FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY
Celebrating 10 Years
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA’S B2B MARKETPLACE • 239-573-9732 Vol. 11 No. 9 / JULY 2018 www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Distributed in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita Springs and Naples
TAKE ONE
Florida climbs up in storm readiness Insurance Institute ranks state tops based on codes
Commercial Real Estate
A comprehensive 8-page pullout section that is a quarterly SWFL Commercial Real Estate market overview.
IN THE NEWS Applications for Blue Chip Awards due Sept. 4
The Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award program is underway. The program recognizes small business owners who overcome adversity to achieve success. The 24th annual Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award ceremony will take place on Nov. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs. Applications for the award are being accepted until Sept. 4 from for-profit companies with their principal office located in Charlotte, Collier or Lee counties. Eligible companies must have been in continuous operation for at least three years under the same ownership and have five to 400 payroll employees. A panel of judges will select five finalists. Of the finalists, one business will be announced as the Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award recipient.
Naples executive named as leading woman investor
Bethann Kassman, CEO of Naples-based Go Beyond Network, an international early stage investing services company and business angel network, was recently named among the top entrepreneurial women investors of 2018 and honored with the Bridging the Global World of Investing Award from Portfolia. Kassman was recognized as “one of the earliest and most successful cross-border angel investors, investing in and mentoring a line-up of top entrepreneurs in both Europe and the U.S.” by Portfolia, an investing platform for women backing entrepreneurial companies. KASSMAN See page 4
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In conjunction with the official start of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs through Nov. 30, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety has released the 2018 edition of its preeminent report, Rating the States, assessing the residential building code systems in 18 hurricane-prone states. Florida scored the highest amongst 18 hurricane-prone Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, earning 95 out of 100 points. Virginia ranked second (94), South
Carolina third (92) and New Jersey fourth (90). In the previous IBHS rating report, issued in 2015, Florida ranked second with 94 points. The release of the 2018 edition of Rating the States follows a disastrous year of storms in 2017. The 2018 IBHS report indicated: “Florida continues to be a leader in building code safety.” The 6th Edition of the Florida Building Code - Residential, based on the 2015 edition of the Interna-
HURRICANE See page 14
Charlotte wins jobs grant
CELEBRATING 70
Angelique Blitch, Alyssa Haney, Ashley Causey, Elisabeta Kafexhi, Amanda Beights, Ashley Sykes and Madeline Young attended the meeting.
Naples Chamber hosts annual dinner Florida Chamber CEO and President Mark Wilson was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting for the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples on May 17. This year, the event honored the Naples Chamber 70th Anniversary. The Chamber was founded in 1947 and is the largest of 25 chambers in the five-county Southwest Florida region, recognized as among the best of the 300 chambers in Florida. Today, the Chamber is the largest non-profit advocate for the Collier County business community. At the annual meeting, the Chamber announced outgoing and incoming officers and members of the Board of Directors and honored the recipients of several important community awards. Cyndee Woolley, owner of C2Communications, won the 2018 Chairman’s Award. Wilson’s presentation at the event included presenting a scorecard on
tional Residential Code, became effective Dec. 31. “In 2017, the State of Florida enacted legislation that makes major changes to the process the state employs to adopt building codes in the future,” the report reads. The IBHS report also specifically cited “Florida’s mandated program for building official certification and training” as one of the factors for the state’s strong rating, as well its “requirement of licensing of general, plumbing, mechanical, electrical and roofing contractors.”
Rep. Byron Donalds, Teresa Araque and Collier County Commission Chairman Andy Solis at the meeting. . Florida’s pro-business environment that showed the state unemployment rate at 3.9 percent, and also marked that Florida’s economy has grown to a $967.3 billion GDP, with 173,100 private sector jobs created in the state last year.
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Gov. Rick Scott announced on May 30 Charlotte County will receive an $800,000 grant as part of the Florida Job Growth Fund, which provides financial assistance for public infrastructure projects and job training. Grant recipients are selected by the governor following recommendations from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Enterprise Florida. In Charlotte County, grant funds will provide critical water line infrastructure to help complete the $8-million Piper Road North Extension project designed to drive growth near Punta Gorda Interstate Airport Park. A closed loop water line will run 1.2 miles from Henry Street to U.S. 17 to facilitate commercial development on Piper Road North. Infrastructure includes 7,000 feet of 12-inch water main with fire hydrant assemblies every 1,000 feet. “The Piper Road extension is key to sustaining the growth objectives in Punta Gorda Airport’s Master Plan. We are pleased that this grant will bring water infrastructure to the entire corridor, creating more opportunities for our aviation and business communities to thrive,” said Charlotte County Airport Authority Commissioner Robert Hancik. With water infrastructure in place, attracting companies to the area will become significantly easier. “It is vital to have a strong partnership between the city and county, and we are lucky to have that bond. You create it by seeing the big picture together and not getting bogged down in jurisdictional boundaries. Everyone here has the same vision—to help build a successful, vibrant home for our local families and businesses,” said Punta Gorda Councilman Jaha Cummings.
GRANT See page 15
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