold •Runner Up: Ke'Andre Beasley
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PRESENTED BY
2021 AWARDS NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR
Pensacola Humane Society Executive Director: Jan Castillo; Director of Development: Manda Moore
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Always make certain the mission statement resonates within your heart or you will fail to convince others to feel.
What does your company do? Pensacola Humane Society supports the community and the animals that reside within through rescue, adoptions, medical care and programs to assist pet owners in need to retain their beloved pets.
What keeps you in Pensacola? Pensacola Humane Society has been an integral part of this community for over 78 years and will continue to support those that reside within!
What makes your company special? Pensacola Humane Society strives to serve the underserved within our community by creating innovative programs to fill the void where resources are not readily available for pet owners.
NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Epps Christian Center •Runner Up: Pensacola Little Theatre •Runner Up: Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition
MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Something Old Salvage
Owners: Anthony and Sabrina Simpson What does your company do? Something Old Salvage offers full-service junk removal and cleaning services to residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. We make the process as efficient and seamless as possible. Our teams are experienced, dedicated, hardworking and focused on providing our clients amazing service. What makes your company special? Something Old Salvage's approach to junk removal and cleaning services is to give each job professional attention and focus on providing a stellar customer experience in tackling often daunting tasks, which is why our motto is "Stressed with Mess? Call S.O.S." What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Quint Studer's advice to go deeper in
your business instead of wider has helped us tremendously. In growing our business, we have focused on constantly improving our core offerings of junk removal and cleaning services to increase revenue within our current markets. What keeps you in Pensacola? Anthony is a native Pensacolian, and the area has embraced and nurtured our small business journey. We are committed to continue to grow in a place we call home and strengthen the relationships with our existing clients while broadening our reach with new customers throughout the panhandle for many years.
MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Nail Company Wholesale Supply •Runner Up: Signature Event Lounge •Runner Up: Wade Cakes and Weddings
VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Hixardt Technologies CEO/President: Michael E. Hicks Jr.
What does your company do? Hixardt Technologies is an IT services provider, headquartered in Pensacola, that provides professional network management, public and private cloud virtualization, compliance management and disaster recovery services to meet the demanding needs of government and commercial organizations. Established in 2001, Hixardt is a service-disabled, veteran-owned, minority-owned company. What makes your company special? We are fanatical about our team and our clients. We are always working on ways to help them both grow and achieve their career or business goals. This comes first. What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Take care of your employees and
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Felicia D. Rabb, Felicia By Design What does your company do? We are a full-service luxury wedding planning company and event designers. We create bespoke weddings and magical experiences for the most memorable event of a lifetime. We strive to serve others humbly, in ways that honor God in everything that we do. What makes your company special? This company is the result of a dream come true. This company came from a little girl who started planning weddings with her Barbies when she was just 6 years old, and now she gets to do it for a career.
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your customers. Let your passion for helping others shine through; be a giver. Create a strong, differentiated brand. Seek out mentors and become a mentor for others. Be active in the community; the relationships you establish are critical to your stability and growth. What keeps you in Pensacola? Gulf Coast living is wonderful, people are nice, you can talk to anyone, and as a veteran, I love that it's a military town. From a business perspective, providing technology services to professional organizations on the Gulf Coast is much easier than the hustle and bustle of our DC market.
VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Running Wild •Runner Up: ESA South, Inc.
(TIE)
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? You have to wake up every single day and believe in yourself. Every single day, you start over. You can either drown in your doubts or swim harder than you ever have in your whole life. What keeps you in Pensacola? It's such a community-based, collaborative city. I can't imagine doing business anywhere else. I feel like I know everyone here. There's this tightness to Pensacola while it still feels big. I may have grown up in N.C., but Pensacola is also home.
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PRESENTED BY
2021 AWARDS YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Kyle McGee, Sunchase Construction What does your company do? Sunchase Construction builds residential and commercial projects in the Panhandle area. What makes your company special? Sunchase Construction is a small, passionate group of individuals focused on growth and enhancing the communities we work and live in. What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Surround yourself with great
SMART BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
GBSI
CEO: Terri Ramos What does your company do? GBSI is an IT services and training company focused on government contracts in Pensacola and across the country. Our ongoing success is a direct result of keeping our customers' current technological needs aligned with future challenges in key areas such as information technology, information assurance, cyber security and remote training. What makes your company special? With the visionary purpose of resolving issues associated with increasing workforce competency and closing the skilled workforce vacancy gap, GBSI created Acceletrain. Acceletrain focuses on fixing issues including: •Technology changes that impact academia •Teacher shortages •Teacher professional development •Removing barriers to education
(TIE)
people. I'm blessed to have great mentors, business partners and a team that is positive and all committed to getting better every day. Without a great team, nothing is possible. What keeps you in Pensacola? Pensacola is home for life. I grew up here, my family is here and I plan on raising my family here. I truly love where I live and am extremely bullish on the growth of our area for many years to come.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR •Runner Up: Mariah Morrison
•Increasing learner retention •Changes in learning ecosystems What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? "A startup shouldn't expect growth every year." – Rex McKinney. These words surprised me but proved true over the next 25 years of growing a successful business. More growth means more support, inventory and supplies. If the business isn't ready to manage that, it grows too quickly, which can be disastrous. What keeps you in Pensacola? Community involvement. I'm involved in organizations that work together for the good of the community. This town has come alive with young professionals. I've witnessed industry, government agencies and entire banking institutions moving their workforce to Pensacola. Pensacola supports active lifestyles, community engagement, has beautiful beaches and the Blue Angels.
SMART BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
•Runner Up: Bear General Contractors •Runner Up: Snap Soccer
THE JOHN MYSLAK SERVANT LEADER AWARD
Lisa Long Lyter, Red Iron Design What does your company do? Creative design and strategy utilizing vision and mission planning, graphic design, social media and screen printing to tell your story. What makes your company special? We live faith filled, which cascades through honoring those we serve. We solve problems and relieve stress for our clients. We lead with giving back, and our clients join us in doing so. We have a ridiculous amount of fun and laugh a whole bunch.
EXCELLENCE IN MENTORSHIP
What keeps you in Pensacola? Love for the people, my clients and my husband and the role that he plays in keeping our community safe. Pensacola EggFest and the fact that we get to raise money for charities we care about. Love for the glorious beauty in nature here, which we all need in large and daily doses.
Julie Sheppard, Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
ing researchers and scientists to innovate and perform transformative scientific research that helps humans extend their physical and cognitive capabilities.
What does your company do? The Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) is a not-for-profit research institute of the State University System of Florida that collaborates extensively with industry and government to develop science and technology that can be enabling with respect to society's broader goals.
What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? Create a positive working environment that avoids unnecessary rules and regulations and hire professionals who love their work.
What makes your company special? Interdisciplinary flat organization that focuses on culture and empower-
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What's the best advice you were given when you started your business? "Lead with your why." –Quint Studer "Remember that people want to be seen, heard and loved." –My dad, Ron Long
What keeps you in Pensacola? Pensacola offers the best qualities of small town living with stunning natural beauty and the art, food and music scene often found only in large cities.
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