850 Business Magazine- August/September 2017

JORGE GONZALEZ

Post recession, The St. Joe Company has resumed changing the face of NW Florida

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NO PIE IN THE SKY

For emerging drone photography businesses, things are looking up

President and CEO of The St. Joe Company

STAYING POSITIVE

Good leaders inspire optimism with buoyant management styles

STUDENT MAGNET

Athletic programs invite interest in all that FSU has to offer

Warren Averett Members - Gary Tringas, CPA; Scott Warren, CPA; and Ann Carver, CPA

www.warrenaverett.com

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850 Magazine August – September 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

850 FEATURES 26

The Future of St. Joe

A smaller version of its former self, The St. Joe Company has put much of its hopes for the future in Northwest Florida’s basket and into the hands of a man who has spent three decades in the region.

Jorge Gonzalez, the new CEO, knows well the people, the communities and the culture of Northwest Florida. He is a familiar face who has spent years working handin-hand with state and local partners to boost the region’s economy — and he is the man out front talking to the public about the company’s 50-year project to develop 100,000 acres of land in Bay and Walton counties.

By Linda Kleindienst

NEW HEIGHTS Joshua Lanier, Sky Pro Imaging, and others say drone usage will soar as manufacturers and regulators try to expand functionality without crashing into privacy concerns.

MICHAEL BOOINI

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eightened H Awareness In just a

few years, drones have evolved from a hobby device to a serious industrial tool. With the industry taking off, expect to see more of them, especially over outdoor events, industrial sites and real estate. Drone operators say manufacturers and regulators are starting to work together better, but privacy concerns remain unresolved.

Northwest Florida businesses are paying attention. By Jason Dehart

On the Cover: When storms that battered real estate markets made landfall in Northwest Florida, The St. Joe Company was forced for a time to hunker down. Today, reports CEO Jorge Gonzalez, the company has emerged from its bunker and is again working to make long-range plans realities. Photo by Andrew Wardlow Photography

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850 Magazine August – September 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

60

Special Section

Departments

Corridors

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

THE 850 LIFE

BAY

15 Stan Wilcox, athletic director at Florida State University, talks about sports and their impact on the local economy.

56 Miss Autumn’s Barquery dog foods are made by Victoria McDowell in her kitchen.

McDowell launched this business after the death of her terrier was linked to a dog food additive. Jim Maciborski is the company’s chief operating officer.

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Behind the professional services that keep you in business are men and women with vast experience, energy and heart.

Allow us to introduce them.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

In This Issue

18 Your leadership style — whether positive or negative — matters more than you realize. Optimism in your company starts with you.

10 From the Publisher 52 Sound Bytes 66 The Last Word from the Editor

HUMAN ELEMENT

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22 If you think workplace violence can’t happen at your company, you may be right — or dead wrong.

It’s better for you and your employees to prepare.

Special Section DEAL ESTATE 40 What’s trending, what’s selling and what’s hot to buy in the 850? Find out here.

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EMERALD COAST 58 Guardian Pharmacy in Crestview is a growing specialty business that caters to nursing homes in Northwest Florida and Alabama.

I10 60 Catalyst Fabric Solutions, which instead of store-housing inventory actually makes products as customers order them online, is bringing new jobs to Marianna.

FORGOTTEN COAST 64 Fugawee Corporation sells historical footwear to re-enactors and museums worldwide, movies and Broadway shows from its 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Crawfordville.

PHOTOS BY TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY (60) AND COURTESY OF FSU ATHLETICS / ROSS OBLEY (15); ILLUSTRATION BY BOBMADBOB / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (18)

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850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

August – September 2017

Vol. 9, No. 6

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Laura Cassels EDITOR Linda Kleindienst STAFF WRITER Hannah Burke ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Kim Harris Thacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jason Dehart, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Jorge Gonzalez, Jon Gordon, Tisha Crews Keller, Karen Murphy, Tabitha Yang EDITORIAL INTERN Sara Santora COPY EDITOR Barry Ray CREATIVE CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts DESIGN DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Charles Bakofsky, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meredith Brooks, Sarah Mitchell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Booini, Steve Bornhoft, Lawrence Davidson, Phelan Ebenhack, Scott Holstein, Ashley Hylbert, Jeb MacVittie, Kay Meyer, Mike Olivella, Alicia Osborne, Saige Roberts, Courtland William Richards, Tim Skipper Photography, Andrew Wardlow Photography, Jessica Whitaker, Chase Yakaboski SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Makenna Curtis, Julie Door, Darla Harrison, Anthony Lopez, Rhonda Lynn Murray, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Sarah Scott, Lori Magee Yeaton EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Bria Blossom SALES AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE Mackenzie Ligas OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTANTING ASSISTANT Daphne Laurie ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Lisa Snell RECEPTIONIST Alyssa Cunningham

DIGITAL SERVICES 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

Tallahassee Community College offers conference and event solutions to fit your budget while meeting your unique event planning needs. With first-rate support services, professional amenities and a variety of venue options, TCC is the ideal choice to host your conference, seminar, banquet, trade show or event.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS A one-year (6 issues) subscription is $30. To purchase, call (850) 878-0554 or go online to 850businessmagazine.com. Single copies are $4.95 and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City, Pensacola and at our Tallahassee office.

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 August 2017 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member of three Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.

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From the Publisher

ROLE MODELS EXTRAORDINAIRE Pinnacle Award winners model servant leadership are remarkable both in the variety of disciplines, occupations, passions and talents they represent and for what they have in common — notably, tremendous resolve and the conviction that you can never give too much back to your community.

As to diversity, consider that we will be honoring women who excel in fields including:  Motivational speaking  Economic development  Broadcast journalism  Real estate sales  Property management  Marketing  Public relations  Human resources  Corporate communication

Gather them around a boardroom table and their potential as a group would be enough to impress anyone.

Each has learned that her professional success and her public service reinforce one another. By unselfishly doing right and doing good, each has become a more fully integrated member of the community she calls home. I can only try to imagine the combined value of the hours these women contribute to charities, chambers of commerce and other

non-profit organizations in the course of a year.

We asked the senior member of this year’s group of honorees what the best advice she ever received was and from whom she received it.

She paused and thought back to her final day as a sixthgrader in a small Florida town.

Her school principal at the time signed her yearbook beneath the following words uttered

by Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: To thine own self be true.

Polonius’s speech continues, of course …

And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

“I can’t remember what my principal’s first name was, but I have always remembered what he wrote in my yearbook,” our honoree said. “And I have always tried to be transparent and honest in everything that I do.”

That same honoree had some advice of her own to offer.

When you hit a dead end en route to a goal, she said, don’t give up. Instead, she advised, create a new path. A path, I’ll bet, that many others might later follow.

But there are times, too, the honoree said, when it is helpful to trust the instincts of others.

She talked about a man whom she regards as her hero, someone who changed her life by seeing in her a talent that she could not see herself.

“I owe my career to him,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”

I am certain that all of us who enjoyed success in life are indebted to teachers, mentors, role models, parents and other family members, and perhaps Pinnacle winners, who led us to reach beyond our grasp and abandon comfort zones of limitations.

To those folks in my life, I will always be grateful.

Best,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

P.S. I would be greatly remiss if I failed to salute and thank newly retired and longtime 850 editor Linda Kleindienst. She set the bar high, beginning with her first day at Rowland Publishing, and I can say unequivocally that she has been the driving force behind the brand and reputation of 850 and the gold standard for business reporting in Northwest Florida. I will never forget the day at a Gulf Power Symposium when former Florida House Speaker Alan Bense spotted her across the room, made a beeline for her and gave her a big hug. “You are a lucky man to have such an ethical and professional journalist on your team,” Alan told me. “In all my years in the Florida Legislature, she was the best journalist I ever encountered.” I can truly say that Linda has made me a better publisher and is someone that any journalist would do well to emulate.

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PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

For the fourth time, members of the Rowland Publishing management team and I have completed the challenging, but welcome, task of carefully reviewing Pinnacle Award nominations submitted by readers of 850 Magazine and selecting the latest class of honorees.

I look forward to doing so each year because, however difficult the task may be, it is, by several orders of magnitude, more inspirational.

We established the Pinnacle Awards in 2014 as a vehicle for honoring women who have distinguished themselves professionally and as community servants. The difficulty associated with making selections stems not from having to look hard for deserving honorees, but in choosing among members of a large pool of distinguished and eminently qualified nominees. Inescapably, the process at some point comes to be a subjective one.

A banquet honoring the 2017 class of Pinnacle winners was held Aug. 15 at the Holley Academic Center on the Panama City campus of Florida State University. Profiles of the honorees will appear in the October– November edition of 850.

Again this year, the honorees

Cleared for landing GKN Aerospace lands on one of Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites

We welcome GKN Aerospace and 170 new jobs to Panama City.

Gulf Power is proud to be part of the regional effort alongside Bay Economic Development Alliance and others to introduce GKN Aerospace to Panama City and The St. Joe Company’s VentureCrossings™ site. This location is a Florida First Site — a program Gulf Power developed to attract new business and jobs to the region — and one of nine project-ready industrial sites that are certified and ready for development across Northwest Florida.

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S P E C I A L P RO M OT I O N

When it comes to business, it’s best to...

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Founding partner Dana Matthews works with developers on projects from concept to completion, assisting them with everything from land acquisition to closings with end users. To stay informed, go to: 850businessmagazine.com/Legal-Insights

MEET THE 2017 PINNACLE AWARD HONOREES Thank you for your nominations in our search to recognize women in our region who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their businesses and communities. These honorees will be profiled in the 2017 October/November issue of 850 Business Magazine.

PATRICIA B. MCCRAY CEO/Founder, Butterfly Life Journeys, Inc.

SUSAN DAVIS CEO/President, Sacred Heart Health System

JENNIFER CONOLEY Sr. Economic Development Representative, Gulf Power Company

KRISTINE RUSHING COO, Beck Partners Holdings

SUE STRAUGHN News Anchor/Senior Editor, WEAR T.V. JEANNE DAILEY CEO/Founder, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties MYRA WILLIAMS VP Marketing, Howard Group PRESENTED BY

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KAREN MOORE CEO/Founder, Moore Communications Group VIRGINIA GLASS Realtor, Coldwell Banker Hartung and Noblin, Inc. ALISA KINSAUL Director of Communication, Applied Research Associates (Posthumous) SPONSORED BY

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Executive Mindset

The (850) Life MAKING FIRST IMPRESSIONS

VP guides athletics program to reflect FSU’s big picture STAN WILCOX, TALLAHASSEE Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Florida State University

Q&A WITH STAN WILCOX

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COURTESY OF FSU ATHLETICS / MIKE OLIVELLA

T

o Stan Wilcox, Florida State University’s vice president/director of Intercollegiate Athletics, the athletic program is more than a business, more than an education-based nonprofit. It is the front porch of the university.

“When (most people) think about FSU, the first thing they usually identify with is the athletics programs — how well the football team has done, the national championships won, etc. It’s the thing that invites people in to see the rest of the university,” Wilcox says.

“With athletics being that front porch, we have to be very vigilant in making sure that our front porch is reflective of all the great things that the university is all about.”

To accomplish this, Wilcox balances good business acumen with the knowledge that he’s not turning out a product, per se, but helping prepare student-athletes for a successful life after college and sports.

Wilcox became FSU’s director of athletics in August 2013 and vice president in July 2016. His time at the helm has been historic for Seminole sports, with the school earning its third football national championship, the university’s first-ever soccer national championship and numerous Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors and titles. Additionally, there have been over a dozen ACC Player of the Year honors, more than 150 All-America honors, nearly 20 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American honors and a Heisman Trophy awarded to FSU student-athletes.

A former student-athlete himself, Wilcox holds an economics degree from Notre Dame and a juris doctorate from Brooklyn Law School. He is a former senior court analyst for the Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York.

Wilcox was a National Collegiate Athletic Association legislative assistant, Notre Dame’s deputy director of athletics, associate commissioner of the Big East Conference and the senior deputy director of athletics at Duke University. — Karen Murphy

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THE (850) LIFE Compare the FSU athletic program to a business.

We’re overseeing, between us and the boosters, $140 million on an annual basis, and that continues to grow based on additional revenues generated. Like any other business, we’re looking to grow that business.

We’re always looking to provide the best student-athlete experience we possibly can, keeping up with increasing expenses in scholarship and facility costs. We’re trying to make sure we are being a good steward of our money, are balancing our budget on an annual basis and we are generating a profit at the end of the day that can then be invested back into the collegiate enterprise. We are providing the best facilities to practice in, the best education, the best medical treatment, nutrition, equipment and travel, and are allowing studentathletes to participate on the highest level so they can compete on an annual basis for ACC and national NCAA championships.

How is it different? It’s technically not a business. It’s an institution of higher learning.

The purpose of the university is

to provide the best education to its students and help them go on to their professional careers. Our mission is the same because the majority of our student-athletes are going on to professions in areas other than the sport in which they are participating.

The FSU athletic program is one of only about 26 that are considered self-sufficient.

How does FSU manage that?

The majority (of the self-sufficient programs) are in what we call the Power 5 conferences. They all have successful football programs, their football ticket sales are constant and the conferences they are a part of help to provide additional revenue for those schools through robust TV packages, like deals with ESPN and other networks.

Both FSU’s men’s basketball and football programs are self-sufficient.

Sometimes baseball is close. If you factor in money received from the NCAA and our conference TV deals, it is fair to say men’s basketball and football generally drive the dollars that support all the other FSU sports.

If we have success in those two areas, we, more than likely, will

continue to be self-sufficient as a department and provide money back to the university (over $2.5 million annually) that can be used for additional scholarships.

What’s your biggest challenge? That can be a moving target on a year-to-year basis, but I will say, there are really three.

1. Student-athlete balance: Making sure they are balancing the time demands of their athletic pursuits with their academic pursuits. You don’t want those to be competing demands.

2. Compliance: We are required as members of the NCAA to follow its rules and regulations, which are kind of like a phone book.

Everybody who touches college athletics must follow those rules.

That is a HUGE challenge.

3. Economics: Always trying to stay in front of the curve in providing the best training and competing facilities.

Should college athletes be paid? The short answer is “no,” but when you look at all we provide that goes into the student-athlete’s

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scholarship — equipment, meals, travel and facilities — technically, they are being paid. If you break out the cost factor per student-athlete, it’s somewhere above $100,000 for someone on full scholarship. I say they shouldn’t be paid because the educational piece is the most important. If they get their education and degree, they can go into a career that can pay them for a lifetime, whereas they can only participate in athletics as long as their body is allowing them to and then they have to be able to do something else. I’m more concerned about their long-term careers, which are educationally based.

What about your job makes you pull out your hair?

It’s just like having your own children. You know they are going to make mistakes, and you have to discipline them. You feel bad about it, just like when you have to discipline your own child. Knowing you have close to 500 different children you are helping to raise, it can become very overwhelming sometimes. You never know what the next day may bring.

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Executive Mindset

Management Strategies LEADERSHIP STYLES

Optimism Pays

Negativity from the top saps team’s energy; attack problems, not people

BY JON GORDON

A

ny business leader will tell you that running a worldclass organization is no easy feat. It’s challenging to work toward a vision and create a positive future for you and your team, especially since you are guaranteed to face all kinds of challenges, adversity, negativity and tests along the way. But in the face of these obstacles, your attitude makes all the difference in the culture and success of your organization.

Pessimists don’t change the world.

Throughout history, we see that it’s the optimists, the believers, the dreamers, the doers and the positive leaders who change the world. The good news is, even if you’re the biggest pessimist you know, you can learn to change your outlook, and that will change your life and make you a much stronger leader.

Research clearly supports the connection between a positive attitude and success in terms of individuals and organizations. For example, the research of Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and science journalist, demonstrates that positive teams perform at higher levels than negative teams.

Also, according to Wayne Baker, research he and Robert Cross conducted

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shows that “the more you energize people in your workplace, the higher your work performance.” Baker says that this occurs because people want to be around you. You attract talent, and people are more likely to devote their discretionary time to your projects.

They’ll offer new ideas, information and opportunities to you before others. The opposite is also true. If you de-energize others, people won’t go out of their way to work with or help you.

Finally, a Gallup study estimates that negativity costs the economy $250–300 billion a year and affects the morale, performance and productivity of teams.

Optimism in your company starts with you. If you don’t have it, you can’t share it. The good news is that pessimism is just a state of mind. It’s not permanent. You can change it, and you definitely should.

Here are seven tips to help you make the life- and business-changing transformation from a negative leader to a positive leader:

1. Stop complaining and blaming.

If you’re complaining, you’re not leading. Leaders don’t complain. They focus on solutions. They identify problems

and look to solve them in order to create a better future for all. Positive leaders don’t attack people. They attack problems.

2. Don’t focus on where you are; focus on where you’re going. Lead your team with optimism and vision.

Regardless of the circumstances, keep pointing others toward a positive future.

Even when Clemson football lost the national championship in 2015, head coach Dabo Swinney believed they would return the following year and kept pointing his team toward a positive future. He didn’t see the loss as a challenge. He saw an opportunity to come back and win it the following year — and that’s what they did.

3. Lead with love instead of fear.

Fear is draining; love is sustaining. Fear

BOBMADBOB / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

divides; love unites. The key to leading without fear is to provide both love and accountability.

Negative leaders provide a lot of fear and accountability but no love. If your team knows you love them, they will allow you to challenge them. But love must come first. Former CEO Alan Mulally turned around Ford with both love and accountability. He said you have to “love ’em up,” and you have to hold them accountable to the process, principles and plan. He was able to save Ford and help the economy with a lot of love and a lot of accountability.

4. Be demanding without being demeaning. Many people think positive leaders are Pollyanna positive who just smile all the time and don’t care about results. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Positive leaders pursue

excellence. They believe in a brighter future, so they take the necessary actions with excellence to create it.

Positive leaders are demanding but aren’t demeaning. They lift others up in order to accomplish their goals, rather than tear them down. They don’t talk at you — they walk and run with you.

the Dodgers play the Nationals in the postseason, I watched in amazement as this player hit homeruns in Games 4 and 5 to help the Dodgers advance. It was as if I had a front-row seat to see the impact of what happens when a coach makes the time to pour love and support into one of his players.

5. Connect one-on-one. The great-

6. Create positive change insideout. Don’t let your circumstances and

est leaders connect with those they lead. Dave Roberts, manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is a great example. One day I witnessed a player walk in and say hello. Dave got up and gave the player a big bear hug for about five seconds — the kind of hug that a dad would give to his son. He said, “I do it each day, and he often stops by to talk about life and challenges and whatever is on his mind.”

A few weeks later, while watching

outside events define you. You define your circumstances with your vision, beliefs and action. Many leaders believe they are victims of circumstance. They have an external locus of control. But positive leaders believe they can influence events and outcomes by the way they think and act.

Coach Donna Orender is a great example. When she served as commissioner of the WNBA, she saw a lot of

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MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

negativity amongst those in the corporate offices. There was a feeling that no one cared about women’s basketball and a lack of belief that the organization could be successful.

But Orender saw the passion and optimism in the coaches and players, and she believed in them and in the future of the WNBA. She began building an optimistic belief system and inspired her colleagues to believe in the WNBA’s future, as well. By focusing on one success at a time, she helped create a new reality for herself and changed the organization from the inside-out.

I saw the same optimistic attitude and leadership in Silicon Valley during the Great Recession. While the rest of the country was going through the downturn, the people who lead and work for

the companies in Silicon Valley refused to participate in the recession. They were too busy trying to change the world. They were surrounded by a bubble of optimism.

Suhr. It is “shout praise, whisper criticism.”

Shout praise means recognizing someone in front of their peers, and whisper criticism means coaching them to get better. Both build better people and teams.

7. Encourage instead of discourage.

Positive leaders are also positive communicators, in such a way that they make people around them better and feel encouraged instead of hopeless or discouraged. They also spread positive gossip, listen to and welcome new ideas and give genuine smiles when they speak. Finally, they are great encouragers who uplift the people around them and instill the belief that success is possible.

One of my favorite phrases comes from the original Olympic “Dream Team” and Detroit Pistons coaches Chuck Daly and Brendan

There is a power associated with positive leadership. Even if you naturally lean toward a negative outlook, making a few changes can inspire momentous change in your own career success as well as in the success of your team. When you lead with optimism and share positive energy with others, you will transform the negativity that too often sabotages teams and organizations. Your new positive attitude will at last allow you to take on the battle, overcome the negativity, face the adversity and keep moving forward. The best really is yet to come.

Jon Gordon’s latest book is “The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World.”

His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA and MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and nonprofits. He has written numerous bestsellers, including “The Energy Bus,” “The Carpenter,” “Training Camp,” “The Seed,” “You Win in the Locker Room First” and “The No Complaining Rule.” His clients include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Falcons, Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer and the U.S. Military Academy.

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Executive Mindset

Human Element PLAN. TRAIN. CARRY ON.

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE If you think ‘It can’t happen here,’ you may be right — or dead wrong

BY ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

O

n Aug. 12, 2016, an IT employee committed suicide with a gun at the county administrative complex in Pensacola. Visitors were screened, but employees could enter the building through a garage entrance without being searched.

On Feb. 5, 2014, an employee at a Ford dealership in the Taylor County city of Perry crashed his truck into the business and began firing with a semi-automatic shotgun. He seriously wounded three people, including an on-duty sheriff’s deputy getting his car serviced, who was able to kill the gunman.

On Dec. 14, 2010, a disgruntled man began shooting at a Bay District School Board meeting. He fired four shots at school board members, missing them all. He was wounded by a security officer and ultimately killed himself.

On Nov. 20, 2014, a mentally ill Florida State University graduate returned to campus and opened fire at the entrance to Strozier Library, where about 500 students were studying. Before he was killed by police, the 31-yearold attorney had wounded three people, including one who is permanently paralyzed.

“It can’t happen here” is how many business owners and managers deal with the possibility of violent, sometimes fatal, incidents in their workplaces. But, security experts say, it can and it does.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that an average of 551 American workers were killed in workplace violence annually between 2006 and 2010, the last year figures were available. Seventy-eight percent of those killed were shot to death. Men were most often the victims, with 72 percent of them dying at the hands of robbers or other

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assailants. Women, however, were the victims of relatives or other acquaintances 39 percent of the time, compared to only 3 percent of men.

While the numbers are sobering, those same experts say spending a relatively small amount of time and money can prevent such tragedies, or at least keep the human toll to a minimum.

For starters, “businesses should have an emergency action plan and should train their employees on the implementation of the EAC,” said Charlie Strickland, coowner and CEO of Talon Training Group in Midway, near Tallahassee, which offers on-site classes and consulting.

“We can go to their business and actually teach them, we can look at their emergency action plan, we can look at their facility, we can do a site evaluation and then we can make recommendations to them on how to make things safer,” said the former Leon County Sheriff’s Office trainer and SWAT team leader. “We do courses for their business and teach their people how to react in an active shooter or domestic violence situation. It’s not hands-on training.

We’re not teaching them to shoot; we’re not teaching them how to fight. We’re teaching them to think and what to do if something happens.”

Currently, the most oft-heard advice is “Run. Hide. Fight.”

When an incident unfolds, run away. If that’s not possible, hide. And when confronted by a violent assailant, fight.

But thinking through each of these actions in advance is vital when faced with a terrible scenario. It might be planning an escape route. (One of the worst things you can do, said Strickland, is pull the fire alarm.) It could be as simple as shoving a doorstop under a door after determining if

ASIANDELIGHT / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

it swings in, or out. Or locking the door and barricading it with a file cabinet. Or even deciding which office supplies, such as a letter opener, stapler or coatrack, could be used as a weapon.

“Your brain doesn’t work the same under critical-incident stress,” Strickland said. “If you don’t consider those things ahead of time, you’re not going to think about it under stress.”

One of the greatest deterrents to curbing violent outbursts is recognizing and reporting employees who exhibit unusual or changed behavior. Like the mantra for spotting potential terrorists, “See something, say something” works in the workplace.

“In all the studying I have done, I have not seen one single incidence where an employee has just snapped,” said Arizona-based security consultant Robert Sollars. “I think that’s a media invention. It makes for a good sound bite, but nobody ‘just snaps’; there are always warning signs.

Whether coworkers and families and friends catch these signs is another issue.” »

RESOURCES FOR WORKPLACE VIOLENCE » The Leon County Sheriff’s Office offers active shooter workplace training free of charge to businesses. To arrange for the training, contact the Public Information Office at (850) 606-3342.

» The Department of Homeland Security offers a wide variety of downloadable print and video resources relating to workplace violence and terrorist threats at dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness.

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Sollars has written a book on the subject — “One is Too Many: Recognizing and Preventing Workplace Violence” — that outlines 21 warning signs that might predict employee violence, including such behaviors as drug and alcohol abuse, poor health and hygiene, depression and new religious or political fervor.

“If it’s been going on for days, weeks or months at a time, that’s where the coworker needs to tell the supervisor and the supervisor go on and tell HR,” Sollars said. “There’s a ton of excuses people use for not saying anything to anybody, and a lot of times, the supervisors or manager don’t report it any higher than themselves, thinking, ‘That’s going to look bad on me’ or ‘I can’t afford to have this employee pulled off the line … because we’re behind.’”

Most workers aren’t worried about the threat of fire in their workplace, because someone thought ahead to install sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers. Preparing for a violent encounter — rather than creating a sense of paranoia and hypervigilance — can provide a similar sense of security at work.

JEB MACVITTIE

HUMAN ELEMENT

BEST PRACTICES Sgt. Fred Smelt of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office addresses an employee group regarding the most appropriate ways to react to the presence of a shooter in the workplace.

“I want my people to feel good about coming to work. I want them to feel safe and secure and empowered,” Strickland said. “And by having a good emergency action plan that employees

have been trained in and know how to implement, you are empowering your employees to actually focus on their jobs at hand and not worry about their safety anymore.”

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OPEN FOR

BUSINESS The St. Joe Company, retooled, takes long view on developing Northwest Florida’s economy

JORGE GONZALEZ sits comfortably in a large conference room surrounded by maps that tell the future of The St. Joe Company.

It was dubbed by former company leaders as “the war room,” but Gonzalez looks around at the walls, smiles and says he prefers to shy away from the melodramatic. “We call it the map room. That’s as exciting a term as we’ll use.”

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ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

BUILDING PATHS Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO, is in charge of St. Joe’s long-term direction.

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No matter what it’s called, the maps show that while the historic timber and paper company turned manager and developer is far smaller than it once was, it is still poised to make major changes to Northwest Florida over the next several decades. They show the extent of the company’s Panhandle landholdings as well as Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and the company’s adjacent VentureCrossings industrial park, the Port of Port St. Joe and the Bay-Walton Sector Plan, a 50-year project destined to reshape and boost the regional economy along with corporate finances.

Despite its long-term base being in Jacksonville, in a high-rise overlooking downtown and the St. Johns

and the culture of Northwest Florida — a familiar face who has spent years working hand-in-hand with state and local partners to boost the region’s economy.

“I like to deal with people on a very personal level,” says Gonzalez, a native of Miami who attended Florida State University and has spent 30 years in Northwest Florida, 15 of them working for St. Joe. “In the past maybe we used a lot of consultants. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I just have a different style. I’ve learned that in Northwest Florida, people want to talk with the principals and get to know them on a very personal level. They don’t necessarily want agents talking on your behalf.”

Gonzalez also emphasizes that St. Joe wants to focus on collaboration and not be seen as the muscle man trying to remake Northwest Florida in the image the company wants.

“We want to be very collaborative and work with the corporate entities that have a stake in Northwest Florida,” he says. “I don’t like going into a back room, figuring what we think should happen and then go force that. It’s not my style. The institutions in our communities, whether — Jorge Gonzalez, President and CEO of The St. Joe Company business or governmental, feel like they are more of a team with us, as River, St. Joe always had a big footprint in Northwest opposed to St. Joe deciding what should be best. I’m more Florida, owning tens of thousands of acres of land and about being collaborative.” helping to drive economic pursuits designed to set a foundation for the region’s growth. But then came the THE BEGINNINGS Great Recession. Profits dropped, company leadership The roots of The St. Joe Company go back to Alfred Iréchanged, St. Joe’s headquarters moved to a small comnée du Pont, an American industrialist who moved to plex located off U.S. 98 in Watersound and the onceJacksonville in 1926. Along with his brother-in-law, Ed high profile was muted.

Ball, he delved into banking and real estate, buying up “The recession hit and many entities did not even Florida land for dollars an acre during the land bust of make it. We did. We had some management transitions, the late 1920s. When du Pont died in 1935, Ball became changes in our board that contributed to more of a focus trustee of his estate and kept buying land to grow the on internal rather than external,” explains Gonzalez, who timber that fed the Port St. Joe paper mill. The income has held the CEO post since November 2015. “2016 was from the mill allowed Ball to acquire railroads, a telea transitional year for us. We spent a lot of time making phone company, banks and sugarcane plantations. sure that our forward strategy was the right one.”

The company’s landholdings surpassed the millionIn a sense, St. Joe has undergone somewhat of a reacre mark, but Ball wouldn’t sell any of it. In the 1950s, birth, with an increased focus on solidifying its own Walt Disney attempted to buy 3,000 acres. But after financial base by creating recurring income streams making Disney wait all day for an audience, Ball merefor the company. Much of its energy is focused on a ly sent out a note that reportedly said, “I’m not selling 50-year plan for a 100,000-acre project spread across land to you. I don’t deal with carnival folk.” So, Disney Bay and Walton counties, and promoting economic turned its sights on Central Florida. development in the region, particularly through its Ball tangled with environmentalists, union bosses and industrial park at the Northwest Florida Beaches Intereven the U.S. Department of the Interior over the type of national Airport in Bay County. In the lead is Gonzalez, pine trees St. Joe was planting. The company continued a man who knows well the people, the communities buying land into the 1970s, accumulating more than

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ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

“We want to be very collaborative and work with the corporate entities that have a stake in North Florida.”

 50-YEAR HORIZON Gonzalez, at Watersound Beach says St. Joe’s 50-year plan includes a 100,000acre project across Bay and Walton counties.

1.5 million acres. Ball died in 1981. In 1996, the paper business was sold to Smurfit Stone, which closed the mill in 1999.

Today, the company’s land holdings are vastly diminished from the time St. Joe was known as Florida’s largest land owner. In 2010, it owned more than 580,000 acres. Today the land inventory is approximately 178,000 acres, predominantly located

in Bay, Walton, Gulf and Leon counties. There are 47 fulltime employees compared to a workforce of 1,800 in 2006.

In 2014, the company sold 380,000 acres of rural land in Northwest Florida to subsidiaries of Utah-based AgReserves Inc. for $562 million. AgReserves, an affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reportedly intends to continue agriculture and timber uses of the land.

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Teamwork that landed GKN Aerospace will attract others

his spring, a celebration was held to welcome a new corporate citizen to our community. It was a picture perfect day with bright blue skies, particularly fitting since the new corporate citizen is GKN Aerospace, a manufacturer of aircraft components.

With 55 manufacturing facilities in 14 countries that serve 90 percent of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers, GKN Aerospace is the world’s leading multi-technology Tier-1 aerospace supplier. It is a division of GKN, a multibilliondollar company at the forefront of global technology and innovation.

Even though they could have chosen anywhere in the world, GKN Aerospace chose to locate its first Florida facility in Bay County at VentureCrossings. That is a decision worth celebrating.

As we see companies like this choosing to invest in our community, we believe Bay County’s future is just as bright as the skies were blue on the day of that spring welcoming celebration.

What community would not want a brand new high-tech aerospace manufacturing facility that plans to create 170 high-wage jobs? That is a large number of jobs, especially when you consider that these are skilled jobs associated with the economy of the future. In addition to

Manufacturer brings 170 high-wage jobs

BY JORGE GONZALEZ

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the direct economic impact, manufacturing has one of the highest economic multiplier effects of any industry, with benefits that will be spread across the local economy for years to come.

Our community is grateful to GKN Aerospace for choosing and trusting Bay County. Many of us have worked closely with the company’s team over the past year and have gotten to know them as people. We can genuinely say that the quality of their people is just as high as the quality of the jobs they will be creating. We look forward to their long and successful presence in Bay County. Their success will translate into success for us all.

None of this would have been possible without the commitment our community has for economic development, growing the local economy and creating quality jobs. It is a commitment that is real and unwavering throughout our community, where different groups and individuals work together unselfishly with the single purpose of attracting quality jobs to our area — not just for themselves, but for the next generation. Such commitment sends a strong message to prospects that Bay County is “open for business,” and that message is extremely important to any company in the process of making a decision to locate a new facility or expand an existing facility.

The St. Joe Company is also “open for business” and committed to being part of a team that strives to create quality jobs in our area.

The investment we made to develop the infrastructure and have shovel-ready sites at VentureCrossings — and the construction of the facility for GKN Aerospace — are examples of that commitment.

Economic development is truly a team effort, and the commitment of the local community as well as the leadership of Governor Scott, our state leaders and other corporate partners like Gulf Power are important in making these types of decisions. Without a team effort, it would be challenging to attract companies like GKN Aerospace to our area.

At our spring celebration, Wayne Stubbs, executive director of Port Panama City and chairman of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, poetically said, “Every now and then in the life of a community, a window opens up and you get to look a little bit into the future, and today, this morning, is one of those times. A window opened up, we looked a little bit into the future and we see our future here is brighter than we thought it was.” We agree.

Bright and with blue skies.

Jorge Gonzalez is president and CEO of The St. Joe Company

The sale included the majority of St. Joe’s timberlands in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties. The company does, however, still have some rural land and forestry programs in place with sustainable forest management, timber management, land management and conservation programs in place.  LOFTY VENTURE GKN Aerospace, an aircraft supplier, is building a manufacturing facility at VentureCrossings Enterprise Centre, St. Joe’s industrial park in Bay County.

A PLAN TAKES OFF

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ST. JOE COMPANY

For the Bay County region to prosper, it was commonly accepted that a bigger airport was needed. The dream for the new $318 million Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport was more than 12 years in the making but was finally realized in 2010. One of the major elements to that success was St. Joe’s agreement to provide 4,000 acres of land in West Bay for the project.

The commercial space in the St. Joe-owned industrial park adjacent to the airport provides direct access to a 10,000-foot runway — a major plus for future economic development. St. Joe was also instrumental in bringing Southwest Airlines to the airport, boosting tourism.

“The airport relocation was a multi-year project that was a pretty big idea,” says Gonzalez. But the recession and then the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill stalled the local economy, and the rush to grab commercial space

around the airport that St. Joe was banking on didn’t take off as quickly as hoped. At least, not right away.

In 2012, ITT Exelis opened a mine defense production facility at the VentureCrossings Enterprise Centre.

And it was recently announced that GKN Aerospace manufacturing would be moving into the industrial park. The GKN facility is now under construction and is expected to be open for business in 2018. The company’s location in Bay County represents a $55 million capital investment that will create an estimated 170 new highly skilled jobs for the region with an average salary of $65,000. The aerospace division is an aircraft supplier for both military and commercial customers, building aerostructure, engine systems and special products, including canopies for F-22 and F-35 jets.

“That particular project addresses diversification of the economy,” explains Gonzalez, who also points out St. Joe was one of the founders in recent years of the Northwest Florida Manufacturing Council. “That’s a pretty significant wage for Bay County. And manufacturing has a high multiplier effect (with the creation of other services needed by that manufacturer and its employees).”

At a May welcoming ceremony for the new plant, Mike Grunza, CEO of GKN Aerospace’s Aerostructures’ North America business, said that while many manufacturers are leaving the United States for foreign countries, the company was impressed at how the region is ready for industry growth, including a

PAST AND FUTURE PORT Port St. Joe, once the home of St. Joe’s paper mill, wants to see the commercial waterway refurbished and reopened to generate jobs.

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“We’re very bullish about making investments in our real estate to create income streams. … With our scale of holdings, we can do a lot of things.” job-ready pipeline, infrastructure and its location near transportation sources such as the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

“We looked around at locations both inside and outside the U.S., and there was no better partnership than here in Florida,” said Grunza. “This investment emphasizes our commitment to manufacturing in North America, as this new, world-class facility will create jobs and strengthen our competitive position in the U.S. aerospace market for the future.”

The landing of GKN was a massive collaborative effort of the Bay Economic Development Alliance (Gonzalez is vice chair) with Enterprise Florida, Gulf Power, University of West Florida, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the St. Joe Company, Bay County Board of County Commissioners, CareerSource Florida, CareerSource Gulf Coast and Gulf Coast State College. (The site is one of nine industrial locations that have been certified through Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites program and is the second out of nine sites to attract a manufacturing business.)

FORWARD STRATEGY “We’re very bullish about making investments in our real estate to create income streams,” Gonzalez says about the future. “For example, expanding our portfolios of buildings that we own that we lease. We’ll be very methodical and thoughtful about when we sell commercial land, because once we sell, our economic interest ceases to exist and we lose income.”

GKN fits right in to that strategy as St. Joe moves forward. It will be leasing its facility from a subsidiary of St. Joe. When the company sold much of its rural timber land a few years ago, Gonzalez said it was because “we didn’t see a higher and better use of those facilities for the next couple of generations. We kept the property we expected to have a higher and better use.”

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A huge chunk of the land that was kept — a little over 100,000 acres, or five times the size of Manhattan — is the Bay Walton Sector Plan. (“We reminded our friends in Walton that Bay came first because it comes first in the alphabet,” Gonzalez says with a smile.)

The 50-year plan calls for 170,000 residential units and 25 million square feet of non-residential property.

Yet how that will actually be distributed or built is far from being decided. The company held 30 community meetings in the region to get input from local residents, businesses and community leaders.

“The idea is that instead of having that type of land asset just be developed based on what comes up next week, we wanted to have a blueprint or framework with a long shelf life,” he says. “We’re not going to artificially confine ourselves to project types because that’s what we did in the past. We’ll look at retail, office parks and residential.”

Originally there was discussion about developing communities that would attract retiring baby boomers and perhaps have some similarities to The Villages, a renowned retirement cluster located south of Ocala that is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with more than 100,000 residents.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ST. JOE COMPANY

— Jorge Gonzalez, President and CEO of The St. Joe Company

making. But our intent is not to replicate that here.

The attitudes about retirement have been evolving and aren’t the same as they were 10 or 20 years ago. We have to be sensitive about what the trends are. Active retirement is something we’re considering. With our scale of holdings, we can do a lot of things.”

Those things include workforce housing, traditional family housing, second homes, vacation homes and retirement homes. Adds Gonzalez, “We’ll look at the data, the market. Wherever we think there is an opportunity to respond to the market, we’re going to do that.”

Some of the company’s existing developments include Watersound Origins, within three miles of South Walton’s beaches, which has no restrictions and where homes range from $400,000 to $900,000. Breakfast Point is another residential development, located on Panama City Beach in Bay County, where homes average in the low to middle $300,000s.

On the planning board is continued work on the future of the Port of Port St. Joe. The port hasn’t been operational for years, but the company continues to own the property where the paper mill once operated.

“Many years ago, the company planned a mixed use commercial/  WATCHING residential use on that property, TRENDS St. Joe is watching the activebut the thing we heard loud and retirement market, clear from the community is that which fuels demand for projects such they were more interested in jobs as The Villages in — in commerce and industry.

Central Florida, St. Joe’s Watersound So, we redirected the plan and Origins (top left) rezoned to industrial,” Gonzalez and Breakfast Point (left) developments says. “It’s not easy to start a port in Walton and Bay from scratch (the channel hasn’t counties. been dredged since the 1980s). It takes a lot of time and effort, but we’re working with the port authority and transportation department to apply for and obtain dredging permits. We’re hopeful that at some point in the future, something will happen.”

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK

“The retirement demographic is something everyone in the country is looking at. We have been studying it and the trends, and we have looked at The Villages, like everyone else,” Gonzalez says. “They’re the overnight success that has been 30 years in the

According to its most recent annual report, St. Joe this year expects to have a capital expenditures budget of $62.8 million, including $29.1 million for the development and acquisition of land for residential and commercial real estate projects, $25.7 million for leasing, $6.4 million for resorts and leisure, and $1.6 million for forestry and other segments. The company owns 604,000 square feet of rentable commercial space.

“The fundamental nature of our company hasn’t changed,” says Gonzalez. “We are very open for business.”

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Drone operators say manufacturers and regulators are aligning, but privacy concerns are up in the air.

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AERIAL OPPORTUNISTS THE COMMERCIAL DRONE INDUSTRY IS LIFTING OFF IN THE PANHANDLE

BY JASON DEHART // PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI

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hey seem to be everywhere, and they’re here to stay. Unmanned aerial systems — also known popularly as “drones” — can be spotted hovering over beaches, local landmarks, special outdoor events, industrial sites and real estate. These remotely piloted aircraft carry high-tech video gear and stabilizing gimbals that allow their users — and their clients — to see the world from a different perspective.

Over the past few years, drones have evolved from a curious, innovative hobby to a serious industrial tool with plenty of growth and potential. According to BusinessInsider. com, the number of drone permits issued by the Federal Aviation Administration dramatically increased in just two years: In 2014, there were just two; in 2016, there were 3,100.

Drone operators, sensing the need for professionalism and accountability, are working hard to increase their viability in a competitive market.

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AERIAL

OPPORTUNISTS

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contractor to inspect property without climbing a ladder and for a rescue service to use drones to save lives,” said Jon Resnick, DJI policy lead. “The FAA recognized that the system needed to change and worked closely with its industry partners to build a better system. We look forward to continued collaboration with them in the future.”

The Small UAS Rule, technically called Part 107 of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, defines safety and security requirements for pilots and aircraft. Pilots must be at least 16 years old, must pass an aeronautical test at an FAA-approved testing center and must be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration. The drones themselves must be registered with the FAA, must weigh less than 55 pounds and are restricted to an altitude of 400 feet. They can’t travel faster than 100 miles an hour and can only be used in daylight hours. The new rule allows operators the free-

approval, so it’s not business-friendly, yet. But we can get some blanket coverage for low-altitude ops in certain areas.”

The FAA said that according to industry estimates, the Small UAS Rule could generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. Entrepreneurs in the Panhandle are working diligently to comply with new laws and new technology to realize some of that money.

For Joshua Lanier, president of Sky Pro Imaging in Panama City Beach, what started out as a hobby has turned into a full-service, high-end video production studio that handles TV commercials, concerts, documentaries, public service announcements, music videos and more. The business covers from Tallahassee to Pensacola. And, like Pelican Drones, Sky Pro Imaging is FAA-approved, licensed and insured.

“The bulk of what we do is real estate, vacation rentals,” Lanier said. “We do a

“We’ve chased multimillion-dollar yachts and documented a 93-year-old tree farmer.

(We) have a lot of opportunities to show our area from a new perspective.”

— Chris Tonn, CEO, Pelican Drones dom to work in uncontrolled airspace at or below 400 feet without requiring permission from air traffic control. If the operator intends to work within a controlled airspace, the rule supposedly makes it simpler to get permission via an online portal.

Tonn said that last part sounds great in theory, but it’s not exactly working out that way. At least, not yet.

“It’s very time-consuming because we have exceeded the FAA expectations,” he said. “There are 15,000 or more guys requesting flights. It’s a strain. Now the FAA says it takes up to 90 days for

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lot of those and a lot of events — outdoor events like the paddleboard racing event and Digital Graffiti (a festival where artists digitally project original work onto the iconic white walls of Alys Beach in Bay County). Pretty much anything that could apply to aerial imaging to market these events is what we do. RC flight was a hobby of mine growing up, so I was familiar with the control and orientation that you need to fly a drone.”

But today’s drones are a far cry from something you might cobble together in the garage. Advances in camera

PHOTO BY COURTLAND WILLIAM RICHARDS

“People loved the idea of drones for construction project shots, parking lot studies, traffic light studies, on and on; but if you don’t have the licensing and insurance and professionalism, those opportunities aren’t obtainable,” said Chris Tonn, CEO of Pelican Drones in Pensacola. His company is FAA-licensed and carries aviation insurance as well as commercial automobile insurance.

Pelican started two years ago and has since broadened its coverage area to include New Orleans, Tallahassee and all points in between. Pelican provides aerial photography and videography, ground-based videography, professional editing, industrial inspection, damage assessment, hazardous materials inspections and more.

“We stay busy traveling,” Tonn said. “It’s exciting to see where we’ll go. We’ve ‘chased’ multimillion-dollar yachts and have documented a 93-year-old tree farmer. It’s unique to have a lot of opportunities, especially in the tourism industry, to really show the area from a new perspective. We’ve done a lot of fun ones, from engineering firms to construction firms to ship builders. You name it, there’s a wide spectrum beyond just real estate.”

Using drones for such commercial purposes got easier and more streamlined with new rules published last summer by the FAA. Before the “Small UAS Rule” was put in place last year, commercial drone operators had to apply for a special FAA exemption called a 333 Exemption, which took months to acquire. The exemption also required the drone operator to employ a pilot with a manned aircraft license from the FAA, according to DJI, a major drone manufacturer. Meeting those requirements was a source of frustration for companies wanting to make the most of this technology, a DJI spokesman said.

“The new rules codify common sense, making it easier for a farmer to fly a drone over his fields, for a

Chris Tonn, Pelican Drones, and others say drone usage may expand into rescue services and border patrol.

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OPPORTUNISTS

“The tech companies are designing software onboard to keep people within the guidelines of the FAA. … We don’t know where exactly the definition of privacy is going to land.” technology allow pilots conducting industrial inspections to safely stand off and do their jobs, Tonn said.

“Here recently, some of the drones have integrated zoom capabilities and zoom lenses. It takes our inspection ability to a whole new level, like an inspection of a cell tower or hazmat situation,” he said. “Before, we’d have to fly closer, and that’s more dangerous. Now we can stay farther back and zoom and take various photos, see a crack in a bridge, some erosion on a junction box. We can see those things accurately and safely. That’s a unique thing to industrial inspection.”

large volumes of video production and editing.

“Your files can come out huge, so you have to have a powerful computer to edit it and store all that data when you’re done,” Lanier said. “It’s an expense to the business, and you have to keep expanding servers. Keeping up with all the files is a time-consuming and challenging task, sometimes.”

And, he added, you need to be patient.

“Any time you’re dealing with technology that changes constantly, the more you have to stay on top of and learn and stay competitive and be on the top of your game,” Lanier said.

Advantages and Challenges

The Future is Now

Technology plays a key role in the drone business. For starters, back when aerial drone photography was a new thing, it was difficult to achieve the desired stability necessary for a “smooth” video. The advent of stabilizing gimbals changed that and has improved over time. With that technology in place, drone operators can focus on system adaptability and greater performance.

“Nowadays, the true advantage goes to who has the modularity and software combination,” Tonn said. “DJI is the industry leader. Those drones are capable of going from a normal videography camera to a 30x optical zoom inspection camera to a FLIR camera, so you have a very versatile platform.”

And speaking of software, highdefinition video feeds take up a lot of computing space. That’s a constant challenge to any company doing

Drones are becoming increasingly capable instruments of commerce, and not just in the field of aerial videography and marketing. For example, Amazon made news when it envisioned delivering packages by drone.

But drones might be capable of delivering other items, such as packets of life-saving blood, either between hospitals or to remote, disaster-stricken areas. Johns Hopkins University researchers have already proved that in concept, blood products can be safely delivered this way. And drones could save lives in other ways, Tonn said.

Cruise ships could be equipped with “lifeguard” drones for search and rescue operations if someone falls overboard. Or drones could be equipped with defibrillators that land at the scene of a medical emergency and tell you what to do. And it could be a boon to certain law enforcement activities, such as border patrol.

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MICHAEL BOOINI

— Joshua Lanier, president, Sky Pro Imaging

“There are some exciting capabilities in the future,” Tonn said. “The list goes on and on. But long story short, the tech is there. Once we figure out the regulations, it’s going to be exciting.”

Playing Catch-Up Issues of safety, security and privacy have been debated as drones have become more prevalent. That’s why the FAA issued the new regulatory framework last summer. It had to catch up with a quickly growing technology.

But Lanier said the FAA has done a good job getting in tune with the times, and drone companies themselves are

For Joshua Lanier, president of Sky Pro Imaging, remote-controlled flight was a childhood hobby that became a futuristic career.

working on onboard devices to help pilots meet FAA safety limits.

“The tech companies are designing software onboard to keep people within the guidelines of the FAA. For example, they don’t want you flying at a certain altitude, so now you can set the max altitude using a built-in altimeter,” Lanier said. In addition, “geofencing software keeps you from flying into a prohibited area. Those are things I’m seeing — more synergy between manufacturers and the government — and that’s a good thing for everybody.”

That said, it’s uncertain how

municipalities will deal with the increasing presence of drones. On the state level, there are already laws on the books that govern drone operations.

Chapter 934.50 of the Florida Statutes prohibits law enforcement agencies from using drones to gather evidence or other information. It also prohibits drone operators from spying on privately owned property or the property owner. But it’s OK for businesses to use drones within the scope of their business license, and it is also permissible to use drones for appraising property, photographing public utilities and for aerial mapping.

That doesn’t mean municipalities won’t institute their own ground rules for pilots.

“In the future, certain areas may impose certain ordinances, but the hope is they will still permit commercial operations,” Tonn said. “The other thing is privacy. We don’t know where exactly the definition of privacy is going to land. Is it 100 feet above someone’s yard? Is it 500 feet? We try to announce to folks in the neighborhood that we’re going to be filming with a drone. We try to be as transparent as possible, but the perception over time will be interesting.”

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DEAL ESTATE Just Sold

Waterfront Property Finds its Investors

Sizeable, hard-to-find Gulf-front property sells for $5.25 million

Address: 19919 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413 Sale Price: $5,250,000 | Lot Size: 2.33 acres Contact: Kevin Wattenbarger, Senior Advisor, SVN SouthLand Commercial, Panama City Office, SouthlandCommercial.com, (850) 532-5454, KWattenbarger@SVN.com

This 2.33-acre development parcel, zoned “Seasonal/ Resort Commercial,” is located in the Laguna Beach community, just 3.5 miles from Pier Park and all of its terrific dining and shopping opportunities.

With 363 feet of Gulf frontage and mature palm trees from which to hang a hammock, this is the perfect property for its new, beach-enthusiast investors. Laguna Beach is a familyfriendly community whose residents enjoy every Panama City Beach amenity in a quiet, relaxed setting.

“Waterfront real estate of this size is very difficult to find and usually requires complex assemblages of multiple parcels,” says Carlton Dean, managing director of SVN SouthLand Commercial in North Florida. “This prime, 2.33 acre property, with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and Panama City Beach’s sugar-white sand, is a very attractive acquisition and investment opportunity.”

Over forty years ago, our founding members rejected the idea of a traditional law firm model.

Today Clark Partington is a full-service law firm serving clients in Florida and beyond. With offices in Pensacola, Destin, Tallahassee, Santa Rosa Beach and Orange Beach, we offer multidisciplinary solutions with a focus on real estate, construction, business transactions and government affairs.

Commitment. Trust. Expectations. Elevated.

888.777.510 5 | ClarkPartington.com Pensacola | Tallahassee | Destin Santa Rosa Beach | Orange Beach

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SVN SOUTHLAND COMMERCIAL

By Kim Harris Thacker

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

It’s all about trust. Every day you make choices to consult professionals on matters as varied as real estate purchases, legal representation and health care. In this special advertising section of 850 Business Magazine, we introduce you to Northwest Florida professionals dedicated to earning your trust by serving you well.

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

COLDWELL BANKER HARTUNG AND NOBLIN, INC. Since 1979, residents and business owners across Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla and Jefferson counties have turned to full-service real estate company Coldwell Banker Hartung and Noblin for their relocation needs. After nearly four decades of service in the Big Bend, CBHN’s commitment to clients and communities remains strong.

What services do you provide? We are a full-service Tallahas-

see Real Estate company specializing in residential sales, commercial sales, leasing, corporate relocation and investment property sales.

What sets your business apart? First and foremost, integrity. Our agents built the business on high standards and principles. Our success is due, in large part, to the relationships we’ve built with customers and the reputation we have maintained. Secondly, CBHN operates with only full-time agents. This provides our company with quality agents that are committed to their career and to finding you a home to call your own.

Lastly, our partnership with the Coldwell Banker national brand gives our brokerage credibility, which helps recruit agents and clients. We lead the industry in innovative techniques while maintaining old values.

We are proud to participate in an assortment of community events, volunteer programs, organizations and fundraisers all over the Big Bend in order to give back to the place we all call home.

What is the best part of working for your company? We pride ourselves on

the family atmosphere. Real Estate is a competitive market, but at CBHN we encourage collaboration and teamwork.

Seasoned agents are willing to share knowledge with more novice agents.

When you join CBHN, you become family.

It’s nice to work with people that you can count on to pull through those tough times with and celebrate the good times.

What impact do you hope to make on the community? Working as a real estate agent, your community is your place of work. We are proud to participate in an assortment of community events, volunteer programs, organizations and fundraisers all over the Big Bend in order to give back to the place we all call home. A

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couple of causes that hit close to home are: the Joanna Francis Living Well Foundation, America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Christmas Connection and the United Way of the Big Bend.

3303 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee (850) 386-6160 ColdwellBankerTallahassee.com

COLDWELL BANKER | GLOBAL LUXURY COLDWELL BANKER HARTUNG AND NOBLIN, INC. One of Tallahassee’s premier real estate businesses presents potential homebuyers with a selection of the city’s upscale real estate offerings.

LISA MONTGOMERY-CALVERT’S

goal is to make each transaction as smooth as possible by utilizing effective communication. She states open lines of communication and attention to detail have been the key to her 24 years of real estate success.

Client satisfaction is at the top of her list and she aims to never disappoint.

(850) 556-1226 LisaMCalvert@outlook.com

CHRISTIE ORROS is a secondgeneration Tallahassee Realtor, so you could say it runs in her blood.

She stands true to the commitments of Coldwell Banker by putting her clients first — not the company’s bottom dollar. A marketing degree and 14 years of Realtor experience have allowed her to save her clients money that they can reinvest into her beloved Tallahassee.

(850) 321-2393 TallyRealEstate.com

YVONNE HOWELL, a people person, brings to Coldwell Banker the unique ability to tailor the buying and selling experience to each customer’s needs. Building relationships is her specialty, as she enjoys working with first time homebuyers as well as luxury properties. Her engagement in the Tallahassee community for over 35 years extends to her customers an invaluable wealth of resources.

(850) 933-2219 YvonneJHowell@gmail.com

PRESTIGE. PEDIGREE. POWER. THE GLOBAL LUXURY DIFFERENCE.

DEBORAH THOMPSON brings to the team the pride of being a Tallahasseean since 1977 and the experience of being a Coldwell Banker agent since 1992. She has extensive knowledge of Tallahassee and Leon County, which makes home buying a breeze for her clients. She holds the expertise to be the key to your real estate needs and your home.

(850) 933-1349 Deborah@deborahthompson.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

RESORTQUEST BY WYNDHAM VACATION RENTALS A vacation is something to be enjoyed. With the countless hours spent researching, planning and making sure you select the perfect place to spend your hard-earned time and money, it’s a breath of fresh air to know that your vacation rental company cherishes your vacation just as much as you do. Dawn Moliterno, regional director of operations for ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, has a passion for people and service. “The tourism and hospitality industry provides no greater reward than watching people enjoy their vacation with us,” she says.

Moliterno’s career has been one focused on hospitality, from the start. Having made Santa Rosa Beach her home in 2005, she quickly made a big impact on the community when she navigated the area through the oil spill of 2010 as the executive director of the South Walton Tourist Development Council.

Moliterno facilitated negotiations with BP and the governor’s office for nearly $40 million in marketing grants. Her passion for the community is unparalleled.

“The quality of life and diversity of this area is second to none. I have always felt a great connection to the area and the sweet-tea hospitality.

God spent a little more time here,” she says.

Dawn Moliterno, Regional Director of Operations

“The goal is to give people the greatest experience and vacation of their lives, and if we do that, everything else takes care of itself.”

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Continuing to grow in the tourism industry, Moliterno made her mark on several other business entities before joining the ResortQuest team in 2016. She describes the culture as one that “embraces the family environment, professionally and personally.” Her diverse skill set in leadership and training has been instrumental within ResortQuest, creating clear and streamlined processes that touch everyone.

“I like being part of something bigger than just the role. It’s about people serving people, whether a guest, homeowner or peer.”

(844) 330-1923 WyndhamVacationRentals.com

MCCULLAR & COMPANY McCullar & Company has come a long way from its humble beginnings operating out of a basement in Eufaula, Alabama. The company began in 1975 with the partnership of Martin Coates and Robert McCullar — McCullar holding its namesake and keys to the Santa Rosa Beach office. The mission has remained the same: to serve clients beyond their expectations.

Clients can expect the same courteous service no matter the nature of the engagement — from a simple form 1040 tax return to more complex matters, such as business tax planning and preparation, IRS issues, litigation support, consulting or QuickBooks training and support.

McCullar & Company fits into a unique niche that is large enough to handle the needs of most privately held companies and small enough to provide close personal attention to all clients.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCCULLAR & COMPANY (MCCULLAR)

“We view every client relationship as a partnership and truly believe that our success is a result of our clients’ success,” said McCullar. “We take pride in providing the close personal assistance each client needs based on our years of advanced training, experience and technical experience.”

McCullar admits that taxpayers are more equipped than ever with the online tools available to them; but in many cases, that does not negate the need for a CPA. CPAs act as trusted advisors and can provide tax advice that software cannot provide. Tax laws are constantly changing, and it is the duty of a CPA to stay abreast of those changes and use them to the client’s advantage.

The company currently has nine employees, all entrusted to best serving each client’s specific accounting needs.

Robert McCullar, CPA, CVA

“We view every client relationship as a partnership and truly believe that our success is a result of our clients’ success.”

“Oftentimes, CPAs develop a close personal relationship with their clients,” said McCullar. “We have clients who date back to the beginning of the firm more than 40 years ago, and I recently heard one of them say to his children that if anything should happen to him,

the first call they should make would be to 9-1-1 and the second would be to our firm.”

2441 US Highway 98 W, Suite 108, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-0888 McCullarCPA.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Tallahassee Community College is one of the top community colleges in the United States, based on student success rates, return on investment and low cost of attendance. The school offers a robust variety of classes and highly regarded extracurricular activities.

More than 70 percent of TCC’s degreeseeking students are enrolled in the university transfer program, which prepares them to transfer to schools such as Florida State University, Florida A&M University and other academic institutions. Hundreds of other students choose career programs such as health care, technology, public safety, business, design or construction.

The main campus is located on Appleyard Drive in Tallahassee, supplemented by six specialized service centers. Also in Leon County are the Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education and the Center for Innovation. Gadsden County holds the Florida Public Safety Institute and the TCC Gadsden Center. The TCC Wakulla Center and the Wakulla Environmental Institute are located in Wakulla County.

Each site offers customized services that reflect the character of the local community and the needs of its workforce.

The college provides a $387 million boost each year to the three counties it serves. Much of that can be attributed to the earning power of TCC graduates.

In addition to its impressive curriculum, the students’ interests outside the classroom setting are also worth noting. A sampling of extracurricular

Student success is our priority. programs includes student government, Theatre TCC, Eyrie Literary & Art Magazine, Forensics Speech & Debate and Brain Bowl. The TCC Eagles field six intercollegiate athletic teams: softball, baseball, women’s and men’s basketball, and women’s and men’s cross country.

meet them helping area veterans, doing robotics demonstrations for children or cleaning up a local beach.

Students are encouraged to get involved in service projects and other civic engagement activities. You may

444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee (850) 201-6200 TCC.fl.edu

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TCC students are on the move throughout our communities, and they are leaving an impressive impact behind them.

PATIENTS FIRST

Leveraging the past, building the future.

Leveraging the Past

Patients First has been an urgent and primary care leader in Tallahassee since 1989. Having grown roots in the community, the physicians, providers and staff not only work here, but many grew up here and are raising their families

here, too. Additionally, their network of seven centers provides easy access for chronic care patients and walk-in urgent care patients. Some patients have relied on their providers for more than 20 years.

Building the Future

Patients First is now working to create a health care experience that will serve Tallahassee for another 20 years. They are renovating the physical locations, adding new equipment like digital x-rays, and the latest technology for staff and patients. A company-wide new electronic medical records system means that patients’ records are available at all locations. And a new online check-in system is now available on their website to allow walk-in patients to “skip the wait.”

Their “5C’s” Vision Guidelines Convenient: We will be easy to find, close to home, quick to serve.

Courteous: We will treat everyone with respect and show gratitude for their patronage.

Caring: We will have empathy for our patients and seek to ease or erase their health care problems.

Competent: We will provide knowledgeable staff, efficient processes and sound business practices.

Compliant: We will follow regulatory rules and guidelines and will not cut corners for profit or expediency.

7 convenient Tallahassee locations!

PatientsFirst.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

THE TAPROOT AGENCY What services do you provide? First and foremost,

What does your future hold?

Taproot is a behavior change agency. No matter what services we’re providing for a particular client, be it content development, a PR initiative, a branding campaign, a custom-built website or anything else, we start by asking, “What do you want your audience to do?”

We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing. We may use different media and tools as they evolve over time, but, ultimately, figuring out how to change behavior is what drives us. We’ve found a strange but nearly magical interplay between science and art that works astoundingly well.

What is the best part of working for your company?

We have a lean and mean team of people, and we expect a lot from them. We challenge each other, push each other and test one another’s mettle. It makes us better as a company, and it makes our work that much better.

2057 Delta Way, Tallahassee (850) 309-1900 TapRoot.agency

Jon Edwards, President and Chief Creative Officer

TALLAHASSEE STATE BANK WHAT WE LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT WE DO Our customers! The excitement of a new child or grandchild, opening a new business, marriages, retirement and more, we love experiencing that with our customers. We celebrate and give high fives. We also hold a hand or give a hug during the difficult times.

WE REALLY SURPRISED OURSELVES THE TIME WE ... Collected over 9,000 bottles of water and delivered them to three special locations in our community to help those in need. Synovus strives to be active in each and every community that we are a part of.

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THIS, BUT WE … Have 258 locations throughout five states to serve you. If you bank with us here in Tallahassee, you also bank with us throughout the Southeast.

Al Basford, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banker

OUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT In June we were named “Most Reputable Bank” in the U.S. in the annual Survey of Bank Reputations conducted by the Reputation Institute and published by American Banker. Synovus ranked first overall, first among non-consumers and in the top ten among customers.

Synovus ranked second overall in 2016.

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Tina Darnell, Vice President, Retail Market Manager

EQUAL HOUSING

LENDER

Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast.

601 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee (850) 576-1182 Synovus.com

TADLOCK ROOFING TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S HISTORY AND WHY EXPANSION IS IMPORTANT. Dale

Tadlock founded Tadlock Roofing in Tallahassee in 1980 and began a commitment to serve local homeowners and businesses for 37 years and counting. In the past 5 years, Tadlock has opened fully staffed branches in Panama City, Pensacola, Jacksonville and Tampa. He says, “My hope is that by expanding our company throughout Florida, we will make a difference in our employees’ lives, the communities we serve and the industry as a whole.”

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART? Tadlock Roofing is family

Dale Tadlock, Owner and President

owned and operated and operates more like a lab than a factory, always seeking superior solutions for clients. The leadership team mentors employees, nurturing

creativity, growth and trust. Through sustainable work practices, education and dedication, Tadlock Roofing promises to make a difference. The company recycles 100 percent of all roof tear-offs. The material is repurposed for roadways and molten metal.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH? It is Tadlock’s

goal to raise the level of integrity in the roofing industry throughout the state by hiring qualified and experienced salespeople, installers and support staff, raising the bar for safety practices and providing education resources for our clients.

2609 W. 23rd St. Panama City, (850) 785-7777 185 W. Airport Blvd., Suite C Pensacola, (850) 542-3747 502 Capital Circle SE, #502-C1 Tallahassee, (850) 877-5516

RJ YOUNG

CHRIS BETHEA, SALES MANAGER WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? Solutions to securely manage paper and digital information, maintain vital information technology systems and empower businesses with leading printing and copying technologies, including managed print services.

ASHLEY HYLBERT

WHAT TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD? Our teams are consistently going through various training from our manufacturing partners such as Ricoh USA, Canon USA, HP, Lexmark and more. Our solutions and IT teams retain multiple certifications and complete ongoing training programs to stay on top of software and information technology systems.

Chris Bethea, Sales Manager

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION? Florida is a growing market with unlimited potential.

RJ Young brings a unique product

to the table by offering solutions for many of today’s business challenges under one roof to ensure business managers and owners are successful.

Many customers in Florida today have to contract with multiple partners to accomplish the goals that RJY can provide in one stop.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY CONSIST OF FOR YOU? Consulting with customers and prospective customers on strategies to improve efficiency and productivity in their businesses. A goal is to show them how their copier, or multifunctional printer, is an on-ramp to digital information management rather than “just a copier.”

33 Brent Lane, Unit 101, Pensacola (850) 433-8655 RJYoung.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

GARNER IT CONSULTING

JESSICA WHITAKER

You probably cringe upon hearing “IT,” flashing back to a technology issue that was not resolved in a timely manner. Since 2010, Garner IT Consulting has set out to change that outlook by educating and proving to businesses that technology is meant for efficiency, not frustration.

L-R: Jamie Godsey, Randall Garner, Kristin Eubanks, Jeff Delmar, Roger Leete and Timothy Garner

They are aware of how businesses depend on technology and the importance of professionals you can count on for strategic technology solutions, security issues, information backup and more.

Whether you are a small business or a large medical office, the loss of your client information could be detrimental. The leading causes of information loss are disasters and hackers, the latter seeing an influx this year.

“It is our goal to build a relationship with our clients that establishes a level of comfort and trust where we take all things tech off of their hands,” said president Randall Garner.

“We have a great team that is really special because they are continually educating themselves to keep up with the fastpaced and ever-changing tech industry in order to best protect our customers,” said Garner.

That trust extends to what Garner believes is the most valuable asset of your business: your information.

1330 Harrison Ave. Panama City, (850) 250-3210 Garner-IT.com

AMERICAN COMMERCE BANK WHAT WE LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT WE DO The

relationship-building aspect of independent banking is our favorite part of the job. We simply sit down with our clients and listen to what they want, and tailor our relationship to fit their needs and alleviate the stress of them wondering if they made the best decision on where to handle their finances.

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

Affiliation, or rather, lack thereof.

We are the truest definition of an “independent” bank in the sense that we don’t belong to any sort of multibank holding company.

Given our structure of ownership and executive management, we

have the capability to get answers and make decisions rather quickly.

OUR HAPPIEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT

I think as a bank, the moments that we find to be the happiest are when we can solve an issue a client has. Whether it’s facing payments on debts they have that are hindering their ability to use cash toward another area of their business, or they are trying to figure out if they have the right idea about growing or expanding, all the way to a quick question about their account.

536 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee (850) 681-7761 AmericanCommerceBank.com

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Justin Wimberly, Vice President, Commercial Lender

UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING SCIENCES

PHELAN EBENHACK

A half century ago, Seymour (Sy) Israel was in a deep hole, in Merritt Island, clearing a clogged septic tank with a hand drill. It was his first client, so Sy vowed to do “whatever it takes” to succeed.

L-R: Mark Israel, Sy Israel

Today, Sy Israel is chairman of Orlando-headquartered Universal Engineering Sciences, a $70 million-plus consulting engineering firm with 700 employees in 18 offices across Florida and Georgia, including Pensacola and Panama City. The lessons Sy learned in that hole about honesty, integrity and hard work were passed on to his son, Mark, now president of Universal. Mark worked his way up at Universal, tackling any challenging job thrown at him, embracing Sy’s personal commitment to treat every Universal employee as family.

Universal Engineering Sciences offers many services to its Panhandle clients: geotechnical

engineering, environmental services, threshold inspection and construction materials testing and building code compliance services. But, if you really want to know what makes a great family company great, just ask Pensacola and Panama City Branch Managers James McConnell, PE, and Brandon Tarr, PE, who both climbed the ladder of success from college kids to senior management.

PENSACOLA OFFICE: 1985 Cope Lane (850) 944-5555 PANAMA CITY OFFICE: 1712 Airport Road (850) 215-2060

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SOUNDBYTES » Dr. Jerry Parrish of the Florida Chamber Foundation has been appointed to the FloridaMakes PARRISH board of directors. Parrish is the chief economist and the director of research for the Florida Chamber Foundation.

CREATING JOBS Partners in Association Management recently received the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award. The Tallahassee company was founded in 1998 and provides management services to state, regional and national nonprofit associations.

CAPITAL APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Holger Ciupalo, policy chief for

the Finance and Economic Analysis unit of the Office of Policy and Budget in the Executive Office of the Governor, has been appointed to the State Retirement Commission.

» Tom Napier, a former special

projects manager for the Clerk of Circuit Court of Leon County, has been reappointed to the State Retirement Commission.

» Jonathan Costello, a governmental consultant with Rutledge Ecenia P.A. and an adjunct professor at Florida State University, has been reappointed to the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

» Keith Lawson, president of Keith Lawson Company, Inc., was reappointed to the Construction Industry Licensing Board.

» GloFX recently received the

2017 Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Award at the Governor’s Sterling Awards Banquet in Orlando. Florida is home to over 20,000 manufacturing companies, 120 of which were nominated, and only 28 made it to the final round of judging. GloFX was one of only seven award winners.

» Thomas Howell Ferguson’s

Brian Walgamott has been accepted into Leadership Tallahassee Class 35. The firm also noted that Amy Campbell has earned the

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WALGAMOTT CAMPBELL JENKINS

SPENCE

ICARDI

SACKREITER

BEGINNINGS

» Senior Life Insurance

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designation of Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional. Leigh Jenkins has earned the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Not-For-Profit Certificate I. Additionally, John Spence is now a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. The firm recently welcomed Tim Icardi and Lauren Sackreiter to the Tallahassee office. Sackreiter is a staff accountant in the assurance services department and Icardi will serve as a staff accountant in the tax department.

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Company has chosen Tallahassee as the location for its first expansion into Florida. The etablishment of the Florida office will create 30 full-time financial services jobs with an anticipated total economic impact of more than $2.6 million, according to the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality. Senior Life Insurance Company, headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, was incorporated in 1970 and was licensed at that time in six states.

It has since expanded to a total of 39 states and the District of Columbia and projects continued nationwide expansion.

850businessmagazine.com

» Joshua E. Doyle is the new executive director of the Florida Bar. He follows John F. “Jack” Harkness, Jr., who will now shift into a consulting role. » Mark Robinson, president and

CEO of Capital Regional Medical Center, has been appointed to the United Way of the Big Bend board of directors for 2017-2018. Robinson has more than 18 years of health care administration experience.

» Zoe Linafelt

is now the communications manager of the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers.

LINAFELT Linafelt is a sevenyear communications veteran and most recently worked as an account manager at Sachs Media Group.

» Tim Perry was recently elected 2017 vice president of the Florida Association of Environmental PERRY Professionals.

He is a partner with Oertel, Fernandez, Bryant & Atkinson, P.A. in Tallahassee and represents clients in administrative law, environmental law, water law, land use law, utility law, coastal law, appellate law and litigation. » Danfoss Turbocor Compressors in Tallahassee recently received two awards — including an Edison Award — for technological developments.

The company builds oil-free, magnetic bearing, variable-speed

centrifugal compressors for highefficiency air-conditioning chillers.

EMERALD COAST APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Gulf Breeze attorneys Robert “Alex” Andrade was recently appointed, and Pamela Langham was reappointed, to the First Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission.

LOCAL HONORS

» The Florida Small Business Development Center Network is now accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs. The center is located at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. » Destin Commons received the 2017 For-Profit Communicator of the Year Award, presented by the RUIZ Northwest Florida Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. The award recognizes outstanding communications leaders and was accepted by Heather Ruiz, who was recently promoted to director of marketing for Destin Commons. » Keller Williams Realty Emerald Coast of Destin recently collected honors in 12 categories at a regional awards program held in Louisiana. The agency took the regional first place award for market center growth, and second place for both market center profit and top profit share. Additionally, 73 agents received awards for varying levels of total transactions and gross commission incomes. » The Grand Boulevard hotels, managed by Howard Hospitality of Miramar Beach, recently received three awards for excellence from Marriott International. The Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin earned a Silver Hotel Award, and the Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin took home a Platinum Hotel Award, as well as the Quality of Food Satisfaction Award. The awards were presented during a Marriott conference in New Orleans. » Santa Rosa County recently received the Distinguished Budget

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BUSINESS NEWS

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SOUNDBYTES LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Eddie Norris is the new

president of Pensacola’s Coastal Bank and Trust following the retirement of Jim Mathis. Norris was formerly the president for CB&T of Middle Georgia, a Synovus division in Warner Robins.

» Mary Lee Coble, PhD, is now

TOP RANKING Port St. Joe’s Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf received an Overall Top Performer Award for Hospital Environment from Professional Research Consultants, Inc. The hospital took first place in Florida and the United States.

Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for its fiscal year 2016-17 budget.

» Grand Boulevard at Sandestin

won a silver award at this year’s International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) MAXI Awards, held in May in Las Vegas. Grand Boulevard’s winning entry was submitted in the Causal Marketing category and titled “Coastal Culture: A Passion for Arts, Entertainment and Charity.” The Coastal Culture program is the brand banner under which Grand Boulevard’s dozens of events take place annually. Most Town Center events support local charities and non-profit groups.

» Eunice Caabay of Pensacola High School received a $1,500 Simon Youth Foundation scholarship CAABAY from Cordova Mall. Simon Youth Foundation has helped more than 14,000 at-risk students receive a high school diploma and has awarded more than $16 million in scholarships since it was founded in 1998.

» Jacob Flanigan

of Navarre High School has been awarded a college scholarship from the Corvias Foundation. FLANIGAN Flanigan is a band student and teaches elementary students at the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station. He plans

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Phaneuf has joined PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, based in Andalusia, Alabama, as PHANEUF economic development representative for Florida. She will work with PowerSouth’s northwest Florida distribution members and with state and local agencies to recruit new companies and work with existing industry to promote economic growth in the region.

Phaneuf is based in Freeport.

» Twin Cities Hospital of Niceville received the Healthgrades 2017 Patient Safety Excellence Award.

This places Twin Cities Hospital in the top 10 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data evaluated by Healthgrades. The hospital also received the May Triple E Award for energy efficiency from the Florida Public Service Commission.

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BAY APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Panama City attorney Gregory Wilson was reappointed to a term on the 14th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission.

BEGINNINGS

» Legendary Marine is opening a new, 33,000-square-foot retail center in Panama City Beach.

on studying computer science and music at the University of West Florida. The Foundation has awarded over $7 million to military families since 2006.

» Scarlett

Dana Hahn, vice-president of leasing, Howard Group; Jocelyn Smith, CEO, infinitee Communications; Myra Williams, vice-president of marketing, Howard Group; Matt Hagen, executive vice-president and CFO, Howard Group; Stacey Brady, director of marketing and communications, Grand Boulevard at Sandestin; Penny Polk, executive administrator, Howard Group; Keith Howard, President & CEO, Howard Group.

the senior vice president of business development at Catalyst CRE of Pensacola. Coble has 25 years of experience in several health care industry segments.

Public Schools; and G. Devin Stephenson, president, Northwest Florida State College.

» Chris Joyner is the new

executive chef of Saltwater Grill in Panama City Beach. Joyner is a Navy veteran and received a culinary management degree from Gulf Coast State College in 2002.

» The St. Joe Community Foundation has awarded $20,000 to Food For Thought Outreach to help buy backpacks for DeFuniak Springs-area students. Food For Thought provides backpacks filled with healthy, easy to prepare food for students who are dependent on free or reducedcost school meals. » More than $2.6 million in federal DOT grants will go to four Northwest Florida airports this fall, according to U.S Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R-Fort Walton Beach).

Gaetz said the money will be used to make improvements at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, Crestview’s Bob Sikes Airport, the Destin Executive Airport and the Pensacola International Airport. The largest chunk of the money, $2,107,000, will go to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport, located at Eglin Air Force Base.

Some 2,000 feet of taxiways will be rehabilitated using the grant. » The 21st Gulf Power Economic Symposium is scheduled for Oct. 1-3 at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The event is an opportunity to hear from thought leaders about efforts to grow Northwest Florida and to network with business leaders from across the region.

Speakers will include Vance Aloupis, CEO, The Children’s Movement; Madeline Pumariega, chancellor, Florida College System; Hershel Lyons, chancellor, Florida

FORGOTTEN COAST APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Samuel “Bo” Spring of Port

St. Joe, the managing member of Big Fish Construction LLC, has been reappointed to the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

BEGINNINGS

» Dr. Stacy Harbin

has joined Sacred Heart Medical Group’s team of surgeons HARBIN and will be based at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf in Port St. Joe. Harbin has more than 30 years of surgical experience.

I-10 LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Farm Credit of Northwest

Florida’s board of directors recently paid $3 million in cash dividends to its 981 member-owners. The financial cooperative is located in Marianna.

LOCAL HONORS

» Gadsden County Development Council earned a “Deal of the Year–Rural Community” award at the Florida Economic Development Council’s 2017 Annual Conference in Ft. Lauderdale.

—COMPILED BY JASON DEHART

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BAY CORRIDOR

Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

Buffalo, Rice and a Dog Named Blue Bay County business working to promote canine health By Steve Bornhoft

W

hen an autopsy revealed a carcinogen traceable to the food that Cheyenne, her prized English Staffordshire terrier, had been eating, Victoria McDowell was unhinged.

She confronted the veterinarian who had recommended the food, and he apologized.

And McDowell resolved to never again feed a dog food she did not make herself.

She has remained true to that pledge.

And a year ago, she introduced to the marketplace the same home cooking that Missy, her bugg (a cross between a pug and a Boston terrier), thrives on.

Miss Autumn’s Barquery dog foods are produced in the kitchen of McDowell’s home in rural Bay County. At this writing, three foods are available in Bay, Walton and Okaloosa counties and in a few other locations scattered around the country. Soon, jars of a food specially designed to promote cardiovascular and renal health will be seen on shelves next to the established Turkey/ Brown Rice, Turkey/Sweet Potato and Buffalo/Brown Rice varieties.

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While not a veterinarian, McDowell has drawn upon her extensive experience working with animals, including some of the most highly valued and pampered specimens in the world, in developing her products.

Originally from Hollywood, Florida, McDowell “grew up on racetracks” –— Calder, Hialeah, Gulfstream — where she started working with thoroughbreds as a groomer. Over the course of five years, she worked toward and acquired her trainer’s license. She worked alongside some of the best veterinarians money can buy and obtained an equine science certification from the University of Edinburgh.

Today, she owns two off-the-track thoroughbreds including one sired by the Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. But it was her passion for animals canine versus equine that launched her business.

“Today, a lot of people are choosing to cook

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for their dogs to ensure that they know what their pets are eating,” said Jim Maciborski, McDowell’s partner in business and Miss Autumn’s chief operating officer. “They hear about product recalls and class action lawsuits filed against big dog-food companies, and they have a hard time trusting what they are buying. They are tired of being deceived by marketing that insists Brand X is great for their dog when they know otherwise.”

Miss Autumn’s does the cooking for those pet owners who are inclined to whip up dishes for their dogs but may lack the time to do so.

“The inclination to make your own food is a good one,” McDowell said, “but there is no way that whatever you serve your dog has been analyzed and balanced the way our foods have been. We add 76 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and probiotics to our products.”

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS (DOG FOOD)

WINNING RECIPE Miss Autumn’s Barquery dog foods are made by Victoria McDowell in her kitchen. McDowell launched this business after the death of her terrier was linked to a dog food additive. Jim Maciborski is the company’s chief operating officer.

McDowell emphasized that all Miss Autumn’s food is cooked in small batches with processes governed by strict procedures that Maciborski, who was a quality assurance officer in the Air Force for 20 years, has developed consistent with recommendations from Dr. Olga Padilla-Zakour of Cornell University.

“Our food is not frozen or raw; it’s not dehydrated,” McDowell said.

“We have sent samples to Cornell University, whose laboratories verified that we use outstanding processes. We spend a boatload of money on ingredients. If you ever worried about a child getting into your dog’s food, you don’t have to in the case of our products.

They are perfectly safe for human consumption. We are not afraid to say that we are a higher-end food (about 5 bucks a jar) because of the quality of what you are getting.”

Believers include Dr. Carla Hubbard, a Panama City veterinarian whose clients include McDowell and to whom she turned when her office was presented with a badly emaciated, stray Australian Shepherd about 9 years old.

“Blue” had lost all of its hair and had ceased eating, but nonetheless was an adorable dog, Hubbard said. When tests revealed that Blue had severe food allergies, Hubbard

Photo by STEVE BORNHOFT

contacted McDowell, who prepared foods that did not contain the allergens that had affected the animal.

“Blue responded immediately,” Hubbard said. “She regained the weight she had lost, and her coat came back.”

Said McDowell, Blue just bloomed.

The story had a happy ending when Blue was adopted as a rescue.

“There is no such thing as a drug that will cure cancer in any animal,” McDowell said, recalling Cheyenne. “But, that being said, there are foods that will support your dog’s immune system, vascular system, renal system, kidneys, spleen and gall bladder and keep the dog healthy enough to give it a fighting chance if it were to develop cancer or another serious illness.”

McDowell, who was married to a heart surgeon and followed him from career stop to career stop for 20 years, was living in Missouri when she was approached by then Gov. Jay Nixon, who was aware of her nascent dog-food business and asked her to put together a proposal for funding to build a large-scale plant.

Millions of dollars were appropriated for the project, McDowell said, but were later diverted for use in refurbishing state office buildings.

McDowell, given that experience, has had an easy time turning away later approaches made

by Tyson Foods and Hormel.

McDowell departed Missouri for Panama

City, and when her husband later decided to move yet again, she decided to stay. The couple divorced and McDowell and Maciborski were introduced to one another by a mutual friend. Maciborski, by then retired from the Air Force with the rank of master sergeant, happened to be in Panama City working as a consultant on an unmanned minesweeping project for the Navy.

“We don’t have to go to the Shark Tank,” Maciborski said. “The big boys are coming to us. They know we have a good product.”

But he and McDowell are committed to growing their business slowly and maintaining close supervision over its operations. Their plans call for the addition of a commercial kitchen at their property — and employees.

“Jim and I have complementary skills,” McDowell said. “I am fortunate to have him as part of the business. Given his background, he is the perfect person to see to our product quality.”

Maciborski inspected C-130 airframes in the Air Force and tested and evaluated GPSguided parachutes used to deliver supplies to precise locations. He completed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The military is all about adherence to regulations and standards, and we will establish best practices here to ensure that we never have a recall,” Maciborski said.

“Even as the demand for our products increases and our operations grow, we will maintain meticulous attention to detail.

“We know that everything we produce is going to someone’s prized pet.”

McDowell and Maciborski have shipped food to Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and military bases in Guam and Hawaii. A California woman who frequently flies in to Destin on a private jet picks up about $800 of Miss Autumn’s food whenever she is in town.

“We are discovering the demand for our products, and we are finding that it’s global,” McDowell said.

Miss Autumn’s Barquery dog foods are available at the For the Health of It organic grocery in Santa Rosa Beach, Modica Market in Seaside, Doggy Bag pet supply in Destin, Suncoast Pets in Panama City Beach and Miramar Beach, and EarthWise pet supply in Panama City.

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EMERALD COAST CORRIDOR

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

Prescription for Success

As Baby Boomers age, pharmacy network gears up for expansion in caregiving institutions By Tisha Crews Keller

F

or Guardian Pharmacy of Northwest Florida in Crestview, the era of Baby Boomer retirement is a foreshadowing of something larger that is likely to keep it in business for decades to come.

It’s a business opportunity that we’ve long seen coming. According to a 2002 study by the Health Research and Educational Trust, the “2030 problem,” when the elderly population will be twice what it is today, is real.

Much of this growth will be prompted by the aging of the Baby Boomers, who just 13 years from now will be from 66 to 84 years old and will number 61 million. In addition, those born prior to 1946 (the “oldest old”) will number 9 million by then.

The vast majority of this aging population is likely to spend the latter and mostly immobile part of their lives in a nursing home or

GOOD PROGNOSIS Robert Dunn, Guardian Pharmacy of Northwest Florida, sees opportunity.

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other managed care facility — and, because of modern medicine’s advances, their stay will be much longer than we traditionally expect based on our grandparents’ experiences.

Capitalizing on a Boom The level of care the health care industry must dispense over the next 15 to 30 years will be tremendous, and Guardian Pharmacy has a business model that takes advantage of the coming “captive” and medically needy population boom.

The business is actually a network of locally owned and operated “partner pharmacies” that focus solely on supporting institutional caregiving. Overall, the umbrella network is 17 pharmacies throughout the nation that provide custom prescription dispensing services for health care facilities, especially nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

For Robert Dunn, the president and owner of Guardian Pharmacy of Northwest Florida, the decision to join Guardian as a partner was a case of the right call at the right time.

As a young pharmacist, Dunn worked at institutional pharmacies such as Baylor Hospital and other long-term care pharmacies, and he clearly saw the boom coming.

He had developed an entrepreneurial spirit over the course of his career, and by the time he learned about Guardian, he was president of Terra Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served the nursing home industry in three states.

In May 2011, Dunn relocated to Crestview and opened Guardian Pharmacy of Northwest Florida, a base from which he is able to provide “seamless coverage throughout Florida and Alabama.”

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All along the Interstate 10 corridor — from Tallahassee to Pensacola, as well as Destin and Panama City in Florida; and Dothan, Ozark, Enterprise, Opp and Andalusia, as well as all of Baldwin County, in Alabama — Dunn’s pharmacy dispenses medications via hand delivery or expedited mail to a variety of facilities. He even has a contract with a community care facility in Tampa.

Dunn focuses on winning pharmacology contracts with facilities or corporations providing long-term care, and he fulfills them with staff trained in automation and customer service.

Catering to Special Needs According to Dunn, there is a key difference in the pharmacy of long-term care medicine versus a high-volume “big box” retailer. For instance, the patient profile — geriatric patients — have a unique set of needs based on their disease state and physiological differences. Being older and suffering from diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s, for instance, means the elderly patient is a very specific type who requires a very specific pharmacology. For example, the effects of Benadryl on an older patient are far different from those in a young or middle-age patient.

Dunn and his staff of 45 provide their institutional customers with access to a host of Guardian services, including roundthe-clock access to registered pharmacists, seven-day-a-week delivery and specialized medication packaging, to facilitate safe and efficient distribution of medications to patients.

It’s the specialized packaging — done mainly through state-of-the-art automation — and hand delivery to local customers that makes Guardian different from other pharmacies in the region.

“Our main reason for switching to Guardian Pharmacy of Northwest Florida was for better delivery times,” said Nancy Barfield, director of clinical service for Tallahassee-based Summit Care. “So the location made a big difference.”

Dunn points to the autonomy he enjoys within the Guardian framework as the secret to his success.

SAFETY FIRST Automation, custom packaging and trained technicians aim to reduce errors in dispensing medications while increasing efficiency.

“Guardian is a franchise model,” he said.

“But they stress local autonomy for decisions, such as if an extra delivery is needed or other service. There’s other special help we can provide our customers.”

Delivering Efficiency Besides the unique pharmacology of geriatric patients, the Guardian model also focuses on efficiency and a low error rate to deliver the best service — and product — for the customer.

Health care facilities have specialized staff to perform medication dispensation

Photos by CHASE YAKABOSKI

to patients. These “medication technicians” have specific training on how each medication should be administered and documented for both medical and reimbursement reasons.

On average, Dunn says, each resident takes 10 to 15 medications per month, and these doses must be given by a med tech or registered nurse within a certain amount of time.

Blister packs or “bingo cards” are routinely used to handle “compliance packaging needs,” when a medical provider must ensure a series of doses for each patient.

Multi-dose “strip packaging” with a name, date and time for each medication administration is another way the industry standardizes doses. Nearly 100 percent of Guardian’s medications are dispensed in one of these two manners.

These packaging options are the mainstay of Guardian’s businesses, and the company has reduced errors and dramatically amped up production through the use of automation.

Dunn’s staff includes certified pharmacy technicians, six pharmacists, one salesperson, and a registered nurse who handles training and medication-cart “audits” for customer facilities. Many of the staff routinely visit facilities to offer advice, consultation and a personal touch.

Through machine/computer automation, this small staff is able to concentrate

less on “counting pills” and more on the actual medicine of pharmacology: following up with customers and doctors, researching drug interactions, guarding against prescription allergies, reviewing dosages and preventing therapy duplication — things that busy “big box” pharmacies don’t usually have time to monitor.

While these could be catastrophic to a patient, technically they aren’t considered “pharmacology errors.” Errors in pharmacy would include the wrong dose or quantity of medication, the wrong medication entirely or labeled for the wrong patient, or even packaged to the wrong facility.

Guardian’s automation equipment reads a barcode on the prescription itself and verifies that the correct medicine is being dispensed, then packages and labels the medication for grouping by facility. By his own admission, Dunn realizes automation is extremely accurate, but fantastic technicians are what sets Guardian apart.

“We must have a very low error rate in pharmacology,” he said. To that end, Dunn and his colleague Cyndi Dent, director of pharmacy, are trained in the Six Sigma process improvement system that is proven to remove errors.

And while they follow the program to reduce errors, it is having the time to review doctors’ orders and scan a patient’s unique profile that gives Guardian the advantage.

Dunn and his staff are passionate about the science — and the art — of the service they provide. From reviewing medication orders to billing for insurance and resolving medication substitutions and prior authorizations, the Guardian team has found the sweet spot between automation and personal touch.

“This is one of the most fulfilling jobs you’ll ever have,” Dunn said. “We have the opportunity to take care of people who need it the most. Knowing you’re taking care of somebody’s grandmother puts a smile on your face every day.”

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I-10 CORRIDOR

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

The Cutting Edge Catalyst Fabric Solutions brings new technology and needed jobs to Marianna By Tabitha Yang

M

arianna might not be a place that immediately comes to mind when you think of state-of-theart technology. But the town of about 9,200 people in Jackson County has recently become home to a company at the forefront of a revolution in textile manufacturing.

Catalyst Fabric Solutions is working with digital dye sublimation, a printing technology that uses heat to transfer dye to fabric or other surfaces. The company has coupled this technology with a custom order automation system. When a customer places an order online, it is digitally communicated to the company’s equipment to immediately begin printing the order.

Since personnel are not needed to take and set up the order, the technology enables orders to be printed faster and cheaper than ever before. The company can receive orders as small as one item (say, for example, a decorative throw pillow) and have it manufactured and shipped within 72 hours. Catalyst’s efficient technology allows it to be profitable, despite the fact that the company doesn’t conform to conventional manufacturing practices.

“That’s what makes our business very unique,” company director Bill Finley said.

“As opposed to a traditional textile operation, where you make one product but you make 10,000 of them, I make 10,000 products, one at a time.”

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and Madison + Taylor Counties

UNIQUE PROCESS Director Bill Finley says the company’s process has no direct competition, even from China. Core products are fabrics custom-printed with a digital dyeing process.

More Variety, More Choices What this means for the consumer is that rather than having only a few hundred product options, he or she now has almost limitless options to choose from.

“The reason why I think we are growing is because at the end of the day, because of the way our process works, we’re giving the end consumers exactly what they want,” Finley said. “And we’re delivering it directly to their house.”

Photos by TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY

Finley said Catalyst’s products are sold through major online portals such as Amazon and Wayfair, and customers have a number of options to customize the items they are ordering, whether those are throw pillows, duvet covers, afghans, patio furniture pillows or other products.

Bringing Jobs to Marianna While Catalyst has achieved its success by utilizing technology to make a wider

variety of products available to the public, the company still has to hire a number of employees to make sure the machines are running well, keep track of the business accounts and take care of the numerous other activities needed to keep the business up and running.

Currently, Catalyst employs close to 40 people, and the company is planning to hire 15 to 20 additional employees every month until the end of the year.

“We plan to employ over 100 people here within the calendar year,” Finley said.

This comes as a welcome boon to the Marianna job market, as in the past two years, another textile manufacturer, HomeSource International, ran into financial trouble and laid off about 25 employees.

Catalyst hired five of those employees.

In the 1980s and ’90s, Northwest Florida was home to large manufacturing and distribution centers for Russell Sportswear, the largest sportswear manufacturer in

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I-10 CORRIDOR

the world, according to Jackson County Development Council director Bill Stanton.

At the zenith of its operations there, Russell Sportswear employed about 1,100 people in the Marianna area. But in 1999, the company moved all of its stateside operations overseas because of the lower labor costs, leaving its Marianna employees jobless.

As a result of those textile operations closing down, Marianna has quite a few people with experience in the apparel or textile manufacturing industry, Stanton said.

Crafting the Perfect Deal Stanton and Marianna City Manager Jim Dean found out about Catalyst through a connection at HomeSource International.

They began having conversations with Chuck Smith, who owns both Catalyst Fabric Solutions and its parent company, Meno Enterprises, which also specializes in textile manufacturing.

Dean said he was impressed by Smith’s character, track record and desire to contribute to the community.

“He’s just a very genuine person,”

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NEW JOBS The Catalyst plant prints fabrics, adds finishes and does cut-and-sew work. It employs close to 40 people and plans to more than double the work force.

Dean said. “And everything that he said and advised us of in the past has actually panned out. He didn’t oversell himself but at the same time was optimistic.”

After researching Meno and Catalyst and engaging in several meetings with Smith,

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Dean and Stanton put together a deal that Smith and his associates couldn’t refuse.

“We certainly have given them an (ideal) business situation in terms of the construction of the lease and the benefits that they’ve got,” Stanton said. “It’s a sweetheart deal …

PHOTOS BY TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY

They were given every kind of incentive to come in and take this displaced workforce desperately needing jobs.”

Stanton said Catalyst was offered a very low-cost lease on the building it occupies, which is located in the industrial complex north of the city proper, near Marianna Municipal Airport. The terms of the lease specify that Catalyst must employ at least 77 people by the middle of next year and eventually expand to 150 employees or more.

“If they perform, they’re going to have a very low cost in staying in that building,” Stanton said. “If they don’t perform, then they’re going to lose the building.”

Smith said that in addition to Marianna having a suitable facility and qualified workforce, the ease of working with the city of Marianna and the state of Florida helped them decide to base the company in Jackson County.

“Everyone we have encountered has been very open to helping Catalyst succeed and prosper,” he wrote in an e-mail interview.

“Bill and Jim have both directed us to local

and state programs to help us hire and train potential employees and take advantage of all local and state incentive programs.”

Looking Ahead At the moment, Catalyst Fabrics is one of only a handful of companies pairing digital dye sublimation with order automation, and the company’s future is looking bright.

“We’re hoping that Catalyst Fabrics will become one of the leading employers in our community,” Dean said.

Smith said Catalyst is building a business that will be the benchmark for years to come in the “make on demand” industry.

“We are creating a new manufacturing model that allows customers to purchase and dropship items without carrying inventory,” he said. “Our model has no international competition, including China.”

Finley is looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

“We have grown tremendously, and we forecast a tremendous amount of growth in this area,” he said. “And it’s just a really exciting time.”

CUSTOM MADE Through outlets such as Amazon and Wayfair, customers may order custom textiles in small or large quantities.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE (Florida Historical Capitol Museum and Tallahassee City Hall)

If you are a woman who is considering throwing your hat in the ring now or in the future, this conference is for YOU! Speakers and trainers include currently and formerly elected women as well as campaign strategists and experts — two tracks to help women reach their goals! The purpose of the program is to promote women’s civic engagement and to diversify the ballot, with the long-term goal of increasing women’s representation in elected leadership.

Visit WOMENCANRUN.COM to learn more or register Sponsorship opportunities available

SPONSORED BY:

Women Can Run! is a program of The Oasis Center for Women & Girls and a member of the Ready to Run® National Network, a project of the Center for American Women and Politics.

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FORGOTTEN COAST CORRIDOR

Gulf, Franklin + Wakulla Counties

A Step in Time Fugawee peddles historic footwear up the road and around the world

By Jason Dehart

F

or starters, it’s pronounced “fuGOW-we,” and years ago it was the off-color punch line of an obscure Johnny Carson joke about the lost “Fugawi Indian” tribe.

The story goes that the tribe had wandered for years, season after season, through highlands and lowlands, until finally they stopped and asked the Great Spirit, “Where the fugawi?”

Insert rimshot.

Alex Ayotte said Carson’s story made it past the censors, but the producers of the Western comedy “F Troop” weren’t so lucky.

They tried to use the name for their local native tribe, but the censors — who had wised up by that point — refused. The show was forced to change the name to Hakawi, as in, “Where the heck are we?”

But it didn’t stop the Ayotte family from using the name, albeit spelled a bit differently, for the business they started back in the 1980s. At one time, the company logo even featured an Indian swiveling his head in the act of figuring out where he was. But in time, that changed as the original joke faded from collective memory.

“Now we’re going with a cobbler for the logo, because nobody gets the joke anymore,” Ayotte said.

All joking aside, Fugawee Corporation is a serious business. For 30 years, the company has been the go-to supplier of historical footwear for living history enthusiasts, parks, museums, movies and even Broadway shows. You can own boots and

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shoes your ancestors wore during the mid18th century or anytime through the postCivil War years. These include buckle shoes for men and women, “stovepipe” boots, lace-up brogans, “congress” gaiters and more. But the company offers more than shoes. Fugawee also makes lead-free pewter medallions for various events such as reenactments and mountain man rendezvous, and a long line of buttons made from brass, pewter, bone and horn. Also available are over-the-knee stockings in your choice of wool or cotton and a line of period-style tinware, such as boilers and coffee pots.

Fugawee Corporation was founded by

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Alex’s father, Art Ayotte, a Massachusetts man who loved American history and wanted to turn that interest into a retirement hobby. Art spent much of his adulthood at sea, first in the U.S. Navy and then in the Merchant Marine service. He traveled the globe, read extensively and learned seven languages, including Spanish, French, Farsi and Japanese. He also had a consuming interest in muzzle-loading black powder rifles. Alex Ayotte recalled helping his father “proof” shotgun barrels as a kid, and later on, he and his father built Hawken-style rifles from kits.

“We built those together, and then he fell

“WE JUST SHIPPED OFF TO ‘HAMILTON’ BECAUSE THEY HAVE SHOWS IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND NOW IN SAN FRANCISCO.” ALEX AYOTTE, OWNER OF FUGAWEE CORP.

BUTTONS OVER TIME Sample buttons of brass, pewter, bone and horn

in with the likes of the American mountain men,” Ayotte said. “He was still going to sea at the time, he hadn’t retired yet. He made a regular run from San Francisco to Thailand, Hong Kong and other places. He always had his clothes made in Thailand because they’re excellent tailors.”

That’s where the first Fugawee shoes were made. Art Ayotte would bring them home to the mountain man re-enactments he attended during his off time and sell them off the trade blanket, or off his feet. There was a surge in repeat orders.

“By the time my brother had moved off to college, they were using his room for a stockroom, and by then my father was pretty much retired and started rendezvousin’ full time,” Alex Ayotte recalled.

“He’d pretty much be gone all spring and half the summer. This was ’83, ’84.”

But business in Thailand hit a cultural snag, which forced his father to find another source for his product.

“He had to have a Thai partner if he expected to do more business there. And it got very complicated,” Ayotte said.

The family would have liked nothing better than to have their shoes made in America, Ayotte said, but the small size of their company proved problematic.

However, they soon were able to strike up a deal with a boot maker in Mexico who was OK with small orders.

“We went up to Boston, where my father is from, and nobody wanted to talk to us,”

Photos by ALICIA OSBORNE

Ayotte said. “We were too small. And that’s the reason we went to Mexico. My father spoke Spanish and did business face-to-face.

He and the boot maker got to be friends, so he would take these small orders. They used to take orders of 20 or 30 pairs of shoes at a time from us.”

Ayotte said he helped out his father from time to time, but when the old man passed away in 2007, he entered the business full time to help his mom run the place.

“And that’s when we got the online stores working, and growth was going good,” he said. “We had a warehouse we were renting in Tallahassee, but they just kept raising the rent and it got too expensive to be there. So I started looking for a place for a warehouse.”

About five years ago, the company moved into its current digs, a 1,600-square-foot office and 10,000-square-foot warehouse south of Crawfordville.

“You’ve got to realize that with shoes, they take up a lot of space,” he said. “So if I got a size 5, I’ve got three of them — single E, double E and triple E. Then I got a 5 1/2, and a 6, and 6 1/2. All the variations, 57 variations per style.”

That number is doubled considering that each shoe has a “rough out” (rough outside texture) and “smooth out” (smooth outer texture) version. That means 114 variations, altogether, for just one particular shoe style.

That’s just the existing stock. New products currently in development will certainly take up more space. These include a tall “Hessian” boot, new color lines and added widths for some women’s shoes, and a 1670era “pirate” shoe.

Fugawee customers are all over the country and around the globe, as well. They can be the re-enactor down the street or the big metropolitan opera house. These products are in high demand.

“We have a dealer in Germany and I think one in France,” Ayotte said. “We sell to the Swedish government for their historical parks, and we sell to Australia quite a bit.

We sell to a lot of movies and a lot of TV shows. ‘Hell on Wheels’ bought a bunch of brown boots. We just shipped off to ‘Hamilton’ because they have shows in New York, Chicago and now in San Francisco.

Movie rental companies buy shoes from us, and those are nice orders. They will empty a shelf because they want all the sizes. But we get a lot of business back from people seeing our names in the rentals. “Copper” (a BBC America historical drama about an Irish cop in Civil War-era New York) was renting their shoes from an outfit in London, and when they found our shoes, they found it was cheaper to buy the congress gaiters from us and keep them than it was to rent them.”

RUGGED OR DAINTY Authentic, time-worn footwear (top) shares warehouse space with eccentric display models.

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The Last Word

Nine years ago I left the world of daily newspaper journalism that had consumed my life for 37 years and stepped into the realm of magazines. I was unsure what awaited when I walked through the door that Brian Rowland opened for me. But I was looking forward to joining with him on his mission to grow a business magazine designed to facilitate conversation between Northwest Florida’s business leaders, to aid in the cross pollinating of ideas — and, perhaps most importantly, to allow various sectors of our region to learn from each other. assessments of where we are as a region and how our communities can work together. I’ve enjoyed working with you all, from political leaders to CEOs to teachers to farmers to mechanics to freelance writers.

And then there are the incredible people who make up Rowland Publishing, who put out magnificent publications like Tallahassee and Emerald Coast magazines as well as 850, not to mention a wide variety of specialty publications. Without all of them, 850 would never have turned into the award-winning publication it has become and will continue to be.

Thanks most of all to Publisher Brian Rowland, who I first met over lunch at Food Glorious Food in July 2008. He took a chance on someone he didn’t know to take the reins of 850, a concept he had worked on for two years before it was launched.

I hope to keep in touch with many of you over the coming years. If you ever want to drop me a note, you can reach me at tallycane@aol.com. If you have story ideas, please send them along to Steve Bornhoft at sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com.

I wish you all the best. Stay safe and keep making Northwest Florida the best place to live in the Sunshine State.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY KAY MEYER

This is my final issue of 850 as editor.

While it is a position that I have enjoyed more than I can say, I’ve decided that retirement calls. As you read this, I hope to be out grooming (or rescuing) horses, returning to my photojournalism hobby or attending a college history class. And I hope to keep my writing skills in practice by periodically appearing in these pages.

From seeing the first issue of 850 delivered in October 2008, with then-Gov. Charlie Crist gracing the cover, until now, this has been a tremendous experience. We have been through so much together in these nine years. The Great Recession. The housing crisis. The 2010 Deep Water Horizon tragedy. But there have been many bright spots too. The 2010 opening of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The remaking of downtown Pensacola. The beginning transformation of downtown Tallahassee. The incredible comeback and growth of tourism along the Gulf Coast.

Our stories have highlighted the many strengths of our region by profiling the grit of Northwest Florida’s people, the forward thinking of its business leaders, the incredible variety of its companies both large and small, its unmatched natural resources. We have a lot to offer the world, and gradually it is being discovered. But the test of our leadership will be to ensure we don’t lose what makes Northwest Florida special as we push for economic success.

There are many people to thank for their kindness and generosity in spending their time to educate me on their life stories, their hopes and dreams for Northwest Florida, their

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