2014 August-September Issue of 850 Business Magazine

POWER FORWARD WITH

STEVE WOZNIAK Co-founder of Apple, Inc.

From the garage to the Valley.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and philanthropist for over 30 years, helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products.

Wozniak currently serves as Chief Scientist for Fusion-io and is a published author with the release of his New York Times bestselling autobiography, “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.”

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Donald L. Tucker Civic Center - Florida State University PROGRAM:

3:30 to 5 p.m.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY (Cash Bar):

5 p.m.

TICKETS: Ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster Box Office

$65 Priority Seating* $45 General Admission*, $75 Door* *Service charges apply

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Photo by Michael Bulbenko

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JOIN THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM

NUMEROUS MEMBER BENEFITS Your annual Seminole Booster membership comes with numerous benefits. In addition to helping provide the necessary resources for our student-athletes to have the best experience possible here at FSU, you will receive our exclusive membership package that includes the National Championship car tag, window cling, schedule magnet and poster of “The Catch.” Members also enjoy exclusive Booster Life Events and priority on hard-to-get away and post-season football tickets based on your membership level.

To renew today visit SeminoleBoosters.com or call (850) 644-3484 4

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850 Magazine August – September 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

22

36 FEATURES 36

Growing Trees Is Big Business Trendy as it is nowadays to “go paperless,” it’s worth considering that paper production remains one of the important contributions of forestry, a multi-billion dollar industry that its advocates say is economically viable, environmentally beneficial and infinitely sustainable. The Panhandle, moreover, boasts some of the state’s highest concentrations of working forests, a still significant economic engine for the region.

By Lazero Aleman

PHOTOS BY MATT BURKE (P. 36) AND SCOTT HOLSTEIN (P. 22)

44

50

Building Your Brand Branding — and rebranding — can be a risky business. It’s important to deliver the message that your business is one of a kind … the only one that can do what it does. But whatever you do, don’t change your message or your logo just for change’s sake. And don’t throw the good out with the bad. By Linda Kleindienst

Tourism After BP For the last two years, tourism has boomed on the Northwest Florida Coast, aided by a multi-billion dollar advertising campaign funded by BP. But the Gulf states and communities were left on their own to lure tourists for the 2014 season. What’s happened without BP’s financial support and who is leading the charge? By Zandra Wolfgram

In This Issue

8 13 70 74

Corridors

From the Publisher News and Numbers Sound Bytes The Last Word from the Editor

CAPITAL

60 Rising out of the ashes, much like the mythological Phoenix gracing its hood, the Trans Am sports car has been reborn.

FORGOTTEN COAST

62 Bob Sutton harvests ancient cypress stumps out of Northwest Florida’s Dead Lakes and turns them into treasures.

Departments THE (850) LIFE 11 Andrea Moore is the familiar face of Enterprise Florida in the 850 region.

WI-FILES 14 You may have 24-hour technological connectivity at your fingertips, but don’t forget that personal connection with your clients.

BAY 65 Dr. Neal Dunn has spent decades taking care of his patients. Now he has a new one to work on — the state of Florida.

I-10 68 In Paul Coley’s business, Scent Evidence K-9, the nose knows.

The dog’s nose, that is.

CREATING RESULTS 16 Your key to success is learning how to engage your customers. How? We give you the keys.

Special Sections DEAL ESTATE

IT’S THE LAW 20 When the Legislature adjourned and went home in May, what did lawmakers do to make life better for business?

56 What’s trending, what’s selling and what’s hot to buy in the 850?

THE BOTTOM LINE 22 More entrepreneurs are turning to online funding mechanisms, like Kickstarter, to get their start-up funds.

On the Cover: Rebranding is the new buzzword in business circles. Cover designed

by Creative Director Lawrence Davidson

SPONSORED SECTION 25 Professional Profiles introduce

you to the leading businesses in Northwest Florida.

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When it’s time to sell the business... “ S E L L I N G B U S I N E S S E S I S O U R B U S I N E S S”

Mike Goleno has specialized in selling NW Florida businesses since 1994 with over 250 businesses sold.

Confidentiality is always a priority.

Contact Mike: 850.864.2727 CONFIDENTIAL EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL Mike Goleno, Broker Certified Business Intermediary phone: 850.864.2727 email: broker@bizbro.com 201-E Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Member Sunbelt Business Brokers worldwide broker network.

Kelsey Appellate Law Firm, P.A.

Florida Appellate Practice

August – September 2014

850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Vol. 6, No. 6

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Linda Kleindienst STAFF WRITERS Chay D. Baxley, Lynda Belcher, Jason Dehart, Zandra Wolfgram CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lazaro Aleman, Steve Bornhoft, Tisha Crews Keller, Ashley Kahn Salley, Sarah Kelley, Karen Murphy EDITORIAL INTERNS Mikaela McShane, Katie Mueller, Megan Williams PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lawrence Davidson PRODUCTION MANAGER/NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR Daniel Vitter ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Saige Roberts EDITORIAL DESIGNER Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNER Shruti Shah ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Jillian Fry, Rebecca Sumerall STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Matt Burke CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mari Darr~Welch, Scott Holstein, Pure 7 Studios, Howard Robinson SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS MARKETING AND SALES MANAGER McKenzie Burleigh DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATOR Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Rhonda Murray, Darla Harrison, Tanya Heath, Lori Magee, Tracy Mulligan, Linda Powell, Paula Sconiers, Chuck Simpson, Alice Watts, Drew Gregg Westling MARKETING AND SALES ASSISTANT Christie Green OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Melissa Tease EVENTS AND MEDIA COORDINATOR Lynda Belcher CLIENT PROJECTS COORDINATOR Kerri Bryan STAFF ACCOUNTANT Josh Faulds ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Tabby Hamilton RECEPTIONIST Tristin Kroening

WEB DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER Carlin Trammel DIGITAL SERVICES COORDINATOR Lentaya Gibson DIGITAL SERVICES PRODUCER Chelsea Moore 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com 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 in Tallahassee, Destin and Pensacola and in Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Destin, Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola and Panama City and at our Tallahassee office.

SUSAN L. KELSEY

Tallahassee | Admitted 1988

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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 2014 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

Tell the World You’re the Best

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and keeping it polished. It is separating your company and its employees from all the others who do what you do.

In this issue, our editor, Linda Kleindienst, expounds on the concept of branding and has met with three local organizations that have or are on the brink of embarking on a rebranding process. They are Florida State University, Thomas Howell Ferguson CPAs and the Tallahassee Junior League.

About every six months over the next two to three years, we plan to give you an update on their rebranding process. We’ll go back to each group and ask them: What have you done? What obstacles have you encountered? What tangible or intangible benefits have you seen from this process?

Did you have to tweak it along the way?

And, basically, did it work — and what proof do you have of the benefits you reaped?

I encourage every reader to ask this question of themselves: Got brand? (You do have a brand, right?)

Well, do you?

If not, perhaps now is the time to invest in one, especially as the nation and state continue the climb out of the depths of the Great Recession. It is a time of opportunity as most all of the loose branches in your industry have fallen off the tree.

You made it through the most difficult economic time since the Great Depression.

And now is the time to stand up and be seen. Surround your customers and prospects with the elements of your brand and capture an increase in market share.

Demonstrate that you ARE the best at what you do.

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Having grown up in and cut my teeth on the marketing side of the publishing business, I have been faced thousands of times with the challenge of explaining to a prospective client what a “brand ad” is.

Why? Because brand advertising is what sophisticated and smart businesses do when they integrate brand advertising into their media mix.

Simply put, your brand is what separates your business from the others. And it is designed to evoke feelings from consumers. The challenge is to translate that concept so that it’s easily understood by those who aren’t quite sure what a brand is.

So, this is what I share, asking for affirmation or denial: ▪W hen you shop for clothing, do you choose the colors, styles and brands that make you feel good and look good?

▪W hen looking for a place to live, do you choose a certain neighborhood, purchase a home with a distinct architectural style and then have it furnished to fit the tastes and lifestyle of you and your family?

▪Y ou frequent certain restaurants, drive a particular make of car, stay at specific hotels and style your hair the way you like it. Does this not further define who you are?

▪D o you attend a certain church, belong to a particular club, join organizations associated with your profession and tend to hang out with people who share your personal and professional values?

After a few minutes, when I see a head bobbing up and down, I say, “Then you have established — and are maintaining — your personal and family brand. Would you not agree that the business you lead also deserves to have a brand that is easily recognizable, unique and attractive — and deserves an investment of your time and resources?”

Very few people have disagreed with me on that one — yet very few know what to do about it.

A brand is more than a company hat, T-shirt or even a new logo. It is a mindset. It is establishing a culture, living it each day

DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARDS

A PROGRAM OF LEADERSHIP TALLAHASSEE

Recognizing individuals who have made contributions to the Tallahassee region through substantive achievements in professional and community endeavors. All proceeds benefit the Youth Leadership Tallahassee program.

Please Join Us

Thursday, September 18, 2014 University Center Club FSU Doak Campbell Stadium, Building B Stadium Dr., Tallahassee

Schedule of Events

Honoring

6:00 p.m. Social Hour 7:00 p.m. Dinner & Awards Attire: Creative Black Tie Optional

Kim B. Williams with the 2014 Lifetime Leadership Award

2014 AWARD FINALISTS Leadership Pacesetter

Servant Leadership

Leader of the Year

Tallahassee Food Network

Sundiata Ameh-El

Community Volunteer

Kathy Bye

Mark Baldino

T.J. Lewis

Cricket Mannheimer

Janeia Daniels Ingram

Rebeccah Lutz

Randy Nicklaus

Kelly Simmons Dozier

UrbanTallahassee.com

Elder Care Services

Tallahassee Dance Academy

Tallahassee Democrat/Tallahassee.com

Gloria Pugh

Florida State University

2-1-1 Big Bend, Inc.

Fred Shelfer

AMWAT Moving Warehousing Storage

Goodwill Industries - Big Bend, Inc.

Jacob Reiter

Frank Williams

The Shelter

Mad Dog Construction

Larry Robinson

Florida A&M University

Wayne Tedder

Florida Developers

Tallahassee-Leon County

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Platinum Level

Tallahassee Community College/TCC Foundation

Silver Level

Capital City Bank • Capital Health Plan • Coloney Bell Engineering Jim Moran Institute • Kia Auto Sport

For information contact: Barbara Boone, Executive Director, Leadership Tallahassee 850.521.3112 bboone@talchamber.com Sponsored tables: $1,250 • Individual reservations: $125 Leadership Tallahassee is an affiliate program of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to cultivate a diverse network of emerging and experienced leaders committed to improving the community.

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LONG LIVE LOCAL EFFICIENCY When other people’s lives are in your hands, you simply can’t afford to waste time. That’s why Dr. Marie Amanze trusts First Commerce to support her business, Hematology Oncology Solutions of Tallahassee.

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Executive Mindset

) Life The (850

S URVIVE AND THRIVE SURVIVE

Trade Secrets ANDREA MOORE, PENSACOLA

Regional Manager, International Trade Development Enterprise Florida

A RUNNING FOR A REASON

MULTILINGUAL MODESTY

I didn’t want to do a marathon just to be able to say I ran a marathon.

Somebody had to benefit. I ran the Marine Corps Marathon three times and the New York Marathon once to raise funds for the USO. At the end of the day if you can make a difference, it doesn’t matter how big or small.

I don’t really claim a language until I can survive in it. I can lay claim to five — German, English, Italian, French and Spanish. I believe languages are a key to another culture, so when I travel and encounter people from other places, I get to connect with them in a better way.

FAMILY MATTERS

MIGHTY MANTRAS

They’re my wings, they really inspire me and make me want to be a better person. I have a husband, three sons and two male dogs. They are hardwired differently, especially the socks on the floor. But you pick your battles.

I’d rather have a lofty goal and know that I may not reach it, but by and large give it my best shot … To find happiness, you just need to look within yourself.

‘I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE’

I have known my husband for 30 years. I met him in 1984, and three years later we became pen pals. We still have all the letters. I kind of think I am an incurable romantic who likes to pose as a hard-boiled pragmatist.

(But don’t tell anyone.)

I became an American citizen in September 2012. It was an amazing ceremony that had a lot of gravitas and decorum, and to me it was a powerful reminder of how blessed this country really is. It irks me a little bit that sometimes people take that for granted.

Photo by HOWARD ROBINSON

SECRET SENTIMENTAL

ndrea Moore may be an import to our country, but she’s a key player in major exports from our state. Born and raised in Germany, she came to America on a scholarship, fell in love, traveled the world with the Air Force and settled here in Florida — a place she says is well positioned for growth in international trade.

Moore got her start as a news producer for WEAR-TV3 and later directed marketing and communications for Florida’s Great Northwest before becoming a regional manager for Enterprise Florida eight years ago. She describes her current role as “trade promotion in a nutshell — helping Florida companies succeed in foreign markets.”

Most of what she does day-to-day involves one-on-one consultations with small businesses.

Among her proudest accomplishments is helping a client land a multi-million dollar contract in the Middle East. A committed lifelong learner, she considers herself fortunate to have a job that “pretty much demands it.”

“Every industry sector has a different supply chain, a different regulatory environment. Every client trying to get into a new market is like having to study for a final,” Moore says. “You learn as much as you can about their field because you really want to help them. It’s both intellectually challenging and emotionally gratifying.”

As to the future of trade for Florida, Moore asserts we are strategically and geopolitically the hub of the Americas. Just like real estate, trade is all about location. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of our exports are to South and Central American nations.

Moore believes in an open dialogue: “Whether it’s goods or services, when nations talk and try to come up with an agreement that’s mutually beneficial, good things can happen.” – Ashley Kahn Salley

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is your local business Internet and phone provider

• LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED • NO AUTO ATTENDANT • BUSINESS TELEPHONE AND INTERNET SERVICE • LONG DISTANCE • TELEPHONE SYSTEM CONSULTING • FIBER OPTICS • HURRICANE-PROOF DATA FACILITY FOR COLLOCATION • WEB AND EMAIL HOSTING

2012 TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER

Recipient: Electronet

3 4 1 1 C A P I TA L M E D I C A L B LV D . TA L L A H A S S E E , F L | 2 2 2 . 0 2 2 9 | W W W. E L E C T R O N E T. N E T 12

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Executive Mindset

Business Arena WHAT IT COSTS TO TRAVEL

Business Travel Costs Going to be traveling for business in the coming months? Well, if you’re working on your budget, the bad news is … it’s not going to be cheap. Hotel, food and travel costs are going up in Europe and the U.S., according to the 2014 Corporate Travel Index compiled by Business Travel News. The only bright note is that daily business travel costs, or per diem, have dipped in the Asia/Pacific region, which is still clawing its way out of recession. Here are some highlights from the annual report, which is based on 100 U.S. cities and 100 non-U.S. cities and reflects 2013 costs: AVERAGE COST PER DAY (PER DIEM) FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS IN 2013

UNITED STATES

+

NON-U.S.

VS

+

+

$158 + $47 + $88

$293 Total / 1.9%

Annual Change (2012–13)

+

$203 + NA + $142

$345 Total/ 0.4%

Annual Change (2012–13)

San Francisco,

TOP 5 PER DIEM (U.S.)

at $275.08 a day

SAN FRANCISCO $444.66

WASHINGTON, D.C. $398.98

NEW YORK $442.59

LOS ANGELES $393.93

BOSTON $413.03

OVERALL NATIONAL AVG. $292.80

Florida Cities, Per Diem

Miami Ft. Lauderdale Orlando Tampa Sarasota Tallahassee Jacksonville

$371.56 $327.62 $286.87 $268.46 $267.25 $243.95 $243.07

THE MOST EXPENSIVE U.S. CITY TO STAY AT A HOTEL?

Top five cities in Europe, Middle East and Africa

Geneva Stockholm Stavanger Zurich London

$547 $528 $524 $509 $508

THE MOST EXPENSIVE U.S. CITY TO EAT?

Top five cities in Asia/Pacific

Hong Kong Singapore Sydney Tokyo Melbourne

$523 $478 $461 $452 $431

Honolulu, at an average of $128.84 a day

(Paris comes in at No. 6)

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Executive Mindset

Wi-Files PRICE OF CONNECTIVITY

Collective Consciousness Forget “The Matrix.” We live in “The Loop.” And there may be no way out of it.

Y

ou can’t deny it. The Loop is here. And people want to be “in The Loop” all the time. Being out of The Loop is unthinkable. That’s why we have allowed ourselves to be instantly and electronically connected to friends, family and work 24-7 via smartphones and tablets that give us access to the Internet and “social media.” We check Facebook first thing in the morning, during the day, at work, at parties, at night when we get home and as we go to bed. We even keep our smartphones by our pillows because we may miss “something” in the two precious, extra seconds it takes to reach for them on the nightstand. And “something” is just too important to miss these days.

Nobody coerced us to do this. We volunteered for it. We are free from the blindness of the past. But at what price?

The irony abounds at our newfound technological “freedom.”

“We have this ability to connect under any circumstances. Does that come with a price? Absolutely. Because now we’ve lost all our privacy,” laments Tallahassee ActionCOACH Mark Raciappa. “By volunteering to carry that (smartphone) around you basically have given a GPS signal for wherever you are all the time. If your phone

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is on, you can be tracked by cellphone towers. And yet, if the government had said to every one of us we’re going to require each one of you to carry one of these around so we’ll know where you are, we would have revolted beyond the scale of the Boston tea party.”

And what exactly do we do whenever that phone rings or that app pings for our attention when our focus is supposed to be somewhere else? We stop what we’re doing and answer it. We put whatever we’re doing on hold. This includes interviews, meetings and conversations. This automatic and annoying tendency to bow to the machine bugs the tar out of Raciappa, who makes a living helping business clients get the most out of their employees.

“The thing that bugs me is that the manners are gone with regards to those things now,” he said. “In the old days if two people were engaged in a conversation you would give your full attention to that person whether they were a customer or client or a family member, whatever, and nothing would interrupt you because that would be rude.

And I will tell you, I think it’s horrible right now that two people can be in a meeting, again whether it’s business or social, and somebody’s phone rings and that automatically takes precedence.”

BY JASON DEHART

Simon Anderson, a “futurist” and consultant who talks about emerging trends in technology, said the “Fear Of Missing Out” is to blame for why adults are always in The Loop.

“You can go to any restaurant on a Friday night and see two adults sitting at the table together, presumably on a date, or a married couple on a date night, and they’re both just staring at their phones, hardly saying a word to each other,” said Simon Anderson, a technology consultant. “It’s not really so much about efficiency as it is FOMO. I think that’s why people are constantly checking their devices and using them to communicate. People don’t want to feel like they’re missing out on something — at any age — and now they have this constant ‘window’ into each other’s lives via their smart phone.”

But an upside is that the advances in video-capable chat programs like Tango and Skype allow for the face-to-face conversations that are so critical to building not only personal relationships but business ones as well. Face-to-face, personal interaction keeps things real, human and genuine — which are vital components to proper communication.

“Email, if you think about it, is largely expressionless. You would think, well it’s just pure words on paper, so

Executive Mindset

consequently, there should be less danger there. The opposite is actually true. There’s more danger there because of the way we as human beings interpret words,” Raciappa said. “So I do think it is important that we communicate face to face. You can pick up facial expressions, which obviously are important; you can pick up tone of voice, you can pick up inflection and you can pick up the furrow of the brow.

I would say that that certainly makes it easy for two people to communicate without having to travel.”

Raciappa said even with the unintended cultural consequences caused by social media technology, certain applications like video chat are indeed very useful. For example, he uses Skype all the time to work with clients across Florida. But the important thing is to establish relationships in person, and then use technology to maintain that relationship.

“Once we’ve met, we can maintain the relationship via the long distance. And again, with the meeting

Photo Illustration by MATT BURKE

capabilities that are on the Internet, we can do that nowadays. So I think initially we want to be able to develop a relationship face to face and then, once it’s at least set, we can harness the technology to make it more efficient,” he said.

But harnessing the power of an everevolving technology is difficult at best.

Anderson said it’s hard to gauge exactly what we’ve gained, or lost, because things are happening so fast that we don’t have the proper perspective to define these advances or their impact on our lives.

He added that the jury is still out regarding the notion that our brains are physiologically changing due to our ever-increasing exposure and interaction with technology. But one thing is certain. The skills needed to live in today’s world are different in many ways than the skills needed even a decade ago.

“I don’t know that we can intentionally ‘re-train our brains,’ but we can choose what to focus on and what tools we use to enhance our abilities.

FEAR OF MISSING OUT Technology experts say the “Fear Of Missing Out” is to blame for why adults are always in The Loop.

The challenge will be keeping up in an exponentially advancing world — which is why we’re handing off more and more of our decision making to machines and software,” he said. “It’s literally too much for the human mind to retain and maintain. I think we’ll see far more of this in the coming years as our technology becomes more intuitive and contextual. Google Now is a great early example of this. For example, I no longer need to remember when I have a flight or how to get there. Based on where I am, where I need to be, the traffic and construction in between, if my flight is delayed and a host of other information I couldn’t keep track of, my phone notifies me — proactively — when I need to leave, with a preset amount of time as a buffer. This is amazing, and it already exists today. And it’s just the beginning.”

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Executive Mindset

Creating Results HOW TO ENGAGE NEW CUSTOMERS

Getting Engaged Entering into a mutually-beneficial relationship with your customers is more ‘involved’ than you might think BY TISHA CREWS KELLER

W

hen it comes to engaging customers, the recipe for success is surprisingly

simple. Ready?

Provide great customer service and tell everybody about it.

Most business owners appreciate that they need more customers and for those customers to spend more money in order to grow a business. Oftentimes, though, executives get caught up in the quantity of their customer base instead of the quality of interactions.

Experts say time and again that the key to success is focusing on engaging customers — both prospective and current — in meaningful ways that develop a relationship where you meet their unique needs. This yields a lasting (emotional) commitment to your company where customers think of you when their needs are high, and they don’t even consider any alternatives.

This is called loyalty.

There are three failsafe ways to develop loyalty, and they are crucial to building your brand in this information-saturated, access-unlimited Internet age.

We found three local experts who are doing this the right way and reaping big rewards because of it.

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KING “Whether you sell widgets or not, you’re in the business of service,” notes Kelly Robertson, CEO of BowStern, a Tallahassee-based marketing firm.

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With Robertson’s varied clients, she sees one essential truth to live by: In terms of customer retention, service is the number one priority across industries — whether it’s with RV parks, health clubs or battery manufacturing. Clients love working with her firm because the BowStern team makes them feel good about each interaction they have with the agency. She focuses her team on just a few principles to lead this service-guided orientation.

The first of those is making client requests feel good, instead of like an intrusion or another item on a To-Do list. Second, she makes it a priority to give good advice to her clients and third — and perhaps most importantly — she focuses on the customer experience.

“All things created equal,” Robertson explains, “people do business with people they like and have a good experience with. At the end of the day, we know that these are our clients, and we’re here to service them.”

For the best model of great customer service, look no further than Publix Super Markets or Walt Disney World, says Do! Design’s Doug Oakes. The Tallahassee-based partner/creative director points to such powerhouses to show that even major brands focus heavily on a great customer experience to keep people coming back again and again.

He agrees that the most important thing you can do is concentrate on customer service. Being good to your customers and always asking, “What

can we do to build loyalty?” are key to developing a strategy to generate business growth.

“It’s twice as expensive to get new customers as to keep the current ones,” Oakes explains. “It makes a whole lot of sense to make sure your customer service level is the best, because it’s all tied to your brand.”

Ron Sachs, president/CEO of Sachs Media Group, a powerhouse statewide PR firm, has spent his entire career building a brand based on his name.

His mantra is customer service.

“Every client or customer needs to feel as if they are your most important priority,” Sachs says. “That impression should be based on the reality of engaging in regular two-way communication, providing consistently excellent service and never being complacent about the level of attention and effort applied in the relationship.”

To this end, Robertson directs her clients to focus on the “customer touch points (CTP),” which are the places in the purchase process where the customer comes into contact with your business. These are the opportunities to show great customer service and truly provide what the customer needs.

Drilling in to what’s happening at each of these interactions is critical.

For instance, a transportation company might have three main CTPs with opportunities to connect and strut their great service skills.

During the research phase, a great

PHOTO COURTESY PUBLIX

online presence is key to making a good first impression. How easy is it for potential bus passengers to learn about routes and ticket costs? How transparent is the interface so they get what they need in a quick and efficient manner?

Ticket sales would be the next ripe opportunity, and a wonderful sales/ reception staff is the best way to show customers how interested you are in their business. Finally, boarding the bus, being greeted by a professional driver, finding a clean and comfortable seat, etc., are the ways that transit customer is going to finish forming an opinion about that company.

Forgetting any one of these CTP areas is a major failure in the customer service experience.

MAKING AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION It may sound superfluous, but this goes right back to building brand loyalty. Giving your company a solid profile on which customers can build an emotional connection is a great way to build your brand.

“People don’t read ads,” warns Oakes.

“They read things that interest them.”

Whatever you’re doing, you’ve got to be able to provide interest and a reason for people to care about your company, he advises. Instead of filling ads with promise-copy that tries to anticipate every need, powerhouse companies focus on the emotional connection they want to make with the customer.

Oakes advises his customers

— many of which are large hospital and medical facilities — to understand why the customer buys (or chooses).

These are people, not demographics, he says. Research spending habits, do TOUCHING simple telephone CUSTOMERS Customers want surveys, find to interact with ways to build the people when doing business, knowledge about so experts say your customers to focus on the customer service and who they are. experience.

Then, use that to differentiate yourself and build interest in your company through story-telling media such as magazine articles and ads, customer newsletters, social media, etc.

Similarly, connecting with the community at large can have great bonus benefits beyond the altruistic.

Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet believes this is key to the success of Uber Operations, where he is managing director. The firm provides health technology services to hospitals and public health agencies throughout the nation.

Even though they had a niche with governmental clients, Loumiet knew they needed to stretch beyond that.

“Our first order of business was to get involved with the community,” he says. “Not only are we members of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, but we also mentor up-and-coming students and entrepreneurs. These partnerships help the community, but they also create awareness.”

The company is involved with StartUp Quest, 3Day Startup and several departments at Florida A&M University, providing tools and expertise for students and professors.

Loumiet uses these mentoring opportunities to launch his company’s brand as a good corporate citizen — and he gets his name in front of well-connected colleagues.

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CREATING RESULTS

Committed to Tallahassee.

Committed to you.

DIANA L. CURETON Vice President, Private Banking

Join us in welcoming Diana Cureton to the Hancock Bank Tallahassee Private Banking team. With 20 years of local banking experience, Diana is dedicated to creating new opportunities for her private banking clients throughout the Big Bend region. Diana is backed by Hancock Bank’s century-long commitment to our clients and our comprehensive array of financial products and services.

Call 850-325-3159 Click hancockbank.com Come in to 2453 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee, FL

Hancock Bank, a trade name of Whitney Bank, Member FDIC. 18

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GO SOCIAL, RESPONSIBLY Especially for smaller companies, social media can be intensely tantalizing. Spend less! Save on creative! Do it in-house! And, while all of these things are true — and possible to some extent — it pays to use social media responsibly.

Experts insist that social media isn’t an advertising tool; it’s a public relations tool. It’s not a microphone; it’s a conversation.

Customers don’t want to engage with your brand on social media, Oakes explains. It’s important to understand what they are doing while on the medium — Facebook, for instance — and where they are in the “buying process.” They are there to connect with people, not businesses.

To that end, Robertson offers sage advice for using social media to its best and highest use: customer service.

She advocates using Facebook and Twitter to push out information and educate your customers, and as a key customer service tool.

Robertson believes that using these platforms to share your great customer service story or let others see how you turn around a customer complaint is an invaluable way to prove what you’re made of.

Oakes and Loumiet both believe that social media is a great way to create buzz around your brand. Whatever you can do to get people talking about your brand is like cash in your pocket. Promotions, caption contests, customer vignettes — any social media message with a strong call to action will correlate to upward trends in sales.

“Social media is very popular with local businesses,” Loumiet explains. “And it’s one that can be leveraged to share stories, services and news.”

Social media trends and technologies change quickly, so Robertson recommends that some smaller companies purchase a training session from a local ad agency.

Loumiet seconds that recommendation, learning from his own experience that “there is a science behind Tweeting and sharing posts on Facebook.”

Perhaps the most oft-forgotten task in any business is sharing expertise with clients. Little check-ins along the way work equally well for any industry, manufacturing to professional services.

“How do you share your great customer service with your clients?” asks Robertson. “We often say that perception is reality in the customer’s mind. People need to know the good work you are doing on their behalf. If you’re not showing them, it’s as if you’re not even doing it.”

How does BowStern show it? Simple tricks such as screen captures of works-in-progress, quick email or text updates, anything they can do to keep themselves in front of the customer along the way work well for the firm.

“Let them know your true value,” Robertson advises. Because, if you’re not telling your own story, who will?

Sachs agrees and drives home the point that good old-fashioned customer service is still king.

“There is no substitute for regular in-person meetings, frequent updates about activities undertaken for the client/customer and embracing an ethic of relentlessly pursuing great outcomes,” he says.

“It is a privilege to do business with people -- and making the customer feel appreciated is a natural way to reflect a culture of caring.”

You’re in the customer service business. No matter the size, the location, the products of your company, you exist for just one thing: to give great service to at least one client. Making peace with this undeniable principle is your first step to success, and it’s also what will keep you in business for years to come.

At RGVI, our dedicated team of risk management advisors provide you with custom solutions to protect you and your business against all forms of risk.

Having a dedicated team of risk management advisors — who are all about you and your business — will help your business seize opportunities and rise above the competition.

1117 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL • 850-386-1111 • RGVI.com facebook.com/RogersGunterVaughnInsurance @RGVI

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Executive Mindset

It’s the Law LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAP

2014 Legislature Gives Business a ‘So-So’ Session Film industry is left with nothing

W

hen the gavel signaled an end to the 2014 legislative session, Florida legislators hadn’t given business interests all they wanted — but several priority issues were passed, including a $500 million-plus tax cut package made possible by the state’s $1.2 billion surplus.

The tax breaks — the largest in a decade — include $400 million in reduced motor vehicle fees and $121 million in tax breaks, including:

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three sales tax holidays (one each for hurricane supplies, back to school supplies and energy efficient appliances); new sales tax exemptions for child car seats, youth bicycle helmets, college meal plans, therapeutic pet foods and cement mixers; and reduced taxes on electricity for businesses.

“Florida families should keep more of the money they earn,” said Gov. Rick Scott, a sentiment echoed by businesses that hope some of that extra money will go into new purchases.

“It will encourage citizens to participate in helping the economy by making those purchases they need to make, while keeping some of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets,” said Bill Herrle, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business/Florida.

The rollback of the vehicle registration renewal fee to 2009 levels will save the average driver $20 to $25 a year, with car rental companies and businesses dependent on trucks or cars reaping the biggest savings.

A tax credit that didn’t make the final cut with lawmakers, however, funded a program used to entice the film and television industry to produce more work in Florida. In 2010, the state put aside $296 million for the program that is set to end in 2016, but the money is already gone.

Film advocates were hoping to get more from the state to keep it going.

A 2012 economic impact report on the state’s film industry prepared

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Executive Mindset

for the Motion Picture Association of America revealed that films have an impact on tourism and local economies. For instance, the “Dolphin Tale” movie has increased attendance to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, with estimates that it will bring in 2.3 million visitors by 2016 and generate a $1.7 billion impact on the local economy.

Statewide, the study estimated that

the tax incentive program supported 87,870 jobs and resulted in a $7.2 billion economic impact.

Without new funding, however, studios that had planned to film here are already moving to other states that provide better tax advantages.

“We came out like gangbusters.

It was a big success and we brought a lot of very skilled, high wage jobs to the state,” said Gus Corbella,

chairman of the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council.

“But the industry is looking for stability and predictability, not a roller coaster ride of funding. We were looking to stabilize the process.”

Despite the inaction this year, however, Corbella said he expects the issue to be addressed in upcoming sessions. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Here is a look at the fate of some of the other business-supported measures during this year’s legislative session: FLORIDA GI BILL PASSED More than 1.6 million veterans call Florida home, making up 12 percent of the state’s population. This measure, which passed early in the legislative session, provides in-state tuition to veterans from anywhere who attend a Florida college or university, allows businesses to give hiring preferences to veterans and protects military bases — a crucial element in Northwest Florida’s economy — from encroachment.

“We want to help ensure veterans have the education and skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and job creators throughout Florida want to hire our heroes,” said Stan Connally, president and CEO of Gulf Power and a board member of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CORPORATIONS PASSED For the first time in 20 years, the Legislature set up two more corporate structures — Benefit Corporations and Social Purpose Corporations — to make Florida a more competitive state for social entrepreneurs.

The measure allows investors, through their corporations, to engage in societal benefit programs that take into account other factors in addition to bottom line profit.

“This is a seismic shift in how corporate structure can be governed that will lead to significant investment in Florida,” said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, a sponsor of the measure. “Everyone is looking to empower companies that perform social good while also making money.”

BUDGET PASSED The record-setting $77.1 billion state budget includes a $10.5 million increase in funding for Visit Florida, for a record $74 million. Half of the new money will be pumped into a program promoting the state for medical tourism and $1.3 million is set aside to promote the state to veterans and active duty military.

CORPORATE INCOME TAX EXEMPTION FAILED Despite Gov. Rick Scott’s promise to eliminate this tax, the Legislature rejected his attempt to totally exempt

another 2,163 corporations — one-fifth of those still paying the tax. The standard exemption was increased from $5,000 to $25,000 in 2011 and then to $50,000 in 2012.

Scott’s request to increase it to $75,000 would have saved businesses $21.6 million a year.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PASSED Increases tax credits for companies hiring in rural areas and provides for development grants to cities.

INTERNET SALES TAX FAILED Once again, the Legislature failed to address the “efairness” issue of forcing online companies to collect the state’s sales tax and remit it to the Florida Department of Revenue. By ignoring the requirement, locally owned businesses and Florida-based online retailers are put at a competitive disadvantage — and Florida is missing out on about $1 billion in tax dollars.

MEDICAL TOURISM PASSED/FAILED A proposal to have Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida market the state as a health care destination failed, however, the budget sets aside $5 million for Visit Florida to prepare a medical tourism marketing plan.

PENSION REFORM FAILED An attempt by the House to move new state workers and other public employees to a 401(k)-like plan, which would take financial pressure off the state budget, failed to gain any traction in the Senate.

SALES TAX ON BUSINESS RENTS FAILED Florida is the only state that charges a sales tax to businesses that have a commercial lease, generating about $1.4 billion a year for the state. Attempts to reduce the tax failed.

VETERAN TAX CREDITS FAILED Would have provided a $5,000 corporate tax credit for hiring a veteran and a $10,000 credit for hiring a veteran with a service-related disability.

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Executive Mindset

Bottom Line KICKSTARTING YOUR BUSINESS

A Little Help From Your Friends Kickstarter matches idea people with micro-capitalists

H

aving an awesome idea and no cash to fund it is not a great place to be.

Back in 2009, something truly revolutionary happened for all the idea men and women out there; something that would place creativity and passion above conventional business models. Something called Kickstarter.

Kickstarter.com is an online funding platform for creative projects. In laymen’s terms, it allows people with ambitions bigger than their wallets to spread the word of their business venture to the masses, and lets the public decide if the concept is worth funding. Funders can offer up anything from $1 and beyond — some have even given thousands — to help meet the project’s goal.

But wait, there’s a catch.

Before any money can be received, the askers must set a financial goal,

Chocolate Maker Bob Williamson

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which must be met in its entirety within a certain period of time. Funding is all or nothing. So, if an aspiring boy band lays out a goal of $5,000 to cover the cost of their debut album, but only receives $1,000 by the time their deadline rolls around, all bets are off.

The dough stays with its prospective funders and said boy band will simply have to save up to sing another day.

Don’t worry, the project founders aren’t the only ones taking something away from this surprisingly symbiotic relationship. In exchange for their financial support, backers are presented with levels of rewards to both entice and acknowledge their contribution.

Potential rewards include a signed original print from an artist’s personal collection, a film credit, a handmade thank you card or a set of tickets to a band’s opening show. The more you give, the more you get.

Now, what can be funded on Kickstarter? Almost anything. Anything, so long as it has a certain je ne sais quoi and lands in the creative groove the folks at Kickstarter have etched out for themselves. Areas of interest for the site include art, comics, dance, design, fashion, film, food, games, music, photography, publishing, technology and theater.

Since its inception on April 28, 2009, more than five million people, funding more than 58,000 creative projects, have pledged more than a billion dollars. In return for its role as the middleman, Kickstarter receives 5 percent of every successful project. For those of you doing the math, that’s approximately $50 million.

Even people around the 850 are reaping the rewards of this “power-to-thepeople” inspired website.

Here, meet some of our local Kickstarters.

SRSLY CHOCOLATE, INC., TALLAHASSEE Bob Williamson found his niche as Tallahassee’s very first bean-to-bar chocolate maker. To put his dreams in motion, Williamson’s first course of action was getting involved in local farmers markets, including the Growers Market at Lake Ella.

In just a few short months the demand for his tasty treats began to rise. Soon, Williamson had a difficult decision to make — either find the cash to take SRSLY Chocolate Inc. to the next level, or risk turning customers away.

For Williamson, the problem had a simple solution: Kickstarter.

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN (WILLIAMSON), MARI DARR~WELCH (DIERIG) AND COURTESY 3FEETFACTORY.COM (PADGETT) AND ROBERT GILLIARD (THE CHRIS MARTIN BAND)

Executive Mindset

RUNAWAY IMAGINATION, FORT WALTON BEACH As an elementary school teacher, Lori Dierig is familiar with creative kids who have wacky imaginations.

Lori Dierig, When she decided to pen a story Writer about one little (fictional) boy in particular, she knew she’d need some help making her tale come to life.

After imploring the artistic abilities of Charlie Padgett, the illustrator behind The 3feet Factory, Dierig was determined to publish her children’s Charlie Padgett, illustrator book (titled “Runaway Imagination”) one way or the other.

Following a series of setbacks in the publishing world, Dierig and Padgett found their way on to Kickstarter. After $3,449 worth of backing and 200 colorful copies, their masterpiece was complete.

“I had no idea what Kickstarter was, to be honest,” admitted Dierig. “It was my illustrator who suggested we try it out.”

“It was easier than I thought it would be,” she continued. “I know there are some projects that don’t raise the money, but our project wasn’t a hugely expensive project anyways. We only had to raise about $2,600. Everything turned out great. For us, it was a cut-anddry, simple thing that really worked well.”

Runaway Imagination is available online at Amazon.com.

“I didn’t really want to have a silent partner,” said Williamson.

“I wanted to raise all the funds myself but just didn’t have them.

Kickstarter was really the only way to go.”

Williamson, who initially asked for $5,000 from his Kickstarter supporters, ended up walking away just three weeks after the launch of his project with $6,336. The funds from his Kickstarter adventure not only helped to purchase SRSLY the appropriate tools to continue growing but also aided in the jump to retail space.

Today, Williamson’s concoctions are available across the region — including at New Leaf Market.

The Chris Martin Band

THE CHRIS MARTIN BAND, PENSACOLA The Chris Martin Band may be new to the music scene, but their sound has plenty of old school soul. A country music ensemble hailing from Pensacola, this group’s tunes rival anything playing on today’s radio.

For the past year, festivals and county fairs have been the Chris Martin Band’s stomping ground. With a growing fan base and loads of local support, the band members were eager to take their act to the next level.

Releasing their debut single would be a necessary step towards a prosperous career, but first there was the issue of financials.

“It wouldn’t have been impossible,” admitted Mark White, the group’s bass guitarist and background vocalist. “But it sure would have been financially trying to make it happen.”

Unlike many of their fellow Kickstarters, their cause had no problem getting funded. Twenty-four backers quickly gave the band $2,055 to put towards their production costs. In exchange for the dough, investors received a variety of band-related paraphernalia, ranging from posters to an early edition of their extended play single.

With a little extra cash in their pocket, the guys were able to shimmy on up to Nashville where they spent a week in the studio with a producer recording their five-song EP. “It worked out well for us,” said White. “It was a successful project; we hit our goal.”

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Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”

— Steve Forbes

FULL-SERVICE CREATIVE MARKETING CONSULTING WEBSITE DESIGN

850-648-4560 | kerigan.com | Mexico Beach, FL 24

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EAST HILL HONEY CO., PENSACOLA Thomas and Emily Van Horn are a professional beekeeping duo, healthful entrepreneurs and major activists in the food artisan movement.

Not so long ago though, their business venture was nothing more than a sweet weekend hobby for a charming young couple in Pensacola’s East Hill community. Thanks to their successful Kickstarter campaign and widespread community support, East Hill Honey Co. quickly turned into something much, much more.

After just 30 days on Kickstarter, on Aug 6, 2012, 309 backers contributed $22,701 to help bring the couple’s dreams to fruition. More valuable than their financial support, Thomas said, was the exposure it gave his young company.

“I could have easily taken out a loan,” explained Thomas.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much money.

But the thing that was invaluable is the marketing. It forces you to sit down and make a video about your mission and who you are.”

The funds from their Kickstarter campaign went to constructing a “honey house,” a certified building where they can bottle and extract honey in order to sell it to a third party distributor. Today, their products can be found in nearly 30 grocery stores throughout the Thomas and Emily Van Horn region.

PHOTOS COURTESY MARK PATERNACK/JUMP GOAT MEDIA

BOTTOM LINE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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 Magazine, we introduce you to some Northwest Florida professionals dedicated to earning your trust and providing you with their specialized services.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

DANIEL W. UHLFELDER, P.A.

124 E. County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach (850) 534-0246 | daniel@dwulaw.com DWULaw.com

Areas of specialty:

Real Estate, Divorce, Litigation, Foreclosures, Condo/ Association, Business Law and Estate Planning/Asset Protection

Why did you enter this profession?

I have always wanted to be an attorney, because it allows me to channel my curiosity, competitive passion for solving problems and fighting for fairness.

Why do you choose to base your practice on the Emerald Coast?

I was raised in North Florida. After attending Stanford University, Georgetown University Law Center, University of Florida College of Law and working and practicing in Washington D.C., California and Miami, I decided 13 years ago to return to my roots. In this growing and exciting region I have been able to run a thriving practice by using my unique set of skills, background and education to provide high-quality, personalized legal counsel and services. My clients are not “just a case” at my office because I am truly invested in their legal success.

What is your approach to business?

We strive to fully understand our client’s objectives and aggressively, creatively and honestly aim to achieve those targets. Our strategy is to work within the bounds of the system to make sure all viable options are pursued whether they involve negotiation, mediation or litigation in federal or state trial or appellate court. Because of my experience working all over the country, I am very good at looking at a case from a variety of angles and coming up with successful solutions that another attorney might not attempt.

“ The practice of law requires attention to detail, determination, patience and good listening skills. My firm’s goal is to provide our clients with all the legal services they need to address their problems, whatever they may entail. I enjoy the challenges involved in taking on complex cases, which other attorneys may shy away from. My philosophy has always been the bigger the challenge, or the bigger the opponent, the better.”

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

EMERALD COAST BUSINESS BROKERS

4481 Legendary Drive Ste. 101, Destin (850) 424-7541 ecbrokers.com

JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

Greg Hasley, Senior Advisor/Sales Associate

What services do you provide?

What is your background?

We walk alongside people who want to start, buy or sell a business, customizing efforts around their goals, then guiding them through the process. Our advisors also specialize in executing successful mergers and acquisitions.

I have been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years. I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas as well as a Florida real estate license.

What types of clients utilize your services?

Our services include: • Prescreening businesses • Conducting all negotiations • Assisting with all paperwork • Coordinating efforts between attorneys, CPAs, bankers, insurance companies and other professionals • Creating a plan for getting a business ready to sell • Establishing a Most Profitable Selling Price Valuation (MPSP) • Conducting buyer searches • Assisting with the business sale

We work with people around the Emerald Coast that want to sell or buy a business.

How has your business expanded?

We have seen a tremendous interest in people interested in listing their businesses with us. People believe we understand them and care about helping them. We’ve also recently seen a strong increase in buyers wanting to buy businesses in the Emerald Coast area.

What is the secret to your success?

The secret to our success is honest, ethical business practices and hard work.

“The secret to our success is honest, ethical business practices and hard work.”

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

NICHOLAS AIR

P.O. Box 8889, Columbus, MS (866) 935-7771 NicholasAir.com

Pilatus PC-12 (L), Phenom 100 (R Top), Phenom 300 (R Bottom)

What services do you provide?

Nicholas Air is a premier private jet company offering the best service in its class at the most cost effective rates with a brand new fleet of aircraft. Nicholas Air offers three easily customizable programs to choose from in addition to a jet management program for the most frequent flyers. These programs can be fully customized to meet the client’s unique travel needs.

Jet Card Program: The exclusive Jet Card program is ideal for clients who wish to purchase 15 to 60 hours of travel at a time. These hours never expire, so clients enjoy their time without the worry of card hours expiring.

Jet Lease Program: Ideal for those who travel between 60 to 200 hours per year and want the benefits of a private jet aircraft without any capital investment or residual risk.

Jet Share Program: Perfect for those who travel between 100 to 300 hours per year and want the advantages of owning an asset.

Aircraft Management Program: For clients who travel 150-plus hours per year and want the flexibility and tax advantages of owning a whole personal jet aircraft.

How long have you been in business?

Nicholas Air has been serving the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Mexico since 1997.

What types of clients utilize your services?

Exclusive programs by Nicholas Air provide a means of travel for a wide range of clients. From business executives to professional athletes and celebrities, Nicholas Air is the choice of passengers needing extra security and privacy.

Individuals and families enjoy traveling to their favorite sporting events, vacations, weddings and other destinations.

Describe your business strategy:

Nicholas Air pays meticulous attention to the details of safety, service and quality. With accident-free operations, the company was founded on the principles of expertise, safety, precision and superior service. These principles are the cornerstones of the company’s business culture and drives the standards that deliver the exceptional experience customers have come to appreciate.

What is the secret to your success?

It’s all about building relationships. People like to do business with real people who genuinely care about their clients.

Nicholas Air maintains a 5-year or newer fleet of aircraft and goes above and beyond to ensure the client’s experience is the best private air travel has to offer.

“Nicholas Air goes above and beyond to ensure the client’s experience is the best private air travel has to offer.“ 28

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

SNIFFEN & SPELLMAN, P.A.

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Hetal Desai, Maureen McCarthy Daughton, Lisa A. Barclay and Kenyetta Mullins

123 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee (850) 205-1996 sniffenlaw.com

Pictured left to right: Hetal Desai, Maureen McCarthy Daughton, Lisa A. Barclay and Kenyetta Mullins

Sniffen & Spellman, P.A., serves its clients’ best interests in a responsive, efficient and thorough manner. Sniffen & Spellman’s four female attorneys, with a combined 70 years of legal experience, provide unparalleled legal representation to the firm’s clients.

Lisa A. Barclay, a Tallahassee native, served as a law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Charles Wilson where she first got a taste of the courtroom and developed a passion for litigation.

She began her career in Jacksonville, specializing in cases involving gross negligence, wrongful death, institutional medical negligence and profound brain and spinal cord injuries. Barclay joined Sniffen & Spellman in 2009 and has expanded her practice to include labor and employment and civil rights defense litigation, class action wage and hour litigation, equal employment opportunity litigation and whistleblower lawsuits.

Maureen McCarthy Daughton grew up in the suburbs of Long Island. Always wanting to be a lawyer, she attended the University of Florida where she received her law degree.

Daughton began her career prosecuting child abuse cases and began her private practice specializing in local government at two different firms. She joined Sniffen & Spellman in 2013 and practices administrative law and litigation, including rule challenges, rule development work and bid protests.

Daughton also practices in the employment litigation arena defending public and private sector employers.

Hetal Desai attended Florida State, where she graduated

early, and went on to law school at the University of Florida.

After graduation she served as a law clerk for a DCA judge for two years and then practiced both the plaintiff and management sides of employment litigation in Miami and New York City. Desai moved back to Tallahassee, eventually serving as an assistant city attorney for the City of Tallahassee, handling employment, ethics, public records and communityrelated litigation and issues. Now in private practice with Sniffen & Spellman, she works in the areas of employment consulting and litigation.

Kenyetta Mullins, a Fort Myers native, attended FSU’s

College of Law. As a student she began working at Sniffen & Spellman as a law clerk while also participating in the school’s Journal of Transnational Law and Policy and the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition team. After graduating cum laude, she joined the firm. She currently practices in the areas of civil litigation, labor and employment law and civil rights defense. Her diversified background and real-world experience in management and education combine well with the firm’s labor and employment law practice.

Honored as Legal Elite 2013

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

HEATH LAW FIRM, P.A.

James L. Heath

4300 Legendary Dr., #265, Destin (850) 307-0203 floridacoastlaw.com After serving for eight years in the United States Marine Corps as an M1A1 Abrams Tank commander and Primary Marksmanship Instructor, James obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Florida State University.

He then spent almost three years as a police officer in Panama City, Florida, where he was twice decorated. After working as a police officer, James matriculated from the University of West Florida with a master’s degree in Public Administration.

Following graduate school, James immediately entered law school and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota. During his time in South Dakota, he supervised the Student Legal Services Program, assisting students who experienced legal difficulties.

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Prior to starting Heath Law Firm, P.A., James gained valuable experience assisting clients with a myriad of civil issues, including class actions, contracts, security clearances and felony criminal defense.

In addition to representing criminal defense clients, James focuses on foreclosure defense, civil trial law and property law throughout the Florida Gulf Coast and serves as general counsel for a regional dignitary protection company that provides instruction to domestic and foreign agencies in the use and application of weapons and tactics. He is also an active volunteer with the Legal Aid Society of the Tallahassee Bar Association, assisting less fortunate citizens with legal issues.

In addition to representing criminal defense clients, James focuses on foreclosure defense, civil trial law and property law throughout the Florida Gulf Coast.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

PATIENTS FIRST

MATT BURKE

Brian S. Webb, President & CEO

2907 Kerry Forest Parkway, Tallahassee (850) 668-3380 PatientsFirst.com

What services do you provide?

At Patients First, we provide family medicine and urgent care services at seven locations throughout Tallahassee. We also offer a comprehensive array of employer health and occupational medicine services. Patients First provides care 8 a.m.–10 p.m. every day of the year. Our motto is that we are here “when you need a doctor, not an appointment.”

How long have you been in business?

Patients First has provided health care services for more than 25 years.

Describe your business practice.

Our philosophy has always been to provide comprehensive health care services. The company’s longstanding history and track record of providing convenient, quality care has earned us a dominant position in the region. As a result, we have established a very loyal patient base.

What types of clients utilize your services?

We cater to families, students and visitors for their health care needs, as well as employers for both workers’ compensation injuries and illnesses. Our comprehensive services always focus on controlling employer expenses.

How has your business expanded?

Patients First has grown consistently throughout our 25 years by expanding into areas of the community which were experiencing growth. We anticipated the need and reached out to specific neighborhoods. We have acquired land and will build soon in the southern region of Leon County.

How do you measure success?

We measure success from our patients’ level of satisfaction as well as our employees’ dedication. We all take great pride that Patients First quality care has been recognized as the “Best Family Physician” practice by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine for the last three years.

What is your vision for the future of Patients FIrst?

My vision is to continue to have our dedicated team be the driving force behind our organization’s growth as we continue to fulfill this critical marketplace niche. By offering our unique blend of services with the emphasis on always putting the “patient first,” we will hopefully continue to be the respected leader within our community.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

JACKSON FINANCIAL GROUP

Terri G. Jackson, Certified PlannerTM Practitioner

What is your greatest personal triumph?

I started my business in 1999 with no clients or contacts, just a desire to help people and a strong belief that if I do a good job and treat people with care, it will all work out — and it did!

What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

Slow down! It’s important to plan for the future, but it’s also important to take time and enjoy today.

What do you like best about your profession?

People trust their hopes, dreams and fears with me. It is a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly.

What was your first job?

At age 15, I worked in the automotive department of Sears. It was there I learned important customer service skills that I still use today.

What is your education background?

I earned a B.S. degree in Marketing and Communications from FSU. In 1997 I was a graduating member of the first class of FSU’s Certified Financial Planner Certificate Program.

ROBIN ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

Investment advice offered through Independent Financial Partners, A Registered Investment Advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

511 Beverly St., Tallahassee (850) 222-4014 jacksonfinancialplanning.com terri.jackson@lpl.com

CAPITAL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Ajay Mhatre

What services do you provide?

I specialize in cardiac catheterizations, coronary artery interventions, peripheral vascular disease treatment and general cardiovascular care.

How long have you been working in your profession?

I’ve been in this field for six years.

What is your educational background?

I graduated from the Florida State College of Medicine, did my residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and participated in a cardiovascular fellowship at the University of Florida Jacksonville. I did an interventional cardiology fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a vascular/endovascular medicine fellowship at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy exercising, college football, fishing and spending time with my wife, Cindy, and daughter, Camille.

What best describes your professional philosophy?

I hope to provide excellent cardiovascular care to Tallahassee.

KAY MEYER

2626 Capital Medical Blvd., Tallahassee (850) 325-5000 capitalregionalmedicalcenter.com

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

AMERIS BANK

Robert D. Vice, Market President — Tallahassee, FL

What services do you provide?

Ameris Bank provides a full range of traditional banking, commercial and consumer lending services. We also offer treasury and cash management services, and we are a full-service mortgage company. Ameris Bank provides investment services through a partnership with Raymond James Financial Services.

How long have you been working in your field?

I entered the banking industry immediately upon graduation from college.

I established my career direction via a management-training program, as I felt this was the best way to become fully exposed to all facets of the banking industry. Even after 41 years as a banker, I still strive each day to be the best at what I do and to provide value to my clients!

How would you describe your business philosophy?

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

At Ameris Bank, our priority is to provide an exceptional experience to each and every individual with whom we interact. When working with customers, we strive to deliver with a team approach. We treat each customer with respect and are responsive to any questions and needs they may have.

Ameris Bank is unique in that we offer the resources of a larger banking institution yet deliver the personal attention of a community bank. While we have had immeasurable success in small communities throughout our fourstate footprint, we also are located in large metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Jacksonville and Savannah.

150 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee (850) 745-7333 amerisbank.com

TARGET COPY

Tracey Cohen, President

What advice would you share with your 16-year-old self?

Stop fighting with Mom; she’s right. Listen to Dad; he knows a few things.

Who is a woman you admire in your life today?

I read “Lean In” and was inspired by Sheryl Sandberg and her message of fully participating in my career and encouraging other young women to do so.

What do you like best about your profession?

No two days are ever the same at Target Copy, because every job is custom. Plus, all the fun things we can do with ink on paper, especially when we integrate it with other media. And I love my team!

What is your biggest business success?

One of my newer team members told me, “I’ve worked for a lot of managers and business owners, but I’ve never worked for anyone that cares about their employees the way you do.”

What is your educational background?

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

I have a B.A. in advertising from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

635 W. Tennessee St., Tallahassee (850) 224-3007 targetcopy.com tracey@targetcopy.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

FIRST COMMERCE CREDIT UNION

Park Broome, Sherwood Brown and Chuck Hudson Business Services Executives

What services do you provide?

We provide a wide range of financial services that are all-encompassing and include: free business checking, payroll cards, real-time text/email alerts, remote deposit, ACH processing and beyond. Every service we provide is with an eye toward saving you time and money.

How long have you been in business?

We have been in business for more than 70 years. Our team is ready to deliver the custom solutions that work for your company.

Describe your business practice.

In our quest to be your financial partner for life, our full-service offerings will continue to evolve with your business.

What types of awards or recognitions have you recently garnered?

First Commerce Credit Union was recently named the 2013 Credit Union of the Year by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions.

Why Northwest Florida for your business operations?

MATT BURKE

At First Commerce, we know small businesses are the backbone of the region and the communities we serve. As LOCAL STRONG lenders, we keep our decisions at home and find a way to say “YES.”

Pictured left to right: Park Broome, Sherwood Brown and Chuck Hudson

10 Locations—Tallahassee, Marianna and Thomasville, Ga. (850) 410-3559 FirstCommerceCU.org

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WHERE THE NOLES

GO

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WOOD

THE STATE’S

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BASKET NORTH FLORIDA’S TREES HAVE A MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE REGION

BY LAZARO ALEMAN // PHOTO BY MATT BURKE

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First and foremost are the forests, from which come more than 5,000 products consumers regularly rely on for daily use — from building materials to paper to electronic components to food to pharmaceuticals. Not to mention the intangibles of clean air and water and green spaces. Forests cover onethird the globe’s landmass, some 750 million acres in the United States and nearly 17 million acres in Florida; and they function as wildlife habitats, watershed protectors, soil conservers, carbon storehouses, recreational playgrounds and sources of renewable wood products, among other uses.

Which is to say they have aesthetic, social, ecological, environmental and economical value, or a combination, depending on their location, makeup and whether public or private.

Forests play a significant economic role in United States is the world’s fourth richest Florida. Lee Ann Fisch, of the Florida Forestry country in forests; U.S. forestland acreage Association (FFA), likes to say “forestry is has essentially remained unchanged the agriculture’s best-kept secret.” Agriculture, past century; the volume of growing stock mind, is Florida’s second major industry after of hardwood and softwood tree species in tourism, and forestry is one of agriculture’s U.S. forests grew by 49 percent between 1953 top revenue generators. and 2006; an estimated In 2011, the latest avail25 percent of U.S. private QUANTIFYING FORESTS’ able figures from the forestland is sustainably INTANGIBLES VALUE: Florida Department of managed in accordance A multidisciplinary study Agriculture (FDOA) show with one of three major

by University of Florida the state’s nearly 17 milforest certification proand Nature Conservancy lion acres of timberlands grams; and conservation researchers sought to supported economic initiatives on private land assign a monetary value to activities that generated are on the rise. the environmental benefits $13.95 billion in reveOn the downside: U.S. derived from forests. The nues; employed 76,000 forests face significant four ecosystem services assessed and quantified full and part-time workchallenges from insect were water quality, carbon ers; provided $5.15 billion and disease mortality, storage, timber production worth of exported forest non-native invasive speand wildlife conservation. products; and generated cies, wildfires, encroachThe result was a total $401 million in indirect ing urbanization, and on value of $5,030 per forest business taxes. the timber production acre, with water valued In terms of employside, increasing foreign at $3,300; carbon stocks, ment, the pulp and competition and forest $1,280; timber production, paper products industry divestures by large cor$330; and wildlife, $120. accounted for 75 percent porations in the forest of those 76,000 jobs; forest products industry (The management and logging for 13 percent; secSt. Joe Company’s sale of the majority of its ondary wood production, seven percent; and land holdings in Northwest Florida comes to lumber, veneer and panels manufacturing, mind; although in this case, the Utah-based 5 percent.

AgReserves Inc., a subsidiary of the Mormon Admittedly, the 2011 numbers were Church, is expected to continue in the forest lower than in 2010; still, 2011 was a marked products industry.) improvement over 2008, the lowest point The SAF findings are corroborated at the of what has come to be called the Great state level by the 2013 Florida Agriculture Recession. by the Numbers annual report from the Nationally, the news for forests is good. state’s agriculture department and 2013 According to a 2007 comprehensive analysis Comprehensive Statewide Forest Inventory by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Analysis and Study from the Florida Forest titled “The State of America’s Forests”: The Service (FFS).

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COURTESY FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

The state findings underscore the viability of Florida’s forests and their economic importance, particularly in the Panhandle.

The basic message of the two reports is that Florida’s forests are largely healthy and sustainable.

Drawing from these reports and market trends, timber industry experts foretell a post-recession rebound driven by renewed housing starts, continuing Asian demand for softwood logs and lumber (primarily China), and expanding domestic and foreign bioenergy consumption, among other factors.

The news from the paper industry is equally upbeat.

“We continue to see improvements overall,” says Cathy Foley, vice president of the American Forest and Paper Association, which represents the U.S. pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturing industry. “The U.S. paper industry has been running a trade surplus in recent years, with about 20 percent of production exported in 2013. World paper consumption is expanding approximately 2.1 percent a year, and we continue to experience growth in the containerboard and tissue sectors.”

North Florida is particularly poised to take advantage of the upswing, given it contains the overwhelming majority of the state’s forestlands, 96 percent of its tree plantations and most of the primary woodusing mills, earning PRACTICING SILVICULTURE it the moniker of New firefighters “wood basket.” hone their tractor defense skills The picture isn’t during basic fire totally rosy, however. control training.

Prescribed burns Florida forests face are used to keep threats from fires, private and public forests healthy. non-native invasive species and urbanization/fragmentation pressures, as well as potential softwood timber shortages in some areas. At the industry level, the challenges include high operating costs, shrinking profit margins, burdensome regulations, stagnant lumber rates and an aging logger population, combined with a limited number of young people entering the industry. “We’re a dying breed,” laments one logger.

A FORESTRY PRIMER The SAF defines the forest industry as “a diverse group of manufacturers that harvest, process and use timber in their products.”

Individuals in this industry engage in such activities as planting, harvesting and

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selling trees, as well as converting timber into primary products (lumber, plywood, wood pulp, etc.) or secondary products (pallets, furniture, paper goods, etc.). Included in the industry are tree farmers, forest managers, loggers, mill operators and sundry others in associated industries that make, use or sell wood or wood products, as well as thousands of forest-derived products.

In terms of timber production, trees — not unlike other agriculture commodities — are a cash crop, if with a long-term yield, as it typically takes about 15 years before they can be harvested. And silviculture, comSUSTAINABLE monly called “the BUSINESS? agriculture of trees,” Jerry Gray, owner of Gray Logging LLC Shop deals with how best in Madison County, to grow, manage and with granddaughter Hannah Light, manipulate trees worries that not to maximize their enough trees are being planted to growth, health, qualreplace the timber ity, composition, etc., taken out. and do so sustainably. Silviculture is not limited to the private sector; the public sector also practices it, if for different reasons.

“These are basic techniques taught in Forestry College,” says Winnie Schreiber, FFS forest manager bureau chief. “We do many of the same things as the timber companies as far as thinning, prescribed burns and harvesting.”

The difference, she says, is that in the private sector the aim is typically to maximize productivity and economic yield, whereas in the public sector it’s to ensure overall forest health and enhanced multiple uses.

Not that the state doesn’t sell timber. Along with managing public forests for maintenance of the ecosystem, wildlife habitat and general health, revenue generation through timber sales is a definite goal.

“Timber harvesting is a significant component of our management,” Schreiber says.

“We do an annual inventory plan for timber sales. We sell the timber, monitor the harvests and do reforestation.”

It’s in the private sector, however, where timber production truly dominates.

According to the FFS analysis, 63 percent of Florida’s forests are privately-owned, most by non-industrial, non-corporate property owners, with private ownership reaching as high as 76 percent of forestlands in some areas of north Florida.

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group, furthermore, is growing, its mean age is increasing, timber production isn’t necessarily its primary objective and few have management plans. All of which has implications for sustainability.

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is a key issue in forestry, as it is in many other industries and endeavors, both for ensuring continuation of resources and meeting industry and government expectations, if not requirements.

Florida forests’ sustainability is generally not in question. The FFS analysis found the state’s forests to be sustainable overall across species and timber products. Even so, the study points to 18 counties in north and central Florida where demand is outstripping supply “due to high levels of industrial timber demand for pine pulpwood and lower levels of reforestation.”

Dr. Jarek Nowak, FFS forestry-utilization specialist, attributes the lower reforestation levels to numerous causes. These include fewer and more cumbersome federal costsharing programs that help offset the cost of

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replanting, mill closings (from 143 mills in 1987 to 52 presently) and conversion of forestland into other uses. Whatever the causes, reforestation is crucial, Nowak says.

“If replanting doesn’t keep up with harvesting, that’s a problem,” he says. “As an agency, we’re concerned people aren’t replanting as much as they used to.”

Other worrisome trends the studies cite insofar as sustainability include population growth/urbanization pressures, a notable demographic shift of private forest landowners from traditional farmers to absentee landowners more interested in recreational uses of their land than farming and a decrease in the average size of private owners’ landholdings.

Sustainability is an issue that resonates with those in the industry.

Lynetta Griner is FFA president and co-owner, with husband Ken, of Usher Land & Timber, a third-generation family-operated logging/ farming/cattle business in Levy County.

“In my area, it’s clear that forestland is being put into cropland,” Griner says.

“We’re definitely seeing a lot of conversion

FOREST-DERIVED PRODUCTS: More than 5,000 everyday items are made from forest products. A sampling of these items includes toothbrushes (1), football helmets (2), charcoal (3), crayons (4), aspirin (5), wine corks (6), skin lotions (7), cough syrups (8), cologne, cosmetics (9), adhesive bandages (10), dish washing liquids, soaps, shampoo (11), spices (12), as well as artificial flavorings, food additives, root beer, computer casings, sporting equipment, musical instruments, car wax and garden mulch.

1.

12.

11.

COURTESY GINGER GRAY

2.

happening. Sometimes what you see isn’t the reality. The studies all say we have more trees now than 100 years ago. But when you drive around, it’s hard to believe that because of what you see.”

It’s a concern shared by silvicultural contractor Bobby Callahan of Bobby Callahan Company, a Panama City operation that annually plants hundreds of thousands of trees on a contractual basis for corporations, institutions and private landowners in Bay and Calhoun counties.

“I can see demand outstripping supply,” Callahan says.

“The demand is increasing, and the land base is getting smaller. St. Joe, for example, is getting into development.

Within the next decade, I can see a shortage of trees.”

Allen Boatright and Jerry Gray echo the sentiment.

Boatright is owner/operator of Boatright Timber Service Inc. in Gadsden County, and Gray is owner/operator of Gray Logging LLC Shop in Madison County.

“We’ve got a lot of land with little or no timber and a lot of landowners who don’t want to invest in reforestation,” Boatright says. “My concern is, where is the raw material going to come from? I can show you tract after tract of timber that’s gone. A lot of it has been put into farmland.

I’m talking thousands and thousands of acres.”

Gray agrees. “I’m worried about the future of our business, because people aren’t putting trees back into the ground,” he says. “It’s a long-term investment of 20 years

10.

9.

3.

8.

4.

5.

7.

6.

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MATT BURKE

practices designed to ensure sustainability.” or so. When you look at the cost of replantThe literature suggests that notwithstanding ing and put pencil to it, you kind of scratch the fact many in this group harvest timber, your head and wonder if it’s worth it. Most most rank aesthetical, recreational and wildlandowners are getting up in age, they don’t life viewing as their top reasons for owning want to put their money in it and their kids forestland. It’s also among this group that pareither don’t have the money or don’t want to celization and fragmentation are more likely put it into replanting.” to occur, further threatening the contiguity

and ecological integrity of forestlands.

CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS, Parcelization involves “changes in ownLEED AND FRAGMENTATION ership patterns whereby large forested One almost can’t speak of sustainability withtracts are divided into smaller parcels.” out touching on three certification programs Fragmentation, as defined by the SAF, is “the that together account for the 25 percent of process of dividing large tracts of contiguous U.S. private forestlands being managed in a forest into smaller, isolated tracts surroundsustainable manner, and the parcelization/ ed by human-modified environments.” fragmentation of forestland.

Parcelization doesn’t necessarily lead to fragA sore point with the FFA is that the U.S. mentation, but it increases the likelihood Green Building Council solely recognizes through construction of roads and buildings. the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) cer tification program under its Leadership in NOT YOUR FATHER’S INDUSTRY Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Griner and Fisch like to say, “Today’s is not designation, which awards points for “green” your father’s forest industry,” a way of underconstructed buildings. The problem, per the scoring the logging industry’s evolution.

FFA, is that the FSC certifies only 120 acres “My dad is 87,” Griner says, echoing a in Florida, whereas the American Tree Farm common theme. “He couldn’t get a load of System (ATFS) and Sustainable Forestry wood to the mill now if his life depended on Initiative (SFI) programs certify nearly three it. The regulations are incredible.” million acres.

Fisch casts a different light on the situation: The FFA holds that LEED’s criteria cre“The industry’s relationship with environates an uneven playing field that puts mentalists, the way we work with governFlorida’s woodland products at a competiment, the proactive approach tive disadvantage, forcing that forestry takes to a lot of the use of FSC-certified wood issues, people don’t realize from other states and counINVASIVE PLANTS: that we’re very cutting edge tries for “green” constructed Florida is particularly — literally and figuratively.” buildings wanting the LEED vulnerable to invaIt’s true the industry has designation. sive plants because of its subtropical evolved, from the sophistiIn 2013, Florida lawmakclimate, numerous cated equipment it utilizes ers adopted language allowshipping ports and to the Best Management ing for consideration of more extensive plantPractices (BMPs) it employs than one green building code based industries, in timber harvesting — BMPs in public construction projamong other factors. being industry-specific miniects and requiring that Florida Kudzu, for example, mum standards that aim at wood products receive priority infests some seven protecting the water quality consideration in said projects. million acres in the and wildlife habitat and proThe FFA views the legislation Southeast and annually causes about moting sustainability. as a partial victory, given private $500 million in lost “BMPs are not optional,” projects seeking the LEED desfarm and timber Griner says. “We have to have ignation still tend to use FSCproduction. Florida a Master Logger on every certified wood, and the law also spends around $30 crew. That’s dictated by the doesn’t apply in other states. million annually mills, because they want to As for parcelization/fragto combat invasive certify their wood is produced mentation, the issue is that plants on natural arin a sustainable manner for although small forest owners eas and waterways.

Home Depot to market it.” collectively represent a sigThe evolution is likenificant number in the forestry wise evident in the partnerships the indussector, “only a relatively small proportion try has forged with various government of them engage in systematic management

agencies and environmental groups. Finding common ground, as opposed to emphasizing the differences, is more often than not the model nowadays, Griner and Fisch suggest.

That doesn’t mean, however, that regulations aren’t resented or battled, or that things are perfectly copacetic between the industry and government and environmentalists.

When you talk to individual loggers and foresters, their top concerns are high operating costs, stagnant lumber prices and burdensome regulations, problems many see as intrinsically interwoven.

Tim Southerland of K&B Timber and Land Company in Panama City, possibly best articulates the latter viewpoint. A selfdescribed industry advocate, Southerland is passionate, articulate and politically engaged (his brother is U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland).

Southerland’s concerns are many, but they essentially boil down to government regulations and unrealistic standards that stifle competition and add to the everyday costs of doing business. He further sees many regulations as ultimately derived from misguided or misinformed bureaucrats and wrongheaded environmentalists.

Having to wear hardhats in a logging area is a sensible regulation, Southerland says.

Requiring timber-hauling trucks to carry

WOOD EXPORTS At Green Circle Bio Energy in Jackson County, locally harvested trees are transformed annually into 670,000 tons of wood pellets that are mostly shipped overseas out of Port Panama City.

expensive warning lights on their rears during daylight hours is asinine.

“If you can’t see a log truck in the daytime, you don’t need to be on the road,” he says.

Likewise for regulations that in his view merely increase the cost of equipment, insurance rates, workman’s compensation and the like, or generally put American producers at a disadvantage, especially against foreign competitors who aren’t subject to the same standards and often are government subsidized to boot. And don’t get him started on the wrongheadedness of logging bans in national forests.

“The majority of the issues we face are coming from outside forces that don’t know anything about our industry,” Southerland says.

Although not as vocal, other logging operators voice similar concerns. Operating costs, particularly fuel, are killing them, they say. The cost of new equipment — between $750,000 and $1 million to outfit a crew — is becoming practically prohibitive, one reason young people can’t buy into the game. Log prices have essentially remained unchanged, leading to shrinking profit margins. Emission and other onerous trucking regulations, not to mention conflicting state and federal highway permit requirements, are insufferable. Many, in fact, see the

trucking component of their operations as “a necessary evil.”

“Being able to provide decent trucks, hiring decent drivers and paying the fuel bills, these are the biggest challenges we face daily,” Gray says.

RECOVERY AND BIO-ENERGY It’s not all bad news, however. Most see business improving, if they’re not yet ready to celebrate the recovery. Call it cautious optimism. They take hope from new wood products being developed and emerging markets, particularly in bio-energy, with Green Circle Bio-Energy Inc. (GCBE) in Jackson County a prime example.

In operation since 2008, GCBE converts roundwood and diversified raw materials (sawmill residues, wood chips, etc.) into pellets that go to heat buildings and co-fire coalbased power plants. With annual production now at 670,000 tons, much of it shipped overseas, GCBE is seen as a “game changer” in the region. The prognostication for its future, moreover, is good, as European power plants are expected to use at least 20 percent renewable energy by 2020.

“The wood pellet industry has grown from a small niche industry mostly serving the residential heating markets in North

America and Europe to becoming an important export commodity,” says Morten Neraas, Green Circle’s CEO and president. “With the European market expected to continue seeing strong demand growth, coupled with new markets opening in Asia, we’re optimistic the strong growth experienced to date will continue … In the years to come, wood pellets have the potential to become a very important export revenue driver for the U.S., bringing economic growth and jobs to rural areas in the Southeast.”

Last year the company announced it would establish a similar operations in southern Mississippi.

CODA Foresters and loggers will tell you theirs is hard work, long hours and pay that sometimes doesn’t seem worth the effort. They wonder how much longer they can hang on.

Press them, however, and most will readily admit they love what they do and couldn’t think of doing anything else.

“I’m a third generation logger,” Boatright says. “I can’t fathom doing anything other than this.”

Adds Southerland, “It’s in the blood. Once you get turpentine in your hair, you can’t get it out.”

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FINDING YOUR BRAND SEARCHING FOR YOUR IDENTITY TAKES THOUGHT AND COMMITMENT

BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

“You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.” — JERRY GARCIA, THE GRATEFUL DEAD

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There probably isn’t a two-year-old in America who doesn’t know what a set of golden arches along the side of the road means.

It’s McDonald’s, of course. And it’s most likely the first advertising logo — other than Mickey Mouse — that most American children learn to identify. That’s what you call good branding.

“Good brands carry value to the customer,” says Jack Kerigan, of Kerigan Marketing Associates, with offices in Mexico Beach and Baton Rouge. “Nabisco means something to you. Or Marlboro. And the logo is something you’re supposed to recognize immediately.”

But not everyone gets it right the first time around, or times change and a company or organization also needs to change. That’s when it’s time to rebrand. It’s been done by companies large and small; some efforts were successful (Target, Apple, UPS) while others were miserable failures (Yahoo!, Gap, New Coke, Accenture). Gap allegedly spent $100 million for a redesigned logo that lasted a whole six days.

“Rebranding can be a risky business,” writes Ilya Pozin, founder of Pluto.TV, Open Me and Ciplex, a digital marketing agency. “It’s more than just a fresh coat of paint on your company brand. It also signals your organization is embracing a new way of doing business.

Plus, your current brand already has recognition and market share, so it’s important not to throw out the good with the bad.”

Whenever Kerigan is invited to give a talk on branding, his first slide is usually the Garcia quote.

“What is a Jeep? Is it a car or a truck?” he asks. “It’s a Jeep. It’s the only one that does what it does.

And Disney is clearly one of a kind.”

That’s the message that businesses and organizations need to deliver … that they are the best at what they do.

“Anytime you’re looking at a possible rebrand, it’s grounded in research,” said Terrie Ard, president of Moore Communications Group. “A brand is not a logo, a

tagline, a website, a product or a service. A brand is really the gut feeling someone has about your organization. It’s that emotion that drives us, it’s the center of the brain that makes decisions on brands.”

The research phase of a rebranding effort, she explained, is necessary to uncover what the company’s current landscape looks like and where is the opportunity to go. That includes an audit of how a company is being treated by the media and how it portrays itself in its own communications.

When first meeting with clients who want to establish their brand or rebrand, Kerigan said he pushes them to think of the one most persuasive idea that can be conveyed about the company.

For in the end, a major aim of a rebranding is to give the company and employees the messages and the tools to communicate why they do what they do — and why they’re the best.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY It’s a big university, with a lot of schools and departments. Not to mention athletics. So, how do you get everyone on the same page to deliver a strong, united message about what Florida State University stands for?

“It’s unlike any other industry,” says Jeanette DeDiemar, FSU’s associate vice president for

TOP 10

MOST VALUABLE GLOBAL BRANDS 2014

1. GOOGLE — TECHNOLOGY

Brand Value 2014 $M: $158,843 Change Since 2013: 40%

2. APPLE — TECHNOLOGY

Brand Value 2014 $M: $147,880 Change Since 2013: -20%

3. IBM — TECHNOLOGY

Brand Value 2014 $M: $107,541 Change Since 2013: -4%

4. MICROSOFT — TECHNOLOGY

Brand Value 2014 $M: $90,185 Change Since 2013: 29%

5. MCDONALD’S — FAST FOOD Brand Value 2014 $M: $85,706 Change Since 2013: -5%

6. COCO COLA — SOFT DRINKS

Brand Value 2014 $M: $80,683 Change Since 2013: 3%

7. VISA — CREDIT CARD

Brand Value 2014 $M:$79,197 Change Since 2013: 41%

8. AT&T — TELECOM Brand Value 2014 $M: $77,883 Change Since 2013: 3%

9. MARLBORO — TOBACCO

Brand Value 2014 $M: $67,341 Change Since 2013: -3%

10. AMAZON.COM — RETAIL

Brand Value 2014 $M: $64,255 Change Since 2013: 41% Source: Millward Brown

university relations and director of integrated marketing and communications. “Over the years universities have better understood they need to manage their reputations.

Florida State is one of those universities that recognized that with all its complexities and achievements and delivery of excellence, it needed to enhance the way it managed its reputation. Some people use ‘brand’ versus ‘reputation.’ I support the idea a university manages its reputation.”

The way FSU operated four years ago compared to now is vastly different, relying these days on an integrated marketing approach.

Instead of just putting information out willy-nilly, the school has streamlined the process and centralized communications to ensure the right information is reaching the appropriate audiences.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re doing if people aren’t able to find you, understand you and interact with you. Your brand isn’t as strong,” DeDiemar explains.

Plus, she warns, if you don’t get out a message about your brand, someone else will.

“If you don’t pay attention to how you are talking about yourself, others who are external will assume that role for you. We wanted to pay more attention to that. And that’s why I was brought to Florida State,” says DeDiemar, who knows of what she speaks.

She’s done this before at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, an award-winning five-year rebranding effort, and Fresno State.

DeDiemar has been busy making internal changes and working with the university community to develop a better sense of the image FSU wants to portray.

That has involved internal focus groups that worked to pinpoint FSU’s strengths and how best to convey that message to the public.

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FINDING YOUR BRAND

Why now? Because FSU has aspirations to move into the top 25 public universities in the country, which leads to an invitation to join the American Association of Universities, the national association of leading research universities that includes schools like Brandeis, Brown, Duke, Harvard, Northwestern, Princeton, University of Florida, University of Texas, Vanderbilt and Yale.

“This is one of the top research universities in the country,” says DeDiemar. Her message to FSU colleagues: “Let’s tell our story together.”

‘INSPIRING THE EXTRAORDINARY’ When DeDiemar started working at FSU nearly four years ago, she told school officials it would take three to five years to complete the rebranding process, which would occur in three phases. She says they’re ahead of schedule — and it’s all been done in-house.

The first phase took 18 months.

That’s where the realignment of resources and expertise began along with the auditing of existing communications channels, deciding which ones to continue.

The idea was to have a culture shift that would lend itself to a more collaborative environment.

The second phase involved looking at how the university story is told — when, to whom and how — and listening to what the media needed to better understand the university and its value.

That resulted in marrying social media with a news site that allows everyone 24/7 access to information about the school. An emphasis on just Facebook alone showed a jump in the university’s fan base to more than 77,000. And that, DeDiemar delightedly points out, is a “significant trajectory.”

Rebranding efforts also included “listening” sessions and focus 46

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groups, which included 65 volunteers from the faculty, staff, students and alumni. In the end, it was agreed to leave the traditional school logo intact. But changes were made to the school website, and Renegade was featured in national ads that promote the school’s competitiveness and excellence — not only in sports but with a new, stronger emphasis on academics.

This summer, the school is unveiling a new tag line: Inspiring the Extraordinary. Again, alluding to all aspects of the university — including athletics and academics.

“For the university, it’s not about creating a brand. It’s about discovering who we are. And that’s very important. Whether it’s a business or organization or non-profit, be authentic to who you are. That’s where you differentiate yourself,” DeDiemar says.

“If you don’t deliver what you promise, there’s a disconnect.

That’s harmful to an organization’s reputation.”

having you pick out the one suit you’ll wear the rest of your life. But once the decision has been made, business moves on.”

THOMAS HOWELL FERGUSON

FSU SPORTS Don’t confuse FSU’s rebranding with the ongoing debate over the school’s sports logo. They are totally different animals.

A remake of the Seminole logo that graces the university’s sports uniforms raised a lot of consternation when it was unveiled earlier this year.

Kerigan, himself an FSU alum, wasn’t enamored of the change when he first saw it. But when he polled the younger staffers in his office he found they mostly liked it. Like it or not, he said, the furor will soon be long gone.

“Like most logo projects, six months down the road people forget it was such a hot topic.

That’s the way branding always is,” he says. “I understand why it’s difficult for clients and businesses.

It’s like taking you into a store and

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FSU Sports created an uproar when it redesigned the logo that appears on all team uniforms.

But unlike the process the university is undergoing to rebrand itself, the sports logo didn’t go through a testing process involving different elements of the university population.

Winston Howell reached out to Moore Communications Group nearly two years ago after watching the agency go through its own rebranding journey, not only changing its name from Moore Consulting Group but also developing a new look for its messaging and reshaping its team.

“Winston said to me at one point that he saw a complete change, new energy, new success. I think through him seeing our evolution he started looking at where their brand was,” said Terrie Ard. Becca Gilbert came on board in August of 2013 to handle the fullservice certified public accounting firm’s marketing and business development.

“During the hiring process I looked at our website, which I hated, and thought, ‘Well, this is the first thing I’m going to change.’ And I wasn’t thrilled with the logo. Everything I saw looked like a law firm or architectural firm,” Gilbert remembers.

The core of the research conducted by Moore Communications was what Ard calls a “strategic ideation session,” where partners,

HOW EFFECTIVE CAN REBRANDING BE? CHECK OUT WHAT RESULTED FROM SOME REBRANDING CAMPAIGNS:

107% FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

J. Crew’s increase in sales between 2003 and 2008, helped by an endorsement from First Lady Michelle Obama.

shareholders and directors were brought together to get information.

The first questions were: Who is your target audience, and what does your target audience need?

What are their motivators, their trigger points?

“One of the exercises was to take various images and have them write the copy that promotes Thomas Howell Ferguson that would match that image. That gets the emotional side working,” Ard explains. “We also did an exercise called ‘pain and joy’ points. First, what do you love about communicating your brand? And the pain points are a way to uncover the challenges.”

Then comes the storytelling. What needs to be told to motivate people to action?

“We talk a lot about messaging, targeting our audience. Now, what is the message we need to build to motivate them to action? Oftentimes organizations in their branding focus on what they do and how they do it. But the ‘why’ they do it is the key,” says Ard. “The ‘why’ is what triggers the emotional decisions we make every day about brands. Look at Starbucks. They don’t talk a lot about their coffee. They talk about the experience of it.”

So, why is it important to choose Thomas Howell Ferguson? In the first research phase, it was determined that rebranding would give the firm an opportunity to strengthen its story and better tell what it already does for its clients, while building awareness of all the services that even current clients might not be aware of.

Among the first decisions was a change in the firm’s tag line to “You can count on us.” That was brought to life on the website, where the firm now declares, “You can count on us to exceed

 $

$747 million A little sexing up and some high profile celebrities helped Burberry quickly increase sales of its clothing line within a year.

NO.2

Forty-Four Dollars The price a bottle of a repackaged and reinvented Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sold for when introduced in China.

Going upscale on its clothing while keeping prices down turned Target into the nation’s second largest retailer.

58%

Facebook users who have “liked” a brand.

THIRTY-SIX PERCENT

Increase in international applications to UCLA after a rebranding.

Sources: Business Insider; 160 Over 90; Hubspot.com 850 Business Magazine

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FINDING YOUR BRAND

GULF DISTRICT SCHOOLS BRANDING Kerigan Marketing offered up five different logos for Gulf County schools to choose from. School board members voted on the top logo the same night they saw it.

F OCUS ON LOCATION H IGH PERFORMANCE ▪ ■ MODERN ▪

“We took key phrases from the employees in our sessions. We took phrases they believed in … why they come to work every day. It all comes out of the question, ‘Why?’ ” ASHLEE WEBER, MOORE’S LEAD ON THE REBRANDING PROJECT

▪

expectations,” “You can count on us to be the bottom line,” “You can count on us to D E D go beyond the numbers” E and on and on.

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It’s simplicity is allows the Gulf County star –but SEPTEMBER 2014 | AUGUST | 850businessmagazine.com ofter the48 21st century.

The angular and ultra-modern. the word “Gulf”. Elements strikingsubtly and feels innovative t design, bringing it into flat design, bringing it into ellence shapes imply motion and creeping outside the to center above and within force,The leaning toward the 21st century. The angular box are a nod to the phrase the word “Gulf”. Elements e 21st century. softer and ultra-modern.

THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TALLAHASSEE Kelly Ann Fasano is in line to become the next president of Tallahassee’s Junior League. At the age of 26, she’ll become the youngest ever to hold that post in this chapter.

Excited about her election, she called her mother. Her mom’s reaction? “I’m a little concerned you’re hanging around with housewives.”

And that’s just the attitude that Junior League leaders are hoping to change as they undertake a project to rebrand themselves.

“People think we’re a club for nonworking women who sit around and eat lunch,” says Fasano, an FSU graduate with an undergraduate degree in marketing and a master’s in communications who works at the Zimmerman agency. “We’re vivacious leaders in the community. We’re working women, CEOs. We don’t look like the women from the movie ‘The Help.’ ” Fasano, who “was always passionate about serving the community,” joined the group four years ago because she wanted to make friends and volunteer.

The Tallahassee chapter, one of 300 around the world, was founded 55 years ago and has 165 members. Recruitment occurs over the summer months, with potential new members learning mostly by word of mouth.

The minimum age to join is 23. Women can join up to age 40, although there is no age limit once they become members.

“Our median age now is 29 or 30,” says Rebeka Dorn, 32, the current president. “We keep getting younger. Most of our members are working outside the home.

They’re doctors, dentists, teachers and lawyers. They work in IT, marketing and the Legislature.”

Now the League is grappling with how to present its new face to the public. As it takes the first steps in the rebranding process, its leaders want to focus more on the diversity of the membership

and the charitable work that it does in the community, providing resources where needed but never overlapping with other programs.

If a non-profit in the community needs help with something, such as a fundraiser, the League’s Done in a Day committee will organize volunteers to go in and get the job done in a day. Its annual Operation Prom Dress, provides prom outfits — everything from the dress and shoes to the purse and jewelry — for students with developmental disabilities at Tallahassee’s Gretchen Everhart School. It also runs the annual Whale of a Sale to raise money to fund the League’s projects that aid women and children and helps provide weekend food packs for children in the school free and reduced-lunch program.

In the past, the League helped start the county library, initiated the Junior Museum, advocated for bike lanes, among other projects.

But how many people in the Tallahassee community even know of one or two things the League does or has done?

“Those who just know of us don’t know what we do. When we asked people ‘What does the Junior League do?’ they couldn’t tell us,” Dorn says “We want to bring an identity to our logo.”

DO YOUR HOMEWORK Gloria Pugh has an important message she delivers to budding entrepreneurs. Before you start creating a name in the market, make sure no one with a similar name can come behind you with a cease and desist order. It’ll cost you a fortune to rebrand.

Pugh, CEO of AMWAT Moving Housing and Storage, knows of what she speaks. It happened to her and husband Dean, AMWAT’s COO. “Years ago, when Dean started A Man With A Truck, we filed our trademark with the state,” Pugh says. “We didn’t know enough to file for a federal trademark.”

The Junior League of Tallahassee takes on a myriad of programs throughout the year to aid women and children, but most people in the community have no idea what Leaguers do.

In 2006 a Two Men And A Truck franchise opened in Tallahassee and soon filed a cease and desist order against the Pughs. “They said there was confusion over the names,” she recalls. “At the time we were getting ready to purchase a bigger facility and to switch our name to AMWAT. I said if they agree to pay for our rebranding, we wouldn’t fight it.”

Recently the Pughs thought about rebranding themselves, taking on a new name for their growing business. Gloria Pugh had been successful with her “Moving Maven” blog and thought that name might be a good fit for the company. She plunked down $495 and filed for a federal trademark, only to find out a few months later that the name was similar to another business in Boston, The Move Maven.

“I called the lady in Boston and asked if she would be willing to let me use the name. She only works in Boston while we work nationally and internationally. I promised we wouldn’t do business in her area,” Pugh says. “She said ‘no.’ ” So the Pughs reevaluated and decided to stick with AMWAT, which is federally trademarked.

“You may be able to operate if you don’t trademark, but you run the risk of getting a cease and desist,” says Gloria Pugh. “They can sue you and claim the revenues you earned were as a result of the strength of their brand. If they’re really vicious, not only will they want your revenues, but they can also try to get your telephone number. It can get very, very ugly.”

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Weathering the Storms Three Titans of Tourism Tell us How they Plan to Navigate the New Normal BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

W

hen it rains it pours, sometimes quite literally. The Emerald Coast is used to preparing for hurricane force winds, but it was not ready for record rains that brought floodwaters so deep and swift the area’s streets eroded while cars, businesses and homes flooded. But that’s just what 24 hours of April showers brought ... along with a disaster designation heading into May — the beginning of the peak summer tourism season. But the Emerald Coast has weathered storms before — both those created by Mother Nature and the manmade variety.

Mother Nature is not the first villain to cast a shadow along the sugar-sand beaches of Northwest Florida. Other unwelcome visitors with names like Opal (1995), Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005) have come and gone with gusto. Occasional brush and wildfires make the Sunshine State the kind of hot that isn’t cool. Even indigenous creatures that call the Gulf home have crept onto the scene from time to time. In June 2005, two separate bull shark attacks in a period of three days was such an anomaly, garnering international headlines. Not the kind of PR most on the coast would prefer.

Soon after, the coast was bitten again ... in the wallet.

The economy tanked during the Great Recession and the real estate market imploded, sucking all the remaining wind out of the regional economy’s sails. But the decade still had more in store. In 2010, the unimaginable happened when the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled 3.5 million gallons of oil off the Louisiana Gulf coast. Though there was little oil on Emerald Coast shores, the perception that tar balls covered the coastline washed away any hopes for decent tourism traffic for several summer seasons.

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Two years later, just as everyone thought the coast was finally clear, a PR storm raged in Okaloosa County when the newly hired Emerald Coast Conventions and Visitors Bureau president diverted millions of the county’s BP dollars to accounts he could freely access to cushion his lifestyle with luxuries such as an SUV, a custom motorcycle, a yacht and even a Destin home. The terrible situation turned tragic when Mark Bellinger ended his life after fleeing the area, making the stain of the BP oil debacle even worse. Weeks of headline news sent tongues wagging, fingers pointing and heads shaking. The incident cast a dark shadow all along the coast.

Two years have passed since then. And, after some musical chairs, three of the region’s current tourism leaders may be finally settling in to their new roles: Jim Bagby at the South Walton Tourist Development Council, Ed Schroeder at the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau and Steve Hayes at Visit Pensacola.

It can’t happen soon enough. Tourism is big business for the Sunshine State.

More than 97 million visitors travel to Florida each year to enjoy nearly 1,200 miles of coastline. Of those guests, nearly 20 million venture to the Emerald Coast. Regionally, there are approximately 3,200 restaurants and 1,600 hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals. All in all, it is a $67 billion industry with nearly $4.6 billion in tax revenue collected annually in Florida’s state coffers alone.

As they approach and mark one year on the job, we were curious. After the ravages of so many “super storms,” we wondered what is the new normal for Northwest Florida’s tourism industry now? To find out, we sat down with three of the coast’s tourism titans, and here is what they had to say.

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Ed Schroeder EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EMERALD COAST CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB: Dec. 10, 2014 BACKGROUND: Before he came to the Emerald Coast CVB he was director of sales for Marcus Pointe Golf Course for two years; prior to that he worked at four Conventions & Visitors Bureaus, including serving as director of Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau from 1999–2011.

850: What experience in Pensacola will you apply to the Emerald Coast market?

ES: Everything I learned in Pensacola in the 13 years I was there I’m bringing with me here.

A lot of what you learn is what not to do, so there is no danger of trial and error on things here on the Emerald Coast that I already know don’t work.

850: What are your first priorities?

ES: There are a lot of first priorities. Part of our low impact as a marketing organization was trying to find our way through the processes set up after the audit. They are good at accounting and financial procedures and policy, but it’s a big change from what was done before so it left people confused to some degree to how they were supposed to work the marketing through that system. My priority was to make sure everyone got on board quickly to do that right.

Now, we have a good process we can follow, clearly defined.

On the marketing side, one

850: What are you most looking forward to in your first year?

ES: Anybody that comes to a destination like this, you’ve got to be excited about experiencing a whole year’s cycle of everything that happens here.

On top of that, watching the new effort that we are making bear fruit, watching the results of what we do, that is the biggest thing.

In a larger sense, I think this community is 100 percent behind us now. This community wants to see us succeed. They want a victory. Our team is not the team that struggled for the past couple of years. We are a championship caliber team that our community expects to win. And I’m confident we have the people on board to make that happen.

priority was to change our look. The quality as well as the quantity of our messaging in markets was not to our advantage. We have tremendously ramped up both and hope to brand our image as a family fun destination.

850: What is the “new normal” now for the Emerald Coast CVB? ES: Honestly, the staff was battered and bruised. My job is to help them let go of all that is in the past and find their role in the future of this destination.

My second priority is to ensure trust and confidence in the tourism industry in this county. We need to show that we have the team, staff, leadership, vision and that we are transparent in all our processes, so there is no concern of a repeat of what happened in the past.

The third priority is to help folks realize that what happened here affected us dramatically, but from a tourist standpoint, it’s not a blip on the radar. A tourist comes here to have a great vacation, not to delve into the inner workings of the convention and visitors bureau. So, this incredible destination has not been blemished at all for the tourists who want to come here.

850: What do you feel is the core role of the CVB? ES: That is a question that is on fire throughout all levels of destination marketing. Typically we are called a DMO, but the debate now is: Are we a DMO that is for marketing or are we a Destination Management Organization? CVBs all over the country are switching from one role to the other. If you are a management organization, you do marketing but you also do development to build new hotels and attractions to help redefine what an area looks like and spend money locally to enhance the tourism product.

For example, here we pay for lifeguards to enhance the experience on our beaches.

Are we part of economic development? When you live in one of the most beautiful spots in the world, economic development starts with us.

We’re not a part of it, it starts with us.

850: Do you interact with your tourism counterparts?

ES: There has been a drop off since the urgency of the oil, and that’s to be expected.

The need to get together as a Northwest Florida group is going to ebb and flow, depending on what’s happening in any single community or across the coast. But the relationships are there, so it’s easy to assemble the team.

The Coach: Building trust with a ‘championship caliber’ team Photo by MARI~DARR WELCH

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Steve Hayes

EC: What do you see as the priorities for Pensacola?

SH: Looking toward the future we need to ask: “What do we want to be when we grow up?” So with visitors you always have to have things to keep them coming back.

Are we indeed taking care of the visitor, and how do we grow it? Internationally? Domestically?

With cruise business? What’s our infrastructure? We need to grow it smartly and with purpose that provides impact to the community. It takes long-term planning to increase the business.

PRESIDENT, VISIT PENSACOLA

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB: March 4, 2013 BACKGROUND: Steve worked his way up in tourism after working in PR and promotions for the Greater Peoria CVB during college. When he graduated they created a job for him putting his degree in advertising and marketing to work. For the past 26 years he has led the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau.

EC: How do you expect you will interact with your tourism counterparts?

SH: As an area we need to ask what can we do together? There was a meeting in March that connected the Northwest Gulf Coast (to talk about) how to attract business that wasn’t crisis related. I recently had an opportunity to bring a travel writer in from Canada, working with Panama City Beach on it.

I said, “That’s a no-brainer. Bring it on.” Because the more coverage we get the better. Collectively there is a lot we can do together.

EC: Where are the opportunities?

SH: We are focused on the beach, but we’ve been missing the other ways we can drive business. In the fall and winter, the beach is still important, but the numbers of those who participate in cultural and historical activities has jumped.

EC: What are some of your specific plans?

SH: In November we will be working with ACE (Art Culture & Entertainment Inc.) in Escambia County to brand everything related to arts, culture and culinary. We hope to work with everyone from the Great Gulf Coast Art Festival to the Blues Homecoming Show and the Frank Brown Songwriters to Gallery night and so on to provide a 10-day time period for visitors to come to this community.

EC: What is your “new normal” now?

SH: I would have to say the biggest thing that came out of the BP oil spill was the bringing together of the tourism industry. Before BP, in terms of advertising, it was going to broad and different organizations.

After BP we had all this money going to advertising talking about the Gulf Coast, and in doing that we essentially had a unified budget and more marketing power. BP showed if you have one message you have a greater impact.

EC: What kind of research have you used to learn about your customer?

SH: Our research started in May of 2013. Part of that is better understanding the international visitor and asking why aren’t we going after Germans, Canadians and Brits?

People assume because we don’t have direct international flights we don’t have international business, and that isn’t the case.

We need a better understanding of them and then sell the area to them.

EC: One year from now what kind of impact will you hope to see?

SH: Did we get the industry and community talking about tourism, and are we pointed in the same direction? And … are we having fun? If you can’t have fun, you’re in the wrong place.

The Consensus Builder: We need to ask ‘What can we do together?’

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Photo by BROOKE FLEMING

NORTHWEST FLORIDA BED TAXES: Actual Collections ($) ESCAMBIA (4%)

SANTA ROSA (4%)

OKALOOSA (5%)

Escambia and Okaloosa counties collect at 4% rate.

Santa Rosa began 4% collections in June 2006.

Okaloosa began 5% collections in January 2008.

11-JUN

$945,009

$182,742

$2,290,684

11-JUL

$1,161,476

$185,169

$2,749,707

11-AUG

$659,064

$144,861

$1,225,205

Source: County Bed Tax Collectors NORTHWEST FLORIDA

BAY (5%)

WALTON (4.5%)

Bay County began 5% collections in April 2009.

Average of all Northwest Florida Collections from June 2011– January 2014.

$2,898,641

$2,351,451

$8,668,527

$2,990,100

$3,053,529

$10,139,981

$1,426,315

$1,113,356

$4,568,801

Walton began 4.5% collections in October 2009.

11-SEP

$458,183

$71,154

$1,028,530

$1,305,457

$953,733

$3,817,057

11-OCT

$406,105

$59,188

$598,158

$678,761

$606,312

$2,348,524

11-NOV

$326,460

$33,684

$239,511

$395,334

$336,626

$1,331,615

11-DEC

$282,875

$42,511

$289,595

$394,493

$285,386

$1,294,860

12-JAN

$267,791

$38,108

$297,124

$331,880

$384,165

$1,319,068

12-FEB

$360,301

$46,834

$437,614

$444,325

$538,472

$1,827,546

12-MAR

$618,669

$96,928

$1,028,053

$1,478,843

$1,808,025

$5,030,518

12-APR

$596,367

$87,599

$987,463

$1,310,488

$1,305,135

$4,287,052

12-MAY

$722,731

$117,912

$1,296,974

$1,553,643

$1,448,565

$5,139,825

12-JUN

$1,168,528

$210,309

$2,755,441

$3,599,555

$2,819,599

$10,553,432

12-JUL

$1,240,547

$260,968

$2,755,052

$3,197,155

$3,079,218

$10,532,940

12-AUG

$710,431

$119,152

$1,421,409

$1,607,222

$1,298,265

$5,156,479

12-SEP

$531,067

$77,283

$1,067,149

$1,492,009

$1,026,203

$4,193,711

$609,091

$831,869

$696,350

$2,632,423

12-OCT

$433,597

$61,516

12-NOV

$339,864

$36,890

$259,607

$445,093

$332,873

$1,414,327

12-DEC

$276,156

$47,883

$288,498

$466,558

$361,735

$1,440,830

13-JAN

$274,605

$39,995

$298,995

$351,501

$377,798

$1,342,894

13-FEB

$378,416

$45,631

$395,790

$455,307

$541,786

$1,816,930

13-MAR

$690,989

$106,741

$1,118,616

$1,967,419

$2,173,927

$6,057,692

13-APR

$607,405

$88,199

$905,964

$1,198,460

$1,176,872

$3,976,900

13-MAY

$802,569

$135,554

$1,264,607

$1,707,055

$1,522,313

$5,432,098

13-JUN

$1,261,639

$206,045

$2,797,226

$3,829,600

$3,050,050

$11,144,560

13-JUL

$1,362,348

$326,438

$2,897,647

$3,508,710

$3,234,012

$11,329,155

13-AUG

$848,678

$147,475

$1,588,763

$2,046,135

$1,566,777

$6,197,828

13-SEP

$513,612

$89,446

$1,098,414

$1,680,158

$1,154,598

$4,536,228

13-OCT

$447,045

$73,729

$680,331

$855,362

$809,999

$2,866,466

13-NOV

$315,477

$45,333

$273,038

$421,413

$430,870

$1,486,132

13-DEC

$299,339

$52,533

$291,672

$491,949

$312,871

$1,448,364

14-JAN

$311,839

$48,159

$332,036

$366,589

$400,162

$1,458,784

BP’S PAYMENTS RELATED TO GULF COAST RECOVERY » Response and clean up $14 billion+ » Claims, advances and settlements $12.5 billion

» Funding for the natural resource damage assessment process $1 billion+ » Early restoration projects $698 million

» State-led tourism campaigns $178 million » State-led seafood marketing programs $47 million

» State-led seafood testing $24 million Source: BP.com (as of Dec. 31, 2013)

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Jim Bagby

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH WALTON TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB: June 1, 2013 BACKGROUND: After 24 years in the United States Army with a variety of operational and staff assignments throughout the world, in 1999 the West Point graduate left the service to remain in the area and applied his graduate degree in public administration to the position of town manager in Rosemary Beach, one of South Walton’s 16 beach neighborhoods.

850: A lot has transpired in the past couple of years. How has it affected the South Walton TDC? JB: With the Bellinger issue trust evaporated with everybody. The management controls were not there, and that’s probably true of every TDC up and down the coast, so there was a heightened scrutiny of all the TDCs. 850: What do you do differently now?

JB: The first thing we did was hire a person with an accounting degree to be the director of our administration. We have to have better accountability. We had $250 gift cards locked in the desk. If you’ve got 20 of them, that’s $5,000.

Would you lock $5,000 in cash in a desk? Nobody would. So we now understand gift cards and cash cards are cash equivalents.

As I reiterate to my staff: We are an $18 million business, and we have to run like one.

850: The South Walton TDC received nearly $7.7 million in BP dollars. How will you spend it?

JB: We have $38 million in reserves; $21 million of that is earmarked for beach nourishment in 2015. Then we have an amount to completely replace all of our beach accesses and bay accesses and whatever is non-insurable should there be a catastrophic event, and that’s around $7 million. Then we’re going to set

aside $1 million to $1.5 million in case of a catastrophic event, to blitz feeder markets and get the word out that we’re back in business.

850: What does your research indicate about the market?

JB: I went to the property appraiser and took a look at (the owners of) non-homesteaded single-family residences, condos and townhomes in 2003, 2008 and 2013.

That was 16,242 records. I wanted to know what their home zip codes were. So that told us where our top 40 markets are.

I created an informal working group comprised of CEOs of the 15 largest bed tax collectors.

They are my sounding board.

They understand from a CEO’s perspective.

850: How will you use the research?

JB: We work to bring people here.

They will decide on their own to stay and buy. We’re trying to find out where do we have people who have not made that total commitment to buy because they have a few more trips in them. Say Dallas and Houston. So we’re doing a big event with the Dallas Symphony.

850: Where does the international market fit in with your plans?

JB: We’d love to do something with direct flights to Canada … to Montreal and Toronto, because I don’t think we do enough with Snowbirds and their friends. Part of the challenge is commitment, because if you are going to go after the market, you have to say we’re doing this for five years and we may lose funds for four and a half.

EC: What do you like most about your new job role?

JB: I like making a difference. No, we’re not feeding hungry children, but we’re allowing people to come to a destination and experience their families and grow closer, we’re allowing people who live here to have good paying jobs in a respectable industry. We’re a positive force now.

The Business Leader: ‘We’re a positive force now’ 54

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Photo by PURE 7 STUDIOS

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Counts Real Estate Group, Inc. 850.249.3615

www.countsrealestate.com EXPERIENCE COUNTS SERVING ALL OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA FROM PENSACOLA TO TALLAHASSEE

INVESTMENT SERVICES | BROKERAGE & LEASING | PRIVATE EQUITY | DEVELOPMENT SERVICES | CONSULTING

CHRIS MCCALL Senior Advisor 850.249.3623 chris1@countsrealestate.com 56

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COUNTSCOMMERCIAL.COM

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Commercial Real Estate Advisors

DEAL ESTATE It’s Just Business

DESTIN

» Davage “Buddy”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PREMIER PROPERTY GROUP-KELLY PLANTATION (BROWNSTONES) AND PROFFITT PR (CIRCLE G RANCH)

Runnels Jr., owner

of Destin-based commercial and residential real estate company, Real Estate International, was the lead investor in a group that recently purchased the Circle G Ranch in Horn Lake, Mississippi. The ranch spans 231 acres, 163 of which were once owned by Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla. Plans are moving forward for restoration of the ranch, which includes a number of historical elements, such as the Honeymoon Cottage where Elvis and Priscilla once stayed and the stable where Elvis kept his horses.

» The Brownstones luxury townhome project broke ground in May in Destin’s Kelly Plantation. Situated across five acres, this neighborhood offers unique golf and bay views and is under development through JGM Development. The 23 Florida-style brownstones within this development offer three- and fourbedroom units and will range in size from 2,800 to 3,100 feet. Each unit will offer kitchen and dining room space, a two-car garage, plenty of storage, a study, great room and fenced-in backyard. Additional amenities on property include the Fred Couples Signature Golf

Course, basketball court, community pool, on-site fitness center, dog park and more. The developers focused on a “lock and leave” lifestyle that offers the same level of privacy and convenience found in a single-family home. The first phase of construction is estimated to be complete in February 2015.

PENSACOLA

» Pensacola entrepreneur Ray Russenberger recently announced plans for a luxury condo project on the historic wharf in Pensacola. The 10-unit development will be built along the waterfront and be within walking distance of a number of the downtown restaurants, shops, nightlife and Bayfront Stadium.

Units will offer a wide array of amenities and range in space from 1,434 to 2,332 square feet. Wrought iron features and private docks are just a couple of the exterior amenities slated for the project. Construction is slated to begin in fall 2014.

» Downtown shoppers are seeing a

familiar face at a new location after Susan Campbell Jewelry opened its doors in The Artisan on Palafox and Main (at the site of the old Penko Building). The new location, in the hip, new neighborhood deemed “SoGo” — or SOuth of

GOvernment Street — is in the cultural

center of downtown Pensacola, which includes the T.T. Wentworth Museum, the Pensacola Museum of Art and the Pensacola Cultural Center.

TALLAHASSEE

» Global retailer

and affordable apparel giant Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) is opening its first store in Tallahassee in fall 2014.

Located in Governor’s Square Mall, the store will span roughly 21,000 square feet and offer clothing and accessories for ladies, men, teens and children. The brand also offers separate “store within store” sections for accessories, lingerie, maternity, sports apparel and its plussize line, H&M+. H&M has more than 300 U.S. locations to date.

» The City of Tallahassee’s Growth Management division is now allowing customers interested in submitting commercial building permits on projects greater than $25,000 to do so online. Applicants now have the ability to upload building plans and track the review through the online portal. Training sessions are available online for those interested in learning more about the new process at talgov.com.

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DEAL ESTATE Just Listed

It’s All About Location

By Lynda Belcher

If real estate — particularly commercial real estate — is all about location, location, location, then this onestory office property is a buyer’s delight.

One of the most visible buildings on the Emerald Coast Parkway (Highway 98), the building is nestled between Alvin’s Island and Edwin Watts Golf. Destin Commons is just one block east, which brings in a great deal of retail clientele to this area of Destin, and the ever-bustling TGIF restaurant is just across the street from this building. Built in 1996, it spans 7,200 square feet of interior space, with 28 parking spaces and a service road entry.

The steel frame building also has 36 offices, a kitchen, two conference rooms, storage and an electric sign. For those buyers looking to make it their own, the interior walls are comAddress: 34894 Emerald pletely moveable.

Coast Parkway, Destin Being a class “A” office space

Quick Look

right on the main drag running List Price: $1,999,950 through Destin means that there Square Footage: 7,200 will be a great deal of traffic passContact: Kerry Veach, ing right in front of the business Re/Max Southern Realty, that lands this real estate jewel.

(850) 837-1880 The numbers say it all, as the traffic count is extremely high on this portion of the Emerald Coast Parkway. In fact, recent numbers show that the traffic count averages 55,000 going in both directions on a daily basis. This is a win-win choice of commercial property for businesses of all types looking to score high numbers of potential customers.

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DEAL ESTATE Just Sold

Banks Are Reborn As Doctors’ Offices

By Lynda Belcher

THIS IS

THATplace Where the kids had as much fun jumping into the waves as they did jumping into their bunk beds.

This is the place the kids still talk about, where they played in the surf all day and swam in the indoor pool after dinner every night. There was so much for them to do between the beach, the pools and the Kids’ Club, they never would have slowed down if not for the bunk beds in our suite! Left to them, we’d return to this place every vacation. Maybe we will.

Former bank branches provide an interesting option for buyers, as the space can be used for a vast array of purposes. As an example, buyers recently snatched up two Hancock Bank branches, located in Panama City Beach, for the opportunity to utilize the existing segmented layouts. The first property, located at 3123 E. 23rd St., closed the first week of June and was purchased by a medical user for $540,000.

“Some types of bank branches can easily be converted into other types of offices, which makes these listings appealing,” said Address: 3123 E. 23rd St., Patrick Jones, principal with NAI Panama City Beach Talcor’s West Florida division.

List Price: $675,000 “For instance, the vault naturally Sale price: $540,000 lends itself to an x-ray room and Square Footage: 2,376 the smaller offices are easily con(heated and cooled) verted into exam rooms.”

Contact: Patrick Jones, The 23rd Street branch was NAI Talcor, (850) 814-5878 a natural fit for the buyer as it

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RE/MAX SOUTHERN REALTY AND NAI TALCOR

Quick Look

offered an opportunity for this doctor to consolidate his practices, says Jones. It was a great chance to get more visibility and to add some square footage to a space with a layout that worked well for his needs.

The second former Hancock Bank property is located at 9001 Front Beach Rd. in Panama City Beach and was also purchased by a medical professional looking to expand the space of his facility. This property closed in April for $625,000. It is unique in that it came with additional exterior acreage to allow for expansion as needed.

Address: 9001 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach

+1 800 367 1271 | +1 850 267 9500 HiltonSandestinBeach.com #HiltonSandestinBeach #ThatPlace

List Price: $705,000 Sale price: $625,000 Square Footage: 2,526 (heated and cooled) Contact: Patrick Jones, NAI Talcor, (850) 814-5878 850 Business Magazine

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CAPITAL CORRIDOR

Gadsden, Jefferson + Leon Counties

PHOENIX RISING (Left to right) Jim Dowling, Tod Warmack and Scott Warmack have given new life to a sports car long thought dead.

Rebirth of a Legend Trans Am Depot resurrects iconic muscle car By Karen Murphy

R

ising out of the ashes, much like the mythological Phoenix gracing its hood, the Trans Am sports car has been reborn.

Its rebirth was heralded by screaming Trans Am enthusiasts clamoring for their first look at a car they thought a victim of the death of Pontiac and the financial troubles of General Motors. It came about because of the passion of three men in Tallahassee who just six years ago were working out of their backyard garages, restoring old muscle cars.

Today they are delivering the modern Trans Am to eagerly awaiting car enthusiasts all over the world.

Brothers Scott and Tod Warmack and

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longtime friend Jim Dowling are partners in Trans Am Depot (TAD), a custom car conversion company in Tallahassee. Tod says that fast cars and success are addictions stronger than any drug, and the trio’s addiction has pushed Trans Am enthusiasts into a frenzy of excitement not experienced since the days of “Smokey and the Bandit.”

It all began in 1978, when Tod saw a buddy drive up to Lincoln High School with a blue Trans Am. Two years later, he purchased that car from his friend. From then on, the Warmacks were hooked.

By 1997, Tod was raising a family. Scott was restoring old Trans Ams. “It was like being on crack … get one TA, fix it up, sell

850businessmagazine.com

it, get another,” said Tod. “There was always one taken down.”

Over the next few years, they started showing and winning at regional Trans Am shows and then Trans Am Nationals. In 2006, the Warmacks won first place at Nationals in two different divisions. High Performance Pontiac Magazine did an article on the brothers’ cars and that same year Dowling joined them.

Trans Am Depot was born.

The image of GM’s upcoming Camaro was released in 2007. Pontiac had not built a Firebird since 2002, so Kevin Morgan, graphic designer, was at the TA Nationals with drawings of what he thought a new TA would look like if it were resurrected. Tod was inspired

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

and told Scott, “If GM doesn’t do Trans Am — we can do it. We can take the new Camaro and convert it because it was always built on the same platform.”

In April 2008, Tod called Morgan with the idea. Morgan had seen the Warmacks’ work at the shows and agreed to work with them.

But by 2009, they were struggling with the deal. Pontiac was going out of business. Their dream was close to going down in flames.

However, “There’s always a way to work through adversity,” said Scott. A simple solution came in the form of a fabricator who called Morgan and said he wanted to build the car — for free. Now all they needed was a car. TAD took Morgan’s designs and shipped a Camaro from California to the fabricator in Nebraska. The fabricator brought the design to life and sent the first prototype to TA Nationals in Dayton, Ohio, in August 2009. “Prior to the show all we saw were images,” said Tod. “We were flying blind.”

But when they rolled that car out, “we got mobbed in the streets. (There were) 400 people screaming and crowding around the car, standing up on ladders taking pictures.

It sucked all the energy from every other vendor that was at the show for hours.” The Trans Am was resurrected.

TAD then took the car to SEMA, the largest aftermarket car show in the world.

HotRod Magazine put their car on its cover.

“After that show, the demand was there. All the goodwill from GM was there. We started getting orders, but we didn’t have any way to build.”

Fainter souls would have panicked.

“People put themselves in a mind prison,” said Tod. “They think they can only do so much, based on (false) limitations that they put on themselves. They hired a dedicated staff of craftsmen, comprised of industry leaders in painting and engineering. “They all came to us. And they’re here for the duration,” said Dowling. “They’re riding their dreams.”

Added Scott, “They became a part of the vision. It took on a life of its own. Things come out of the blue, come out of the ether … opportunities and phone calls, just when you need it the most. It’s crazy.”

Buoyed by success, Tod approached Sport Car Club of America (SCCA) in February

of 2010 and asked for exclusive rights to use the iconic Trans Am name. “I thought, ‘They’re not wanting to work with guys working out of a garage in Tallahassee.’ But they did. SCCA had seen the magazine articles and knew our cars, our vision and the quality of the product we were putting out.

All we had to do was ask.”

These cars are not kit cars. TAD specializes in the design, fabrication and conversion of the 2010–2013 Trans Am. Based on the Camaro platform, they offer a 6T9 version Trans Am, 6T9 Goat (“GTO”), 7T7 Trans Am and the limited edition Hurst Trans Am. TAD starts with a modern Camaro platform, strips it down to its shell. Everything from the tail lights, rear bumpers and front grills to vintage-styled interiors is customized. They even use the same font for the interior gauges as was used in the ’78 TAs. But it’s under the hood where the TAD Trans Am earns its muscle car standing.

They perform engine swaps and have partnered with Hurst Transmission on a limited number of their cars. Some of their TAs, with twin turbos and nitrous, have gotten over 1000 horsepower. But their customers usually prefer the supercharger, which delivers between 570 and 650 horsepower.

Each part is individually custom painted in a state-of-the-art facility and reassembled.

TAD’s Master Painter, Keith Powell, explains, “There are so many custom options a customer can choose that chances are there will not be another TA like it in the world.”

TAD’s customers are serious car enthusiasts, including a professional basketball player and collectors from the Middle East, Canada and all across the U.S. The price ranges between $60,000 and $120,000 per car.

As TAD matures, the Warmacks and Dowling want Trans Am Depot to be to Trans Am what Shelby was to Mustang, an iconic brand that stands the test of time.

They see TAD morphing into more of a production company and somewhat away from custom conversion. They are currently expanding into a new facility, increasing exports and hiring more staff. TAD currently has nine employees and plans to grow to 25. They will be ramping up production, from approximately 15 cars a year to, ideally,

300 per year in the near future. They are also exploring opportunities to open dealerships in the Middle East.

As Trans AM Depot continues to evolve, it becomes more like the mythical Phoenix, resurrecting a sports car thought dead … bringing it out of the ashes of a crumbling car industry and into its rightful place as an iconic muscle car of the 21st century. n

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Aspiring entrepreneurs often hear “follow your passion, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” But how does one actually do it? Trans Am Depot (TAD) co-founders Jim Dowling and brothers Tod and Scott Warmack, offer this advice. “Get out there and look for opportunities to be around entrepreneurs,” says Tod. “You can get invaluable information that you can’t get from the cover of a book.” And then believe in yourself, and go for it.

Dowling says his older sister, Catherine, always encouraged him to go into the car business, saying he had a knack for it. When she passed away unexpectedly, Dowling decided not to put off his dreams any longer.

The TAD trio’s success has been based on a belief and faith in themselves and their ideas. “There are times when the average person would say ‘stop.’ But when you believe in your idea, you can’t.” Tod admits, though, you must be realistic. “You have to be able to tell if it’s an illusion, but if you believe in it, you keep moving forward.” Adds Dowling, “Don’t let dead-end roads stop you. The second road may be even better than the first.”

Tod sees entrepreneurs as gamblers “laying it all out, rolling the dice for those snake-eyes.” Scott says not to get intimidated by the big idea. “Don’t limit yourself,” he counsels. According to an old mentor of Tod’s, “The only difference between a big deal and a little deal is the zeroes. You put them together the same way. It takes the same amount of effort, so you might as well do the big one.”

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FORGOTTEN COAST CORRIDOR

Gulf, Franklin + Wakulla Counties

Salvaging Cypress

Stumps found in Wewahitchka’s Dead Lakes get a second chance at life By Chay D. Baxley

R

ugged with a dash of cowboy charisma, at first glance Bob Sutton doesn’t seem like your typical artist.

Start conversing over the twists and turns and thwarted passageways found throughout the Dead Lakes of Wewahitchka, though, and the pace of your exchange is sure to hasten.

Once you’ve delved deep enough into his watery world, it’s easy to see just how precisely Sutton’s artistic wheels can turn. In this realm, it’s said he sees things others don’t.

Cypress stumps and snags are Sutton’s canvas. A sturdy, ancient medium, these graying broken bits of lumber are sprinkled throughout the Dead Lakes and range from several ounces to several tons. Their eerie, mysterious appearance is the namesake for the surrounding tannic waters — a swampy floodplain of the Chipola River, which many years ago submerged the area, killing off the existing cypress population. Whatever was left, locals say, was wiped out by the northern lumber companies’ relentless clear-cutting practices following the Civil War. A century and a half later the haunting remnants are Sutton’s most inspiring muse.

“See that notch right there?” questioned Sutton, walking through his combination work shop/thrift store/RV park office at Wewa RV Park and Trading Post. “That’s where they went into it 140 years ago to see if it was hollow. Once they saw it was hollow and that it had no value as lumber, they just threw it back in the water.

NATURE’S BOUNTY Bob Sutton turns old cypress stumps he harvests from Wewahitchka’s Dead Lakes into art.

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PHOTOS BY MATT BURKE (SUTTON/ NORRELL) AND SCOTT HOLSTEIN (CASCADES PARK)

“Same with this piece,” he pointed.

For him and business partner Richard Norrell, those throwbacks are a beautiful thing.

Crafting these mud-soaked pieces into showroom ready works of art can be tricky, but actually getting them to dry land is the biggest challenge. Together, this two-man team motors around the Dead Lakes, patrolling for any piece of particularly striking cypress driftwood. When a snag captures their attention, they either scoop it up on the spot or make arrangements to obtain it at a later date. For their larger finds, a crane is often required.

“What happens is that when the water goes low, they dry out and become buoyant,” explained Sutton. “When it floods, they pop out of the mud and start floating. You can go around and not see anything, and (then) you’ll get high water and there’ll be hundreds and hundreds of pieces floating.”

The wood’s buoyancy is due to a fungus (Stereum taxodii) that hollows out waterlogged trees, giving them their “pecky cypress” and gnarled appearance. Once the cypress stumps have detached from the lake’s marshy bottom, they quickly rise. At that point, common law dictates that they’re fair game — just a piece of exceptionally large driftwood. “Same as a Coke bottle,” Sutton said.

Once the stumps have landed on Sutton’s turf, they’re pressure washed, buffed and lightly sanded to remove any remaining sediment.

Then, it’s hurry-up-and-wait.

Their work can go for anywhere from $5 to $5,000. Some of their treasures will be turned into simple wall hangings, others dining room tables and nightstands. A number of restaurants and bars throughout the region are among their biggest investors — harnessing the wood’s natural, rustic feel to spruce up their interiors. Together, Sutton and Norrell have constructed countless counters, stools and tabletops for commercial use. They even have their hearts set on making a nice beer trough or two for a particularly keen client.

Sutton estimates that approximately 50 percent of the store’s business is the result of custom orders and word of mouth. The other half is generated solely by traffic.

“Most of it is people driving up and saying,

CYPRESS CLIMB Children play on a 6,000-pound piece of cypress provided by Bob Sutton for Discovery at Cascades Park, presented by First Commerce Credit Union. Richard Norrell (left) and Sutton display their handiwork.

‘We saw the wood out there,’ ” laughed Sutton.

His front lawn, lined by State Road 71, is filled with the prehistoric shards of dead cypress trees. Best advertising around, he’ll tell you.

So far, he seems to be right. He’s been steadily selling his creations from his storefront since 2008 and has been dabbling in the world of cypress craftsmanship since 1995.

Sutton’s larger-than-life, shock-and-awe tactics certainly worked on Meghan Mick — a Tallahassee resident who, years ago, was daytripping her way past his unusual emporium.

“I actually passed his site on my way to the beach one time,” recalled Mick. “He had all the cypress out in front of his shop, and I just kind of turned around to see what was going on with it. It was really interesting.”

Mick’s intrigue quickly turned into much, much more. As a well-respected landscape architect and the founder of From the Ground Up, Mick was able to conceptualize her appreciation for Sutton and Norrell’s work into something extraordinarily tangible — a cornerstone of the newly opened Cascades Park in Tallahassee. “ I knew it was something that would make it really unique,” emphasized Mick. “Cypress is so significant and characteristic of Florida.”

Today, half of the largest stump Sutton and

Norrell have, to date, ever pulled from the Dead Lakes (which, for curiosity’s sake, was 12,000 pounds) is housed in the Cascades children’s play area, Discovery. Known as the “Cypress Climb,” this massive snag is one of the crowning gems of the park and a personal favorite for Mick. The piece sticks out of the ground approximately five-and-a-half feet, with another foot and a half stabilized below the sands’ surface.

For her, choosing to work with Sutton and his crew was an easy decision. Transporting the city’s 6,000-pound purchase, however, was anything but.

“He hung with us,” praised Mick. “He was very patient. The whole process was probably two years from when I first saw it until we were actually able to get it to Tallahassee.

“He was really gracious and extremely helpful. He was excited to get it to where more people would see it and could really enjoy it.”

Sutton’s excitement compelled him to give the City of Tallahassee the deal of a lifetime – 6,000 pounds of pristine, ancient cypress stump for $2,500. The remainder of the price was waved, compliments of Wewa RV Park and Trading Post.

The other half of Cypress Climb still resides at Sutton’s abode.

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Economical. Convenient. Painless.

SM

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FLORIDA’S TOP HEALTH PLAN Capital Health Plan proudly serves employer groups in Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties in Florida.

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Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

BAY CORRIDOR

Prognosis: It’s Morning in Florida Enterprise Florida’s Dr. Neal Dunn says state is going to be fine

By Steve Bornhoft

D

PHOTO BY MATT BURKE

r. Neal Dunn is admittedly road weary, newly returned from a medical convention in St. Louis, but his face brightens as he makes a mental note.

I have managed to tell him something that he didn’t already know, a finding by scientists who have discovered that a number of higherorder animals ranging from hummingbirds to humans to elephants all average about one billion heartbeats in a lifetime.

“I’ll remember that,” Dunn says. “And I’ll be more mindful of how I am drawing down my billion. I guess I may need to do more fishing.”

That seems unlikely. Dunn is busier now than he was as a practicing urologist, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

“Life should be lived like this,” he says, moving his open hand along a level plane parallel to the floor. “And then right at the end, it’s like this.” (Dunn’s hand takes an abrupt nosedive.)

“Think about Ellis Fowhand,” the owner of a landmark furniture store in downtown Panama City. “He drove to his 100th birthday party after working all day. I think medicine can help more people live lives like that.”

Asked what he would suggest if given an opportunity to rewrite Florida’s motto, Dunn offers “Mix Business with Pleasure.”

For Dunn, business is pleasure and a key to his vitality.

Born an Army brat in Boston 61 years ago, Dunn earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and his medical degree from George Washington University. He completed his urological residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

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“FOR TOO LONG, FLORIDA HAS SUFFERED FROM THE PERCEPTION THAT WE ARE PURELY OR PRIMARILY A TOURIST DESTINATION. BUT WE HAVE BECOME SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. WE HAVE A VIBRANT YOUNG AND EDUCATED WORKFORCE, GOOD SCHOOLS, AN IDEAL TAX ENVIRONMENT, LOW COST OF LIVING, OUTSTANDING MEDICAL CARE AND A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.” DR. NEAL DUNN, MEMBER OF ENTERPRISE FLORIDA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS and served as an attending urologist in the U.S. Army for 11 years, “traveling the world at taxpayer expense” before moving to Panama City where he has been a urologist for more than 20 years.

Now retired from active practice, he has assumed an administrative role as the chief medical officer for the Advanced Urology Institute, a 45-physician practice with some 400 employees and offices throughout North Florida. The transition wasn’t easy.

“Urology is the best specialty in medicine for one simple reason — the patients,” Dunn says. “As a urologist, you get to work with people for years and develop relationships with them. And it’s a great demographic. You deal with mature men and women with reasonable expectations. Of course, every doctor enjoys the reward of working with patients and seeing them respond to treatment.”

Today, Dunn’s chief patient may be one for whom he exhibits great fondness, the state of Florida. The patient is doing better, the doctor says, and the prognosis is good.

In April, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz appointed Dunn to serve as the Senate’s representative on the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors. On the local level, Dunn works to foster development as the founding chairman of Summit Bank, a five-star institution that is headquartered in Panama City and focuses on custom commercial lending.

“For too long, Florida has suffered from the perception that we are purely or primarily a tourist destination,” Dunn observes. “But we have become so much more than that. We have a vibrant young and educated workforce, good schools, an ideal tax environment, low cost of living, outstanding medical care and a great place to live.”

Dunn applauds the Governor’s Office and the Legislature for taking steps to make Florida an increasingly attractive place to work and

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build a business. The regulatory burden has been decreased, Dunn observes, permitting has been streamlined, high school graduation rates have improved dramatically, a push is on to make college degrees more affordable and educational opportunities are expanding.

Transportation improvements, the arrival of heavy rail and an evolving Port Panama City have made it easier to get both goods and people in and out of Northwest Florida.

Dunn sees Enterprise Florida’s role as twofold. It coordinates efforts to attract industry to Florida and it teaches county and municipal governments and local economic development alliances how to make themselves attractive to expanding and relocating businesses.

“Illinois, for example, is granting enormously generous tax-abatement incentives for five or 10 years,” Dunn notes. “But if we can lead businesses to take a longer term, 15-year pro forma, and take into account the total costs that they will incur here over that time and our quality of life, Florida will win every time. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, ‘It’s morning in Florida.’ ” Regarding health care, Dunn says, Florida needs to recognize that its population of doctors is aging. The state lacks sufficient residency opportunities for graduating doctors, but Dunn is satisfied that hospitals are figuring that out.

“They look around and see a lot of urologists my age and they know that isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Dunn says. “We need slots in both primary care and specialties.

Fortunately, Florida does have a bumper crop of new medical schools.”

Dunn rates Pensacola a boomtown and credits the city with “resetting its attitude” and becoming less insular after sustaining hits from three hurricanes.

“They have a progressive mayor in Pensacola in Ashton Hayward,” Dunn says.

850businessmagazine.com

“They have become a welcoming community with a good chamber of commerce and economic development arm. The University of West Florida is a fine school.”

Dunn sees the Advanced Technology Center at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City as an example of the New Florida. There, he said, students are encouraged to be entrepreneurial and to pursue education as a means to achieving goals. He is impressed that the school has an “entrepreneur in residence.”

But, Dunn says, Bay County has a difficult time convincing people that it is home to outstanding educational opportunities when it is synonymous in the minds of many people with Spring Break. Sensational coverage earlier this year by Fox News of Panama City Beach’s annual bacchanal “left Bay County with a black eye,” Dunn says. “We don’t need to experience national press like that again.”

At that, Dunn reflects on the day in 1990 when he informed his parents that he was moving to Panama City.

“My mother responded by telling me that she had spent her spring break in Panama City in 1946. ‘Mom, tell me no more,’ I said.

That’s enough.”

DR. NEAL DUNN’S PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE AND BUSINESS

» ADD VALUE TO THE WORLD. Think about work in terms of providing value instead of just chasing money.

» FIND GOOD MENTORS. Education

is a lifetime process. Network and learn from mentors you respect, and listen to them carefully. I learned a great deal from my friendships with people, including banker Bubber Nelson and Earl Durden of the Bay Line Railroad.

» BE PREPARED TO WORK. There really are few surprises in the formula to success: punctuality, hard work, discipline, attitude.

» WORK WITH INTEGRITY. Set an ex-

ample. Build on honesty and respect for others, and you will be successful and feel good about it.

» READ VORACIOUSLY. There is a

great deal of knowledge, insight and wisdom at our fingertips. Reading opens the door to the marketplace of ideas.

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I-10 CORRIDOR

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

On the Trail

Former FBI canine specialist trains dogs to find the lost

By Sarah Kelley

I

t was amazing,” Randy McDaniel keeps repeating as he relates how a bloodhound named Win helped find his 87-year-old father-in-law who had been missing for two days.

The break came when Paul Coley, a former FBI forensic canine specialist who founded Scent Evidence K9 in Sneads, offered help to his friend.

Coley met McDaniel at the father-in-law’s house. The dog smelled a sock, a piece of clothing and the older man’s recliner.

Within minutes, the dog was off.

“Paul and the bloodhound trailed the scent, and I was in a truck behind him,” McDaniel remembers.

“We came up to a four-way highway intersection and the dog … could have gone left or right, but he decided to go north. The dog followed scents for at least 25 miles until we found him at his wife’s gravesite.

What we witnessed was simply amazing. It was an eye opener.”

More amazingly, the father-inlaw had driven to the gravesite.

The dog had managed to track him, even stopping at a store where the gentleman had refilled his gas tank.

“We only trailed on the ground for three miles, but (Win) did several location checks to get us to that cemetery,” Coley later explained to friends on his Facebook page, which features a quote from Matthew 7:7, “Seek and you will find.”

Coley’s work with canines on more than 100 missing person or child abduction cases for the FBI fueled a passion to develop his own program. He has 20-plus years experience in law enforcement

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and coordinated the first K9 use in child abduction seminars in the U.S. He founded Scent Evidence K9 in October 2012, creating scenttraining programs for bloodhounds and working with handlers. He also developed a Human Scent Preservation Kit ($12 cost with shipping and handling) to capture peoples’ scents.

“Think of it like you’re looking for someone’s loved one, you want the best dogs and anything that will help speed up the process of finding a missing person,” explains Coley, 48.

Using canines in cases is a widespread technique in Europe, but in America bloodhound teams are usually not part of the initial response in missing person’s cases unless the police or a family member call and request assistance.

It’s been confirmed that bloodhounds can follow a trail that is up to 12 days old, but it’s unknown whether they can find someone who has been missing longer.

Once canines become part of the investigation process, the first step is collecting a scent of the missing person.

“That’s why we are pushing the Human Scent Preservation kits. You can collect a person’s scent from his body with this kit and the scent can last up to 7 years,” explained Coley, who said his is the only organization that uses such kits.

Coley especially encourages families that have autistic children or adults stricken by Alzheimer’s to preserve the scent of loved ones as a precaution. Experience tells that six out of 10 dementia patients will

850businessmagazine.com

training, a student uses a scent pad wander. According to a report by the to collect their unique scent before Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, they go run and hide; the dog smells the average amount of time it takes the pad and sorts out the many scents to find that patient is nine hours — on the school’s campus to locate the at an average cost of $1,500 per hour hiding child from their scent.” for law enforcement. After 24 hours, This live training there is only a 50 percent allows dogs to practice chance the person will finding their targets. still be alive.

“Paul will call me After the scent has every few months to been collected, the dog tell me a story about a will begin the trail at the dog we trained togethlast known location of er and how the dog the missing person. The helped find a missing dog has 3–4 minutes of person,” tells Yoder. In getting acclimated to one case, a dog was sent the area before being to Minnesota to find a given the scent to trail.

PRESERVING SCENTS Coley encourages people 3-year-old girl who had Bloodhounds are the to make use of Human gone missing on her most popular dog for this Scent Preservation kits, which can speed up the family’s farm. She had type of work, because search process. fallen in a haystack and they are built for trackbroken her collarbone ing. Within the first few so she couldn’t move. The dog was days of life, a bloodhound begins scent able to find the girl based on the K9 training and can be ready for the field Scent Evidence training techniques. as early as 18 months of age, although The real-life tales of how these dogs the typical starting age is two years. use scent techniques to find humans After training for four hours a week are remarkable. “It brings a sense of over a period of 18 months to two peace to the family, because they can years, the dog is ready for its 24-hour, see people working; it’s tangible to mile-long certification test that must them,” says Coley. be passed without mistakes.

Besides searching for lost humans, “I definitely think that cases would Coley’s dogs have also been used in be solved quicker if dogs were part of prisons to search out contraband. Last the first response action,” explains year he volunteered to do a search at Gordon Yoder, vice president of Future a state facility and found contraband Farmers of America (FFA) who previthat included several cell phones, ously worked under Coley training earning him a thank you from Gov. dogs for his FFA experience project.

Rick Scott.

Yoder referred this program to his Coley hopes to get the word out FFA advisor, Jillian Estes, who curabout the Human Scent Preservation rently has four students aiding in the kits and gain the support of law sniff training of dogs. enforcement agencies to eventually “We either do a 24-hour prep form regional scent trailing teams training or hot tracks training. For in Florida. “Our goal is to provide the 24-hour prep training, we use highly trained scent-discriminant K9 one of the kits to preserve a student’s teams and work in conjunction with smell for one day; the next day one law enforcement to find missing perstudent plays a missing person and sons,” he says. goes to a hiding spot while another student follows the dog on its scent See video at trail,” Estes says. “For the hot tracks 850BusinessMagazine.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

PHOTO BY MATT BURKE

THE NOSE KNOWS Paul Coley, who has 20-plus years of law enforcement experience, trains dogs to sniff out prison contraband and missing persons being sought by families or the police.

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BUSINESS NEWS

SOUNDBYTES

CAPITAL

LOCAL HONORS

»

First Commerce was named the 2013 Credit Union of the Year by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions.

The League, which represents 278 credit unions throughout Florida and Alabama, awarded First Commerce honors in the $100–$500 million asset category.

» Leon County District 4 Commission-

er Bryan Desloge has been elected as second vice president of the National Association of Counties.

» Richard A. Green-

berg, a partner with Rumberger, Kirk and Caldwell in Tallahassee, has been elected secretary of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Florida Institute of CPAs. Allison Harrell, director of assurance services at the firm, has received the Florida Institute of CPAs Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award.

Producer – Documentary/Reality for Viva Florida 500, created in cooperation with Sachs Media Group and the Florida Department of State to document Florida’s 500-year history.

HARRELL

»

Daniel H. Thompson, a partner with Berger Singerman law firm, has been named by the Florida Supreme Court as a director of The Florida Bar Foundation.

»

O’Dwyer’s, a nationally renowned publication covering communications and news media, has released its annual rankings and named Tallahasseebased Moore Communications Group as the No. 74 public relations firm in the nation.

» Michelle Ubben, partner and chief GREENBERG

»

Laura Jo Hewitt, vice president and residential lender for Tallahassee’s Prime Meridian Bank, has been named 2014–2015 president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Tallahassee.

»

CPA Jeff Barbacci, shareholder at Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A., is the new chairman of the board of the

operating officer of Sachs Media Group, and Jessica Clark, project manager of campaigns and branding, along with Lauren Book, founder and CEO of the Lauren’s Kids foundation, were honored with a Gracie Award® from the Alliance for Women in Media foundation for Outstanding Interview Program or Feature for “Intimate Crimes: The Inside Story of Child Sexual Abuse.” Chucha Barber was honored with a Gracie Award® for Outstanding

»

Capital Regional Medical Center recently announced local recipients of the Frist Humanitarian Awards, the highest honor an employee, volunteer and physician can receive at HCA, the hospital’s parent company. They are: Carolyn Fiero, employee; Cheryl Wright-Smith, volunteer; and Dr. Maria Antigua, a neonatologist.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» SunTrust Bank, a longtime supporter of the Florida State University College of Business, recently donated $150,000 for the creation of two 15-seat SunTrust classrooms in Legacy Hall, the college’s proposed new building.

»

Cody Lewis, vice president and commercial lender for Tallahassee’s Prime Meridian Bank, recentLEWIS ly graduated first in his class at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

NEW BEGINNINGS

»

Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson P.A. has expanded its Tallahassee office by adding two new shareholders, Glenn Burhans Jr. and Bridget Kellogg Smitha.

»

Express Employment Professionals, the nation’s largest privately held staffing company that put more than 17,591 people to work in Florida alone last year, plans to open a new office in Tallahassee before the end of 2014.

» Chris Clark has joined the Flor-

ida Medical Association as senior vice president of public affairs.

» RENEWABLE ENERGY

— Caring for our future

One of the largest wood pellet facilities in the world

WHITE

Annual capacity of 660,000 tons Largest tax payer in Jackson County Infuses over $45 million into the local economy each year

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PARIDO

Capital City Trust Company has promoted Janice White to senior vice president and Laurel Parido to assistant vice president.

»

Tallahassee attorney F. Philip Blank has joined the Gray Robinson firm to practice health and administrative law.

»

Joseph Jones has joined the Berger Singerman business law firm as a partner and member JONES of its Business, Finance and Tax Team.

»

Audra Price Pittman has been named executive director of The Council on Culture & Arts in Tallahassee.

» Wayne Durrett has been hired

as a staff accountant at James Moore, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants.

»

Brittany E. Mukadam is the newest addition to the Sales and Marketing Division at Tri-Eagle Sales. She will MUKADAM manage media relations and public relations efforts for Tallahassee and Ocala.

»

First Florida Credit Union has promoted loan officer Debbie Pelletier to branch manager of its Northside Branch in Tallahassee.

PELLETIER

APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Stan Greer, 51, of Tallahassee, an area manager with Bellsouth AT&T Florida, to the E911 Board.

» Karen Moore, of Tallahassee,

CEO of Moore Communications Group, to the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation.

EMERALD COAST

LOCAL HONORS

»

Three leading military surveys have named Gulf Power Company and its parent company, Southern Company, a top employer for both active duty and military veterans.

»

The City of Pensacola’s website scored third-highest out of 47 cities in the First Amendment Foundation’s recent report card on local government website transparency.

» Erista, an e-commerce fashion retailer founded by Niceville resident and FSU MBA candidate Michelle Crawford took second place in the university’s InNOLEvation Challenge business start-up competition in

Ready wherever the road leads.

After an accident, all you want is your healthy car back.

1881 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee 850-878-0304 • UniversityCollisionCenter.net

All we want is to make that happen.

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BUSINESS NEWS

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS

April, winning a cash prize, pro bono professional services and mentorships.

& Honeymoon Destination Magazine

Bridal Show The

PRESENTS

H A P P I LY E V E R A F T E R B E G I N S

O N T H E G RE E N AT G U L F P LA CE , S A N TA ROSA B E A C H

Saturday the 1st of November 2014 EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR F R O M N O O N TO F O U R O ’C LO C K

Meet and mingle with some of the regions top wedding planners, designers and vendors. For more information, contact Tiffani Salinas at 850.502.9233 or email gulfplaceevents@outlook.com.

SOUNDBYTES

»

CRAWFORD

BRISTOWLAVOIE

Jamie BristowLavoie, president and founder of Nonprofit Match Inc. has been appointed by the Escambia County Commission to serve on the board of directors for CareerSource Escarosa.

» TOPS’L Beach

S P O N S O R E D

B Y

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LOUTHAIN

»

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Charles Clary, 63, of Destin, an

» Escambia County Commission-

er Grover Robinson has been installed as president of the Florida Association of Counties.

»

William R. Wade, attorney at law, has been sworn in as president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the only WADE statewide bar organization in Florida comprised solely of criminal defense attorneys. Wade practices in Northwest Florida with offices in Milton.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Ann E. Meador and Travis R. Johnson have merged their practices to form a law firm focusing on divorce and family law, medical malpractice, personal injury, estate planning and litigation. The firm of Spencer Meador Johnson is located at 900 N. Palafox St., Pensacola.

»

KELLENBERGER

Brian Kellenberger has been hired by the Walton County Tourist Development Council as director of Beach Operations.

» Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hay-

ward has appointed former City Attorney William “Rusty” Wells as city council executive. Wells will manage the Office of the City Council and serve as the primary point of contact between city

THE GREEN

»

Tracy Louthain has joined the Miramar Beach firm of NewmanDailey Resort Properties as the director of Marketing and Communications.

QMotion Advanced Shading Systems, a Pensacola-based automated window treatment company, has named Colleen Silloway as procurement manager; Matt Uhl as global customer service/ training manager; and Brian Gresset as corporate comptroller.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

& Honeymoon Destination Magazine

»

James Crane and Bill Seacrest Jr. have joined the IMS ExpertServices team. Crane joins the firm as the director of Client Management, and Seacrest is a new Research Associate.

& Racquet Resort, a Wyndham Vacation Rentals property in Miramar Beach, was recently named a Gold Medal Resort by Tennis Resorts Online, ranking No. 13.

Hidden Dunes Beach & Tennis Resort, also in Miramar Beach, earned a Silver Medal, ranking among the top 50 tennis resorts for a third consecutive year.

» Attorneys Crystal C. Spencer, V E N D O R S PAC E AVA I L A B L E

council members, the Office of the Mayor and city staff.

APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

architect with DAG Architects and a former Florida state senator, to the board of directors of Florida Health Choices Inc.

»

John Collins, Dina Justice and Deborah Moore of Pensacola and Daniel “Danny” Parker of Pace to the Area One, Family Care Council. Moore, 41, is an engineer specialist with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Collins, 34, is an advocate for persons with disabilities. Justice, 46, is owner of Justice Marketing Group. Parker, 56, is a pipeline operations tech with the Florida Gas Transmission Company.

»

Richard Dodd and Kermit “Skip” Housh to the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County.

Dodd, 48, of Pensacola, is a regulatory supervisor at Gulf Power Company. Housh, 66, of Gulf Breeze, is a retired management consultant.

»

Jennifer J. Frydrychowicz, of Pensacola, a lawyer with Luther, Collier, Hodges & Cash LLP, to the Escambia County Court.

»

Edwin Stewart Jr., 67, of Pensacola, a barber at Nex Barber Shop, to the Barbers’ Board.

FORGOTTEN COAST

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

»

St. George Island has again been named one of the nation’s top beaches in the 24th annual Top 10 Beach List produced by coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach.

St. George ranked No. 3 on this year’s list.

»

Oyster City Brewing Company in Apalachicola, owned by partners Bo Walker, Rex Humphries, and Susan and Cassie Gary served its first commercial batch of beer in May.

» Up The Stairs Grown Up Cock-

tails & Dining opened in Apalachicola in March to entertain the 21 and over crowd. Owner Keri Elliott of Up the Creek Raw Bar with partner Jerry Hall put the menu into the locally experienced hands of Chef Richard Elliott.

APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Michael Hansen, 62, of Craw-

fordville, to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.

BAY

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» FSU’s Spear in the Sand bill-

board, designed by Kerigan Marketing, won a Gold ADDY at the spring AdFed Awards in Panama City and then went on to win Silver at the district level. It now goes on to compete in the national contest.

center’s mission is to create, develop and retain veteran-owned small business enterprises.

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LOCAL HAPPENINGS

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Florida’s three Farm Credit associations, including Marianna, have joined forces to contribute $50,000 toward the new Florida FFA headquarters building in Gainesville to benefit the next generation in agriculture.

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Goldring Gulf Distributing is constructing a 191,450-square-foot beverage distribution center on 35 acres it purchased at the Santa Rosa Industrial Park in Milton. The new center will combine the Fort Walton and Pensacola facilities, employ 220 people and serve more than 2,200 retail accounts.

WE SUPPLY THE VALUE. YOU TAKE ALL THE CREDIT. TCC Conference and Event Solutions Tallahassee Community Community College College offers offers custom custom conference and event solutions to fi t your budget conference event solutions to fit your budget while meeting your unique event eventplanning planningneeds. needs.

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» Honey Lake Plantation in Madison County has hired Greg Folden as the new executive chef at the Whispering Pines Restaurant.

APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

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Joseph Jernigan, 74, of Graceville, owner of Jernigan Forest Products and Arnold Lumber Company, to the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

BOOK YOUR EVENT TODAY. (850) 201-8484 www.tcc.fl.edu/conferences

» Michael Williams, 55, of MadiFSU’S SPEAR IN THE SAND

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Panama City artist Paul Brent was commissioned to create a mural for the new Advanced Technology Building at Gulf Coast State College. Entitled “The Way,” the 30-foot long mural is the feature art in the atrium of the building.

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Local communication professional Kenneth Cody Gray has been appointed as public relations and marketing coordinator of the Business Innovation Center in Panama City.

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Elizabeth J. Walters, a shareholder of the Panama City Beachbased Burke Hutchison Waters & Smith law firm, has been WALTERS elected to Summit Bank’s board of directors. Jeffrey K. Dibenedictis has joined the bank as vice president, commercial relationship banker, based in Panama City.

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The Veterans Business Outreach Center at Gulf Coast State College has been selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the National Small Business Week 2014 Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year. The

son, a financial advisor with North Florida Finance Corporation, to the North Florida Community College District Board of Trustees.

REGIONAL

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

WE DON’T WANT ORDERS, WE WANT

CUSTOMERS.

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Area Development magazine has awarded Florida, through its primary economic development organization, Enterprise Florida Inc., the Silver Shovel award for significant job creation and economic impact. The state received the same honor in 2013. Among the local projects recognized as part of the award was the expansion of Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola in terms of jobs and capital construction.

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Hancock Bank and Summit Bank have received a 5-Star Superior rating from BauerFinancial, the nation’s leading independent bank rating and research firm, for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2013. It is the 98th consecutive quarter that Hancock has earned this honor and the 15th consecutive quarter for Summit.

PRINTING PUBLICATION SPECIALIST WEB AND OFFSET PRINTING FOR 80 YEARS Boyd Brothers Printing of Panama City has been my preferred magazine printer for the past five years. Their work quality and customer service is excellent ... they stand behind their work and their pricing is very fair and reasonable.

Brian Rowland, President, Rowland Publishing

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Tallahassee Community College and the University of West Florida have partnered to establish the TCC2UWF program, which allows students to complete an Associate of Arts degree at TCC and transfer to UWF to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Compiled by Linda Kleindienst

425 East 15th Street | Post Office Box 18 Panama City, FL 32402-0018 | 1-800-677-BOYD (2693) 850-763-1741 | Fax: 850-769-6526 | www.boyd-printing.com 850 Business Magazine

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AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2014

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73

The Last Word

During his three years in the European theater, fighting from North Africa, up through Italy, into southern France and then on to Germany, he wrote many letters to his former co-workers. His boss’s secretary typed them out (Dad’s handwriting was often hard to decipher) and then the letter was passed around the office — everyone initialing the typewritten copy after they had read it. I have those letters still and periodically pull them out to read.

When he returned home after the war, Dad picked up where he had left off. While many GIs made use of the G.I. bill to go to college, Dad went back to his job at Standard Brands, where he rose through the ranks during his 30-year career there.

I don’t believe he ever contemplated that his job would not be waiting for him on his return after the war.

With that background in mind, I am outraged when I read of the plight of so many of our servicemen and women, coming back from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, separating from the military and having trouble finding work or being unable to fund their continuing education.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has consistently noted the jobless rate of veterans who served after 9/11 is higher than the general population’s unemployment rate. In 2013, the national average unemployment rate for Gulf War era veterans was 9 percent — compared to 7.3 percent for the rest of the workforce. But for the 18 to 24 age group the jobless rate averaged out at an astounding 21.4 percent — that translates to one out of every five.

To top that off, it is estimated that each month 900,000 veterans qualify for food stamps.

The federal G.I. bill in effect since after 9/11 does still help veterans pay for their college expenses — but only at in-state tuition levels. In Florida, public university tuition for in-state students averages about $6,000. Out of state residents pay about $21,000.

That’s a heck of a difference.

But kudos to the Florida Legislature which, in a rare show of unanimity, made it a priority this year to pass the Florida G.I. bill in an effort to help.

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850businessmagazine.com

Senate President Don Gaetz contends its passage makes Florida “the most military-friendly state in the nation.” I can’t speak to whether that’s actually true, but it will go a long way toward showing veterans that we as a state value what they have done for the country.

One of the bill’s major provisions allows honorably discharged veterans — no matter how long they have lived in the state — to go to a state college or university and pay the in-state tuition rate. And it provides funding for deployed members of the National Guard to get a bachelor’s degree online. (Free tuition is already provided to Purple Heart recipients and to the children and spouse of a Florida veteran killed in the line of duty.)

While businesses are already allowed to give veterans hiring preference, the legislation expands that preferential treatment allowance to members of the Florida National Guard and the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves — major players in both Gulf Wars — along with the spouses and parents of disabled or deceased veterans.

The state already waives professional license fees for veterans for a two-year period, but the new law extends that waiver to five years.

Several businesses across the 850 region have been honored for their commitment to hiring our veterans, probably not a surprise because of the legions of military who work in and have retired in our area. Still, my hat is off to those companies for their contributions. And to our local colleges and universities recognized for being “military friendly” schools.

Those who volunteer to serve their country and have fought in America’s longest lasting war should not have to resort to food stamps to eat, wait for medical care or pay exorbitant prices for a better education. They’ve earned rights on the battlefield, which many civilians don’t appreciate since we switched from a military draft to an all-volunteer military. Unlike the Vietnam War, most Americans have not had their lives affected by the Gulf Wars.

That makes it easier to forget those who have fought in it.

So, thank you, Florida Legislature for doing the right thing for our veterans. I know my father would be proud of what you have done.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY KAY MEYER

When my father enlisted and then marched off to fight in World War II he left behind his job at Standard Brands, a New York-based company his father also worked for, with little thought of when or if he would return to his job.

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