2014 June-July Issue of 850 Business Magazine

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hether you ride our 103 Mile Loop enjoying the beautiful countryside, the Southern Tier Section 7 Adventure Cycling Association Highway 90 Route, or cycle through our beautiful wooded paved Rails to Trails 12 mile Four Freedoms bike trail, you will enjoy the beauty of our habitat. A cycling experience awaits all ages and experience levels. Cycle Madison County, Florida and you will see why we call it home.

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850 Magazine June – July 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

71

28 850 FEATURES 20

Tipping the Pay Scale Figuring stay-at-home pay, calculating the riches of the world’s wealthiest and talking to local workers and business owners — our salary survey reveals surprising answers and tells who pockets what in the 850 region for a job well done.

By Zandra Wolfgram

PHOTO BY MARI~DARR WELCH (P. 28) AND COURTESY CITY OF PANAMA CITY, DOWNTOWN MARINA (P. 90)

28

In This Issue

8 13 65 74

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

viation Industry Taking A Off From research to

Departments

manufacturing to flight training, hundreds of aviation and aerospace industry businesses have made Northwest Florida their home, attracted here by the quality of life, the heavy concentration of military bases and the ready-made workforce. By Linda Kleindienst

THE (850) LIFE

On the Cover: A unmanned aerial vehicle undergoes testing at Pensacola’s Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

Photo by William Howell, IHMC

Jackson County Business Journal 2014

11 The teenager who didn’t want to leave the beach turns into the man now at the helm of Innisfree Hotels. Meet Julian MacQueen of Pensacola.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 14 Being an entrepreneur is already a risky proposition, so don’t scrimp on providing security for your business.

Corridors EMERALD COAST

68 A Niceville-based company has developed a new type of asphalt for airports that has the FAA and military interested.

BAY 71 Hopes run high that Panama City’s takeover and makeover of the local marina will help spur redevelopment in the area.

Special Sections DEAL ESTATE

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

WI-FILES 16 E-commerce companies are at the risk of losing more than a traditional business if they don’t have plans in place to protect their assets.

Special Report

49 JACKSON COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Jackson County celebrates the building blocks that have opened the door to thriving businesses and provided a comfortable lifestyle.

CERTIFIED ATTORNEYS

38 When you’re looking for the best legal advice, turn to our listing of board-certified attorneys practicing in Northwest Florida.

G R E E N C I R C L E B I O E N E R G Y | H I G H E R E D U C A T I O N | A I R P O R T | A G R I C U LT U R E | M E D I C A L | T O U R I S M

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June – July 2014

850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Vol. 6, No. 5

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

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

— Steve Forbes

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Linda Kleindienst STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Chay D. Baxley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lazaro Aleman, Chay D. Baxley, Steve Bornhoft, Jason Dehart, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Hillel Presser, Ashley Kahn Salley, Zandra Wolfgram 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 DESIGNERS Felix Oliha, Shruti Shah ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Jillian Fry, Rebecca Sumerall STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Matt Burke, Scott Holstein CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mari Darr~Welch, William Howell, Howard Robinson, Shelly Swanger 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, Lori Magee, Tracy Mulligan, Linda Powell, Paula Sconiers, Chuck Simpson, Chris St. John, 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 SOCIAL MEDIA/SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST 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

FULL-SERVICE CREATIVE

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

MARKETING CONSULTING WEBSITE DESIGN

850-648-4560 | kerigan.com | Mexico Beach, FL 6

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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 June 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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Engage. Learn. Grow.

2014 Gulf Power Economic Symposium Business leaders building a stronger Northwest Florida.

October 12-14, 2014 Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Destin, Fla.

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From the Publisher

Not Your Grandma’s Junior League

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back-to-school shopping at the Kids Boutique, twice-monthly family nights at Boys and Girls Clubs, Second Harvest Backpack program and smaller Done in a Day projects.

In March, I was asked to attend Operation Prom Dress, where about a dozen children from Gretchen Everhart School came to the Tallahassee Elks Lodge to choose a complimentary prom dress. I watched something special happen that morning as League members took these kids, many severely disabled, through a magical journey to choose a dress, get it fitted and select accessories to pull the look together.

The next day, it was open to any young lady who wanted a dress so she could attend prom and feel good about herself.

Most of the children from Gretchen Everhart could not speak, and many had bodies that were physically ravaged by a lifetime in a wheelchair. The women of the League communicated with these kids like they were their own and made them feel so special.

This takes a lot of courage and a confidence in one’s own skin to work so closely and genuinely with a population that most people just look away from. This is the essence and the core of the modern Junior League.

What the League has is really a branding issue. Beginning this year, the Junior League of Tallahassee will embark upon a branding/ rebranding campaign, and Rowland Publishing plans to cover it all the way through the process. This summer, 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida is planning a feature story on branding and rebranding and plans to bring the fundamental element of this process to our business readership, showcasing local entities who are doing so — among them Florida State University and the nonprofit Junior League of Tallahassee. In addition, over the following 12 to 18 months, we plan to provide readers updates on the progress and eventual results.

With regard to the League … my goal is to dispel all misperceptions about an organization that does so much more for our communities and the people than you might know.

It’s a new century, and it’s a new generation of women taking the Junior League to a new level of awareness, accomplishment and success.

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

I have, for the past year or so, had the opportunity to serve as a community advisor to the Junior League of Tallahassee. When asked to participate, I had no concept of what my role would be or what benefit my observations or comments could provide to the organization.

At first, it was attending a Q&A session with other advisors. Several JLT members in leadership roles asked us to be candid and transparent with our feedback. The one question that sticks with me is what was my, and the advisory committee’s, perception of the League.

The general responses were mixed community perceptions based on what demographic being asked. Here are a few examples: ▪ An elitist social class of busybody Southern ladies.

▪ Rich ladies who wear sweaters and pearls, have parties and go out to lunch a lot.

▪ An extension of college sorority life.

▪ And many have no perception of who Junior Leaguers are or what they do.

None of these descriptions casts a positive light on this organization and, today, all of these perceptions are stuck in the era of black-andwhile television reception of the ’50s.

Through Tallahassee Magazine, Emerald Coast Magazine and our 850 regional business magazine, I have had numerous opportunities to interact with the Junior League organization and individuals in Tallahassee and Destin over the past two decades and can therefore refute all of these archaic perceptions.

Members of the Junior League, from my real-time experience, are astute business, community and family leaders who are poised and passionate about everything they do. The organization provides a forum that brings like-minds together and serves multiple functions: ▪ As an opportunity for individuals to develop their interpersonal skills to become the next generation of community and business leaders.

▪ To provide an organization that contributes to the community and individuals in need.

▪ To develop a network of friends and associates that will help one another and mentor young women embarking upon marriage and motherhood.

In the Destin area, the Junior League of the Emerald Coast is the sole benefactor of our Best of the Emerald Coast event, which draws more than 3,500 people on a fall evening and raises $45,000 — which goes right back into the community. Here in Tallahassee, the League raises more than $35,000 with its annual Whale of a Sale, again sending every dollar back into the community. The JLT’s projects include

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AL H I RE A LI CENSED PROFESSION

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License efciently. Regulate fairly.

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• Licensed professionals are required to have proper insurance and liability coverage that protects you! Ask your contractor about it!

Executive Mindset

) Life The (850

S URVIVE AND THRIVE

High-Flying Hotelier JULIAN MACQUEEN, PENSACOLA

Founder and CEO, Innisfree Hotels

I My Wife, the Marriage Counselor Oh, I’m a constant subject. It takes a professional to be married to me, is the joke.

You Get What You Give We measure ourselves on people, profit and the planet. By creating sustainable practices and taking care of the people around us, the profits come as a result.

Avid Aviator I would take my tip money from the Jack Tar Beach House and go get a flying lesson. I got my license at 16, and I’ve been flying ever since. I bought this classic flying boat that I’m real proud of. I use it like a station wagon.

If I Could Hop in a Plane … (Oh Wait, I Can.) We live part-time in British Columbia. A life-changing experience for me was visiting a

Photo by HOWARD ROBINSON

place called the Great Bear Rainforest. (He took along photographers who captured images of the white black bear, featured in National Geographic’s “The Spirit Bear,” August 2011.)

Luck or Hard Work I’m believing more and more in luck. There’s a saying in our religion – Baha’i – about walking the mystical path with practical feet. If you open your mind up to the universe, it will provide for you. If you have your head down and don’t see the signs, then you end up just going from A to B. I think that attitude has served me well. But so has having ADD.

To the Class of 2014 Be willing to be wrong and to laugh at yourself. Expect answers from the most unlikely places, and open yourself up to the infinite

possibilities around you.

Recognize that you can’t control the world. It’s how you react to it that’s going to define you.

That Yeats Poem My wife is the scholar. I’m the guy who goes out and puts stuff together. She came up with the name (from “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”

by William Butler Yeats), and I thought it described the atmosphere we wanted at our hotels.

850 Tourism When I travel around the world, I rarely tell people I’m from Florida, because we’re in a part of Florida no one knows about. But when they come here once, they keep coming back. It’s because of the gentility, this natural sense of hospitality that is uniquely ours. As a Southerner, I feel very proud to export that around the world.

t was the summer of 1966, and a 15-yearold boy from Birmingham didn’t want to leave the beach. His parents told him to get a job.

So Julian MacQueen hitchhiked the shores of Destin until at last he arrived at the Jack Tar Beach House. His Southern manners scored points with the chef, who hired him on the spot. By the time he finished college at the University of South Alabama, he had eight years of hotel experience and a degree in psychology.

“You always wonder what’s happening subliminally, why you do things,” MacQueen muses. “I couldn’t believe my good luck … I never left the hotel business.”

And he still didn’t want to leave the beach.

Working out of Knoxville, Tennessee, as a sales manager for Hyatt, he made the acquaintance of a man with no formal education but a booming hotel business. That man asked MacQueen to fill his rooms for an upcoming world’s fair. (In exchange, he would teach him the trade of earning interest in hotels.)

With Family Inns of America, MacQueen built five hotels in the same number of years.

He then traded four of them for one in Mobile, Alabama, where Innisfree Hotels got its start in Room 201.

Today, his company boasts 1,000 employees and twice as many rooms, including hotels, RV resorts and the state-of-the-art Innisfree Jet Center located at Pensacola International Airport. But MacQueen himself does not boast. He just wants to export the natural beauty and Southern charm of our piece of Florida to the rest of the world — one visitor at a time. –Ashley Kahn Salley

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Member FDIC

Executive Mindset

Business Arena

H OW FLORIDA TAXES STACK UP

How Florida Compares Florida has always been nationally acknowledged as a low tax state — especially since it is one of only seven in the country that do not have a state income tax and its major source of tax income is a sales tax on goods and services.

While taxes are low at the state level, however, Florida’s tax ranking edges higher when local taxes are figured into the mix, according to a survey released in March by Florida TaxWatch.

Here are some of the study’s findings:

MORE THAN HALF of all government revenue in Florida is raised by local governments.

This is the second highest percentage in the nation.

47

Florida’s rank out of 50 states in per capita state taxes. ($1,708 — 67.3 percent of the U.S. average.)

Government revenue per $1,000 personal income

Businesses pay

MORE THAN HALF

55.6%

of all state and local taxes in Florida — the eighth highest percentage in the nation and higher than the national average of 45 percent.

22

54%

37

Florida’s rank out of 50 states in per capita local taxes. ($1,714 —

Florida’s rank when adding in per capita state and local taxes. ($3,420

93 percent of the U.S. average.)

— 79.8 percent of the U.S. average.)

FLORIDA

RANK

U.S. AVERAGE

STATE

$6.24

47

$8.05

LOCAL

$7.80

6

$6.87

$14.04

37

$14.92

STATE AND LOCAL

General and selective sales taxes account for 82.6 percent of all Florida’s state tax collections, compared to the national average of 47.1 percent.

Florida’s state tax collections fell 17.6 percent from 2006 to 2012, the largest drop in the nation.

Floridians spend

6.2 percent of their personal income on state taxes and 7.8 percent on local taxes. This compares to a national average of 8.0 percent (state) and 10.5 percent (local).

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Executive Mindset

Management Strategies THE PRICE OF SECURITY

SECURE YOUR PROPERTY Today’s thieves are high-tech.

Your business security should be, too.

BY JASON DEHART

I

t’s hard enough running a business these days without having to worry about security, but thieves are constantly working to deprive you of your livelihood. And let’s face it. A guard dog and a locked door are hardly sufficient to protect your expensive office equipment and priceless data these days. Today’s crooks are more sophisticated than ever.

The numbers are telling. In Florida, office theft is a multimillion dollar “occupation.” According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement statistics, office equipment theft rose in value from $81 million in 2007 to $123 million in 2009. It went down in 2010 to $83 million, and $67 million in 2011, before going back up in 2012 to $71 million. That’s just the value of

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physical property stolen in one state alone. The theft of intellectual property — the theft of ideas, classified information, inventions, trade secrets, proprietary information, software, music, movies and more — costs U.S. businesses millions (if not billions) of dollars a year and puts the entire economy at risk, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and communications giant Verizon.

The threat of theft lurks in every corner, from anonymous hackers in foreign lands to nefarious burglars and even the employees in your own office. While it may not be possible to lock down every single aspect of your business, there are various methods and new technologies available to combat theft of both intellectual property and physical property.

GETTING STARTED Before committing large sums of cash to any security system, you should ask yourself some pointed questions about your business, its property and its data. For example, what are your vulnerabilities? If you’re concerned about a break-in, are the doors and windows strong enough to withstand attack? Is there enough lighting inside and out? Is the employee parking space well secured and safe? Regarding the company’s intellectual property, how secure are your server and backups? Who has access to what? How secure are the Internet sites and links used for research? How tightly do you control employees’ computer usage?

With an inventory of need in hand the next question you should ask is: What are my critical objectives for guarding the premises and important data? What level of security do I need, and how much can I afford?

PHYSICAL SECURITY For many years, business owners of all kinds have guarded their premises with security cameras. And for a long time the storage medium (videotape or CD) was stored on-site, and only reviewed after an incident or after theft had occurred.

This arrangement isn’t very optimal because there needs to be a certain amount of storage space to keep the tapes or CDs on file. Also, the tapes themselves could be the targets of theft. That problem is all but solved using wireless control technology, real-time video monitoring and “cloud” storage.

Smartphone apps provide the user with instant access to what’s happening back at the office, and integrated systems allow for unprecedented control of not only security systems but energy management and environmental control as well.

So it is now possible to be in another part of the country and not only see what’s happening at the office but remotely control all aspects of the building’s systems.

But property security is only half of the equation.

Employees must feel secure, too. Brief them on security measures, fire escape plans and what to do if there’s an intruder during work hours. Establish an employee code of conduct defining acceptable and inappropriate office behavior — particularly in the usage of company property — and the consequences of straying from those rules.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Intellectual Property, or IP, is perhaps more vulnerable to attack than the office you’re sitting in. The nature of modern business is all about electronic data and communication, and

your employees expose your company to potential threats with every email and website link. Worse yet, certain employees within your company might pose an active threat as players in some form of corporate spying. In other words, companies make it easy for outsiders to break in and steal their IP. Verizon’s 2013 Data Breach Investigations Report, a global risk assessment issued last fall, suggests that 78 percent of IP theft intrusions took “little or no specialist skills or resources” to pull off. Seventy-six percent of all network intrusions exploited weak or stolen credentials and 29 percent of attacks were made using email, social media and even phone calls to gather information. The report concludes that no company is immune from IP theft, attackers are smart and the volume and variety of threats is growing.

So, guarding your IP becomes a matter of constant vigilance and control. Verizon’s DBIR offers eight key recommendations to counter the problem: 1.

Eliminate unnecessary data and keep track of what remains.

2. Perform regular checks to make sure essential control is maintained.

3. Collect, analyze and share incident data to create a base of information on which to study the effectiveness of security programs.

4. Collect, analyze and share information regarding tactical threats and indicators of compromise.

5. Focus on better and faster detection using people, processes and technology.

6.

Measure the number of compromised systems on a regular basis and the amount of time it takes to detect intrusions.

7. Evaluate the threats, and don’t buy into a “one size fits all” approach to security.

8. Don’t underestimate the tenacity of the attackers.

These suggestions take a “50,000-foot perspective” approach to dealing with IP theft, but don’t forget that little things can make a difference, as well. These include setting strong passwords and codes; updating and patching software when necessary; scanning for viruses and malware on a regular basis; warning your employees about the dangers of clicking on unknown links or websites; making sure employees recognize phishing schemes, scams and phony email; restricting administrative connections and not giving users more network access privileges than they need. Additionally, potential employees should be screened carefully for behavior that might cause trouble later.

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Executive Mindset

Wi-Files ASSET PROTECTION FOR E-COMPANIES

ASSET PROTECTION E-commerce businesses stand to lose more

BY HILLEL PRESSER

W

hat differentiates e-commerce businesses from traditional businesses when it comes to asset protection?

Potentially more assets in need of protecting.

Both types of business owners have assets such as homes, cars and bank accounts that need protection in the event of a lawsuit, whether it’s a personal suit or one targeting the business. But e-commerce businesses may need more financial protection to cover their wealth of intangible assets, including domain names, website content, intellectual property, trademarks and patents. Additionally, an e-commerce business may prove to be more of a lawsuit liability because it’s vulnerable not only in the state where the storefront or warehouse is located, but essentially everywhere substantial connections are made, including internationally. In that sense, the need to create, maintain and regularly update an asset protection plan becomes more urgent.

To legally shield wealth from lawsuits and other potential threats, including divorce, business owners of all types should have an asset protection plan. This multi-layered strategy involves a range of techniques to title assets such as homes, savings and property (tangible and

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intangible) in the event that a claim is brought against the business or owner.

It’s not a guarantee that the protected person will avoid lawsuits or other financial calamities, but it can guarantee they’ll lose fewer assets if the worst does happen.

Business owners should consult with an attorney to create a plan that’s the best fit for their specific financial situation.

They should: 1) educate themselves, 2) inventory their wealth, 3) assess their liabilities, 4) decide the best asset protection tactic or strategy to use with each asset inventoried and 5) execute the plan.

EDUCATE YOURSELF. Clients should understand what’s going on when their attorney is creating their plan, how it relates to their life and what changes will trigger the need for an update. They should learn what they can and can’t transfer, as well as to whom they should and shouldn’t transfer assets, even temporarily. For instance, if they “gift” a home to their children shortly after or in proximity to a civil claim filed against them, in the event of a judgment that gift may be looked upon as a fraudulent transfer.

It could be reversed, making their home susceptible to the creditor judgment.

Education is key to maintaining longterm asset protection.

INVENTORY YOUR WEALTH. Include tangible and intangible financial resources. Tangible assets include but are not limited to: home, real estate, bank accounts, vehicles, boats, etc. Intangible assets include but are not limited to: patents, copyrights, franchises, goodwill, trademarks, domain names and trade names, etc.

ASSESS YOUR LIABILITIES, present and future. Some present liabilities could include current creditors (whether or not they have claims against you), personal guarantees on home or business loans, and marital status, as well as longevity of your marriage. Future liabilities include unexpected potential financial risks. A failing business in an economy downturn is a good example.

Surely many businesses didn’t contemplate their demise in the financial and economic crash of 2008. Those owners without an asset protection plan in place prior to 2008 were out of luck when their life savings, homes, real estate and other wealth were jeopardized by creditor lawsuits. The best advice for e-commerce business owners is to be proactive — the threat of a suit can bring a business to its knees, and the best way to protect themselves is to practice financial self-defense and lawsuit-proof their assets.

Executive Mindset

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS EDUCATE YOURSELF.

Education is key to maintaining long-term asset protection.

INVENTORY YOUR WEALTH. Include tangible and intangible financial resources.

ASSESS YOUR LIABILITIES. The best advice for e-commerce business owners is to be proactive — the threat of a suit can bring a business to its knees, and the best way to protect themselves is to practice financial self-defense and lawsuit-proof their assets.

DECIDE THE BEST ASSET PROTECTION TACTIC OR STRATEGY TO USE WITH EACH

ASSET INVENTORIED. Decide whether to re-title assets, what entity formations to use and whether equity stripping is appropriate for assets still inadequately protected.

IMPLEMENT THE PLAN and maintain the protection over the years.

Illustrations by FELIX OLIHA

DECIDE WHETHER TO RE-TITLE ASSETS, what entity formations to use and whether equity stripping is appropriate for assets still inadequately protected. Only non-exempt assets need to be re-titled. Exempt assets are those that cannot be seized in the event of a judgment. All non-exempt assets should be re-titled as exempt assets and/ or transferred to more protected entities such as a Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership or Family Limited Partnership, to name a few. Each entity has its own advantages and disadvantages, and each person may have specific needs that make one of these entities more advantageous than the others. Alternatively, these assets can be titled to either domestic or international trusts. International trusts, such as the NEVIS trust, are especially protective because the laws of most preferred international trust locations favor the owner of the trust over creditors.

Any unprotected assets can be stripped of their equity. For example, taking out a loan on a home that an individual owns free and clear would make them more undesirable to a creditor than if they had full equity in the home.

IMPLEMENT THE PLAN and maintain the protection over the years. Asset protection plans should be reviewed at least once a year and whenever there is a potential for litigation. Also, integrating an estate plan into an asset protection plan is essential because an unexpected death intestate could tie up an estate in litigation for years.

Asset protection is important for all business owners in today’s litigious society. E-commerce businesses are even more vulnerable to lawsuits and potentially have more assets to protect.

Business owners should enlist the assistance of an asset protection attorney to create, implement and help maintain a lawsuit-proof plan, and they should have an estate plan as well.

Hillel Presser is an asset protection attorney. He has authored several books and articles on asset protection, marketing and law. The Presser Law Firm P.A. offers complimentary books on asset protection and an asset protection worksheet to help you create an inventory at AssetProtectionAttorneys.com; submit a request in the contact form.

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SPONSORED EDITORIAL

T

hey’ve been waiting for millions of years, and now calcium-rich fossilized oyster shells from Gulf Coast Aggregate could yield new life in Apalachicola Bay. It’s a longterm goal, but one that Gulf Coast Aggregates, LLC, firmly believes could restore not only a dying industry but a flagging economy as well.

For several months now the Gulf Coast Aggregate quarry has been shipping tons of the material by rail from its 165-acre site to Maryland. Every two or three weeks, 50 cars start the 1,000-mile journey from a rail siding in Telogia, near Hosford.

Gulf Coast Aggregates, LLC is proud to be a part of the largest restoration project ever performed in the continental U.S. Fossilized oyster shells are being shipped by the tons. Sent by Apalachicola Northern Railroad (A.N.R.R.).

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Once on site, the material is used to restore the depleted oyster habitat of Chesapeake Bay. The fossilized shells are dumped into the bay and used as a nursery for oyster spat, which need a calcium-rich foundation to grow on.

Eventually some 112,000 tons of the fossilized oyster shells are going to be sent by Apalachicola Northern Railroad (ANRR).

Young oysters stand a greater chance of gaining a foothold and thriving without competing with barnacles, which for some unknown but fortunate reason aren’t attracted to fossilized shell.

Maryland officials are invested in the success of the massive effort, which is touted as the largest bay restoration project of its kind in the nation.

Back in Florida, though, the massive project raises an important question: Why not use this ancient material to rebuild the famous oyster habitat in Apalachicola Bay? It, too, has been on a steady decline for years, and along with it the culture and economy of an entire region. And now, it’s time to catch a ride on “The Oyster Express,” as it’s called in Maryland.

“It would be a big boost. We’re not talking temporary seasonal work, but full-time, year-round jobs.”

— Sandy Mitchem, president of Gulf Coast Aggregates “I would like to see Apalachicola Bay step back up to where it was before,” said Sandy Mitchem, president of Gulf Coast Aggregates. “These fossilized oysters have been napping for millions of years, and can be recycled into new life.”

Mitchem has a few ideas for how her company’s product can lift up the local economy. Just like a precious metal, fossilized oysters run in veins. And in order to tap into more of that material

SPONSORED EDITORIAL in the future, they need to follow the productive veins. To do that, they’ll have to expand their current footprint to adjacent land. Her company is currently appealing to local and state leaders to accomplish that goal, which she said is for the greater good.

“We need to expand the quarry,” she said. “That expansion would create a snowball effect in the local economy.”

For starters, an expanded quarry would need to hire more drivers, welders, mechanics and operators. And if a restoration campaign like the one currently underway in Maryland could get started in Apalachicola, the net effect on the local economy could be significant.

“It would be a big boost. We’re not talking temporary seasonal work, but full-time, year-round jobs,” Mitchem said. There’s an opportunity here to create ongoing employment, and ongoing economic opportunities for gas stations, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, trucking — the list goes on and on.

“Everybody is looking for jobs. We want to give back to our bay and our communities, and we feel confident our political leaders will allow us to expand our operating facility, and this will create jobs in the community,” she said. “We are important to every single person and business. It’s going to have a snowball effect. It’s going to snow in Florida. The snowball is coming; it’s called the Oyster Express.”

One thing is for certain: Other states are knocking at the door wanting GCA’s product, Mitchem said. That means the time to act is now.

“Gulf Coast Aggregate is very proud to be the representative of fossilized oysters. Nobody else. Maryland searched several other states first before concluding that North Florida’s GCA is the sole source for this material,” she said. “We feel confident that our political leaders won’t let the bay down.

It’s got to be us, we’re here, it works, we know how to do it and we’re the sole source. We just need the okay from the state to keep doing a good thing. I’m waiting on a call from the governor to get his help.”

Another positive feature for locals is the fact that quarrying is environmentally friendly, because reclamation plans will put the quarry back to nature.

Rob Cooke, GCA operations manager, explains the project to our guest Ralph Long, with St. Regis Paper Co., LLC. Forty feet below the surface and millions of years later, the calcium-rich fossilized oyster shells from our quarry are waiting to be recycled into new life.

“We respect our environment. We want to put what we have to the highest and best use,” Mitchem said. “You have to return what you’ve taken. It’s about good stewardship.”

“We’re offering the community a chance for a viable industry, restoring livelihoods. We want to be the oyster haven of the world once again.”

The company considers itself a good corporate neighbor and is hopeful Gov. Rick Scott will do the right thing and take advantage of what they have to offer the region.

“The governor has been out to see the oystermen. He knows what they’re up against. He knows the stakes. He needs to know that we are capable of helping.

We need the additional land, quickly, because time is not on the bay’s side.

Time is of the essence,” she said. “A restored oyster habitat means more filter feeders cleaning up the water, and that’s good for not only humans, but all the wildlife will be enhanced along with it. Think of what it will do for the fishing industry. We’re offering the community a chance for a viable industry, restoring livelihoods. We want to be the oyster haven of the world once again.”

It is going to snow in Florida. We expect a positive snowball effect from all of this, and it’s only just begun!

Gulf Coast Aggregates, LLC was established in Hosford, FL in 2004. Our mission is to restore oyster abundance and fuel coastal economies for future generations. Visit them online to learn more. w w w. G u l f C o a s t A g g r e g a t e s . c o m 55502 County Road 67 Hosford, FL 32334 | 850.697.4669 | gca.oyster@gmail.com (please send us an email) 850 Business Magazine

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PAY

TIPPING THE

scale

FROM FIGURING STAYAT-HOME PAY TO CALCULATING THE RICHES OF THE WORLD’S WEALTHIEST, OUR NORTHWEST FLORIDA SALARY SURVEY REVEALS SURPRISING ANSWERS AND TELLS WHO POCKETS WHAT FOR A JOB WELL DONE.

BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

Chay D. Baxley, Jason Dehart and Linda Kleindienst contributed to this report.

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o on. Admit it. You’d love to sneak a peek at certain payroll stubs.

According to a July 2013 poll in CNN Money, the average U.S. annual salary is $54,450. And Florida’s average annual salary, which is typically below the U.S. average, was $43,210 in 2012, according to the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. The only country that came close was Japan, where workers toil 1,765 hours a year for an average pay of $35,143.

Americans work hard to earn their paychecks. In fact, we are one of the hardest working nations (ranked right behind Poland, which is listed at No. 7). But we earn more than five times the average wage paid in Mexico — ranked as the No. 1 hardest working nation — for 500 less hours of work per year.

But where Americans in general are winning the war on income, we are losing the battle on some benefits. CNN cites the U.S. as the only developed country not to guarantee workers vacation time each year, and one of the few where there is no mandate to provide workers with paid sick or maternity leave. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration in March ordered the U.S. Department of Labor to look at how to expand the number of workers eligible for overtime pay, charging that too many businesses are skirting labor laws by incorrectly putting employees in job classifications where they are exempt from overtime.

Still, Americans get paid more than every single other hardworking country on the CNN Money list.

In Northwest Florida, many live the mantra “work to live,” while some “live to work.” Workers’ average salaries in this region range from about $40,000 in counties like Leon and Escambia to about $35,000 in Bay County to around $30,000 in Jefferson County. We met with several business owners, entrepreneurs and workers who are proud and passionate about what they do for a living — and were brave enough to share how much their jobs pay. No matter what title they have on their business card, they all have one thing in common — they love their jobs.

SALARY:

$85,000

WHAT SOME OF THOSE IN OFFICE MAKE CITY Tallahassee City Commissioners $36,000 Mike Anderson, mayor of Fort Walton Beach $5,500 David Cadle, mayor of Crestview $15,000 C. Harold Carpenter, mayor of DeFuniak Springs $9,000 John Marks, mayor of Tallahassee $72,000 Sarah Seevers, mayor of Destin $0 Randall Wise, mayor of Niceville $0

TIM CENTER, 48, TALLAHASSEE CAPITAL AREA COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Average workweek: Work is now 24/7.

Salary: $85,000 ($25,000 less than my predecessor)

What do you do in your current job? Manage a team of 110 staff in eight counties providing human services, promoting economic development and encouraging a broader common-sense approach to help the 22 percent of our neighbors living in poverty. The Community Action Agency is a $9 million community service organization (non-profit) addressing the needs of those living in poverty through crisis services, home weatherization, Head Start school readiness and selfsufficiency programs. Most important job tool?

Mobile technology — access to social networks, email and phone. What do you love about your job? Living and working to help build a stronger community and more integrated social fabric. My first job Summer camp counselor.

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

What is your dream job? Governor of Florida.

What do you think the minimum wage should be? Employers should make every effort to pay a livable wage. What benefits or perks do you wish you had? A personal assistant/ scheduler/handler. Do you have a professional mentor? I admire a number of people, including my past board chair (and law school classmate) Tom Thompson, but have no mentor at this time.

I respect the heck out of Tony Carvajal, Jim Hunt and Steve Seibert. Order of importance to me: benefits, salary, title. None of these. Mission: the ability to improve the community. What age I would like to retire and what I want to be doing … Would like to be able to retire in my mid-sixties.

COUNTY Escambia County Commissioners $60,000 Leon County commissioners $72,172

STATE State senator $29,697 State representative $29,697 Rick Scott, governor of Florida $0.01 FEDERAL Steve Southerland, House of Representatives $174,000 Marco Rubio, U.S. senator $174,000 Joe Biden, vice president of the United States $230,700 Barack Obama, president of the United States $400,000 Source: City of Tallahassee, indeed.com, myflorida.com

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JEFF DANICK, 38, NICEVILLE COMPUTER REPAIR, PRESIDENT/OWNER, JWD TECH Salary: Daily rates — $250 for home users, $350 for home-offices/home businesses, $500 for businesses/offices

Job overview: In-home/on-site tech support, training, computer upgrades, pre-purchase consulting, facilitator, preacher of the gospel of, “Backup, backup, backup!” Most important on the job tool. My iPhone. What do you love about your job? Showing someone something new, teaching them something new and seeing that “Ah ha!” moment. How old were you when you had your first job, and what did you do? When I was 15 years old I worked at a yacht club marina, doing everything from washing and bottom painting boats to cleaning bathrooms and answering phones. What is your dream job? Hard to choose between race car driver, Maxim photographer or seaplane pilot. If money were no object, I would spend my day … in Italy. Have you ever played hooky from the office? Every year I make a point of going to 5 Flags Speedway to enjoy the Snowball Derby. I try to sneak in a trip to Southern Raceway, in Milton, from time to time as well. What do you think minimum wage should be? Should be more directly tied to the average cost of living wherever you live, more fluid, more responsive to real-life conditions. Do you get a bonus? The best bonus I can get is a good review from a satisfied customer, or a satisfied customer recommending me to friends, family or coworkers. If your job were a movie, what would the movie soundtrack song be? Just one song? I can think of 15! Opening credits/montage of past jobs that convinced me to start my own business rolling to “Code Monkey” by Jonathan Coulton … a typical work week would include “Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin. End credits would have to be Jimmy Buffett’s “You’ll Never Work

SALARY:

Daily rates $250, $350, $500

In Dis Bidness Again.” Put these in order of importance to you: title, salary or benefits. None of the above. “Job satisfaction” matters more than the others combined. At what age would you like to retire and what will you be doing then? 101. Realistically, still working with technology and doing my best to see as many of those “Ah ha!” moments as possible. But, I can see anything from owning/ running a rum distillery, owning a competitive auto-racing team or a trattoria in Italy, to being a photographer, as being nothing more than a twist and a turn away. Do you live to work or work to live? Work for sanity.

PAM DOFFEK, 59, TALLAHASSEE DIRECTOR, GOLDSTEIN LIBRARY SCHOOL OF INFORMATION, COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Average Workweek: 45 hours Salary: $2,419 gross/$1,741 net (every 2 weeks)

SALARY: $1,741 net (every 2 weeks)

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Job overview: I’m director of one of the six libraries on the FSU campus. My staff includes one other degreed librarian and six students who are in the masters degree program here at the iSchool. Given that background, we do everything any “other-sized” information center would do: check out books, provide access to electronic collections, develop displays, provide research assistance, have social functions, teach classes, maintain and update a website and social media tools. I teach a 3 credit hour course in the summer that exposes students to the wide variety of employment situations available to them with a masters degree in information studies — which most of the time isn’t in a “library.” Most important on-the-job tool. My laptop computer. It’s where I spend most of my day, allows me to work anywhere on campus via wireless, accessible via VPN on the days I work from home waiting for repair people — and it fits into my rolling backpack. What do you love about your job? I love working with my Associate Director Leila Gibradze.

She and I have had a yin/yang relationship for the past five years. I also love working and mentoring the graduate students who work for me. They are 22–40 year olds working

CASEY TINDELL, 23, SANTA ROSA BEACH PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING COORDINATOR AMAVIDA COFFEE Average workweek: 35–40 hours that are accounted for Salary: $14/hour

SALARY:

$14/hour

on their professional degree. They keep me on my toes, exposed to the latest ideas and keep me from becoming an “old fogey,” which I never want to be. How old were you when you had your first job, and what did you do? I was 16 and worked for the A&P Grocery store in Oconto, Wisconsin. I was a cashier and stock girl. This was a manual cash register, calculate taxes from the diagram (or do the math in my head), count-backchange days. What is your dream job? Full-time philanthropic artist, professional volunteer and world traveler. In December 2013, I completed a second baccalaureate degree in studio art to prepare myself for “The Day.” If money were no object, I would spend my day … Traveling the world being inspired and creating art that can help all the great initiatives that need funding (to provide) art in (peoples’) lives. What do you think minimum wage should be? At least $10 per hour Put these in order of importance to you: title, salary or benefits. On most days: salary-benefits-title. With the right salary one might be able to pay for a lack of benefits. When I took this job it was a pay cut, but the benefits filled in adequately. At what age would you like to retire, and what will you be doing then? I’d love to pull the plug at 62 and be an M3DPA (multi-medium, multi-dimensional philanthropic artist), but we will see. Are you a Spendthrift Sally?

Tightwad Ted? Moderate Milly? Until the last few years a Tightwad Ted, because I didn’t feel my savings/investments were enough to get me through my retirement years and I just packed it away. Now I have a great investment team and am feeling comfortable that I can live comfortably in my dotage/M3DPA years. (If the Legislature doesn’t mess with me, and the market doesn’t crash again!) Most likely “water cooler” topic. What’s happening where this weekend in Tallahassee, and how will I do what I want to. There’s SO MUCH that Tally has to offer!

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Job overview: My responsibilities include graphic design, media planning, social media management, creating and editing email newsletters, brand management and internal communication. I also focus on educating our customers on what it means to be an organic, free trade coffee company. Most important on-the-job tool. Adobe Illustrator What do you love about your job? Besides the constant stream of great coffee, I love that if I attract customers to Amavida, they are directly supporting hardworking coffee farmers all over the world. How old were you when you had your first job, and what did you do? My first job was at 16 years old as a dance instructor in Navarre. I was fortunate to have grown up studying an art that literally paid off. If money were no object, I would spend my day … working to help women support themselves in Central America. If money were no object whatsoever I would have more kids, go on long trips on our dreamt-up and entirely no-cost sailboat, and work for theater companies whenever I make it back to dry land. What is the most thankless job? One without gratification or creativity, like a knick-knack salesman or something of the sort. What benefit or perk do you wish you had? It would be nice to have paid sick leave. How much vacation time do you have saved? I don’t have that perk, yet. Maybe this article will help my case. What is the first thing and last thing you do each workday? To begin my day I make a fresh, pour-over coffee and check our Facebook page, and the last thing I do is take a few minutes to brainstorm on possible new strategies. Do you get a bonus? I have traveled with Dan Bailey, the owner of Amavida, to the Dominican Republic to meet our coffee producers first-hand. That, to me, was better than any bonus. If your job were a movie, what would the movie soundtrack song be? Somewhere in it would be Cantata No. 211, from J.S. Bach’s “Coffee Cantata,” where basically a man asks his daughter to stop drinking coffee and she tells him off by singing a love song to coffee.

IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR ...

Many would not argue that the hardest job is that of household CEO, namely mother-inchief. Moms can calculate how much their efforts are worth with the Mom Salary Wizard tool on salary.com. Enter how many hours you spend in a category of 20 household tasks that range from housekeeping and cooking to psychologist and staff nurse; plug in your zip code, and your value is computed into dollars.

You can even print a check personalized with your name on it. Stay-at-home dads, don’t worry, you can give a whole new meaning to “father figure,” too.

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SALARY:

$2,400/ month

STAFF SERGEANT JEREMY DECK, 34, CRESTVIEW 33RD FIGHTER AIR WING, F-35 DEDICATED CREW CHIEF Average workweek: 50–60 hours; Salary: $2,400/month

What do you do in your current job? I’m in charge of the F-35 jets. Your name is on the side of it, so you need to know everything that is involved that needs to be done to maintain it. Most important on-the-job tool.

We have a specially made tech book laptop computer for the aircraft. It allows us to tell the aircraft what we want it to do. What do you love about your job? As far as being in the Air Force, I love what I am doing and serving my country. The F-35 is a great jet and well worth the time and effort we’re putting into it. We have a responsibility no one else can say they have — building an airplane for the next 30, 40 years. What was your first job? After high school I worked in a factory in Greenville, Indiana, making bolts for automobiles for 10 years. I started on the ground level as a machine operator and worked into management. What is your dream job? My dream job wouldn’t be a job. What I like to do on my off time is race motor cross bikes. Being able to do that would be unreal to me. If money were no object, I would spend my day … doing a family sport my kids enjoy, so we can be together. Have you ever played hooky from the office? I haven’t myself, but I’ve thought about it. There are so many ways it wouldn’t pan out. I’d want to go to the track (but) then there’d be a chance of getting hurt, and how would I explain that?

What do you think minimum wage should be? I want people to make

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enough to get by and do what they want to do, but on the other hand the higher you make it, the higher it will drive up prices of everything else.

It’s a lose-lose situation I guess. What benefit or perk do you wish you had? Some sort of discount through airline companies would really be nice. Everyone is so spread out it’s hard to visit families. What is the first thing and last thing you do each workday? I get up about three hours before I have to be at work, go to the gym and try to stay in shape. We have Roll Call and get our job assignments for the day. At the end of the day, I take accountability for tools, document, do a last minute check out and get an OK. What was your last paycheck splurge? Beds for my kids; they each picked out one they wanted. Do you have a professional mentor? I really don’t have a mentor at work. As far as the lifestyle I try to lead, the mentor I have is my grandfather, who was also in the military, worked on a farm and in a factory. Put these in order of importance to you: Benefits, salary, title At what age would like to retire, and what will you be doing then? As of right now, it will be my 50s. I’m looking to go into criminal justice, perhaps the law enforcement side. What is the most thankless job? I’m living it. Being a part of the military. Without the people who get it done I don’t know what would happen. I think it’s something everyone should actually do.

Photo by SHELLY SWANGER

SALARY SURVEY SAYS …

THE RICHEST PERSON IN FLORIDA

RICHEST WOMAN IN AMERICA

THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Florida is officially home to 33 billionaires, according to the latest Forbes list (and that doesn’t even count the ones who have second, third or fourth homes here). Miami Heat owner and Carnival Cruise’s chief executive officer MICKY ARISON is the richest of them all. Forbes estimates the 63-year-old has a net worth of $5.9 billion, making him the richest guy in Florida and 70th richest person in the U.S.

CHRISTY WALTON’S net worth — $36.7 billion — reached new highs as Walmart stock continued to climb in 2013. She remains the richest woman in the U.S., inheriting her wealth when husband John Walton, a former Green Beret and Vietnam War medic, died in an airplane crash in 2005.

Forbes’ 2014 list of billionaires boasts 1,645 names this year — a jump of nearly 200 in one year. The U.S. leads the list with 492 billionaires. After a four-year hiatus, BILL GATES is again the world’s top moneyman, grabbing the honors away from Carlos Slim Helu, a telecom mogul from Mexico worth $73 billion. Gates’ net worth is $76 billion, a jump of $9 billion in a year.

Sources: Forbes.com and The Miami Times

Emergency Room Nurse Practitioner – $90,442 Actuary – $57,750 Lobbyist – $92,851 Attorney – $73,268 Computer systems analyst – $98,020 Electrical engineer – $87,520 Civil engineer – $79,300 Physician assistant – $84,470 Anthropologists and Archeologists – $58,500 Web developer – $53,960 Dentist – $137,823 Dental hygienist – $54,060

HARDEST-WORKING COUNTRIES In this case it doesn’t really pay to be No. 1

MEXICO (NO. 1) Average annual hours: 2,317 Average annual wages: $9,885 UNITED STATES (NO. 8) Average annual hours: 1,798 Average annual wages: $54,450 SLOVAK REPUBLIC (NO. 10) Average annual hours: 1,749 Average annual wages: $19,068 Source: CNN Money

WAGES OF THE WORLD Luxembourg.....................$11.36

IT PAYS TO STAY IN SCHOOL

Fish and game warden – $52,720

By educational attainment, full-time workers age 25 and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $477, compared with $647 for high school graduates (no college) and $1,193 for those holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master’s degree and above), the highest earning 10 percent of male workers made $3,510 or more per week, compared with $2,339 or more for their female counterparts.

Custodian — $23,136

GENDER AND ETHNICITY The women’s-to-men’s earnings ratio varied by race and ethnicity. White women earned 81.1 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with black (91.6 percent), Asian (77.1 percent) and Hispanic women (94.2 percent).

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, July 2013

CLOSING THE GENDER GAP

Florida . ...................................$7.79

1970

2011

MEN’S LABOR FORCE

79.7%

70.5%

WOMEN’S LABOR FORCE

43.3%

58.1%

United States......................$7.25 Estonia.....................................$2.50 Mexico........................................$.80 MINIMUM WAGE PER HOUR. Source: OECD and Money Market

Day care center teacher — $25,193 School nurse — $40,929 Park naturalist — $45,108 Computer operator — $34,779 Parole officer — $47,045 Forensic technologist — $29,344 Non-profit executive director — $40,000 Correctional officer — $32,527 Law enforcement officer — $33,977 Historic preservationist — $40,938 Tax manager — $98,046 Kindergarten teacher — $48,779 Graphic designer — $45,245 Paralegal — $43,935 Technical writer — $66,272

Australia.................................$9.54

Japan.........................................$6.98

Bus driver — $17,931

Pharmacist — $109,836

Ireland...................................$10.81 Canada....................................$8.04

Judge – $137,823

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Firefighter Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) — $39,078 Advertising manager — $73,997 Lab supervisor — $73,276 Public relations director — $102,986 Veterinarian — $89,196 University campus librarian — $47,357 Sources: Myflorida.com, Salary.com, Indeed.com, Okaloosa County Board of Education, Walton County Board of Education 850 Business Magazine

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JENNY WELLS, TALLAHASSEE

Job overview: I work hard to ensure that the client who orders the gift basket looks good and that the recipient is blown away. Most important on-the-job tool.

Creativity. Without it, my work would be dull and lifeless. What do you love about your job? Putting a smile on people’s faces. How old were you when you had your first job, and what did you do? I got my first job at 15 flipping burgers, against my parents’ better judgment. I wanted to make my own way. What is your dream job? I already have it! If money were no object, I would spend my day … Reclining on a beach somewhere in the Carribbean. Have you ever played hooky from the office? I’ve never played hooky. I’m too Type A to take a day off, even when I’m sick. What do you think minimum wage should be? Minimum wage should be based on the type of job that someone does and how well they do that job. Do you get a bonus? I get a bonus every time I see a smile on someone’s face because of my work. If your job were a movie, what would the movie soundtrack song be? “She’s a Maniac.” Put these in order of importance to you: Benefits, title, salary. At what age would you like to retire, and what will you be doing then? I don’t think I could ever retire. I’m always on the go, and I don’t know what I would do with myself if I didn’t have a set schedule. Do you live to work or work to live? I live to work because I love what I do.

OWNER, IMAGINE THAT! Salary: It varies, but $38,000 is pretty standard

SALARY:

$38,000

NORTHWEST FLORIDA JOB GROWTH AND WAGES 2013 JOBS

2014 JOBS

GROWTH

% GROWTH

2012 AVG HOURLY EARNINGS

29,584

29,783

199

1%

$15.88

6,670

6,725

55

1%

$13.65

INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OCCUPATIONS

27,283

27,657

374

1%

$17.18

MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL

85,761

87,524

1,763

2%

$25.95

MILITARY OCCUPATIONS

33,047

33,040

7

0%

$16.45

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OCCUPATIONS

97,099

97,839

740

1%

$14.10

PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS

18,524

18,609

85

0%

$15.12

146,185

148,409

2,224

2%

$25.70

98,712

100,526

1,814

2%

$14.86

167,975

171,861

3,886

2%

$10.89

27,280

27,543

263

1%

$14.24

738,120

749,518

11,398

2%

$17.47

CONSTRUCTION AND EXTRACTION OCCUPATIONS FARMING, FISHING AND FORESTRY OCCUPATIONS

PROFESSIONAL AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS SALES AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS SERVICE OCCUPATIONS TRANSPORTATION AND MATERIAL MOVING OCCUPATIONS TOTAL

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KEITH HANSEN, 25, TALLAHASSEE PERSONAL TRAINER/WELLNESS COACH, SERIOUSLY STRONG TRAINING Average Workweek: 40 hours, Salary: $20,000

SALARY:

$20,000

Job overview: I help clients attain their fitness and health goals through handson teaching, education of nutrition and exercise principles, and motivation.

Most important on-the-job tool. Barbells. You can replace tens of thousands of dollars of workout equipment with the barbell. What do you love about your job? Sharing my passion with receptive people. I have always loved to teach, and to have “students” as great as mine is a blessing. How old were you when you had your first job, and what did you do? 14. I worked for my uncle as an installer for his HVAC company. Crawling through attics in the Florida summers allows me to fully appreciate working in a climate-controlled environment. What is your dream job? I dream of having my own fitness facility. I want to continue educating myself so I can share my knowledge and experiences with others. If money were no object, I would spend my day giving my knowledge away to even more people than I am now. What do you think minimum wage should be? A livable wage. Do you get a bonus? Nothing on the books, but I have some very generous clients. Put these in order of importance to you: Title, benefits, salary At what age would you like to retire, and what will you be doing then? I will share my passion as long as I can, and hopefully I can do it for free eventually. Do you live to work or work to live? I live to work. What benefit or perk do you wish you had?

Paid days off.

BRITTANY A. SPAIN, 25, PENSACOLA CLOSING COORDINATOR, ALLURE TITLE Average workweek: 45 hours Salary: $10.30 per hour with the opportunity to earn bonuses

Job overview: I assist in residential and escrow closings for surrounding areas, manage client accounts, ensure the closing process is handled accurately and network with local business members. Most important on-the-job tool. Without a doubt a computer and/or printer, of course. A smile always helps as well! What do you love about your job? The fact that I have the opportunity to assist someone through a major decision that affects their life is very important to me. What was your first job? My first job was at Pretzel Time in University Mall. I was 15 and thought it was the best thing in the world to receive a paycheck. What is the most thankless job? Anything in the food industry. I’ve seen a lot of people have zero appreciation for the assistance they receive. What do you think minimum wage should be? $8 per hour What benefit or perk do you wish you had? Unlimited chiropractor and massage therapy visits.

How much vacation time do you have saved? I have 30 hours left to use. What is the first thing and last thing you do each workday? The first things I always do are check my email and balance the escrow account. The last thing I do is make a to-do list for the following day.

What was your last paycheck splurge? Dinner and wine at Jackson’s in downtown Pensacola.

Do you have a professional mentor? I prefer to learn something from every professional I come in contact with. There is something great to learn from each person you work with in this industry. Put these in order of importance to you: Title, benefits, salary At what age would like to retire, and what will you be doing then? Unfortunately, 25 is not feasible, so I will say 60. I would like to travel as much as possible. Are you a Spendthrift Sally? Tightwad Ted? Moderate Milly? Just call me Moderate Milly! Most likely “water cooler” topic. It would depend, but the local news or weather is always a safe bet, especially in Florida!

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

SALARY:

$10.30/ hour

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NO. 1

Florida is top ranked in talent for the aviation/aerospace industry, ahead of California, Texas and Washington.

STEALTH FLIGHT John Carff (holding remote control) and Daniel Duran at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola test an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or drone.

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i y l F Photo by WILLIAM HOWELL, IHMC

Florida is home to more than 2,000 aerospace and aviation companies that employ more than 87,000 workers, have a $5.5 billion payroll and pay an average wage of $63,303.

At a minimum, 400 of those companies, including 23 aerospace manufacturing plants, are located in Northwest Florida, which has become a hotbed of aviation and aerospace activity that includes research, testing and education.

FOR EXAMPLE: » David Still started out life as an optometrist. He went into the Navy, where he learned about peripheral vision through his work with patients and while earning an advanced degree in vision science. Today, employed by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, he is working on OZ — a new system that is designed to help pilots more easily navigate and absorb the information coming from airplane instrument panels.

» In March, Fort Walton Machining was honored with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award for its efforts in creating jobs in North Florida. In the past decade it has grown from 76 to 220 employees working in two divisions that provide assembly, metal finishing and machining services to the aerospace industry, among others.

» At the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion in Tallahas-

g h n i ig H

Northwest Florida is a hub of aerospace and aviation activity

BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

see, private airplane manufacturers are tapping in to a high-speed wind tunnel developed by university scientists that can analyze wind flow, fuel efficiency and maneuverability of aircraft. The tunnel, which can generate wind speeds up to Mach 5, is only 12 by 12 inches — but its foundation is sunk 60 feet into the ground to keep it stable.

» The Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview is home to an 8,000-foot runway that can handle the largest planes in the world and has a host of tenants, including Quest Air Parts, which has a 76,000-squarefoot facility that dismantles airplanes that have aged out of service, reselling the usable parts worldwide.

And that’s only a hint of what goes on here.

Northwest Florida is home to six military bases, five of which are aviation-related: Pensacola Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, Eglin Air Force Base (including Duke Field), Hurlburt Field and Tyndall Air Force Base. And the unique mix of military in the region has helped attract not only many of the largest U.S. defense contractors but also commercial aerospace and aviation companies — one of the largest concentrations in the world. Some are engaged in cutting-edge research and development — including on drones. Others are making sure the planes fly better and safer. Familiar company names include Boeing, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Embry Riddle — and there are dozens of others scattered across the region, clustered around the bases, near universities and at some of the industrial airparks that dot the landscape of Northwest Florida.

“Along the whole Gulf Coast there is a constellation of companies and military facilities and NASA assets, with building, maintenance and repair facilities,” said Brice Harris, associate director of the Office of Economic Development and Engagement at the University of West Florida. “Now with Airbus coming to Mobile and the spillover effect that’s going to have … there is a significant potential for more.”

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TRAINED WORKFORCE Most everyone agrees that one of the area’s key assets — and a good reason for aviation and aerospace companies to locate here — is the significant number of military who separate each year.

“Northwest Florida has the highest population of active and retired/transitioning military in the nation,” Harris explained. And many have already had training in the aviation/aerospace field.

There are an estimated 60,000 military personnel in Florida, and when many of them retire, with many prime working years still left, they opt to remain in Florida and seek employment here.

“Combine our one big natural resource — airspace — with our wonderful talent and, all of a sudden, aviation companies want to be here,” said Griff Salmon, executive vice president and COO of Enterprise Florida. “This is a global business. These companies can locate anywhere they want in the world.

And we have the capacity to compete.”

In fact, Florida has been ranked as the top state in the nation for available talent to work in the aerospace/aviation industry. Perhaps no surprise then that it has the second highest concentration of aviation and aerospace companies in the U.S. — and has been ranked as the No. 1 state for manufacturing attractiveness in those industries by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

“We have the foundation of a trainable workforce,” added Neal Wade, executive director of the Bay Economic Development Alliance and chairman of the four-state (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana) Aerospace Alliance. “The educational system is beginning to develop specific training programs that focus on aerospace, even dipping into high school to attract those students who might want to begin apprentice programs, take college training and move directly into the workforce.”

AIRBUS COMETH The elephant in the room, of course, is Airbus. The European plane manufacturer is building an assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, just 50 miles west of Pensacola, its sixth center in the U.S. Construction of the $600 million facility began in April 2013, and assembly is set to start in 2015, with delivery of the first A320 Family jet in 2016.

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STATE OF THE ART The Florida Center for Advanced AeroPropulsion attracts about $4 million in annual funding from sponsored research clients, including the FAA and NASA. Here is the Anechoic Wind Tunnel, a subsonic facility.

NO.1

Florida is the top state in the nation for aviation/aerospace manufacturing attractiveness, according to a recent survey

by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

According to Airbus, it spends 42 percent of its aircraft-related procurement in the U.S. — buying more parts, components, tooling and other material from the U.S. than any other country. And Northwest Florida economic developers hope that will remain true with the new plant, bringing dozens of new companies to the region that will supply thousands of new, high-paying jobs.

Toward that end, five counties — Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia — have formed the Gulf Coast Aerospace Coalition to promote Northwest Florida’s strategic location for aerospace suppliers. Not only are the five the closest Florida counties to the new Mobile Airbus plant, they are also well placed to service the recent expansion of aviation original equipment manufacturer (OEM) plants throughout the Southeast, including Boeing in Charleston, South Carolina, Gulfstream in Savannah, Georgia, and Embraer in Jacksonville and Melbourne.

Dozens representing the Aerospace Coalition went to the Global Aerospace Supply Chain Conference in Hamburg last fall to meet with European-based suppliers, forming relationships that they hope will result in some establishing a presence in Northwest Florida.

We are deeply rooted in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, but we also do a lot of projects with private industries and we expect to do that more frequently.”

— Mark Dobek, assistant director of the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion

850businessmagazine.com

“We had terrific meetings,” said Bay County’s Wade. “It’s all about networking and business relationships. Our goal is when those suppliers start looking to put a facility here to supply Airbus, we just want to get into the competition.”

The group brought the same message with them in May to the Berlin Air Show and will deliver it again in July, at the Farnborough International Air Show in England, the third largest air show in the world. “You can’t have just one meeting and that’s the end of it,” Wade said. “You’ve got to keep in touch with these leaders so they don’t lose sight of who you are.”

Enterprise Florida’s Salmon said Northwest Florida has been extremely aggressive in its pitch to get Airbus’s European suppliers to set up shop here, and the state is supportive of the push.

“We want to do everything we can to help them, to facilitate,” he said. “In Hamburg, the exposure the area got with industry leaders was huge. We’ve had good feedback from our foreign office in Germany that is still getting calls as a result of that trip.”

And the state can help make the region more attractive to those companies showing interest — with tax rebates, tax incentives, discretionary grants. “We want to offset some of the burdens on the companies,” Salmon said.

In its winter issue, Southern Business & Development magazine listed Bay County and Tallahassee as two of the 10 best supplier locations in the Southern aerospace corridor to service Airbus and Boeing.

“The 2010 opening of Northwest Florida Beaches (International) Airport, along with increased commitment to infrastructure development, has increased accessibility and continues to make Panama City an

extremely attractive option for suppliers,” the magazine wrote of Bay County. Of Tallahassee, it said, “With its highly productive and educated labor force, quality of life, strategic location and thriving high-tech presence, Tallahassee is a natural fit for aviation and aerospace growth.”

In fact, said Kyle Touchstone, executive vice president of the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/ Leon County, Tallahassee is perfectly positioned to serve more than one of the Southeast’s airplane manufacturers.

“We have land available, and it’s publicly owned,” he said. “We have more than 1,000 acres at the airport, and we want to recruit and grow

NO.2

existing businesses that will help us move forward at the airport. Most suppliers will be looking for more than one contract, and we’re within 400 miles of Boeing, Lockheed/Martin (Atlanta) and Embraer. We’re at the center.”

Florida has the second highest concentration of aviation/ aerospace companies in the U.S.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Research for major airplane manufacturers is taking place in Tallahassee’s Innovation Park, home of a high-tech wind tunnel that can produce winds up to Mach 5 — 3,806.04 miles per hour. The tunnel is a joint project of the National Science Foundation and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion.

It is the first new one to be built in more than 15 years and the only one of its kind located in a university setting.

“Most of the wind tunnels out there are old and big and take a lot of energy to run,” explained Mark Dobek, assistant director of the center. “We’ve had visits from Boeing and Lockheed Martin. We have state-of-the-art testing equipment, which makes us very attractive. We are deeply rooted in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, but we also do a lot of projects with private industries and we expect to do that more frequently.”

The Center was established and first funded by the Florida Legislature in 2008 as a cooperative Center of Excellence including Florida State University, the University of Florida, the Un i v e r s i t y of Central Florida and Embry Florida R i d d l e received the Aeronautical third highest University. amount of Since then small business scientists spending from have brought the U.S. Air in hundreds Force in 2010. of grants to help foster research. The polysonic wind tunnel was primarily funded by more than $3 million provided by the National Science Foundation and more than $1 million from FSU. Research using the tunnel tests various parts of an airplane to analyze the

NO.3

WHOOSH FCAAP’s Polysonic Wind Tunnel is capable of speeds up to Mach 5 and is used for cuttingedge research that’s attracting interest from government agencies and major airplane manufacturers.

Photos by MATT BURKE

See video at 850BusinessMagazine.com

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wind flow. But unlike old wind tunnels, which had to use the actual airplane part, the smaller tunnel uses scaled-down replicas. Airplane manufacturers, the military and NASA are looking for ways to change plane structures to make them more fuel efficient, less noisy and more maneuverable, among other things.

“It is a facility that has been specially designed to help aerospace and aviation leaders test concepts and solve problems, while also educating and training the engineers who will shape the future of air and space travel,” Farrukh Alvi, director of the Center, has said.

Meanwhile, about 200 miles to the west in Pensacola, aviation-related research is also being conducted at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, a non-profit research center of the state university system pioneering technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities.

David Still’s area of research interest includes night vision goggles, aviation vision standards, contact lenses, visual acuity and flight instrument displays utilizing peripheral vision. The latter project has been dubbed OZ and has seen Still working on his research in Pensacola and at the Army’s Fort Rucker in Alabama, where helicopter pilots are trained.

A longtime pilot, Still said the current collection of instruments that a pilot must use makes instrument flight “terribly difficult” because a pilot has trouble keeping up with the visual information he’s getting.

“Only the information on the gauge you are looking at gets to the brain,” he explained, adding that it takes a minimum of one-fifth READY FOR FLIGHT (This page) Monica of a second Mammah, Tyler to move the Reichard and Tristen Bowman at Embry eye from one Riddle University instrument to campus in Okaloosa County prep a another. “In drone for testing. the time you (Opposite page) Ron Garriga, director take to look of Embry Riddle at five instrucampus operations in Okaloosa. ments, you are at a minimum more than a full second behind the airplane. And the airplane situation can easily change in two seconds.”

His answer is to replace the numbered gauges with a display of dots and lines that are configuring the data in such a way that the pilot can take a 32

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look at the situation and immediately see if he is experiencing too much drag on the plane, needs to adjust the flaps or increase speed. While that’s a way oversimplified explanation, OZ allows the pilot to use his peripheral vision — which he or she can’t with numbered gauges — to monitor six displays that are doing calculations.

“It reduces the mental work of the pilot,” Still explained. “It will kick you in the rear end and tell you you’re screwing up.”

While Still focuses on making it easier for pilots to fly, Matt Johnson has been the lead on integrating robots into several projects, including NASA and Office of Naval Research unmanned systems projects. His research includes the areas of teamwork, coordination and human-robot interaction.

His current Air Force research lab project focuses on getting unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, to navigate in cluttered environments.

“Most operate at altitudes where there is no obstruction,” he explained. “We want to navigate through the clutter of the real world, in urban areas. We try to do it through human/machine teaming, allowing the human to join in the perception and decision making of the drone.”

In Johnson’s work, the human is not piloting the drone. “We’re not grabbing a joystick and flying,” Johnson said.

“We have a 3-D interface that marks up the world. The human watches what is going on and can adjust and tweak

850businessmagazine.com

things while the drone is navigating through the environment.”

About 18 inches across, he said the drones could be used for surveillance, assessment or disaster response, investigating bridges that have been hit by a boat or a tsunami or a building devastated by a hurricane or tornado.

The beauty of it? “You can go out and look without having people in it.”

NO.4

Northwest Florida has the fourth largest aerospace corridor in the world. The controlled flight range covers 800 square miles over land and 120,000 square miles over the Gulf of Mexico.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Manny Mencia, senior vice president of the International Trade and Business Development division of Enterprise Florida, recently told a conference on foreign trade that aviation and aerospace is Florida’s fastest growing sector of the state’s economy.

And Northwest Florida isn’t missing out on the action.

In March, CareerSource Escarosa in collaboration with several community partners, including Naval Air Station Pensacola Fleet and Family Support Center and Pensacola State College, hosted a recruitment session for anyone looking to learn more about career opportunities with ST Aerospace Mobile Inc., which currently employs more than 1,300 workers at its Mobile location and has plans to construct a satellite operation inside the Pensacola International Airport Commerce Park that could produce up to 300 jobs. The global maintenance, repair and overhaul giant has customers that include FedEx, Delta Airlines, American Airlines and UPS.

One of the more popular courses for high school students involves unmanned aerial systems.

Space Florida, Florida’s aerospace economic development agency, already has launch sites at Kennedy Space Center and in Jacksonville, and recently indicated an interest in the Pensacola Technology Park. The agency has signed a memorandum of understanding to secure tenants that will take up to 75,000 square feet of space.

According to Space Florida documents, the proposed anchor tenant will be a leading aerospace company from the Pensacola region. Other tenants would be a mixture of institutions of higher education and economic development service providers, “thereby helping Space Florida to fulfill its statutory duties of partnering higher education and economic development entities to grow cooperatively in support of the state’s aerospace industry.”

Explained Tina Lange, a spokeswoman for the state agency, “There are many states in the U.S. vying for commercial launch business … We have to get aggressive if we want to compete for this business. Florida’s robust university system is incubating businesses tied to cube and micro satellites, which have an extremely promising future as well through earth observation, crisis management and so much more. In addition to this, Florida is a natural fit for space tourism.”

In 2013, the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County established an Unmanned Systems Network in hopes of attracting and fostering advancement of business development and technology transfer in military, government and commercial applications.

“We have a very deep aerospace and aviation heritage. Hurlburt and Eglin Photos by MARI~DARR WELCH

Air Force bases have been mainstays in our economy,” said Nathan Sparks, executive director of the Okaloosa EDC. “It’s allowed a very diverse and vibrant contractor community to proliferate.

We have 300 contractors, give or take, of all shapes and sizes.”

In 2011, 220 aircraft mechanics separated from one of the two local bases — a fact that the county uses to influence the decision makers in aerospace companies and sell them on the fact that the county has a ready-made talent pool.

“We believe the future is very bright.

The Gulf Coast has become the new focal point for the aerospace sector.

It’s a hotbed for aviation/aerospace growth,” Sparks said.

GROWING INDUSTRY In 1987, Fort Walton Machining began doing work related mostly to the nearby Air Force base. By 2002, it had 76 employees. Today it has two divisions, high precision machining and metal finishing, along with 220 workers, and hopes to grow to 300 in a few more years.

Much of the company’s aerospace work is now done for Lockheed, Boeing and Grumman, working on the framing and structure of aircraft.

“We started out in the early years to support the base, but the company has grown and matured,” said CEO Greg Britton, who is also chairman of the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council. “Our average salary is in the mid-40s to the low 50s. We don’t want to hurt tourism or our military, which are important for our economy. But we need some diversification, and the stage is perfectly set for aerospace.”

One of the best examples is what has happened at Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, a haven for industrial aerospace development as well as modification and conversion companies. There are thousands of acres around the airport available for aviation-related companies.

“Literally, any aircraft in the world can fly into Bob Sikes with its 8,000-foot runway,” said Mike Stenson, deputy director of Okaloosa County Airports.

The airport is home to aviation giants like L-3 Communications, BAE, which does modification work on C-130 gunships, and Quest Air Parts, which buys airplanes that have “timed out.”

“Before they even buy the airplane they have a buyer for the engines and then the plane is slowly dismantled, parts are catalogued and sold to people throughout the world,” Stenson said, adding that of the $500 million a year the county’s three airports contribute to the local economy, most of it comes from Bob Sikes.

Two years ago, L-3 Crestview Aerospace announced it would be expanding its aircraft manufacturing operations and adding 340 jobs with an investment of $13.7 million, including hangar retrofits and facility upgrades.

L-3 is a world-leading provider of aerostructure fabrication and assembly and aircraft modification.

The airport is also home to one of three Embry Riddle campuses in Okaloosa County — part of an exerted effort to train students in aeronautics and get them to remain in the area.

“Last year we had 2,100 enrollments in Okaloosa, and this year we’re on track to have more than that,” said Ron Garriga, director of Embry Riddle’s campus operations in Okaloosa. And that doesn’t count 158 high school students in the dual enrollment program, earning college credits while learning about aviation. One of the more popular courses for high school students involves unmanned aerial systems.

“It’s a phenomenal experience to prepare the students for the work force after high school,” Garriga said. “We are so proud to be part of the integration between education and workforce.”

850 Business Magazine

NO.5

There are five major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) facilities in close proximity to Northwest Florida — Airbus in Mobile, Boeing in Charleston, Gulfstream in Savannah and Embraer in Jacksonville and Melbourne.

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Deal Estate

JUST SOLD

A Fresh Sell

By Chay D. Baxley

directly to Florida’s Capitol. Renowned as a truly unique stretch of real estate, this “gateway to Tallahassee” is lined with bustling commercial and retail vendors all conveniently arranged for the city’s incoming visitors and resident commuters. For savvy entrepreneurs, it’s a coveted area.

The smart location inspired one investor to approach a long-time property owner and make an offer that Address: couldn’t be refused.

1935 Apalachee Parkway The property at 1935 Apalachee List Price: None Parkway, the former location of Bagelheads, was never listed on the Sold for: $690,000 market. But the building’s previous Square feet: 2,084 owners, AVM Florida LLC, agreed to Contact: Brian Messer sell the 2,084-square-foot structure of The Naumann Group along with its .48-acre lot to Equal Real Estate, Inc., (850) 933-6587 Developers LLC on April 7.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER EKRUT

Every day, Apalachee Parkway streams sightseers and state workers

Quick Look

“The seller was at first hesitant, knowing the growth in the area,” admitted selling agent Brian Messer of The Naumann Group Real Estate Inc. “But also realizing that this was a unique buyer with a unique set of circumstances and needs that fit like a hand in the glove, they made a business decision to sell it.

“The buyer was attracted to the property because it’s a freestanding drivethrough facility. Plus, it’s in a very desirable and growing part of Tallahassee.”

The building, which was originally constructed in 1987, will undergo minor renovations before debuting as a Subway in fall 2014.

JUST LISTED

Large Site Opens on Navarre Parkway

Quick Look Address: Navarre Parkway and Highway 87 South List Price: $6,450,000

By Chay D. Baxley

Size: 33.4 acres Contact: Chris McCall, Counts Real Estate Group/Commercial Division, (850) 814-9889, (850) 814-9889 CountsCommercial.com

Just over 33 acres on Navarre Parkway (more commonly known as U.S. Highway 98) in

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FRONTER STREET RETENTION

PUBLIX

MAJOR 30,000 SF

MAJOR 30,000 SF 12,800 SF

BIG BOX 125,381 SF

BIG BOX 95,072 SF

PARKING 14,000 SF

PARKING

PARKING

PAD SITE 1.2 AC

PAD SITE 1.07 AC

PAD SITE 1.00 AC

PARKING

US HIGHWAY 98 (STATE ROAD 30)

PARKING

PAD SITE 1.51 AC

ILLUSTRATION BY SHRUTI SHAH

Santa Rosa County have recently made their way onto the market — and the new offering has left the community buzzing with the possibilities of what’s to come.

The plot of land, located adjacent to the Shoppes at Navarre, which include a Publix, Kazbor’s Grille and Firehouse Subs, is an ideal spot for a power center retailer. The site could easily accommodate 300,000 square feet of retail space — a rare find on such an established route.

“Location, location, location,” emphasized listing agent Chris McCall of Counts Real Estate. “It’s one of the few large sites on Navarre Parkway that could accommodate ‘big-box’ retail tenants, and it is located at the intersection of Navarre Parkway, or U.S. Highway 98, and Highway 87 South.”

According to McCall, the lively intersection, which has an average daily traffic count of 52,000 vehicles, is a big plus for potential investors. This stretch of Navarre is largely home to U.S. military, defense contractors, nature enthusiasts and avid beach goers and has a median family income of $54,262. Within one mile of this listing, there’s a population of 2,464 residents. Push that perimeter out to three miles, and the number jumps to 18,153. At five miles it comes out to an impressive 34,025.

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

Commercial Real Estate Advisors

COUNTSCOMMERCIAL.COM

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IT’S JUST BUSINESS

EMERALD COAST

» Once complete, Destin’s Chateau 30A will be a 28-unit luxury con-

» The University of West Florida is expanding its Pensacola campus to include an east campus restaurant area.

The development site will feature a mix of culinary and retail vendors with price points targeted for the university community as well as the general public. UWF broke ground on this project April 4. » Freeport’s newest luxury

COURTESY EMERALD HOMES

Deal Estate

Town of Prominence

community, Marina Village, is quickly gaining momentum.

Randy Wise Homes Inc., the developer, has successfully completed four homes, with plans to construct 56 others in the first phase. The 80-acre community features an exclusive marina and natural jogging trails, as well as a community clubhouse, pool and playground facility.

» On July 3, Destin Commons will host the grand opening of its newest addition — a 100,000-square-foot expansion two years in the making. The new construction has provided 22 new retail and restaurant spaces. New tenants include H&M and Bass Pro Shop’s Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill.

dominium building located in the heart of Seagrove Beach. This new construction will feature a modern design and stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico from its upper levels.

Plans to break ground are set for September 2014, with a projected finish by the end of 2015. Units, priced between $550,000 to $600,000, are being reserved now. » With the construction of Promi-

nence underway, Walton County is

preparing to welcome a whole new “town” that will include nearly 600 residences. Being described as an “essential part of the 30A community,” Prominence will be nestled on the north and south sides of 30A near Alys Beach, Watersound and Camp Creek. In addition to the Pool Houses — which will house a resort-style pool, private cabanas, an outdoor dining pavilion, a fitness center and bathhouses — the community will also feature a Town Center, with plans to include a large covered event pavilion — a central gathering place with a cinema screen for movies as well as a stage for concerts and other events. The first phase of residential properties is already complete.

CAPITAL CORRIDOR

» Windsor Trace, the first of Florida’s “Southern Living Inspired

Communities,” is nearing completion. Developed by The Naumann Group Real Estate Inc. and constructed by Pitman’s Custom Construction, this up-and-coming neighborhood will have 12 home sites, two of which appeared in Tallahassee’s May 2014 Parade of Homes. Prices start at $389,000.

» Naumann Group is also developing the Brownstones at Midtown

— an upscale townhome row located on 6th Avenue behind the Orleans at Midtown plaza. The four-unit complex is being built by Robert Bass Custom Construction and has an estimated completion date of Aug. 31. The Brownstones will range from $299,900 to $314,900.

» NAI TALCOR’s property Magnolia Grove, located on the corner

of Magnolia and Apalachee, has begun construction. The newly erected Buffalo Wild Wing’s will soon be joined by a McDonald’s, a four-story Home 2 Suites by Hilton hotel and 35,800 square feet of variety retail.

» Urban Street Development — the Fort Lauderdale-based group overseeing the design, build and management of FSU CollegeTown — has announced that 42 urban-style loft condominiums will be available for purchase at Railyard Lofts at CollegeTown. Priced from the mid $200s, these units are being marketed to alumni and Seminole enthusiasts. Amenities include communal firepits and grilling stations, a fitness facility, individual decks and stainless steel appliances.

FORGOTTEN COAST

» The owners of Apalachicola’s Up the Creek Raw Bar opened a

new restaurant in early April called Up the Stairs. Offering a retroinspired, upscale menu with signature cocktails, the new restaurant is situated at 76 Market Street, Suite F. Patrons must be 21 or older.

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SUPERIOR RESIDENCES AT BLUEWATER BAY Independent Living Community

“A Lifestyle of Distinction and Excellence for Seniors.”

Life at Superior Residences Superior Amenities & Services

Superior Residences at Bluewater Bay will appeal to seniors 55 years and older desiring the convenience of upscale apartment living in a safe, resort-style environment, eliminating and/or minimizing the burden of home ownership and daily living chores.

Residents have full access to all of our amenities and services. You enjoy a superior lifestyle… we’ll take care of the rest!

Elegant Dining Room 5th Floor Bistro/Sports Bar Heated Pool With Hot Tub Home Theater Activity Lounges 20 ft. High Lobby & Foyer Private Garages Covered Parking Library Interfaith Chapel Putting Green Lush Garden Courtyard Fitness Club Membership & Activities Concierge & Limo Service Weekly Housekeeping Linen Service Happy Hour Daily

Superior Quality

The quality of Superior Residences starts with superior construction: solid concrete walls and ceilings, impressive porte-cochere, two-story main dining room, and three elevators. This quality continues throughout the building.

Superior Living

Superior Residences at Bluewater Bay offer oneand two-bedroom rental apartments ranging from 545 to 937 square feet (plus balconies).

Each apartment has its own kitchen and living area with a screened balcony as well as a washer and dryer. Surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds, our residents enjoy luxury living with no effort and no worries.

Now Taking Reservations!

Superior Residences is currently under construction and several apartments are already reserved. With only 94 apartments available in this beautiful community, we expect to fill up quickly. We are scheduled to open in Spring of 2015.

Don’t miss this great opportunity. For more information please contact us by phone or email:

(850)897-7386 bluewater@SuperiorALF.com bluewaterseniorliving.com

Niceville

Valparaiso Northwest Florida Regional Airport

Fort Walton Beach

AL Bluewater Bay

GA

FL

Choctawhatchee Bay

Destin

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Board Certification G I V I N G C O N S U M E R S T H E T O O L S T O E VA L U AT E L AW Y E R S ’ C R E D E N T I A L S

W

hen you’re looking for a lawyer, you want to find the best.

In Florida, 6 percent of eligible Florida Bar members — nearly 4,600 lawyers of 98,000 lawyers — are board certified, meaning that they are certified as an expert in a particular field or fields. continued on Page 39

On the following pages you will find a listing of Northwest Florida’s board certified attorneys listed by specialty. The list, provided by The Florida Bar, has been broken down into three separate areas of the 850 region.

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Florida currently offers 24 specialty areas of practice for which board certification is available, the greatest number of state-approved certification areas in the nation. The Board of Legal Specialization and Education (BLSE) governs rules and policies for each of Florida’s certification areas and oversees the committees that implement each area’s standards.

“Members of the public may feel confident that when they speak with a board certified lawyer, they are speaking with an expert in the field,” said BLSE Chair Jack Pelzer. “Board certified lawyers are set apart because their expertise and professionalism have been objectively verified through rigorous examination and peer review.”

A lawyer who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and who meets state Supreme Court-prescribed standards may become board certified in one or more of the 24 certification fields. These are the minimum requirements for certification (although each area of expertise may contain higher or additional standards): » A minimum of five years in law practice. » Substantial involvement in the field of law for which certification is sought. » A Passing grade on the examination required of all applicants. » Satisfactory peer review assessment of competence in the specialty field as well as character, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law. » Satisfaction of the certification area’s continuing legal education requirements.

Board certification recognizes lawyers’ special knowledge, skill

ATTORNEY A AT TORNEY WILLIAM A. NORTON, FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFIED IN CIVIL TRIAL

and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice. Only board certified lawyers may use the terms “specialist,” “expert” or “B.C.S.” for Board Certified Specialist when referring to their legal credentials. Board certified lawyers are also the only lawyers who can use the board certification slogan evaluated for professionalism and tested for expertise.

“Board certification is becoming a standard of preference for an increasing number of clients,” said Florida Bar President Eugene Pettis, himself a board-certified education lawyer. “In an evercrowded field of over 93,000 lawyers, the achievement of board certification — the Bar’s highest evaluation of a lawyer’s competence and experience in a Particular area of practice — is the only way of distinguishing yourself as an expert or a specialist. I highly encourage lawyers to demonstrate their competence and experience through seeking board certification in their specialized areas.”

Board certification is valid for five years. During that time, the attorney must continue to practice law and attend Florida Bar-approved continuing legal education courses. Recertification requirements are similar to those for initial certification. Not all qualified lawyers are certified, but those who are board certified have taken the extra steps to have their competence and experience evaluated.

For more information, please visit The Florida Bar website at floridabar.org/certification or contact The Florida Bar’s Legal Specialization & Education Department at (850) 561-5842.

SEARCY DENNEY SCAROLA BARNHART R SHIPLEY

ATTORNEYS JIM GUSTAFSON, BILL NORTON, CAMERON KENNEDY.

Attorneys at Law THE TOWLE HOUSE, 517 NORTH CALHOUN STREET, TALLAHASSEE 888.549.7011 WWW.SEARCYLAW.COM

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THE LISTINGS LEON, GADSDEN, WAKULLA, JEFFERSON, MADISON AND TAYLOR COUNTIES

ADOPTION LAW Madonna M. Finney The Law Office of Madonna M. Finney (850) 577-3077 ANTITRUST AND TRADE REGULATION LAW Lizabeth A. Brady Attorney General’s Office (850) 414-3600 Patricia A. Conners Dept of Legal Affairs (850) 245-0140 R. Scott Palmer Department of Legal Affairs (850) 414-3300 Lori S. Rowe First District Court of Appeal (850) 487-1000 APPELLATE PRACTICE Michael James Alderman Dept. of Highway Safety (850) 617-3101 Edward Thomas Bauer Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Tracy Lee Cooper Agency for Health Care Administration (850) 412-3637 Katherine Eastmoore Giddings Akerman LLP (850) 425-1626 Christine Davis Graves Carlton Fields Jorden Burt P.A. (850) 224-1585 Louis F. Hubener (850) 668-0238 Loren E. Levy The Levy Law Firm (850) 219-0220 Wendy S. Loquasto Fox & Loquasto P.A. (850) 425-1333 Andrew D. Manko The Mills Firm (850) 765-0897 John S. Mills The Mills Firm (850) 765-0897 George Thomas Reeves Davis, Schnitker, Reeves & Browning P.A. (850) 973-4186 Robert Rivas Sachs Sax Caplan P.L. (850) 412-0306 Mary Lalley Wakeman Heuler-Wakeman Law Group P.L. (850) 421-2400 Enoch Jonathan Whitney (850) 212-5623 BUSINESS LITIGATION Robert N. Clarke Jr. Ausley & McMullen P.A. (850) 224-9115 Michael Frank Coppins Coppins Monroe Adkins & Dincman P.A. (850) 422-2420 Steven E. Sellers Dudley, Sellers and Healy P.L. (850) 222-0775 40

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Martin B. Sipple Ausley & McMullen (850) 224-9115

C. David Fonvielle Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer (850) 422-7773

CITY, COUNTY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW Kraig Armantrout Conn Florida League of Cities Inc. (850) 222-9684 Bruce Richard Conroy Dept. of Management Services (850) 487-0073 Jody Lamar Finklea Florida Municipal Power Agency (850) 297-2011 Mark G. Lawson Mark G. Lawson P.A. (850) 591-5630 Chasity Hope O’Steen Florida Dept. of Children and Families (850) 717-4118 George Thomas Reeves Davis, Schnitker, Reeves & Browning P.A. (850) 973-4186 Christopher B. Roe Bryant Miller Olive P.A. (850) 222-8611 Robert N. Sechen General Counsel Department of Economic Opp. (850) 245-7150 Glenn E. Thomas Lewis, Longman & Walker P.A. (850) 222-5702 Suzanne Van Wyk Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675

John H. Foote Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer (850) 422-7773

CIVIL TRIAL Ben Allen Andrews Andrews Crabtree Knox & Andrews LLP (850) 297-0090 Bernice Cecilia Bradley Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3300 David H. Burns Law Offices of David H. Burns P.A. (850) 561-1106 Jon D. Caminez Caminez & Hardee P.A. (850) 997-8181 Kevin J. Carroll Second Judicial Circuit (850) 577-4311 J. Steven Carter Henry Buchanan (850) 222-2920 Michael F. Coppins Coppins Monroe Adkins & Dincman P.A. (850) 422-2420 Robert Scott Cox Law offices of Robert Scott Cox P.L. (850) 561-1106 Cecil L. Davis Jr. Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. (850) 681-4213 Brian S. Duffy McConnaughhay Duffy Coonrod Pope & Weaver P.A. (850) 222-8121 Patrick J. Farrell Jr. Patrick J. Farrell Jr. LLC (850) 329-7238

850businessmagazine.com

S. William Fuller Jr. Fuller Mitchell Hood Stephens LLC (850) 222-0770 Karen Gievers (850) 577-4312 William Hall (850) 222-6677 Donald Hinkle Hinkle & Foran (850) 205-2055 James P. Judkins Judkins Simpson, High & Schulte (850) 222-6040 E. C. Deeno Kitchen Ervin Kitchen & Ervin (850) 224-9135 Halley B. Lewis III Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer (850) 422-7773 William Peter Martin Dennis Jackson Martin & Fontela (850) 422-3345 Kathy J. Maus Butler Pappas Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP (850) 894-4111 James E. Messer Jr. Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer (850) 422-7773 Porter Scott Mitchell Fuller Mitchell Hood & Stephens LLC (850) 222-0770 William A. Norton Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley P.A. (850) 224-7600, searcylaw.com Steven Edward Sellers Dudley, Sellers and Healy P.L. (850) 222-0775 Mary Katherine Simpson Guilday Schwartz Simpson West Hatch & Lowe P.A. (850) 224-7091 Jesse F. Suber (850) 222-2920 Michael J. Thomas Pennington P.A. (850) 222-3533 Thomas R. Thompson Thompson, Crawford & Smiley P.A. (850) 386-5777

CONSTRUCTION LAW Fred R. Dudley Dudley, Sellers & Healy P.L. (850) 294-3471 Davisson Dunlap III Dunlap & Shipman P.A. (850) 385-5000 George W. Hatch III Guilday Schwartz Simpson West Hatch & Lowe (850) 224-7091 Shawn M. Heath Grayrobinson P.A. (850) 577-9090

Christine Edwards Lamia Lamia Trial Lawyers P.A. (850) 320-6100 Stuart C. Poage Kubicki Draper (850) 222-5188 Steven E. Sellers Dudley, Sellers and Healy P.L. (850) 222-0775

CRIMINAL APPELLATE LAW Daniel A. David (850) 487-1000 David A. Davis Leon County Courthouse (850) 606-8517 Glen P. Gifford Public Defender’s Office, 2nd Circuit of Fla. (850) 606-8500 David A. Henson Law Offices of the Public Defender (850) 606-8458 Chet Kaufman Federal Public Defender (850) 942-8818 Luke Newman Luke Newman P.A. (850) 224-4444 Michael Ufferman Michael Ufferman Law Firm P.A. (850) 386-2345 CRIMINAL TRIAL LAW Michael J. Bauer The Law Office of Michael J. Bauer (850) 765-1465 Joseph Cameron Bodiford Bodiford Law P.A. (850) 222-4529 Richard Polk Lawson Attorney General’s Office (850) 414-3300 Randolph Patterson Murrell (850) 942-8818 Joel Todd Remland Office of the Public Defender (850) 606-1000 Larry D. Simpson Judkins, Simpson, High & Schulte (850) 222-6040 Teresa J. Sopp Regional Conflict Counsel (850) 922-0179 Paul M. Villeneuve Villeneuve & Morris LLC (850) 561-0707 Ethan Andrew Way Gillis Way & Duncan LlP (850) 412-0142 EDUCATION LAW Nathan A. Adams IV Holland & Knight LLP (850) 224-7000 FSU Office of the General Counsel (850) 644-4440 ELDER LAW Victoria E. Heuler Heuler-Wakeman Law Group P.L. (850) 421-2400

Jana McConnaughhay Waldoch and McConnaughhay P.A. (850) 385-1246 Twyla Lawrence Sketchley The Sketchley Law Firm P.A. (850) 894-0152 Lauchlin Tench Waldoch Waldoch & McConnaughhay P.A. (850) 385-1246

HEALTH LAW William P. Dillon Messer Caparello P.A. (850) 222-0720 Martin Robert Dix Akerman LLP (850) 224-9634 Terry Meek (850) 893-7821 Morris H. Miller Holland & Knight LLP (850) 224-7000 Graham Hugh Nicol Florida Dental Association (850) 681-3629 Paula A. Willis Florida Health Law Attorney (850) 269-7272 INTERNATIONAL LAW Felicia Leborgne Nowels Akerman LLP (850) 224-9634 LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW Gary J. Anton Law Office of Gary J. Anton P.A. (850) 222-1236 Thomas W. Brooks Meyer Brooks Demma & Blohm P.A. (850) 878-5212

Frank E. Brown Florida Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission (850) 487-2685 Mary Li Creasy Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Holly A. Dincman Coppins Monroe Adkins & Dincman P.A. (850) 422-2420 Richard E. Johnson (850) 425-1997 Robert Edward Larkin III Allen, Norton & Blue P.A. (850) 561-3503 Michael Mattimore Allen Norton & Blue (850) 561-3503 Robert Jacob Sniffen Sr. Sniffen & Spellman P.A. (850) 205-1996

MARITAL AND FAMILY LAW Kristin Adamson-Landau Kristin Adamson, Attorney at Law (850) 224-3300 Linda A. Bailey Law Office of Linda A. Bailey P.A. (850) 514-3333, baileyfirm.com Joseph R. Boyd Boyd, DuRant & Sliger P.L. (850) 386-2171 Elaine N. Duggar Duggar & Duggar P.A. (850) 386-6124 Thomas Leroy Duggar Duggar & Duggar P.A. (850) 386-6124 Jerome M. Novey Novey Law (850) 224-4000

Shannon L. Novey Novey Law (850) 224-4000 John O. Williams Williams & Holz P.A. (850) 224-4510

Silvia Morell Alderman Akerman Senterfitt (850) 224-9634

REAL ESTATE Garvin Brooks Bowden Gardner, Bist, Wiener, Wadsworth, Bowden (850) 385-0070 Joseph R. Boyd Boyd, DuRant & Sliger P.L. (850) 386-2171

Timothy P. Atkinson Oertel, Fernandez, Bryant & Atkinson P.A. (850) 521-0700 Edwin A. Bayo´ Grossman Furlow and Bayo LLC (850) 385-1314 W. Douglas Beason Department of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2292 Donna E. Blanton Radey Thomas Yon & Clark P.A. (850) 425-6654

Elizabeth Renee Alsobrook FL Dept. Business and Professional Regulation (850) 717-1107

Alphonse Antonio Cheneler (407) 739-8687 James McClung DuRant Jr. Boyd, DuRant & Sliger P.L. (850) 386-2171 Russell D. Gautier Williams Gautier Gwynn Deloach & Sorenson P.A. (850) 386-3300 John T. LaJoie First American Title Insuance Company (866) 905-5641 Robert D. Mendelson (850) 224-2000 Thomas Robert Sawyer Department of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2677 Claude R. Walker (850) 219-8216 Bruce I. Wiener Gardner Bist Wiener et al.

(850) 385-0070

STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE Michael James Alderman Department of Highway Safety (850) 617-3101

F. Scott Boyd Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Bernice Cecilia Bradley Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3300 Martha Harrell Chumbler Carlton Fields P.A. (850) 224-1585 Robert Saul Cohen Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Stephanie A. Daniel Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3300 Ella Jane P. Davis (850) 556-8186 Timothy E. Dennis Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3781 Virlindia Doss Florida Commission on Ethics (850) 488-7864

SPONSORED REPORT

Linda Bailey, B.C.S.

Law Office of Linda A. Bailey, P.A. WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?

I provide comprehensive dissolution of marriage services, including prenuptial agreements, pre-dissolution counseling, litigation and mediation of dissolution actions, and full representation in paternity actions.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN PRACTICE?

I’ve been practicing for more than 25 years in the same community.

I moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University, and I fell in love with the friendliness of North Florida. In 2011, I was board certified by The Florida Bar as an expert in Marital and Family Law.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ASPECT OF THE LAW PROFESSION?

Family law clients need competent, professional and compassionate help to navigate through the complex legal process. I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing I can be that person for them, when they need it the most.

MATT BURKE

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO YOUR SUCCESS?

My strategy is to provide direct, knowledgeable and focused representation throughout the divorce process. This is critical to keeping the case on track, lessening the emotional factors and realizing a just outcome for my clients. I am sensitive to each client’s individuality, while being honest with each client in my assessments and approach to their particular case. Lastly, my success depends on my long-time legal assistant, Angie. She gives each client special attention, care and guidance.

CONTACT 2520-1 Barrington Circle, Tallahassee, FL 32308 | (850) 514-3333 | BaileyFirm.com

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Edward Gary Early Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Stephen Alexander Ecenia Rutledge, Ecenia & Purnell P.A. (850) 681-6788 Donna Erlich (850) 264-7249 Francine Marie Ffolkes Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2225 William M. Furlow Grossman, Furlow & Bayo´ LLC (850) 385-1314 Tina Furlow Dept. of Legal Affairs (850) 414-3300 Julie Gallagher Akerman LLP (850) 224-9634 Michael J. Glazer Ausley McMullen (850) 224-9115 Allen R. Grossman Grossman, Furlow & Bayó LLC (850) 385-1314 Kenneth Brian Hayman Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2262 Keith C. Hetrick Ramba Law Group (850) 727-7087 Betsy Hewitt Dept. of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2227 Clark Richard Jennings Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3300 Daniel M. Lake Department of Management Services (850) 487-0078 Frank E. Matthews Hopping Green & Sams P.A. (850) 222-7500

Elizabeth Waas McArthur Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 James Francis McAuley Office of the Attorney General (850) 414-3300 Joseph Capers Mellichamp III Office of the Attorney General (850) 508-3614 J. Stephen Menton Rutledge Ecenia P.A. (850) 681-6788 Kenneth J. Metzger Metzger & Associates LLC (850) 329-7500 Travis L. Miller (850) 425-6654 Eric H. Miller Florida House of Representatives (850) 717-5681 Patricia Nelson Off. of Fiscal Accountability and Reg. Reform (850) 717-9310 Robert D. Newell Jr. Newell Terry & Douglas P.A. (850) 681-3883 James A. Peters Office of Attorney General (850) 414-3300 James Hardin Peterson III Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Lynne Allen Quimby-Pennock Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 James Leigh Richmond (850) 274-0425 Ryland Terry Rigsby Pennington P.A. (850) 222-3533 Michael E. Riley GrayRobinson P.A. (850) 222-7717

Graham Clarke

John J. Rimes III (850) 228-2454 Colin Mark Roopnarine Florida Office of Financial Regulation (850) 410-9601 P. Michael Ruff P. Michael Ruff (850) 893-4515 Nona Ruth Schaffner Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection (850) 245-2270 Amy W. Schrader GrayRobinson P.A. (850) 577-9090 Floyd Robert Self Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP (850) 566-6347 Lawrence E. Sellers Jr. Holland & Knight LLP (850) 425-5670 Cathy Miller Sellers Division of Administrative Hearings (850) 488-9675 Douglas Derek Sunshine Dept. of Health, Prosecution Services Unit (850) 245-4666 John Edward Terrel Law Office of John E. Terrel (850) 339-2617 Daniel H. Thompson Berger Singerman LLP (850) 521-6723 Enoch J. Whitney (850) 212-5623 William Eldred Williams Gray Robinson P.A. (850) 577-9090

TAX LAW James R. Brewster Law Office of James R. Brewster (850) 561-1037

Charles L. Cooper Jr. Bryant Miller Olive (850) 222-8611 James Clifton Cox Office of Atty. General, Revenue Litigation (850) 414-3300 Robert S. Hightower Robert S. Hightower Attorney at Law (850) 222-3363 Benjamin A. Jablow Department of Revenue (850) 617-8347

WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES Terrence Theodore Dariotis (850) 523-9300 Stuart Elliot Goldberg Law Offices of Stuart E. Goldberg P.L. (850) 222-4000 Timothy Joseph Warfel Messer Caparello P.A. (850) 222-0720 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION Paul M. Anderson Anderson & Hart P.A. (850) 894-3000 Stephen M. Andrews Stephen Andrews P.A (850) 906-9599 Matthew W. Bennett Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox, Warranch and Westcott (850) 222-1200 R. Stephen Coonrod McConnaughhay Duffy Coonrod Pope & Weaver P.A. (850) 222-8121 James N. McConnaughhay McConnaughhay Duffy Coonrod Pope & Weaver P.A. (850) 222-8121 Maureen C. Proctor Proctor & Kole LLC (850) 422-0880 M. Kemmerly Thomas McConnaughhay Duffy Coonrod Pope & Weaver P.A. (850) 222-8121

OUR DEDICATION TO DETAIL SETS US APART

attorney at law

930 Jenks Avenue Panama City, Florida 32401 (850) 785-3999 Fax (850) 785-0208 42

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BUILDER/CONTRACTOR 2011–2013

12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 108 Miramar Beach, FL 850.650.7539 • DKMCustomHomes.com

BAY, HOLMES, WASHINGTON, JACKSON, CALHOUN, LIBERTY, GULF AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES

Kelsey Appellate Law Firm, P.A. Florida Appellate Practice

BUSINESS LITIGATION Dixon Ross McCloy Jr. Harrison Sale McCloy (850) 769-3434

Dustin Scott Stephenson Dustin Stephenson P.A. (850) 215-5150

CIVIL TRIAL

Gregory T. Wilson 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney (850) 872-4473

John Wesley Manuel Manuel and Thompson P.A. (850) 785-5555

William L. Wright Circuit Judge (850) 482-9078

Dixon Ross McCloy Jr. Harrison Sale McCloy (850) 769-3434

EDUCATION LAW

Edmund Dunn Quintana Edmund D. Quintana P.A. (850) 215-5508 Robert Waylon Thompson Manuel and Thompson P.A. (850) 785-5555

Franklin Reese Harrison Harrison Sale McCloy (850) 769-3434

MARITAL AND FAMILY LAW Graham Clarke (850) 785-3999

CRIMINAL TRIAL LAW Jonathan Wesley Dingus Jonathan W. Dingus, Attorney at Law (850) 784-3090 Paul Gordon Komarek Paul G. Komarek P.A. (850) 763-6565 Frederick Richard Mann Jr. Public Defender’s Office (850) 784-6155 Christopher N. Patterson Holmes County Courthouse (850) 547-1106 Barbara Sanders Sanders and Duncan P.A. (850) 653-8976

Carroll L. McCauley (850) 769-0276

TAX LAW Daniel R. Lozier Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. (850) 763-1900 H. Cranston Pope (850) 784-9174

WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES

Tallahassee | Admitted 1988

Scott B. Barloga Pope & Barloga P.A. (850) 784-9174

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Walter B. Smith (850) 215-7841

Tracey Jeanne Hyde (850) 784-2599

Robert S. Sombathy (850) 872-4473

John P. Moneyham (850) 763-7140

Kevin Paul Steiger Public Defender’s Office (850) 653-2540

SUSAN L. KELSEY

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ESCAMBIA, SANTA ROSA, OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTIES

ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME LAW Kris Elliott Elliott Law Firm P.A. (850) 677-0567 Gerald A. McGill McGill Law Firm (850) 435-7106 John W. Merting Law Offices of John W. Merting P.A. (850) 916-9645

APPELLATE PRACTICE Charles Franklin Beall Jr. Moore Hill & Westmoreland P.A. (850) 434-3541 Louis Kahn Rosenbloum Louis K. Rosenbloum P.A. (850) 475-1211

Russell G. Edgar Office of State Attorney (850) 595-4200

Terence A. Gross Gross & Schuster P.A. (850) 433-3357

Charles A. Schuster Gross & Schuster (850) 432-1234

Ronald Wayne Johnson Ronald W. Johnson P.A. (850) 438-1400

C. Miner Harrell Wilson Harrell Farrington et al P.A. (850) 438-1111

Daniel M. Soloway Soloway Law Firm (850) 471-3300

Gene Mitchell (850) 232-5278

Robert Newton Heath Jr. Robert N. Heath P.A. (850) 466-3888

Randle D. Thompson Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson (850) 444-4444

Larry Hill Moore Hill & Westmoreland P.A. (850) 434-3541

J. Arby Van Slyke J. Arby Van Slyke P.A. (850) 438-0440

Michael D. Hook (850) 433-0809

Linda H. Wade Wade Palmer & Shoemaker P.A. (850) 429-0755

William Kemper Jennings William Kemper Jennings P.A. (850) 892-1300

Philip A. Bates Philip A. Bates (850) 470-0091

Danny L. Kepner Shell Fleming Davis & Menge P.A. (850) 434-2411

Leslie Dean Sheekley Becker & Poliakoff P.A. (850) 664-2229

Robert G. Kerrigan Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson (850) 444-4444

J.D. Smith James David Smith P.A. (850) 332-0921

Brian Heath Kirkland (850) 332-6120

Alison Perdue Rogers County Attorney (850) 595-4970 Ryan Evans Ross Office of the County Attorney (850) 595-4970

Dennis K. Larry (850) 434-9200 Fredric G. Levin Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Echsner (850) 435-7000 Larry A. Matthews Matthews & Higgins LLC (850) 434-2200

CIVIL TRIAL

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Harry E. Barr Chesser & Barr P.A. (850) 651-9944

T. Michael McLeod Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson (850) 444-4444

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James M. Messer Messer Law Firm P.A. (205) 317-5352

Stephen F. Bolton Hook & Bolton P.A. (850) 433-0809 John Bruce Bowman Conerly, Bowman & Dykes (850) 837-5118 Brent Fritzalton Bradley Kinsey, Troxel, Walborsky & Bradley P.A. (850) 434-5267 John Cottle Becker & Poliakoff (850) 664-2229 Erick M. Drlicka Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon (850) 433-6581 Stephen Herre Echsner Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz PLLC (850) 202-1010 Richard Hawes Gaunt Jr. Kinsey, Troxel, Walborsky & Bradley P.A. (561) 346-3896

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William Rankin Kerrigan Estess Rankin McLeod & Thompson (850) 444-4444

BUSINESS LITIGATION

CITY, COUNTY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW

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James R. Green The Law Firm of James R. Green P.A. (850) 470-6432

JUNE – JULY 2014

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Marcus Joseph Michles II Michles & Booth P.A. (850) 438-4848 Timothy Michael O’Brien Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Echsner (850) 435-7000

John Willington Wesley Wesley, McGrail & Wesley (850) 244-0999, wesley-law.com Charles Thomas Wiggins Beggs & Lane RLLP (850) 432-2451 James Milton Wilson Wilson Harrell Farrington & Ford (850) 438-1111 B. Richard Young Young Bill Roumbos & Boles PA (850) 432-2222 Joseph A. Zarzaur Jr. Zarzaur Law P.A. (850) 444-9299

CONSTRUCTION LAW Michael H. Crew Crew & Crew P.A. (850) 244-0400, crewlaw.com Robert Anthony Emmanuel (850) 433-6581 Bruce Douglas Partington Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse (850) 434-9200 Wes Reeder Emmanuel Sheppard and Condon (850) 433-6581 John B. Trawick Coastal Association Law Group P.L. (850) 466-3255 Charles Philip Young Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon (850) 433-6581

David Harold Rimmer Santa Rosa County Courthouse (850) 981-5542 Michaael Ryan Rollo Michael R. Rollo P.A. (850) 438-8165

EDUCATION LAW C. Jeffrey McInnis Anchors Smith Grimsley P.L. (850) 863-4064 Julie Louise Sheppard IHMC (850) 202-4400

ELDER LAW Steven E. Quinnell Quinnell ElderLawFirm (850) 432-4386 Tracy O. Strom Tracy O. Strom P.A. (850) 243-5451 Jason A. Waddell Waddell & Waddell P.A. (850) 434-8500

HEALTH LAW Karen O. Emmanuel Sacred Heart Hospital (850) 416-6500 Rodney Marcum Johnson Office of General Counsel Fla. Dept. of Health (850) 595-6517

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW John Nevin Shaffer Jr. J. Nevin Shaffer Jr. P.A. (850) 934-4124

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW Joseph L. Hammons The Hammons Law Firm P.A. (850) 434-1060

CRIMINAL TRIAL LAW

Ralph A. Peterson Beggs & Lane RLLP (850) 432-2451

Barry W. Beroset Beroset & Keene (850) 438-3111

Russell F. Van Sickle Beggs & Lane (850) 432-2451

John C. Beroset Beroset & Keene (850) 438-3111

Richard John Westberry Westberrry & Connors LLC (850) 473-0401

Stanley Bruce Powell (850) 678-2118

Stephen G. Cobb Cobb Criminal Defense Law Firm (850) 423-0035

MARITAL AND FAMILY LAW

Troy A. Rafferty Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell (850) 435-7163

Maureen Duignan Maureen Duignan Esq. (850) 293-1629

Robert C. Palmer III Wade Palmer & Shoemaker (850) 429-0755 Mike Papantonio Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell (850) 435-7166 Charles V. Peppler Office of the Escambia County Attorney (850) 595-4970

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Mr. Wesley has been practicing law since 2001 and is admitted to practice before all courts in the state of Florida, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

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Bruce Childers Bruce Childers Attorney (850) 434-8000

Kenneth R. Fountain Fountain, Schultz & Associates P.L. (850) 939-3535

Stephen Graham West Office of the County Attorney (850) 595-4970

Laura E. Keene Beroset Keene (850) 438-3111

Sally Bussell Fox Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon P.A. (850) 433-6581

Robert R. Kimmel Law Offices of Kimmel & Batson, Chartered (850) 438-7501

Brian W. Hoffman Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn (850) 266-2300

Kirby H. Williams Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse (850) 650-3304

Keith Anthony McIver M.C. Blanchard Judicial Center (850) 595-0391

Jack Locklin Jr. Locklin & Saba P.A. (850) 623-2500

Tonya C. Petermann Tonya C. Petermann (850) 243-0850

R. Lynn Lovejoy Attorneys’ Title Fund Services LLC (800) 432-9594

Rodney Marcum Johnson Office of General Counsel Fla. Dept. of Health (850) 595-6517

Stephen S. Poche’ Stephen S. Poche P.A. (850) 897-3095

John Willock Monroe Jr. (850) 433-6581

Patricia Buchanan Wright (850) 572-5765

Stephen Reid Moorhead McDonald Fleming Moorhead Et Al (850) 477-0660

TAX LAW

Michael T. Webster (850) 651-0354

REAL ESTATE Alan B. Bookman Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon P.A. (850) 433-6581 James S. Campbell Beggs & Lane (850) 432-2451

Phillip Ashley Pugh Litvak Beasley & Wilson LLP (850) 432-9818 Jeffrey Thomas Sauer Smith, Sauer & DeMaria (850) 434-2761

Scott M. Campbell (850) 650-3304

Stephen B. Shell Shell Fleming Davis & Menge (850) 434-2411

David Michael Chesser Chesser and Barr P.A. (850) 651-9944

G. Thomas Smith G. Thomas Smith P.A. (407) 404-4268

Patrick G. Emmanuel Jr. Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon (850) 433-6581

Franklin H. Watson Franklin H. Watson (850) 231-3465

Michael H. Crew

Jill W. Crew

David G. Lohr

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AREAS OF PRACTICE INCLUDE: Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Business Law, Civil Litigation, Land Use, Condominium and Homeowners Associations Michael Crew is Board Certified in Construction Law. We serve clients throughout the Northwest Florida Panhandle and the Emerald Coast in Okaloosa, Walton, Escambia, Santa Rosa and Bay counties.

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STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE

Gary W. Huston Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse (850) 434-9200 William V. Linne Beggs & Lane RLLP (850) 432-2451 Kramer Allen Litvak Litvak Beasley & Wilson LLP (850) 432-9818 Wright Moulton Moulton McEachern & Walker (850) 434-6095 John Alexander Panyko (850) 438-7272

WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES Susan Crockett Batson (850) 438-7501 Kathleen Keis DeMaria Smith, Sauer & Demaria (850) 434-2761 Jason Edward Havens Havens Miller PLLC c/o Jason E. Havens P.L. (850) 424-6442 Kevin M. Helmich Kevin M. Helmich P.A. (850) 650-4747 Gary W. Huston Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse (850) 434-9200 Gary B. Leuchtman Law Office of Gary B. Leuchtman PLLC (850) 316-8179 Richard N. Sherrill Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse (850) 434-9200

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION David W. Langham Office of Judges of Compensation Claims (850) 595-6310 Roderic G. Magie Roderic G. Magie P.A. (850) 432-2558

Harry B. Stackhouse (850) 434-9200

238 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 (850) 244-0400 | (888) 244-4529 crewlaw.com

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Small Community Progressive Leadership World Class Companies

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Jackson County Business Journal 2014

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TAB L E OF CONTE NTS

TAB L E OF CONTE NTS

Jeff Massey

WELCOME! Jackson County is a community blessed with a rich heritage and resources. The values present in the people who reside here, combined with our heritage, create a recipe for a great lifestyle to work and raise your family.

Every successful community has certain attributes that are the building blocks for thriving businesses and comfortable lifestyles. Jackson County is no stranger to these attributes.

You can observe natural beauty, an unparalleled highway system, quality health care, a municipal airport, close proximity to ports and education that is highlighted by two prominent colleges.

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is focused on accenting our strengths to provide a healthy climate for existing businesses as well as future businesses looking to locate in an environment that is profitable and provides a great quality of life.

I hope you are beginning to recognize the recipe that makes Jackson County a special place. As you read these stories, please remember there is much more to talk about and for you to see.

I urge readers not to take my word for it. Come to Jackson County and say hello. You will be delighted with the Southern hospitality and charm that our community provides for all that come.

As I close, I would like to say, “Remember that Jackson County is open for business.”

Jeff Massey President/CEO Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

3 Demographics

10 Agriculture

4 Green Circle Bio Energy

12 Medical

6 Higher Education

15

Tourism

9 Airport

JACKSON COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS

Leisure and Hospitality Other Services Government

$12,531 $25,317 $37,777

POPULATION 2013 Estimate Persons under 18 years (2012) Persons 65 years and older Female Male

49,292 19.2% 16.7% 44.8% 55.2%

Density (2013) 54.7 persons per square mile WORKFORCE Labor Force as Percent of Population Aged 18 and Older 2013 54.9% Unemployment Rate February 2014 Average Annual Employment % of All Industries, 2012 All Industries Natural Resource and Mining Construction Manufacturing Trade, Transportation and Utilities Information Financial Activities Professional and Business Services Education and Health Services Leisure and Hospitality Other Services Government

5.3%

14,197 1.5% 4.7% 4.5% 20.8% 1.1% 3.4% 5.2% 10.4% 9.3% 1.7% 37.4%

Average Annual Wage, 2012 All Industries $31,776 Natural Resource and Mining $30,271 Construction $37,463 Manufacturing $39,099 Trade, Transportation and Utilities $27,037 Information $44,457 Financial Activities $31,325 Professional and Business Services $35,008 Education and Health Services $29,493

EDUCATION Educational Attainment (Persons aged 25 and older) High School graduate or higher 79.1% Bachelor’s degree or higher 13.6% Colleges or Universities (within 65 mile radius) Chipola College, Florida State University, Gulf Coast State College, Baptist College of Florida, Tallahassee Community College, Florida A&M University, Troy University (Chipola campus and Dothan, Ala.) Applied Technology Schools (within 65 mile radius) Chipola Vo-Tech, Washington-Holmes Vo-Tech, George Wallace Vo-Tech, Gulf Coast Vo-Tech TRANSPORTATION Railroads CSX, east-west; Bay Line, north-south Major Commercial Airports/ Distance from Marianna Dothan, Ala. Panama City Tallahassee Deep Water Port Port Panama City Marianna

45 miles 54 miles 65 miles

32 feet, 54 miles from

Interstate Access Interstate 10 Interchanges U.S. 231, SR 276, SR 71, SR69, CR 286

5

Source: Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research; CareerSource Chipola; U.S. Census Bureau; Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Cover illustration by Felix Oliha 2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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GRE E N C I RC L E B IO E N E RGY

Each year this Green Circle Bio Energy plant in Cottondale produces 560,000 tons of wood pellets that are then shipped overseas for “co-burning.”

Green Circle Bio Energy J

ackson County may be small and rural, with a population of just under 50,000, but it’s a global leader in the emerging market of green energy.

Jeff Massey is new to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce as president and CEO, but he isn’t new to renewable energy. He recently retired from Jackson County’s Waste Management plant, and he was there on the first day Green Circle Bio Energy Inc. began to operate. You could say he helped “turned the lights on.” As a district manager, Massey led a team that dug wells for pipes to safely convert methane gas — the toxic byproduct from the landfill — into electricity. “It was pretty cool to use green technology to power one green company from another. So, really we have two shining examples of green energy in Jackson, a rural county, that is something you will not find in every other county,” he says.

For Massey, who has worked in the environmental industry for nearly 30 years, the fact that Green Circle Bio Energy is “green” is just the beginning of what this 4

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2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

By Zandra Wolfgram

$100 million company has to offer. “It is the innovative processes and the things that happen there that create the atmosphere for attracting business. Jackson County is known for a lot of things, and innovative technology is one of them now because of Green Circle Bio and what they do,” he says.

Green Circle Bio Energy’s parent company is JCE, a privately owned investment company based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and named for entrepreneur J. Christer Ericsson. When a man walked up to Ericsson’s door and offered to pay a high price for the pile of wood in his backyard to use it for bio fuel, a multi-million dollar idea began to catch fire. Once formed, the company settled in the North Florida town of Cottondale and, after an 18-month build out, began production in May 2008.

Green Circle Bio was one of the first to the market to produce small, biodegradable cylindrical wood pellets. Trees harvested from Florida, Alabama and Georgia are turned into chips, which are dried, ground into a fine sawdust and

pressed into small pellets. Each year upwards of 560,000 tons of pellets are freighted overseas from Panama City to several European customers, mainly on long-term contracts. The company’s primary customer base is the industrial market. Essentially, it is selling to power companies and Combined Heat and Power (CHPs) companies that replace coal with biomass, also known as “co-burning.”

Green Circle Bio operates a sustainable production, which means more than 65 percent of the energy consumed to manufacture the pellets comes from renewable energy sources.

Jackson County and the town of Cottondale may seem an unlikely location for the world’s largest pellet plant, but Florida’s abundant yellow pine forests, available at low and stable prices, and an accessible location (in the Industrial Park off Interstate 10 and U.S. 231) make it a natural fit.

Massey sees Green Circle Bio’s success as a calling card for Jackson County. “Having businesses like Green Circle really gets the attention of other

PHOTOS COURTESY GREEN CIRCLE BIO ENERGY

A Shining Example for Jackson County

industries looking at this area, because they know they are a successful business that wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t the right climate for them to be in,” he says.

In fact, Green Circle Bio has been so successful it is expanding. In 2015, a $115 million plant is projected to open on 118 acres in George County in Lucedale, Mississippi, another rural community located approximately 40 miles northwest of Mobile, Alabama. Like Cottondale, the plant will produce up to 500,000 tons of pellets per year and ship them to European markets from the Port of Pascagoula near the Mississippi-Alabama border.

With European power plants mandated to use at least 20 percent of renewable energy in their fuel mix by 2020, the industry is expected to continue to grow.

And Green Circle Bio President and CEO Morten Neraas is ready. With a new plant underway, he reportedly already has set his sights on a new European customer: the United Kingdom.

A company this size has a significant economic impact on the surrounding area. According to the Jackson County

Products of local tree farms await processing.

Development Council, Green Circle will purchase 1.5 million tons of lumber annually, generating some $30 million in revenue for regional timber industries.

And producing tons of pellets yearround produces something else highly valuable: jobs. Green Circle Bio has a workforce of about 50, making it one of the largest companies in the area. “They are a great employer in the county and support this community and are a true asset,” Massey says.

Green Circle Bio is a testament to the fact that rural communities like Jackson County can compete on a global scale.

Massey is not surprised. His grandparents were one of the founding families of

Cottondale, so he knows firsthand what it has to offer.

“There is a reason Jackson County attracts these types of businesses, certainly because of our location but there are many others. Another piece of the puzzle is the hospital, the airport, the college, the road system and the proximity to the port … there are a lot of things we offer,” he says.

Out of all its attributes Massey contends what will keep Jackson County a “shining example” standing apart from many other counties is what he dedicated two decades of his career to and what made Green Circle Bio Energy a global player — “being innovative with technology.”

FROM ENTRY TO EXPERIENCED, PROVIDING THE TALENT YOU NEED CareerSource Chipola serves Jackson, Calhoun, Holmes, Liberty and Washington counties An Equal Opportunity Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

All voice numbers can be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via Florida Relay Service at 711.

careersourcechipola.com | 850.633.4417 (local) | 800.382.5164 (toll free) 2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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H IGH E R E DUCATION

Chipola College Changing to meet the needs of the future

By Rosanne Dunkelberger

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2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

CHIPOLA COLLEGE FACTS Chipola College serves about 5,000 students each year — 2,200 in the fall and spring semesters and 800 to 1,000 during the summer term.

The college employs 185 full-time and 145 part-time employees.

Including federal work-study students, total payroll is about $11 million.

Last year, the Chipola College’s Foundation awarded $600,000 in tuition and books to 1,000 students.

Chipola’s Brain Bowl team won a seventh straight state championship and a third consecutive national championship.

In 2013, Washington Monthly ranked Chipola No. 14 among community colleges nationally.

For three years in a row, Chipola College has been nominated for the Aspen prize, which recognizes the top 10 percent of the nation’s community colleges.

Chipola’s first-year retention rate of 65 percent is fifth in the nation and its 57 percent graduation/ transfer rate ranked it 11th.

PHOTOS COURTESY CHIPOLA COLLEGE

N

ew programs, new facilities and a new president — the future is looking bright for Chipola College in Marianna.

Jason Hurst took over in March for Gene Prough, who retired after 12 years in the college’s top position. Hurst isn’t new to the campus, however. Over the previous 2½ years, he had served as Chipola’s executive vice president and as vice president over bachelor’s degree and workforce programs.

While it was one of the first three community colleges in Florida to offer four-year degrees 12 years ago, Chipola’s primary mission remains the same as it has since its inception in 1947: “Our bread and butter is the AA degree … your freshman and sophomore years of general education classes preparing you to enter any university as a junior,” said Bryan Craven, Chipola’s director of Public Relations. “That’s the vast majority of our students.”

But because the five counties Chipola serves — Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and Washington — are relatively remote from Florida universities, the college started adding fouryear degrees to its offerings. “Many of our students are placebound; that’s an educational term we use to mean that for whatever reason — families, jobs — they can’t just pack up and move away to go to college,” Craven said.

It now has 10 bachelor programs in teacher education, nursing and business. Degrees, Craven noted, that “are really about getting people jobs and getting people started on a career.”

The college has also recruited more than 100 area professional and business leaders to serve on advisory committees for its technical program. “We depend on the expertise of these professionals to provide real-world advice about the training we need to provide to our students,” said Hurst. These advisors also help in recruiting students for the career and technical education programs and finding jobs for the students.

Hurst’s plans for his tenure include rebranding Chipola as a baccalaureate-granting institution, an overhaul of the college’s website and a cleanup of the school’s grounds and facilities, some of which date back to the ’50s. In addition, “We need to add programs that are relevant to the economy of today,” he said.

“Expanding day programs into evening offerings and increasing our E-Learning program are efficient ways to grow the college.”

The college is also home to vocational education, including

a nationally recognized automotive program, cosmetology and a brand new welding program that maxed out with 20 students in its first term in a state-of-the-art facility.

While the mission is a classic one, Chipola is keeping up with the times via its E-Learning initiative, according to Craven.

“We are expanding our online offerings, but we’re also using technology to support our face-to-face classes. We’re putting more content on the Web, and we’re interacting with students electronically just to be more efficient.

Even though you go to the class every day, there’s still a lot of information posted on the Web and there’s a lot of opportunity for interaction between the student and the professor on the Web.” It is possible to complete an AA degree at Chipola totally online.

A point of particular pride for the college is the $16 million Chipola — Jason Hurst, Chipola Center for the Arts, College President which opened in 2012.

The 45,000-squarefoot facility includes a 655-seat theater and a 150-seat experimental theater as well as an art gallery, dance studio, teaching spaces and scenery, costume and paint shops.

It was created to not only serve the college, but also the wider community, including K-12 schoolchildren in the Chipola district.

Craven says more than 10,000 guests visit the facility each year.

“We need to add programs that are relevant to the economy of today. Expanding day programs into evening offerings and increasing our E-Learning program are efficient ways to grow the college.”

2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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H IGH E R E DUCATION

The Baptist College of Florida Sharing the ‘Unchanging Word’ in new and different ways

By Rosanne Dunkelberger

W

hile The Baptist College of Florida’s values are as old-fashioned as they were when it started 70 years ago, the tiny institution isn’t afraid to keep up with modern times.

BCF was started during World War II to serve those who felt called to ministry later in life but didn’t have the educational background, said Dr. Thomas Kinchen, who’s now in his 25th year at the helm of the college whose mission is, well, missions.

When he arrived, the institution offered three diploma programs. Today, 21 undergraduate degrees are offered, along with two master’s degrees — all available at the college’s Graceville campus, at satellite facilities based in churches in Jacksonville, Panama City, Pensacola and Orlando, and online.

Enrollment is about 700, with 500 on campus.

While many of the degree programs are directly related to church service — ministry, education, Biblical studies and Christian counseling, for example — and most of the graduates go on to work in churches and missions, Kinchen said his college also seeks to develop business leaders with Christian values. Even non-ministry majors are required to take 18 hours of theological study. “For way too long the church has been segmented out — you know, ‘This is my Sunday life, and (work) is the rest of my life,” he continued. “What we’re saying is, in the marketplace, it’s vitally important that you be who you are in the worship center.”

Kinchen said when it comes to planting new churches, some of the greatest resistance he encounters is not in developing nations, but right here at home. “I’ve actually been called by churches (that) are going to locate in areas that businesses didn’t want them to come to because they were going to take land off the tax roll,” he said.

But he’s got a rebuttal for that: “It’s good business to have a strong church in your community, whether you’re a believer or not.” Churchgoing people are honest, reliable and

have a good work ethic, he said, “and all of those are good business — and your tax money isn’t going to repair nearly as many broken lives.”

Kinchen proudly relates that BCF carries no debt and that programs are added and buildings are built on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Only about 20 percent of the college’s budget comes from the Baptist church. The rest is tuition, auxiliary services and “beating the bushes” for donations, he said.

The college is about to break ground on a $1.5 million dining facility and recently added a minor in aviation — so missionaries in far-flung regions can spread the Christian faith. When talking to people from a program in Brazil, Kinchen said, “I continued to run into folks who say, ‘We know of this group but they’re on the other side of the jungle and it takes three weeks to get there,’ or, ‘they’re on the other side of this big lake system and we can’t get there,’ or, ‘they’re on the other side of this canyon and we can’t get there.’ They didn’t mention anything that you can’t fly over.”

After attracting renowned Florida landscape and wildlife artist Keith Martin Johns, FBC will add a fine arts component to its worship arts program in the fall.

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AI RPORT

Airport Rebirth

Marianna Municipal Airport wings into the future via the past By Jason Dehart

T

he Marianna Municipal Airport earned its wings as a flighttraining center for the U.S. Army Air Corps (and later the U.S. Air Force).

Today, thanks to a new lease agreement, it could possibly feature military flight training again, part of an overall plan to revitalize the decades-old sky port.

City commissioners approved a lease agreement in March allowing SkyWarrior Flight Support Inc. to start up a private Fixed-Base Operator enterprise in the airport terminal. The lease is for five years, but it could be extended to eight years if the proprietor is successful in securing contracts for military flight training. The new FBO might also offer food services and amenities to attract general aviation pilots, including a fulltime airplane mechanic.

In short, this provides a great economic opportunity for the city, according to City Manager Jim Dean.

“The Marianna airport offers a good place to do that kind of (military) training,” Dean said. “We’ve never, under the city’s management, catered to or tried to win over that business.”

In conjunction with this new enterprise, the city is going to spend close to a million dollars on airport renovations. Improvements will be made to the terminal, the parking lot, landscaping, equipment facilities and new hangers that will make people get interested in this airport.

“It will be a facelift with interior and exterior improvements that will give it a new look,” he said.

Dean described SkyWarrior’s owner, George Sigler, as a former military pilot and successful businessman whose Bay Minette, Alabama, flight services center is an award-winning establishment. Marianna officials are hoping this former success is duplicated here in Jackson County.

“We’re hoping that based on his successes he’ll bring that to Marianna,

which is a bigger airport for him, and we’re hoping he can expand on the success he’s had at Bay Minette,” Dean said.

According to city records, SkyWarrior Flight Support Inc. will act as a manager/agent for the city and will be responsible for collecting hangar rental fees, receiving 5 percent of the gross amount collected for rent. The FBO will be responsible for marketing, light maintenance, keeping the building and the parking lot clean and sweeping the runways as needed. It will also pay the city .06 cents per gallon on all fuel sales.

The city will also get 2.5 percent of any additional sales or services provided by the FBO. The airport has a rich history of service and training. The Army opened the airfield in 1943 and it served as a training base until 1947, at which point the U.S. government gave control of most of it back to the city. The base was reacquired by the U.S. government in 1952 to train more pilots during the Korean War era and became Graham Air Base. The base was deactivated again in 1960 and has belonged to the city ever since.

Dean said that the city has hosted special “fly-In” air shows to commemorate that important history, but at the same time the city needs to look forward and do things to help the airport and the community grow.

Vital Stats According to the city, the Marianna Municipal Airport runway consists of two 4,900-foot-long by 100-foot-wide intersecting runways. Both runways have pavement strength of 56,500 pounds single-wheel load (SWL). The airport apron is about 183,475 square yards and has more than 200 aircraft tie downs.

The 20,000-square-foot FBO building has a space dedicated for a pilot lounge, flight service station, weather briefing area and pilot training classroom.

ON THE RECORD: Real Estate From the volume of residential properties sold to the price point at which they’re situated, it appears that Jackson County’s real estate market is headed in a very positive direction.

According to Kathy Milton, broker and owner at ERA Chipola Realty, the upward momentum is undeniable.

“I feel like there’s an improvement,” stated Milton.

“It’s very obvious by the amount of activity we’re seeing and the amount of offers we’re receiving.”

FOR 2013, THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: All statistics listed below contrast sales in 2013 to 2012, and were provided by the Florida Realtors.

• 180 single family homes closed in 2013 — a 9.8 percent jump from 2012.

• 62 of those homes sold were cash transactions.

151 were traditional closed sales, a 14.4 percent increase.

Only five short sales characterized 2013, an incredible decrease of 58.3 percent from the prior year.

• The median price of single-family homes remained the same ($85,000) while the average priced jumped 4.7 percent to $106,508.

• In Jackson County, the median days a single family home sat on the market in 2013 was 114 days, an 8.1 percent decrease from 2012. // Compiled by Chay D. Baxley

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AGRICULTURE

Family Matters

Farming in Jackson County is a family affair for four generations of Dietrichs By Chay D. Baxley

T

he Dietrich farm brings new meaning to the idea of a “family business.”

In this Jackson County homestead, four generations live, work and grow together — harvesting a variety of crops and raising cattle through their familial and agriculturally based partnership.

Theirs is a unique story — even for one of Northwest Florida’s most fertile counties.

At the head of this remarkable family sits Gordon and Lady Dietrich. Their son, Christopher, resides on the property with his wife and two boys. As a young and able-bodied worker, Christopher plays a major role in the farm’s daily successes, managing and tilling the land alongside his father.

Gordon’s own father also calls the farm home, lending a hand when and where he can, and often offering words of wisdom regarding a plot of land he’s known for decades.

“You can’t do it by yourself,” admitted Gordon, “or I sure wouldn’t want to try.

It’s a lot of work. Two people can do three times more than one person, we think.”

Though arithmetic may not support their cause, it’s a philosophy the Dietrichs apply most ardently. All for one, and that sort of thing.

Mornings on Dietrich Farms begin early, first with feeding the cattle, attending to any needs they may have.

Next, they work through a lengthy to-do list. This year, that list has often included rainy day substitutions.

“We try to plan our week every Monday, more or less,” explained Christopher. “We try to figure out our priorities, and then we work together to do whatever needs to be done. We work together real well, it seems like.”

Throughout the seasons, a rotating crop of corn, wheat, cotton and — above all — peanuts are planted and 10

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subsequently harvested, giving this agrarian family a bounty they can rely on.

The fruits of their labors end up in a variety of places, from peanut butters to poultry feed. It’s a fast-paced work environment for the Dietrich unit, who attribute much of their success to their responsible and sustainable farming practices.

Early on in their business they implemented a three-step approach to the land, consisting of the eco-friendly technique of strip tilling, crop rotation and dependable irrigation. Today, that three-tier system is the backbone of their husbandry operation.

Unlike traditional tillage, which rummages through the soil completely, kicking up organic matter prematurely and without discretion, strip tillage focuses only on the land necessary for that season — allowing nutrients to build up in the earth.

For the Dietrichs, who refer to themselves as mere stewards of the land,

longevity is crucial to keeping the family business alive.

“They take really good care of this property,” explained Lady, a Cottondale native who’s lived on the farm since 1984.

“They try not to do anything that would harm the potential down the line. We aren’t making any more dirt. So they’ve got to take care of what we have, and this is what we have.”

Horticulture isn’t their only game, though.

More than 200 head of cattle also grace the Dietrich farm. Certified all natural, these bovine are a lean, hearty, goodnatured breed that the Dietrichs sell for a premium to Laura’s Lean Beef, a Kentuckybased company that champions healthful eating. It’s a niche market, but together, the Dietrichs have filled it well.

Their success and ingenuity in such matters has garnered notoriety within Jackson County’s agricultural community. For many, it’s a collaboration worth admiring.

“Theirs is a family that’s all been interested in carrying on a tradition and working together,” said Doug Mayo, director at the Jackson County Extension office. “That’s very unique any more.

“I think that the key story is that they’re the kind of folks that work together. And together, they make it work.”

It isn’t all hard times and long hours, though. There’s a lot of fun doing an honest day’s work alongside the ones you love.

For instance, to keep the livestock in line, the Dietrichs made an executive decision to forego the traditional method of herding via horseback, instead opting for a far more modern locomotive: dirt bikes.

“We use the horse power instead of horses,” said Lady, with special comedic emphasis.

On any given day, you can see them zipping and zooming around the property, kicking up dirt and herding up cattle.

In a couple of rare cases, the cows’ personalities, docile ways and motherly instincts have earned particular adoration from the family, resulting in their permanent residency on the farm.

“We’ve actually made some pets out of them,” laughed Lady.

As for the future, the Dietrich clan very much intends to keep their multi-generational farm in the family. Their goal, though approximately 70 years away, is to be dubbed a Centennial Farm — a distinction only awarded to land that has been used for agricultural purposes by the same family for at least 100 years.

“My grandfather used to tell Gordon that this was God’s country,” reminisced Lady. “It’s got fertile soil, good land and a great aquifer and water systems.

“What a remarkable honor that would be.”

AGRICULTURE ARITHMETIC Jackson County is best known for producing peanuts, cotton, beef cattle and corn, but the county’s 1,000+ farmers also grow soybeans, wheat and melons.

In 2013, 47,840 acres in Jackson County were devoted to cotton crops — the largest allotment of any county in Florida.

22,251 acres are utilized to grow peanuts — also the highest acreage of any Florida county.

In Jackson County, 29,441 acres are devoted to pasture/hay producing lands, primarily for the raising of cattle.

In 2012, the county was home to 49,000 cattle and calves, 27,000 of which were beef cows.

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M E DICAL

Jackson Hospital Celebrates 75

Jackson Hospital has expanded its offerings — from cancer care to elective knee replacement.

M

ost 75-year-olds are playing it safe and taking it easy during their “sunset” years. As it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2014, Jackson Hospital in Marianna has never been more active, cutting-edge or healthy … so to speak.

The 100-bed community health care system, founded the same year World War II began, has always been committed to quality service. But in recent months, it has experienced more growth than any period in its long history. Today, the hospital employs 425 professionals, including more than 30 medical staff and consulting with 65 additional caregivers, dedicated to providing exceptional care across more than a dozen specific health care services every day.

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As the U.S. population grows and the Baby Boomer generation eases into its senior years, medical care facilities all across the country are challenged to answer the demands of its residents’ health care needs. Jackson County Hospital is answering the call by adding new state-of-the-art treatment centers, upgrading to cutting-edge equipment and expanding both its medical care services and quality medical staff.

“During these turbulent times of health care reform, Jackson Hospital is plowing ahead with positive change and preparing for the future,” says Jackson Hospital CEO Larry Meese.

Jackson Hospital’s 75-year anniversary is just the beginning of several milestones worthy of celebrating. Just after the New

Year, thanks to proceeds from several community fundraisers and a $150,000 gift from the Jackson Hospital Foundation, the community welcomed a special delivery — newly renovated and modernized Labor & Delivery suites.

But that was just the beginning of gifts for the community. In late January, the hospital opened the doors to the Infusion Center. Located on the first floor of the Hudnall Building, the Center gives Jackson County residents the opportunity to have chemotherapy, antibiotic therapy, IV therapy or blood transfusions locally performed.

“The Center has allowed us to double the number of infusion chairs from seven to 14. This obviously allows us to better serve the needs of the community,” Meese says. The impact on this rural community is expected to be far reaching.

Meese projects that the newly expanded Infusion Center will treat as many as 3,300 patients in 2014 alone.

Jeff Massey, president and CEO of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, understands the personal impact of this new addition more than some. “Now people don’t have to go to Tallahassee, Panama City or Dothan to get chemotherapy if they are a cancer patient.

They can get it right here, which is huge, because these people don’t feel well.

Being a person who had to drive to and from 42 radiation treatments, I can identify with the benefit of having it here in our community. That’s one great service that’s been added,” he says.

In February, the ribbon was cut on the Starlight Fun Center, another state-ofthe-art improvement for the hospital’s

PHOTO COURTESY JACKSON COUNTY HOSPITAL

With state-of-the-art treatment centers, cutting-edge equipment upgrades and expanded services, the community has never been stronger or healthier By Zandra Wolfgram

youngest visitors. The Center offers the latest and greatest in pediatric gaming, which helps young patients forget about their treatments and conditions by providing them a fun distraction. The device is a hospital version of a Wii gaming system that can be rolled up to any patient’s bedside. “This gaming machine changes hospitalization from scary to comforting,” Jackson Hospital nurse manager Amanda Trino says.

And in April, Jackson Hospital added a specially equipped member to its medical team to fight the fourth highest cause of death in the United States — the InTouch RP-7 robot. The telestroke robot allows the hospital’s medical staff to use webvideo streaming to consult with Panama City neurologists to assess a patient in real time, diagnose if a patient has had a stroke and decide upon the best plan for the patient. Trino says the robot is a valuable addition, because every second counts when it comes to a stroke. “This device allows the patient to be assessed by the neurologist within the first 10 minutes of stroke symptoms,” she explains.

What does it mean that Jackson Hospital is now able to provide all of these new specialty services? Massey says it is a win-win on many levels, and ultimately it is about improving the community’s quality of life. “Jackson Hospital is attracting good, qualified doctors, so our level of expertise gets better all the time.

— Jeff Massey, Now folks who may have president and CEO had to go to Dothan to of the Jackson see a certain doctor, can see them right here now,” County Chamber of he says. “You combine Commerce that with the renovations, the upgrades to make sure it’s a great place to stay if you are sick and ensuring the doctors have what they need to do their job, altogether it means that we, as a community, are that much stronger because of the continued growth of Jackson Hospital.”

If Meese’s five years at the hospital’s helm are any indication, this valued asset will only make the entire area “healthier” as it matures. “Jackson Hospital has supported the community for 75 years, and we look forward to providing quality care for the next 75 years and beyond,” he says.

“Jackson Hospital is attracting good, qualified doctors, so our level of expertise gets better all the time … You combine that with the renovations, the upgrades to make sure it’s a great place to stay if you are sick and ensuring the doctors have what they need to do their job, altogether it means that we, as a community, are that much stronger because of the continued growth of Jackson Hospital.”

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GreenCircleBio.com 2014 J A C K S O N C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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Paddle Pristine Paradise Along the Chipola River

Explore 55 miles of nature, caves and calmness An hour west of Tallahassee merges nature and history

Historic Russ House Visitors Center tours daily

Merritt Mill Pond fishing

Jackson County | 4318 Lafayette Street, Marianna | (850) 482-8061 | VisitJacksonCountyFla.com

Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed At the Small Business Development Center at Gulf Coast State College we have offered no-cost, confidential business consulting to the Jackson County business community since 1994.

Services include consulting and training in:

Ask us how our 300+ years of industry experience can benefit your business.

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ECOTOURISM

‘U-Pick’ Tourism

Jackson County is adding more value to the tourists’ buck

By Jason Dehart

PHOTO COURTESY JACKSON COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

H

ey, there’s a lot more to Northwest Florida than sand and surf.

There’s exciting history and colorful culture a daytrip away from the coastal resorts. All you have to do is get off the beaten path to see it. Jackson County in particular welcomes all visitors to fathom the mysteries of its caves, thrill at its ghost stories, walk in the footsteps of 17th-century Spanish soldiers and priests, and take in the wholesome goodness of its orchards, ranches and farms.

“Visitors are looking for something different,” said Faith Clarke, coordinator and management analyst with the Florida Cooperative Extension Service in the College of Agriculture and Food Science at Florida A&M University. Clarke’s job is to develop new forms of tourism that promote the region’s agriculture. This new venue is titled “agri-tourism.” And it’s something Florida is working hard to establish to capture a new wave of tourists tired of the same old thing.

“The traditional tourism draws on sand, sea and surf. That’s what our tourism has always been about, but there comes a time when visitors are looking for something different and are eager to explore beyond the theme parks and seaside,” Clarke said.

“They’re looking for something different, and tourists have evolved in terms of taste and what they want to do.”

The way Clarke describes it, agritourism is all about venturing out into the heartland’s farms, ranches, groves and fields for some quality time with our roots.

Literally. For some, it may mean a close look at how food is grown and harvested.

“They want to get off the bus, and walk in your fields and orchards, pick your strawberries and blueberries,” she said. “They want to see where their food comes from. And urban families want to get away for the weekend, to get away from the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape and do something different.”

And as this venue is developed over time, there could be other activities for

Chacato Revolt in 1675 in Graceville, a stop along the Jackson County Spanish Heritage Trail.

visitors aside from stopping at a U-pick field. Think of the possibilities for barn dances, hayrides, music and other types of fun, farm-related entertainment, she said.

“It’s definitely a new enterprise,” she said. “It offers the potential for farmers to increase their profits and the activities they can offer.”

Agri-tourism isn’t the only venue being developed. There are plenty of historical attractions in Jackson County to sate the appetite of visitors longing for interesting new things to do. With agri-tourism, these venues belong to a new category of “rural tourism” that local stakeholders are actively promoting.

“The author Sam Ewing once said the average tourist wants to go places where no tourists go. And that’s true for us when we go out and we tour the rivers and the streams and the parks and the trails. We enjoy being out in nature,” said Chipola College President Jason Hurst during the Rural Tourism & Economic Development summit held in April. “We like going places where there aren’t thousands and thousands of people. So that’s important to me and my family. And that’s what rural tourism is all about.”

As it relates to cultural tourism and

eco-tourism, the Jackson County Spanish Heritage Trail, the Bellamy Bridge Heritage Trail and the Battle of Marianna Walking Tour provide visitors a glimpse into Jackson County’s past.

The Spanish Heritage Trail is a 150-mile trail consisting of 11 historically interesting sites that tell the story of the Spanish presence in Jackson County back in the late 17th century. The Bellamy Bridge over the Chipola River is perhaps the oldest standing bridge in all of Florida. The trail is a half-mile-long multi-use walking trail that leads visitors through a beautiful floodplain forest and culminates at the bridge itself. Interpretive kiosks tell the story of the surrounding natural setting and the history of the area — including the legend of the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, a spirit you might be able to glimpse flitting through the trees.

And unlike many other Civil War battlefields, the battlefield of Marianna is the town itself — which makes touring it convenient, because you can have lunch in a downtown restaurant and still be able to see the battlefield. The city and Jackson County are currently gearing up for the 150th anniversary of this battle in September.

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The Marianna Municipal Airport …

A NEW BEGINNING

FRONT VIEW

Built in 1942 as a World War II Army Air Force Base and in 1953 reactivated as Graham Air Base, the Marianna Municipal Airport has been a general aviation facility serving North Florida and South Georgia for over 70 years.

An upgrade in services and the remodeling of the facility have begun as the City of Marianna in Jackson County prepares for regional growth in the decade ahead.

REAR VIEW

SERVICE UPGRADES • Privatization to Sky Warrior Flight Support, Inc. • Potential to develop a flight school and construction of new hangar space • Potential to contract with the Army at Fort Rucker • FBO will provide Aircraft Maintenance

FACILITIES UPGRADES Upgrading present facilities to include: • New roof • Re-painting of terminal interior and exterior • Pilot lounge and restroom upgrades • New signage and covered walkways • Future runway extension to 6,000 ft.

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MARIANNA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 3689 INDUSTRIAL PARK DR, MARIANNA, FL 32446

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| 850.482.2281

BUSINESS NEWS

CAPITAL

» Kim Williams will be recognized with the Life-

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Capital Regional now offers specialty health

care services in Gadsden County at Capital Regional Medical Associates, 23186 Blue Star Highway, Quincy.

» Moore Communications Group has opened a

new office in New Orleans. The firm, based in Tallahassee, also has an office in West Palm Beach.

» The United Way of the Big Bend’s officers for

the 2014–15 Board of Directors are: Chair Ron Sachs, Sachs Media Group; Chair-Elect Emory Mayfield, Hancock Bank; Immediate Past Board Chair Mark O’Bryant, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare; Treasurer John Thomas, Florida League of Cities; Treasurer-Elect Sam Rogers, Rogers Gunter Vaughn Insurance; Secretary Vince Long, Leon County; Collective Impact Co-Chair Berneice Cox, The Bacall Group; Collective Impact Co-Chair Tom Pennekamp, SunTrust Bank; 2014 Campaign Chair Virginia Glass, Realtor

NEW BEGINNINGS

» The Board of Governors of the Leon County

time Leadership Award by Leadership Tallahassee for his contributions to the community on Sept. 18 at the 20th Annual Distinguished Leadership Awards. Williams is president of Marpan.

» Allison Harrell of Thomas

Howell Ferguson P.A. recently won the Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals Gold A.C.E. Award in the finance category.

» Mainline Information Sys-

»

Allstate agency owner Tom Paterson has received the Agency Hands in the Community Award for his commitment to helping others in the Tallahassee community. With this award came a $1,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation to the Capital Region YMCA where Paterson volunteers.

»

Vicki Long, who has served as executive vice president of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Florida) since 2004, was honored with the AIA National Service Award.

Research & Development Authority in March approved an employment agreement with Ronald J. Miller Jr. as executive director. Miller was first hired in August 2012 as the interim administrator of the LCRDA, which manages Innovation Park.

»

Hanson Professional Services Inc. has opened a new office in Tallahassee to provide a variety of services on projects for municipal, state, federal and private-sector clients in Florida.

Sergey Kireyev is serving as a senior planner.

» Alyssa Roti, Kavisha McCranie and Paola Black-

burn with Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. recently passed their exam to earn a CPA license. The firm has also recently hired Casey McLaughlin, Christie Thompson, Damien Rigol and Myroslava Bune.

HARRELL

tems™ of Tallahassee is the first IBM business partner in the U.S. to receive the IBM Gold Accreditation for IBM Cognos Business Intelligence.

LONG

» Two TCC students enrolled

in the graphic design technology Associate in Science program received high honors from the Tallahassee chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

Cheyvonne Youngblood and Michael Frazier won silver ADDY awards.

» TCC was also recognized at the National Coun-

cil for Marketing and Public Relations conference, taking home four 2013 Paragon Awards, more than any other college in Florida.

» Local signs and graphics provider FASTSIGNS

of Tallahassee was named one of the top 25 centers out of more than 500 locations at the 2014 FASTSIGNS Convention. The CEO Circle Award is given to the centers with the highest sales volume from the previous year.

MCCRANIE, ROTI AND BLACKBURN

APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

LOCAL HONORS

» 850 ­— The Business Magazine of Northwest

Florida and Tallahassee Magazine have been announced as finalists in the 2014 Sunshine State Awards competition hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists Florida Pro chapter.

Winners will be announced this summer.

»

Sperry Van Ness Florida has named Carlton Dean, CCIM, SIOR, managing director in Tallahassee, as a Top 5 producer for 2013. Dean earned the No. 2 spot based on his overall transaction performance.

»

Jonathan Kilpatrick, Randolph Pople and Kevin Vaughn to the Tallahassee Community College District Board of Trustees. Kilpatrick, 45, of Crawfordville, is a technology manager for the City of Tallahassee. Pople, 64, of Quincy, is the chief operating officer of Pople Financial Consulting. Vaughn, 52, of Tallahassee, is the president of Rogers, Gunter, Vaughn Insurance Inc.

» Michelle Rambo-Roddenberry, 42, of Tallahas-

see, an associate professor with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, to the Board of Professional Engineers.

» Brian Yablonski, 46, of Tallahassee, external DEAN

affairs director for Gulf Power Company, to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

SOUNDBYTES EMERALD COAST LOCAL HAPPENINGS

»

Sacred Heart Hospital has put the finishing touches on its new, fivefloor Bayou Tower.

The $52 million expansion project was initiated two SACRED HEART years ago and has HOSPITAL been constructed on top of the existing three-floor Heart and Vascular Institute. It will provide an additional 112 allprivate rooms for adult patients.

»

Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union is celebrating 60 years of service to Pensacola. For nearly 79 consecutive quarters it has been recognized as a 5-Star Superior-Rated credit union by Bauer Financial Inc., the nation’s leading bank and research firm.

» BLAB TV and Studer Community Development have announced a partnership to build on the 30-year history and impact of BLAB TV and local programming — and ensure it remains locally owned and focused. Fred Vigodsky will continue to oversee operations at the station during a search for a new general manager.

NEW BEGINNINGS

» Leida S. Bilby has joined First Florida Bank as vice president/mortgage loan officer. Based in Destin, First Florida has additional locations in Miramar Beach, Mary Esther and Niceville.

» Legendary Marine is expanding its sales facil-

ity on Miracle Strip in Fort Walton Beach to offer a mix of new and premium pre-owned boats, brokerage and consignment sales and more than 50 wet slips.

»

Executive Chef Sam Edwards has joined Cowgirl Kitchen at its Seagrove location.

»

Blue Marlin Realty Group has expanded its team with new Realtor, Juan Anzures, and new sales manager, Katie Cartwright.

»

ResortQuest Real Estate® has welcomed 18 Realtors to its team of over 100 sales associates throughout Northwest Florida, from Perdido Key to Panama City Beach.

Stephen Bergeron joined the company’s Perdido Key team; Karen Cook Cowen, Ben Cannington, Bob Cowen, Diane Grimes, Marcia Hoven, Toni Jordan, Rita Murrell, Kurt Overlade and Diane Tyson joined the Pensacola Beach team; April Giesler joined the Navarre Beach team; Johnny Springfield and Debbie Bruckner joined the Fort Walton Beach team; David Byrd, Kathy Friesen and Patty DeFrenza joined the Destin team; and Jessica Abbott Muller, Helena Stoppert and Oksana Nordgaarden joined the Seagrove Beach team. In addition to recently joining the ResortQuest team of Realtors, Bergeron will serve as the success manager of the Perdido Key office and Cook Cowen will serve as the success manager of the Pensacola Beach office.

LOCAL HONORS

» TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort in Miramar Beach has been selected as one of the “South’s

850 Business Magazine

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2014

PINNACLE AWARDS

WOMEN

H O N O R I N G N O R T H W E S T F L O R I D A’ S O U T S TA N D I N G

B U S IN E S S

LE A D E R S

850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida appreciates your help in recognizing women in our region who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their businesses and communities.

Thank you for your response to our call for nominations to honor outstanding women business leaders in our region with The Pinnacle Award.

We are now beginning the review process and will reveal our final group of 10 honorees in the October/November issue of 850.

SPONSORED BY

Contact McKenzie Burleigh at mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com for additional sponsorship opportunities.

Nominees must be a private sector business owner, CEO, primary manager or top executive in their companies. Nominees must have: 1) demonstrated professional excellence and outstanding leadership in her business or profession; 2) actively participated in civic and/or business-related organizations; 3) served as a mentor to others.

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850businessmagazine.com

BUSINESS NEWS

SOUNDBYTES

Top Family-Friendly Resorts for Groups” by the editors of ConventionSouth magazine.

»

Robyn Patterson, a senior graphics specialist for Wyndham Vacation Rentals and ResortQuest Real Estate in Fort Walton Beach, recently received three ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation Emerald Coast chapter.

»

The SMG-managed Saenger Theatre of Pensacola was listed as a No. 2 Top Spot Nationwide by Venues Today, an international trade magazine. Catapulting the theater to the top of the list were three nearly sold-out performances of Broadway in Pensacola’s Blue Man Group.

»

Gulf Power has announced changes to its executive leadership team. Bentina Terry will move into the position of Vice President– Customer Service and Sales and Jim Fletcher, who is moving to Gulf Power from Georgia Power, will take over her former job as Vice President–External Affairs and Corporate Services. Wendell Smith has been named Vice President–Power Delivery.

TERRY, SMITH AND FLETCHER

APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Larry Ashley, 48, of Fort Walton

Beach, sheriff of Okaloosa County, to the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council.

» James Reeves, 75, of Pensaco-

la, an attorney with Reeves & Davis Attorneys At Law, to the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises Inc.

BAY LOCAL HAPPENINGS

»

Dave & Buster’s has opened a new store in Pier Park, expecting to employ a staff of more than 280 hourly workers. It is the first Dave & Buster’s to open in Northwest Florida.

LOCAL HONORS

»

Bay Point Wyndham Golf Resort & Spa has been presented with a 2014 South’s Top All-Around Perks for Groups Resorts recognition by the editors of ConventionSouth, a national multimedia resource for planning events that are held in the South.

» Florida’s Great Northwest has

received a $50,000 grant from the Florida Defense Support Task Force to promote the work ethics and capabilities of Florida veterans and their dependents in a move to encourage the expansion of existing businesses and relocation of new businesses in the region.

»

Hancock Bank has named Jon Smiley of Panama City as the business banking manager for Hancock’s Florida SMILEY Panhandle market, covering the entire region from Tallahassee to Pensacola.

» Larry Scott, president and CEO of

CAMPUS USA Credit Union for 23 years, has retired. He is succeeded

by Jerry Benton, former CAMPUS chief operations officer, who joined the credit union 14 years ago.

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APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» George Roberts, 50, of Panama City, vice president of Roberts & Roberts Inc., to the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.

REGIONAL LOCAL HAPPENINGS

»

SunTrust Bank has named Brad White president and chief executive officer of its Florida Panhandle region.

WHITE

BENTON AND SCOTT

APPOINTED

BY GOV. RICK SCOTT

2013

»

Priscilla Jackson of Pensacola and J. Layne Smith of Tallahassee to the Florida State Retirement Commission. Jackson, 56, is a payroll and retirement manager with the City of Pensacola. Smith, 52, is general counsel of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

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EMERALD COAST CORRIDOR

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

Paving the Way Panhandle engineers develop new asphalt technology By Lazaro Aleman

T

o most people, asphalt is something they drive on. To engineers and others involved in the material’s design and application, however, asphalt is living matter — complete with its own DNA and characteristics, and subject to modification and improvement. Which explains the excitement of a group of Panhandle engineers who have developed a new asphalt technology that promises to revolutionize the airport pavement industry.

“My wife rolls her eyes when I talk about asphalt … but the airport pavement world is about to change based on what we did in Northwest Florida,” asserts Virgil C. “Lee” Lewis of AVCON Inc., the Niceville engineering/planning firm that in partnership with Dr. Bob Boyer, a former Asphalt Institute engineer and nationally acclaimed asphalt expert, developed the cutting-edge technology.

Commonly called “the Crestview Mix” (CM) because it was first installed at the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Okaloosa County, in 2011, the new asphalt boasts greater strength, durability and rut resistance. But its singular and innovative distinction is its fuel resistance, a quality that resolves a longstanding airport pavement maintenance problem.

As Lewis explains it, asphalt pavements are generally subject to deterioration through exposure to environmental factors such as oxygen, sunlight, temperature and rain — elements that over time cause the binder, or black glue, to degrade. Airport pavements additionally experience the wear and tear of heavy aircraft loads, which cause rutting, pushing/shoving and other damage. Add also frequent spills of jet fuel and sundry oil-based fluids, whose chemical compatibility with the petroleum-based asphalt cause the latter to soften and weaken, furthering the degradation.

Historically, airports have protected against jet fuels and oil-based fluids by applying coal tar sealants to the pavement surface. The problem with coal tar sealants, however, is that they are basically short lived and potentially

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carcinogenic. Enter CM, a viable and long-lasting alternative.

“Game changer,” “fascinating new development” and “environmentally safe” are phrases variously used to describe the new technology, which — like most innovations — had a long gestation period, this one in Dr. Boyer’s mind.

Bringing the idea to fruition required not only his expertise, but also the collaboration and calculated risk-taking of AVCON, what is now the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) and the airport leadership. Not to mention certain evolutions in the overall asphalt industry that figuratively paved the way for the new technology, most notably the development of higher-grade asphalt binders.

Per Lewis and Boyer, fuel-resistant asphalt was first developed in the Netherlands in the 1990s and variously applied at airports overseas and in this country, including LaGuardia and BostonLogan. These projects, however — in layman’s terms — utilized “souped-up” mixes that were more or less custom made and didn’t necessarily employ standard ingredients, making their duplication difficult and their specifications proprietary. Also, the intended and primary function of these applications was mostly for rut-resistance.

Boyer’s ingenuity lies in taking the existing technology and tweaking it, so that he developed a standardized system that is highly duplicable, uses off-the-shelf ingredients and is nonproprietary and fuel-resistance specific.

“Everything is within current specifications; it’s just the method that’s been changed,” Boyer says.

Consider asphalt’s three components: the binder, aggregate (rocks and sand) and air voids, or air suspended in the mix. Boyer’s achievement was to take the highest grade of polymer-modified binder on the market, currently PG82-22 (meaning it performs well at 82 to minus 22 degrees Celsius) and designing a mix of smaller-sized aggregate — and equally significant — lower air voids. (The less air in

the mix, the more impermeable and fuel resistant the material.)

He also specified higher field compaction to increase the asphalt’s density and impermeability.

Altogether, the highly-modified polymer, smaller aggregate and reduced air voids, in combination with the higher density, give CM its fuel resistance.

“First is the highly-modified binder material,” Boyer enumerates the key components. “Second, you design it at 2.5 percent air voids rather than at 4 percent. And third, you construct it to 4 percent air voids in the field instead of 6 percent. All three things together give you a system that’s fuel resistant. If all three aren’t there, it breaks the link in the chain.”

The latter is a point Boyer and Lewis can’t emphasize enough: CM “is a system, not a product.” If any step is missed or mishandled, the result is compromised.

When Bob Sikes Airport decided to rehab its north apron and AVCON proposed using the new technology, it represented a risk, as its performance was unproven and the specification unformalized. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), Florida Department of Transportation and other state/federal agencies won’t fund projects employing unformalized specifications, or those not formally proven viable and adopted by them.

Fortunately, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity didn’t have such a requirement and was willing to fund the project, based on Lewis and Boyer’s representations, as AVCON and the airport leadership were willing to trust CM’s performance based on Boyer’s reputation and expertise.

The concern then was whether the desired field compaction could be achieved before the hot-mixed asphalt cooled, as CM is stiffer and less workable.

“It’s possible, if you roll across it too many times, you break down the aggregate and start losing density,” explains John Collins, another AVCON engineer. “Finding that fine line of how many times to roll across this material to get the optimum density was a challenge.”

Amazingly, the desired density was achieved relatively easily, Collins says.

CM has since been installed at Jacksonville’s

Herlong Airport, earned recognition from the American Association of Airport Executives Southeast Chapter and drawn interest from airports across the Southeast. Moreover, the FAA, Department of Defense and other funding agencies are considering adoption of the specification.

Tracy Stage, deputy director of Okaloosa County airports, says CM’s performance at Bob Sikes Airport has exceeded expectations.

He considers CM an engineering advancement that will change how airport aprons are rehabilitated and constructed.

“As the industry takes notice and interest builds, I believe that sooner rather than later, CM will be a funding agency preferred method,” Stage says.

REVOLUTIONARY ASPHALT AVCON’s Virgil C “Lee” Lewis (forefront) and project manager John Collins are proud of “the Crestview Mix” that has gained attention of the FAA and military.

Photo by MARI~DARR WELCH

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RENDERING COURTESY CITY OF PANAMA CITY, DOWNTOWN MARINA AND CRA DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

BAY CORRIDOR

GETTING A FACELIFT An artist’s rendering of what a revamped Civic Park Plaza could look like — a step in rejuvenating the marina area.

A Hurdle Cleared Marina ownership stirs development talk in Panama City

By Steve Bornhoft

J

ason Oakes is a Realtor, a developer and a sometimes agitator. Summed up, he’s a dealmaker. Putting people, property and packages together — that’s what makes his blood course more quickly.

In all of that, he doesn’t often consider government to be his friend. On balance, he finds it to be a retardant, not a facilitator.

“Government doesn’t fix anything,” he said recently.

But Oakes is high on the City of Panama City right now, owing to two developments he considers to be highly significant and helpful.

First, after paying submerged land lease fees to the state for more than 50 years, the city has acquired ownership of the Panama City Marina and the St. Andrews Marina. Secondly, the city in

March pledged to leave unchanged for at least 10 years the development parameters that govern the Buccaneer Beach Motel property owned in part by Oakes.

The Buccaneer is a modest, tiring motel situated along 800-plus feet of bay-front property. The motel lounge features the prow of a ship complete with a figurehead so aged that one might believe it was harvested from an actual pirate vessel.

For now, the Buccaneer, as a function of its quaintness, location and affordability, performs well. But Oakes envisions that the property will be redeveloped soon as a condominium, a condotel, maybe a new motel.

“The city, by authorizing the development agreement, gave anyone who acquires the property certainty about height, density and setback

requirements,” Oakes enthused. “That’s a big deal. It makes the property more saleable and more valuable. By stepping up that way, the city commission advertised that, hey, we are open for business.”

The development agreement, for Oakes, brings to mind an ordinance — Number 713 — which stabilized development parameters throughout the City of Panama City Beach. That ordinance, he said, “had more to do with stimulating the development we saw on the beach in the early 2000s than anything else.”

Even as relaxed regulation is stimulating renewed private-sector consideration of possibilities, marina ownership has afforded city officials a chance to re-approach Panama City Marina redevelopment.

“We pretty much had a plan mapped out for the first phase of the downtown marina project,” said Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki. “But that plan assumed continued ownership by the state of our marinas. Now, we need to ask ourselves as city officials if we would have arrived at the same plan if we had known ownership was about to change.”

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The city had been paying the state $90,000 a year to lease 26 acres of submerged lands. And, because the marinas were owned by the state, related development had to conform to public purpose doctrine. A ship’s store, for example, was permitted at the Panama City Marina, but only to the extent that it served the existing public facility. (It couldn’t offer shoe shines or yoga classes.)

When the city concluded that bulkhead replacement at the marinas could no longer be postponed, it turned to the landlord to ask, “As the owner of the marina property, what are you willing to contribute to the project?”

The state agreed in response to waive lease fees for 25 years so that city could devote the savings to the project. At that, the city was encouraged. Things were wiggling a little bit.

So, officials researched archives and discovered to their satisfaction that the city was to have been the owners of the marinas all along.

They proceeded to build a case for presentation to the governor and Cabinet.

“We found ourselves in front of the right audience with the right argument,” Brudnicki said. “And we presented it correctly. The state — and I don’t say this just because we got what we wanted — was great to work with.

The State Lands people and the Department of Environmental Protection and the governor and the Cabinet officials — everybody involved was professional and they listened and they got what we were saying.”

The city received deeds to the marinas in exchange for $18,000 and change, which was determined to have been the value of the 26 acres in 1957 when the marina was first built. It stopped short of pressing for reimbursement for fees paid.

“We didn’t want to be greedy,” Brudnicki said.

Now, the city has prepared a request for development proposals (RFP). Respondents are called upon to: » Furnish proposals that would bring “substantial economic benefit” to downtown Panama City. » Provide for a balance between public access to water resources and private sector interests. » Demonstrate how a project would provide for complimentary architecture and a “dynamic destination for citizens and tourists.” » Ensure that the project would preserve or provide open vistas for marina waters.

The RFP states that a developer will be

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selected on the basis of qualifications and experience; financial capacity; project feasibility; development concepts; management team; and creativity. Work on the winner’s vision is likely to begin this year and to continue over a period of several years.

“It is sure to be carried out in phases,” Brudnicki said. “At this point, we don’t have a timeline.”

Brudnicki, peering out from the waterfront mayor’s office at Panama City Hall, freely admits that he enjoys the view of the bay, “but the place where you go to pay your water bill doesn’t have to be on the water and the city doesn’t need to be in the business of running marinas. What we need is a public-private partnership and marina ownership gives us an opportunity to do that.

“It may be that in terms of facilities a developer will come in and tell me that what we have is about as good as it’s gonna get. But I don’t anticipate that. I want to look at our waterfront property as an income-producing asset and create as many revenue streams as possible.”

The city has needs. Water lines need to be replaced. (“God knows how old they are,” Brudnicki said.) Roads need to be fixed. Parks need to be spruced up. But it’s hard, the mayor said, to call upon someone to pony up if he’s

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THIS IS PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF PANAMA CITY, DOWNTOWN MARINA

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

DYNAMIC living in a home so humble that it isn’t on DESTINATION the tax rolls.

With the city gaining ownership of the “We live in a tourist area, and we can marina, planners hope make ourselves more attractive to visitors to create a live, work, play environment. so that we benefit by more tourist dollars,” Brudnicki said. “We should have consumption taxes in place so that the lifelong residents of low-income neighborhoods like Millville or Glenwood finally benefit from living near the water.”

Panama City is in the process of adopting a bed tax, something it should have done decades ago in the mayor’s view. He points out that even tiny Mexico Beach has one.

Oakes is convinced that private-sector progress will mirror municipal progress. The city missed out, he notes, when BP was handing out millions to Gulf-front communities with tourist development councils and bed taxes.

“We’ve got developers who have been inactive for years who are ready to do stuff,” Oakes said. “We’ve got businesses that are ready to come off 23rd Street and recommit to downtown. We’ve got a mayor and commission who are pro-business, the city has money and its community redevelopment districts have money. All the ingredients are in place.

“City development and private development will go forward hand in hand.”

Dutch Sanger, executive director of Panama City’s Downtown Improvement Board, shares Oakes’s enthusiasm.

“A public-private partnership at the marinas will be a huge catalyst for the redevelopment of downtown,” Sanger said. “I see retail developments on the ground floors of downtown buildings and residences on upper floors. We want to create a live/work/play environment. Walk to the grocery store. Bicycle to work. We’re going to see more transient slips at the marinas, more activity, and everyone will benefit.”

The marina hurdle cleared, everything is on the table. Well, almost everything.

Brudnicki loves fish and fishing. Peacock bass in Costa Rica. Halibut the size of the hoods of cars in Alaska. Speckled trout in St. Andrews Bay. He dreamed once that Panama City might become home to a magnificent aquarium. But, he concedes after speaking with officials in five cities with aquarium attractions that it isn’t going to happen.

“Thirty or 40 million bucks to build an aquarium worth having,” Brudnicki said, shaking his head. “No way. Besides, we’ve got an aquarium right out there. We’ll put some fish-attracting structures in the water or maybe we’ll hem up some fish and people can dive in and see them. We gotta be smart about this stuff. We’ve only got one chance to do it right.”

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.

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The Last Word Last year: One out of every 10 Canadians visited Florida.

One-fourth of the 80,000 jobs provided by the 8,000 Spanish-owned companies operating in the U.S. were located in Florida. Foreign nationals spent $6.4 billion to purchase homes in Florida, with most of them paying in cash.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY KAY MEYER

Pretty staggering statistics that are evidence of Florida’s full-court press to help boost economic development by bringing foreign investment to our state — and the state’s attractiveness to outsiders in terms of lifestyle, weather and cost of living.

I learned so much at the recent Florida Chamber of Commerce’s International Days in Tallahassee that I have to share some of the information — even though it mostly affects areas outside of Northwest Florida.

The home purchases by foreign nationals are particularly interesting.

In 2011, the median home price in Florida was $131,000, according to Zola Szerencses, director of the international division of RE/MAX 200 Realty. By 2013, as the state came out of the Great Recession, the median price had jumped to $144,000. BUT, the median price paid by foreign nationals was $216,000 — 84 percent of the purchases were in cash, and they funneled $6.4 billion into our economy.

“Most foreign nationals don’t believe in debt,” Szerencses explained.

But most importantly? “The trend we see is that once they purchase real estate, they look to establish a business.”

And indeed they are. Florida ranks fifth in the nation in the number of majority foreign-owned firms. And those firms are providing employment for an estimated 224,000 Floridians. (Florida ranks sixth in employment by majority foreign-owned firms.)

Modern transportation and communication methods have made our state a Mecca for foreign nationals who want to visit, live or start a business here. New international flights are coming to our airports — mostly south of Gainesville, of course — and each time we get a new

flight, Visit Florida projects that it is worth $150 million to the state. The state even has a program, dubbed Air Team Florida, working to get more flights here from other countries.

In an interesting twist, the Jacksonville Jaguars have become an international economic development tool for their city — simply by agreeing to play an NFL game in London last October.

Mark Lamping, president of the Jaguars and the Fulham Football Club in London, said it became apparent early on that the more the team could help with jobs in Jacksonville, the more it would help sustain the franchise. Let’s face it, the more businesses and workers there are in Jacksonville, the more potential fans and revenue there are for the team.

“Jacksonville is one of the smallest markets in the NFL, and our challenge is to find new, creative sources of revenue,” he explained. Generally, a hometown crowd doesn’t want to lose one of its home games if its team decides to play overseas, but the Jacksonville community was supportive.

“Our goal was to use the large platform the NFL presents to allow us to talk about the opportunities for economic development and tourism in Jacksonville,” he said, adding that success will be judged by the number of jobs created.

Lamping said 1,000 jobs were brought back from that trip, a result of meeting with 20 British companies. And the team will make a return visit this fall, as will the Miami Dolphins.

So, if you hear a visitor with a German or British or Latin American accent while you’re out and about, give them some of what our region is famous for — a little Southern hospitality. You never know. They might end up buying a home. And then starting a business. And that’s a winwin for Northwest Florida.

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