JULY 2021
Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®
Page 3
Talmage: Economic diversity needed in Lee County
Special to SWFBT Submitted by Karen P. Moore, Publisher
“There are several reasons our local businesses are currently struggling to find employees,” John Talmage, director of Economic Development for Lee County, noted at a recent gathering of local business owners and professionals. “It’s not simply the extension of unemployment benefits. It’s also due to seniors who have chosen not to return to the workforce; parents having difficulty finding affordable childcare options; students choosing to continue their education online.” He pointed out, Gulf Coast Town Center retail tenants count on nearby Florida Gulf Coast University students to serve as at least part of their workforce; those students may not be choosing to return to campus. Related to that example, Talmage noted, “We have several local retail apparel enterprises like Marker 27 and Black Onyx, as well as locally headquartered retail giant Chicos, interested in supporting the development of a fashion ‘cluster’ here in Southwest Florida, but we simply do not have the workforce pipeline to develop this concept at this time.” At Southwest Florida International Airport, he
“If we want to diversify our economy, we need to have schools that generate the diverse talents needed for those industries to take root and thrive here.”
— John Talmage, Director of Economic Development for Lee County
commented, “we want that second runway so we want complementary industries. Maintenance, repair and operations businesses have taken us a long way towards achieving that goal. We are developing the air industry, but we don’t have an air school. So all the MRO workers currently get their training elsewhere.” When MRO development around the airport is fully built out, he noted, the cluster will provide approximately 1,000 jobs. Talmage continued, “We also have no maritime school in Lee County. We do have maritime businesses, like global company Nor-Tech, however, that need employees with specialized maritime skills, knowledge and training.” He pointed out, “If we want to diversify our economy, we need to have schools
TECHNOLOGY
Tamiami Angel Funds up investment in Wellbox
Tamiami Angel Funds III and IV invested $950,000 in Wellbox, a health care technology company that is accelerating the transition to virtual care driven by medical providers who have recently adopted remote management mandates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with the investment Tamiami Angel Fund III made last year, the combined total investment of $1.575 million makes Wellbox the second-largest investment of any single company across the portfolio of the Naples-based Tamiami Angel Funds. Founded in Jacksonville in 2015, Wellbox delivers engaging virtual healthcare experiences that improve clinical outcomes and positively impact individuals and the healthcare system, as a whole. The company works predominantly with high-risk populations, including those with chronic conditions, who require high-touch clinical care. “While COVID-19 boosted the demand for Wellbox’s services, we believe the company will continue to be the market leader in the management of chronic diseases after the pandemic subsides. That’s because they deliver superior clinical results by making innovative technologies easy to use for experienced medical professionals to remotely consult with and treat their patients,” said Timothy Cartwright, partner of Fifth Avenue Family Office and chairman of Tamiami Angel Funds.
“We are dedicated to making a profound, positive impact on the healthcare system by providing virtual care solutions that increase access to care, improve clinical outcomes, and decrease healthcare costs,” said Nathanial Findlay, chief executive officer and founder of Wellbox. “We are thankful for Tamiami’s continued partnership, support and confidence, which will help us to achieve this mission.” Recent analysis has concluded that, since 2015, Wellbox has helped its partner practices lower emergency room visits and hospitalizations by 60%, increased preventative care measures such as flu shots by 50% and lowered participant costs to Medicare by 10% to 15%. “The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for change by ushering in a new era for telehealth-based medicine and Wellbox is on the leading edge of this powerful trend that is here to stay,” said Cartwright. Angel investing is an important source of financial support and mentoring for new and emerging-growth businesses such as Wellbox. Angels help entrepreneurs before they seek venture capital, but after they’ve exhausted money from friends and family. Such investors typically are wealthy individuals or families who have the means to risk their capital and give freely of their time to mentor entrepreneurs in the startup phase of a business.
JOBS PAGE 1
The industry gaining the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, increasing by 5,600 jobs. The unemployment rate in the Naples area was 3.7% in May, down from 13.1% reported in May 2020. The Naples area private sector employment increased by 15,300 jobs over the year, an increase of 12.1%. The industry gaining the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, increasing by 6,600 jobs.
mained below the national rate, currently at 5.8%, for 10 consecutive months. The unemployment rate in the Fort Myers area remained unchanged at 4.6% in May, down from 13.9% reported in May 2020. The Fort Myers area private sector employment increased by 16,600 jobs over the year, an increase of 7.9%.
that generate the diverse talents needed for those industries to take root and thrive here.” In terms of economic opportunities created when critical infrastructure, such as roads, is provided and expanded, he said, “development of the Alico Road corridor means jobs.” “There are 33,000 jobs there today, 40,000 when FGCU and the airport are included,” he said. “Getting to 55,000 jobs is now underway—with 6,500 in the pipeline.” Regarding the 3,500 acres around the airport remaining to be developed, Talmage shared, “That could mean 150,000 jobs to our region.” When all the road extensions in Lee County are completed, he indicated, it will remove the huge commuting burden for our current labor force because commute times will be dramatically reduced. “This will also save commuters money currently spent on car care, relieve the intense congestion they currently endure, reducing their commutes and increasing their accessibility to other parts of Lee County and Southwest Florida,” he said. He concluded, “We’ve got to get ahead of our infrastructure needs, like road improvements and extensions. Fortunately, we have access to the dollars to do these improvements.”
Women in Business announces finalists for APEX Awards
The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee announced the top finalists of its annual APEX Awards during its monthly networking program on June 2. The APEX Awards recognizes women with outstanding reputations for professionalism, philanthropy and leadership in Southwest Florida. The June networking event will celebrate all 17 nominees and reveal the finalists of this year’s awards program. The 2021 APEX Awards finalists were: Kathleen O. Berkey, Becker & Poliakoff; Kerri Goldsmith, HBKS Wealth Advisors; and Alicia Miller, Sally J. Pimentel Deaf & Hard of Hearing Center. Other nominees included: Sandra Aguilar, eXp Realty; Cecilia St. Arnold, Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida; Reema Bhatia, Stickboy; Claribel Bocanegra,
Porto Fino Dental; Kristen Flaherty, Trilogy Laboratories; Marie Grasmeier, Grasmeier Business Consulting; Holly B. Kobie, Kobie Kooling, Inc.; Lori L. Moore, Roetzel & Andress; Rachel Peacock, WGCU-FGCU; Hannah Pelle, United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee Counties; Marie Springsteen, Quigley Eye Specialists; Jamie Sterling, The Sterling Center; Sheryl Verhulst, Lee County Library System; and Jen Whyte, Fort Myers Brewing Company. The Women in Business Committee will recognize the finalists, celebrate all of the nominees and reveal the APEX Award recipient on Aug. 27 at The Westin Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral. The event is presented by Sanibel Captiva Community Bank. Tickets to the APEX Awards luncheon are $75. Tables and sponsorships are available.
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