850 Business Magazine Spring 2021 by Rowland Publishing, Inc.

TechFarms Investment Fund Backs Promising Startups Sachs Media Succeeds by Combining Enterprising Talent with Experience Schools Play Roles in Kickstarting Business Models

WAKULLA COUNTY EXPLORES INNOVATIVE METHODS TO MAXIMIZE HARVESTS

PENSACOLA DEMONSTRATES CAPACITY TO REBOUND Locally owned businesses tested by hurricane winds and a stubborn pandemic

Charge On Helping our clients achieve breakthrough outcomes for 25 years.

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850 Business Magazine

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850 Magazine Spring 202ı

IN THIS ISSUE

When the team at startup Chaos Audio introduced their concept for a programmable foot pedal for electronic instruments to Kelly Reeser and Steve Millaway at TechFarms Capital, Chaos was music to the investors’ ears.

850 FEATURES

PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER

Safe Places to Start Schools and programs related to entrepreneurship, like many palmetto plants, are surfacing throughout the 850 zone. Even middle and high schools are getting in on the action with their own entrepreneurship academies. The programs have this in common: They afford their students opportunities to explore the feasibility and viability of ideas in a nurturing, risk-free environment. Today, a growing number of program graduates are running successful businesses, including a media company and a producer of socks whose sales benefit homeless persons. By Karen Murphy

A Capital Idea Engineer and entrepreneur

Steve Millaway was much involved in the conversation when Gulf Coast State College drew up its Advanced Technology Center. He felt strongly that the center should include a business incubator, but the school ultimately decided to outfit it instead with culinary arts facilities. Someone suggested that Millaway start his own incubator, and he did, later pairing it with a capital investment fund. To hear him and co-fund director Kelly Reeser talk, they are having the time of their lives.

By Steve Bornhoft

n the Cover: Community development requires a team effort involving key stakeholders and, ultimately, buy-in from the O community as a whole. In Pensacola and West Florida, D.C. Reeves, at left, and Scott Luth help bring such cooperation about. Reeves is an entrepreneur, the treasurer at Visit Pensacola and the chief of staff at the Studer Family of Companies. Luth is the CEO at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. Photo by Blake Jones

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IN THIS ISSUE SPECIAL REPORTS 15 Escambia County Business Journal REMOTE FROM HERE

16 Scott Luth and his team at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance have been pleased to see schools in their area roll out curriculum that relates to jobs of the future. At the same, they are working to attract cybersecurity professionals from around the country who have the capacity to work from anywhere.

DOWNTOWN’S UPS AND DOWNS

18 Pensacola businessman and philanthropist Quint Studer believes that downtowns will rebound from the pandemic, but individual business owners will struggle to hold on long enough to be part of the comeback. Owners have cut staffing and costs but at some point may run out of cash and be unable to pay the rent anymore.

UWF EMERGES AS LEADER

26 The National Security Agency, in October of last year, awarded a $6 million cybersecurity workforce development grant to the University of West Florida, which has been selected to lead a coalition of 10 colleges and universities in efforts to address a critical workforce shortage.

CRITICAL CONNECTION

28 The Port of Pensacola has been a key player in Pensacola’s business infrastructure, connecting with CSX rail lines, Interstate 10 and the international airport to distribute a variety of products for companies, including GE Wind Systems, International Paper and Georgia Pacific.

Promotions

10 From the Publisher 72 Sound Bytes 74 The Last Word from the Editor

DEAL ESTATE

Corridors BREAKING THROUGH

60 Driven by youthful energy and informed by careful research, the closely knit team at awardwinning Sachs Media harnesses the power of communication to promote awareness of issues, bring about positive change in the world and produce optimal outcomes for their clients.

REGIONAL APPROACH

66 Installed in 2020 as the president and CEO of Florida’s Great Northwest, Jennifer Conoley promotes a 12-county area as a top location for business, advocates for policies that encourage economic development and collaborates across the region to address issues that affect the area’s attractiveness to companies.

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68 Now on the market is a new, 24,000-square-foot office space located near Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Available for lease, it offers aggressive tenant improvement packages and lots of parking.

NICHE PRODUCTS

70 Rowland Publishing helps clients reach their target audience with strategically tailored publications. For many years, it has worked with Visit Panama City Beach to produce and continuously update a visitor’s guide that has helped people plan some of the most memorable days of their lives.

Inside Escambia County Business Journal

TRUSTED BUILDER

30 Led by Ricard Dodd, whose construction career spans 37 years, the ReliantSouth Construction Group is a versatile and reliable full-service commercial general contractor and construction management firm. Given its track record, ReliantSouth was selected by Bay District Schools to build a $37 million elementary school on Panama City Beach.

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ALONG CAME SALLY

32 Pensacola bridges sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Sally. The Bob Sikes Toll Bridge was destabilized due to erosion caused by the storm, and a temporary 5-mile-per-hour speed limit was imposed to reduce vibration. Far worse was damage to the Pensacola Bay Bridge.

HAVEN FOR RETIREES

34 In 2018, Where to Retire magazine featured Pensacola on its cover and ran a highly complimentary profile of the city. U.S. News and World Report has listed Pensacola as one of the top 25 places to retire in the United States. How so? Mayor Grover Robinson says it has to do with the city weather, waterfront and wonderful culture.

49 Wakulla County Special Report OYSTER CULTURE

50 Aquaculturists are a resilient lot, as they must be, to cope with the capriciousness of nature and the marketplace. The oyster companies pulling through the pandemic — however battered — are those that adapted quickly, many by emphasizing direct-to-consumer sales.

ENVIRONMENTAL ED

54 Bob Ballard, the executive director of the Wakulla Environmental Institute, always has possibilities cooking in his brain that aren’t ready for prime time. But whatever program he hopes to make real must hold the promise of gainful employment for students.

PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER (66)

In This Issue

Paradise is coming

TO THE EMERALD COAST

YOUR DREAM IS CLOSER THAN EVER AT LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE WATERSOUND – COMING SOON! Sunshine and cool breezes. Palm trees and margaritas. Welcome to Latitude Margaritaville, a 55-and-better community inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, built on food, fun, music and escapism. Escape to the place where fun and relaxation meet. Escape to island-inspired living as you grow older, but not up. Escape to Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, coming soon to the Emerald Coast on Florida’s Panhandle. New Homes from the $200s

Join the Paradise Club for the latest news and updates: LatitudeMargaritaville.com (866) 223-6780 Located on the Emerald Coast on Florida’s Panhandle

Opening Spring 2021

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THE OFFERINGS. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required and has not been completed. The facilities and amenities described are proposed but not yet constructed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. ©Minto Communities, LLC 2021. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored, or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. Latitude Margaritaville and the Latitude Margaritaville logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license. Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. St. Joe and the St. Joe logo are trademarks of The St. Joe Company and are used under license. CGC 1519880/CGC 120919. 2021

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2021

Spring 2021

850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Vol. 13, No. 3

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Price CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Laz Aleman, Hannah Burke, Bob Ferrante, Karen Murphy, Thomas J. Monigan, Rebecca Padgett CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Lindsey Masterson SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Shruti Shah PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Jordan Harrison GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Barfield, Mike Fender, Scott Holstein, Blake Jones, Erich Martin, Saige Roberts, Alex Workman

IT’S YOUR

BUSINESS Tell Your Story Your Way

Rowland Publishing specializes in high-quality magazine and book production. We offer full-service turnkey solutions and custom-built programs tailored specifically to your publishing needs. Our services include design, illustration, photography, writing, editing, and print and distribution management. Contact us when you’re ready to discuss your next project. BOOKS • CATALOGS • ANNUAL REPORTS • MAGAZINES

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SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker AD SERVICES COORDINATOR Tracy Mulligan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES David Doll, Julie Dorr, Darla Harrison MARKETING MANAGER Kate Pierson SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden ADMINISTRATIVE & CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST Renee Johnson OPERATIONS CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Amber Dennard DIGITAL SERVICES DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com SUBSCRIPTIONS A one-year (4 issues) subscription is $20. To purchase, call (850) 878-0554 or go online to 850businessmagazine.com. Single copies are $4.95 and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Pensacola, Panama City and at our Tallahassee office.

850 Magazine is published quarterly 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 March 2021 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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The funds can be equipment financing ndustry owner logistics location distribution cut red tape acreage electricity aviation used to provide abatement and utilization of transpor results implementation workforce manufacturing zoning connection certification industry lo of property taxes, support statutory tax distribution electricityneeds certification zoning connectio infrastructure — such results workforce manufacturing experience efficiencies to reduce selection as cut red tape industry skill transportation electricity results development access tax pers buildings, roadways, rail short- and long-term water acreage owner logistics workforce elec spurs, utilities and more — population location distribution skill industry capital costs. transportation certification results manufacturing cut red tape experience zoning connection lo and to develop workforce mplementation liaison aviation permitting skill population aviation incentives development expe training programs. water access site selection trained personnel gas acreage ownership logistics workforce cut red ocation industry transportation results labor certification water distribution manufacturing elec connection location zoning experience aviation implementation telecom permitting develop Santa transportation Rosa Countyincentives expediting access liaison personnel gas acreage o skill population ogistics electricity workforce manufacturing zoning logistics population location distribution ind Aggressive Incentives transportation electricity results certification workforce manufacturing cut red tape experience z Companies in target industries can also qualify for connection location implementation liaison permitting several local programs to offset the costs of training new aviation skill population aviation ince development expediting water site access trained personnel gas acreage ownership lo or existing team members, get selection rebates on property and workforce cut red tape location industry transportation electricity results certification labor ad valorem taxes, and purchase industrial property at a distribution manufacturing connection location discount. There are alsozoning breaks on sales and use taxes forexperience logistics implementation te iaison taxequipment development permitting skill incentives population transportation development expe and electricity. access site selection access trained certification gas acreage owner water site selection access tr personnel results industry owner logistics location distribution cut red tape acreage electricity av transportation results implementation workforce manufacturing zoning connection certific ndustry location distribution electricity certification results workforce manufacturing expe Find out how Rosacut County can industry sweeten skill transportation electricity results develop zoning connection siteSanta selection red tape access tax personnel water your bottom line. Giveacreage us a call owner today. logistics population location distribution skill ind workforce electricity transportation certification results manufacturing cut red tape experience z connection location implementation liaison aviation permitting skill population aviation ince Contact Shannon Ogletree today. development expediting water access site selection trained personnel gas acreage ownership lo (850) 623-0174 • shannon@santarosa.fl.gov workforce cut red tape location industry transportation results labor certification water distrib or visit SantaRosaEDO.com manufacturing electricity connection location zoning experience aviation implementation te 850 Business Magazine | SPRING 2021 | 9 permitting development skill population transportation incentives expediting access liaison pers

Santa Rosa County hits the incentive sweet spot for aviation and aerospace companies.

From the Publisher

Entrepreneurial Spirit Early hustles foretold a career in business

When I was a teenager, my best friend Ned and I conspired most every Saturday to find ways to earn extra money so we could live large at the movie theater. I came up with our schemes, and Ned helped me execute the plans and keep track of our earnings.

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In the past year, Steve Roden, the CEO of Guy Harvey Enterprises, approached me. He was looking for someone to take over Guy Harvey Magazine and develop a marketing campaign to attract global businesses willing to align their brands with his. That relationship has stoked my entrepreneurial fire, and I find myself back on the front lines of sales again. When RPI got involved with Guy Harvey Magazine, we had a sales goal of $ı5,000 to hit for our first edition. We sailed past that figure to $ıı5,000. Now, we are developing a new program that will yield significant dollars in support of the Guy Harvey Foundation’s marine research and ocean conservation efforts, and we’re having a lot of fun doing so. Ned’s grandmother was right. She saw a serial entrepreneur in the making, someone whose biggest compulsion is developing success and whose biggest phobia is failure. I am happy doing what I love to do, and with Guy Harvey on the line, I have lots of spectacular fishing trips to look forward to. Thanks, Ned, for having been a great partner. And thank you, Rowland Publishing team, for your commitment to excellence. Dream big,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

During the holiday season, he and I would gather mistletoe, package it and sell it for a buck a bunch while standing in front of a Publix grocery store. During the summer, we would canvas the neighborhood looking for folks who would pay us $3 to mow their lawn or $2 to wash their car. Always, we were collecting soft drink bottles and turning them in for the 2-cent deposit on each. Given those income streams, we went to the movies most every weekend and enjoyed whatever we wanted from the concession counter. At the time, I had no awareness that I was a businessman and entrepreneur in the making. There was a time when I had my sights set on becoming a doctor. Ned’s grandmother was a retired small-business owner from Chicago. She always supported our entrepreneurial inclinations. When I shared with her my interest in going into medicine, she responded immediately by telling me that I would find my future in sales. Ned became a certified public accountant. Meanwhile, my med school ambitions were derailed by a course in organic chemistry. I just wasn’t wired to think in three dimensions. Flash forward a decade or so. I had discovered a passion for media development and, as Ned’s grandma had predicted, for sales. I seized an opportunity to acquire Tallahassee Magazine and to establish Rowland Publishing. Over the last 30 years, RPI has grown to become the publisher of 30 titles and has produced dozens of book projects. I am pleased to be part of a team of publishing professionals who massage and polish all that we do, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of writing and design work. Our business continues to discover and embrace opportunities.

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READY, SET, GO! Open an account at campuscu.com/free-checking Call 894-9098 and press 5 Curbside Service available at your local CAMPUS Service Center. Killearn 1511 Killearn Center Blvd. | Governor’s Crossing 101 N. Blair Stone Rd. | Mahan Village 3122 Mahan Dr.

Membership is open to anyone in Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Madison, and Wakulla counties.3 May not be combined with any other offer. Offer subject to change without notice. One bonus per household. Offer is not available to members with an existing CAMPUS checking account. 1. Credit approval and initial $50 opening deposit required. Member must elect to receive eDocuments. 2. Within the first 60 days, member must use their debit card as a non-PIN based transaction (online purchase, contactless purchase, or swiping your debit card without using a PIN) at least 6 times within 60 days. If requirements are met and the account remains open after 60 days, the $150 reward will be made available to the member. $150 is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. 3. Credit approval and initial $5 deposit required. Insured by the NCUA.

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» Deal Estate

Browse residential and commercial real estate opportunities, recently sold properties and dreamy second homes, sponsored by Beck Properties.

» The Latest News

Stay up to date with local stories and reports about local business events, happenings and gatherings across Northwest Florida.

CLASS OF 2020 Rowland Publishing and 850 Magazine honored 12 accomplished women with Pinnacle Awards in October.

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LET’S NETWORK!

AIR FORCE CONTRACTING SUMMIT RECAP The Defense Leadership Forum conducted its annual Air Force Contracting Summit on Feb. 8 and 9 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. The event attracted 350 live attendees and another 350 who participated virtually. Featured were speakers who addressed both big-picture trends affecting Air Force budgets and priorities and the latest details regarding Air Force procurement policies and procedures — many of them designed to attract nontraditional contractors and to speed up contract and agreement awards. 850BusinessMagazine.com/air-force-contracting-summit 12

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Find 850 Business Magazine on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You’ll also find Rowland Publishing on LinkedIn, where you can join the 850 Business Group for conversations with fellow readers. LinkedIn: Rowland Publishing and 850 Business Magazine pages, and the 850 Business Magazine Group Twitter: @850BizMag Facebook: 850 - The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida Instagram: 850bizmag

PHOTOS BY ALEX WORKMAN (PINNACLE AWARDS) AND COURTESY OF AIR FORCE CONTRACTING SUMMIT

Do you know a businesswoman of importance and integrity who is making her community a better place? 850 Business Magazine is currently accepting nominations for its Pinnacle Awards program. Nominations are due by April 30 and may be submitted online at 850BusinessMagazine.com/pinnacle-awards.

Guy Harvey’s

at Tropic Star Lodge Twenty-five anglers will have the opportunity to join Guy and Jessica Harvey on a 5 day/5 night VIP experience at the world famous Tropic Star Lodge in Piñas Bay, Panama.

Proceeds from this singular event will go to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to support its marine conservation and research initiatives. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that the cost of participation in the adventure will be tax deductible to you.

Total Cost: $6,800 ■

Five day/five night all-inclusive stay at Tropic Star Lodge.

■

Five people each day will fish with Guy Harvey.

■

Four people each day will fish with Jessica Harvey and with a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.

■

Two drinks per day and wine at dinner.

■

Personalized 30-minute video of your adventure.

■

Breakfast/lunch and happy hour snacks.

■

Lodging at Tropic Star, double occupancy.

■

During the week, Guy will paint an original piece to be auctioned off on the last night.

■

Two private “arrival” and “departure” cocktail parties at Tropic Star’s mountaintop Palace.

■

Additional fishing days will be standard trips on a Tropic Star boat with captain and a mate.

■

A personalized Guy Harvey print for each angler.

■

Welcome bag with Guy Harvey Tropic Star clothing and souvenir items.

Round trip air charter from Panama City to Piñas Bay.

■

Lifetime subscription to Guy Harvey Magazine.

Ground transportation from airport to hotel and domestic/international airport.

■

Lifetime membership in the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Hammerhead Club.

■

Private dinners each night with Guy, Jessica Harvey and a scientist from Guy Harvey Enterprises.

VIP greeting by Tropic Star representative as you depart your flight and personal support while going through customs. While waiting for transfer, admission to airport VIP lounge pending COVID restrictions.

For available expedition dates, contact browland@GuyHarvey.com

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2021

ARE YOU READY FOR WILDFIRE? In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, there is still a threat to life, homes, and our communities – a wildfire threat. 2.8 million acres of trees (more than 2.1 million football fields) were destroyed during the storm and much remains on the ground today, ready to burn. You must be ready for wildfire.

It’s not about if a wildfire will ignite but when. Protect your life, home, and community, visit:

BeWildﬁreReadyFL.com 14

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THE CYBER COAST

2021 Escambia County Business Journal AN 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | DOWNTOWN AND QUINT STUDER | UWF PORT OF PENSACOLA | HURRICANE SALLY RECOVERY | RETIREES

PHOTOS BY BLAKE JONES (REEVES AND LUTH) AND COURTESY OF CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA AND PORT OF PENSACOLA

850 Business Magazine

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Escambia County Business Journal SPEC I A L R EPORT

TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY FloridaWest reaches out to mobile cybersecurity professionals BY STEVE BORNHOFT

n the economic development business, “targets of opportunity” as Scott Luth likes to call them, don’t stand still. They change and come and go in response to market forces, innovation and local, national and global events and trends. Luth, the longtime CEO at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, also has found that narrowly targeted prospecting efforts succeed better than broad spectrum ones. Those considerations were very much in play when FloridaWest began focusing attention on cybersecurity as a source of jobs in 20ı5. “It’s a growth opportunity that complements the military presence here,” Luth said. “Pensacola is known, of course, as the ‘Cradle of Naval Aviation’ and as the home of the Blue Angels, but less well known is the fact that we are the cradle of cybersecurity. Early cryptology

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was taking place here back in the early ı950s, work that was the predecessor to modern-day cybersecurity efforts.” Through recent years, FloridaWest has been instrumental in making Pensacola the capital of the “Cybercoast.” Cybersecurity businesses rely on talent, and for that reason, Luth has been pleased to see schools at all levels in Escambia County add curriculum and programs that will produce the kind of highly skilled employees those companies require. He cited cybersecurity academies in K-ı2 schools, the cyber program at the George Stone Technical School, construction of a new science/ technology building at Pensacola State College and the heralded Center for Cybersecurity at the University of West Florida. Pensacola and Escambia County, then, are “growing their own” even as Luth & Co. work to attract established cybersecurity professionals

from around the country to the area. In that connection, FloridaWest has launched a website, cybercoastflorida.com, and is embarking on a “Remote from Here” campaign that appeals to people with the capacity to work from anywhere. “The campaign has three targets,” explained Sena Maddison, the communications director at FloridaWest. “We think of it as ‘Bring Your Laptop, Bring Your Dog, Bring Your Company.’ ” That is, someone with a job in cybersecurity and living in a cold, expensive locale might be tempted to move to Pensacola and work with the soothing sound of a lightly crashing surf in the background. “If you don’t have a job, there are a lot of great companies hiring here, so just bring your dog and we will find you a job,” Maddison said, adding that FloridaWest has created an express lane for people with security clearances because they are in such high demand. “Or

ST Engineering, an aviation contractor already underway offering maintenance, repair and overhaul services, is proceeding to add a new hangar at the Pensacola airport.

PHOTOS BY BLAKE JONES (SCOTT LUTH) AND COURTESY OF ST ENGINEERING

Scott Luth, executive director of the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, was prepared for a dropoff in inquiries but found that he was busier in 2020 than he had been in years.

move your company. You may be tired of high taxes and the business climate elsewhere.” “The military drives our economy and second comes tourism, but one is susceptible to the federal budget and the other is susceptible to Mother Nature,” Luth said. “The sectors in our market that are most resilient are manufacturing and cyber-information technologies.” Luth listed Washington, D.C., the West Coast and, close to home, Hunstville, Alabama, as targets of opportunity for the “Remote from Here” initiative. To the extent that it succeeds, Pensacola will have added to its cyber talent pool and, said Maddison, “these are the kind of people who are entrepreneurial and will start their own companies. We are working with hoteliers and Visit Pensacola to bring them here so they can enjoy the experience of working remotely for a couple of days from the beach.”

Luth noted that cybersecurity businesses “are not capital intensive like a manufacturing plant; most of them are very nimble and flexible. They can pick up and move relatively readily.”

Healthy pipeline Luth said that despite the pandemic, FloridaWest was busier in 2020 and lately than it had been for years. “We have worked lots of opportunities and projects, and some of them are close to a final announcement,” he said. “They are across the board from agri-business to high tech, aviation and cybersecurity. It’s a really good cross-section of industries that are interested in expansion and relocation. And, we’ve got startups coming out of our small business incubator.” Hurricane Sally tore the roof off CO:LAB Pensacola, FloridaWest’s incubator and growth accelerator, which is supported by Pensacola State College. As a result, some

tenants graduated early. Repairs to the facility were expected to be complete in March, Luth said in December. A recent graduate, EBI Management Group, Inc., has distinguished itself, having been selected as one of 50 businesses named to the 2020 GrowFL Companies to Watch list. The honor recognizes second-stage Florida companies that are growing and diversifying the state’s economy. EBI Management Group is a servicedisabled veteran-owned business. A certified professional services company, it specializes in helping the federal government and private businesses succeed by providing enterprise business intelligence. Generally, Luth’s outlook is positive. He noted ongoing expansion by the aerospace contractor ST Engineering at the Pensacola airport and by the Navy Federal Credit Union, in addition to his strong pipeline. “We are looking to attract people to town who will embrace the community when they get here and find their passion,” Luth said. “If your thing is paddleboarding at sunrise, we probably have a group that does that.”

850 Business Magazine

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Escambia County Business Journal SPEC I A L R EPORT

ADAPTABLE VISIONARY When the world slowed down, Quint Studer sought to strengthen emotional connections BY STEVE BORNHOFT

don’t know when things may go back to normal. Hopelessness is creeping in. It’s almost a definition of trauma.” Locating an entity’s or a person’s position on a stresstrauma continuum is important, Studer said, “because if you don’t assess a problem correctly, you can’t treat it correctly.” In Studer’s book, Building a Vibrant Community, published in 2018, he identified keys to creating a thriving downtown: a program of events that lead people to visit central business districts; restaurants and retail establishments; commercial real estate; and residential developments. The COVID-19 pandemic has had impacts on all four of those areas. On his 1-10 scale, with 1 being minimal stress and 10 being trauma of crisis proportions, Studer said downtowns are “probably an 8.” “Most downtowns are filled with locally owned businesses without the deep pockets of a franchise organization,” Studer noted. “Franchise restaurants tend to be on major thoroughfares, and most of them have drive-thrus. If you’re on busy streets, you can probably handle the COVID pandemic a little better.” To the extent that the pandemic has canceled events and diminished foot traffic, downtown businesses have suffered. “Retail is really taking a hit,” Studer said. “People are getting in the habit of ordering everything online. I read an interview in the Wall Street Journal with a man who, since COVID, has not gone to a grocery store. Everything he has purchased, he got online.” Or may have had delivered. Threatened by online shopping when it was new, retailers responded by improving customer service and the shopping experience.

The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive — Being a great leader means getting the fundamentals right. It also means consistently doing the “little things” that make a positive difference in the lives of employees, customers and other stakeholders. The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive is a practical, easy-to-use book filled with gentle reminders of what we should be doing every day — especially when work is at its most intense.

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Businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author and teacher Quint Studer says it’s important for businesses dealing with pandemic-induced downturns to maintain relationships with customers by reaching out and shoring up “emotional bank accounts.” That may be especially important for hard-hit retailers that rely on foot traffic in their battles with online merchants.

PHOTO COURTESY OF QUINT STUDER

uint Studer is a community steward. And a visionary, entrepreneurial businessman who is good about sharing what he knows. To all that he does, he applies a knack for breaking down seemingly complex challenges, believing that there is a lot you can do if you “just reduce an issue to its essence.” He’s a great bullet-list maker. A Wisconsin native, he presents solutions to problems — with a voice that would not be out of place exiting a beer truck driver in Milwaukee — in a manner that is easily understood and retained. As a teacher — Studer is the entrepreneur-inresidence at the University of West Florida — he employs lots of anecdotes. Engage him in conversation for a time, and you are sure to come away with stories you will want to share with others. Of late, Studer has developed a 1-10 scale, patterned after the pain level scales given to hospital patients, that businesses may use in determining whether and to what extent they are experiencing stress or, worse, trauma. For Studer, trauma is more than extreme stress. It’s a different animal. Stress, he said, tends to be short-term. A person, business or organization may ride it out and snap back, achieving a return to normalcy. In cases of trauma, “normalcy” may not be recoverable. Roles may have changed irretrievably. Jobs may have been lost permanently. Market niches may have evaporated. Consider university faculty, Studer suggested. “Their students don’t report to classrooms like they used to,” Studer said in December. “Instruction is virtual and involves new technology. Enrollment is declining and school revenue is going down. They

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“But online players have gotten pretty good with experience,” Studer said. “When I order something online, the receipt of my order is confirmed, a tracking number is assigned, they tell me when I can expect delivery and they update the progress of my package along the way to my door. Retailers are going to have to elevate their game again.” The emotional toll, too, has been greater on locally owned small businesses than franchise operations, Studer suggested. “It’s a lot easier for someone to lay off employees when he is not used to seeing them and doesn’t know their families and is sitting in a corporate headquarters somewhere,” Studer pointed out. “When you’re downtown and you’re running a small business, my gosh, you know these families. You know the kids. You can’t say it’s not up to me. Emotionally, it’s extremely, extremely hard for some of these business owners.” Studer is confident that downtowns will rebound, “but the question for the individual business owner is whether they can last long enough to be part of the comeback.” It’s hard to know. “I think businesses are closing down because even though owners have cut back on staffing and are working their businesses themselves all the time, they get to the point where they run out of cash and can’t pay the rent anymore,” Studer observed. The pandemic has reminded businesses that

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they need to be able as circumstances dictate to quickly pivot and change their business model. Such preparedness may require investments in technology so that a retailer, for example, can shift from in-store to online sales. Always, Studer said, businesses should make it a point to maintain contact with customers. “The Blue Wahoos did not have a season in 2020,” said Studer, who is the majority owner of Pensacola’s Double-A minor league baseball team. “But we have season ticket holders and have tried to come up with regular ways to communicate with them — if you don’t stay in front of your customer, they forget about you. You can’t afford to disappear in a hole.” Studer further recommends that businesses connect with employees and customers by “building their emotional bank accounts.” He offered an example. “At the Studer Family of Companies and the Studer Community Institute, we deal with maybe 10 banks. I got a holiday gift basket delivered to my house by Hancock Whitney Bank, and every item in it was from a local store. That took a lot of work. They could have gone to an outside vendor and just ordered something. “Today, I am feeling very good about Hancock Bank. If somebody came to me today and tried to talk me out of my relationship with them, I wouldn’t budge. They built up their emotional bank account with me.” For multiple reasons, Studer encourages people to patronize locally owned businesses.

“When I first got into baseball,” he said, “I visited some companies whose market leader was local. I would try to sell them a $1,500 sponsorship, and they would say to me, ‘Quint, I’ve got to go to corporate to get permission,’ whereas you can go to a local business owner and he’ll turn that thing around. Plus, his accountant is local, his attorney is local.” The pandemic has ushered in lifestyle and workstyle changes that to an unknown extent will remain permanent. The lessors of commercial real estate and residential units will need to adjust accordingly, but downtown, Studer is confident, will retain its appeal. “People still want to live downtown.” He said. “They want to walk and ride a bicycle instead of sitting in traffic. The hottest market is downtown real estate.” But floor plan preferences have rapidly changed. Studer found that when he developed the Southtowne and Savoy Place apartments in Pensacola, units with two bathrooms and two bedrooms were initially the most popular. Versus each renting a studio apartment, roommates could save money by renting a twobedroom unit and splitting the rent. “But with COVID, everyone wants to live alone in a unit with one bedroom and one bath,” Studer said. “They are willing to pay an extra few hundred dollars for health security and safety.” Owners of commercial office space, Studer said, will have to work creatively with their tenants and be prepared to accept less rent per square foot. The pandemic has dampened enthusiasm for co-work spaces, in particular. “It’s no longer sexy to sit at a big table with everyone,” Studer said.

Though I walk through the valley Studer described a challenging stage in the life cycle of a business and then applied it to the nation as a whole. “In business, you start a business and you’re excited and then, all of a sudden, you realize that it’s going to be harder than you thought,” Studer said. “You hit that valley of despair. “Our country has been in a valley of despair with COVID. It’s going to be a while, but didn’t we all feel a little bit better with the arrival of vaccines? I watched a nurse get a vaccine at a hospital in New York, and somehow I felt better. We will come out of this, but that doesn’t mean people are going to go back to their old habits. Old habits are called old habits because they’re old. New habits — shopping online, eating in more, working virtually — they will hurt the local economy.”

Photography by BLAKE JONES

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA TREND (CIVICCON)

A favorable climate and the opportunity to dine outdoors have minimized to a degree the impact of the pandemic on Pensacola versus downtowns farther north.

As chief of staff for Quint Studer at the Studer Family of Companies, D.C. Reeves coordinates activities including CivicCon, which stimulates conversation about community issues — even when it has to be conducted virtually.

Raising the civic IQ

Undeterred, the Studer Community Institute (SCI), a nonprofit dedicated to “improving the quality of life for everyone in our community, creating a vibrant place to live, work and play,” is focused in three areas, Studer said.

Early development The institute is working to ensure that all new mothers in Escambia County see a tutorial on early brain development before they leave the hospital. At this writing, about 60% of moms are viewing the video.

In addition, Studer encourages new mothers to sign up for the Boston Basics program provided by Harvard University. That program, for $6 a month, provides parents with regular updates via text messages that list behaviors and skills that a child should be exhibiting at a given age. “The tutorial and the text messages are key,” Studer said. “We’re turning the dial on building child’s brains. If I had a billion dollars to spend, I’d use it to expand throughout the country what we’re doing in Escambia County.”

In 2017, SCI and the Pensacola News Journal combined to launch CivicCon, a series of speaker events designed to bring about an informed public engaged in community conversation. As of the end of 2020, 37 CivicCon events had been held, addressing topics that included fiscal responsibility, social equity and diversity, historic preservation and the benefits of a walkable and bicycle-friendly community. Livestream audiences in the latter half of 2020 averaged more than 12,000 views per event. Due to the pandemic in 2020, only one event was held at a public venue. All the other events were on virtual platforms. “When we did our events in person, the strongest Republican and the strongest Democrat would sit next to each other and agree on parking, walkability or the importance of quality education,” Studer said. “Our pie is only so big, and we’re all in this together.” An informed public benefits the official who is making good decisions, Studer said, because it understands and supports the basis for the action. “And the politician who may not be making the right decision is challenged by a community that asks good questions: Why are we adding traffic? Why aren’t we shrinking our lanes and adding more amenities where people live?”

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Stress vs.

Trauma Qualities of Stress Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry or nervous.

Economic development The strengthening of local businesses, for Studer, is the foundation of economic development. “It’s not all shovel-ready land and incentives,” Studer said. “Those are questionable at times. They can be good, but they can be bad. We want to help businesses develop the skills they need to be successful. Business owners don’t lack passion, but many have not had the experience of running a company. They have never hired anyone, so the first person they hire is their cousin, and it’s a bad hire. They don’t know how to withhold the right amount of taxes or how to negotiate a lease.” EntreCon, SCI’s annual skill-building business and leadership conference, has helped hundreds of businesses that are quietly adding jobs without ribbon-cuttings or other fanfare. “If you add up the jobs that result from growing your own, it far surpasses the jobs that come from bringing someone in from the outside,” Studer said.

Marlins affiliate Owing to the consolidation and reorganization of the minor leagues by Major League Baseball, the Wahoos are newly an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, whose owners include club CEO Derek Jeter and basketball great Michael Jordan. Don Mattingly manages the team. Studer said he will miss the relationship that the Wahoos had with the Minnesota Twins, but looks forward to working with the Marlins whom he sees as a good fit for the Wahoos in terms of company culture.

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“We are very much into diversity and inclusion, and the Marlins were the first major league team to hire a woman (Kim Ng) as their general manager,” Studer noted. Too, Wahoos co-owner and professional golfer Bubba Watson is an admirer of Mattingly. “In 2016, the Wahoos won the Bob Frietas award as the best Double-A team, and we had Bubba, go to baseball’s winter meetings to accept the award,” Studer recalled. “Mattingly is a lefty like Bubba, and Bubba’s father all but wanted his son to be Don Mattingly. “It was the year that the Cubs had won the World Series, and Cubs president Theo Epstein was on the stage with Bubba and other minor league owners who were there to receive awards. Arrangements had been made for Bubba to spend some time with Mattingly, and he had been excited to meet him. Then, when Epstein was called to the microphone, the first thing he said was how thrilled he was to be sitting with twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson.” Watson, said Studer, has done a good job giving the Wahoos a national presence. Studer anticipates that the start of the 2021 minor league season will be delayed to May or early June. “But you have to prepare like it is going to start on schedule,” Studer said. Preparation. Recall that it’s one of Studer’s keys to success. Might Studer have advice for even the likes of Jordan and Jeter about how to lead a major league ball club? All they need do is ask.

Many times, people don’t know how to handle stress, so it worsens. Stress may be life-changing.

Qualities of Organizational Trauma Breaking down of communication Breaking down of trust Diminished productivity Workers feel powerless Workers feel hopeless Shake up in roles and responsibilities Sense of loss Source: Studer Community Institute

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARLINS

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, recently affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, are now part of the Miami Marlins organization. Majority owner Quint Studer says that the Wahoos and Marlins share a commitment to diversity.

Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.

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CYBER-HELP WANTED UWF’s Dr. Eman El-Sheikh leads effort to fill critical jobs BY STEVE BORNHOFT

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he National Security Agency, in October of last year, awarded a $6 million cybersecurity workforce development grant to the University of West Florida, which has been selected to lead a coalition of ı0 colleges and universities in efforts to address a critical workforce shortage. “In the United States, we have more than 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs,” Dr. Eman El-Sheikh said in November, “and ı,500 of those openings are here in Northwest Florida. We can’t hope to fill those jobs by focusing solely on academic degree pathways.” UWF’s Center for Cybersecurity, which UWF associate vice president El-Sheikh leads, began blazing other trails years ago when it established its Cybersecurity for All program, whose mission includes up-skilling and re-skilling individuals for cybersecurity jobs. While other schools were more timid, UWF “took an innovative, bold approach to developing workforce programs, and the NSA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

Associate vice president Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, the director of the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and a professor in the Department of Computer Science, is playing a role in providing the Emerald Coast with a second identity: Cyber Coast. She is pictured here with students Justin Fruitticher and Caroline Krause.

grant recognizes our leadership in that area,” El-Sheikh said. “The grant is a huge opportunity for Northwest Florida and a huge honor and responsibility for UWF.” The development of a national cybersecurity workforce program will particularly involve recruiting military veterans — and military personnel and first responders in transition — and preparing them to take on cybersecurity roles. “Many institutions would rather stay in the comfort zone of academic degree programs,” said El-Sheikh, who credits UWF president Martha Saunders with leading the school to do more.

“We were interested at UWF in having a bigger impact through strategic partnerships and innovation. We have been willing to do things that involved risk and were experimental, but somebody’s got to go there if we are to stay ahead of threats.” UWF Center for Cybersecurity extracampus activities have included a partnership with the state Department of Management Services whereby it provided cyber-training across all state agencies. The center has worked with elections officials statewide and has conducted cybersecurity camps, funded by the NSA, for students and adults. Via its Cybersecurity Ambassadors Program, it sends top UWF students into the community to promote awareness of cybersecurity issues and the need for good cyber-hygiene. “Threats to cybersecurity grow in numbers and complexity daily,” El-Sheikh said. “The pandemic has created new vulnerabilities because so many people have transitioned to working and learning remotely. Employees may access confidential data or networks without secure connections or may not have a secure network environment at their home.” El-Sheikh said high-speed evolution in the way we communicate and interact with schools and workplaces will bring about permanent parts of a new normal. That, she said, makes creating more secure cyber-environments and communities imperative. About that work there is relentless urgency. “We don’t have time to reinvent the wheel, so we seek out and develop strategic partnerships that will spur innovation,” El-Sheikh said. “We are moving fast, but so are our adversaries. The new tools and technologies that we are employing, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, they, too, are employing.” A popular perception to the contrary, cybersecurity jobs are not limited to coding alone at a computer. Cybersecurity, El-Sheikh said, is a team sport that relies on skills such as communication, problem-

solving and critical thinking that are important to many fields of endeavor. Many of the ı,500 Northwest Florida job openings are tied to the region’s military installations, but important cybersecurity work is also taking place in the private sector. El-Sheikh cited as an example work ongoing at the Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola. There are openings for programmers, vulnerability and intelligence analysts, and security managers and administrators. Among cybersecurity students at UWF, many take advantage of the Cybercorps Scholarship for Service program that awards scholarships plus stipends to students in exchange for commitments to work post-graduation for a federal government agency. Born in Egypt to educator parents, El-Sheikh grew up substantially in Michigan. She earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in computer science at Michigan State University. She is passionate about leading other women to consider careers in cybersecurity, and the center has established a Women in Cybersecurity Florida affiliate and a Women in Cybersecurity student chapter. At present, women hold only about ıı percent of cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. The nature of the Emerald Coast is a key to attracting top cyber talent to the region, El-Sheikh said. “A lot of cyber and defense work takes place in the Washington, D.C., area, but once those individuals realize that they could operate out of here, they’re not going to go back,” she said. “I was a perfect example of that. I somehow gave up Michigan winters for Pensacola Beach.” El-Sheikh has been at UWF for nearly 20 years and began there as an assistant professor of computer science. She was attracted in 20ı4 to the opportunity to head up the newly established Center for Cybersecurity because she had a keen interest in helping to address challenges with implications for regional economic development and national prosperity and security. “Many are aware that Pensacola is the cradle of Naval aviation, but they may not know that Pensacola is also the birthplace of cryptography, which is fundamental to cybersecurity,” El-Sheikh said. “The region has a long history of work in cybersecurity, and we are building on that.”

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WIND IN ITS SAILS Turbine business boosts activity at Port of Pensacola BY BOB FERRANTE

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to businesses with deep roots in Pensacola have weighed in on a fundamental question: Where should the port focus its efforts? “We do want to be a viable deep-water port,” said Clark Merritt, the deputy port director. “And we do support local and regional businesses in the importing and exporting of products and materials.” Despite it modest size, the Port of Pensacola has seen phenomenal growth in the last year. Wind turbine components have helped fuel the port’s surge.

Consider these numbers, comparing 20ı9 to 2020: 534 percent increase in wind turbine generators ı43 percent rise in wind turbine nacelles ı09 percent expansion in “break bulk” cargo 47.5 percent rise in the number of vessels in port 28.6 percent increase in total cargo

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PORT OF PENSACOLA

he Port of Pensacola is not a place where cruise ships berth. It is not a big container port. Because of its size, Pensacola is not a destination comparable to Tampa, Mobile or Houston. But the Port of Pensacola has a significant role to play in connecting small businesses and multinational corporations to global trade routes — from China and Brazil to the Bahamas and Israel. Still, everyone from the mayor to port officials

Blue Origin is a Port of Pensacola tenant engaged in the development of a landing platform vessel, represented here by a rendering, that will serve as a landing pad for first-stage rocket boosters.

Ports make money on cargo handling and dockage, Merritt said. The Port of Pensacola has been able to diversify, finding multiple avenues to increase cargo and vessel days in port. And revenues have jumped, from $ı.26 million in 20ı8 to $2.4ı million in 20ı9 and $2.97 million in 2020. “We’re an enterprise,” Merritt said. “We don’t take any general tax revenues that come to the city; we are supposed to be completely self-sufficient. And so additionally we carry no longterm debt and haven’t for years.” The port has been a key player in Pensacola’s business infrastructure, connecting with CSX

rail lines, Interstate ı0 and the international airport to distribute a variety of products. Multinational companies like GE Wind Systems, International Paper and Georgia Pacific have been major players, with the port connecting those businesses to customers and suppliers around the world. The port also has a variety of tenants, from Cemex to Offshore Inland Marine & Oilfield Services and Blue Origin. From its beginnings in the ı740s when ships exited the port with loads of lumber and wooden ship masts, the Port of Pensacola has reinvented itself. The 55-acre facility has eight berths, seven warehouses and more than 250,000 square feet of available storage area. In recent years, wind energy has led to the port’s boom. GE’s wind energy plant is less than ı0 miles from the port. “Offshore wind energy components have been our primary cargo for the past 2 ı/2 years,” Merritt said. “We handle a majority of their large components through the port, either to be stored here and dropped off by truck or handled by one of our tenants.” In conversations with GE, Merritt said port officials pointed out the advantages of having wind-energy components from Asia come to Pensacola instead of going to Houston where

they were loaded onto ı8-wheelers for a 525mile trek to the east. “Anything further away costs more diesel, more truck time,” Merritt said. “The wind energy line of business across the world is skyrocketing. It’s a trend everywhere.” Port tenant Blue Origin, a company created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, employs between 60 and ı25 people at various times on a 637-foot cargo vessel that works in the recovery of rockets launched from Cape Canaveral or Houston. The port is also home to an oyster farming facility that improves Pensacola Bay’s water quality. Streamline Boats will also be redesigning a ı00,000-square-foot warehouse at the port and preparing for the manufacture of high-end boats. And port officials look to strengthen existing maritime repair business. The Port of Pensacola’s strategic location in the Gulf, availability of warehouses, skilled workforce and economic development incentives have helped spark a boom. Even during the pandemic, it remained active — more so than any prior year — with the port buzzing with full-time and contract employees. The vision for the decade ahead continues to develop and is bright. “Our 2020 numbers are really good,” Merritt said. “Even with COVID, we’ve been very fortunate as a port to have a great year.”

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ReliantSouth: A Commercial Contractor You Can Trust

hen businesses have commercial construction needs, they often rely on the construction professionals at ReliantSouth Construction Group, a full-service, commercial general contractor/ construction management firm. Led by professional engineer Richard Dodd, ReliantSouth has successfully completed numerous projects throughout Northwest Florida and the entire Southeast. Having started his construction career 37 years ago in Northwest Florida, Dodd has been leading successful and award-winning construction companies for 30 years. When asked about the primary mission of ReliantSouth, Dodd stated: “Our mission is quite simple. We provide solutions

and value to our clients while working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders.” Though the past two years have dealt some unexpected hardships, ReliantSouth has both persevered and excelled. Between Hurricane Michael and a global pandemic, contracting has been anything but ordinary. The ReliantSouth secret? Perspective. “Life is truly a gift and should be appreciated all the time,” Dodd says. “Perspective makes you appreciate the little things.” ReliantSouth takes pride in adapting to circumstances, remaining steady in uncertainty, and building quality projects that exceed client expectations. ReliantSouth is blessed with a rich legacy and is composed of seasoned, integrity-filled construction professionals who have worked together for years.

Longtime client of ReliantSouth and owner of Sonny’s BBQ, Wayne Lindsay, shared the following: “I have been in the restaurant business for 35 years. Once I found ReliantSouth, I knew I could quit looking for a contractor who was honest and had my best interest at heart. They do business the right way. Their attention to detail is second to none.” With a proven track record like that, ReliantSouth was entrusted by Bay District Schools to build their new $37 million elementary school in Panama City Beach. It is ReliantSouth’s continuous mission, hardships and all, to provide their clients with solutions, value, and trust. Whether a client needs a general contractor, a design-builder, or a construction manager, ReliantSouth has the expertise to make a dream become a reality.

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The Pensacola Bay Bridge, often referred to as the Three Mile Bridge, sustained heavy damage due to Hurricane Sally, resulting in significant disruption of traffic patterns.

STORMING BACK Pensacola recovery from Hurricane Sally proceeds quickly BY HANNAH BURKE

s of Dec. 9, 2020, Escambia County contractors had hauled 76,868 loads of Hurricane Sally-related debris from Pensacola neighborhoods and downtown businesses, transporting a total 3,933,057 cubic yards of downed signs, limbs and building material. “That’s 6ı6 football fields with debris stacked three feet high,” said Escambia County Emergency Management Manager Eric Gilmore. “That’s enough debris to fill 85 percent of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.” Gilmore said Escambia County reported 444 items to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), with an estimated total of more than $ı36 million. But debris removal, whose total estimate accounted for less than half of that report, was only one of the weighty consequences inflicted by the Sept. ı6 storm.

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Fifteen years to the day of Hurricane Ivan’s landfall, Sally, a Category 2 hurricane, walloped Escambia County with 92 mileper-hour winds, two feet of rain and a 5-foot storm surge. The blow provided echoes of Ivan, one of the area’s most catastrophic storms, as floodwaters washed over Downtown Pensacola and Perdido Key. Homes in neighborhoods in Cantonment, including Bristol Park, became waterlogged homes as the storm surge overflowed nearby Eleven Mile Creek. Of course, the threat of hurricanes in Northwest Florida never recedes for long. Annually, Gilmore said, Escambia County conducts a hurricane preparedness awareness campaign from June through November, furnishing residents with emergency management and planning tips. “Operationally, the county brought in five high-water vehicles pre-storm, along with

a swift-water rescue team,” Gilmore said. “Messaging went to the public that this would be a flooding event days before it arrived. During the storm, water rescues took place and public information continued via news releases, press conferences and social media.” Gilmore said Emergency Management’s long-term recovery group, comprising nonprofits and volunteer organizations, has been instrumental in Escambia County’s recovery. Too, Emergency Management quickly began working with its partners and FEMA to provide residents with federal and state assistance. Per FEMA’s December 2, 2020, Hurricane Sally Recovery update: 7,227 individuals and households were approved for $29.4 million in FEMA assistance, including $22.9 million approved for housing assistance and $6.5 million approved for other disaster-related needs. ı3,3ı7 home inspections had been completed. $66.6 million in SBA loans were approved.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND COURTESY OF MYESCAMBIA AND ESCAMBIA COUNTY

4,465 claims had been filed with the National Flood Insurance Program in Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties; $ıı2.8 million had been paid. Gilmore said damage assessments in Escambia County cities took place as soon as it was safe for teams to begin their documentation work. “Escambia County Building Services and Development Services performed ı,626 damage assessments that were declared minor, major or destroyed,” Gilmore said. “They performed joint damage assessments with FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) over four days and late into the night to confirm damage for individual assistance. Within only a few days following the storm, the engineering department had the entire traffic signal system operational.” Pensacola bridges, said Gilmore, sustained heavy damage. The Bob Sikes Toll Bridge suffered heavy storm erosion following Sally, as water destabilized a layer of sediment backing in its support beams. While deemed safe to cross, a temporary five-mile-per-hour speed limit was enacted to reduce vibrations. Repairs were made in about three weeks. Far worse was the damage to the Pensacola Bay Bridge, also known as the Three Mile Bridge, connecting Gulf Breeze and downtown Pensacola. Repairs to that bridge were expected to take six months. Pensacola Bay Bridge construction barges, knocked loose by Sally’s 90 mile-per-hour gusts, collided with the structure, taking with them a portion of the bridge. Skanska, the company leading construction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge, released a statement

claiming they had “made all the appropriate preparations for the storm,” and that, “it was neither safe nor feasible to attempt the removal of barges and other equipment in the brief period between the storm’s sudden intensification and landfall.” Residents took to social media to report locations where marooned barges ended up, including NAS Pensacola, the Pensacola Graffiti Bridge and private properties. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that four barges became lodged themselves beneath the bridge, thus closing it for repairs. According to a November 2020 FDOT report, “construction crews are working around the clock to repair the stormdamaged Pensacola Bay Bridge and restore traffic for this vital transportation link by March 202ı.” Meanwhile, detour routes were established as State Road 28ı/Garcon Point Bridge (I-ı0, Exit 22) and State Road 87 (I-ı0 Exit 3ı.) The FDOT reports the bridge will reopen without weight restrictions and a 75-year design life. For Gilmore, it’s all about building back stronger. Escambia County, as it pieces its community back together amid a global pandemic is nothing if not hardy. “It’s hard to recover when, before the storm, you had lost your job and were just barely making it day to day,” said Gilmore. “But this community is very resilient, and I have seen so many times neighbors helping neighbors. I think we’ve come a long way in a short time to recover from Sally.”

Escambia County Hurricane Sally Preliminary Damage Assessments Debris Removal

$65,380,683 Emergency Protective Measures

$9,037,738 Roads and Bridges

$5,176,209 Water Control

$2,249,200 Buildings and Equipment

$16,586,457 Parks and Recreation (Includes Bridges)

$37,996,172 Efforts to build back Pensacola following Hurricane Sally have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Escambia County Emergency Management

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GOLDEN YEARS Retirees are adding to Pensacola’s vitality and success story BY THOMAS J. MONIGAN

ensacola has generated a lot of history in the centuries since Tristan de Luna made it Spain’s first New World settlement in 1559. Among the most notable developments in the 20th century were the establishment of the Naval Air Station in 1913 and the arrival of the Blue Angels in 1955.

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Since the 21st century began, there have been dramatic improvements in and around the downtown area. As a result, Pensacola’s population has grown in the past 10 years from 450,947 to 509,995, according to the website World Population Review. That’s an increase of more than 11 percent. Persons of age 65 or older comprised 17.3 percent of the city’s population in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2018, Where to Retire magazine featured Pensacola on its cover and ran a highly complimentary profile of the city. U.S. News and World Report listed Pensacola as one of the top 25 places to retire in the United States. Attention like that led developer and entrepreneur Quint Studer, whose major projects have included Community Maritime Park and the Southtowne Apartments, to ask in commentary published by the Pensacola News Journal column last November: “Can

this be Pensacola’s golden era? The answer is yes. Will it be? That is the question we all need to answer.” Maritime Park contains the Hunter Amphitheater, exhibition grounds, the Rotary Centennial Playground and the Blue Wahoos baseball stadium. Built between 2009 and 2012 at a cost of $53 million, the CMP was honored in 2016 with an “open space” category award from the Urban Land Institute. Southtowne, built on the former News Journal site, includes 259 units on six stories. What would Studer, a Wisconsin native, advise someone who is approaching retirement and thinking about moving south to Pensacola? “What I like about Pensacola is you get courtesy, kindness and sincerity in addition to great weather,” Studer said. “Not everybody wants one climate all the time. So, if you love three seasons, if you love a

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA

Mayor Grover Robinson of Pensacola says that the city has much to offer retirees, including recreational opportunities, a waterfront location and a “wonderful culture.”

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community that’s on the way up, it’s really sort of a renaissance-type community. So that’s what I’d say. There’s something here that you’ll find that you can enjoy.” Mayor Grover Robinson is a seventhgeneration Pensacola resident who has served as chairman of the Escambia County Commission. “We’re blessed with a waterfront location and certainly abundant sunshine and good temperatures, but in addition we have wonderful buildings, a wonderful community and just a wonderful culture that all make this a great place to live,” Robinson said. “We have people telling other people, ‘You want to come on and live here’ and retirees are an element that helps make us successful,” Robinson said, adding, “At the same time I don’t think all retirees are looking to be in a community that’s all retirees. I think Pensacola has all ages and all working groups, and I think that helps attract more people, retired or otherwise.” Robinson said Pensacola is exceptionally well focused on civic engagement and involvement.

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all over the world,” Thomson said, “but a “That’s something that’s also been number of folks I have talked to have said, a very strong attractant, especially for ‘We knew once we were in Pensacola, we retirees, to have a community that has so would be coming back once we finished much civic participation,” Robinson said. our service.’ ” “That’s part of what Quint has added to our “Bringing new residents to Escambia community.” County is a plus to bolster our economy,” Todd Thomson, CEO of Pensacola’s said Nicole Stacey of Visit Pensacola. Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the “Retirees are part of that impact of NAS Pensacola. growth, and we welcome “There’s a $9 million them. The Pensacola Bay a year impact between area is a place we hope many Escambia and Santa Rosa will call home for various counties, so the military is reasons — the miles and important to our economy miles of beautiful beaches, as well as the protection our vibrant downtown, of our nation,” Thomson the variety of arts, culture, said. “We look for that to history and museums. increase with the Coast “It is a community full of Guard and their new pride and hospitality and cutters coming to NAS While it is our mission to invite guests one that welcomes all with Pensacola.” to visit, I think we are open arms. While it is our Many people who serve always hopeful they mission to invite guests to in Pensacola in the course will love our city so visit, I think we are always of their military careers much they will want to call it home.” hopeful they will love our eventually make it their city so much they will want permanent home. — Nicole Stacey, to call it home.” “They may have served Visit Pensacola

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TRAINING WHEELS Entrepreneurship programs provide students with safety net STORY BY KAREN MURPHY // ILLUSTRATIONS BY LINDSEY MASTERSON

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n his book, Find An Old Gorilla, Bert Thornton, vice chairman emeritus of Waffle House and an entrepreneur in residence at the University of West Florida, compares being in business to navigating your way through a jungle. “The premise of the book,” Thornton said, “is that if you discover one day that you have to go through a jungle, it would make sense to find an old gorilla and take him or her along. Old gorillas know where all the good paths are — and also the quicksand.” Aspiring entrepreneurs and businesspeople have many “old gorillas” to turn to in North Florida. They include faculty members and others at entrepreneurship programs, including those at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Gulf Coast State College in Panama City and UWF in Pensacola. These programs offer more than sage advice, additionally giving students the chance to experiment, dream, develop and test their ideas in a supportive, nurturing environment. FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is the nation’s first and only stand-alone college of entrepreneurship. Founded with a $100 million gift from Jan Moran and the Jim Moran Foundation in December 2015, the college opened its doors in fall 2017 and welcomed a class of 80 students. Today, it includes roughly 800 students, 70 graduate students, 25 faculty and 11 staff members. Its first graduating class received diplomas in May 2019. The college offers three undergraduate majors (commercial, social and retail entrepreneurship), 10 minors and three new master’s degree programs (Product Development, Hospitality, and Textile and Apparel Entrepreneurship). This year, according to Susan Fiorito, the college’s dean, a master’s degree in Social and Sustainable Enterprises is being added.

One of the first classes students undertake after joining the college in their junior year is called “Experiences.” Students work in teams and start a business with funds provided by the college. If the business fails during that year — and many do — the student must start another one. “Those who are doing well at the end take a lot of pride in giving us a check to return the money that we’ve given them,” Fiorito said. “So that helps to continue the fund. There’s competition there, and we have found that enhances the class. It’s been really a joy.” The program teaches details of business, trademarks, funding, personal finance and money management. “Starting a business today requires a lot of capital, and some of these students are 22 or 23 years old,” Fiorito said. “We encourage them to find work in an industry where they have an idea that they want to start a business, that is, to learn and make mistakes with someone else’s money.” That way, she said, young people can work, gain experience, save money from their salary and maybe start their own business on the side. “You know, we can’t teach them everything,” Fiorito said. “We try to teach them entrepreneurial thinking and not to be discouraged by failure, but actually to learn from your failures and start again. The best entrepreneurs have done that. They’ve failed two, three, 20 times before they actually get it right.” Dr. Emmanuel Hernández, an associate professor for entrepreneurship and organizational management at Gulf Coast State College, agrees with that approach. “Our program allows students to experience the same excitement of innovation and creativity of starting a business, but they know they are in a safer environment,” he said. “Maybe they are considering launching a business, but don’t know what it really takes. The safer way is to go through the class, go

DREAM MAKERS Leaders of the region’s schools of entrepreneurship offer students advice born of years of experience and give them the opportunity to nurture their ideas and aspirations in a supportive, risk-free environment.

Dr. Emmanuel Hernández Associate Professor for Entrepreneurship and Organizational Management at GCSC

Susan Fiorito Dean of FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship

Dr. Ed Ranelli UWF Center for Entrepreneurship

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through all the projects and see if that’s actually something they want to do. We’ll have about 10 or 15 percent of the students make a decision that this is not for them, which is great because, you know, that’s a safer and more affordable way to do it than actually trying to launch something and then failing.” It’s like training wheels. “Students use the course as an experimentation in a safe environment,” Hernández said. “Once they know what it really takes, many make the mature decision that they really want to grow more into their career or industry. Then maybe after they’ve gained experience and made some connections, they will launch their new business.” Gulf Coast’s Business Innovation Center fosters entrepreneurship by providing a supportive environment to start-up businesses and increasing the probability of success. Programs include classes, initial discovery sessions, direct business assistance, guidance and mentoring,

Stepping Through Big Doors Graduates of area entrepreneurship programs include some who have gone on to become mentors while still quite young. They are serving as old gorillas but aren’t silver backed, not yet. Jason McIntosch, Mitch Nelson and Spencer Bluni are all under the age of 30 and run a multimillion-dollar company, DivvyUp, which was started as a class project at Florida State University in 2014. Their vision was to sell fun, personalized socks and give a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair the

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networking, capital access, incubation space and other technical resources. According to Hernández, Gulf Coast has two major entrepreneurship programs. The first takes place over just one semester. Students earn 12 college credits and a certificate. It gives students who either have a business or just dreams of starting one a foundation in customer discovery, how to create business models, principles of marketing, business planning and either accounting or entrepreneurial finance. The other program culminates in a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. Specialization in corporate entrepreneurship helps students get the skills to either launch a business or understand the principles to create new businesses or new divisions within an established organization. Most of Gulf Coast’s entrepreneurship students are more than 30 years old, and most have a job. They want to move up in their career or business organization or maybe transition to a new industry.

They are looking for management and innovation experience. The degree program, Hernández said, “has a twist of corporate entrepreneurship to fulfill the gaps of those wanting to take things in their own hands and do their own thing. They develop the skill set, so they can branch out on their own or use it within their current profession or career path, as well.” The University of West Florida Center for Entrepreneurship revolves around mentorship. It promotes entrepreneurial spirit, provides mentorship and influences economic growth. “There are a couple of different vehicles in which we do that, but one of the most rewarding is inviting successful, small business owners in the community to share their experiences in growing a career,” said the center’s director, Dr. Ed Ranelli. The University of West Florida College of Business offers degree and certificate programs in

community purchased. Setting up around campus and selling socks, they donated 160 pairs of new socks to a Tallahassee homeless shelter in just six weeks. Last Thanksgiving, DivvyUp surpassed one million socks sold and gifted to shelters all over the country. McIntosch and his partners developed their business in FSU’s entrepreneurship program when it was still a part of the business school. He said that he, Nelson and other members of their group spent both semesters of their sophomore year working on the business in a class called Sophomore Experience. “There really wasn’t much homework or tests,” he said. “It was getting into groups with your classmates, starting your business and really just figuring it out and getting your hands dirty. “It gave us that freedom to make our business what we wanted it to be, while under the shelter of still being in college.

DivvyUp founders Spencer Bluni, Jason McIntosh and Mitch Nelson (left to right) wear their wares.

It’s like training wheels. “Students

use the course as an experimentation in a safe environment. Once they know what it really takes, many make the mature decision that they really want to grow more into their career or industry.”

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (DIVVYUP) AND COURTESY OF ALOHA BORAH MEDIA

— Dr. Emmanuel Hernández, Associate Professor for Entrepreneurship and Organizational Management at GCSC

Our professor gave us a $400 loan to get us started. That was really huge.” McIntosch credits the entrepreneurship program with “allowing a company like DivvyUp to start at a very slow speed and over time grow into a company with a million pairs of socks sold and gifted.” McIntosch and his partners return to campus several times a year to speak with future entrepreneurs and share their experiences. Another pair of entrepreneurs, sisters Deborah and Michaiah Smoots, started their media company, Aloha Borah Media, while attending Gulf Coast State College in Panama City. Dr. Emmaneul Hernández introduced them to another student, Tyler Anderhold, who developed a prototype that warned motorists of approaching emergency vehicles. The sisters produced a video presentation about the product, which

was part of Anderhold’s Enactus entrepreneurial competition entry at Silicone Valley. They won third place. Later, the sisters entered and won a competition to produce a documentary for VIE Magazine founder Lisa Burwell. VIE is an upscale lifestyle magazine, published in Santa Rosa Beach. “Dr. Hernández was very patient and helped us gain confidence in the entrepreneurial world,” Michaiah said. The partners also credit Dr. Erica Goines, an associate digital media professor at Gulf Coast, for encouraging their pursuits. “It’s sometimes hard to take those dreams and to make it a reality, but with the help of those two professors, they really helped us to help take our dreams come true,” Michaiah said. “We got to meet a lot of influential people who are very well-established and doing a lot of things for a good

entrepreneurship. It offers an entrepreneurfocused MBA program and also provides an undergraduate certificate in small business management/entrepreneurship and a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship. The university is also home to the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program, a free course that walks qualifying veterans or active-duty members within one year of discharge who are new to entrepreneurship through marketing, finance, idea discovery, legal and human resources, veteran’s benefits, financing for veterans, transitioning to civilian life and business plan development. Since its inception in 2016, the Center of Entrepreneurship has reached more than 2,200 students and hosted or supported more than 115 events on campus and in the community. It is grateful for the support received by entrepreneurs in residence Thornton and Quint Studer. Through their contributions and those of other “old gorillas,” the Center has provided students with connections to over 300 academic, business and community leaders who have shared their time and knowledge to advance students’ dreams.

cause. They all say, in different ways, to not be afraid to step through big doors. Work with excellent people, and never forget about what sparked the passion behind your work. Always remember why you do what you do. Why do you love it? You can do what you love and learn how to make a business out of it.”

Siblings Deborah and Michaiah Smoots, founders of a media company, work with Dean Mitchum, the service leader at Christian International Vision Church in Santa Rosa Beach.

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YOUNG GUNS Members of the Chaos Audio team (standing) meet with TechFarms Capital managing directors Steve Millaway and Kelly Reeser at TechFarms offices in Panama City Beach. TechFarms has invested in Chaos Audio, which has developed a programmable foot pedal for use with electronic instruments. 42

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PEDAL METTLE to the

Venture capital fund seeks teams with the capacity to execute bright ideas BY STEVE BORNHOFT // PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER

s a Panama City-based managing director of an investment fund that seeks to enhance entrepreneurial ecosystems by providing startups with capital, Steve Millaway is also

a talent scout. He maintains close ties with Gulf Coast State College and serves as a member of the school’s district board of trustees. As a product of that relationship, Millaway met a student, Landon McCoy, a fast-talking, quickthinking student with a bright idea. He has come to regard McCoy, now an engineering student at Florida State University Panama City, as the “best graduate I have seen come out of Gulf Coast in ı0 years.” Said Millaway: “He impresses me as someone who could be the next Elon Musk.” McCoy is the founder of Chaos Audio, one of the first three businesses in which TechFarms Capital, an outgrowth of a business incubator that Millaway began six years ago, chose to invest. Chaos Audio’s product, called Stratus, is a customizable pedal, suited to electronic instruments,

to which multiple effects — such as reverb, phaser or auto-wah — may be downloaded via a proprietary app. As of this writing, Chaos has completed prototype development and is gearing up to enter production. Millaway views the Stratus as a significant “disrupter,” which, for him is a term of endearment. Gone soon will be the days in which players had to have a separate pedal for each effect they chose to use. McCoy and his team built their prototype at the TechFarms incubator, strategically located near the Navy base in Panama City Beach. Millaway explained that the device was cut from aluminum using 3D modeling software and a computer numerical control (CNC) machine that was available to Chaos at TechFarms. He added that four musicians who test-drove the Stratus all expressed a desire to invest in the company. “Landon was up against lots of other prospects from the fund perspective,” said Kelly Reeser, a managing director, along with Millaway, of the investment fund. Reeser, who is located in Pensacola, emphasized that the decision by TechFarms to invest in Chaos followed months of due diligence.

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SOUND EFFECTS Entrepreneur

and product developer Landon McCoy demonstrates his invention, Stratus, a customizable foot pedal, to Steve Millaway and Kelly Reeser of TechFarms Capital, an investment fund that is working to strengthen Northwest Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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BUSINESS HATCHERY Steve Millaway and Kelly Reeser of TechFarms Capital inspect

progress on a ı3,000-square-foot structure that Millaway is building to house business incubator operations. The building will be home to manufacturing space, prototyping equipment and even a kitchen and apartments.

Pedal manufacture will take place in a new ı3,000-square-foot building erected by Millaway behind the original TechFarms location. As people who know Millaway would assume, the structure is built with leadingedge materials, including structural insulated panels (SIPs), which are made of stainless steel, front and back, with four inches of foam in the middle. The building will include a kitchen and apartments in addition to manufacturing space, and will house the latest prototyping equipment.

To the desert

Millaway always wanted a career in technology and, after high school, got a job as an engineering aide at Naval Support Activity Panama City. He was a cooperative education student there while a student at the University of Florida. Upon earning a degree in electrical engineering, Millaway “didn’t want to have to move to the Arizona desert — my friends and family and the

beaches were here — but there was no opportunity here in the private sector.” He went to work in Tucson designing integrated circuits and chips. In ı994, Millaway founded Gain Technology Corp., an integrated circuit design center that developed semiconductor chips for Maxim Integrated Products, Raytheon, Intel and others. The company designed the first USB 2.0 chip, which it later licensed to Intel. That chip ultimately became the basis for the USB 2.0 ports found today in more than a billion PCs, laptops and other devices. In 2007, Millaway returned to Panama City to help care for his ailing father. “Instead of retiring, I got involved in the community to try to find out why we still didn’t have any high-paying tech jobs. I went to lunch with Dr. Jim Kerley, who was the president of Gulf Coast State College at the time and he said, ‘Oh, you might be interested in this, we’re thinking about building an advanced technology center.’ ”

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PANAMACOLA Steve Millaway, of Panama City Beach, and Kelly Reeser, of Pensacola, effectively have the Emerald Coast surrounded in their efforts to identify and promote investment-worthy startups.

For six years, Kerley would help design the center and felt strongly that a business incubator should be made part of it. “At the very end, when they got ready to break ground on the ATC, they took the incubator out and put in a culinary institute,” Millaway recalled. He understood the decision, given the many restaurants along Bay County’s 27 miles of beaches, but still he was disenchanted. “I felt like we had missed out on a great opportunity,” he said during a December interview. Others encouraged Millaway to start an incubator and eventually he told himself that “if I am really going to make a difference, that’s what we need.” He committed to founding TechFarms. Along the way, he met Reeser, who was running a co-op lab in Pensacola for the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance.

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“We started comparing notes, and the biggest problem we both saw was a lack of capital,” Millaway said. “There is no angel network in Northwest Florida, and most of the angel investors here don’t know what they are doing. They pick favorites and invest in one or two companies not understanding that nine out of ı0 startups fail.” Reeser joined TechFarms Capital shortly after Millaway launched it. Millaway worked for 40 years in tech and was responsible for “ı0 or ıı” startups. “We are very good at judging whether someone knows the market, knows his product and can be a leader, hire a team and keep it together,” Millaway said. “The initial great idea is just one one-thousandth of what you do in starting a business. Years of work are required to execute that idea. We spend a lot of time on due diligence.

We have gone overboard looking at every company we have invested in.” Reeser believes TechFarms Capital has a role to play in diversifying and fortifying the regional economy. “The Pensacola and Panama City economies are very similar,” she said. “They rely on tourism, the military and a smattering of other things. Tech companies can help weatherproof and pandemicproof the economy.” Reeser said a friend of hers operating in the remote education space has gained ı5 years worth of adoptions in three months because of the pandemic. In Millaway’s view, homegrown companies often have the most value to a community — and to an investor. “One of the most successful companies in the entire Southeast is Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City,” Millaway

“You’re in a position to get to know the companies you are invested in. We are assembling a portfolio of companies large enough to distribute risk, but still you’ll be able to tell stories at the cocktail party about the local kid who invented the foot pedal.” — Steve Millaway said. “Several people have asked me how we lured Eastern to Panama City, a company with a $20 billion contract to build cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. I have to tell them that Eastern was started here.”

Beats fishing

“I could be retired and fishing and relaxing, but I would rather do this,” Millaway said about his work. “We have companies coming in, one or two a week, every single week, and we get to see what they’re doing and they are mind boggling.” Millaway gets excited and the pace and tenor of his speech amplifies as he talks about another of the companies in which TechFarms Capital has invested, Perceptive Sensor Technologies. A friend in Arizona made Millaway aware of PST, and representatives of the startup flew in and visited TechFarms. Prior to their arrival, they asked Millaway to purchase six empty paint cans, fill them up with different liquids — 87 octane gasoline, 92 octane, oil of a given viscosity, water and a couple of others. Millaway was to then seal the cans. The PST team told Millaway that they would identify the contents of the cans without unsealing them. To do so, Millaway was to find out, PST uses ultrasound technology. “They attach a transducer, basically, that pings a container like a sonar and hits the other side of the can and comes back,” Millaway said, his enthusiasm building. “The acoustic wave is altered by the liquid, and every liquid has an acoustic fingerprint. Once they characterize the signature for 87 octane gasoline, for example, they know what it looks like.” “Fingerprints” are stored in a lookup table.

“They have the basic underlying patents for this, and it works,” Millaway said. “We studied them for a year and made an investment in the company.” Millaway listed several applications for the technology, commenting, “We’re excited about the number of verticals this thing has.” Pipelines may be used to transport both gasoline and jet fuel. When one fuel is replaced in a line with the other, mixing occurs over a portion of the pipeline. The resulting “transmix” must be discarded. PST technology can be used to eliminate the guesswork otherwise involved in locating the mixing zone. Tank farms can use the technology to prevent overfilling that can result in spills

that necessitate costly environmental cleanup work. Bars and restaurants that purchase expensive wines and bourbons will be able to detect counterfeit product. And, PST technology will make it possible for chemical companies to ensure that expensive substances transported across open seas are not replaced with saltwater, a not infrequent occurrence. Millaway said such piracy costs the industry an estimated $ı00 billion a year. Millaway has been invited to join PST’s technical advisory team and the company, he said, is likely to open an office in Bay County. Reeser and Millaway combined to describe the appeal of investing in TechFarms. “You’re in a position to get to know the companies you are invested in. We are assembling a portfolio of companies large enough to distribute risk, but still you’ll be able to tell stories at the cocktail party about the local kid who invented the foot pedal.”

TEAMWORK Kelly Reeser and Steve Millaway discuss what’s next with analyst Justin Kingsbury and

executive assistant Phornsuda Nantvikom. Millaway says he looks for strength of team as a factor in assessing startup companies.

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2021 Wakulla County Special Report

PHOTO BY KATE MILFORD

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Residents of Wakulla County maintain a close relationship to the natural world, which is seen in business activities including agriculture and aquaculture.

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OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Oyster growers pivot in response to pandemic BY LAZ ALEMAN

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Jennifer and John Fountain own Nature Coast Oyster. A self-described “newbie” who has been in business since 20ı8, Jennifer sells her oysters to a Panacea processor, who in turn sells them regionally and across the Southeast. Besides the pandemiccaused drop in sales, the Fountains’ oysters suffered high mortalities. “I’m fortunate my husband works full time and has a good income so that I’m able to keep going,” Jennifer said. “If this were our livelihood, I don’t know how we would have made it.” Partners Tim Jordan and Walt Dickson run Saucey

PHOTOS BY ERICH MARTIN

arming is a risky enterprise, and aquaculture — a form of farming — no less so. Besides the common culprits of weather, markets, diseases and government regulations, oyster growers were dealt two extraordinary blows in recent times. First came 20ı8’s Hurricane Michael, and just when the industry was recovering, the 2020 pandemic hit. Aquaculturists, however, are a resilient lot as they must be, if they are to cope with the capriciousness of nature and the marketplace. The oyster companies that are pulling through the pandemic — however battered — are those that adapted quickly to the “new normal.” “The innovative ones found a way around the coronavirus,” said Bob Ballard, director of the Wakulla Environmental Institute (WEI), which teaches aquaculture. “Those who sat around hoping things would return to normal without being proactive are probably not in business.” Among the survivors are OysterMom, Saucey Lady Oysters, Nature Coast Oyster, Outlaw Oyster and Oyster Boss. OysterMom and Nature Coast are small, mostly retail operations that farm single leases, whereas Saucey Lady, Outlaw Oyster and Oyster Boss are larger growers that farm multiple leases, process their own and others’ oysters, and largely wholesale their products. Outlaw Oyster additionally sells aquaculture supplies. When the pandemic closed bars and restaurants, these companies pivoted rapidly and turned to or intensified retail and direct-to-consumer sales. “I accelerated retail marketing,” said OysterMom’s Deborah Keller, whose business is solidly grounded in retail. Customers order from Keller via phone or text and pick up their oysters during designated hours. She also sells oysters online and at several Tallahassee open markets, as well as operating a catering service. “I survived because I was established in retail,” Keller said. “The other reason is I’ve stayed small.”

Aquaculturist Deborah Keller of OysterMom inspects the crop at her lease. Farmed oysters are uniform in shape and size and are free of clinging organisms such as barnacles.

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Lady Oysters in Panacea. Jordan described their clientele as mostly upper-end bars and restaurants in the Southeast. He estimated that his business has fallen off 50 to 75 percent since the pandemic arrived. “Before, we were selling 20,000 oysters weekly,” he said. “Now we’re doing about half.” His company is trying to find the key to selling directly to customers. “It’s something we’re pursuing. We know the market’s there. We just haven’t hit the right combination.” Danita Sassor and Blake Garner own Outlaw Oyster, another Panacea-based operation. “We’re not doing great, but we’re doing good enough, considering the circumstances,” Sassor said. When the lockdown dried up their regional and out-of-state wholesaling, Sassor said they switched to retailing via social media. “Customers came out of the woodwork,” she said. “Our retail sales went through the roof when our wholesale sales dropped to nothing.” Since then, 52

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wholesaling has somewhat rebounded, but nothing like before. “We used to sell 30,000 weekly,” she said. “Now we’re selling about ı0,000. It’s not great, but I’m happy to still be in business.” Jeff Tilley and son Reid own Oyster Boss, a Sopchoppy-based operation whose customers span the Southeast and include New Orleans. The week the restaurants and bars closed, Tilley had 30,000 oysters ready for delivery. Faced with a potential disaster, he switched to retail, cut prices and began advertising on social media. “The long and short of it is that we sold all 30,000, and by the following week, we were back in production,” he said. Sales have since normalized. “I’ve maintained a healthy balance sheet by finding creative ways to bring our products to buyers,” Tilley added. He’s also diversified into selling crawfish and wild-caught shrimp and oysters. “I want to be the Walmart of Sopchoppy,” he said, laughing.

Portia Sapp heads the aquaculture division at the Florida Department of Agriculture, which oversees the industry. She notes that shellfish farmers face additional marketing hurdles because of stringent state requirements to ensure consumers’ safety. “There are many extra safety protections in place for shellfish that don’t apply to other commodities,” she said. Notwithstanding the obstacles and setbacks, Sapp said the industry is thriving. “It’s rapidly growing,” she said. “Every year, there’s more interest and new areas developed.” Saucey Lady’s Jordon offers one reason why. “Almost any endeavor nowadays, corporate America has taken over,” he said. “But oyster farming remains relatively small.” Oyster farmers relish the independence and entrepreneurial challenge. The work, they also say, keeps them fit and healthy, and the sunrises and sunsets on the water can’t be beat.

PHOTO BY ERICH MARTIN

Keller tends to the cages used for oyster growing. Oyster sellers, given the pandemic’s impact on bars and restaurants, have resorted to a greater emphasis on retail sales.

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Wanderlust Experience scenic Wakulla County for yourself, less than 40 minutes from Tallahassee.

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CULTIVATING JOBS Wakulla Environmental Institute adds small-plot farming to its programs BY LAZ ALEMAN

ewing to its mission to meld education, conservation and job creation into its every endeavor, the Wakulla Environmental Institute (WEI) continues to offer a diverse mix of traditional and technological programs. Housed in a specially designed energy-efficient and self-sufficient building on ı58 acres of natural Florida woodlands in Wakulla County, the WEI exemplifies the green values that it promotes through its environmentally focused classes. At the helm of WEI, an offshoot of Tallahassee Community College (TCC), is executive director Bob Ballard, who has been with the facility since its inception and fashions its various programs in partnership with longtime TCC President Jim Murdaugh. Ballard explained that he comes up with program ideas, vets them for viability, and if they pass the test, proposes them to Murdaugh, who may expand or enhance them and ultimately decides their fates. “I have to be the forward thinker,” Ballard said. “I think of an idea, ask if the timing is right, can I get the funding, do people want this, is it something they can earn a living from? You put all these things together and try to make it work. “We can’t afford not to be successful,” he added. “WEI is very young and has a staff of only three, plus adjunct professors. So everything that we do has to hit a home run.” Technology has allowed WEI to expand its service area via online classes. But its base remains students from Wakulla, Franklin and Leon counties, many of them former fishermen or retired or about-to-retire state workers looking for new starts. The pandemic hammered WEI, forcing it to reduce class sizes to allow for social distancing and to conduct portions of classes online. Notwithstanding the obstacles, however, the facility has soldiered on

Executive director Bob Ballard takes a break from working on a geothermal heating and cooling system for a greenhouse at WEI’s “one-acre Eden.”

with its core programs in oyster aquaculture, drones, agriculture and conservation. Best known and most popular is the oyster aquaculture program, now in its seventh year and boasting hundreds of graduates. 850 Business Magazine

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Classes in the Wakulla Environmental Institute’s popular drone program offer instruction in building and operating the flying machines and in editing aerial videos.

“We were the ones that started the oyster aquaculture industry in Florida,” Ballard said. He will also tell you that the businesses and jobs that the program has helped create have bettered Wakulla County’s economy, as well the overall health of the marine ecosystem. Second in popularity is the five-year-old drone program, which can lead to attainment of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ı07 license. The FAA, in fact, has designated WEI a training center. “If you’re flying drones and earning income from it, you need an FAA ı07 license,” Ballard said. Classes in this program include constructing and operating drones and editing aerial videos gathered by such unmanned systems. “It’s one thing to know how to fly a drone and have a license,” Ballard said. “But if you don’t know how to edit the video to present a polished product to your employer, the skill’s not worth much.” The agriculture program has a horticulture certification class and two more on the horizon: one on the use of drones in precision agricultural applications, the other on small-plot farming. It’s the latter — in which students will learn how to produce crops on a small scale to supplement their incomes — that Ballard is most excited about. “I believe this is going to be bigger and more popular than aquaculture,” he said. 56

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Associate director Albert Wynn and program assistant Alexis Howard display drones like those used in a WEI program that leads to an FAA license.

WEI has set up a demonstration plot where students will learn how to produce a variety of fruits, berries and vegetables, as well as how to pond-raise catfish and tilapia, and keep bees for honey. “I call it our one-acre Eden,” Ballard said. “It will show what can be done on an acre.” The plan is for WEI eventually to partner with Wakulla County and establish a farmers market where students can sell their products. Last but not least is the conservation program, which offers a course on current environmental issues relative to human activity and climate change, with another on the way on caring for exotic animals. Meanwhile, its once-popular green guide certification program, which trained guides for the ecotourism industry, is undergoing revision. Interest in the program waned after its initial success. “I think we exhausted the demand,” Ballard said. Setbacks don’t dampen Ballard’s enthusiasm, however. He’s constantly thinking up new ideas. “I have things cooking in my brain that aren’t yet ready for prime time,” he said. Always, he adds, whatever program he conceptualizes, it must hold the promise of gainful employment for students. “I can’t have a program unless I can demonstrate financial light at the tunnel’s end.” It’s a challenge that he thoroughly enjoys. “It’s the best job I’ve had,” Ballard said. “One day I’m in the garden, the next I’m out on the oyster boat and another I’m flying drones. I’m only limited by my imagination.”

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THE MESSAGE IS THEIR MEDIUM

As founder/CEO and president, respectively, Ron Sachs and Michelle Ubben lead Sachs Media’s “Rhino Team,” a collaborative collection of enterprising communication professionals who craft targeted messages and break through media clutter to deliver solutions for their clients.

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The Power of Communication Sachs Media is prepared for the long run By Steve Bornhoft

he Florida Department of Children and Families turned to Sachs Media with a challenge. Officials there wanted to increase the number of foster children moving into permanent homes. More particularly, they wanted to focus on those children who spend the greatest lengths of time in foster care: older children, children with disabilities and sibling groups. Michelle Ubben, Sachs Media’s president, recalls an initial meeting in which officials said they did not want healthy babies used in any campaign materials that the agency might develop. Hmmm. The Sachs team set about conducting interviews with stakeholders, including adoptive parents, in working to precisely identify who the target for their messaging would be, that is, who would be a candidate to adopt a child lingering in foster care. “We found that there was no more trusted messenger for that campaign than someone who had already adopted a child and who could speak to the positive parts of the experience and the challenges,” Ubben said. “This project is a good example of our secret sauce as an agency. We conduct upfront research that uncovers insights that drive strategy. We craft good stories that are compelling and generate interest. And we efficiently reach the target audience.” The firm’s design team created a variety of award-winning elements to support the

campaign, including billboards, posters, direct mail pieces, newspaper advertisements and digital banner ads. Broadcast elements included public service announcements, a 30-minute television special, local broadcast features on children awaiting adoption, and an audio news release in English and Spanish for radio stations. Sachs Media developed a media kit that included brochures, pins, fact sheets and other items that highlighted the importance of adopting. The result? Florida saw back-to-back record years for finalized adoptions, earning the state millions in federal bonus dollars. Calls to the Adoption Information Center increased immediately by almost 400 per month, and visits to the Explore Adoption website rose to more than 7,400 per month. An important lesson, Ubben said, was the realization that it was important to tell the adoption story, “warts and all.” “Adoption is hard,” she said. “We had to deliver the message that it is a challenge, but one whose rewards make it worthwhile.” Research has informed numerous campaigns and projects at Sachs Media, including: ■ Healthy Pools. Annual campaign about pool hygiene created with and for the Water Quality & Health Council and the Centers for Disease Control. ■ Rebuild Florida. Created for the Florida Department of Economic

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AGENCY LEADERS

The Sachs Media leadership team: Seated, Herbie Thiele and Karen Cyphers. Standing, from left, Lisa Garcia, Drew Piers, Michelle Ubben, Ron Sachs, Ryan Cohn.

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■

Opportunity to link Floridians with home damage from Hurricane Irma to sources of federal aid. Protect Florida Democracy: Our Constitution. Our Rights. Our Courts. Created for The Florida Bar; generated 68 million media impressions to educate voters about Florida’s Constitutional Revision process and the importance of maintaining the balance of power among the three branches of government. Fight Cancer: YES on 6. Created for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network; researchinformed messaging and outreach strategy to win legislative approval to put this referendum on the ballot and then to encourage voter approval for a measure that will provide $3 billion for cancer research. Don’t Miss the Signs. Created for the Florida Department of Children and Families and Lauren’s Kids to promote child abuse reporting; bright, non-threatening campaign educated people on signs of child abuse that are often missed.

Ubben said Sachs Media “runs on talent” in working with clients evenly distributed among the private, public and nonprofit sectors. It has invested in people of various specialties to provide clients with a full range of marketing, messaging and communication services. People like Ryan Cohn. Nine years ago, Sachs Media founder and CEO Ron Sachs approached Cohn with an interest in acquiring his 4-year-old digital and social media marketing agency. Cohn politely declined. He was pleased with where he perceived his business, with ı4 employees and offices in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale, was headed. Circumstances changed, however, and six months later, Cohn reconsidered. Terms of the deal specified that Sachs would serve Cohn as a mentor, teaching him about becoming a skilled communicator, leader and outstanding corporate citizen. “He has done that ıı0 percent,” said Cohn who today is an agency partner and its

executive vice president and chief strategist. “Ron is a father figure and a role model who does so much in the community. It’s great to watch him and learn from him every day.” Sachs said he and Ubben have worked to “youthanize” Sachs Media — he credits fellow communicator Rick Oppenheim with coming up with the clever homonym. “We are in a field where people can be so smart and talented at the very beginning of their career,” Sachs said. “They should not have to wait to be in a leadership position.” Indeed, among five employees made partners by Sachs Media in recent years only one is more than 40 years old. “We are geared up for the next 25 years,” Sachs said.

LEAP OF FAITH In ı995, Sachs was serving as communications director for Gov. Lawton Chiles but had begun thinking about starting a business, a desire he told his mother about. Mom was incredulous. “She said, ‘You don’t know anything about running a business. You never even had a paper route,’ ” Sachs recalls. Still, Sachs moved ahead with his crazy idea, secure in the knowledge that he had “saved enough money from unused state vacation time to afford to be a complete failure for four months.” Soon, operating from a 600-square-foot office, he acquired three clients: the Florida League of Cities, the public hospital system in South Broward County and the state teacher’s union. He had a toehold. Ubben, who had known Sachs when both were doing state communication work, joined him full time about three years later. She was a part-timer when she and Sachs landed an Eli Lilly account. The pharmaceutical giant was focused at the time on access to mental health medications and post-menopausal women’s health. Sachs Media now has 30+ employees and offices in Tallahassee, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C. In recent years, it has racked up an impressive list of honors: 202ı America’s Best PR Agencies (Forbes magazine); 2020 Agency File Elite Top ı00/National (PR News); 20ı9 Dick Pope All Florida Golden Image Award (Florida Public

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Relations Association). The agency has won three Top Florida Campaign Awards in the last ı0 years, and Sachs has made appearances on the Influence ı00 and Florida Trend 500 lists.

THE NATURE OF NEWS The media landscape has changed dramatically in the 25 years that Sachs Media has been in business. “When I was a reporter for the Miami Herald,” Sachs said, “I’d file a late story, go home and get a few hours of sleep and then head out to the driveway in my bathrobe to get that day’s edition. That was the news cycle back then.” The arrival of the continuous news cycle has made the type of work his agency does all the more important. “Many times, you can’t afford to wait until tomorrow to figure out what you’re going to say,” Sachs said. “Executives in crisis situations can become frozen and not know what to do because, many times, they are emotionally involved. It’s a terrible thing when your brand is in the crosshairs of a controversy. The damage can be devastating over the course of a single day. The crisis before the crisis is not being prepared to handle one. Mishandling one is the crisis after the crisis. We train our clients to be prepared.” In those trainings, Sachs cites some of the worst statements he has heard made by company spokespeople. Among them is, “This is not the worst accident in our company’s history,” a statement that invited the media to explore multiple bad events. The majority of work done by Sachs Media, of course, is not accomplished under duress and much of it begins with the research step. “In the old days, you might just assume you knew what the client should do,” Sachs said. “What they should say, who should say it, which media to use and in what frequency. We have learned that science resulting from contacts with a thousand people can really inform messaging and strategy and enhances the likelihood of terrific outcomes.” Karen Cyphers, who holds a doctorate in public policy from FSU, is the research chief at Sachs Media and a partner. “Very few firms such as ours have in-house research divisions, and I’m grateful to be in this role at Sachs,” she said. “It’s a privilege,

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every day, to use these capabilities to benefit and advance the important work our clients bring to us. “At its core, I see our team as expert storytellers. This means developing a deep, intimate understanding of who our clients are and what their challenges are, and then communicating clear messages that resonate strongly. Whether through offering clarity on the facts or using experiments or survey methods to test messages, our research division complements this process and makes it stronger.” Sachs, Ubben, Cohn and Cyphers are united in their belief in the consequentialness of their agency’s work, and each has a bright outlook on the future. “We are engaged in the relentless pursuit of results for clients, and we believe in the power of communication to do extraordinary things,” Ubben said. That “we” encompasses people who are closely knit. Sachs partners, in addition to Ubben, Cohn and Cyphers, are: ■ Lisa Garcia, chief operating officer. She has led the firm’s hurricane relief work, including Rebuild Florida after Irma and Rebuild 850 after Michael, as well as an annual education initiative, “Get Ready, Florida!” and considerable work with state government. ■ Herbie Thiele, director of public affairs. He guides the firm’s legislative session accounts and provides strategic counsel for public affairs issues at local, state and federal levels. ■ Drew Piers, director of campaigns. He leads strategy for the firm’s public policy campaigns and ballot initiatives, including recent successful ballot initiatives in Florida, Texas and Oklahoma. Those initiatives benefited millions of people by prioritizing access to health care, providing $3 billion in funds for cancer research and protecting the environment. “Our team members are so talented, and perhaps most importantly, we like each other and work cohesively,” Cyphers said. “Never has this been tested as much as it has in the past year, and I see us growing only stronger from here.”

CAUSAL COMMUNICATION Sachs Media frequently puts its considerable expertise and experience to work on behalf of nonprofits and the promoters of causes that stand to benefit communities.

EXPLORE ADOPTION

The State of Florida engaged Sachs Media to rebrand Florida’s public adoption system. The resulting Explore Adoption campaign leveraged insights from dozens of stakeholder interviews to shape a welcoming campaign that invited people to hear the real-life stories of adoptive parents.

LAUREN’S KIDS

Sachs Media works with Lauren’s Kids to raise awareness and generate media coverage about child abuse. The nonprofit, founded in 2007 by Florida state senator and sex-abuse survivor Lauren Book, educates adults and children about sexual abuse prevention and has programs to help survivors overcome trauma.

REBUILD FLORIDA

A year after Hurricane Irma struck Florida in 2017, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity created the Rebuild Florida program to assist Florida residents with significant damage to their homes. Sachs Media spearheaded strategic communications and media outreach to raise awareness of the program and lead people to apply for aid.

REBUILD 850

In partnership with Sachs Media Group, Rebuild 850 worked to maintain statewide awareness of the impacts of Hurricane Michael on the Florida Panhandle and sought to galvanize support to meet the long-term needs of the region. With a four-part message, it encouraged people to donate, volunteer, visit and invest.

At Gulf Power we are working together with the communities we serve to make Northwest Florida an even better place to raise a family and do business.

GulfPower.com/Together

NORTHWEST FLORIDA CORRIDORS

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Bay, Calhoun,

FORWARD Progress Jennifer Conoley steers region toward bright future By Hannah Burke

n March 23, 2020, just days after the global stock market experienced its fastest, most dramatic tumble since ı929, Jennifer Conoley took the helm at the region’s premier economic development agency, Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW). It was a sign, she said. Things could only go up from there. But even amid a global pandemic, political pandemonium and a change in leadership, FGNW hasn’t lost steam. For Conoley, the transition to her new role was smooth. Conoley grew up in Port St. Joe as the daughter of a paper mill worker. She earned a degree in public relations at Florida State University, and after doing some work with a statewide foundation focused on people with disabilities, Conoley married her high school sweetheart and moved to Panama City Beach. It was there that she gained an appreciation for economic development professionals. Conoley went to work with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance and subsequently joined the economic development team at Gulf Power Co. After conducting a nationwide search for a new leader, FGNW found Conoley in its own backyard. “I was excited to join the regional economic development organization for Northwest Florida and to have the opportunity to serve ı2 counties

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A product of Port St. Joe, Jennifer Conoley has expanded her horizons as an economic developer and is now promoting regional cooperation as the head of Florida’s Great Northwest.

Photography by MIKE FENDER

Liberty, Gulf + Franklin Counties

from Escambia to Franklin,” Conoley said. “At our core, we operate on three pillars: promoting Northwest Florida as a top location for business, advocating for issues that affect our economic development and collaborating across our region to tackle issues that affect how we attract companies.” The organization focuses on creating robust marketing campaigns and keeps close tabs on developments in each of the counties it serves. Its target audience comprises company executives, relevant industry sectors and site selection consultants. With the COVID-ı9 pandemic limiting travel, Conoley launched in 2020 FGNW’s latest digital marketing campaign, a video series called “Broadcasting Northwest Florida.” Featuring interviews with subject matter experts, the series serves as a platform for highlighting each county’s assets and successful organizations. At this writing, the videos, ı9 in total, have attracted more than 8,000 views by top decisionmakers, laying the groundwork for future partnerships. Conoley is sold on the importance of regional economic development collaboration. The Northwest Florida FORWARD plan, launched in October 2020, included a virtual event aimed at stimulating regional cooperation. More than 350 stakeholders from across the region participated and learned about the strategies and future emphases of FGNW’s five councils: Business Vitality, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Infrastructure, Quality of Space and Talent. “I think having our local entities really lean into the Northwest Florida brand has been key to our success,” Conoley said. “I’m so proud of the collaborative spirit that our local partners have adopted. They know there’s strength in numbers, so I think that’s why they devote so much time and attention toward developing our region.” Cooperation and hospitality, Conoley said, contribute to making Northwest Florida attractive. Often, companies moving to the region are surprised at the level of assistance they receive from local elected officials. Though prime considerations vary among companies, quality of place consistently remains a priority. This is especially true for company executives looking to move their families. “When you think about it, many locations have a great quality of place, it just looks a little different than here,” said Conoley. “What sets us apart is, when companies are making these decisions, we know they’re considering money, risk and speed. Related to all of those elements, we have a talent pool here that we are continuing to grow and strengthen.” Conoley said Northwest Florida’s talent pool includes military spouses and personnel separating from the region’s six

military installations, many of them appropriate to aerospace and cybersecurity businesses. Both the region’s climate and its climate for business are enticing. Many times, Conoley has met with organizations from West Coast states seeking to escape burdensome taxes and regulations. Among aerospace companies new to the region, Singaporebased ST Engineering is operational in Pensacola and embarking on the construction of a new hangar. In 2020, FGNW obtained commitments from two more aerospace companies interested in the region. Conoley looks forward to making the official announcements this year. “In the future, I think we will see cybersecurity as an important growth sector,” Conoley said. “Counties such as Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa have the assets to support that growth.” The region, Conoley pointed out, is rich in developable land with access to multimodal transportation networks and is home to deepwater ports with foreign trade zone status. She anticipates that manufacturing will become a greater factor in small, predominantly rural communities. At present, Conoley is excited about the Triumph Gulf Coast-funded marketing campaign that FGNW is rolling out. “We’ll be able to not only do some research and education but also take that data and implement it into a marketing strategy to continue growing our project pipeline,” Conoley said. “Our region has always been strong in tourism and military sectors, so we plan to keep focusing on key industries while making others stronger. “There are so many other regional organizations across the country fighting for these same job-generating projects. It’s a tough competition out there, so we make sure to be in that fight every single day.”

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SOUNDBYTES

CAPITAL

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Seven Hillz Productions Foundation, a Florida-based production company founded MOSES by Florida A&M University graduate Breion Moses, has announced the establishing of the Benjamin Moses, Jr. Scholarship Fund benefiting students from historically black colleges and universities. The Seven Hillz Foundation hosted the inaugural ReelBack Film Summit on the FAMU campus and awarded students with $500 scholarships. Breion Moses created the first film summit at FAMU. » Shawn Kalbi, PSA, ASLA, has

joined Kimley-Horn’s Tallahassee office. For nearly two decades, Kalbi has worked in planning and landscape architecture in both the public and private sector. At Kimley-Horn, he will provide comprehensive master planning, urban design and landscape architecture solutions for complex multidisciplinary projects.

» MoLab, Inc. is partnering with All Points North Foundation to complete the transformation of its mobile science laboratory, MoBus, into a Solar Science Sustainability Lab. Funds from the grant partnership will also provide innovative solar science education programs to nine Title 1 middle schools in Leon and Gadsden counties during the fall of 2021. The MoBus Solar Science Sustainability Lab will educate students about sustainable practices and the importance of solar as an alternative renewable resource. » Capital City Bank has

promoted three members of its Tallahassee team of associates. Retail training manager Erin Crane has been named vice president of training, development manager Missy Briggs has been named

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assistant vice president of development and SupportU manager Rod Mayo has been named vice president of SupportU. Crane and Briggs are members of the Capital City Bank internal associate training and development team, known as Star University, and Mayo serves in the SupportU area, which provides operational policy and procedure support to front-line bankers in every banking office.

LOCAL HONORS

» Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs, a professional accounting, assurance, tax and government consulting services firm headquartered in Tallahassee, has been named one of “America’s Top Recommended Tax and Accounting Firms” by Forbes magazine for the second year in a row. Forbes partnered with the market research company Statista to create a list of the most recommended firms for tax and accounting services in the U.S. based on surveys of tax and accounting professionals and clients. Of the more than 18,000 tax firms in the United States considered for this award, only 200 were recognized in the accounting category. The firm congratulated Ying Wang and Megan Townsend on their new leadership roles with community boards. Wang is on the Girls on the Run board of directors. Townsend has been appointed to the Board of Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay (ELTB) and to the Associate Board of Ambassadors of Tampa Bay (ABOA) for the American Cancer Society.

EMERALD COAST LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Progress Bank Okaloosa and Walton County market president REDDING Dewayne Youngblood announced that Lane Redding has joined the

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bank as senior lender, business banking. Redding graduated from Baylor University with a degree in business administration and went on to graduate from Eastern New Mexico University with an MBA. She has 10 years of banking experience with large institutions, primarily in credit analysis and commercial banking.

» The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC) has announced Cindy Cole as its newest board member. Cole is the top-selling Realtor in the Keller Williams five-state Gulf Coast region. She has been named as one of “America’s Best Real Estate Agents” by RealTrends and the Wall Street Journal. Her Cindy Cole Fine Homes brand is widely recognized as a top luxury real estate brand in the Destin area. In addition to her successful business career, Cole has been active in the nonprofit community with a focus on improving the lives of women and at-risk children. She contributes time and resources to local and regional charities, including Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Alaqua Animal Refuge, Sandcastle Kids, Althea’s Legacy, Mercy Multiplied and now the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. » Gulf Power donated $134,500 to area organizations in December. The contributions were distributed in five focus areas to local nonprofit organizations throughout Northwest Florida: Community Outreach/COVID-19 support, $71,500; STEM Support, $10,000; Community Holiday Support, $17,500; Meal Support for Elderly, $11,500; and Utility Assistance Programs: $24,000. LOCAL HONORS

» The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) announced that Demetrius Fuller has been named chief executive officer. Fuller will replace Marcia Hull, who served as MKAF CEO for past 22 years prior to her retirement on Dec. 31, 2020. Fuller will continue to serve

as the music and artistic director of Sinfonia Gulf Coast. MKAF is a not-for-profit charitable arts organization founded in 1995 as a Northwest Florida champion of cultural arts and arts education for all.

» Newman-Dailey Resort Properties Real Estate Division honored Shannyn Stevenson as the top producer for the third quarter STEVENSON of 2020. Stevenson was the “Top Sales Agent” and the “Top Listing Agent” for that quarter. Stevenson specializes in selling and buying rental investments and second homes; her clients reside locally and throughout the country. » Bullock Tice Associates has been awarded a prestigious Merit Award in the 2020 USAF Design Awards Program for excellence in design for their work in coordination with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to design the Virtual Warfare Munitions Simulator Facility on Eglin Air Force Base. The USAF Design Awards Program is coordinated by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and recognized seven innovative designs in 2020. Those projects demonstrated aesthetic merit, overall cost control, energy efficiency, functionality and sustainability. NEW & NOTABLE

» Scratch Biscuit Kitchen recently opened in WaterColor Town Center. The restaurant serves madefrom-scratch biscuits and its signature coffee blend, as well as a breakfast and lunch menu, in a casual, family-friendly environment designed to evoke the feeling of being home away from home. » Progress Bank opened its 11th location in Santa Rosa Beach on U.S. Highway 98. This marks the bank’s third Florida location, joining Destin and Inlet Beach. Dewayne Youngblood, executive vice president and Okaloosa and

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BUSINESS NEWS

Walton County market president, and Brock Rice, vice president and branch manager, will expand their leadership roles to cover the new office. Progress Bank is an Alabama state-chartered commercial bank offering commercial, consumer, wealth management/investment services and mortgage banking services.

BAY

NEW & NOTABLE

» Coca-Cola UNITED has announced plans to base a sales center at the Cedar Grove Commerce Park in Panama City. With more than 60 locations throughout the Southeast, Coca-Cola UNITED is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States. Construction will begin later

this year. The $8 million facility will include a distribution center with 18 loading docks, fleet maintenance center, warehouse and administrative offices at the commerce park, which is owned by the St. Joe Company. The Birminghambased company already employees 80 associates at its existing Panama City sales and distribution facility at 6130 Bayline Drive. It is anticipated those employees will carry over to the new 24,000-square-foot distribution center upon its completion in late 2021, where they will help circulate about three million cases of CocaCola products annually.

» Gulf Coast State College and the Bay Economic Development Alliance are partnering with local manufacturers to provide a

Federation for the Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) chapter. FAME is a national work-study program that develops global entrylevel, multi-craft maintenance technicians. Companies combining to establish the Gulf Coast FAME Chapter include Trane Technologies, Berg Pipe, Merrick Industries, Eastern Shipbuilding, ACMT, EPS and Maritech Machine.

» David Smith, a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) with Sand Oak Divorce Solutions, LLC, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of advisors for The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. The Board is the final authority on CDFA certification requirements and disciplinary action and is responsible for developing strategic goals for the IDFA organization.

I-10

» E-commerce giant Amazon will be opening a last-mile delivery facility in Marianna. Zach Gilmore, the director of business development for the Jackson County Economic Development Committee, told a Jackson County Commission meeting in January that the facility will be located at 3529 Russel Road. Last year, Amazon announced plans to launch 1,000 delivery hubs in cities and subdivisions across the country. Last-mile delivery centers receive customer orders, which are then sorted and loaded into trucks for delivery to customers. Set to open this year, the Mariana facility, in addition to fulfilling the Amazon Prime service’s two-day delivery promise, will sometimes allow for same-day delivery to the region. —COMPILED BY REBECCA PADGETT

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2021

The Last Word

PUTTING CHIPS ON THE PANHANDLE Northwest Florida is stacking up to be a good bet Recent years have seen the proliferation of entrepreneurship programs, academies, centers and schools, but Steve Millaway, the founder of a capital investment fund with presences in Panama City Beach and Pensacola, isn’t sure that the drive to found a business is something that can be taught.

SPRING 2021

850businessmagazine.com

website, CyberCoastFlorida.com, whose homepage is dominated by an enticing beach scene captioned with “OUR ZOOM BACKGROUND ISN’T A PHOTO.” That dog will hunt. Millaway is among businesspeople I have encountered who believe that homegrown jobs tend to be more valuable to a community than those that result from industrial recruitment efforts. People who launch businesses in their hometowns have strong ties to those communities and stick around. But tax breaks, shovel-ready dirt or even a building ready to occupy may not bond a lured company to a community. Witness the arrival and departure of GKN Aerospace from the VentureCrossings commerce park in West Bay. To attract tech businesses, Millaway recognizes, a community must be home to the kind of talent such enterprises require. By grooming cyber talent beginning in grade schools, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are making themselves attractive to employers who pay well. Millaway is working to influence talent generation as a member of the Gulf Coast State College District Board of Trustees. And by leading a business incubator he established six years ago, Millaway is influencing jobs generation. He says there are two qualities that tend to be inherent in people rather than learned and are critical to successful business launches: teamwork and stamina. Not long following the publication of her book, The Great Believers, I spoke to author Rebecca Makkai, who is also a

teacher of writing. She told me that most authors, in writing their first novel, tend to bog down after about 110 pages. Some will get to the far side of the slough, others not. Likewise, there is a valley of despair that separates the euphoria that comes with starting a business from stability. Making that crossing can badly tax a team if its chemistry isn’t optimal and if its members don’t have staying power. At the incubator, Millaway helps young entrepreneurs make it across. Finally, in starting their investment fund, called TechFarms Capital, co-managing directors Millaway and Kelly Reeser — she is the Pensacola connection — recognized that capital is often the most precious essential element of them all. The fund provides an opportunity for people to invest in businesses that they will have the chance to get to know. I recognized myself in a comment Reeser made to me about people who invest in mutual funds and cannot even name the companies that make them up. (Never mind what their politics may be.) Selected companies, as they emerge, will have TechFarms’ fingerprints all over them. They will have been fortunate. Where there was a will, there was a Millaway. Choose wisely,

STEVE BORNHOFT, EDITOR, 850 MAGAZINE sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

“I think it may be something you either have or you don’t,” Millaway said. “The jury is still out on entrepreneurship instruction.” “So, these programs may be like golf lessons,” I suggested. At that, Millaway laughed from the belly. “You must be a player about like I am,” he said. “I play one best-ball fundraising tournament a year and that’s it for me.” Millaway speaks about entrepreneurship based on a considerable body of experience. He’s been responsible for a couple of handfuls of startups in his time. That experience and his tendency to overdose on due-diligence give him an outstanding batting average when it comes to picking winners. And, if the United States or the world, for that matter, were a roulette table, Millaway would put a pile of chips on Northwest Florida. He notes the departures of tech companies that have left California for Texas and suggests that our region is capable of attracting other such companies looking to move. He notes the spike in residential development and plans for more in Bay County, in particular, and finds that it is being driven in large part by an anticipated southerly migration of people who can choose to work remotely from anywhere. That’s a trend that Scott Luth and the folks at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance in Pensacola hope to capitalize on as the region becomes, increasingly, a center for cybersecurity firms and research. Central to FloridaWest’s “Remote from Here” campaign is a

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850 Business Magazine Spring 2021

Articles from 850 Business Magazine Spring 2021