2012 June–July Issue of 850 Business Magazine

EXPERT FINDERS IMS ExpertServices scours the world to help attorneys find the expert witnesses who can make or break a day in court $4.95

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Florida’s banking industry is rebounding

40 Under 40: Some of NW Florida’s must-knows

Surprising ways Colors impact your business

How FSU’s CollegeTown got its start

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growth YOU’RE COMMITTED TO

AND WE’RE COMMITTED TO YOU.

Here to help: SHERWOOD BROWN Business Services Manager 850.410.3565 / 264.4752 slbrown@floridacommerce.org 4

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At Florida Commerce, we’re on fire for business lending.

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Business Services Executive

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850.573.2100

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chudson@floridacommerce.org 850 Business Magazine

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FOR OUR PATIENTS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, WE HAVE TO BE IN STEP WITH OUR BANK.

From left to right, Frank Snell, Dennis Watkins, Gordon Silaski and Rick Fleetwood

At Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory, we believe in community-based service. We chose to partner with Centennial Bank because they share our philosophy. Whether it’s cash management, loans, free business checking, or credit cards — we are instantly taken care of whenever we call. Find out what a community-focused bank can do for your business at my100bank.com.

MY100BANK.COM | A Home BancShares Company (Nasdaq:HOMB) 6

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850 Magazine June – July 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

40 850 FEATURES 28 suffered through some of the worst

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Banks are Back Local banks have

financial times in memory, taking a hit from the Great Recession, the housing bust and the BP oil spill. But signs are growing that the worst is behind them, and there will be a gradual return to normalcy. Surprisingly, Northwest Florida even found the resources to open new banks during these trying times. Find out what’s going on in our regional financial world. By Linda Kleindienst

Goodwill Goes Entrepreneurial 40 It’s not your grandmother’s — or even your mother’s — Big Bend Goodwill anymore. The popular non-profit isn’t just collecting clothes now. And it doesn’t restrict itself to just the Big Bend. It’s creating new businesses and lots of new jobs, from Tallahassee west through Florida’s Panhandle.

Meet some of the proud employees, learn what they do and see the impact they’re making. You may be surprised to learn that they are saving you some taxpayer dollars. By Margie Menzel

PhotoS by Scott Holstein

0 Under 40 Meet more of Northwest 46 4Florida’s up and coming business leaders in this third installment of 40 Under 40. From Tallahassee to Pensacola, see who is making their mark on the business world and in their own community. From an international Cross Country course designer to a bank CEO, this group shines.

By Linda Kleindienst On the Cover: Mike and Bill Wein, founders of IMS Expert Services, pose in an Escambia County court room.

Corridors CAPITAL

54 Meet Alan Hooper, the man behind CollegeTown, and learn more about what this development will do for Tallahassee and Florida State University.

BAY

56 Gulf World has been in business for more than 40 years, and it is still going strong. It’s competing well against the theme parks by bringing guests up close and personal with the wildlife.

EMERALD COAST

58 Expert witness testimony can be crucial to a case. So how do lawyers find these experts? IMS ExpertServices is a legal services firm in Pensacola that will scour the country to find the perfect one for each case.

I-10

60 It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a Safari Helicopter. And you can build it yourself. The kits are made in a Jackson County plant and sold worldwide.

FORGOTTEN COAST

62 Jimmy Mosconis owns and runs the legendary Bay City Lodge — and the wounds he suffered in Vietnam led to Apalachicola becoming the home to an important memorial for his generation.

In This Issue

10 11 64 66

From the Publisher Letters to the Editor Sound Bytes The Last Word from the Editor

Departments THE (850) LIFE

13 Dave Hoxeng’s radio career started off with a crystal radio set. Now he’s the owner of Cat Country 98.7 in Pensacola.

GUEST COLUMN

15 Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater urges Northwest Florida to diversify its industries and invest in small businesses.

LEADING HEALTHY

16 Learn about the impact that wall colors can have in the workplace.

Which color do you think makes employees more productive?

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

19 The summer convention season is coming. Prepare early to make the most out of it to promote yourself and your business.

THE BOTTOM LINE

22 Pick up some tips from fellow entrepreneurs on how they’ve been saving money. You can take these tips to the bank.

IT’S THE LAW

24 Find out what the Legislature did for business during its 2012 spring session.

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850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

June – July 2012

Vol. 4, No. 5

Publisher Brian E. Rowland Editor Linda Kleindienst designers Laura Patrick, Saige Roberts Contributing Writers Jeff Atwater, Laura Bradley, Ali Brown, Jon Burstein, Wendy O. Dixon, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Lee Gordon, Angela Howard, Margie Menzel

staff Writer Jason Dehart

Editorial intern Laura Bradley

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Holstein

Editorial Intern Laura Bradley traffic coordinator Lisa Sostre Sales Executives Lori Magee, Renee Miller, Tracy Mulligan, Linda Powell, Rhonda Simmons, Chuck Simpson, Chris St. John online 850businessmagazine.com facebook.com/850bizmag twitter.com/850bizmag

President Brian E. Rowland

DIRECTOR OF Linda Kleindienst EDITORIAL SERVICES

Creative Director Lawrence Davidson ProDUCTION Manager Daniel Vitter

director OF Dan Parisi New Business Development

CLIENT SERVICE Caroline Conway REPRESENTATIVE

Marketing and Media McKenzie Burleigh Development Manager Administrator of Marjorie Stone

Sales and Events assistant Saige Roberts creative director TRAFFIC coordinator Lisa Sostre

graphic designers Jennifer Ekrut, Laura Patrick, Shruti Shah

Production Specialist Melinda Lanigan Network Administrator Daniel Vitter RECEPTIONIST Amy Lewis

Web Site rowlandpublishing.com

850 Magazine is published bi-monthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. 850 Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. 850 Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright June 2012 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member, Florida Magazine Association and seven Chambers of Commerce throughout the region. one-year Subscription $30 (SIX issues) 850businessmagazine.com 850 Magazine can be purchased at Barnes and Noble in Tallahassee, Destin, Pensacola and Panama City and in Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Destin, Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola and Panama City and at our Tallahassee office.

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Proud member Florida Magazine Association

STREN GTH AG I LITY EXPERI EN CE CO M M ITM ENT The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.

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From the Publisher

Keep an Attitude of Gratitude Ever found yourself looking over your shoulder and comparing yourself, your relationship, your kids or your business/professional success to those around you?

Does your observation — at least what you see on the surface — make you rethink your current life. Or get you thinking about how you wish your life might be?

I was curious about how many people actually make these comparisons.

So, I conducted another one of my informal polls, asking the question of many people I know well — along with many I do not. The survey result: This tendency to compare ourselves with others is a lot more common than one might think.

I do believe this comparative process is normal from middle school through college. It’s all part of our journey to become unique individuals. Although in some cases it can be carried to the extreme. There are schools in our community where kids evaluate and judge one another based on where they live, what their parents do and what kind of car they drive. In my opinion this can become an incubator for developing and perpetuating a superficial and meaningless lifestyle.

As we enter adulthood we usually go through the process of accepting our lives for what they are and ourselves for who we are.

When making comparisons to others, too many evaluate their merits and accomplishments based on how they believe others perceive them. And, without knowing all the facts, it’s easy to convince ourselves that other peoples’ lives are better and more appealing. With the abundance of reality shows on television and the constant bombardment of lifestyle ads, it is also easy to slip into the assumption that

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your self worth is less than it really is. But don’t fall into that “smoke and mirrors” trap.

The bottom line is that it’s just fine to look at others. But put whatever information you glean from that endeavor to a positive use. Comparisons can serve as motivating factors for us to get a better education, train harder to excel in sports, work smarter to make a company succeed or transform a destructive lifestyle into a healthier and happier one.

When one starts to evaluate his or her value by what we do not have, it is quite easy to overlook what we do have — and who really cares for you.

The “American Dream” is founded on working hard to create a better life. Fortunately, that path to a better life still exists in this country. People want better lives, and they deserve the opportunity to strive for that and make it happen. Ultimately, of course, it’s up to the individual’s vision, decisions that are made on life’s journey and motivation to make the changes necessary to achieve success.

Our country and its people are beginning to emerge from four dreadful years during which jobs and homes were lost and the spirits of many were dampened or crushed. But there are signs the economy is beginning to return and, as a people, we are again beginning to look forward.

My hope is that the people and families of this region embrace the simplicity and the quality of life that they have.

Brian Rowland browland@rowlandpublishing.com

FROM THE MAI LBAG I am honored to have been nominated and selected by 850 Business Magazine as one of the “rising stars” in Northwest Florida (Feb/March 2012). It was a fun interview and the photo shoot was a blast. The team at Rowland Publishing is great at what they do.

If you don’t already, make sure you subscribe to their magazine or at least follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet

Proud to see Brian and Jenna Leigh Burger of Tijuana Flats featured (Feb/March 2012). They are such an asset to our community here in Fort Walton Beach. And did you know they were selected as the FWB Chamber's Small Business of the Year?

Eppi Azzaretto

I operate the McDonald’s restaurants in the Emerald Coast area, and I thought you’d like to know that 850 Business Magazine is a great read and I always look forward to receiving it in the mail. Your articles are relevant and interesting to read. I specifically enjoyed learning about other business success stories from the article “40 Under 40” as well as “Wi-files” and “The World of MBAs” (Feb/March 2012).

In response to your Wi-files article, I have to tell you other apps that I have found very useful: Dropbox: Easily save files on your desktop to a local folder and then access anywhere with your mobile device. ocusign Ink: Save your signature on your device then instantD ly, securely and digitally sign attached documents from anywhere. neNote: An outstanding app for creating, syncing and organizO ing notes with Microsoft Office OneNote. quare: Instantly take credit card payments with your device and S a simple reader that plugs into your headphone jack (iPhone).

Also, in response to your request for favorite quotes: “If you believe in it, and you believe in it hard, it is impossible to fail.”

“Things that get appreciated and rewarded get DONE.” “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Thanks for generating a great publication!

David Costa Jr.

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Executive Mindset

) The (850 Life

s urvive and thrive

High Voltage Entrepreneur Dave Hoxeng, Pensacola

Founder, Owner Cat Country 98.7

W 1

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1. First job: When I was 13, our church needed someone to record the church services and take the tape to be played at the local station. I got paid three bucks a Sunday.

first started to broadcast on Thanksgiving 2003, that was the first song we played, and then we played Christmas music until Christmas Day, when we switched to country.

2. Favorite vacation spot:

5. Something people don’t know about me: I enjoy

Florence, Italy. The first time I was in Italy it struck me that I was walking down streets that were built before America even existed. It has a timeless feel to it, with the mix of old and new city and amazing art.

3. Biggest risk: Starting two radio stations in Pensacola from the ground up.

4. Favorite song: I knew

for many years that one day we would turn on our radio transmitter and we would have to play a first song. I decided in 1988 that my first song would be “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. Sonically, it’s extremely rich. When we

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

digging into the nitty gritty of maintaining the high-voltage electronics we use in radio transmission.

6. Favorite meal: Rare steak

at Jackson’s Restaurant in Pensacola.

7. I was there at … The

Munich Olympics (in 1972) with ABC — I had a side career in college doing television production.

I was assigned to swimming.

That was the year Mark Spitz won seven gold medals. In 1974, I was hired by Don King to be part of the broadcast team that covered the Rumble in the Jungle (the famed boxing match

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between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire). I took a week of vacation from a new job to do that.

8. Best advice I’ve received: When you have an important goal, never give up.

9. Favorite sports team: Pensacola Blue Wahoos, of course!

10. Who inspired you? My

former boss in San Antonio, WBBH-TV (Fort Myers) owner Bernie Waterman. He believed in putting the audience first by super-serving your community on and off the air.

11. iPhone or Blackberry?

Blackberry. I love the new Blackberry Bold.

12. If I could be one television character … It would be

Jack Bauer of 24. He never fails.

hen he was 8 years old, Dave Hoxeng would drift off to sleep listening to his crystal radio set, his dial already set to a lifetime in the radio business.

Hoxeng founded and owns WYCT — Cat Country 98.7, one of the top stations in the Pensacola market. With a signal that can be heard from the Mississippi state line to Destin, Cat Country has won the prestigious Academy of Country Music Station of the Year for a small market three times, taking the top honor in 2006, 2009 and 2011.

“Radio is the opportunity for one personality to communicate with thousands in a very intimate setting,” said Hoxeng, who also owns NewsRadio 1620.

It was a long road to get Cat Country on the air, with Hoxeng, 62, first applying for the license in 1987.

The competitive process stretched until 2000 and once he secured the license, the next task was starting a radio station from scratch. He and his wife, station General Sales Manager Mary Hoxeng, spent another three years setting up the station, including the construction of a 940foot tower.

“The radio station is our baby,” he said. “To be successful in the radio business, it’s all about the people and the team, and we are really blessed to have some great people.”

— Jon Burstein

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Taste of the region Business luncheons. Celebratory dinners. Deal-making cocktails.

A sampling of the best fare the region has to offer.

A GUIDE TO FINE DINING IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Magnolia Grill FORT WALTON BEACH

TOM & PEGGY RICE, PROPRIETORS

(850) 302-0266

www.magnoliagrillfwb.com 14

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Executive Mindset

Business Speak

Regional Economic Development in Northwest Florida

Photo courtesy Jeff Atwater

I

t is hard to imagine that just five years ago Florida’s unemployment was 3.5 percent. The economy was expanding, incomes were rising and home prices were ballooning. This period was a boon for the tourism industry, especially in Northwest Florida, as the number of visitors to Florida was increasing by millions.

However, these gilded times ended with a financial and housing market crisis which proved to be a devastating combination for our state. With the onset of the recession, the economy throughout Florida began shrinking.

The unemployment rate surpassed double digits and remained above 11 percent throughout 2010.

Our beautiful Panhandle has felt the impact of these challenging economic times even more so. A vibrant economy that reaps the benefits of a thriving tourism industry, the area was hit hard by the down-turned economy and then served another blow by a man-made disaster that devastated the Emerald Coast. It’s because of the strength, resolve and pure grit of these Floridians that we are able to see a budding economy once again.

Halfway into 2012, the economy is already looking up across The Big Bend, Northwest Florida and our entire state.

Unemployment rates are significantly lower than this time last year and are continuing to improve. Although the economy has made progress this year, every Floridian continues to feel the effects of a strained economy.

In spite of these challenging economic conditions, I am proud that Florida has maintained stable finances and preserved its prized AAA rating. By keeping spending under control and maintaining low taxes, state legislators have protected taxpayers’ money when they need it most.

These decisions have furthered Florida’s reputation as a business-friendly state.

Chief Executive magazine ranked Florida as one of the top three states in the country for business.

J e ff At wat e r Jeff Atwater, a banker and a fifth-generation Floridian, was elected Florida’s Chief Financial Officer in November 2010. He spent 10 years in the Florida Legislature, the last two as president of the state Senate. As CFO, his duties include overseeing the state’s accounting and auditing systems, monitoring investment of state funds, investigating insurance fraud and serving as one of the three members of the elected state Cabinet. Some of his top priorities include fighting financial fraud, abuse and government waste, reducing regulatory burdens that stifle business growth, providing for transparency and accountability in government spending and creating the conditions for economic development and prosperity in Florida.

Looking to the future, we must not abandon the industries that have been the economic life blood of Florida and our Panhandle communities for decades.

However, investing in diverse industries such as technology, manufacturing and trade will help lay the foundation for an innovative economy that will deliver future economic growth. This region already has all the tools available to foster these industries — first-rate universities, community colleges, an ongoing

commitment to a strong military presence, a relatively low cost of living and welcoming communities.

Small businesses are a crucial part of this vision. They are a significant employer in Northwest Florida, with more than 27,000 establishments and nearly 100,000 employed in Escambia County alone.

However, without the investment needed to grow, small businesses cannot increase hiring as much as Florida needs.

As I travel across the state, I routinely visit with entrepreneurs and small business owners. One of the chief problems I hear is that they cannot expand their businesses because they lack access to capital. Community banks can help fill this gap; traditionally, they have played an important role in our local economies by investing in homegrown entrepreneurs. During the recession, many of them were forced to close their doors, reducing the amount of capital available to businesses. Between 2002 and 2008, there were just five bank failures in Florida.

From 2009 to today, this number jumped to 58, a historic high.

Local community banks were not responsible for the financial crisis, but their ability to succeed post-crisis will have larger implications for employment in the state. Unfortunately, the Dodd-Frank Act that Congress passed in 2010 has already resulted in 3,900 pages of burdensome regulations. These regulations will weigh heavy on community banks, impacting their ability to lend money to entrepreneurs, and job growth will ultimately suffer.

The economy in the Big Bend and Northwest Florida has improved since the height of the recession and is following a steady path of recovery. Now is the time to prepare and protect our treasured communities from future economic stagnation by adding to their local economies. I believe that through both diversification and investing in our small businesses, our region will flourish. n

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Executive Mindset

Leading Healthy Office Environment

Seeing Red? Color’s impact on productivity in the workplace

By Angela Howard

H

ave you ever noticed that most casual dining establishments have a similar color scheme?

That’s no coincidence, my friends. That is the outcome of a well-thought out plan to bring more bodies through the door and more money into the register.

While you sit and admire the vibrant red on the walls or the rich, Espresso wood

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adorning every booth, the managers and owners are raking in the dough. That’s because you are inadvertently falling victim to their trap: Seduce the customer with color, and watch them eat, drink and spend.

The Spectrum of Color Color is everywhere and impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. From the orange sun

peaking over the water at dawn to the blackened twilight sky; the stark white of a hospital emergency room to the soft purples and yellows on the labor and delivery floor.

“Color is a visual clue. It evokes an emotion that is tied to a memory,” said Brad Ertzberger, an interior design professor at Florida State University and junior designer at Bass and Bass LTD in Tallahassee.

Every color has a meaning, a feeling, an emotion, which is why it is crucial that businesses choose the right hues inside and outside the office.

“Colors have color associations, and these are important to remember so that you elicit the appropriate response or feeling from your customer,” Ertzberger said.

What’s Your Color?

Remember the mood rings that were all the rage back in the 1980s and ’90s? As corny as they may have been, there was a bit of truth to their findings. Each color elicits a feeling, a response from each person. White is seen as clean. Red is stimulating. And black is elegant. These are just a few examples, but there is a whole list of them.

The popular Disney show Imagination Movers utilizes bright colors to get the attention of even the youngest viewers. However, the show’s character, Mr. Knickknocks, is a stark contrast to that. He has a boring wardrobe made up completely of beige-colored items. Everything about him is bland.

And, according to Stacy Ward, the city hall in Freeport, Fla., is the Knickknocks of the town. Ward works as a billing clerk for the city and says her beige-colored office is about as exciting as a cardboard box.

“Beige is just … when you have nothing else to look at, and you just have those plain beige drab walls, it’s just prison-like,” she said.

The 44-year-old has worked for the city for about five years. She started as a meter reader, enjoying long days outdoors. But an injury landed her on desk duty, forcing her to spend copious amounts of time inside.

“It’s a little depressing when you don’t have anything to look at to rest your mind for a moment,” said Ward. “It’s very different being inside. It makes for a longer day.”

In contrast, Ward’s daughter Jessica Anderson loves being inside at work. The 25-year-old is a fourth grade teacher at Maude Saunders Elementary in DeFuniak Springs. Her classroom has one blue wall, which helps bring color into the room. But Anderson takes it upon herself to add lots of other bold colors and posters to keep the room exciting and stimulating.

COLOR ASSOCIATIONS Red: Stimulating, exciting Pink: Soothing, gentle Orange: Exciting, energetic Brown: Comfort, stability Yellow: Reflective, luminous Green: Refreshing, natural Blue: Calm, soothing Purple: regal, seductive White: Innocence, clean, institutional Black: Elegance, darkness Grey: Quiet, dreary

“I feel like it’s engaging for the students, that it will help them work,” said Anderson.

But it’s not just for the students. Anderson said she herself would get bored with the room and her job if she had to work in a colorless room, so she redecorates every year to keep everyone’s creative juices flowing.

“Bright to me makes me happy and makes me want to be somewhere, and if I use bright colors, my students will want to be in my room,” said Anderson. “That’s why I use bright colors.”

Bringing the Outside In Back when farms were prevalent and whitecollar workers were few, it was easy to get a tan and some Vitamin D. In fact, colors dictated nearly everything from the time the bright yellowy sun woke you up, to the blue water in which you fished, to the green of the fields you plowed and the deep navy hues of the evening sky — your cue to call it quits for the day. Color has been dictating our lives for centuries.

But now the majority of us spend our days inside under artificial light, and we crave the colors our ancestors enjoyed while working from sun up to sun down.

So how can we bring the outside in and make our workspace a more productive place all around? Ertzberger says it’s in the color.

“Choosing appropriate colors, combined with proper lighting, lowers sick leave and absenteeism and ensures that non-wage labor costs decrease in the medium- to longterm,” he said.

In a December 1999 study done by Nancy J. Stone and Anthony J. English at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo (UH Hilo), a red office was found to invoke vigor, anger and tension — but it was also a greater stimulation and increased performance. A blue office was found to cause depression, sadness, fatigue and relaxation. A white office elicited more headaches and bouts of nausea.

Ertzberger says other studies show that white is the least favored color for an office and that a light-blue-green color is most preferred.

If given her way, Stacy Ward would bring in purples and yellows to brighten her workspace.

“I love the lavender. I would go with a hint of purple and maybe some sunflowers in the background. Maybe some pictures in the background, you know that would brighten my day. Or, maybe daisies. Daisies are good too,” she said.

The Psychology Behind the Color According to Wikipedia.org, color psychology is “the study of color as a factor in human behavior,” and it plays a big part when it comes to the way the human mind perceives and processes the information it receives.

Psychology.about.com calls it “a powerful communication tool that can be used to signal action, influence mood and cause physiological reactions” and says certain colors can raise blood pressure, increase metabolism or cause eyestrain.

“In China, red is the color of luck, while in Nigeria and Germany it means the exact opposite,” states Wikipedia.org.

Water coolers are all but extinct in the workplace, but employees still enjoy gathering together to chat about their day, their family and the gossip in the office. And, while a little down time is arguably a good thing, allowing workers to relax their bodies and minds for a few minutes here and

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Leading Healthy

there, every employer knows it comes down to dollars and cents.

So how do you keep the employees happy AND productive? Ertzberger says it’s all in the environment. He says bright, vivid or saturated colors stimulate the brain while muted pastels and greys promote a feeling of rest. Therefore, you want to incorporate the latter in your decorating to bring out the productive side in all.

“I think the most important thing to understand is what image you are trying to portray and making sure that the colors and color schemes that you choose reflect your brand … ” Brad Ertzberger Colors and the Customer Colors aren’t just geared toward the employees working at the store, though. They are also an important factor when it comes to drawing in the ideal crowd for your business.

“I think the most important thing to understand is what image you are trying to portray and making sure that the colors and color schemes that you choose reflect your brand and elicit the appropriate response or feeling from your customer,” Ertzberger said.

One of the best examples, according to Ertzberger, is McDonalds, which uses bright red and yellow to excite and stimulate its customers to get them in and out quicker. In a lounge-type setting, though, Ertzberger says you would want darker, more soothing colors to entice your customers to relax and enjoy. Still other businesses, like a law firm or bank, he says should utilize a more mature, stable palate with blues, greens and browns.

Color — or a lack thereof — is everywhere we turn, and it’s something we can use to our advantage, if we know how. It can help excite students to new ideas and lessons, fuel employees to be productive while on the clock and convince customers that your business is the place to be. n

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Executive Mindset

Management Strategies B efore You go

Prep Talk 8 tips on how to get the most out of a business event

By Ali Brown

F

all is the time to sign up for business conferences to learn new skills, mingle with colleagues and get inspired for re-energizing your business. Or, if you are thinking about changing your corporate hat for an entrepreneurial one, an event is a great place to get ideas for starting off quickly and profitably.

Thoughtfully select an event that provides the type of training you’re eager for and is designed for your business size.

Out-of-town events are an investment in yourself and your business — one that you can easily offset with new contacts, strategies and tools to boost your bottom line. Consider these strategies to get the most from your conference well before you head to the airport.

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The Bottom Line

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Research topics, speakers and panelists. Check out the website’s agenda for the event, and know who will be speaking and what the topics are.

If there are breakout sessions, tentatively decide which ones address your needs the most. By doing your homework, you’ll be better informed and be able to understand the training at a deeper level.

Brainstorm strategic alliances.

Especially if you are just starting out in your business, you’ll want to form strategic alliances. For example, web designers and copywriters work handin-hand and refer each other to clients.

Consider what professions are your natural match, have them in mind and you’ll be surprised how many of them you’ll meet at the conference.

Know your strengths and gaps.

Let’s say that you know you excel at presenting your product or service, keeping in touch with clients and putting a team together. However, you also want to be aware of the areas where you need improvement, such as online marketing, sales strategies, teambuilding, etc. Just writing these thoughts down before the event will help you raise your awareness to what the conference will present.

Plan your travel well. Arrive at your event destination a day or two early to relax, get acclimated, get on the same time zone and get accustomed to your surroundings. Stay at the hotel where the conference is held to save time going from your room to the event, save money on car rental or cab fare and increase your potential for connecting with other event attendees. (Your room is also a great place to get a little privacy and get a breather, so it’s nice when it’s close by.)

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Know some of your key business numbers. In the event you meet a high-level consultant or potential joint venture partner, you may want to have a few relevant figures handy like your gross revenue, list size and number of employees or contractors. Have your forecasts for next year handy as well.

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Dress for success. For most events, business casual is the stated attire, but think about stepping it up a notch. Consider wearing solids and separates for a layered look accessorized thoughtfully with jewelry and scarves, ladies (and sports jackets, guys). Spend some time with your hair and make-up too.

Why? You’re representing you, your business and your brand, and the better you look and feel, the more people will notice you and find you approachable.

Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown, founder of Ali International LLC, teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Learn more at www.AliBrown.com.

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Connect with attendees. Seek out Facebook event pages or forums that have been created for your event. It’s a great way to virtually meet conference attendees before the event, so when you do meet in person, you’ll be fast friends. Keep an eye out for Tweetups — impromptu gatherings of Twitter users — or better yet, organize one yourself.

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Come prepared. You’re just about ready, but here are a few more must-haves: an empty water bottle for being “green” while you travel, a few of your favorite power bars or snacks and a method for jotting down lots of notes and your all-important follow-up list of action items when you get back home. Of course you’ll want to bring a stack of memorable business cards, but also consider a thoughtful take-away item that sets you apart, such as a pocket-sized calendar with your business contact information. Be clever and memorable.

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Executive Mindset

The Bottom Line

M aking every cent count

Saving Money Actions you can take to shore up the bottom line

By Linda Kleindienst

T

he unemployment numbers are going down, and there are glimmers of sunshine on the economic horizon. But business owners across Northwest Florida, still smarting from the after-effects of the Great Recession and the BP oil debacle, continue to watch their pennies, looking for ways to cut costs and get the biggest bang for each dollar spent.

So what’s the best way to save money?

With a little research, you’ll find that tips abound.

Become more energy efficient. The cost of heating and cooling your business — and keeping those lights and computer systems running — is not going to go down. So, the best way to cut those expenses is by introducing more “green” into your operation. A good place to start is by asking your utility

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company for an energy audit. (And ask your employees to shut off the lights when they’re not using their offices or conference room.)

Try saving dollars by renegotiating your cell phone contract — or double checking with local banks to make sure you are getting the best (no fee) deal possible on your business accounts.

Do you have staff that has to travel to meetings? How about checking out Web-based conference call offerings. Many are low-cost and will save you on plane, car rental or mileage payments, not to mention meals and lodging. Some are free, like Zoho Meeting. You can use Microsoft Office Live Meeting at little cost or Skype. Check out what’s available. You’ll still be able look your client in the eye but be saving money while you’re at it.

Sending out newsletters? Try an online

version to save postage. Need to buy furniture or equipment? Check to see if you can get something secondhand or reconditioned that looks like new. Who’s going to know?

Hire a returning or disabled veteran. According to the Small Business Administration, businesses can earn a $5,600 maximum federal tax credit for every unemployed veteran they hire. And the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit gives businesses a maximum $9,600 tax credit for each veteran hired that has a service-connected disability.

Want to advertise but can’t quite afford the bill? The Entrepreneur website suggests teaming up with similar but non-competing businesses to purchase a group ad. And don’t forget social media.

To get the real skinny, we asked local business owners in the 850 to tell us how they are

» If your business uses vehicles on a regular basis, consider looking into more fuel-efficient vehicles. Two ways to improve fuel efficiency on existing vehicles are to keep the tires properly inflated and to remove excess weight.

Laptops consume less energy than desktops, so when upgrading computers, consider whether laptops are an option for your office’s workload.

Karen Szulczewski, Better Business Bureau/ Northwest Florida

» Check your taxes. An accountant might cost a little, but you might not be writing off everything you can. Utilize credit cards with cash back on purchases you buy often or that give you credits.

I am a big fan of using virtual technologies to operate a small biz. Solutions like: Basecamp — collaboration and project management Grasshopper — telephone services OpenOffice — alternative to Microsoft Office Dropbox — document storage and archiving Google — strong offering of business applications Wordpress — quick and easy way to create a website/blog Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet

shaving their costs. Here are some of the suggestions they were willing to pass along:

» If you are swamped with work like most small biz owners are, hire a virtual assistant to take care of many of those time-sucking, mundane tasks. Or give them many tasks from your to-do list that has been snowballing. There are plenty of talented VAs out there to choose from. This is a great option if you are not quite ready to commit to the long-term expense of another employee.

Ted Frazier

» Get a review of your landline phone services from an independent telecommunications expert like Lee-Tel Communications, who can objectively advise you on how to most cost-effectively meet your telecommunications needs. Consider dropping your fax landline and using an integrated

voice-fax service with email follow-me features like the Virtual Office from Townbeacon Internet Services. Both of these are local Tallahassee small businesses with great track records.

Chip Mitchell

» Make sure you ask every one of your business partners to revisit contracts with you. Ask for reductions in order to increase sales. Anything that is based on a percentage will grow for them and you. Win-Win! Peggy Bawl

» The construction industry has been a very tough market for the past few years. We have managed to stay afloat through our dedication to one-on-one customer service, which requires minimal funding, and advertising in local markets.

NRG Industries

» One will save money, time and sanity if one has business cards printed up by places such as Staples. Some sheets of homemade biz cards will be perfect, but 90 percent of the rest will make you scream. Alas, it sounds great to make EVERYTHING yourself but sometimes … ouch! It hurts the mind and the wallet. And keep the biz cards simple, one sided and in one color.

It’s cheaper and if the cards are designed right, sometimes less is more.

Republic of West Florida Trading Company

» Make sure you are funding a self-retirement plan, which is a good tax savings.

Joan Fleischer-Tamen

This list is by no means complete, but it may help you generate some ideas of your own. Got a tip to share? Tell your fellow entrepreneurs about it by sharing it on our Facebook page, 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida. n

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Executive Mindset

It’s the Law

2 012 Legislative Wrap

When all was said and done — the 2012 Legislature was a big win for business

By Linda Kleindienst

W

hen the Florida Legislature adjourned its annual session in March, a collective sigh could be heard from business interests across the state. Despite lawmakers’ obsession with redistricting maps and cutting state spending, they managed to pass a host of bills to benefit business — and hopefully give a little boost to the state’s economic recovery.

On their last day in session, the state’s lawmakers approved a wide-ranging tax package to help corporations and back-to-school shoppers in a bill that included several well-crafted tax breaks designed to help particular special interests, from owners of private planes to the owners of a new cattle slaughterhouse. In all, the tax breaks will total more than $1 billion over the next three years.

Here’s a look at what the Legislature did for business during the 60day session:

Corporate Income Tax — During his 2010 campaign, Gov. Rick Scott pledged to eliminate this tax, and the Legislature began to pave

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the way toward that goal in 2011, boosting from $5,000 to $25,000 the amount of corporate income that is exempt from the state tax. That amounted to a cut of about $1,100 per business and eliminated the tax for nearly half of the roughly 30,000 businesses that were paying it. This year lawmakers doubled the exemption to $50,000, dropping 25 percent of those still paying it, or about 3770 companies.

Savings to business: $9.9 million in the 2012-2013 fiscal year

Unemployment Compensation — The Legislature decided to slow down the pace of repaying the federal government for a $2.4 billion loan that Florida took to cover the jump in unemployment compensation during the Great Recession. The state fund ran out of money in 2009. Taxes on business were to increase from $72.10 to $170 per employee in order to repay the loan in three years. But lawmakers reduced the per-employee cost, reducing the wage base on which the tax is calculated from $8,500 to $8,000, and extended the repayment period to five years. The maximum

payment per employee is now capped at $432 instead of $459. The Legislature also renamed the state’s unemployment compensation system to “Reemployment Assistance.”

Savings to business: $550 million over two years.

Tangible Personal Property Tax — Florida voters will get to decide in November whether to provide tax relief to small businesses and allow local governments the flexibility to provide additional relief to attract business investment. The proposed constitutional amendment provides that taxpayers with less than $50,000 in tangible personal property would not have to pay the tax. That would allow half of the 300,000 companies that are now paying the tax to avoid it.

Savings to business: $20.3 million Tax Credit Scholarships — Florida law allows businesses to take a tax credit for contributing to private school scholarships for low income children. The cap on the scholarship fund will go from $31 million to $250 million.

Sales Tax Breaks — A host of special interests won sales tax exemptions. Among them: video game and website developers, phosphate miners, airplane owners and engine builders and repair shops.

Some of the tax breaks are narrowly tailored, such as a tax exemption on electricity used by packing houses for fruits, vegetables, beef and pork. Manufacturers will also find it easier to qualify for a sales tax exemption on machinery and equipment with a lowering of the required increase in output from 10 percent to 5 percent, a move that is expected to make it easier for manufacturing to grow.

Savings to Business: $120 million

GROUNDED IN BUSINESS

Elimination of Outdated Rules and Regulations — One of the major complaints from business interests is the number of rules and regulations the state places on their business. Scott is hoping to eliminate more than 1,000 of them, and he got a good start this year. Lawmakers agreed to cut 270 rules, the vast majority of them (165) from the state’s water management districts. Some continuing education requirements for state-regulated professions have been eliminated and some agency rules have been decriminalized.

Sales Tax Holiday — It’s billed as a consumer-friendly move to help back-to-school shoppers by exempting certain school and clothing items from the sales tax. But it’s a highly sought after holiday by retailers who say shoppers tend to spend more money when they’re getting a tax break. The exemption will apply to items such as clothing, wallets and bags valued at $75 or less. It also will apply to school supplies that cost less than $15.

Cost to state budget: $31.8 million. n — The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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BANKING

Battling Back

Northwest Florida’s banking industry is on the rebound

By Linda Kleindienst

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In 2010, Florida had the dubious distinction of having more bank failures than any other state in the nation — 29.

The next closest state was Georgia, with 21.

In fact, just five states that year — Florida, Georgia, Illinois, California and Washington — accounted for 57 percent, or 89, of the nation’s 157 bank failures.

T

he “why” of it is pretty easy to understand.

During the global economic meltdown of the Great Recession, Florida was hit doubly hard as the housing industry collapsed and banks were left holding mortgages on devalued properties. In Northwest Florida the problem was compounded by businesses failing because of fallout from the oil spill.

“We are a reflection of the economy,” said Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association. “So goes the economy, so goes small business and the banking industry.”

To truly comprehend the dramatic impact this all had on the banking industry, all you have to do is look at the numbers.

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From 2002 until 2008, Florida lost five banks that failed to maintain their profitability. Between 2008 and 2011, 56 Florida banks went under.

That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news. By March of this year there had only been two Florida bank failures (neither in Northwest Florida), a sure sign to some that the state’s banking industry is on the rebound. It is slow, to be sure. But banking officials and industry analysts are optimistic, buoyed by some positive economic indicators.

For instance, in 2011, there were fewer bank shutdowns — plus higher ratings for the state’s banks. While still lagging nearly 40 percentage points behind the U.S. average, 26 percent of the state’s banks earned “recommended” status

(earning four or five stars) from Bauer Financial, an independent bank rating firm in Miami.

That represented an 8 percent increase over the previous year.

“The good news would be that we did peak out,” Jeff Atwater, Florida’s elected chief financial officer, said of the state’s bank failures. “This year, I’m hopeful we’re below 10 (failures) and on our way back to far better times.”

Atwater noted that throughout the financial crisis Northwest Florida experienced fewer troubled and failed banks than other regions of Florida, particularly South Florida. Since 2009, there have been eight bank failures in Northwest Florida.

But the real recovery for the state and region

BANKING

is likely to be determined mostly by the pace of the housing and real estate recovery.

“Half of our banks in Florida this past year (2011) were not profitable,” said Atwater. “But two years ago, only 25 percent were profitable … 2010 was the worst bank failure year in our country.”

Your Neighborhood Banker Some of the banks hit hardest during the Great Recession were community banks, the small institutions that provide the loans for the neighborhood barber to put in an extra chair, for a local store to expand into the empty space next door or for the town’s historic bed and breakfast to renovate.

“In areas where we have branches, we have seen the dying out of some community banks,” reflected Joshua Scribner, vice president of retail operations for Doral Bank in Panama City.

“Some of those community banks that had been growing had real estate loans … and larger commercial banks began taking them over.”

Yet in the midst of the downturn, some community banks got their start.

Prime Meridian Bank of Tallahassee, which opened in October of 2008, has a five-star rating from BauerFinancial.

Doral Bank set up for business in Panama City in the late summer of 2010. It has five offices in Northwest Florida — four in Bay County and one in Pensacola — and a lending office in Tallahassee.

Summit Bank opened in Panama City in April of 2008 and then opened a Pensacola branch the following year.

Prime Meridian CEO Sammie Dixon credits the bank’s success to the fact “we worked our tails off. Whether you want to call it timing, luck or the grace of God.” But the lending climate is tough. Not a lot of businesses are looking to expand. There are historic levels of cash sitting on company balance sheets, and there’s an uncertainty in the regulatory climate. Dixon calls it the “perfect storm” for inertia to set in. To counter that, he said the banks must look for “opportunities” to thrive.

“I don’t know if anyone has the perfect

45 FINDING FINANCING

29 20

percent of Florida’s small businesses say economic uncertainty — including access to capital — is preventing them from hiring new employees, according to a statewide survey released in April by the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council. percent were able to obtain it — up from 24 percent in July 2011 and 21 percent in February 2011.

percent were not able to get the needed financing — down slightly from 22 percent in July 2011 and 25 percent in February 2011.

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2002–2008:

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2009–March 2012:

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2012 (through March):

“We loaned more money each year during the downturn.

Others ran from the problem … we continued to loan more money and help people.”

David Tuyo CEO, Pen Air Federal Credit Union 32

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roadmap for what a community bank looks like in one, three or five years. There is no perfect model out there,” he said.

In the meantime, community banks are working to remove the black eye they got during the banking crisis.

“Other than we both take deposits, are Prime Meridian Bank and Bank of America … or Lehman Brothers or Bear Stearns … anything alike?”

Dixon asked. “The industry has gotten a major black eye because of the media.

“Every time we talked about a financial instrument that went bad … whose last name created the problem, sold the problem and perpetuated the problem? Mr. Bank. We all got grouped together.”

Scibner said that Doral is focusing on involvement in the community and working with its neighbors to build confidence in the bank.

“We are entrenched,” he said. “Our employees are on local boards and councils. Branch managers are encouraged to be involved in civic or charitable activities. We have community grills.”

A special niche for Doral, he added, involves catering to the customers of the small community banks that were taken over by the larger commercial banks — hoping to lure them back.

In the meantime, consumers have become smarter about finances and financial institutions. They are immersing themselves in information about their banks, even checking on bank ratings.

“People have become very astute,” said Scribner.

At Summit Bank, the concierge-style services that are provided, especially to businesses, have led to it being described as a “boutique” bank.

With plenty of local resources at its back, last December the bank assumed the assets of and some liabilities of Crestview-based Premier Community Bank of the Emerald Coast.

CEO Andy Stein said the bank targets the people it wants to serve and is “looking for entrepreneurs who are successful.”

“We’re in a market where wealth is derived from entrepreneurship. By not looking and acting like a traditional bank, we ensure we can

provide the high-end service and consultation the customer needs.”

Banking Choices While the term “bank” is generally used when talking about financial institutions, businesses have a choice of who they want to have handle their finances.

There are the large, national banks with hundreds of branch offices throughout the nation.

There are the smaller community banks. And there are credit unions.

Banks have investors. Credit unions have members.

“Our industry came through in better shape I think than our banking counterparts, in large measure due to the fact that our capital system is inherently different,” explained Cecilia Homison, CEO of Florida Commerce Credit Union, which has about 39,000 members.

“Unlike banks, we capitalize over time. If we get hit with something, we can’t get more money in. That discourages more risk-taking because there is no safety net,” she added.

“While we are a financial institution, we are a not-for-profit. We want to maintain health to benefit our members, not the stockholders. We serve different purposes.”

David Tuyo, CEO of Pen Air Federal Credit Union in Pensacola, said the credit unions have admitted many new customers who grew leery of big banks — or couldn’t get bank loans when they needed them. Credit union membership hit a record number in 2011, adding 1.3 million new customers. Growing assets enabled the credit unions to loan money, including to businesses, when banks couldn’t.

“In a healthy economy, things are easy. Sometimes in a downturn you have to make a bet on people,” explained Tuyo. “We loaned more money each year during the downturn. Others ran from the problem … we continued to loan more money and help people.”

Pen Air, which has received a five-star rating from BauerFinancial for 86 consecutive quarters, has 16 branches and is adding two this year. It has 300 employees and has continued growing through the recessionary years. Tuyo

BANKING

says the credit union is seeing increased activity across the board, including construction loans.

Another major difference between banks and credit unions concerns taxes. Banks pay corporate taxes, credit unions are exempt. And that’s a bone of contention … for the banks.

“The tax loophole needs to be closed,” said Sanchez of the Bankers Association. “A family of four pays more than a credit union … (which) does everything a bank does, but they don’t want to pay state and federal corporate income taxes. They say I’m attacking Mom and Pop credit unions, but I’m talking about (credit unions like) Suncoast, headquartered in Tampa, which has $6 billion and offices in 23 counties. That’s bigger than our community banks.”

Added Tuyo, “Credit unions did not cause any losses, nor cost taxpayers money. We had some failures that we took care of ourselves. They focus on profits, we focus on people. We are concerned with members, not shareholders.”

We Want to Lend “There’s a pretty decent appetite for banks to lend,” said Scribner.

But only certain borrowers need apply.

“It used to be an excessive appetite for any loan without documentation. Now, the propensity for risk has dropped a good bit. We are all looking for the same types of loans — cash flowing, performing property, not speculative real estate,” he added.

Still, there isn’t a rush to the loan office yet.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Sanchez. “We see some light at the end of the tunnel, but the bottom line is there still isn’t a great demand for loans. In a recession, small businesses are just trying to survive.”

David Mann, SunTrust region president and CEO for North Florida, agrees, saying businesses are still focused on cutting expenses and building cash reserves — not on expansion and acquisition.

“If I look at our existing customer base today, the volume seeking funds for expansion is way below 2005–2007,” he said. “We’re seeing some evidence of it coming back, but I still see companies coming in focused not on survival

BAER FINANCIAL RATINGS Each quarter, BauerFinancial of Coral Gables, an independent bank rating firm, releases a national report on banks. Based on December 2011 data, 25 percent of Florida’s banks were given a “recommended rating” (earning four or five stars) — an increase from 17 percent only a year earlier.

That same report gave 39 Florida banks a “zero” — including eight in Northwest Florida.

Here are the banks and credit unions in the Panhandle that earned a five-star, or Superior, ranking.

» BANKS Bank of the South, Pensacola Peoples Bank of Graceville (Jackson County) Prime Meridian Bank, Tallahassee Summit Bank, Panama City Warrington Bank, Pensacola

» CREDIT UNIONS Baptist Regional Medical Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Calhoun-Liberty Employees Credit Union, Blountstown Central Credit Union of Florida, Pensacola Ecco Credit Union, Pace (Santa Rosa County) Eglin Federal Credit Union, Fort Walton Beach Florida Department of Transportation Credit Union, Tallahassee Florida Rural Electric Credit Union, Tallahassee Florida State Employees Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Florida State University Credit Union, Tallahassee Focus Credit Union, Chattahoochee GPCE Credit Union, Pensacola Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Jefferson County Teachers Credit Union, Monticello Members First Credit Union of Florida, Pensacola Panhandle Educators Federal Credit Union, Panama City Pen Air Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Pensacola Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Pensacola Government Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Pensacola L & N Federal Credit Union, Pensacola Santa Rosa County Federal Credit Union, Milton Sunland Credit Union, Marianna TMH Federal Credit Union, Tallahassee Tallahassee Federal Credit Union, Tallahassee Tyndall Federal Credit Union, Panama City Walton County Teachers Federal Credit Union, Defuniak Springs

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BANKING

10

6

17

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BANK FAILURES 2010–2011

» 2010 — total

157

1. Florida — 29 2. Georgia — 21 3. Illinois — 16 4. California — 13 5. Washington — 10

» 2011 — total

92

1. Georgia — 23 2. Florida — 13 3. Illinois — 9 4. Colorado — 6 5. California — 4

but on being conservative and efficient in terms of expansion.”

SunTrust, one of the 10 largest banks in the country with 1,800 branches, including 80 in North Florida, is making loans available. Indeed, while lending dropped Mann said it “was still significant” during the economic crash years of 2008-–2010. Today, he added, those seeking loans should first make sure they are well positioned to make the request.

Mann recommends having a strong, detailed business plan that ideally would have been reviewed by an accountant, an attorney and/or a business mentor. It should address how the business can generate cash and include financial statements and the collateral needed to

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secure the loan. In other words, if the bank has to take it back, it wants to make sure the business will make money.

“And make sure they have a good personal credit rating,” he urged. “There is money available today but you need a good credit rating to access that resource. It is important for a person to show the willingness and ability to repay the debt.”

Over Regulated?

Just as they and the nation are trying to climb out of a financial funk, banks of all sizes and credit unions find themselves facing a new challenge: The Dodd-Frank Act. The heightened federallymandated regulatory measures are a direct result

of the financial meltdown. It doesn’t matter who caused it or how large the bank or credit union.

They all must now adhere to new rules that could eventually number in the hundreds.

The bottom line is that banks will need to have compliance officers to make sure the new rules are being followed. Not a tough assignment for the larger banks, which probably already have people in those positions. But, for the average community bank, which might have 37 employees, it’s going to be more of a burden.

“You’ll have more people checking boxes on regulatory forms than you’ll have out on the street creating revenue,” warned Atwater.

“It’ll be harder for community banks to carry that overhead expense. It means more money

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2011

2012

TRUST IN BANKS

»

1 percent of Americans list banking 4 as a trusted industry — placing it lower than the media, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer.

»

But the numbers are much improved over 2011, when only 25 percent said they trusted the banking industry.

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BANCORPSOUTH spent in the bank than is going to be returned to shareholders, which means there will be fewer people interested in investing.

“They’re applying (the law) to the institutions that were never causing … the concerns that led to the crisis.”

“Overkill” is the word that Atwater uses for Dodd Frank when it comes to community banks.

On this, at least, the banks and the credit unions agree.

“I’ve been in the business for 30 years, and it’s one of the most complex pieces of legislation ever written,” said Mann. SunTrust has spent time and money to build its compliance team, but he added, “fortunately, we are in a position to do that.” n

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILE

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILE

Centennial Bank

Centennial Bank my100bank.com

PLEASE GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF CENTENNIAL BANK. Centennial Bank began as a single community bank in 1999, and in 2005 teamed with other successful Central Arkansas banks to form Home BancShares Inc. Centennial Bank has had a presence in the Florida Keys for 18 years and entered the Central and Northwest Florida markets in 2010. Today there are 46 branches in Florida, including 28 in Northwest Florida. We feel Northwest Florida is a perfect fit for us, and we have developed a great team of bankers ready to serve our customers. We look forward to years of success as we continue to develop and expand.

CENTENNIAL BANK IS A COMMUNITY BANK. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS PHILOSOPHY? We are local bankers providing local service, and our experienced staff has strong relationships in the communities we serve. Many of our bankers in Northwest Florida have lived all or most of their lives in the region and have deep roots in their communities. They take pride in providing

the highest level of service to their markets because this is their home. We also believe in encouraging our employees to volunteer in activities supporting their communities, We strive to deliver service exceeding expectations, realizing this is what separates us from the competition. We provide nothing but the best for our customers.

YOUR ADVERTISING SLOGAN IS “BANKING THAT COMES TO YOU.” WOULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? In Northwest Florida we have 28 branches reaching from Navarre in the west through Tallahassee in the east. We offer convenient locations and hours, and our electronic banking provides services 24 hours a day. We truly believe in our slogan and encourage our bankers to meet customers in their environment, at their office, home or construction site, to better understand and accommodate their needs. We welcome our customers to take an opportunity to invite one of our community bankers to come visit them.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILE

I am in a people-oriented profession, dedicated to assisting clients achieve their financial and qualityy of life goals.

Greg Scott, Senior Vice President Summit Investment Services WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? Integrated asset management and asset protection services. We operate with strategic partners (tax consultants, banking services, real estate professionals and legal advisors) to provide a holistic approach to investment, tax mitigation and asset protection strategies (legal documentation and appropriate entity structuring).

AREA OF SPECIALTY? Investment strategies, banking products and services.

WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS? Business owners, employee pension plans and individual investors.

WHY CHOOSE NORTHWEST FLORIDA AS A PLACE TO WORK? Quality of life, the people, the weather and the positive business environment.

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION BACKGROUND: Bachelor of Science, Management Information Systems, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va; MBA, Boston University.

AWARDS, HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS: Designated Naval Aviator, Air Medal with Combat “V”, Top 50 Bank Investment Advisor in the country 2008, 2009 and 2010 Winners selected based on production and opportunity to produce (as determined by level of deposits held at branch).

HOW AND WHY DID YOU GET INTO THIS PROFESSION? My father, a retired naval officer and investment strategies professional, introduced me to investment and asset protection strategies, and I discovered it was challenging and rewarding.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY? I have a holistic, customer-focused approach, based on service, integrity, balance and reasonable return on investment.

WHAT IS THE “SECRET” OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS? I care about my customer and focus on

a balanced approach to investment, tax mitigation and asset protection strategies.

HAS YOUR BUSINESS EXPANDED RECENTLY? My business base has increased each year that I have been in business because of consistent client contact, client education, client recognition programs, client referrals and office teamwork.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS? Client retention, client satisfaction, client account growth and profitability.

FAMILY? Married 14 years to Melanie. We have two sons, Connor, 11, and Collin,3.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES, OUTSIDE INTERESTS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTS? Family time and personal fitness. Lieutenant Colonel in the Florida Air National Guard and rated aviator.

Summit Investment Services

107 West 23rd St, Panama City FL 32405 P 850.784.4541 or 877.866.4877 F 850.481.1772 greg.scott@raymondjames.com Branch Manager, RJFS

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC, and are: • Not deposits • Not insured by FDIC or any other governmental agency • Not guaranteed by the financial institution (or name of financial institution) • Subject to risk, may lose value Raymond James is independent of Summit Investment Services and Summit Bank.

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PROFILE

Philippe F. Miceli President, Okaloosa County

Summit Bank

WHAT BANK SERVICES DOES SUMMIT BANK OFFER? Private banking, specializing in commercial lending, deposit accounts and cash management.

FWB Rotary Club; Past President (2005) of the United Way of Okaloosa and Walton County; Past Chairman (1999) of the Board of the Directors of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

WHO ARE YOUR CLIENTS? Successful entrepreneurs and professionals.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE EMERALD COAST AS A PLACE TO WORK? It is a wonderful place to raise a family.

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION BACKGROUND International Student originally from France.

Graduate of The ECCIP Paris, France and the Co-op International Student Exchange Program at Northeastern University Boston, MA. AWARDS, HONORS, RECOGNITIONS: Past Chairman (2011) of the Board of Trustees of FWB Medical Center; Past Chairman (2010) of the Board of Directors of the Niceville Chamber of Commerce; Past Chairman (2009) of the Taylor Haugen Foundation; Past President (2007) of

HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU GET INTO BANKING? I have 23 years of banking experience, the last 17 of which I spent in Okaloosa County. In January 2012, I joined Summit Bank as President of the Okaloosa County market. My recent experience included managing a team of commercial lenders as well as managing substantial loan and deposit portfolios for my clients.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BANKING PHILOSOPHY? Relationship banking, pure and simple.

I like to establish a long relationship with a client. I want my clients to think of me for all of their financial needs.

WHAT IS THE “SECRET” OF YOUR BANKING SUCCESS? Be available at all times and follow up!

Crre Cr Cre e est es st stvi viie ew ew Crestview

Navarre Pe Pe en n ns saco sa col col olla ola a Pensacola

Gulf Breeze

Destin

HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS IN YOUR BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? Client satisfaction and loyalty. I have some clients who are still with me from years ago when I first entered banking.

ANY NEW PRACTICES, TECHNOLOGIES, OR SYSTEMS IN YOUR BUSINESS? Clients rely on technology more and more and Summit Bank stays well ahead of the curve. Our Summit Mobile App is very popular. And, with over 200 commercial remote capture terminals in use by our clients, over 60% of our deposited items are processed electronically.

FAMILY? My elegant and smart wife, Gail (who is also a banker), and my two beautiful daughters, Jessi and Jodie.

YOUR OUTSIDE INTERESTS? My daughters are both dancers and compete with the sport. (Yes, dance is a sport!) I love to travel with them to their different competitions.

Defuniak Springs

N Niceville Fort F Fo ort or rt Wa W Wal alltto al ton Walton Beach

HAS YOUR BUSINESS OR PRACTICE EXPANDED RECENTLY? IN WHAT WAY? I was part of Summit Bank’s transition team when the former Premier Community Bank of the Emerald Coast was converted to Summit Bank in May, 2012. (The FDIC appointed Summit as receiver of the failed bank in Dec. 2011). That one move more than doubled our size and bolstered our customer base along the Emerald Coast.

Freeport

Sandestin South Walton Beaches

SUMMIT BANK’S PRESENCE ALONG NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S EMERALD COAST

Panama City Beach ana nam ama City Ciitty Ci ty Panama

32 NW Beal Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 P 850.362.1220 F 850.362.1221 Philippe.Miceli@summitbankna.com M EM B ER

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GOODWILL INDUSTRIES

“Once we clock in, there is no stopping” An entrepreneurial Goodwill Industries expands its contract services in Northwest Florida, creating jobs and earning raves from employers

J

oshua Hull has all the qualities an employer could wish for: He’s punctual, devoted, energetic and upbeat. In December 2011, he won a “Rookie of the Year” award for his job performance at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

“I call the airport my third house,” said Hull. “If there’s handprints all over the elevator, I’m going to wipe it down … I love my job.”

Hull’s other two homes are his father’s and, now, at 30, his own — and his first. He has Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism, and Hull concedes, “This is the only job I’ve ever held for a long time.”

He is one of 16 workers on a Goodwill Industries crew that cleans the new airport in Bay County 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And that makes him one of 38 employees servicing five contracts administered by Goodwill Industries — Big Bend, Inc., up from six employees and one employer when the agency opened its contract services arm on Jan. 1, 2010.

Although 75 percent of the workers have disabilities, the contracts are anything but charity. Goodwill’s collaboration with RESPECT of Florida, a quasi-state organization that can negotiate contracts, allows the partners to save money by avoiding the bid process.

“Their costs are competitive,” said Parker McClellan, deputy executive director of the airport, “and they’re doing an outstanding job.”

The operations are run in a businesslike manner, said John McBride, executive director of RESPECT of Florida, which awarded Goodwill the airport contract and others, all of which require that 75 percent of the workers have a demonstrable disability. “They do a lot of social good, but they temper that with making good business decisions.”

According to Brooke Lochore, Big Bend Goodwill’s vice president for public relations, last year the Florida Department of Transportation gave Goodwill’s crew a 100 percent rating for its work on state highways in Bay and Calhoun counties. The contract called for picking up litter and mowing the grass around the state’s holding ponds. Transportation officials liked the crew’s work enough to add a second contract, serving more highways and allowing for more employees to be hired. The agency also has a contract to keep the grounds at Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee.

“They always did what they said they would,” said Ian Satter, DOT’s public information director for the district. “They were well-staffed, timely and interacted well with the public.”

After more than a century, Goodwill’s business model is changing — and growing fast.

“It allows us to hire more people with disabilities,” Fred Shelfer, president and CEO of the Big Bend branch,

By Margie Menzel, PHOTOS BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

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A Moder n Goo dw i l l CEO Fred Shelfer and Brooke Lochore, vice president for public relations, at one of the organization’s new Tallahassee bookstores on Mahan Drive.

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G O O D W I LL

said of the contract services program. “And they turn out to be great employees, because they value the opportunity to work so highly.”

Entrepreneurial non-profit Since 1902, when it was founded, Goodwill Industries International has sought donations, hired people in need to repair and sell the donated goods and used the proceeds to provide training, education and jobs to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Goodwill also provides apartments in which people with disabilities can live independently and, in Tallahassee, runs the Dick Howser Center, where services include early childhood education, childcare, early intervention, before- and after-school care and school readiness programs.

Its business model has been traditional: donations and retail, said Shelfer. But in the last few years, that’s been changing to a more entrepreneurial model — a basic part of Goodwill International’s strategy.

“It’s not an original idea with us,” Shelfer said. “Some Goodwills do millions of dollars a year in contract services.”

He acknowledged that non-profits and entrepreneurship are an odd pairing — “people don’t make that connection automatically” — but said Goodwill is growing quickly “because its leaders are thinking outside the box, and there’s a great deal of entrepreneurism.”

Currently there are more than 2,600 Goodwill stores throughout the U.S. and Canada — with 175 store openings in the first 11 months of 2011. Retail sales from donated goods grew 12.7 percent in the first 10 months of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. And retail store sales increased 11.5 percent in the first 10 months of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010.

Yet while the jump in Goodwill’s sales and donations may owe much to the lingering effects of the Great Recession, there’s no arguing that most non-profits are struggling to survive the double whammy of budget cuts and skyrocketing need. Goodwill is thriving.

According to RESPECT’s John McBride, the employment gap affects people with disabilities regardless of the economy. Unemployment in the general population is hovering between 9 and 10 percent, he said, while returning military veterans face a 30 percent jobless rate. But for people with disabilities, the jobless rate stays the same — about 70 percent — in good times and bad.

A HISTORY OF GOODWILL

1902

Goodwill Industries International founded in Boston by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister. Determined to improve the lives of those in need, he went door-to-door asking for unwanted items to distribute among them. Then he hired the needy to repair and sell the donated goods at weekly church bazaars, providing them with training and skills to help them find jobs. He used the proceeds from the sales to pay their wages.

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1965 Goodwill Industries – Big Bend Inc. founded as a branch of Goodwill Industries – Suncoast, Inc. in St. Petersburg, its parent organization. The new facility was directed by Roland B. Charron, a retired Air Force colonel.

Goodwill collection boxes were placed in major communities for donations of used clothing, which were taken to the St. Petersburg workshop for repair. GIBB’s first store opened on Jackson Bluff Road.

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1966

The agency incorporated under the name of Goodwill Industries – Big Bend Inc.

1971

A new and larger Goodwill store and workshop opened in Tallahassee, with three counselors and a secretary hired to establish a Personal Adjustment Training program.

1968

Tallahassee branch opened its second store in Perry, Fla.

1972

GIBB’s Halfway House for men established to provide temporary living for Personal Work Adjustment Training clients.

(Clockwise from top left): Chaddrick Peterson, Christopher Bayer, Joshua Hull, David Laguna and Nancy Robinson

1973

Roland B. Charron retired as director of GIBB and was replaced by William M. Graham, formerly the personnel director at Goodwill – Suncoast Inc. An additional 6,000 square feet was added onto the facility built two years before, which had quickly been outgrown.

1981

GIBB established its Gulf Coast Division, a branch operation with a store in Panama City.

1989

GIBB opened its first apartment complex for people with disabilities in Tallahassee.

2000

GIBB had retail outlets throughout the Big Bend area, serving as collection centers with donations processed onsite. Career Training Centers were added to many stores.

2002

William M. Graham retired as president and Fred G. Shelfer Jr. became GIBB’s third president.

2001

The first computer training class began at the Mabry Street facility. GIBB’s Residential Services added Thomasville Village II — for a total of 271 apartments in the Big Bend area.

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“We’re looking for opportunities to expand our basic business model,” said Shelfer, “and expand it into areas that afford us the opportunity to put people to work.”

There are no qualifications for Goodwill services. At-risk youth, immigrants, people with criminal histories — if they’re having trouble finding work, Goodwill will help them cross that divide. Services include aptitude assessments, GED prep, job training and barrier solutions for applicants and applicant screening and prep for employers.

On-site, on-the-job training serves both. In fact, it’s the key to Goodwill’s success in the Big Bend.

Everyone fits someplace GIBB’s Stan Womble, director of contract services, says that while his agency gets its contracts through RESPECT of Florida, “We keep them because of the quality of work we produce.”

That’s the beauty of it, said McBride, who loves to quote Ralph Shrader, the CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton: “Work provides more than a paycheck.

It brings dignity and community. When businesses open job opportunities to men and women with disabilities, everyone benefits — the individual, the company and society at large.”

But for such idealism to take root, it must be backed by consistent results: good service and competitive costs. Most employers, though, don’t realize that people with disabilities can provide those things, said

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Benny Thompson, who oversees the highway maintenance contracts with FDOT in Bay and Calhoun counties.

“They want to be productive. They want to take care of themselves,” he said. “Goodwill works real hard at training people and getting them acclimated to the job.”

Josh Hull says his previous jobs didn’t work out “because they didn’t give me a chance to shine. But this job does.”

According to Shelfer, employers fear that accommodations for people with disabilities will be too expensive, or that other problems will develop. “Those problems are not nearly so important as those people’s desire to do a good job.”

Kacey Wilson, Goodwill’s contract manager for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, says it’s all a matter of finding the right fit — his biggest job. He’s only had to fire one person in nearly two years.

“The biggest thing is that we strive not to give up,” Wilson said. “Different people learn different ways, so you have to be flexible in how you train.”

Womble cites teamwork and patience, especially the latter. The proof: Employees who started out picking up litter are now driving 100-horsepower tractors.

Goodwill hires locally and puts its best efforts towards training them. Larry Hull, Josh’s father, said the screening and training are first-rate. They’re not just asking, “Can you do this?” and checking it off on the form. “They seem to understand there are behavioral approaches and cognitive approaches.”

G O O D W I LL

Agrees the airport’s Parker McClellan, “Overall, you would never know that these employees had disabilities.”

“We say ‘good morning’ to the travelers,” said Josh Hull. “They look at me amazed because I take so much pride in my work.”

But more, as McBride points out, the economic downturn means that Goodwill jobs are helping more people meet their most basic needs. “They’re not just going to work for dignity now,” he said. “They’re contributing a higher percentage of the household income.”

For instance, if a family member with a disability has been sitting at home and is now employed, said McBride, “that frees up a family member to go to work and pay taxes and put money back into the community.”

McClellan, for one, has made a point of telling Florida’s aviation employers of Goodwill’s success at his facility. “Because of the training that Goodwill’s provided them,” he said, “they’re an asset to the community instead of a liability.”

Above all, said Wilson, businesses “definitely don’t tap into this resource like they should. They’re missing out.”

“We’re looking for Opportunities to expand our basic business model, and expand it into areas that afford us the opportunity to put people to work.”

FRED SHELFER, president and ceo, goodwill big bend

mac l ay cleanup Clyde Harsey, (above left) edges while Ira Jones (lower right) mows.

The job is what you make of it Larry Hull is a professional working in the Panama City area. You wouldn’t think that, as Josh’s father, he’d be proud that his son earns a living as a custodian. But he is.

“It’s a load off my mind,” he said. “I’ve got to teach him to live independently because one day I won’t be here.” Josh had lived with his mother until she died several years ago.

Now Josh has his “Rookie of the Year” certificate from RESPECT of Florida and his sights set on a promotion. Kacey Wilson and Stan Womble, much as Josh admires them, “better watch out … I’m going to do what I can to be a team leader.”

“It may be a custodial job, but to him, it’s wonderful,” said Larry Hull. “He’d work seven days a week if he could.”

How does Josh Hull feel, knowing his dad is so proud of him?

“It’s a deep feeling inside,” he said. “I’m loving life right now.” n

SNAPSHOT Goodwill Industries International in 2010

2.69B

$

in retail sales

$635.7M in industrial and service contract work

$64.5M

in individual/corporate/foundation support for mission services

458M

$

in government support for mission services

4.3B

$

total revenue generated by Goodwill organizations

84%

total revenue spent directly on programs

74M

donors (includes repeat donations)

2.4M

$

people served through employment and training programs

170,000

people placed in employment

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Designer and Builder Born in Scotland, Hugh Lochore lives in Tallahassee, but his business outreach spans the globe.

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T

Energy and confidence help catapult these leaders to the top

heir backgrounds, interests, education and careers are varied. Some were born in Northwest Florida. One was born overseas. Despite their differences, they are all super achievers, leaders in their community and making a difference with the work they do.

Farron Cousins, a member of MENSA, has gained prominence through his work as a magazine editor, a radio producer (Ring of Fire, with hosts Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio) and a blogger. Time.com put him on its list of 2011’s Top 25 blogs, and he gained national attention for his writings about the 2010 oil spill.

Veronique George earned her MBA from Florida A&M University and studied business at Shanghai University. She founded a consulting firm while in school, has executed dozens of marketing campaigns and interned for Proctor and Gamble, assisting with branding and market research.

Terrie Glover Ard was promoted to a vice president post at Moore Consulting Group at the age of 29 — and now she is senior vice president of the firm. She leads a team of 20 who provide counsel for clients such as Ford Motor Company, Eli Lilly, Anheuser Busch and Workforce Florida. She was instrumental in the development and launch of the company’s pro bono outreach programs, which began in 2010.

Hugh Lochore is an entrepreneur running three businesses at once, with ideas for plenty more if he had the time. Known locally for the jumps and cross-country courses he developed for the Red Hills Horse Trials, he designs courses around the world. He also runs a business called Luna Pavilions, where he builds African thatch pavilions and wooden furniture that he sells. He is a developer, manages rental properties, is a consultant for a new equestrian drug to help injured horses — and will be in London this summer to help his brother, who is in charge of equestrian events at the summer Olympics.

Clint Mizell works with clients in Bay, Jackson, Gulf and Walton counties to help them with their business banking needs.

Born in Panama City, he has worked for SunTrust in offices across Northwest Florida, including Pensacola and Tallahassee.

His community involvement is wide-ranging, he has a major interest in the region’s economic development and serves on the Bay County Economic Development Alliance.

David Tuyo started with Pen Air Federal Credit Union in 2009 as the chief financial officer, a position he used to help boost employee benefits — including wellness/sports programs that help with fitness and team building. He helped develop a think tank to promote innovation within Pen Air and the local community and established a foundation within the credit union to coordinate fundraising. In his spare time he is working on a doctoral degree.

I think you will agree that these six — the third installment in our 40 Under 40 series — represent some of the best that Northwest Florida has to offer, serving as a credit to their community and the entire region. If you have someone you’d like to have considered as one of 850’s 40 Under 40, please send a nomination to lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com.

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Business Philosophy Others know more than I do.

My Work Entails Staying current on what’s happening in politics and the media, and making the average person care about these things. I have to present these stories in fun, imaginative and informative ways in order to remain relevant on a national scale.

Definition of Success Success, to me, is having someone tell me that a story I wrote made them think. I don’t care about changing minds or opinions, but if I can get someone to just sit and think, then I’ve been successful.

Role Model/Mentor Personally, I would say my father. I’ve never known a human being to sacrifice so much to make the lives of others better. Professionally, I would say Mike Papantonio. He taught me everything I know about modern American politics, and he has given me the opportunity to expand my abilities and hone my skills.

Hardest Lesson Learned When you work in the political field, people will always dislike you.

One poorly worded statement can end alliances and create enemies.

My Career I’ve always been fascinated by politics — not just the political process, but the study and analysis of how and why people are drawn towards certain policies and politicians.

When the opportunity to get my foot into the door via political talk radio arose, I jumped at it and the rest is history.

Important Skills for a Leader Without a doubt, the most important thing a leader can do is listen. If your team feels like they have an active role and a leader that doesn’t shut them out, they perform better.

Inspiration My wife and children. Knowing that I have a family that supports my career and is always behind me gives me all of the strength that I could ever need.

Farron Cousins, 29 Gulf Breeze Producer/Writer Radio Producer, Ring of Fire Radio; Executive Editor, The Trial Lawyer magazine

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Northwest Florida Business Growth Bring awareness to the area. There is so much natural beauty in Northwest Florida that national awareness could bring in tourism — something that would have a tremendous ripple effect throughout the entire Northwest Florida economy. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Reading Professionally, I have to read all sorts of political, environmental and economic non-fiction books. Some are quite entertaining, others are more painful than a root canal without Novocaine. If I have time to read for enjoyment, I love reading classical Greek and Roman mythology.

Veronique George, 26 Tallahassee Marketing Marketing Analyst, City of Tallahassee; Vice President of Marketing, Exceedo Group

Business Philosophy Remain prayerful, grow daily, impact lives.

My Work Entails I am responsible for developing and executing social media, branding, marketing and communications strategies that position the city as a leader in social, economic and environmental sustainability. In addition, I am responsible for providing creative and art direction for marketing collateral and executing community and outreach events and website ideation.

I also act as vice president of marketing at Exceedo Group, a marketing, graphic and Web design company where I am responsible for social media, branding strategy, promotions, corporate identity and public relations tasks.

Definition of Success Adding meaning and value to myself and others in the areas I am most passionate about and where I can be of service.

Role Model/Mentor I admire Oprah Winfrey’s courage to follow her passion. She found her life’s purpose and is encouraging so many others around the world not only to find their purpose, but to live their best life.

Hardest Lesson Learned Hard work pays off.

Important Skills for a Leader Vision/ Purpose » Character/Integrity » Respect/Value Diversity Inspiration My mother, grandmothers and great aunt all inspired me to hone my skill sets and become the best that I could be.

Serving their communities as entrepreneurs, educators, seamstresses and caretakers, they inspired and challenged me to follow my passions and make a difference in the world.

I am so fortunate to stand on the shoulders of women who positively influenced the lives of so many other people in their communities and beyond.

Northwest Florida Business Growth Sustainable business practices are playing

an increasingly key role in today’s economy.

If I could do one thing to help business grow in Northwest Florida, it would be to help facilitate the conversation about how implementing sustainable business practices and developing a sustainable organizational structure can achieve business objectives in a more efficient and effective manner.

What I hope to be doing in 10 years …

I plan to be helping others share their own unique stories and impact communities on a broader scale as the entrepreneur of a marketing and public relations company; raising awareness about sustainability in the fashion industry; be the founder of a creative and performing arts foundation for high school seniors and college students.

Reading I enjoy reading publications and books that inspire personal, spiritual and professional growth and development, including Black Enterprise, the Wall Street Journal and autobiographies from the world’s best and brightest minds.

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Terrie Glover Ard, 38 Tallahassee Public Relations, Marketing & Advertising Senior Vice President, Moore Consulting Group

Business Philosophy Give 110 percent.

Always.

Karen Moore, all of whom have been my boss at one time and continue to be close friends.

My Work Entails Developing brands, connecting clients to their target audience, innovative business solutions, increasing revenues, fighting for an issue, advocating for effective legislation, crisis communications and the list goes on.

Hardest Learned Lesson Go with your gut feeling — nine times out of 10, it is right!

Definition of Success Being passionate about what you do and having fun while you do it. This reminds me of the famous quote, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Bottom line: Do what makes you happy.

Role Model/Mentor I have many role models, from my dear mom and grandmother to other women who helped to shape the person I am today — including Nancy Dell Lawhorn Konigsmark, Joanne McNeely and

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My Career I thought I wanted to be a dental hygienist and then would go on to be a dentist.

After suffering through microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and chemistry classes, I reassessed my life to determine what I had going for myself. Life has an interesting way of leading you to the right place. The conclusion — I knew I was a strong communicator.

Important Skills for a Leader Vision.

Inspire others by creating, owning and communicating the vision.

Flexibility. In today’s rapidly moving business environment, the ability to turn on a dime is priceless.

Innovative thinking. The talent to take the “aha” moments and turn them into innovative business solutions separates the great leaders.

What advice would you give your 16-yearold self? Live in the present, enjoy each moment and follow your passion.

Northwest Florida Business Growth Help organizations to understand the power of branding. Having a brand promise and living it each day increases employee satisfaction, audience engagement and revenues. How? It is quite simple. If you deliver what you promise to people, you will matter to them.

Fun Now, more than ever, I work hard to have fun. Making memories with family and friends, traveling, enjoying the outdoors and just relaxing are a few things I enjoy most.

Business Philosophy Changing the world through passionate leadership.

My Work Entails Strategic planning, leading innovation, developing robust programs to serve our community, delivering board-desired results, mergers and acquisitions, enterprise risk management, all growth initiatives and, most importantly, helping people reach their potential.

Definition of Success I view success as a reflection of how we did yesterday. In today’s “what have you done for me lately” world we must continue to strive for continuous improvement in every area of our lives. I believe life starts and ends with people. Our level of success is not defined by our titles but by the strength of our relationships with our team members, family members and friends. Leadership is about people, whereas management is about stuff; we lead people while we manage stuff.

Role Model/Mentor There are several who have helped me over the years. Johnny Wyse of Raymond James/Morgan Keegan is one who cares more about people than anyone I have ever met. Larry McCants of IBM Southeast Employees’ Federal Credit Union is one who perpetuates our industry’s philosophy of people helping people and has provided timely advice over the years. I must recognize my parents for demonstrating that love conquers all, for believing in the art of possibility and teaching us the value of education. Thomas Terry Hopper (aka: Coach) of the University of Mobile has relentless dedication to developing raw talent while recognizing that most become more than just college athletes in life.

Hardest Lesson Learned As a passionate and engaged leader, it is easy to become overcommitted in trying to create a better world for tomorrow’s generation. Early on in my career, I wanted to be involved in everything. I quickly learned the art of pacing one’s involvement. I encourage leaders today to become engaged in what they are most passionate about and the activities that will yield the greatest harvest.

Important Skills for a Leader The most important are the soft skills required to work with people.

What advice would you give your 16-yearold self? Strive to understand rather than be understood. Life provides unlimited education if you are paying attention.

Northwest Florida Business Growth Provide greater levels of capital to small business. Small business is the greatest opportunity to create jobs and yield the greatest economic returns.

David Tuyo, 33 Pensacola Credit Union Executive President/CEO, Pen Air Federal Credit Union

Fun I enjoy competing at golf, boating with friends and family, exercising, kayaking, reading and anything else that enables me to enjoy the weather of the Sunshine State.

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Business Philosophy Best to regret something you’ve done than not done.

My Work Entails Right now my focus is on designing equestrian cross-country courses around the world and developing 22 houses at The Cottages of Miccosukee. I also try to sell commercial real estate whilst managing my rental properties, selling equestrian stem cell treatment systems and building African gazebos.

Like many people, I have plenty of business concepts but most will have to wait.

Definition of Success In my line of work it’s nice to get recognizable results without being recognized. When working in adrenaline sports that involve horses, recognition invariably comes hand in hand with disaster. Success is selfsatisfaction, the rest will come … I hope!

Role Model/Mentor Personally, my mother’s quiet commitment to her family knows no bounds, and she has always been a person I’ve looked up to. Professionally, I have looked to an Irishman called Tommy Brennan … one of the all time great horsemen. In his retirement he took cross-country course design to the modern level with innovating ideas whilst drawing on local history and elaborate planning.

Hardest Lesson Learned When playing rugby at high school I was brainwashed into believing that “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

It’s not true. It just hurts more. This relates to the business world as well. Other people are better at revenge than me, so I steer clear of foul play where possible.

My Career It chose me. My parents were international equestrians. I competed myself and loved the characters around me. I was raised on 1,500 acres in the north of Scotland.

Ultimately, my love for the outdoor life and my understanding of the sport is what drew me into the profession of cross-country course designing.

Important Skills for a Leader Clear vision.

And know the limits of any situation (especially playing rugby). Even the greatest ideas are not always viable. The numbers have to make sense.

Hugh Lochore, 38 Tallahassee Equestrian cross-country course designer, commercial real estate Owner, Hugh Lochore Cross-Country Course Designer Partnership and Luna Pavilions

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Northwest Florida Business Growth Encourage manufacturing in the area. Expansion of the Panama Canal should mean greater opportunity for the Southeastern states to trade with the Far East. I’d like to see a vastly improved rail freight and road freight network that would help get trucks off the road. The environmental and economic impact would be huge, reducing our dependence on oil.

Fun Relaxing in the Scottish Highlands, traveling to interesting places, spending time in my workshop. I still love to play with backhoes and chainsaws.

Clint Mizell, 33 Panama City Banker Vice President of Commercial Banking, SunTrust Bank Inc.

Business Philosophy Strive to be professional, effective and efficient.

understanding and long-term friendships in my business plan.

My Work Entails Providing high quality banking services that include managing current customer portfolios and working to build and provide services to other potential companies within the Panhandle.

As a commercial banker, it is also my responsibility to help create confidence in business owners about why they should join and partner with a sound banker and solid banking institution that offers loyalty and trust.

Role Model/Mentor My role model is Clyde Armour. Clyde is a hardworking and determined 87-year-old attorney who still practices law, maintains a portfolio of investment real estate and is a driven businessman. As long as I can remember, Clyde has been present in my life, taking on a grandfather role. When I was a young child, he was always a role model to me in a variety of ways, such as managing money, encouraging a college education and teaching lifelong skills.

He continues to show me the importance of working hard and has displayed that hard work leads to success. I have always looked up to Clyde because he is a man who displays determination, confidence and loyalty.

Definition of Success Meeting production goals defines success in the banking industry.

But creating a trusting relationship with clients and providing value added and thoughtful solutions to help grow and define companies’ success are the rewarding piece. I strive to create relationships that add mutual

My Career Actually, my career chose me. I knew that I wanted to do something in the

business world. After going to a career fair at Florida State University, I was approached by several banks to attend their training programs. I chose SunTrust Bank and have loved it ever since.

Hardest Lesson Learned Every deal that I attempt to win cannot be won.

Important Skills for a Leader A leader needs to have open communication and a productive teaching style that promotes comfort and trust.

Northwest Florida Business Growth Create a stronger state and local incentive plan that would encourage outside companies to relocate to Northwest Florida.

Fun I enjoy a variety of hobbies, such as golfing, hunting, fishing, boating and coaching my son in sports. I also enjoy watching Florida Gator football with my family.

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Capital Corridor

Gadsden, Jefferson + Leon Counties

Tallahassee’s CollegeTown FSU Boosters partner with alums to create a student entertainment district from the ground up

By Rosanne Dunkelberger

F

lorida State University, said Fort Lauderdale builder/developer Alan Hooper, “gave me the most memorable four years of my life.” But something seemed to be missing when he returned to Tallahassee for football game days.

Unlike the Main Street area of Athens, Ga., or Boulder, Colorado’s Pearl Street, there wasn’t one “it” place in Tallahassee where students congregated and far-flung alumni could return to recapture those college days. “The really good college towns have a spot,” he said.

Fortunately, Hooper is now in the position to do something about that. His firm is about 15 months away from completing CollegeTown, a brand-new living, dining and entertainment district designed to link FSU to downtown Tallahassee. Ground was officially broken for the project in January, and backers are aiming for it to be up and running in time for the kickoff of the 2013 Seminole football season.

The first $17-million phase of CollegeTown will consist of three buildings, all within sight of FSU’s Doak Campbell Stadium. For the first, an old Post Office facility will be completely renovated into America’s Backyard, a music venue and bar that could accommodate upwards of 1,000 people. The other two buildings will be built from the ground up: a three-level “Signature” building at the corner of Madison Street and Woodward Avenue will house several restaurants, and another building across a courtyard will feature retail on the ground floor and 72 loft-style student apartments above.

CollegeTown has been a long time coming, with its genesis in the completion of the University Center, the massive brick athletic/academic/office facility completely encircling the stadium, in the mid ’90s.

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According to Seminole Boosters President and CEO Andy Miller, “when we made the decision to develop the University Center, we realized that our footprint was not big enough and that we had to acquire property” to accommodate game day parking. “Our main two benefits are ticket priority and game day parking.”

For years, the Boosters would buy parcels and sell them (at cost) to the university to create the lots and parking garages around the stadium, while holding on to some land for parking on game days.

Realizing that fundraising would be difficult during the continuing economic crisis, the Boosters began looking for ways to extract value from land that was only being used seven weekends of the year, Miller said. A consulting firm hired by the organization said a particularly choice parcel they had assembled on Madison Street — including a piece of land donated by local businessman DeVoe Moore and his wife, Shirley — would be an excellent site for a mixed-use, live/work/play project.

After visiting several universities with thriving student centers, “We realized we had a very special piece of property, with proximity to the university, right next to the University Center, within walking distance of the main campus,” he said.

In concert with the city and county, and pulling together money from investors and revitalization programs, a vision for CollegeTown came together. The project has no bank financing, said Miller. Federal New Market Tax Credits and money from Tallahassee’s Community Redevelopment added up to $6 million, investors kicked in $8 million and “the balance is land and property and cash we put into it as an investment,” said Miller. “We’re looking at a 12 percent return on our investment after we pay

all our expenses and pay our investors … plus an appreciation in our property. We think that it’s going to be a very, very, very good project for us.”

Serendipitously, Hooper came to town looking for business at about the same time CollegeTown was coalescing, and he was steered toward the Boosters and their project.

Initially, Hooper was hired to work on design and programming, “and as it kept going, it was clear we could help them with some more of the management and the construction, because this is part of our whole package.”

Hooper’s bona fides and skill set make his builder/developer/management firm uniquely qualified to turn the vision into reality.

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Hooper returned there after graduating and started out on the ground floor of his parent’s property management company, painting apartments and collecting rents. After becoming licensed in real estate and construction, he would embark on his own business, which in the late ’90s created a downtown entertainment district called Himmarshee Village.

“In Fort Lauderdale, our problem was after

Renderings courtesy HOOPER CONSTRUCTION

Building A Vision An artist’s rendition of how CollegeTown will look on completion shows a vibrant community that will include restaurants and student apartments.

spring break there weren’t a lot of places to go … A young person would drive anywhere in a 20-mile radius to three or four different spots the same night, so to have multiple places in one spot is a good idea,” he said. “I think CollegeTown is going to be a real positive because at the end of the day, young people need a place to have fun when they’re not studying and they’re going to find it somewhere and to have a nice spot for them and a safe spot — hopefully it will work out.”

The developer said there are several reasons he’s confident CollegeTown will be a success, even though other revitalization projects nearby have retail spaces that have stood empty for years.

For starters, when you add up the student bodies of FSU (38,000), Florida A&M University (15,000) and Tallahassee Community College (15,000), you’ve got a 70,000-person, constantly changing community of young people that will never “age out” and can support an entertainment district in perpetuity.

Other local projects have suffered because they either don’t have enough entertainment venues or the logistics of the area don’t allow for a concentration of nightlife activities.

“You have to kind of point the activities at each other. It’s really important to try to fill both sides of a street or both sides of a plaza. It’s not really good to have pockets where there’s nothing going on,” Hooper explained. “It’s really important that you try to keep it all close to each other and allow the visitor to experience as much as they can in one place. That’s kind of why Tennessee Street is so successful, you’ve got four or five places right next to each other.”

Although in the midst of an already developed area, the CollegeTown property is large, empty and complete.

“That’s … why this is so special. It’s rare to find two sides of the street for so many linear feet that are owned by a line of groups like the Boosters and the university,” said Hooper. “Usually you (have) pockets, so then you’re fighting to try to buy a piece. For a developer it’s kind of a dream-come-true to be working on a project where most of the property is acquired and it’s contiguous. It’s a lot easier and it’s a lot easier to attract tenants to want to come there.”

While most of the tenants who have already signed leases have a national or regional

footprint, the venue with the biggest “wow” factor is being developed by the local firm Hunter & Harp Holdings. Its principals, Chad Kittrell and J.T. Burnette, are the people who created Tallahassee’s unique and trendy Hotel Duval, and were very active in the early planning stages of CollegeTown.

They have leased the top level of the project’s Signature building and plan to create a rooftop lounge featuring an expansive deck and a see-through swimming pool overhanging the sidewalk below.

“That was their idea, and you know what?

They’re going to get the credit for being brilliant,” Hooper said.

He said the ongoing revitalization of Gaines Street just a block away won’t necessarily compete with CollegeTown, but could serve as a complimentary destination that will attract more low-key businesses and patrons.

Miller agrees and envisions success that reaches well beyond the FSU campus. “I’m a believer in the rising tide helps everybody. I really think it’s going to be nothing but good,” he said. “What we’re doing is we’re really upping the ante; we’re making Tallahassee a better place to visit; we’re bringing in more out-oftown people.”

It all, he says, adds to Tallahassee’s reputation as a progressive city where people want to not just visit, but to live.

“We want people to not only visit here occasionally ... We’d like to see those people when they’re ready to relocate their business, when they’re empty nesting and looking for a place to retire. I’m interested in people that want to make a stake in FSU (and) alumni that move to Tallahassee.” n

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BAY Corridor

Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay Counties

Dolphin Tales

Natural Attraction (Above) Trainer Brittany McLaughlin shows off a rough-toothed dolphin. (Right) Duke kissing a new friend.

Gulf World Marine Park is a 40-year hit By Wendy O. Dixon

N

o matter the time of year, tourists to Panama City Beach will make time to visit one of the area’s oldest and favorite attractions. There are no animated figures involved, no high tech electronics, no moving sidewalks. This attraction involves nature — and our natural attraction to it.

For the past 40 years, Gulf World Marine Park has entertained tourists and locals with its closeup encounters with marine animals. It remains relevant and a viable business today because it offers a wide variety of experiences that interest the young and the old alike. And because of its status as the go-to facility when animals need rescuing from severe weather or oil spills.

The key to Gulf World’s success over the years, says marketing director Pamela George, is a diverse array of entertainment. The number of animals has grown, with two dolphin calves being born in the last two years. And the park has broadened its scope by adding musical entertainment, a magic show and a chance to meet the dolphins and sea lions — or even be a dolphin trainer for a day.

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“We try to do new things,” says George, citing the addition of a bird aviary, tropical garden theater, banquet room and redesigned stages. “We’ve also added a sea lion to our bottlenose dolphin and rough-tooth dolphin meet-and-greets.”

On a typical day, kids will giggle and parents will smile as Duke the sea lion sticks out his tongue for the audience. All age groups stare in awe at Sandy, the 27-year-old bottlenose dolphin and star of the show, who shoots up from the water to do a midair flip.

Ron Hardy, owner of Gulf World, says the up close and personal opportunity with the animals, as well as the staff, is all part of the park’s appeal.

“People love talking to our trainers about the animals and learning how they care for the animals.”

Most visitors don’t get to see how hard the Gulf World staff works behind the scenes.

Feeding and caring for the animals is a roundthe-clock job. The staff prepares food for the animals every day, all while carefully logging in each animal’s mood, behavior and appetite.

After each feeding, the buckets are cleaned and preparation begins for the next meal.

Not surprisingly, the staff is comprised of animal lovers, but what may be surprising is the diverse array of career opportunities available at Gulf World. “We have a great staff, and many of them have degrees in biology, psychology and even theater,” George says, noting that the park has little staff turnover and loyal employees. “It is difficult to find availability at facilities like ours, because everyone loves their jobs so much there aren’t many openings.”

Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation In addition to entertainment and education, Gulf World rescues and rehabilitates injured and distressed marine mammals and sea turtles throughout Northwest Florida, serving as the only long-term marine mammal rehabilitation facility in the region. “Our non-profit care center is very important to the public,” George explains. “People want to help distressed animals, so when we respond to a stranded dolphin or injured sea turtle we receive calls from people wanting to know how they can help.”

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Local support is largely due to the rescue and rehabilitation that goes on at the park. The park’s Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network are made up of dedicated animal lovers who have come to the aid of thousands of marine animals.

Secret Holmes-Douglas, the director of marine mammals at the park, organized the rehabilitation of more than 1,700 sea turtles during the harsh winter of early 2010, when frigid temperatures stunned the turtles. Holmes-Douglas and her staff spent countless hours working to warm the turtles and provide medical attention during their rehabilitation at Gulf World. Working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the staff successfully returned more than 1,200 turtles to their natural habitat.

Immediately after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, federal and state wildlife agencies rescued more than 150 turtles coated with oil and took them to Gulf World, the official deoiling facility for North Florida.

The staff cleaned and rehabilitated the turtles, regularly checking their vital signs, hydration levels and glucose levels.

To prevent the animals from enduring too much stress, staffers did a checkup and a cleaning in under 20 minutes. “When they come in, we take pictures, take measurements and get their weight,” Veterinirian Lydia Staggs says.

“We wash them with Dawn soap and mayonnaise. There is oil in their mouths, and we can’t put soap in their mouths, so we use mayonnaise.”

Some turtles needed as many as six cleanings, requiring that they get one cleaning per day until they were oil-free. Once they were ready for transport, Gulf World sent them to Sea World Orlando or Walt Disney World for further rehabilitation, clearing the tanks for incoming turtles.

Though the most recent winter has been relatively mild, Gulf World staff rescued more than 20 cold-stunned green sea turtles and two endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles affected by a recent sand renourishment project. And there’s

been an unexplained increase in stranded dolphins as of late. In January, Gulf World staff rescued a six-foot-long Atlantic Spotted dolphin and brought it to Gulf World’s Stranding Facility where Staggs determined that the dolphin had internal inflammation in the abdomen.

Gulf World then contacted the Hubbs-Seaworld Research Institute in Orlando, which is one of Gulf World’s stranding network partners, to relocate the dolphin.

Sea mammals are affected by many of the same afflictions as humans, including cataracts. Gulf World recently worked with Aquatic Animal Eye Care, during which a team of veterinarians conducted a rare and delicate eye surgery on two California sea lions, which had diminished eyesight due to age induced cataracts.

“All the sea lions were able to see hand signals from the trainers the day after the surgery,” Staggs says.

Animal Therapy for Special Needs Children Speech-language therapist Janet Flowers is a doctor with some unusual assistants — namely the dolphins, sea lions and exotic birds at Gulf World. Flowers, who provided speech-

language therapy in Okaloosa County for 13 years and opened the Dr. Janet Flowers Institute in 2000, works with the animals to help children with autism and Down syndrome learn to speak and communicate.

Flowers says her idea for the institute came about while she was working on her doctorate in applied research at Florida State University.

“My entire dissertation was on dolphin-assisted therapy,” she says. “What I was seeing were very

emotionally aroused children who were more than willing to work on task, and I could get better communication with them than I did in a regular therapy setting.”

This type of animal-assisted therapy works on the assumption that children learn better if they are emotionally stimulated. Being around animals helps them remember communication skills they wouldn’t be able to in a day-today setting.

Flowers usually works with children ages 3 to 13. She leases time with dolphins at Gulf World and even auditions dolphins beforehand to make sure she picks ones that work well with children with disabilities. “We use dolphins that have been deemed un-releasable because of their own disabilities,” she says. Gulf World has five such dolphins — four of which are deaf, and one that doesn’t have a tail fluke. All are roughtoothed dolphins, which look similar to the bottlenose dolphin but have a more pronounced dorsal fin and a more slender nose.

Flowers pairs the children with either a dolphin, exotic bird, sea lion or dog, depending on the child’s personality and needs.

During the therapy, the animals provide emotionally stimulating interactions for the child at the same time they are learning communication skills, which fosters a desire for more interaction with the animal and increases time on task, as well as communication skills.

Flowers says this specific type of therapy doesn’t work with every kid but shares a story of 3-year-old Zoe, who has Down syndrome.

“Zoe is a child that I saw privately for six months before I took her to Gulf World, and we were making fair progress,” she says. Flowers paired her with Largo (a dolphin), Max (a sea lion) and, coincidently, a bird named Zoe. “I told Zoe, ‘If you want to feed the dolphin you have to say, I want feed, please.’ And she wasn’t used to doing that. But soon she started putting words together to form sentences because of the motivation.

“During those two weeks I got total focus from her, and therefore I was able to get so much more information into her head,” Flowers continues. “We planted seeds during those weeks that have come into fruition now.”

Gulf World’s partnership with local entertainers, therapists, state and national animal protection organizations and even other marine parks has secured its own reputation as a beloved treasure for Northwest Florida. n

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Expert Services Law firms worldwide turn to a Pensacola company to find expert witnesses

By Laura Bradley

W

e’ve all seen them called in to save cases in Law and Order.

We might have listened to them while serving jury duty.

They provide knowledge and clarity to subjects unknown to most people, including attorneys, allowing courts to make informed decisions — the right decisions. But where do attorneys find them, anyway?

Expert witness testimony can be crucial to making a case. The experts themselves can represent all sorts of fields, from psychology to geology. Presumably, finding a good psychologist or even geologist should not prove terribly difficult, but what if you need a design copyright expert in decorative glass art? Preferably with 10 to 15 years of experience in fine art design, with emphasis on the use of color, overall design and materials used, as well as special expertise in the area of decorative art glass? Asking around might turn up something, but chances are things would start to look very bleak. This is where IMS ExpertServices comes in.

In 2002, father-son team Mike and Bill Wein founded IMS ExpertServices, a company they determined would deliver experts and consultants in support of high-profile cases that could make or break the companies involved. IMS’s founding followed two other successful search firms they co-founded and operated for the telecommunications industry in the ’90s, Media Management Resources and Intelligent Management Solutions.

“In late 2000, while the company was focused on providing high-end executive searches for companies in the telecommunications industry, a client contact at Time Warner called us with a need for an expert in a damages case that their law firm was having difficulty finding.

They asked us to find that expert,” remembers co-founder and father Mike Wein.

Six months later, the CEO of Cox communications requested a similar service.

These events turned the light bulb on, and got

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the pair thinking about the growing need for high-end expert search services in a large corporate market. “That became the catalyst for the company’s change in focus to providing experts and consultants to the legal industry,” says his son and co-founder.

In 2002, the company made the switch from focusing on telecommunications to dedicating itself to finding specialized expert witnesses for high-stakes litigation. Since then, IMS has kept its focus on providing expert witnesses, litigation consultants and subject matter experts to major law firms and Fortune 500 companies. This focus has given them access to a staggering network of expert contacts in even the most obscure fields.

That is why when asked to deliver an expert in design copyright as it pertains to decorative glass art, they could provide not just one, but three fully vetted and qualified candidates from which the client could choose.

“Our job is to determine our client’s needs and to then search, interview, vet and conflict check the best experts to assist in the case.” MIKE wein The goal of IMS has not changed, according to the younger Wein; it was and still is, “to make a positive difference in the outcome of the complex commercial litigation facing corporate America by delivering highly experienced experts and consultants to our clients.”

Uniqueness Pays Off IMS is a genuinely unique company in multiple

ways. Most obviously, it is the only firm of its kind in the industry today. Comparable providers are either limited to a certain industry or function as automated database-driven registries.

“We find our experts by doing plain hard work,” says Mike Wein. “Our job is to determine our client’s needs and to then search, interview, vet and conflict check the best experts to assist in the case. We search for publications, speeches, patent work they have done, as well as prior cases in which they have been involved. We are willing to do what other companies are not willing to do. We are willing to put the time and effort into pinpointing needle-in-a-haystack experts that our competitors would often not consider spending the time to find.”

Finding these experts, as one can imagine, is definitely not a walk in the park. Wein recalls their most difficult case, when they were asked to find an expert to testify in a technology development case, specifically for a company within the home gaming industry. “The expert was required

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

EMERALD COAST Corridor

Expert Advice Mike (left) and Bill Wein scour the world to find expert witnesses for their clients.

to be non-conflicted, testify regarding a patent infringement issue surrounding a new home gaming technology and have previous testimony experience on this topic — a tall order, considering the current novelty and age of the technology!”

They found their expert, of course.

Although based in Pensacola, IMS is far from limited in its operational reach. Since early 2010, they have conducted 1,536 searches for 976 clients/attorneys, who practice within 301 various law firms, companies and government entities.

Usual clients are civil litigating attorneys within the world’s largest law firms, general counsels within Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. They work in major metropolitan areas around the world and provide service across the spectrum of the state, federal and international court systems.

As for what kinds of cases these clients need expert witnesses for, the answer is anything and everything. “On any given day, we may be presented with a client that needs an expert in

biotechnology, aviation security, nano-science, DNA sequencing, offshore drilling, robotic automation or mortgage-backed securities, to name only a few,” says Bill Wein. But these are just the beginning.

“There are many cases that cause us to raise our eyebrows and laugh a little,” adds Mike Wein.

“We have done patent cases involving adult toys, psychological autopsies (what was the victim’s frame of mind just before he committed suicide) and even proprietary methods of pig nutrition!

Another particularly interesting case dealt with casino gaming machines and whether or not they were programmed to give the player a false sense of the possibility of winning.”

Finding the Right Fit More commonly, IMS is the leading provider of experts for patent infringement, a major concentration in today’s litigation environment. These cases range from pharmaceutical patent litigation to those in the high-tech industry.

Donald Loft, retired senior partner in Morris, Manning and Martin in Atlanta, Ga., worked with Bill Wein and IMS on several expert cases covering a wide variety of topics.

When Loft represented about 50 high-networth people in Atlanta whose assets were taken by an options trader, he needed an expert on options trading and the clearing of those trades. IMS delivered. “[IMS] always seemed to be able to find good, experienced people who had the expertise I needed,” he says.

In another case, Loft represented one of the world’s largest insurance companies against one of the largest banks. An expert was needed who had thorough knowledge of Australian accounting standards, special rules regarding accounting for derivatives and standards of conduct for derivatives brokers and dealers.

“You need a good firm to help you find experts like that!” he concludes.

Of course, attorneys like Loft have other options. There are always experts used in the past, but once an attorney begins using the same witnesses repeatedly, the integrity of such witnesses’ judgment becomes suspect and bias can be implied. Attorneys could always ask around and hope to find an expert through the grapevine, but this tactic becomes less effective as the qualifications needed become more specialized. Plus, the turn-around time can take far too long. These worries are what IMS eliminates when they work on a case.

“They have such a far-reaching net of experts that they can find the right people a lot quicker than a lawyer can, and save the client the hourly fees they’d otherwise be paying a lawyer to do the search,” Loft points out. “The net you cast is going to be fairly limited in comparison.”

The choice in base of operations might seem odd to some people; it is easier to imagine a company with such a broad network basing itself somewhere more cosmopolitan, like New York City or Washington D.C. “Pensacola has a low cost of living, a large potential for growth and an impressive talent pool,” Wein points out. “Originally, we located IMS here because of the lifestyle it offers … We stay because our business is able to thrive here, and we enjoy being part of the dynamic environment this progressive community offers.” n

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Taking Flight Safari Helicopter’s kits are sold worldwide.

Soaring High Do-it-yourself helicopter kits are an overseas hit

By Lee Gordon

B

uilding a model helicopter is one thing, building the real deal is quite a different experience. But if you have the money and the “want,” you can find what you need in Marianna.

Bobby and Delane Baker own CHR International. They manufacture an experimental-class helicopter that can be built from a kit. It sounds scary and a bit impulsive, but business is good and the competition is almost non-existent.

“There aren’t a lot of companies that build helicopters,” said Delane Baker, “and even fewer that build experimental helicopters.”

The company originated in Ear Falls, Canada — a place some say is literally 30 miles from the end of the asphalt. The original company was Canadian Home Rotors Inc. In 2001, they established a location in Marianna to assemble and ship the kits. In 2005, the Bakers became involved with the plant in Marianna, and then bought the rights to the helicopter in 2009.

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Since then, they have been working hard on improving the helicopter and even harder on marketing it.

“We owned a trucking company that we sold at the end of 2004,” said Baker. “My husband is from Panama City, and we wandered over here and bought a property that had a runway on it.

He started flying in helicopters and became addicted, which is what happens to most people that fly a helicopter.”

The Safari helicopter is a personal/experimental helicopter, meaning you can’t use it commercially, such as for a tour service or airport shuttle.

It’s classified as a non-commercial by the FAA. Rick Reese purchased his helicopter in 2006 and says it’s not an impulse buy. The investment in time and money gave him a lot to think about before signing the papers.

“The decision to purchase this particular helicopter kit was not taken lightly,” said Reese, “I obtained my helicopter pilot’s license prior

to deciding to build a helicopter. I have always been fascinated by helicopters, but their high price was a problem. I hadn’t seriously considered a kit-built helicopter until I saw the Safari. I looked over several other kit helicopters before settling on the Safari. The Safari is a very robust, well built helicopter. I wanted a machine that had an enclosed cabin with cabin heat and was able to fly at night that also had a good range.

The Safari was the closest thing I could find to a certified helicopter.”

Marketing the Safari Helicopter When the Bakers bought the business in 2009, their number one priority was improving the product, which subsequently would change the culture of the entire facility. When the product standards change, it changes the way the company functions.

“When employees realize that the quality and safety of the helicopter are the most important yardstick, they become engaged in a different way, and it creates a different atmosphere,” Baker explained.

The owners had a long list of things they wanted to change about the helicopter and spent two years on research and development.

For example, they upgraded a number of small parts on the helicopter to aviation-grade parts

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Northern Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties and Holmes, Washington, Calhoun, Jackson + Liberty Counties

— switches, fittings, etc. They changed the materials of several of the parts to a higher grade of aluminum and replaced some cast parts with machined parts. They also tightened the machining tolerances on a number of parts and began manufacturing more of the parts in Marianna to produce the quality they wanted.

In essence, the Bakers put the sales side of the business model on the back burner, trying to fix the product before selling their brand.

“We examined the helicopter from the ground up and made changes to it, (and) at that time we weren’t actively pursuing sales,” Baker said of the company’s strategy. “We knew there were things that needed to be done, so it was a long process. There’s no reason to think our sales would have flourished ahead of other companies. (But) one of the most effective things we have done is to market overseas.”

Global Strategies The company has found that the secret to their marketing success is Facebook and Twitter.

Print advertising is out of their budget and since they have such a niche customer base, CHR has found that email marketing and word of mouth is the best way to pitch sales.

“We maintain an email marketing system and use an online service to send periodic newsletters to persons who have subscribed to our newsletter,” said Baker. “They may not buy a helicopter tomorrow, but they are interested. Florida has a very active and aggressive program for assisting companies in the state to export and increase exports.”

Enterprise Florida has been the driving force in overseas sales for the Safari Helicopter. The innovation hub has been able to link the Bakers with potential buyers overseas as well as forming a partnership with the import/export bank to arrange financing for overseas customers.

“There’s a slew of services we offer, most of them are free of charge,” said Andrea Moore, regional manager for International Trade Development for Enterprise Florida. “There’s no cost unless they participate in a trade show or trade mission. We get an understanding what product or service a client makes and which markets they are thinking about entering.”

Research shows that companies that export on average grow 15 percent faster than companies that don’t. Their bottom line is also 12 percent more profitable. Several clients have told Enterprise Florida that if it hadn’t been for international sales they would have had to draw

down to two shifts and lay people off because domestic sales were flat. That down economy is one of the main reasons that CHR decided to invest so much time marketing overseas.

“Buying a helicopter isn’t something that you do overnight; it’s not an impulse buy,” said Baker. “People do a lot of research, attend an air show and try to get where they can touch it and feel it. They take awhile to decide they want one. There’s such a lead time with marketing that it’s hard to tell sometimes whether it’s working. We are seeing a tremendous increase in activity and that leads me to believe that (will) translate into sales.”

Baker notes you won’t find high-flying celebrities like John Travolta passing through Marianna.

Most of the time buyers with disposable income will go for a high-end helicopter or private jet.

A certified R-22, which is a two-seat helicopter of less capacity than the Safari, sells for around $275,000 new. The larger, multi-seat commercial helicopters range from $800,000 to several million dollars.

But for $150,000, CHR will give you everything you need to go into your garage and assemble a sturdy helicopter with an aircraft engine. As for the business side of owning such a niche business, the Bakers say it’s no different than owning their trucking company.

“The commonality of core philosophy is how you want to do business,” said Baker. “If you treat people the way you want to be treated, things will work out. That’s a philosophy, not a business model. Every business requires a different operation; our cash flow is much more long term than if you are operating a restaurant.”

Ultimately, CHR wants to continue to grow its brand and its staff. But creating jobs in a down economy isn’t easy, and dealing with a small staff has its own challenges.

“If you have three employees and one doesn’t show up, 33 percent of the workforce is gone and you’re doing that job today,” Baker said. She also warned that people who want to start a small business often have no idea what to expect. “I don’t think most people who are looking at a small business who have little or no business experience have a clue as to the volume of detail they are going to have to deal with. Most people don’t have a clear understanding of taxes they will pay and regulations they will comply with; hiring, employing and terminating people.”

Also, the bigger you get, the more liability you have — especially in a business like do-ityourself helicopters.

I-10 Corridor

“You have to deal with suppliers and accept liability for the product,” Baker said. “If you are making pizza, you will try not to poison someone. We are building an experimental helicopter kit to sell to a guy and hoping that he puts it together well enough that he doesn’t kill himself. Doing all the things that it takes so that the product going out the door is what people have a right to expect; that’s not easy.”

Soaring Above the Competition The Bakers say they average between 12-15 sales per year. Currently, there are seven employees working at CHR International in Marianna. That’s only because the frames for the helicopters are still welded in Canada. But the Bakers are in the process of bringing all manufacturing efforts to North Florida, which will increase the local work force.

“We are trying to get everything here under one roof,” said Baker. “I think it’ll be three to six months before everything is under one roof.”

The helicopter is truly experimental, and there is only one other company that offers a two seat ride like CHR does. There are some single-seat helicopters that are offered by other companies — they are smaller and less powerful. As of now, there are no experimental helicopter companies elsewhere in the world that are past the stage of a prototype. Creating a functioning helicopter is more of a complicated undertaking than it sounds, and it’s very difficult to engineer a chopper.

“The engine on the Safari helicopter will perform as well as any small helicopter in the market. In fact, it performs better than some of the smaller certified ones. Maintenance costs are less. People who want to fly a helicopter learn to fly one. If you can get your own training, you cut the cost dramatically.”

Steve McMichael and his son bought a helicopter in 2009. The Chattanooga father decided to build a helicopter and looked into all the available kits on the market.

“My son had just returned from his second tour in Afghanistan, and we wanted to do a father/son project when he finished his four years in the Army,” said McMichael. “We worked together to find a project that we could both enjoy.

We were both already fixed wing pilots, and we wanted the challenge of getting our rotorcraft rating from the FAA.” n See the SAFARI helicopter in action on our youtube page: youtube.com/rowlandpublishing

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forgotten coast Corridor

Gulf, Franklin + Wakulla Counties

Still Reeling ’Em In Jimmy Mosconis puts in time and sacrifice to make Bay City Lodge succeed By Lee Gordon

E

veryone in Apalachicola has a story about Jimmy Mosconis. Some have stayed at the Bay City Lodge, which he’s owned since 1974. Others have eaten at the restaurant that adjoins the resort.

Visitors from hundreds of miles away have walked by the Vietnam Memorial wall that he helped bring to Franklin County. And many Franklin County residents have worked for him at one point — or voted for him as county commissioner. He’s a business owner, a Vietnam vet, a politician and a staple in Apalachicola.

After returning from the war, Mosconis decided he wanted to try the private sector. Forty years later, he’s still going, maybe not as strong as he once was, but people are still coming to the Lodge.

“Every morning I wake up and wonder why I’m doing it,” jokes Mosconis. “It’s the uniqueness of the people. Many of them are in their 70s.” Beside that, “When I get up in the morning I look forward to being the boss.”

Bay City Lodge is popular in Franklin County, but maybe more so in Georgia and Alabama as tourists from both states make the pilgrimage to fish the Gulf waters. The economy has taken a toll on the bottom line, but there are still loyal customers that drop a line every year.

“The main thing we have is we have cultivated a clientele. There are people that stay and fish that have been coming since the ’60s. Over the years you develop a unique friendship with your customers. I go to funerals and weddings in Georgia and Alabama. When my parents died, people from Alabama and Georgia came here.”

Barney Walker is one of those regulars. He’s been coming to the Bay City Lodge since 1962.

Every 4th of July and Thanksgiving, and usually a few dates sprinkled in between, Walker makes

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Recipe for Success Because he had a business plan and was frugal, Jimmy Mosconis has come out ahead.

the trek down south to the Lodge. Sometimes he travels with the guys on a fishing trip, other times Walker brings his wife and kids to get away and relax.

“I’ve known Jimmy probably 40 years,” Walker says. “He’s a hard worker and has done well with that place and keeps it cleaned up. He built a lot more on it since he bought it. I was going down there before he got it.”

Business and Politics Meet There are many ways to measure success. At the Bay City Lodge it’s pretty cut and dry. The

economy acts as the barometer. When the market is down, the rooms are empty and the restaurant is barren. Mosconis says things started to change after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

Then followed the real estate bust that leveled Franklin County’s economy and the bank failures. It all led to a new reality for fishing resorts like the Bay City Lodge.

“The last good year was about four years ago to be honest with you,” Mosconis said of the lodge’s business. “The problem with the last few years is that there is so much uncertainty with the future. It’s on a national level. I see

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

companies all the time on CNBC and other financial reports that say they are scared of the future; that’s why they aren’t hiring or expanding.

We are surviving, but we aren’t moving forward like we were four-five years ago.”

But unlike many business owners, Mosconis had been preparing for the down economy for a long time. He had an opportunity to sell his business back in 2003–04, but while some of his competitors sold out, he hung on to the Lodge.

“I talked with my wife. What would we do?” Mosconis asked. “How much cake and ice cream can you eat? I never really seriously got down to it.”

Mosconis isn’t the prototypical businessman.

He went to Gulf Coast Community College for a year, but dropped out without graduating; something he still regrets to this day. Working was more important at the time, and Mosconis is a self-taught entrepreneur. It’s a skill he’s perfected over time, but not without a little blood, sweat and tears along the way.

“You have to work hard and when you are in business for yourself you have to do a lot of sacrificing,” Mosconis said. “You have to work when your employees are off. They don’t share the same vision as you do when you have your own business. They look at it as a 9-to-5 job, when you are in business for yourself you have to be willing to put in the time and make the sacrifice to make it succeed — whatever it takes to make it succeed. Some days you need to work 16-to-20 hour days if the situation calls for it. If you’re not, you’re not going to make it.”

Mosconis spent the first 10 years at the Lodge putting all of his profits back into the business.

It was a vast change from the previous owners who took little care of the resort. Unlike the Wall Street mentality of big bonuses and big bailouts, Mosconis took the opposite approach.

He made personal sacrifices and lived without some of life’s luxuries, which allowed him to prepare for the future.

He was able to help shape the future of Franklin County not just as a business owner, but also as a politician. Mosconis was a Franklin County commissioner for 24 years, losing a close race in 2006 that ended almost a quarter century of public service in Franklin County.

“The reason I got into politics, I thought I should do more public service,” Mosconis said. “I didn’t get any personal gain out of that.

I looked at that job as a steward of tax money which I don’t see a lot of anymore. I felt more like a watchdog in that role.”

Franklin County had a good financial boom in the 1990s and, with Mosconis’s help, the

county was able to trim its property tax rate from 10 to 4 mills.

“I put a lot of effort into that job,” said Mosconis. “I’m glad I got beat. I don’t miss it. It was getting stressful.”

Politics and the Vietnam War Mosconis is known for a lot of things in Franklin County, but one he’s most proud of is the construction of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Apalachicola. The Vietnam vet took a bullet while in combat on May 28, 1969. Jan Scruggs was also injured that same day and, through their recovery, the two became close friends. It’s a friendship that continues today.

To make sure no one forgot the soldiers, Scruggs began a campaign with $2,800 of his own money to build the Vietnam Wall in the nation’s capital, and now it is one of the most visited monuments in Washington D.C. Mosconis was part of the ground breaking, so he knew first-hand what the memorial meant to the vets.

Vietnam Remembered Apalachicola is home to one of only five replicas of the Three Servicemen Statue that stands in Washington, D.C.

“About 10 years or so ago, Jan was down here visiting me and said, ‘We are thinking about allowing five replicas of the Vietnam Wall to be placed around the country,’” remembers Mosconis.

The Franklin County businessman talked to a couple of close friends and put together a group whose mission would be to bring one of those five replicas to Apalachicola. It took Mosconis seven years to raise the money. In the process, the Three Servicemen Statue South non-profit was formed to raise funds for the project. Mosconis serves as the president and was able to nickel and dime his way to $1.2 million. It was enough to get the statue built — and it helped that Scruggs wanted to help his friend bring the memorial to North Florida.

“The typical person who goes into service is from a small town that has the architectural

charm and character of a place like Apalachicola,” Scruggs told the Panama City Herald back in 2008, adding that “a statue like this” is not to be in downtown Manhattan. “There is so much history here, and (Apalachicola) is a place that preserves the past.”

A Future on the Dock of the Bay A quarter century ago Mosconis says he realized that he was putting all of his money back into his business and not saving for the future. So, he set goals to increase his net worth. It didn’t happen overnight, but today he’s in a position where he can enjoy some of life’s luxuries without feeling bad about it.

“My wife drives a Lexus now and I have a new Toyota pickup truck,” Mosconis says. “But for years, the vehicles I drove I couldn’t drive from here to Tallahassee safely; the tires weren’t good, batteries weren’t good. Early on you have to sacrifice and do without to get a long-term plan on what you will do with your money.”

These days, Mosconis is worried less about taxes and millage rates and more about continuing the beautification of the Bay City Lodge.

While he has saved for the future, he also continues to pour money back into the business.

The store and restaurant adjacent to the Lodge were built in the ’60s and, according to Mosconis, “flooded so many times that I can’t count.”

The restaurant was rebuilt two years ago, the kitchen last year. This year, it’s the store. If a tropical storm comes through, Mosconis now figures he won’t have to spend all of his time cleaning water out of the Lodge.

“I am just going for it, whatever I can afford to do. We are clicking along here, I made the decision to go ahead and do it. I’ve been saving and planning for it for the past six years. This wasn’t a short term decision I made.”

His message to other businessman is jokingly, to “find a different profession” because the hospitality business isn’t for everyone. But if it is your passion, Mosconis says you need to have a plan. Without a plan, he says, you’ll go up in smoke like many of his competitors. And be frugal. If you spend all of your profits, you won’t have anything to invest back in the business. His customers are loyal and his Lodge may not be as full as he wants it, but Jimmy Mosconis has done something right. Despite the ups and downs of the economy, he’s come out ahead and even has a statue to prove it.

“I struggled through it all,” Mosconis said, “But the lights are still on, the taxes are paid and the mortgage payments are current, so I did something right.” n

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New Beginnings >> Steven Lohbeck has joined Cadence Bank, N.A. (formerly Superior Bank) in Tallahassee as the new vice president, business banker/commercial lender.

Cadence Bank has nine offices in Northwest Florida. They are located in: Altha, Appalachicola, Lohbeck Blountstown, Bristol, Marianna, Panama City, Port St. Joe and Tallahassee (2). >> Longstanding business and community leader Mark D. Baldino has been appointed president/ CEO of Elder Care Services. He comes to the position with 35 years of experience at IBM in senior management, marketing and sales on worldwide, national and regional levels. After his retirement from IBM, he spent three years as an IT and computer services consultant. >> Greg Ungru has joined Enterprise Florida as vice president of development for the agency’s Sports Development division. He will develop and implement Florida Sports’ corporate partnership program by pinpointing prospective partners, raising revenue and identifying potential signature events for Florida Sports to own and manage. Ungru was previously deputy chief of staff for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. >> John Lucas is the new press secretary in Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office. Lucas previously worked in television, heading up the Associated Press’ TV operation in Tallahassee from 2002 to 2009. Prior to that he was bureau chief for the Florida News Network from 1993 to 2002. >> New hires in the office of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam are: Michael ‘MJ’ Johnston as the agency’s new chief information officer; Susan Nardizzi as director of the Division of Marketing and Development; Dr. Tiffiani Onifade as director of Food Safety; and Travis Tucker as director of the Division of Fruit and Vegetables. >> Clemons/Rutherford and Associates, a Tallahassee architecture firm, has hired Brazil Business Solutions for strategy, counsel and services related to developing joint venture business opportunities in Brazil. >> Doug McNease has joined management consulting and IT firm ISF as a project manager. >> George Banks and Brenda Francis have joined the commercial team of Structure Commercial Real Estate. Banks is a former corporate merchandiser and private sector operations manager who also served 17 years as Florida’s director of state purchasFrancis ing. For the past 25 years, Francis has specialized in commercial sales and land development.

Local Happenings >> A Florida State University program helping to address the state and nation’s critical shortage of math and science teachers has received an important boost from JP Morgan Chase, one of the

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nation’s top supporters of education. A $50,000 donation from the banking giant will be used by FSU-Teach, an innovative program that enables mathematics and science majors to explore new career possibilities in the teaching profession. >> Professor Phillip Downs, Ph.D., has retired from FSU after 34 years of teaching and research.

Downs joined FSU’s marketing department in 1978 at the urging of John Kerr, Ph.D., then chair of the department. The pair founded Kerr & Downs Research in the early 1980s. After focusing on academic research in the early years of his career, Downs switched his emphasis to “real world” research. Over the past 30 years, he directed more than 1,000 market research projects for governments, associations and corporations such as Boeing, Delta Air Lines, Publix Super Markets, United Airlines, Club Med, Texaco, BellSouth, General Tire and Prudential. He also helped develop the firstever branding campaign for the 60-year-old College of Business. >> Genivia Inc., a Tallahassee-based software company, has pledged $50,000 a year for three years to benefit undergraduate and graduate students who participate in entrepreneurial activities at the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship or the InNOLEvation Accelerator in the College of Business. Individual grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded. Outstanding students across campus who focus on entrepreneurship involving computers, information technologies or other innovative technologies are also encouraged to apply. >> Ramos & Sparks Group of Tallahassee and Atchity Entertainment International of Los Angeles have secured the rights and optioned the New York Times bestselling book, “The Kennedy Detail,” written by former Secret Service agent Gerald Blaine and award-winning journalist Lisa McCubbin. Blaine, a key member of President John F. Kennedy’s security detail, teamed with McCubbin to provide a first-hand account of protecting the 35th president and his family immediately following his election in November of 1960 through that tragic day in Dallas, in November 1963. >> Tallahassee Community College has received $4.5 million to build an environmental institute in Wakulla County. The Environmental Institute will bring new degree programs as well as non-credit courses, allowing the college to greatly increase the number of people studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) -related subjects. >> Shawn Roberts, vice president and senior project manager of Mad Dog Construction, recently received his Alabama General Contractor’s license, qualifying Mad Dog to build in Alabama in addition to Florida, Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. Mike Earp, superintendent and LEED accredited professional of Mad Dog, recently passed the Florida General Contractor exam.

Local Honors >> Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn Insurance Inc. was crowned Business of the Year by the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and its members during the annual Chamber Awards in May.

Gunter

>> Bill Gunter, former Florida Insurance Commissioner and State Treasurer, has been elected president of the Economic Club of Florida. Gunter is chairman of Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn Insurance, a Tallahassee multiline insurance agency, and is the CEO of Bill Gunter and Associates, a financial and insurance consulting division of RGVI. Headquartered in Tallahassee, the Economic Club of Florida, with a membership of more than 400, is recognized as one of the South’s most important forums for distinguished speakers on economic issues of the day. >> Christy Crump, president of Crump & Associates, is being installed as the state president-elect of the Florida Federation of Business and Professional Women at the group’s June conference. >> Florida’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has chosen Alan Tudor as the Panhandle Council’s “Ombudsman of the Year,” serving Holmes, Jackson, Washington, Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Liberty, Gulf, Franklin, Leon, Madison, Taylor, Jefferson and Wakulla counties. Ombudsmen volunteers receive this award by demonstrating exceptional efforts in advocating for long-term care facility residents living in nursing homes, adult family-care homes and assisted living facilities. >> Terry Cole, an environmental and land use attorney in Gunster’s Tallahassee office, has been designated one of firm’s 21 “Leaders in their Field” by Chambers USA. Chambers utilizes full-time in-house researchers to conduct Cole thousands of interviews with lawyers and their clients worldwide to identify and rank the country’s lawyers who excel according to technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery and value for money. Rankings are based on work highlights in the past year, peer feedback and client references. >> Laurie and Kelly Dozier, owners of Mad Dog Construction in Tallahassee, were awarded Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for their Urbangreen Building.

The 4,100 square foot building was rehabilitated to help revitalize an urban area by creating two new commercial offices and one residence while maintaining and improving the mid-50s post modern design of the building. Urbangreen was refurbished using recycled materials from the original structure and features a garden roof and terrace, a rainwater collection, storage and irrigation system, and a rooftop solar array.

Appointed by Gov. Scott >> Aaron L. Boyette, 37, of Tallahassee, president of Pro-Steel Buildings, to the Construction Industry Licensing Board. >> Michelle D. Ramba-Roddenberry, 40, of Tallahassee, an assistant professor at Florida A&M University — Florida State University College of Engineering, to the Board of Professional Engineers. >> Emmett “Bucky” Mitchell IV and Harry “Chip” Morrison of Tallahassee to the Alligator Point Water Resources Board. Mitchell, 49, is an attorney with the Coates Law Firm. Morrison, 57, is the general counsel for the Florida League of Cities Inc.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PROFILED INDIVIDUALS

Capital

BUSINESS NEWS

Emerald Coast Local Honors >> Quint and Rishy Studer have been recognized by the Gulf Breeze Rotary Club as the 2011 Gulf Breeze Rotary Citizens of the Year for their decadelong commitment to making Gulf Breeze and the surrounding area a better place to work and live. >> Mari Josephs is a beneficiary of the Studers’ Pensacola Business Challenge with her idea to open Carmen’s Lunch Bar. The Studer couple had an empty space in one of their downtown redevelopment properties and decided to host a competition to fill the spot. Josephs will receive a year of free rent, two more years of reduced rent, a $25,000 build-out package and a host of business experts to assist her in starting her new business at the corner of Main Street and South Palafox. >> Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has been listed No. 1 on the Top 10 Resort Destinations for Destin Lodging by resortsandlodges.com, an online resource for resort and lodge vacations. >> Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS®, has been named a Platinum level firm by the Cartus Broker Network in the Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Niceville and Destin markets. Platinum is the highest of the Excellence Award recognition levels. Only 17 percent of the Network’s principal brokers received Excellence Award recognition for 2012. Cartus Broker Network is a real estate referral network consisting of 835 real estate firms representing more than 3,000 offices and more than 97,000 agents. >> Michael Ferhas been named an honorary alumnus of the University of West Florida for his support of the university, the alumni association and UWF alumni. >> Gulf Breeze Hospital in Pensacola and Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach have been named to Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®, a study recognizing facilities that deliver higher quality and more efficient care than other hospitals of similar size or teaching status. The study evaluates hospitals on measures of overall organization performance, including patient care, operational efficiency and financial stability. >> The creative department of Edwin Watts Golf Shops, one of the world’s largest specialty golf retailers, was recognized at the Emerald Coast Chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s local ADDY Awards, receiving one gold and one silver award for advertising creative excellence. >> Bit-Wizards of Fort Walton Beach, a provider of software solutions and consulting, has earned Microsoft Partner Gold Competencies in both digital marketing and mobility, bringing the total number of competencies for the software firm to six gold and three silver.

Local Happenings >> Why wait in line when you can check your account balance and pay your bill from your smart phone? Now you can with Gulf Power’s new mobile website, where you can view or pay your bill, report

an outage, locate an office or contact a company representative — all from the screen of your smart phone. >> Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola has broken ground on a $57 million major expansion that will add a five-story tower and 115 private patient rooms. The tower will be constructed on top of the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute building. The building is expected to open for patient care starting in May 2014. >> The Florida Legislature has appropriated $2 million for an economic development initiative at the Port of Pensacola. The money from the state’s Transportation Trust Fund will fund improvements to the Port’s Warehouse 9, which will be retrofitted to accommodate the fabrication and repair of high-tech subsea equipment, and a shore-side utility improvements project, including the installation of sanitary sewer receiving stations for berthed vessels. >> Destin-based law firm Pleat & Perry, P.A., has opened a Rosemary Beach office at 200 West Water Street, inside the Town Offices Building near the Town Center.

New Beginnings >> John Russell and Scott Russell have formed Russell and Russell Hospitality Consulting, which will provide a comprehensive range of services to hotels and full-service resorts located throughout Northwest Florida. The group’s services include: strategic planning, administrative management, staff training, sales development, marketing, public relations and community relations activities. >> Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has hired Whitney Lee as director of marketing; appointed Micah Carter as regional sales manager; and added Pastry Chef Yascha Becker to its awardwinning culinary team. >> Farrar Barker has joined the Destin law office of Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond & Stackhouse. She focuses her practice on all areas of corporate law, including general corporate governance matters, business planning and securities. >> John P. Kuder has joined the Pensacola law firm of McDonald Fleming Moorhead as a partner of the firm. His primary areas of practice are real estate, complex commercial litigation, personal injury, foreclosures and mediation. Kuder spent 20 years in judicial service, including 10 years as Chief Judge. >> IMS ExpertServices has hired Kathy Anthony as a vice president. Other new team members include Chris McCarthy as a client manager, Catherine Regan as an administrative assistant and

Lee

Carter

Barker

Kuder

SoundByteS Dana Story as an accounting specialist. The firm has expanded its operations in the Cordova Square business complex, now occupying approximately 20,000 square feet of space.

Appointed by Gov. Scott >> John W. Alter, 75, of Malone, a retired public relations executive who manages Alter-Bevis Farms, to the Apalachicola-Chipola-Lower Chattahoochee River Basin seat on the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

Bay Local Happenings >> Sacred Heart Health System Inc. and LHP Hospital Group Inc. have finalized a 40-year lease and asset purchase agreement to form a joint venture that will lease and operate Bay Medical Center. As a result of the joint venture, Bay Medical will be able to retire all of its debt and begin the new joint venture debt-free. In addition, the joint venture will continue to follow the charity care policy of Bay Medical. >> The Polish Aviation Office has selected the European company IBCOL Polaska and its technology partner, DeTect Inc. of Panama City to provide a state-of-the-art bird detection radar system for the Warsaw-Modlin Mazovia International Airport near the City of Warsaw, Poland. The new airport, which has been in planning for nearly a decade, has had to overcome serious concerns from a wide range of environmental and aviation safety groups, including the risk of serious birdstrikes to aircraft. >> The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers recently recognized DeTect’s work when it presented a Responsible Canadian Energy Award to Canadian Natural Resources Limited for its successful use of DeTect’s MERLIN detect and deter bird control radar technology to protect birds at its Horizon Oil Sands facility in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.

Local Honors >> Gulf Coast Medical Center is the only area hospital to make the Top 100 Hospital list compiled

by Thomson Reuters and one of only 20 medium size hospitals in the U.S. named. In May the hospital broke ground for its $29.5 million Critical Care Expansion project. The expansion will include a new Intensive Care Unit, the area’s first Pediatric ICU and a new Level lll Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

I-10 >> The Jackson County Tourist Development Council has selected Judy Brooten of Bascom as its first full time executive director.

During her 27-year career with the New York Times Company Regional Newspaper Group, Brooten Brooten rose from the ranks of advertising sales representative to corporate staff, and subsequently became the first female to be named publisher and chief operating officer of a daily newspaper. During the years she served as a Regional Newspaper publisher, her community newspapers were recognized for their balanced and fair presentation of news and editorial opinions.

Compiled by Linda Kleindienst

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The Last Word

Of course, there was high school. Then community college.

Next came the University of Florida. And last weekend it was University of Tampa, where she had enrolled in a double masters program in the fall of 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession.

Now, here she is with an MBA and a Masters in Marketing, ready to embark on what her dad and I hope will be a long, happy and fruitful career.

In anticipation of the big day, Vicky had been on the hunt for a job linked to what she has learned over the past few years. The good news is she had plenty of interviews — to me, a sure sign that the economy is on its long, upward swing again. But the bad news, from what she has relayed back to me, is that many companies handled their interviews like they were still in the midst of a recession, with hundreds of applicants applying for one job — and little concern for how each jobseeker was treated.

At one large Sarasota firm, she had been interviewed by the Human Resources director and was recommended for a second sit-down with some of the top managers. She appeared early on the day of the interview, but the three managers who came to the interview were late. No apology. They asked terse questions, acted disinterested in her answers and walked out in less than half an hour. Later they sent an email thanking Vicky for applying but saying they had picked someone else. The kicker? They thanked her for applying for a job she hadn’t even applied for. My reaction?

There’s a problem in that company.

There were issues with some other companies, where the individuals doing the hiring didn’t respond to an email or phone call — even though Vicky was among the finalists for the job. Even when she filed some applications there was no acknowledgement — not even a form letter email response. How hard is that in this age of technological wonders?

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The good news is that she will be going to work for a community bank that, like some we mention in this issue’s cover story on banking, is growing and prospering. Before she got the job, she had interviewed with many within the bank hierarchy — and all were friendly, engaging and interested in what she had to say.

There is never an excuse for poor manners, which some companies apparently have. In bad economic times, employers think they can afford to be choosy and not be concerned about how they treat prospective employees. But, guess what? Those times, they are a changing.

And as the economy improves and more Baby Boomers decide to retire, employers will have a shrinking workforce available to choose from.

Some of the best advice I’ve seen is to treat prospective employees like they are prospective clients. That will build your reputation — something crucial in the decade to come when job applicants will increasingly be viewed as potential valuable assets.

In the meantime, it would be a good idea for companies to remember that younger jobseekers, especially those of the Millenial generation, don’t take things sitting down. Ever heard of glassdoor. com? Take a look and see how some companies have been eviscerated by employees, former employees and prospective employees.

If you have any special interviewing techniques for potential hires, please send them along so we can share with others.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

photo by Linda Kleindienst

I’m sitting here looking at photos of my daughter, Vicky, taken during her graduation last weekend from the University of Tampa.

It was her fourth big graduation — and possibly the last — unless she goes on to a doctorate.

Bruce Sellers and Paul Watts, COO Electronet Broadband Communications

RE AL CUSTOMERS . RE AL ISSUES . RE AL SOLUTIONS .

At Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club we aim to provide our members with an exceptional experience on and off the golf course. We expect the same quality from our vendors that we work with and rely on. We have used Electronet for Internet access for over eight years. Once we learned that Electronet was offering business class voice and long distance services, we decided to make a move to them. Their knowledgeable and courteous staff made the transition simple. Now I don’t have to call an 800 number and deal with an auto attendant. I dial a local number and talk with someone immediately. By bundling our services, we were able to save money as well. I’d recommend Electronet to anyone wishing to improve their reliability, improve performance and reduce costs.

Bruce Sellers

3 4 1 1 C a p i t a l M e d i c a l B l v d . Ta l l a h a s s e e , F L | 2 2 2 . 0 2 2 9 | w w w. e l e c t r o n e t . n e t