April 2013 Forum for Business

L AKELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMME R CE

F O R B U S IN E SS april 2013 | Vol. xXII, No. 4

BUY LAKELAND. It Makes GOOD cents!

FORUM FOR BUSINESS Lakelandchamber.com

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CH A M BER STAFF K a t h l een L . M unson President

KMunson@LakelandChamber.com

B a rb a r a B enne t t Executive Assistant

BBennett@LakelandChamber.com

s a r a h bree d

Administrative Assistant, Member Relations | Public Affairs

sbreed@lakelandchamber.com

Kara Butch

Administrative Assistant, Membership Development | Communications

kbutch@LakelandChamber.com

S a l ly C h a p m a n

Vice President, Finance & Administration

SChapman@LakelandChamber.com

C a ro l y n J a c kson

Senior Vice President, Member Relations

CJackson@LakelandChamber.com

J a c q ue l ine L . J o h nson

Senior Vice President, Convention & Visitors Bureau

JackieJ@LakelandChamber.com

K a t ie M c B ri d e Membership Consultant

KMcbride@lakelandchamber.com

N ikki O a k l e y

Membership Account Executive

NOakley@LakelandChamber.com

Terr y O t t in g er

Vice President, Membership Development

TOttinger@LakelandChamber.com

Rich Roy

Vice President, Public Affairs

Rose Mock and brother and business partner Frank Giglia, Jr. are proud to continue the family business at Allied Scrap Processors, Inc.

rroy@lakelandchamber.com

P a t t y S mi t h

Administrative Assistant, Convention & Visitors Bureau

PSmith@LakelandChamber.com

Jere Annis Award Update Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association makes a practice of donating $1,000 to the charity of the recipient’s choice. The 2012 Award Winner, John Rodda, has asked for the donation to be split between Pancreatic Cancer Awareness and Explorations V Children’s Museum.

L a ke l a n d Are a C h a mber of Commer c e F orum for B usiness M on t h l y M a rk E . W i l son | C h a irm a n of t h e B o a r d Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

K a t h l een L . M unson | Pub l is h er Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce

Am y S . W i g g ins | E d i t or Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce

ni c e br a n d in g a g en c y | Cre a t i v e Dire c t ion , P R O D U CT I O N & P h o t o g r a p h y www.brandnicely.com

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Am y W i g g ins

Vice President, Communications

AWiggins@LakelandChamber.com

35 Lake Morton Drive PO Box 3607 Lakeland, FL 33802-3607 (863) 688-8551 LakelandChamber.com © 2013 Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the position of the Chamber.

Correction In the March edition, we misspelled the name of Zimmermann Associates, LLC.

R ec om m e nd e d R e a d i n g: Book Revie w From a Ch a m ber Peer Speck offers real-world examples of how cities are becoming more walkable and he has designed the following ten steps to help transform the average American city into a city that welcomes walking.

tammy wright executive director

CONNECT ] LakelandVision.org

Recently, I have been reading Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time. This book has been a great resource for many of our Lakeland Vision activities including our 2012 ‘Aging in Place’ study and our 2013 investigation on how cities can be more connected physically and digitally.

The author of the book is city planner and urban designer, Jeff Speck. Speck is an advocate for smart city growth and has dedicated his career to determining what makes a city prosper.

His experience and research have led him to one conclusion: for a modern city to thrive, walkability is key.

Speck recognizes that the car is still king in America, but explains that more Americans are attracted to places that offer economy, excitement, and street life that cannot be found in the auto zone.

This attraction applies to all ages, especially young professionals and first wave baby boomers.

Making walkability happen is relatively cheap and easy; however, the challenge is figuring out what needs to be done.

Put cars in their place The automobile is a servant that has become a master. It is has been the dominant factor in the shaping of American cities for more than 60 years.

Reclaiming cities for pedestrians requires relegating the car to its proper role.

Mix the uses For people to walk, the walk must serve some purpose. This means placing the proper

balance of activities within walking distance of each other.

the role of design in the success or failure of transit systems.

Get the parking right

Protect the Pedestrian

Parking can determine the life or death of a walkable downtown core. Justify proper resources to get parking right.

Incorporate street design factors that decrease pedestrian likeliness of getting hit.

Let transit work

Walkable cities are also bikeable cities.

Walkable neighborhoods can thrive without transit, but walkable cities rely on it utterly. Cities must make transitplanning decisions based on factors that are often neglected.

This includes public support for transit investment, the role of transit in the creation of real estate value and

Welcome bikes

Shape the spaces People enjoy open spaces and the great outdoors, but they also need a sense of enclosure to feel comfortable as pedestrians.

Plant trees Communicate the full value of trees and justify the investment in them.

Make friendly and unique faces City design codes should allow for creation of active facades that invite walking.

Pick your winners Not all streets need to be walkable. Cities must make a conscious choice about the size and location of their walkable cores to avoid squandering walkability resources in areas that will never invite pedestrians.

MEET OUR TEAM THE LARGEST LOCAL CPA FIRM IN POLK COUNTY At Cross, Fernandez & Riley, LLP (C/F/R), our main focus is providing quality, hands-on service to our clients. We accomplish this by providing prompt, expert advice with a high degree of professionalism and personal attention.

Our team feels there are three elements of service that are essential to our clients’ success and satisfaction – quality, timeliness and affordability.

We take pride in the fact that we can fulfill all three elements. When you choose C/F/R, you can rest assured that you will never have to sacrifice quality, time or money.

From left to right: Denise Robson, Dan Dorrell, Managing Partner of the Lakeland Office, and Amy Bruce. As a true testament of remaining local, the professionals in the Lakeland office have served the community their entire careers.

Lakeland Office P: (863) 937-9520

Orlando Office P: (407) 841-6930

Tampa Office P: (813) 321-6869

Winter Haven Office P: (863) 299-5638

For more information about our services, please visit www.cfrcpa.com.

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E x p erien ce EM ERGE: let ’s ta lk trash Jessica Gutowski Slaydon CONNECT ] EMERGELakeland.com

EMERGE Lakeland is a professionals group with suggested ages 21-42.

This month I interviewed one of our members who talks a lot of trash.

Q. Who is your ideal client?

A. My ideal client would be any business that has waste and or recycling.

Q. How do you stay motivated?

A. I think about my goals and what it is going to take to get there. It is easy to stay motivated when you are so passionate about what you do. Being involved in the community and believing that what I do can better the community makes me happy and keeps me driven.

Name Kylie Guess

Age 26 yrs

Profession Account Manager at Republic Services

Q. Tell me about your community involvement...

A. Currently, I serve as ABWA Lakeland Downtown Publicity Chair, PCBA Foundation President, PCBA Board Member, Lakeland South Rotary Club Director, & Emerge Lakeland.

Q. Why did you join EMERGE? A. I joined Emerge to engage with other young professionals in my community.

Q. What advice would you give to someone new to the area that wants to get involved?

A. Do it! What do you have to lose? I always tell people to start in the Chamber and visit as many groups as you can until you find the one or ones that you feel “fit” best. Lakeland has so many to offer!

Q. If you could change one thing in Polk for the better what would it be?

A. I would try to change the opinion people have about helping the needy. Not everyone that is needy is on drugs or drinks. Some people just genuinely need help.

Republic Services is America’s second largest non-hazardous solid waste services company with more than 31,000 employees. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Republic Services provides waste collection, transfer, recycling and disposal services to approximately 13 million commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers in 40 states and Puerto Rico. The company owns or operates more than 200 transfer stations, nearly 200 solid waste landfills and 78 recycling facilities.

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Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. My customers are my favorite part of my job and I love meeting and networking with new people, as well as building friendships.

Q. So explain what Republic does in as few words as possible?

A. We offer one-stop shopping for all your waste removal concerns.

Although we specialize in solid waste and recycling collection, our services go far beyond just emptying your trash bins.

Q. Do people ever confuse your business with One Republic and think you are in a band?

A. Only sometimes... Ha-ha! I also get Republican Services and then people tell me they are Democrat.

HOW TO

A M O N T H LY

danielle mailly Southeastern University ENACTUS

crumpled paper, old chip bags, plastic bottles, & other trash can contents weigh?

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Friends for the Future is a new mentor program that has developed out of Southeastern University’s ENACTUS partnership with Southwest Middle School. More than 25 mentors meet individually with 6th grade students from Southwest in order to help these students get better grades, stay in school and think about their future. This spring, Friends for the Future has decided to focus on helping Southwest become a Green Ribbon School (www. greenribbonschools.org).

This year, the mentors and their students are working together to lead a school-wide recycling competition that will encourage regular recycling. To kick off this event, some of the mentors and students got together to do a waste audit of Southwest Middle School on Monday, February 25.

The team gathered to enjoy a snack and then collected and weighed all the trash in the school, including office buildings. At the end of the day, the students totaled up the amount of trash in the school and the final weight was recorded at 106.5 pounds of trash in one day.

“Our goal is to incite students to recycle daily by having our three-week long recycling competition with a prize at the end for the team that has the most recycling,” said Project Leader Danielle Mailly. “At the end of our competition, we will complete another waste audit.”

Through this project and several others, ENACTUS hopes to help Southwest become a green school and in the process give the students who are being mentored leadership skills and a sense of accomplishment. At the end of the next waste audit, the school will hopefully collect much less trash, meaning those plastic and paper products are being put to good reuse.

a m y wi g g ins Lakeland area chamber of commerce

Rose Mock and Barry Campbell are in the recovered commodities business. Before it was cool to be green, Allied Scrap Processors, Inc. and SP Recycling Southeast LLC were taking the stuff we normally throw out and turning it into raw materials to make the stuff we need.

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ccording to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, scrap recycling is a $90 billion industry in the United States. Scrap recycling provides high-quality raw materials that help keep consumer products affordable and saves energy in the manufacturing process.

Recycling a ton of mixed paper preserves 17 trees, saves 79 gallons of oil, and 7,000 gallons of water. Making new aluminum out of old aluminum is 95% more energy efficient than making new aluminum from ore.

At SP Recycling Southeast LLC, Barry and his crew of six employees collect paper and cardboard to ship directly to their newsprint mill in Dublin, Georgia. Their 15,000 square foot facility sorts and bales paper and corrugated cardboard that is loaded onto trailers for the six-hour trek. In a mere four-hour process, the paper is washed, shredded, and turned into newsprint rolls. The cardboard is recycled into new packaging.

According to Barry, the mill in Dublin processes about 2,000 tons of paper each day, preserving nearly 1,020,000 trees each month and saving 180,000 square feet of landfill space. Lakeland’s share is about 17,000 trees and 3,000 square feet of landfill space each month.

Recently, to keep up with changing industry demands, the mill converted one of its machines to process cardboard. This move into the “brown business” has allowed the mill to diversify and given SP Recycling another way to make you money.

Yes, that’s right. SP Recycling pays you for your paper and cardboard.

SP Recycling records about 100 transactions each week from individuals, schools, churches, and non-profit organizations. With just over 33 years in Lakeland, Graceanna Henderson, Regional Procurement Manager, is proud to report that SP Recycling has returned nearly $1 million to the community through its fundraising program.

At Allied Scrap Processors, Rose Mock and her brother Frank Giglia, Jr. are carrying on a 56 year family tradition. Dad, Frank, Sr. and mother Lucille, started the business on 15-acres back in 1956. Frank, Sr. worked in the business daily until he passed away last December at age 90.

Through the years, Rose has seen many changes. Technology and volume have made work more efficient and effective. But rising metal theft has given her industry a black eye.

That’s why she’s been a leader, working with state and national associations to refine metal theft laws and establish practices that deter thieves. Over the past year, Polk County has seen a 42% drop in metal theft.

While metal theft is the thing she likes the least about the scrap recycling industry, there are plenty of things that Rose loves. She has a diverse customer base, ever changing technological advances, and she can’t beat working in a family business.

Allied Scrap’s customers are commercial, industrial, and retail. From demolition projects to unused household goods, Rose has a bin for it all.

“Scrap metal has value because you can melt it down and get a large percentage back,” says Rose, mentioning that the prices consumers pay for metal goods are affordable because recycling produces a high-quality raw product. New products made from steel contain 60-70% recycled steel and save 56% of the energy needed to make new steel. One ton of recycled steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone.

Recently, Allied Scrap has ventured into collecting computer electronics, or e-cycling. Circuit boards contain valuable metal, mixed with plastics, so while Rose and her team can’t break them down onsite, they know folks who can.

In 2008, the State Legislature passed the Energy, Climate Change and Economic Security Act establishing a statewide recycling goal of 75% by 2020. Floridians generate nearly two tons of municipal solid waste annually, collectively recycling less than 30%.

Recycling goes beyond the blue or yellow bin at the curb. It’s collective activities that affect all consumer products that have expended their usefulness.

Together, the Lakeland community can act as an important part in the state’s trek to 2020. Barry, Rose, and their teams stand ready to help.

“People have options,” says Barry.

At SP Recycling Southeast LLC, Barry Campbell & Graceanna Henderson stand in front of some of the paper they have purchased from local customers.

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smal l b u s i n e s s o f th e mon t h

Miller Construction Management, Inc. Corey Miller P. (863) 688-3060 502 N Massachusetts Ave Lakeland, FL 33801

CONNECT ]

During the past decade, Miller Construction Management, Inc. has earned the praise of numerous clients. This level of satisfaction did not happen without a carefully designed method to deliver both construction services and effectively communicate with clients throughout the building process.

Corey Miller and his experienced staff operate out of their office at 502 North Massachusetts Avenue.

The conversion of an

www.millerconstruction management.com

Small Business of the Month committee member Don Pickard, Pickard & Pickard Inc. REALTORS, presents the march Small Business of the Month Award to corey miller.

Scan here with your smart phone app for a short video about miller construction.

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old automobile service facility into a modern Mediterranean style office building is an example of the potential redevelopment opportunities in the northeast corner of Downtown Lakeland.

The company’s main focus is commercial and light industrial projects within approximately 100 miles of Lakeland.

In addition to traditional construction practices, Corey Miller has earned the designation of LEED Accredited Professional from the

U.S. Green Building Council. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental, is a construction concept that integrates energy saving design methods into conventional construction.

Corey balances his work life with family, faith, and community involvement. Trinity Presbyterian Church, Parker Street Ministries, United Way, and coaching in youth sports are ways he has worked within our community.

Additionally, he is a

graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XIX, past member of the Chamber Board of Directors, and is currently participating in Leadership Polk.

Corey and his team at Miller Construction Management Inc. receive compliments from satisfied clients such as, “project management team keeps the client informed about the progress of the work”, “takes great care in crafting his firm”, “constantly on top of every situation and strive to bring the

B y Don Pi c k a r d ,

project in on time and on budget”, “ability to adapt and continue to perform their services at a high level of competency in the adverse conditions the project placed them in”, “qualified staff showing tremendous knowledge in the overall process” and “far exceeded my expectations of a normal construction company”.

We are pleased to present Miller Construction Management Inc. as the Small Business of the Month for March.

Pickard & Pickard Inc. REALTORS

THE

MATTERS OF

W A N T T O K N O W W HY B E in g A M E M B E R O F TH E LA K E LA N D A R E A CHA M B E R I S S O B E C O M I N G ? R E AD on . . .

CAL E N D a R

E V E N T H I GHL I GHT S

NEW MEMBERS

R I B B O N C U TT I N G S

Have you ever wondered what is meant by SEO, CRM, ERP and other terms used when marketing businesses on the Internet?

Given the shift to the Internet in consumer buying behavior, all businesses (especially small businesses) need to understand the basics!

For small business owners that embrace the Internet, there is a potential to thrive. Through the Chamber’s Reinventing Small Business initiative, our partners at Ocoos.com are offering a one-hour seminar where these and other digital marketing terms will be explained in an easy to understand, interactive class. The Reinventing Small Business seminar will be held on April 26 at 11:30 a.m. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Class includes lunch.

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april 2013 dates thur 11

Thursday, April 11 Business & Breakfast

thur 18

Thursday, April 18 Business After Hours

fri 26

7:30 a.m.

Southland Suites of Lakeland 4250 Lakeland Highlands Rd

5:30 p.m.

14th Annual Luau Downtown and King of the Wing Contest Citizens Bank and Trust 402 S Kentucky Ave

mon 08

MONDAY, APRIL 8 SBA COMMITTEE MEETING

wed 17

Wednesday, April 17 Executive Committee Meeting

Monday, April 8 EMERGE Lakeland Steering Committee

thur 25

Thursday, April 25 SCORE Business Round Table

11:45 a.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

3:45 p.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

wed 10

Friday April 26 Reinventing Small BUsiness Seminar: Digital Marketing Terminology

4:00 p.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

7:30 a.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

Thursday, April 25 Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, April 10 Government Affairs

Noon Lakeland Yacht & Country Club 929 Lake Hollingsworth Drive

8:00 a.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

Wednesday, April 10 BusinessVoice of Greater Lakeland

11:30 a.m.

Webster University 1479 Town Center Dr, Ste 202

9:00 a.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

thur 16

Wednesday, April 10 Talent Development Committee Meeting

3:00 p.m.

Chamber Briefing Room

thur 11

Thursday, May 16 Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast 7:00 a.m.

Lakeland Yacht & Country Club

Thursday, April 11 Leadership Lakeland – Human Services Day All Day

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SBA Committee meeting 11:45 a.m.

EMERGE Lakeland Steering Committee 3:45 p.m.

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Government Affairs 8 a.m.

BusinessVoice of Greater Lakeland 9 a.m.

Talent Development Committee Meeting 3 p.m.

17 Executive Committee Meeting | 4 p.m.

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Business & Breakfast 7:30 a.m.

Leadership Lakeland – Human Services Day All Day

18 Business After Hours 5:30 p.m.

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Board of Directors Meeting | Noon

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SCORE Business Round Table | 7:30 a.m.

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reinventing small business seminar: Digital Marketing terminology 11:30 a.m.

Ev ent HIG HL IG H TS 01

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Business After Hours Hosted by Fields Motorcars, Inc.

01 | Gary Gordon, General Manager

at Fields Motorcars, poses with Terry Green of Rita Staffing , the grand prize winner of a BMW replica!

02 | Chairman of the Board, Mark

Wilson (Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.) helped hand out the many door prizes donated by Fields Motorcars!

03 | A HUGE thank you to Fields 04

Motorcars for hosting the event in their beautiful NEW showroom!

February New Member Reception

Hosted by Hawthorne Inn of Lakeland New Member Receptions are presented by Grow Financial Federal Credit Union

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04 | Hawthorne Inn of Lakeland created

a beautiful backdrop for new members to learn more about the Chamber and network with one another.

05 | Spike Bywater of Central Florida

SCORE, discussed how they help mentor and counsel small business clients. For more information visit CentralFloridaScore.org!

06 | Ali Lewis of Hometown Homecare

Medical Services updates new member Ron Reeves of Residual Networks on how to best get involved with the Chamber.

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February Business & Breakfast

Hosted by All Children’s Outpatient Care of Lakeland

07 | Kelly Davis and Sozon Vatikiotis of

Alltrust Insurance presented the topic “Health Care Reform Exchanges and the Defined Contribution Concept”.

08 | Susan Snover of All Children’s

Outpatient Care of Lakeland discussed the programs and services offered at their outpatient facility.

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chairman ’s circle CPS Investment Advisors Employees recently donated $2,425 to the Toys for Tots Program. Throughout the year, employees were encouraged to wear jeans on Fridays for a minimum donation of $5. The Toys for Tots Program distributes new, unwrapped toys to less fortunate children in the community.

Polk State College

Sessums Law Group Mark A. Sessums has been named to the 2013 Super Lawyers List for the eighth consecutive year. Sessums has been named to the list each of the eight years that the service has existed. The Super Lawyers Listing is an objective service that rates attorneys in Florida based on 12 criteria. Only approximately 5% of Florida Lawyers are named to the list. Sessums is double board-certified and has certification in Civil Law as well as Marital and Family Law. Less than 2% of Florida lawyers have any double board certification.

Mathematics Professor Li Zhou has had another article accepted to the British journal The Mathematical Gazette, a publication of The Mathematical Association. Published three times a year, its readership includes schoolteachers, college professors, and others with an interest in mathematics. Zhou’s article is titled “Fun With a Sign” and discusses how to effectively express patterns of positive and negative numbers. The paper originated with questions students raised in his Calculus II class and is an example of the new perspective students bring to material — and how even seasoned educators can learn from their classes.

Lanier Upshaw, Inc. Proud to announce that Robert C. Myers has joined the agency as Risk Consultant.

dining . shopping . nightlife . sports . events . where to stay . what to do

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Fantasy of Flight Pleased to announce that Gina Hubbard has joined the flight crew as Event Sales Representative. Gina spent 19 years within the Walt Disney organization, holding positions with their merchandise, human resources, and convention sales teams. Gina will oversee corporate and leisure event sales for Fantasy of Flight. Please contact Gina to make Flight Plans for amazing events. (863) 984-3500 Ext. 263, ghubbard@ fantasyofflight.com.

Waller Construction, Inc. The Board of Directors announces the retirement of Robert J. Waller, III. Mr. Waller served as CEO of Waller Construction for 27 years and has been involved with the company since its founding by his father, Robert J. Waller, in 1961. With his retirement, Thomas A. Waller has been promoted to CEO and Brian Waller has been promoted to President.

Estates at Carpenters Recently hosted a Chinese Delegation from the National Alliance of Geriatric Hospitals (NAGH). The NAGH supports more than 60 state-owned hospitals and provides leadership and training opportunities to medical personnel in geriatric medical careers.

Sun ‘n Fun Events and Facility Manager Aymee Brace was recently elected President of the National Association of Catering and Events – Tampa Bay Chapter. Aymee has been on the board for six years and will be the first professional from Lakeland to serve in the role of President.

Bankers South Lending and Finance The agricultural lending company has hired Dale M. Johnson as Senior Vice President. Mr. Johnson is a sixth generation Floridian who was born and raised in Arcadia. Previously, Dale owned and operated Johnson N Johnson Lending Company, Inc., where his services primarily included the origination of agricultural loans and agribusiness consulting. Dale has been an active licensed mortgage broker for eight years and a Certified Public Accountant for 21 years.

Parker Street Ministries Proud to announce new volunteer leadership: chairelect Brian Hurley, Lakeland Regional Medical Center; board of trustees members Kyle Davis, Publix Super Markets, Inc.; Monty Davis, M.Div., The Rock Community Church; Heather Diaz, Community Leader; William H. Harrell, Esq., Peterson & Myers, P.A.; and Scott MacDonald, Harrell’s LLC; advisory committee members John Rodda, Rodda Construction, and Tracy Wilson, Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

Free for your Smart Device » Scan the above code with your smart device to download the free app. brought to you by

sponsored by

Ridge Island Groves

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The Lakeland Chamber prints business announcements each month as space permits. Please e-mail announcements to motm@lakelandchamber.com

20+

15

years

years

1 9 5 5 | 5 8 Ye a rs

1 9 8 1 | 3 2 Ye a rs

Universal Building Specialties

Overhead Door Co. of Polk County Turfcare Unlimited

1 9 6 3 | 5 0 Ye a rs

1 9 8 3 | 3 0 Ye a rs

Holland & Knight LLP

of Pancakes #117 Office Depot #2363 Wedgewood Healthcare Center

Imperial Florida Sales Co.

1 9 6 7 | 4 6 Ye a rs McKay Enterprises

1 9 8 4 | 2 9 Ye a rs

1 9 7 1 | 4 2 Ye a rs

The Family Dentist/Mariela K Lung-Compton, D.M.D.

Santa Fe Animal Hospital

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1 9 8 5 | 2 8 Ye a rs

1 9 7 2 | 4 0 Ye a rs

Family Eye Center South LLC

Cleveland Heights Animal Hospital Imperial Manor M.H. Terr.

Southern Glass Products Company, Inc.

1 9 8 6 | 2 7 Ye a rs Cypress Lakes

1 9 7 7 | 3 6 Ye a rs

1 9 8 8 | 2 5 Ye a rs

AMEC

Tri-County Human Services, Inc.

1 9 7 8 | 3 5 Ye a rs

1 9 9 1 | 2 2 Ye a rs

Anthony’s Health Hut & Restaurant SUN ‘n FUN, Inc.

Lorio & Associates, Inc.

1 9 7 9 | 3 4 Ye a rs

Imperial Tire & Auto Service Center, Inc. Press Express of Polk Co., Inc.

Lakeland Flying Tigers

International House

years Lewis Tax Advisory Group, Inc. A Woman’s Choice, Inc.

5

years

1 9 9 2 | 2 1 Ye a rs

AGreenMaid The Agricultural & Labor

1 9 9 3 | 2 0 Ye a rs

Program, Inc.

CNP-Clark/Nikdel/Powell

SkySpot Advertising, LLC

n a c k e e w a t h g One ni

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Master of Business Administration Master of Arts: • Counseling • Human Resources Management • Management and Leadership No GRE/GMAT • Classes one night a week • Online classes available

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1026 SOFLO

Douglas Collision Center, Inc.

Visiting Nurse Association of Florida

Adamson + Co., P.A.

Express Employment Professionals

Westgate Resorts River Ranch

Ameriprise Financial

Gadd Case & Associates, LLC

ASAP-Advertising Solutions and Printing

Home Solution Lenders, Inc

1026 S Florida Ave, Ste 8 Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 409-7901 marymaywitte.com Mary Witte Art Galleries

252 Magnolia Ave SW Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 292-9694 adamson-co.com Eric Adamson Accountants

1910 Lakeland Hills Blvd Lakeland, FL 33805 (863) 688-6863 Ameriprise.com Jeff Wallace Financial Services

3191 Recker Hwy Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 291-6807 asapone.com Kristi Joyner Printing

Avery Properties 1510 S Florida Ave Lakeland, FL 33803 (863) 682-1902 Jan Avery Real Estate

Barfield Insurance of Lakeland, Inc. 308 E Lemon St, Ste 109 Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 683-5409 insurewithbarfield.com David Rutherford Insurance

Budget Blinds of Lakeland

Call To Schedule an Appointment (863) 259-0624 budgetblinds.com Nelson McCullough Window Treatment Specialist

Computer Force

5816 Stafford Rd Plant City, FL 33565 (813) 986-2300 tcforce.com Rod Proctor Computers – Sales & Service Computers – Consulting & Custom Applications

Cottrell Signs

8240 US Highway 98 N Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 858-6500 shoplakeland.com Ed Cottrell Advertising - Specialties

Cutler Associates, Inc. 1643 Williamsburg Sq Lakeland, FL 33803 (863) 646-0220 cutlerassociatesinc.com Rick Lentz General Contractors

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7820 US Highway 98 N Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 853-4246 douglascollision.com Sean Douglas Automobile – Paint & Body Work

1805 US Highway 98 S Lakeland, FL 33803 (863) 535-1318 expresspros.com C. J. Marcello Employment Contractors

2123 Harden Blvd, Ste A Lakeland, FL 33803 (863) 688-4260 vnaflorida.org Raechel Stockowski Health Care – Home Health Care

3200 River Ranch Blvd River Ranch, FL 33867 (863) 692-1321 wgriverranch.com Omaira Soto Resorts

1925 US Highway 98 S, Ste 201 Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 940-9979 gadd-case.com Sarah Case Engineers

1905 Highway 17 S Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 607-4663 hslenders.com Shaye Hucks Mortgages & Lending

Jennifer Conner, REALTOR

Call to Schedule an Appointment (863) 899-3752 jenniferconnerhomes.mfr.mlxchange.com Jennifer Conner Real Estate

Marvin Anthony & Associates, LLC

Call to Schedule an Appointment (863) 327-6118 manthonyllc.com Marvin Anthony Accountants

Matheson Gas

2500 N Combee Rd Lakeland, FL 33805 (863) 665-3290 mathesongas.com Matt Wendel Gas Companies

People’s Pharmacy

4977 Highway 98 N Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 858-4444 thepharmacythatcares.com Karen McKown Health Care – Pharmacies

Each month, the Chamber enlists the help of 20 volunteers to mentor new and current members with involvement in Chamber events and programs.

This month, the Chamber staff would like to recognize Stephanie Colon, Bank Officer/Business Banker at Community Southern Bank for her outstanding attention to Chamber members and attendance at events! Stephanie is a wonderful asset to the Chamber and to the Lakeland community!

stephanie colon community southern bank Bank Officer/Business Banker

Sam’s Club

4600 US Highway 98 N Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 853-2654 samsclub.com Matt Croasmun Retail

Stronghold SelfStorage

4733 Exploration Dr Lakeland, FL 33812 (863) 644-7070 strongholdselfstorage.com George McGee Self Storage Warehouse

During the month of February our Visitor Information Center assisted hundreds of individuals, answering questions pertaining to Chamber member businesses and the Lakeland community.

Walk-in Visitors...................................... 405 Relocation Response Mailings............. 6 Relocation Response (Walk In)........... 18 Accommodations..................................... 1 Winter Accommodations....................... 0 Visitor Information Mailings............. 37 Visitor Center E-mail Inquiries........... 69

R IBBO N C U T T I N G S

Special thanks to Mayor Gow Fields, Commissioner Keith Merritt, Commissioner Don Selvage, Commissioner Howard Wiggs, Commissioner Edie Yates, and all the Board Members and Chamber Champions who truly make these ceremonies special events.

The City Hair Studio Lakeland, FL 33803 3650 Harden Blvd | (863) 644-6858

Fields Motorcars, Inc.

Buttercup Cakes, LLC

Lakeland, FL 33805

Lakeland, FL 33813

4141 N Florida Ave | (863) 688-8111 Fieldsbmw.com

4122 S Florida Ave | (863) 940-0993 ButtercupLakeland.com

Burton’s Lawn & Landscape, Inc.

Talbot House Ministries- Employment Solutions Division

Call to Schedule an Appointment (863) 815-0907 BurtonsLawnandLandscape.com

814 N Kentucky Ave | (863) 687-8475 TalbotHouse.net

Hometown Homecare Medical Services

Catering by the Family

Lakeland, FL 33801

Lakeland, FL 33801

Tampa, FL 33609

400 S Florida Ave, Ste 901 | (863) 937-8960 Hometown-Homecare.com

2322 W Cypress St | (813) 875-2000 CateringBytheFamily.com

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annual t ig er b b q r e ca p 01

Stephen Young | Owner 7-11 Socrum Loop

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“I have been a franchise owner for three years and had a partnership with the Detroit Tigers/Flying Tigers for two years. It has been the best business partnership I have ever encountered! While the Detroit Tigers are here for two months my business increases by 30-40%! You can’t beat the first class front office over at Tigertown from Zach Burek, Ron Myers and of course GM Dave Dombrowski. The local businesses and the city of Lakeland wouldn’t be the same without Tigertown and the Detroit Tigers!”

Jared Weggeland | Director, Sales & Marketing Southern Homes of Polk County

67th

01 | Title Sponsor John, Jodie and Jason

Rodda of Rodda Construction, Inc. are welcomed to the BBQ by Ron Meyers, General Manager of Detroit Tigers Lakeland, and Chairman of the Board, Mark Wilson of Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.

02 | Chamber Board members Mary

McQueen (McQueen Marketing LLC), Kurt Elmhorst (Allen & Company of Florida, Inc.), Dr. Bill Rhey (Florida Southern College) and wife Dana, Steve Beck (Citizens Bank and Trust), and Matt Ruthven (The Ruthvens) took a break from serving guests the delicious steaks from Texas Cattle Company!

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“It’s hard to imagine that getting your name in front of over 100,000 Tiger fans won’t have a positive impact on your business. Southern Homes loves to participate with both the Detroit Tigers and Flying Tigers. It just makes sense to participate in this local institution – the exposure is phenomenal! For 22 years, Southern Homes has been a part of the Lakeland Community; for 76 years, the Tigers have.

It’s a marriage made in heaven!”

03 | Dave Dombrowski, President, CEO

and GM of the Detroit Tigers welcomed and thanked the crowd for all their support!

04 | Mayor Gow Fields, Detroit Tigers GM

Dave Dombrowski, and Lakeland’s Detroit Tigers Liaison Bill Tinsley were all smiles at this great event to kick off spring training!

05 | The Tigers’ 2012 Triple Crown Winner

and AL MVP Miguel Cabrera posed with Mary Stephenson of Citizens Bank and Trust.

linda brown | Owner

Dairy Queen North (Strawberry Shortcake Lady) “Spring Training Is So Sweet! Whether we’re serving our beloved Detroit Tigers Fans at the stadium or at our DQ Restaurant on US Highway 98 North, it’s always a highlight of our year to serve our customers and friends. The Tigers organization is like family to us and Lakeland is blessed to have them as such a vital part of our community. Baseball & ice cream... A sure home run!”

2 012 c ham be r a n n u a l me et in g The 2012 Annual Meeting, held February 7 at The Lakeland Center, was once again a tremendous success and this year the Chamber celebrated and paid tribute to Florida Southern College.

Chamber members and guests were treated to a special multimedia production entitled “From Ashes to Excellence”.

2012 Chairman of the Board Walker Wilkerson (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) presided over the evening’s festivities, as the Chamber honored Art Rowbotham, President of Hall Communications, Inc. (WONN/WPCV/WLKF/WWRZ Radio), with the George Jenkins Award. Scott Orthodontic Associates received the Scott Linder Small Business Award in recognition of their outstand-

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ing business culture and entrepreneurial spirit.

Owner Dr. Greg Scott accepted the award on behalf of his employees.

Past Chair Walker Wilkerson passed the leadership gavel to 2013 Chairman of the Board Mark E. Wilson (Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.).

Mark Miller, representing Title Sponsor GrayRobinson, P.A., noted in his introductory remarks that while he was born and raised in Lakeland and worked here all his life, “for many years, I took that college across the lake for granted. It was there, but it didn’t seem to be important to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong.” Florida Southern College is recognized as

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one of the best and most prestigious colleges in the nation and its economic and cultural impact on our community is tremendous. The Chamber is proud to recognize FSC as one of Lakeland’s most important assets and a jewel in our community.

The special salute to Florida Southern College was produced for Florida Southern by NFocus, “From Ashes to Excellence” told the story of Florida Southern from its founding in 1883 to the present through video, music and theatrical performances. The Chamber would like to thank Dr. Anne Kerr and Florida Southern College for their commitment and support in making this year’s event a first-class production.

We’d also like to thank the following sponsors of the 2012 Annual Meeting.

Without their generous support, this event would not have been possible:

GrayRobinson, P.A. AT&T GEICO MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Publix Super Markets, Inc.

It will be tough to top this year’s spectacular program but Chairman Mark Wilson is up to the challenge! Plan to attend the Chamber’s 2013 Annual Meeting, Thursday, February 6, 2014.

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01 | Rob Tate (Florida Southern College),

Bobbi and Kevin Griffith (Morgan Stanley), and Ira Anderson (Crowe Horwath LLP) visit during reception.

02 | Clerk of the Court Stacy Butterworth

visits with “Frank Lloyd Wright”.

03 | Students from the Roberts Academy

entertain guests during the program “From Ashes to Excellence”.

04 | (R) Dr. Greg Scott (Scott Orthodontic 05

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Associates) accepted the Scott Linder Small Business of the Year Award from Martha Linder and Past Chair Walker Wilkerson.

05 | (C) Art Rowbotham (WONN/WPCV/

WLKF/WWRZ Radio) accepted the George Jenkins Award from Carol Jenkins Barnett and Past Chair Walker Wilkerson.

06 | FSC supporters and alumni members

join FSC President Anne Kerr (center) for a patriotic finale at the close of the Annual Meeting.

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po lk pr og re s s u p date $750 $700 $650 $600 Dr. James Farrell, CFA

$550

Florida Southern College

$500

lakeland/ winter haven

$400

$450 jan mar may jul sep nov

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jan mar may jul sep nov

jan mar may jul sep nov

jan mar may jul sep nov

jan mar may jul sep nov

average

CONNECT ] FLSouthern.edu/ PolkProgress

While the S&P 500 continued its winning streak through February, the federal government failed to come to terms on a budget deal that would avoid the sequester. Beginning in

March, federal agencies are charged with cutting $85B from their budgets.

For most agencies, this amounts to cutting anywhere from 9 – 13% of the discretionary spending. While many

in Washington have championed a reduction in federal spending, this method is one of the least tactical approaches we could have taken, purposely designed to have little

nine days, seven nights including cruise, meals, & airfare from Orlando

Visit Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany as you cruise through some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe. Unpack once to enjoy Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, & Budapest on an elegant river ship. All from just $3,299 per person!

Danube.LakelandChamber.com 20

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discernment for the necessity or effectiveness of the programs. We find ourselves in this position because our elected officials, and perhaps we as a nation, have failed to discern the necessity and effectiveness of our tax-funded programs, both these discretionary programs and the non-discretionary ones. This inaction will likely lead a yet-to-bedetermined number of furloughs and belttightening throughout the government, with a silver lining of reducing this year’s federal deficit, albeit in a less than optimal way. The argument, however, is far from over as there is still a need to pass a budget, or Continuing Resolution,

by March 27 to avoid a government shutdown.

This will provide yet another opportunity for Washington to modify the across-the-board spending cuts, and perhaps soften the blow.

On top of the continued uncertainty regarding the federal budget, we are beginning to see the first effects of the elimination of the Social Security tax

holiday of 2011 and 2012.

Nationwide, we saw a reduction in disposable personal income of 4.0%.

Part of that reduction was due to the increase in Social Security taxes and part was due to higher than usual dividend and bonus payments in December. Netting out those changes, disposable personal income rose by 0.3% in January.

Despite the overall reduction in income, however, consumption rose by 0.2%, and while that would hardly be considered significant growth it, is a positive sign that consumer spending did not decline.

In Polk County, we saw weekly wages level off in the first part of last year, climb into the summer and then pull back slightly to close out the year. Given the relative softness of wage growth towards the end of the year, we should expect to see a reduction in personal disposable income similar to that which we saw at the national level for the first quarter of this year with the expectation that consumer spending will slow down, potentially decline slightly, and then begin to recover as we go into the summer.

The state of Florida, as a whole, should have somewhat of a reprieve this year to lighten the blow of the federal budget issues. Years of budget cuts in response to the economic downturn have put us in a position where the slight recovery of the last year will yield sufficient tax revenue to not only avoid another shortfall, but even to provide a modest surplus.

S tate B udg e t S e ts th e T on e for Florida’s Fut ure

rich roy Public Affairs Vice president

CONNECT ] LakelandChamber.com

As legislators began session in Tallahassee on March 5, talk on the hill centered on lowering taxes, increased educational opportunities, and ethics and election reform. Following a conference committee schedule that stretched from December to just a week before the start of session, more than 1,100 bills had been filed in both legislative bodies.

Despite the large number of filings, it is often said that the legislature only has to pass one bill: the budget. But for the first time in several years, the legislature has the good fortune of not having to make significant reductions to the budget.

In fact, thanks to past

cost saving measures, it appears that the legislature will have money in the coffers to constitute a budget surplus.

The importance of keeping Florida’s fiscal house in check is underscored by the fact that the state has a balanced budget amendment. The balanced budget amendment is a constitutional rule requiring state expenditures to be less than projected income.

Governor Scott’s proposed budget of $74.2 billion includes a spending package that helps to increase education funding, invest in Florida families, and eliminate

burdensome taxes.

Dubbed the Florida Families First Budget, the Governor’s plan includes $18.47 billion in total funding for K-12 education, an increase of $1.25 billion or 7.3% over last year’s budget, which also had an added investment of $1 billion in K-12 education. The Governor’s proposed budget also supports the elimination of tax barriers on manufacturers who buy equipment, helping to build the state’s manufacturing sector and put more Floridians to work.

For a more in depth breakdown of Governor Scott’s proposed budget, citizens can visit www. letsgettowork.state.fl.us.

In addition to budget debates, your Chamber will be monitoring: Property Insurance Reform Support much needed reforms to Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

tax reform Level the playing field for small business through e-Fairness by closing the Internet sales tax loophole.

tort reform Improve Florida’s 41st rating as one of the worst states for lawsuits and save taxpayers $2.8 billion in tort costs.

As we move along the legislative pipeline, we look to our leaders in Tallahassee to help shape policy, create a better community, and help generate the State’s economy by putting Floridians back to work.

Please do your part and continue to advocate for the business agenda of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce.

Together, as a whole we can accomplish more and continue to advocate for a business friendly agenda that helps our great state achieve more for future generations.

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COMMON

TA S T E

a of local business o n e c u p at a t i m e

The Common Grounds member feature gives your business the opportunity to showcase “a day in the life” of your employees and customers.

Each month, one of the door prizes at the Business After Hours event will be a Common Grounds Lakeland Chamber coffee mug & the opportunity to submit a 350 word article about your local business.

B y l a ur a v a l l e assistant general manager

I’m Laura Valle, Assistant General Manager along with Kelly Shay, our Promotions Supervisor. We work for Manheim Lakeland which was established in 1973 as Lakeland Auto Auction.

Our business is an auto auction for licensed and registered dealers only and is not open to the public. We play a major role as a wholesale market for secondhand vehicles. Millions of vehicles are sold at dealer auto auctions every year.

Auction day at Manheim Lakeland is the “tastiest” day of the week. We work all week to set up and prepare for the auction action. Car dealers, banks, car rental agencies, and government agencies bring their vehicles to our location to sell to other car dealers. These cars then eventually end up in the used car lots you see all over town in every city and state across the country. Sounds simple enough but, how does an auction work every Wednesday afternoon?

We start with our customers contacting our services department to reserve spots for their vehicles. Once dealers have reserved a spot in the auction they send their vehicles to us. Every vehicle is checked in at our vehicle registration department, numbered, parked on its reserved spot until the start of the auction.

Once the auction begins, a driver takes the vehicle through the auction lane and stops in front of an auctioneer who auctions off the vehicle. Dealers bid in lane and also online on the vehicle. A clerk records the sale and the vehicle is parked back on its spot. Now, envision this happening 4 to 6 times simultaneously.

After the vehicle sells we have a group of employees that work in the office to handle transferring the titles, taking payments, paying the sellers, and a multitude of other inter-office processes that complete the sales transactions. It is quite a lot of action inside and out every Wednesday afternoon.

Also, once a month we offer RV’s and boats to licensed dealers. We offer over 350 units between the two the first Wednesday of each month. We have customers attending the auction on site and online from all over the world.

So the next time you rent a car, trade-in a car, buy a used car, boat or RV in our area, just think… it may have made a trip through the auction lanes at Manheim Lakeland.

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It’s Fly-I n Ti m e , b u t S U N ‘n FUN ’s Im pact is Ye a r-Round

By Sandy Bridges, Communications Director | SUN-n-FUN.org

The skies over Lakeland and Polk County will soon be filled with air traffic headed to the 39th Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo. An anticipated 200,000 people from more than 82 countries will arrive in Lakeland for a day or a week to experience “Family Thrills: Aviation Style,” the second largest airshow in the world.

A study commissioned in 2011 determined that SUN ‘n FUN has approximately $64 million in economic impact on the local area. SUN ‘n FUN is designed and managed by volunteers and facilitated by staff.

Resources, in the form of funding, are made available by sponsors, attendees, exhibitors and major benefactors who augment the event proceeds ensuring that nearly $1.4 million is returned each year to education programs in Polk County.

As Florida’s largest convention, the FlyIn brings awareness to the Lakeland area.

Your Chamber assists in staff ing the visitor information center during the event, referring Chamber member businesses exclusively. In addition to Lakeland, the event impacts the entire county as aviation activity at airports in Lake Wales, Bartow and Winter Haven also increases.

More than 3,000 international visitors arrived in Lakeland last year for repeat visits with stories of their favorite memories and names of places they had to put on their agenda.

If you are planning to participate, check out the schedules available on the SUN ‘n FUN Web site at SUN-n-FUN.org. More than 500 exhibitors, an International Food Court, and evening programs keep the agenda packed from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. We’ll see you on the flight line!

WE PROVIDE SOLUTIONS Heacock Payroll offers a truly outsourced payroll service, including: • • • • • • • • • •

Direct Deposit Visa Paycard Options Payroll Checks Payroll Reporting Tax Filing, including 941 and UCT6 Employee Benefit Administration Paid Time Off Tracking Workers’ Comp “Pay As You Go” New Hire Reporting Child Support & Garnishments

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SOLUTIONS We can help reduce your overall cost and help to simplify your reporting and audit process.

• Avoid up-front premiums and year-end audit surprises with Pay As You Go Programs • Earn Discounts with Workers’ Comp Safety Programs Regulation Information

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SOLUTIONS Heacock Payroll helps you design & customize your program to include medical, dental, vision, voluntary products and 401(k).

A PARTNER YOU CAN COUNT ON A trusted organization, Heacock Payroll, LLC is a member of the Heacock Group of companies, which has been serving Florida since 1922. With Heacock Payroll, you will be transferring the burden of dealing with administrative employee-related functions to a team of professional specialists.

LAKELAND OFFICE 100 E. MAIN STREET LAKELAND, FL 33801 P: (863) 683-2228 TF: (800) 677-5172 PAYROLL@HEACOCK.COM

863.683.2228

CALL TODAY to find out how Heacock Payroll can help your business.

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OUR LOW PRICE PROMISE!

See store/website for rules and conditions.

The Guarantee does not apply to: offers that include financing, bundling of items, rebates, free items, pricing errors, mail-in offers, competitor’s service prices, items that are advertised as limited-quantity, out of stock, open-box, clearance, refurbished/used items, Deal of the Day items, special events, closeout, special order, discontinued, Buy One Get One, and liquidation items.

As an independent furniture dealer, we ensure you receive the highest quality and the best value of office furniture available in the market place.

Our professional team represents over 80 years of experience in our 75,000 sq. ft. showroom!

(863) 682-3450

Locally owned & operated.

2440 Hwy. 98 North 1 Mile So. of I-4 Across from Lakeland Chrysler www.officefurnituredepot.com

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Office Furniture Depot will match prices on identical in-stock items from authorized online competitors.

Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 3607 • Lakeland, FL 33802 - 3607

Buy it Now with Confidence

14th Annual Luau Downtown 11th Annual “King of the Wing” Contest

Local restaurants and caterers compete for the honor of “best chicken wings” in Lakeland

Thursday, April 18| 5:30 p.m.

a a aaa

402 S Kentucky Ave Beverages j Live Entertainment jTastes from local eateries Laura Lear Baron Realty | Marketing Sytem Blueprints, LLC Republic Services | Signs & Specialties | Two Men and a Truck

$10 admission | Cash or check only at the gate. Visit LakelandChamber.com for advanced registration.