Space Coast BUSINESS - May & June 2020

RUSH CONSTRUCTION Lessons from the Past Help Pave the Way Forward

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Table of

CONTENTS SPACE COAST BUSINESS MAY/JUNE 2020

ON THE COVER: RUSH CONSTRUCTION Lessons from the Past Help Pave the Way Forward Photo by Jason Hook RUSH CONSTRUCTION

34 Local Businesses Respond to PPE Shortages

Lessons from the Past Help Pave the Way Forwar d

page 4

stories

It Takes Everyone to Make Recycling Work

16

New Aid Network: Solutions During Crisis

26

Another Historic Comeback for Brevard

32

new section This Kid’s Alright

22

Zophia Kotala

best practice Digital Marketing

Minting Customer Satisfaction

36

“You Can Never Go Wrong by Doing the Right Thing” COVER STORY, PAGE 4 EVERY ISSUE

Publisher’s Note Executive Profile

2 24

The Ethical Capitalist

28

Find more at:

spacecoastbusiness.com

UP CLOSE with

JOHN M. STEWART

38

MAY/JUNE 2020 1

Publisher’s note

IN THIS TOGETHER

W

elcome to the May/June issue of Space Coast Business magazine. (For more information on this new format and how it came to be, please turn to the publisher’s letter on the flip side of this magazine.)

I moved to Brevard from South Florida in early 2000, and ever since — for the most part — I have been gainfully employed: with a private company (Architectural/Engineering firm), with a media company (Gannett/Florida Today), with a non-profit (Healthcare Foundation) and on my own (solo LLC owner). I have worked across industries and various marketing and communications vehicles (web, print/magazine, video, social media) to help tell stories, raise capital, solicit partnerships and market innovation.

Through these endeavors, I learned that the Space Coast is constantly evolving, responsive, innovative, and — best of all, perhaps — engaged and caring.

I am reminded again and again of this as we reach out to different businesses and industry for information and input. For example, over the past decade, the Space Coast Economic Development Commission has effectively worked to attract new industry to Brevard, providing viable options for responsive growth in times of economic downturn. That’s caring. (See the story on pp 32-33).

Using social media platforms to engage and connect, the Cornavirus Mutual Aid Network of Brevard County was born of crisis but is providing a safe haven for the exchange of information, resources and funding for people in need. The story on pp 26, illustrates a responsiveness to the pandemic that is both awe-inspiring and heartwarming. Our cover story on Rush Construction (pp 4-8) takes a dive backwards to reveal the way this business has evolved…most notably, by listening to lessons of the past and by empowering employees to work collectively for the growth of the organization.

The lyrics from a Paul Simon song that I love keep drifting in and out of my head as I work from home, grateful to be in a position to help tell the stories about companies and businesses that are struggling to address income shortfalls, employee concerns, keep their doors open and source revenue for projects and sustainability. And the others who are finding ways to redefine their business, or reinvent it, to adapt, to find new opportunities and to thrive. For sure, these are no ordinary times. But I believe there will be a renaissance of rethinking about how business is done and where priorities are placed. Though we may all be weathering our own personal storms, I believe that, collectively, we will be better because — one way or another — we are #allinthistogether.

Shawna L. Lucas

“These are the days of miracle and wonder, This is the long distance call...”

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MAY/JUNE 2020 Eric Wright, President EDITORIAL Shawna Lucas, Publisher

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Cheyenne McCully, Creative & Print Operations Manager Evelyn Sutton, Art Director

PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Hook

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Candelaria, Kelly Collazo Camarind, Shawna L. Lucas, Marci Murphy, Lyle Smith, Lynda Weatherman, Eric Wright

ADVERTISING & SALES Lori Reader, Director of Sales lori@spacecoastliving.com Natalie Guzman, Account Manager natalie@spacecoastmagazines.com

ADMINISTRATION Helen Reyes, Director of Operations & Human Resources

MARKETING Tasha Macri Director of Digital Marketing

OWNERS

Joseph Duda, Eric Wright For general inquiries call (321) 622-5986 TO SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe online at SpaceCoastBUSINESS.com or mail $29.95 for a one year subscription to: Space Coast LIVING, 1900 S. Harbor City Blvd., Suite 117, Melbourne, FL 32901. Please include name, mailing address, city, state, zip code, phone number and email. Please allow 4-6 weeks for subscription to start.

Space Coast BUSINESS® 1900 S. Harbor City Blvd., Suite 117, Melbourne, FL 32901 Space Coast BUSINESS® is a registered trademark of Space Coast Magzines, LLC (“SCM”). The contents of Space Coast BUSINESS, associated websites, and any other print or electronic publications published by SCM or related to the brand, including advertisements, articles, graphics, websites, web postings, photographs and all other information (“content”), are for informational purposes only, are protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified in any way without the prior written consent of SCM, or in the case of third party content, the owner of that content. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. SCM does not necessarily endorse, verify, or agree with the content, and makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or usefulness of any content.

SCM shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in the content. ©2020 All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

The

Growth & Diversification

of

RUSH Construction 4 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

The advice columnist Ann Landers, who enriched and provided guidance to the World War II generation, once said “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.�

Photo left to right: Tony Landry, Mike Lapinski, Eduardo Rabel, William Chivers, Bob Dillow, APRIL 2020 Al Forbes, David Dapore

5

“You Can Never Go Wrong by Doing the Right Thing”

ll successful leaders, especially entrepreneurial leaders, are opportunistic. The ones who do succeed, not once – but over decades – allow for the evolution of their businesses and themselves, adding timely recognition, hard work and due diligence.

The best leaders also are not afraid to take risk in seizing opportunity, even when it is disguised as something less significant than “hard work.”

When Eduardo (Ed) Rabel looks back on more than three decades to the beginnings of RUSH Construction, he cannot help but focus on a project he almost did not take.

Rabel had launched his fledgling construction business in 1984 and was looking for any type of work to nurture and sustain his company’s development. Martin Marietta, which later merged to become Lockheed Martin, was (and is) a key defense and aerospace contractor here. The company needed a roof access ladder installed on one of their buildings, and Rabel was asked to consider the job – a job with a budget of less than $2,000, which he initially thought was not worth the cost.

Born Again Seizing opportunity means a great deal to Rabel, who arrived alone in America as an 18-year-old from Cuba in 1962 – his only possessions were the clothes on his back. It would be another 16 years before he would see his mother and brother, who were left behind in the island nation.

In between, Rabel lived at a home for boys in Kentucky, worked his way through college, eventually rising to become a respected owner and professional in the construction trade. “I was born twice,” he said proudly, “first in Havana, Cuba and later at a refugee camp in Miami, Florida.”

The word “evolution” comes up a lot in conversations with Rabel and the company’s CEO, William Chivers. Adapting to new market conditions, diversification, and analyzing new opportunities has helped the company grow from less than 10 employees to more than 85 in a short span of time.

Stepping Back to Find a Way Forward

Little did he realize that this almost-denied opportunity would open the door to many other projects and in just a few years, RUSH would construct the unique lightning protection towers at launch complex 40 and 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

As the 90’s were drawing to a close, RUSH’s work for the Air Force and other aerospace contractors – which accounted for the whole of their business – was scaling down. Rabel decided it was time for a break and offered his three employees a paid, one-year sabbatical to recharge and re-envision where the company was headed. A few imperatives came out of that strategic pause: The first was coming to the understanding that in order to grow in a cyclical industry like construction, diversification was necessary. The key to diversification was in finding people with passion and expertise in the field. The second was to share the ownership dream with his employees, the impetus that originally brought Rabel to America – the ability to be a business owner, and to be able to direct your own destiny with hard work and determination.

“Martin Marietta agreed to pay us every two weeks on that project,” Rabel recalled, “to help manage our cash flow, which was pretty unusual. It was also the first time we received a $1 million dollar check. But it all started with that ladder.”

One of the first key hires to eventually become an owner was Chivers. “Ed and I immediately had a connection,” Chivers said. “I liked the way he did business, especially the way he treated his people and his subcontractors. It was always with respect, as though he was partnering… for mutual success

Eventually, he decided any opportunity to work with a company of that size was worth taking, so he did.

6 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

New Opportunities. New Heights.

Eduardo (Ed) Rabel & William Chivers MAY/JUNE 2020 7

and to make each other better.”

The relationship grew from mentorship to partnership. “I knew how to build things when I came to work here, but I didn’t know how to build a business. Ed taught me that. Also, there is nothing he told me he was going to do that he hasn’t delivered on,” Chivers said.

A few short years after joining RUSH, Rabel was able to fulfill his promise of ownership to Chivers and other key personnel. Twenty years later, there are almost 30 shareholders at the firm.

Smart, Responsive Growth During the past 10 years, the evolution of RUSH’s building and services portfolio has mushroomed.

Both Rabel and Chivers agreed it did not happen because they cloistered themselves in a boardroom to map out how they would expand.

Rather, when opportunities presented, they carefully weighed the risks proceeding only when they found someone with industry experience in that field who fit their culture. Smart, steady growth.

“The determining factor in any expansion initiative we have taken has been relational,” Rabel said.

Or as Chivers put it, relationships matched with opportunities.

One of the first matchups was with Executive Vice President Al Forbes, who helped the firm step into healthcare. Fast forward and the list of partnerships currently includes Orlando Health, Steward Health Care, and Halifax Health. Recently they completed the Parrish Healthcare Medical Office Building at Titus Landing, a 3-story 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility providing MRI, Dialysis, and the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Bright Future Forbes remains optimistic about construction in the area and RUSH’s role.

“What we are seeing with health care, Port Canaveral and the privatizing of the space industry – I do not see it slowing down anytime soon. If you remember what it was like during the Apollo program, you can multiply that by four to see what is going to happen around here,” he said.

Following the same smart growth plan, RUSH recruited specific talent when asked to offer maintenance at the new facilities they were developing and building.

Maintenance & Marine Construction Bob Dillow, who had been managing major medical centers previously, was brought on in 2017 and built the fledgling sector into an entire division – one he now serves as president and includes clients such as Space Florida, Boeing, and Viera Charter School.

The learning curve from maintenance operations now informs the building process: understanding what’s involved in maintaining a building – rather than just constructing one – had shifted RUSH’s pre-construction design approach.

Dillow, a retired US Navy Commander said, “I can look at a project and say, ‘I don’t think you want to build it that way, because in the long term it’s going to cost you more to maintain and operate years down the line.”

operations manager for a large marine construction company when he asked Chivers if they had considered adding a marine division to the firm. Chivers and Rabel weighed this opportunity more carefully than any in the past, knowing that while there was a high demand for marine construction, there was also a high level of risk associated with this type of specialty work.

Call it luck or happenstance, but opportunity again presented when Landry’s then-employer began making organizational changes, prompting Landry to leave and join RUSH a few months later to help launch the new division. In their first year, RUSH Marine secured $42 million in projects, including part of Cruise Terminal 3 at Port Canaveral. Recently, and again because of market demand, they added professional diving services.

Knowing Your True North Paves the Way Chivers though, like a compass pointing north, goes back to the elements that helps maintain their continuity while experiencing robust and dynamic growth.

“We have a very unique and set culture that we have developed over the years. We have endeavored to make sure our core values were not just at the management level, but (also) part of the DNA of our entire organization,” he said.

In like manner, one of RUSH’s most ambitious expansions grew out of existing relationships with Tony Landry, now president of RUSH Marine.

Rabel and Chivers concluded by sharing a message they repeat and instill within the company, “It may seem like a cliché, but clichés are often true and this is one we live by: You can never go wrong by doing the right thing.”

Landry, who had decades of experience in the field, was serving as the

By Eric Wright, President

•

Cocoa Beach

OPTIMISM ON THE HORIZON from Chamber Executive

By Michael Candelaria, Contributing Writer arby Miller is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of leadership experience in industry, ranging from marketing communications and Darby Miller project management to special events planning and community relations. Miller has owned a business, too, a marketing agency. And now she is director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau at Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce.

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Surely, Miller has seen much in her years, but nothing like the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. (Who, in fact, ever has witnessed what quickly has become this historic, devastating, unimaginable pandemic?)

Yet, when asked about a tomorrow that no one is really certain about, Miller didn’t hesitate in her response: Tourism in Cocoa, in Brevard and the nearby areas will be back. Strong.

While Miller laments about the likely loss of some businesses, and is especially concerned about smaller Convention and Visitors Bureau partners, she is steadfastly optimistic.

“Yes, it’s a direct and real hard hit right now,” she said in late March. “But I’m very hopeful that could be made up once this has kind of dissipated, whenever that point is to be.

Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce (Main Office) (321) 459-2200

The Avenue Viera (321) 454-2021 Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Information Office (321) 784-6444 Tourist Information Kiosk, Exploration Tower 670 Dave Nisbet Dr. Port Canveral

CocoaBeachChamber.com MAY/JUNE 2020 9

ed to begin a four-year transition into the Westin Cocoa Beach, providing a long-term tourism boost as well as the immediate creation of approximately 2,000 jobs.

“I’m 100% optimistic.

We were 110% optimistic a month ago. Now we’re 100% optimistic.

It’s certainly serious and certainly something that everybody should take all the necessary precautions (for). But I believe we will all — and certainly our area — come out of this, and a normalcy will return.”

Then Miller makes her most important point: “We [Cocoa Beach and neighboring areas] still have all the things that we could offer people in the past and even more.”

Indeed, just before the world grinded to a coronavirus halt, Cocoa Beach and Brevard County were zooming ahead with new and improved places to go and things to do. As a result, the belief is that once “normalcy” returns, the region will be especially well-positioned to benefit from visitors by virtue of tourism.

“What has happened in the last three or four years is the growth of this area, 10 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

as far as amenities for people,” Miller explained.

“The amenity package for people coming to Cocoa Beach has been enhanced so dramatically, and that is only going to continue with things coming up.”

One example is hotel enhancements on the horizon. The DoubleTree by Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront — closed since Hurricane Irma washed ashore in September 2017 — is expected to reopen this summer (with a coronavirus caveat, of course). Similarly, the Country Inn & Suites by Carlton is planning to reopen just south of Port Canaveral. Not far away, the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach, an all-new, all-suite hotel, is accepting reservations, starting for June 7.

Meanwhile, despite the closure of her main office and her satellite information kiosk inside Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral, Miller is busy keeping prospective visitors informed through social media and web communication. Notably, the same continual dissemination of news and information is occurring from the county’s principal tourism driver, Visit Space Coast, and others.

Also, the region’s prevailing optimism for tourism is evident in the complete makeover plans at the International Palms Resort & Conference Center.

Sometime before 2021, the 17-acre property is expect|

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

“As far as helping people plan a later trip, all of the tools that they would need to come here are available to them,” she said. “Our message is that we have great places, and great people, to visit when you can.”

Sadly, that’s true for locals, too, given the realities of the past few months. Here are the initial sentences of the official pitch from Visit Florida, the state’s chief promoter of tourism, to attract visitors locally: “Cocoa Beach, along Florida’s Space Coast, makes for an out-of-this-world family vacation.

“Our message is that we have great places, and great people, to visit when you can.”

Your group can ride some waves, check out Cocoa Beach’s world-famous pier, marvel at Ron Jon’s, the world’s largest surf shop, hike through nature preserves, and explore mankind’s greatest journey at the nearby Kennedy Space Center.”

Locals, have you forgotten? It’s possible, which is yet another reason for optimism — there will be plenty of pent-up local demand. Miller keeps on her marketing hat.

“We have the ocean, the Indian River Lagoon, dining, attractions. And not just one thing,” she concluded. “It’s multifacet-

ed. … People might come here for one thing. Then they realize the breadth of opportunities of things they can do while they’re in the Cocoa Beach area.

“We’re anticipating tourists coming, not only for our normal amenities, but for the launches and the return of human spaceflight from American soil, which is happening certainly in the calendar year of 2020. And that will be the only place in the world… There’s only one place you can find it. We are unique in so many ways. That’s why people come here.”

Again. Soon.

•

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Batter Up! COMEBACK ANTICIPATED FOR USSSA

peaking about the United States Specialty Sports Association national headquarters in Viera early last year, spokesperson Paul O’Leary could barely contain his excitement about what was happening. “We’ve turned this into something,” O’Leary said. “It’s huge. It’s an untapped market for the Space Coast. … We already had the events; we already had the teams; we already had the athletes. But we didn’t have a home that was ours. …

This whole complex looks so state of the art, and it’s unlike anything else in the country. Walking the complex, it makes me proud to be a part of such a project.”

Specifically, O’Leary was referring to USSSA Space Coast Complex, which enjoyed a long history that began in 1994 as the spring training site for the Florida Marlins and, most recently, the Washington Nationals until 2016.

By Mike Candelaria, Contributing Writer

In 2017, the complex began a $50 million renovation. The remake encompassed a vacant Space Coast Stadium and surrounding spring training fields and was augmented by the new facilities that would accommodate amateur baseball, softball and other sports. Corporate offices for USSSA also were added.

The complex opened in 2018 with high expectations for great performance in a burgeoning new industry — sports tourism. USSSA even advertised the complex as "the youth sports capital of the world." And it was an instant hit, delivering like an all-star.

The activity in that first year validated O’Leary’s enthusiasm for the site.

What’s more, the economic results were resounding. The typical scenario: Teams (and their families) come into town and rent hotel rooms. They frequent the restaurants, movie theaters and oth-

er attractions. And they spend money.

Consider these 2018 tallies: A total of 3,473 games were played at the Space Coast Complex, accounting for 34,318 participants (mostly young) and attendance of 264,201 people (mostly players’ family members) — all of this just a short drive from the beaches and the many other tourism-friendly amenities in Brevard: that first year, there were tens of thousands of nights booked at local hotels, and area restaurants routinely were filled during year-round events. In fact, O’Leary remembers that local restaurant managers began to request tournament schedules in advance to better prepare their restaurant for the crowds.

And, from a national perspective, a couple more numbers: During 2018, there were 4.5 million participants in USSSA, with the organization hosting 40,000 USSSA events nationwide.

WHAT CAN Chamber Membership DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS? • Business support and development resources • Networking events, including monthly business breakfasts, business after hours events, council events, and more • New business opportunities • Access to professional development, including seminars and workshops • Participation in councils and committees pertaining to your field • Complimentary listing in Melbourne Chamber Member Directory on website and app • Complimentary Traffic Catcher website • Exclusive advertising and sponsorship opportunities to other chamber members as well as the community • Representation on governmental issues • Advocacy for a strong business community

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BY THE

USSSA, founded in 1968 and now the world’s largest multisport association — representing baseball, softball and 11 other sports — was scoring big for sports tourism in Brevard and across the country. The success was exactly what Brevard officials had hoped for when the USSSA organization began negotiating with the county on a new headquarters location, moving from Osceola County, where it had been since 2005.

NUMBERS USSSA Space Coast Complex

8,100

seat all-turf stadium for baseball and softball with 11 suites and video board

225 ft

2

(homerun distance) championship field with video board

4 4 4 175 ft

225-foot NCAA softball regulation AstroTurf fields

385-foot NCAA regulation AstroTurf baseball fields

2

championship field for ages 8 and under with video board

18,000 ft

2

1.3 MILLION square feet of AstroTurf, which can handle up eight inches of rain

5 85

concession stands

Source: USSSA

acres total

USSSA spokesperson Paul O’Leary

USSSA’s economic scoreboard in Viera certainly is telling — as are the results in other places such as Westfield, IN and Rockford, IL.

Then, four months later in March, the USSSA notice came for all to see.

On many weekends in 2019, Westfield’s population of approximately

“This whole complex looks so state of the art, and it’s unlike anything else in the country. Walking the complex, it makes me proud to be a part of such a project.”

325-foot baseball/ softball AstroTurf fields

indoor facility for training, rehabilitation and clinics

wide, promises this eventual outcome: When the action does come back, it will rally with a vengeance. Or, as O’Leary asserted in March, “We are ready to play ball and play USSSA.”

Ultimately, the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners agreed to allocate dollars toward facility construction from its Tourist Development Tax on hotel rooms and other shortterm rentals. The USSSA officially moved to Viera in spring 2017.

It began: “In light of the most-recent federal recommendations regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), USSSA has made the difficult decision to suspend the sanctioning of events in the United States and Canada until further notice.”

It became partnership that both sides could celebrate, as was the case during the 2019 USSSA Convention, held last November.

Will they return? The answer is anyone’s guess.

The games stopped.

Yet, a glance at Viera, as well as the recent history of sports tourism nation-

40,000 full-time residents swells to twice that much — thanks to players and families arriving (and spending) for competitive youth sports.

The same for Rockford, which in recent years added a multipurpose arena, an indoor ice rink, golf courses, a tennis center, racetracks, softball and soccer complexes and more. The towns host, and the visitors spend.

It’s an economic reality.

And in Viera, even in these strange, uncertain and changing times, that reality — at some point — will return.

•

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technologies for collection, disposal and recycling that continues to evolve to meet consumer needs and global demands. Regardless of how innovative company technologies may be, the only way forward is to ensure the cooperation of the consuming public.

THE CHINA FACTOR

Waste Management

IT TAKES EVERYONE TO MAKE RECYCLING WORK

By Stuart Northside, Contributing Writer ealing with the challenge of recycling in the modern world is a monumental undertaking.

What’s more, the fact that recycling processing companies such as Waste Management have seen significant increases in contaminants among recyclables — including plastic bags, bulky items, and wire and food products, which can cause facility shutdowns and harm employees in addition to affecting the quality of recycled materials — points to the undeniable conclusion that more public education is necessary to reduce these contaminants.

16 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

From the start, recycling has been a partnership between Waste Management, municipalities and the citizens who rely on these services. Recycling’s future success depends on the cooperation of the consumers who derive the most benefit from it.

A HISTORY OF INNOVATION Waste Management has always been on the leading edge of innovation.

Started by a Dutch immigrant named Harm Huizenga in 1893, Waste Management was launched in Chicago (with little more than a strong work ethic and a horse-drawn wagon) to address the haphazard way that trash was being disposed of. De|

cades later, company history was solidified when it changed the paradigm from waste disposal to waste management.

Following WWII, as disposable products became the norm and the task mushroomed, the company experienced successive growth. In 1968, Wayne Huizenga (Harm’s grandson) and two other investors, Dean Buntrock and Larry Beck, launched their vision to serve communities by properly managing the waste of America’s rapidly growing population.

By 1982, after several mergers, the publicly traded company become the largest waste disposal company in the world and was developing new

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

Until 2017, almost 25% of the world’s recycled materials and over 50% of paper and plastics were purchased

by China for recycling. That changed abruptly in 2018, when the government instituted a new policy that banned the importation of contaminated recyclables to .05%. This includes things like a pizza box with grease on the cardboard, rendering it unsuitable for recycling. China has continued to restrict their importation of recyclable materials, forcing global markets to adapt.

What does this mean for us? Most residents here have two different refuse disposal options provided by their governing municipality. One container is for unrecyclable materials and the other is for single-stream recycling.

Single stream recycling removes the task from having to separate materials into different bins, i.e. paper, aluminum and steel. Instead, all of these are deposited in one bin and separated at Waste Management plants.

THE ECONOMICS OF ECOLOGY With recycling, there are two important factors to consider. First, recycling operates on a supply and demand equation, just like any other raw material. Recycled waste is a raw material. Plastics, aluminum and paper can be made into new products, if, like iron ore or crude oil, it meets certain specifications. Today, more and more of America’s recycled materials are being reused.

The second factor is that the success of this vital resource use, ecologically and economically, depends on the thoughtful cooperation of the people who use it. “Plastic bags, and other tanglers such as ropes, hoses, clothes and Christmas lights, cause issues at our recycling facility,” said Amy Boyson, Community Affairs Manager for Waste Management.

“These items get wrapped around our star screen equipment, which is used to sort material, and we must shut down the entire facility to manually cut and remove the non-recyclable items. Loose plastic bags and bagged recycling are not accepted in a curbside (or commercial) recycling program. Instead, plastic bags can be properly disposed of at most grocery stores.” Additionally, dangerous items should be kept out of curbside recycling carts, such as “pro-

“To be effective, recycling facilities have to deliver materials that can be sold to viable markets to be created into new products,” Boyson explained. pane tanks, needles and electronics. These items can injure our employees who work in your community or even create a fire capable of impacting the entire operation of a recycling facility,” she said.

In order to make recycling more efficient and cost effective, Waste Management has locally invested more than $1 billion in processing infrastructure, including almost $22 million in 2017, an investment of more than $13 million over the previous year. This change resulted in the processing of 15.3 million tons of recycled goods in 2017, representing a 91.25 percent increase in recycling ability over the past decade.

Making recycling operations effective at keeping materials out of landfills as well as keeping recycling costs economically viable — so our personal cost for services doesn’t become too burdensome — depends on consumer knowledge and cooperation.

We all must understand the market for recyclable materials, which is why Waste Management provides a list of items acceptable for recycling. Learning what’s acceptable is the first step for every person to be part of the recycling solution, rather than the recycling problem.

•

TIPS FOR RECYCLING THE RIGHT WAY RECYCLE: • Plastic bottles, jugs & tubs • Cans • Paper • Cardboard KEEP OUT OF RECYCLING: • Food and liquid • Loose plastic bags • Bagged recyclables For more information, visit online at: brevardfl.gov/SolidWaste/ RecyclingHome

“NON-RECYCLABLES ITEMS SUCH AS PLASTIC BAGS, AND OTHER TANGLERS SUCH AS ROPES, HOSES, CLOTHES AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, CAUSE ISSUES AT OUR RECYCLING FACILITY.” MAY/JUNE 2020 17

CORONA VIRUS 2020 - OUR COMMUNITY

ANSWERS & INNOVATIONS Health First Virtual Options in the time of the Coronavirus hen Health First launched access to its physicians via Virtual Options in March, only 22 patients opted to receive routine care from the comfort of their home over the course of a week.

Another patient who sees Kendra Ruckman, PA, echoed the sentiment: “I am so very grateful that I did not have to break my three-week quarantine! I was quite apprehensive about going into a medical facility. Thank you so very much for this alternative visit; you may have saved my life!”

Then the coronavirus (Covid-19) happened.

Virtual Visits are just one part of Health First’s response to treat patients during this cautious and unsettling time.

In the days that followed, social distancing and stay-at-home orders made virtual care essential. Now, more than 1,000 Health First patients are using this technology every day; even those who initially might have been leery are gratefully embracing it. “This is an absolutely amazing tool for at-risk patients during COVID-19,” said a patient of Dr. Elena Barnes. “Please increase this ASAP so that patients can continue care with established physicians without risking exposure. As a patient with asthma and lupus, this visit was an absolute lifesaver. THANK YOU!” 18 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

The dedication, implementation and technology has also offered a glimpse into the undeniable future of healthcare delivery.

Digital services are no longer a competitive advantage – they’re a necessity that customers depend on. |

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

“This has transformed how we deliver care,” said Dr. Douglas McKee, Vice President and Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Health First. “We have options that are being used that are convenient to customers. They do not have to come in and potentially get exposed (to illnesses) in the clinic.”

A COMMITMENT TO CARE Health First has committed to providing these important services to the community, despite the financial challenges that

IMPROVED & ENHANCED WEBSITE OPTIONS In addition to Virtual Visits, multiple other digital enhancements have been developed for patients, with the company website, www.HF.org, shifting focus to Covid-19 to offer the community the answers and resources they need, including: ■ COVID-19 SYMPTOM CHECKER: Utilizing artificial intelligence, patients seeking guidance about whether or not they might have the virus are guided through a series of questions. The tool then directs them to a recommended course of action – whether it’s a visit to the hospital, a Virtual Visit or a call to emergency services, 911.

■ ENHANCED PHYSICIAN DIRECTORY: The website HF.org can be searched for specialty physicians who can help identify and recommend actions for the particular symptoms being experienced by the patient – even the coronavirus, which recently was added to the database among the many other listings. Those seeking care for a particular condition are funneled through a call center to book a Virtual Visit with a provider who treats that condition.

■ TELEHEALTH MENTAL WELLNESS LINE: At no cost to the community, Health First is providing a resource line for those feeling the emotional burden of Covid-19. Residents can call a trained support line counselor at 321-434-7700 daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

have resulted with temporarily shuttering some services for the public’s safety due to Covid-19. For example, the Symptom Checker was a $50,000 investment – but the service is something that provides peace of mind and direction to Brevard residents.

Various teams have put in considerable hours of work for several weeks to make sure Virtual Visits and other solutions are available – stretching way beyond the cost of the actual technology itself. “I felt very good about not having to go into the office during this pandemic, and my entire experience was great,” said a patient of Dr. Allen Condo. “I appreciate the professional and caring, attentive care I am always given.”

•

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MAY/JUNE 2020 19

WHO WILL

TAKE THE PRIZE?

MAY/JUNE 2020 21

YOUTH

THIS KID’S ALRIGHT

TO WATCH

2020

SPOTLIGHT ON

ZOPHIA KOTALA

By Shawna L. Lucas, Publisher

f you believe nothing happens by accident…or everything happens for a reason…then this is a story for you.

It begins when a young teenager at a local school is assigned a class project over her sophomore year.

Project topics were not prescribed, and no guidance was issued on how to make, or do, or present, the project.

SNAPSHOT

“I love Shakespeare’s writing so much! He’s funny, smart, and stimulating… I could read his plays all day long.” - Zophia Kotala NAME

Zophia Kotala

AGE

15

2222SPACE SPACE COAST COAST BUSINESS BUSINESS

| |

SCHOOL

TALENT

Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High

Writer/ Author

SPACECOASTBUSINESS. SPACECOASTBUSINESS. COM COM

Zophia Kotala, 15, an articulate young lady with a penchant for language and deep love of science, decided she wanted to write a novelette about something that concerned her, something she was interested in and something that might resonate with the students who attend class with her in the International Baccalaureate program at Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School.

She had been pondering about what direction her project should take when she read a news story from 2017 about a Siberian town experiencing an ancient disease outbreak. Zophia, an honor student, said that’s when things got interesting.

“I began my research and kept coming across information that scientists and epidemiologists were predicting worldwide infectious diseases,” something that would be devastating to human life. And the economy. Something that would disrupt life in a way that no one had ever seen before.

She began writing “Scorching Siberian Winter” in December. The story chronicles the daily challenges of a brother and sister weathering through an apocalyptic global pandemic, and also focuses on climate change, science and politicians whose refusal to address those issues resulted in complete and utter destruction.

through to a PhD or, perhaps, a PsyD degree, if she pursues a degree in psychology.

She’s weighing options and touring college campuses, knowing she’s got a bit of time to make her choices.

The project, titled “Communicating the Possible Future Following Global Warming Through Fiction Writing”, was presented in a Science Fair format on March 10. Along with the 50-page novelette, the project included a core question, and background research – topics she is well-familiar with. having placed almost every year since her first science fair presentation in the fourth grade.

When she’s not developing dystopian novelettes, she’s pretty much a normal teen. She plays on the school JV softball team, performs in the Brevard Youth Chorus and hangs out with her 10-year-old brother, Bobby, playing an occasional game of tennis or watching movies together.

Zophia said teachers and students both were stunned and asked repeatedly how she knew this was going to happen.

She related her research in an answer that is stunning in its simplicity and shattering in its scope: “Scientists have been predicting global epidemics for years now because of climate change.

It is not rocket science, just basic science.”

The novel coronavirus, Covid-1, was diagnosed in the U.S. and China on the same day, January 20, more than a month after she started penning her story.

“I had already started writing it, and then it actually was happening,” she said, still a bit dazed by the confluence of events.

She also attends Shakespearean and musical plays with her mom, and has been doing so for years.

“I love Shakespeare’s writing so much! He’s funny, smart, and stimulating… I could read his plays all day long,” she said.

Yeah, this kid’s alright.

Science is something Zophia one day hopes to have a direct impact upon, and says she knows for sure she will work all the way

With a heavy sigh, she added, “I’m sorry for

23 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

what this means for the world, but it’s happening NOW,” she said.

And, it’s likely to keep happening if we don’t collectively address the issues mentioned in her book, among other things.

|

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

•

Adapted from Scorching Siberian Winter novelette by Zophia Kotala: “She could remember once reading about places in the Old World where… people would dress in thin clothes and enjoy the feeling of cool clean water on their skin. Such behavior was frowned on now, of course. Perhaps if the people of the Old World had been working to solve the issues they themselves had created, instead of leisurely strolling on beaches which now lay underwater, the population of the human race wouldn’t have been reduced to a fraction of what it once was.”

submit your youth nominee: THIS KID’S ALRIGHT will be a regular feature about under 25 youth in Brevard County who impress us with their foresight, problem solving skills, business acumen and other leadership skills. If you know of someone we should consider, please email shawna@spacecoastmagazines.com with a brief description of the candidate, age, and why you think they should be considered. Candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis and presented as space allows.

MAY/JUNE 2020 23

Executive

PROFILE

SPONSORED CONTENT

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MIKE ROSS

there that I first fell in love with the Industry.” I remember dad telling me that after the war, new cars were not being manufactured so people were buying up used cars and paying more for them than new ones! This sparked an interest that would carry through Mike’s military service in the Air Force and into other career choices until a chance opened up to work in the automobile auction business, where he increased profitability by 400% over three years.

Kelly Ford’s Commercial Fleet Sales Manager

Working as an insurance agent, though, is what taught him about how best to deal with people: honestly.

“It’s much easier to remember the truth than to try to remember a lie. Be honest and fair dealing with people.”

Gathering information about clients taught Mike about skills such as negotiating, sales, networking and marketing and helped forge his business approach as “slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to hear!”

MIKE ROSS HAS WORKED as a health and life insurance agent, an independent auto sales broker and auctioneer. Most recently, Mike came out of semi-retirement to take the lead as Kelly Ford’s Commercial Fleet Sales Manager in Melbourne. His love for cars started early, he said. “As a youngster, my father operated his own used car wholesale and retail lot and it was

Expert customer service and follow up is “how we gain confidence, referrals and great relationships.”

724-396-6938 mross@kellyford.com kellyford.com 776 Magnolia Ave. Melbourne, FL 32935

24 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

|

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

These are some of the life (and work) lessons Mike brings to his position as Commercial Fleet Sales Manager at Kelly Ford in Melbourne, which specializes in commercial trucks, including customized up-fits trucks, vans, KUVs, E-350 service bodies, box trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, stake body goose-necks, Transit 150s, 250s, and 350 cargo vans and passenger wagons, to name a few.

“I really love the people and the business and Kelly Ford has been around for over 45 years. I like stability, I like professionals to learn from and carry on their mission,” he concluded, noting expert customer service and follow up is “how we gain confidence, referrals and great relationships.”

Executive

PROFILE

SPONSORED CONTENT

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Redirecting the collective – and justifiable – fears that have emerged in direct response to the pandemic has been one verifiable byproduct of a group created to lend a hand to others in need during this very uncertain time in our world.

NEW AID NETWORK

OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNITY NEEDS

#LOVEBOMBS

DURING PANDEMIC

Galvanizing the Community through Social Media The Facebook page for Coronavirus Mutual Aid Network of Brevard County, FL went live on March 14 and has been steadily attracting followers with more than 9,200 members since early May about six weeks after launch. A website followed quickly (mutualaidbrevard.com) and serves as a clearinghouse of local, state and federal resources, tips, links to health information and much more.

The vision for this network was developed by husband and wife team, Stacey and Dev Patel, after Stacey “woke up one night in a panic thinking about how (the shelter in place orders and economic downturn) would affect people living in the margins of our community.” Stacey serves as the Committee Chair for the Democratic Party of Brevard County and Dev is a Field Manager for the Bernie Sanders for President campaign.

By Shawna L. Lucas, Publisher

26 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

|

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

“Compassion does not fatigue us — it is a source of strength and supports our thriving and benefits others.”

ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX, PH.D., BUDDHIST TEACHER, ZEN PRIEST AND ANTHROPOLOGIST

Together, they came up with the mission that drives the activities of the group: “Share what you have. Ask for what you need. We’re all in this together.”

And helped they have. The group represents a broad audience of local residents, from business owners to homemakers, and from retirees to the recently unemployed. Everyone is welcomed and every act of kindness is acknowledged as much as Stacey has time to do so.

(There’s so much goodness going on, it’s sometimes hard to keep it all straight!)

Crowdsourcing The GoFundMe page, created to help source financial support for the group, has raised more than $16,500 as of early May in funding that is directly funneled to help individuals and families with varying levels of needs, said Stacey. Families and individuals have been fed, clothed, and assisted with immediate needs such as beds, sheets, appliances, rent and mortgage payments. More than one family has been provided with the resources and support to move from homelessness to housing.

Money drips in all day long in incremental amounts – anywhere from $15 to $200 – and is used to cover the requests for assistance that are verified and actionable.

Recently, she reported receiving a second donation of $1,200 through the crowdsourcing platform. “We were gifted these funds – pre-stimulus check – from people here who want to help. The response has been amazing,” she said. On the Facebook page she created for the network, Stacey pushes out constant updates of needs, as iden27 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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tified by followers, news reports and emails she is monitoring daily. Top of the county to bottom of the county – from Micco to Mims – volunteers work to collect and deliver needed supplies, most notably food and water, diapers, and other essentials to families and individuals in need. Local restaurants and grocers often chip in, donating food and labor to to help bag up weeks of meals at a time.

#LOVEBOMBS Some local businesses and organizations are feeling the effects of the #LoveBombs Stacey developed to ensure local businesses were not going to go under for lack of patronage.

To date, three #LoveBombs have been organized to tremendous response. Two directed hundreds of customers to visit and purchase meals from local restaurants who were doing their own acts of kindness feeding others during the public health crisis, and another collected and delivered meals to healthcare workers at area hospitals with donated and paid-for meals from local restaurateurs.

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

YOU CAN HELP If you would like to help, volunteer or donate, check out these sites for more information:

@ mutualaidbrevard.com facebook.com/groups/ mutualaidbrevard/

gofundme.com/f/ coronavirus-mutual-aid-ofbrevard-county-fl

If you scroll through the comments on the Facebook page, the enthusiasm is unmistakable, and the engagement is high – in a month more than 248,000 posts/comments have been recorded on the site. “It’s helping restore a sense of power, when we feel we’ve lost so much of it in our own lives,” Stacey said.

•

believe the most significant questions we should be asking ourselves during this global pandemic was originally posited by Bill George in his book “7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis:” During a crisis, he states, “You find what you are really made of. Will you stay true to your convictions and values? Or do you deviate under pressure?”

Before life gets back to normal, which I am confident it will, all of us will be forced to answer those telling questions. What will determine how we fare will not be decided by the CDC, but by our individual efforts to, simply, be neighborly. Let me explain.

Few stories have shaped Western culture such as the biblical story of the “Good Samaritan,” a parable told by Jesus in an effort to narrow the scope of one of the Ten Commandments “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself.” (And, even if you haven’t heard of it, the message this parable communicates is a part of our social DNA, our humanity, and a part of our collective culture as much as the idea that freedom is the starting point of the America ethos.)

When a lawyer challenges Jesus with clarifying the statement (“Who exactly is my neighbor?”), he shared a narrative that goes something like this: A man was on a journey and was accosted by bandits, robbed, beaten and left for dead. After the assault, two different individuals passed by him on their own journeys and did not stop to help, choosing indifference over intervention. The

THE

In times when fear & anxiety are spiking, when individuals and businesses are facing historic vulnerabilities, and when isolation is our best defense against an unseen foe, perhaps simple neighborliness can carry us through.

ETHICAL

CAPITALIST Howdy Neighbor… or A Samaritans Response To COVID-19

By Eric Wright, President story makes it clear these were men not moral reprobates, but upstanding members of society who decided not to “get involved.” (Theories abound why they did not stop to help.

I’m sure they were busy, or they surmised his situation was an outcome of his own poor choices, or perhaps they were concerned about legal entanglements or becoming sullied, or whatever.)

Next, a Samaritan came along – from among a race of group viewed with no small degree of distain in that society. The Samaritan was “moved with compassion” and stopped to help the defeated man, dressing his wound and taking him to a local inn, where he paid the costs of his rehabilitation and pledged to return to cover any additional expenses.

In the story, the Samaritan’s actions do not establish a baseline for a Nobel prize or an honorary degree, but they do qualify for the simple act – an action we are all called to share – of being neighborly.

If you found yourself surprised or even offended by the cold heartedness of the two who came upon the poor man but still chose to do nothing, then you have likely been influenced by this simple definition of being a neighbor or treating others like you would want to be treated.

In times when fear and anxiety are spiking, when individuals and businesses are facing historic vulnerabilities, and when isolation is our best defense against an unseen foe, perhaps simple neighborliness can carry us through. Here are two

neighborly principles you and we should all be trying to emulate: Be cautious, but be kind. In the aftermath of 9-11 and during the banking crisis of 2008, most people’s lives went on as normal. At least during those times, people went to work and children returned to school. In this new normal of social distancing, industry shutdowns and certain uncertainty, people’s nerves are a bit frayed and patience is strained. We share a common link to others who’ve faced adversity in trying times. I’m reminded of the thousands of people who were forced to take refuge, together, in the bomb shelters under London during World War II. Believe it or not, sociologists and psychologists say that the bombings did not have the intended response of panic and despair Germany had hoped to unleash on Britain.

Why? Because, gradually, Londoners grew accustomed to the new normal and adapted. Together. Recently, we’ve seen other instances of incredible resilience and bonding – like the singing of national songs from balconies in deserted Italian piazzas, or musicians providing live concerts to fans across the oceans for free, or museums making virtual tours available for anyone stuck at home.

Give as much grace as you would like to get.

Do you remember going into the store to get water, toilet paper or hand sanitizer, only to find the shelves empty? Similarly, every business in America and much of the world is struggling to make payroll, pay their bills or to get their receivables, produce and distribute their goods. For a time, the shelves will remain empty but eventually, they will be re-stocked and they will continue to be filled over and over again. Breathe in. Don’t fight someone over a few rolls of toilet paper or a gallon of milk if you have some at home. You don’t know the circumstances of others, and we all have a collective responsibility right now to understand that this, too, shall pass.

Now is not the time for panic, or hoarding, or unreasonable actions. Now is the season for us to “stay true to our convictions and values, and to not deviate under pressure”.

•

MAY/JUNE 2020 29

Danger gathers upon our path. We cannot afford – we have no right – to look back. We must look forward.”

Winston Churchill

The following week was spent implementing these plans to include technology upgrades and staff training. Laptops and headphones were issued, and virtual Career Center operations were initiated.

Flexibility is Key Teleworking opened up a whole new set of challenges that were met with staff ingenuity. In-person workshops were converted to virtual workshops.

RESPONSIVE

s the beginning of March started to roll in and the COVID-19 virus pandemic evolved, the realization that we had a national emergency on our hands became glaringly apparent.

ACTION

Just like most Florida citizens during hurricane season, CareerSource Brevard (CSB) was wellversed in dealing with a fast-approaching crisis situation. I organized a COVID disaster steering team to meet regularly allowing for quick decisions and responsive actions.

for Brevard’s Employers & Unemployed

By Marci Murphy, President, CareerSource Brevard

Virtual New Reality

That’s where the similarities to a hurricane disaster ended.

A COVID-19 Condition plan was developed and shared with staff, board members, and the State. It became increasingly clear that teleworking was the most viable option.

We didn’t have to address possible building damage, sparse communication, and power outages.

Instead, we were addressing an invisible virus.

Career Center staff had never worked from home.

In one week, a three-pronged plan was developed to include the following: Technology Plan, Teleworking Agreement, and Staff Continuation Plan — detailing operational instructions and teleworking job duties for each person.

30 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

Technology included Cisco Jabber (phone), Skype for Business, Chat Lines and Text Lines. We procured and implemented an e-signature solution, an on-line training platform with access to over 5,000 online courses, and a Virtual Job Fair platform. What does this mean to our jobseekers and business customers?

As we continue to utilize these enhancements, CareerSource Brevard can ensure greater flexibility of services to Brevard’s citizens. For example, businesses can decide if they want to participate in a job fair or hold a recruiting event in-person or virtually. As we increase our service options, we will also be expanding office hours by way of virtual services.

Some processes that formally required a personal appointment can now be done virtually due to expanded technology.

Needs Ramping Up With the sudden onset of layoffs due to government mandates and effects of the virus, people reaching out to CSB were not only in shock, but their fear magnified as job loss and health concerns loomed. Although we don’t administer the Reemployment Assistance (RA) claims program, we help with addressing frequently asked questions and other inquiries regarding completion of the online application. With the RA challenges, people are sometimes grateful to connect with a live person to talk with on the phone.

were able to meet virtually with representatives from Embraer discussing key job search techniques and ways to introduce yourself to employers in a virtual environment. The previous months have created challenges. I am thankful for the CSB staff who continue to work so hard to support Brevard’s citizens as they navigate through the hardships of this pandemic. In parallel to these efforts, CSB has created and implemented another virtual dimension to our services.

COMPELLING NUMBERS FROM CSB From February to March 2020, the volume of phone calls to the Career Centers increased by 50%, chat line requests by 400%, and new Brevard registrations into the Employ Florida database increased from 1,384 in February to 5,135 in March.

CSB is facing a new dichotomy. In a very short period of time, as certain industries are having layoffs, others are ramping up. We waste no time in letting the public know, through many avenues and platforms, who is hiring.

Working Together towards Excellence

Whether working remotely or at the career centers, CSB will continue to offer some of our workshops through recorded videos.

As members of my staff rose like shining stars and achieved amazing things expeditiously, I realized, by the end of the fourth week, everyone we were working with slotted directly into this category. It remains clear to me that results are created by all of the great people doing innovative, great work.

Other events will continue to be scheduled such as our Information Technology Virtual Job Fair (May 19-23). We recently hosted an online webinar where job seekers

CSB will be monitoring Brevard’s workforce needs, including the short– and long– term impacts of COVID-19.

Ensuring the success of businesses and job seekers, we will continue to crosswalk the skills of unemployed job seekers to other high demand industries, offer training and certifications, and stay on top of emerging workforce opportunities.

At the start of the pandemic, employers who were hiring include grocery stores, major retail chains such as Walgreens and Walmart, Amazon, hardware stores, food delivery services, and some businesses advertising workfrom-home opportunities.

Opportunities to Learn and Grow

Video workshops include, “Top 5 Resources to Get You Back to Work”, “Preparing for the Interview”, “Resume Writing”, “Career Strategies for the 50+ age group,” and “Basics of Microsoft Word,” to name a few.

fied economy. While some industries could take longer to bounce back such as “Accommodation and Food Service,” others will do so rather quickly. For instance, at onset, healthcare workers were near the top in Brevard County for filing the most RA claims, but as dental services and elective surgeries are brought back, this industry should recover faster.

Although no one can predict how this pandemic will play out, I believe Brevard County is in a good position to rebound. One promising statistic is that we are ranked #2 in Florida for the most diversi-

Simultaneously, we have businesses asking us for Reduction-In-Force (RIF) services. In the last two weeks of March, 74 businesses had reached out asking for these RIF services.

We continue to query local businesses, via email surveys, to let them know we are here to help.

As we re-imagine what the future holds, our country will be focused on returning or creating domestic supply chains. With Port Canaveral as an avenue to expand trade and logistics, and our strong manufacturing capabilities, the future is likely to hold very positive and interesting prospects for us.

CareerSource Brevard is the area authority on workforce development.

CareerSource Brevard is a partner of American Job Center network and supports business & career seekers with training, recruitment, hiring, education, job search and incentives.

For more information, visit online at careersourcebrevard.com

•

MAY/JUNE 2020 31

The Space Coast has long been recognized for its history-making technology and innovation. Today, it is again making history as home to more than 500 manufacturers producing executive jets, semiconductors, medical devices and more.

NO PRECEDENCE FOR THIS CHALLENGE

ANOTHER HISTORIC

COMEBACK? ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS UNDERWAY ON THE SPACE COAST he last time the Space Coast faced overwhelming economic adversity, it fought back to become one of the best-performing communities in Florida and the nation, developing a state-leading manufacturing sector and the second-most industry-diversified economy in Florida.

This did not happen by accident. A successful strategy developed by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast replaced thousands of lost jobs that were primarily centered around one program with new high-wage jobs created by a wide-va-

riety of companies whose decision-makers would increasingly come to be based in Brevard County.

This was accomplished with the knowledge that when the next economic downturn hit, the local economy would be in a far stronger position to weather the storm.

Top left: Diners enjoying the Cocoa Beach Pier in early February. Above: Boeing Starliner and Northrop Grumman manufacturing facilities In Brevard.

By Lynda Weatherman, President and CEO, Economic Development Commission, Florida’s Space Coast 32 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

Against the backdrop of this growth entered the COVID-19 pandemic, which presents a challenge the likes of which few in living memory have faced: It threatens the community’s workforce, businesses and way of life.

To have such calamity strike just when Brevard County was poised for seemingly bigger and better things is especially alarming, but the wisdom of the diversification strategy is as valid as ever.

While vital in the short term to keeping companies and jobs afloat, resources like Florida’s emergency bridge loan and various U.S. Small Business Administration programs were quickly depleted due to overwhelming demand.

In the long term, highwage jobs created by the Space Coast’s diversified manufacturing core will help other Brevard County industry sectors recover as the economy reopens.

That is why the EDC has devoted a significant portion of its COVID-19 response to the manufacturing sector with the creation of an internal manufacturing resiliency team. The EDC engaged more than 700 manufacturing contacts, including its Manufacturers Association of Florida’s Space Coast (MASC) members, to offer assistance, assess capabilities and critical needs, and troubleshoot breaks in supply chains that could be filled by local businesses.

$300 million investment that is expected to generate at least 675 jobs in Florida by 2026.

BIG WINS IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Aerion will break ground on the new campus later this year and is expected to attract key aerospace suppliers within the supersonic technology ecosystem to bring business to Florida, creating additional roles for scientists, designers, engineers and aircraft builders – i.e, more high-wage jobs.

Aerion Park is a major vote of confidence in the future of the Space Coast economy and is an example of what can be accomplished, even in the most challenging times, when the EDC and its state and local partners, including Enterprise Florida, Space Florida, the Orlando Melbourne International Airport, Brevard County and the City of Melbourne, work together.

The EDC also continued its business attraction efforts and in April received welcome news. Cutting-edge aerospace company Aerion Supersonic announced a new stateof-the-art campus – Aerion Park – to be located in Melbourne. It will form a new global headquarters and integrated campus for research, design, build and maintenance of the company’s supersonic aircraft. The new project represents a multi-year

Lynda Weatherman

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM Brevard County continues to demonstrate that where production capabilities show growth, then decisionmakers (in the form of corporate headquarters) and innovation (in the form of centers of excellence) follow.

The work of the EDC’s manufacturing resiliency team has also revealed other reasons for optimism post-pandemic. The challenge presented by out-ofstate or overseas supply chains shined a spotlight on the upside of building a Florida-based supply chain for certain industries.

To that end, MASC, through its partnership with FloridaMakes and the federal government’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, launched a powerful and cost-free new tool: Connex Florida (https://manufacturinginbrevard.org/connex) which started as a disaster risk mitigation effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and is proving to be a critical tool for streamlining connections between Florida manufacturers and businesses in need of their products during the pandemic.

While uncertainty abounds, Florida’s Space Coast is starting the process of recovery from a position of strength. This is certainly a marked contrast from a decade ago and something in which the people of Brevard County can and should draw comfort.

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The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast is an innovative, countywide, not-for-profit partnership between the Brevard County Commission and the Space Coast business community. For more information, visit online at spaceocoastedc.org

· BOEING’S STARLINER manufacturing facility and its Space Launch System rocket, among other factors, influenced the company’s 2019 decision to relocate its Space and Launch Headquarters from Arlington, VA to Titusville.

EXAMPLES OF

GREATNESS

IN BREVARD COUNTY 33 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

Florida’s Space Coast is starting the process of recovery from a position of strength.

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· LOCKHEED MARTIN made a similar move, relocating its Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Headquarters from Sunnyvale, CA to Titusville. · NORTHROP GRUMMAN has significantly grown its Melbourne presence, opening its Manned Aircraft Design

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Center of Excellence, while numerous other companies, including aviation and defense stalwarts L3Harris and Embraer have bet big on the business climate and workforce of Florida’s Space Coast to drive their future.

TWO WARS:

CORONA VIRUS 2020

TREATING THE PATIENT & PROTECTING THE FRONTLINES

3D Face Masks: Florida Tech is using 3D printers to create face shields for health workers.

The Ugly Truth By early March, the COVID 19 pandemic exposed glaring supply deficits in hospitals and healthcare systems across the U.S. It quickly became obvious that if the projected numbers of infections were even remotely true, each state would experience staggering losses of life to the pandemic, while simultaneously being ill-prepared to protect those providing care on the front lines.

By Kelly Collazo Camarind, Contributing Writer Kelly Collazo Camarind owns and manages Executive and HealthCare Promotions, Inc. a boutique public relations and market development agency serving the legal community, specialty practice physician groups, hospitals, and more. For information, visit online at: executiveandhealth carepromotions.com

With this stark realization, healthcare institutions set about addressing shortages in clinical staff, infectious care processes and the personal protective equipment (PPE).

PPE’s include gloves, goggles, face masks, air purifying respirators, face shields and gowns.

In Florida, like New York, California and Texas, the initial projected numbers of infections were staggering. State officials jumped into action by requesting large amounts of emergency supplies from the National Stock Pile, which is managed by the (federal) Department of Health

34 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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Members of the team leading the effort include: (from left) Marco Carvalho, Dean of Florida Tech’s College of Engineering and Science, Juan Avendano Arbelaez, Deep Patel and David Beavers.

and Human Services, to fill the PPE shortages.

And, unlike other states, Florida was granted its entire need request. While many states felt they were overlooked, the HHS department maintained that needs were assessed based on population and infection calculations – maintaining it made the right decision for Florida.

While the assistance by the national government seemed like good news, the emergency resources would need to be spread and shared across the state – thereby, the need for PPE’s remained an emergency throughout Florida.

Clinicians were growing concerned with the PPE shortages, knowing they’d be adversely impacted, as

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many were asked to repurpose used equipment while holding out hope of a solution on the horizon as the pandemic unfolded.

While there are so many reasons that make the U.S. one of the greatest countries in the world, the American people who come together in a national crisis are likely it’s number one reason. As seen in states across the country, large and small businesses alike joined the race to influence the PPE shortages.

Corporate officials at Ford, Tesla and General Motors transitioned their normal functions by joining PPE manufacturers to ramp up production of these vital supplies for healthcare workers fighting the front lines of the pandemic.

Switching Gears to Protect first responders, police departments and frontline workers (as of early May).

In Brevard County, staff members at Blinds of All Kinds, an industry leader in window treatments and drapery since 1983, wanted to help.

Christine Brown, Sales Manager and Custom Designer, happened upon a news article about a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Florida in Gainesville who had successfully created a mask using Halyard H600 two-ply spun polypropylene, the sterile wrapping material that is used to drape surgical instruments after the sterilization process. The material is in no shortage at hospitals everywhere, and an idea was born.

“We knew that people would not be needing decorating services during a quarantine, so as employees, we could focus on making masks that would help protect our frontline medical workers,” she said. “We had read about the PPE shortages and wanted to make a difference here in Brevard.”

Having enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Health First for years, the two companies joined forces to develop a mask prototype. Using the same materials as outlined in the article, Blinds of All Kinds went to work, successfully manufacturing some 150-200 reusable covers daily for the N95 masks worn by Health First clinicians.

Shifting Gears to Contribute At Florida Tech, faculty, staff and students came together to develop and 3D-print face shields and face shield extensions for local frontline healthcare workers.

While there are so many reasons that make the U.S. one of the greatest countries in the world, the American people who come

TOGETHER in a national crisis are likely it’s number one reason.

Although the face shields are relatively inexpensive to make, the College of Engineering and Science at Florida Tech are generously covering expenses associated with the project. “’I’m extremely proud of our Florida Tech team that, without hesitation, jumped into action to work days, nights and weekends to help our community,” said Carvalho.

While the pandemic continues its course, CDC officials are continuing to caution the public to remain diligent and not to let down our guard, as a second wave of illnesses in the Fall is expected. Social distancing measures, while following proper hygiene protocols, are still the best course of action against this silent enemy.

So much of our daily lives have changed, however a few important things remain.

With over 600,000 plus Brevard County residents, the small-town feels aren’t lost here in the big-time crisis we all are facing.

Instead, there are bright spots everywhere, if you’re open to seeing them as so many bright, dedicated and talented business owners and residents alike are coming together to collaborate, communicate and develop important measures to assist others in need.

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Switching gears: Blinds of All Kinds employee’s focus shifted from decorating services to masks that protect medical workers in the frontlines.

Dean Marco Carvalho and his student/staff team at the College of Engineering and Science created the shields with input and adjustments provided by local physicians.

With university classes transitioning to online study for the remainder of the summer, the campus laboratories are being used to produce and deliver over 100 face shields and extensions to local MAY/JUNE 2020 35

Best PRACTICE

BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY

For more business resources go to: spacecoastbusiness.com/category/best-practice

MINTING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION How a simple gift can establish relationships, build trust, and make your customers happy

THE EXPERI-MINT

usiness is about relationships. We’ve all heard it. Probably more times than we can count. But what does it really mean? And could a mint make all the difference?

Digital marketing agencies around the world have been selling the value of personalization for years, but often without any explanation of what this means.

In person, we all know we like to do business with people we know, like, and trust.

Chambers of Commerce across the country have been telling us this for generations.

And there is truth to it.

You’re more likely to make a sale or an up-sell to someone who trusts what you’re doing.

LYLE SMITH is the principal, founder and chief writer for Nymblesmith, a content marketing agency dedicated to brand and business storytelling and storyfocused content strategy. He is also the creator of The Story Forge Podcast: OUTBREAK Edition, a podcast collecting and exploring the stories of small to mid-sized businesses and the challenges they are navigating in a tumultuous world.

But how do you measure it?

nymblesmith.com

In the digital world, this means anything from having a prospect’s name appear in the subject line of an email to successfully offering or predicting additional products you might like to purchase through an e-commerce platform.

Professional salespeople work hard to find ways to establish trustful relationships with clients from the get-go. It’s hard. But there are techniques, rooted in psychology, that can help you get down this road further than just offering a great product or service.

36 SPACE COAST BUSINESS

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the-story-forge.com

SPACECOASTBUSINESS.COM

A study done by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration titled “Sweetening the Till: The Use of Candy to Increase Restaurant Tipping,” examined how a simple gesture by servers impacted tipping in restaurants.

They looked at four groups and how the servers interacted at the end of their meals.

GROUP ONE, the control group, received only the bill for their meal from their server.

GROUP TWO had their bill presented with a mint.

For GROUP THREE, the server left two mints with the bill, announcing that they were leaving two mints.

For GROUP FOUR, the server left two mints along with the bill and walked away without saying anything. Then, the server stopped, returned, and left a few more mints with a comment about how nice the people were and how they deserved the extra mints for their kindness.

Compared to the average tips left in the control group, tips for Group Two increased three percent. Group Three increased by 14%. Group Four went up by 21%.

Basically, the more personal the interaction, the better the tip. Psychologically, this could be interpreted as an understanding of more personal interaction equals more good feelings equals bigger reward.

And what was most interesting to the researchers: the jump from Group Two to Group Three was not a simple doubling, it was more an exponential increase.

A DEEPER MEANING Of course, this is one study of particular interactions in a dining situation.

The bigger question is could it work elsewhere?

Amazon has been doing it since it was just an online bookstore. Even in the earliest incarnations of the e-commerce giant, the Amazon interface would use data collected through the consumer’s interaction to present additional and alternative options for what they were looking for.

IN YOUR FACE The same approach works very effectively with face-to-face interactions.

It’s why the best networking conversations and sales meetings begin with discussions of family or pets or pastimes. When you connect about fishing stories, or what your kids are into, you automatically connect as humans.

It’s ultra-personal. Suddenly the people on both sides are disarmed and connection is occurring over common interests or challenges. Commonality and trust make you feel good about a relationship, that translates to trust in business, or shopping or tipping.

COMMUNICATING THROUGH A CRISIS In the age of the coronavirus, we’re living in a time where we’re spending an inordinate amount of our professional time on email, and the phone,

and video calls. Sometimes even by text message. For many people, communication seems different.

Personally, I’ve done it this way for years and I have many clients I’ve actually never met in person.

So how do we make personalized connections during these trying times? Ask about how they’re doing under the stay at home orders.

If they have children, ask about the challenges of online learning.

Communicate that you understand and care about how challenging it can be. Maybe even tell a brief story about your own situation.

Before you know it, you’ve navigated the challenges of non-verbal communication in digital formats.

You’ve made a connection and the next part of the conversation gets smoother. Leave them a verbal mint and remind them that you think they deserve it. They’ll appreciate it more than you know.

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Today, we see it in just about every e-commerce interface, “shoppers who purchased [the thing you’re buying], also purchased [these other great products.]” The concept is that of a trusted personal shopping assistance walking the online store with you.

When it predicts correctly, it engenders more trust and a better shopping experience: The consumer is made to feel included, and as a a result, feels good. For the online retailer, more sales are generated. It’s an all-around win/win.

MAY/JUNE 2020 37

UP CLOSE with

JOHN M. STEWART The Florida Bar, President

[ By Eric Wright, President ] Photography by Jason Hook

S

ince its origination in 1949, The Florida Bar has grown from 3,758 members to more than 108,000. For the past year, the Bar has been led by John M. Stewart – a third generation Florida attorney – practicing probate litigation and mediation for Rossway Swan from their Melbourne and Vero Beach offices. Stewart has been instrumental in helping Florida’s legal profession keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology while maintaining the core purpose of the profession, a purpose he defines as: “Being a counselor at law – always pursuing justice, yet guiding our clients on the individual path that is right for them and their businesses.”

EW: At the end of June you wrap up your year as the President of The Florida Bar. What are the key things you have learned during your term and how, perhaps, has your understanding of the legal profession shifted? JS: Going in we had a great long-term strategic plan, and I had a more annualized one, but mine was a little less traditional. For some time, I have been an advocate for finding ways to introduce and better utilize technology. Also, I am very processoriented and I wanted our Board of Governors, a 52-member elected body that governs the lawyers in Florida, to focus on being a policy-making and forward-thinking, body. Our job, from a strategic perspective, is to ask the question: “Where is our profession going and what do we need to do to help get our lawyers get there?”

Especially when you consider that the bulk of our members, 75%, work at firms with ten lawyers or less. This doesn’t mean we ignore the larger firms, but we are at a pivotal point, even before Covid 19 came along. That crucial juncture deals with how the profession adapts to change. The analogy I heard one person use was [instructive]: “If you took a doctor from the 1800’s and dropped them into a modern ER or OR, they would be totally paralyzed. They wouldn’t have the first clue on how to do anything. On the other hand, if you dropped a lawyer in from the 1800’s to try a case, unless it was of a highly technical nature, they would probably do just fine.”

EW: Isn’t some of that due to the nature of the legal profession and law itself? JS: If the question is that the law hasn’t had to change, as much as medicine, I would disagree with that. But the fact of the matter is, we haven’t changed. This is why we see these new outside forces, for instance Legal Zoom. I’m

not bringing them up to disparage or to applaud them, they exist because lawyers weren’t meeting a need that the community was looking for; namely, middle class people who needed services at a price point they could afford. Legal Zoom found a way to commoditize and monetize that and as a result they reach a large number of people. Of course, they do a discrete amount of work, there are a host of things they can’t do. So yes, we need to catch up.

And fast forward to today, where we are dealing with this health pandemic, with stay at home orders and things slowing down, that change is critical. The legal profession has been very face-to-face oriented, traditionally. You go to court, you don’t Skype in, clients want to meet with you at your offices. If there is a silver lining in this current situation, it is that the legal business, I don’t think, will be practiced the same as it was going into this pandemic.

EW: What are the challenges in that change and transition? JS: The law is steeped in precedence, the founding case that solves a contemporary dispute can still be from the 19th or 20th century.

Because of that, the profession is slow to embrace change. My father just celebrated his 50th year in the Bar and he still practices law. Think about the technological changes that have taken place in his career? But here is one of the biggest differences: when he was young, most lawyers were sort of general practitioners – they did real estate closings, formed corporations, and even tried cases. They didn’t do everything, but they did a variety of things.

In the arc of [my father’s] career, there has been a drive in the profession, and in law schools, toward specialization. Now my father does real estate law, healthcare and not-for-profit corporations. The move changes the focus from most being a generalist to everyone being a specialist.

EW: Which I would assume has caused the costs for legal services to rise? JS: That is one outcome, but the vast majority of people seeking legal services don’t need a specialist. Lawyers with a tax specialty have a high level of training that they should be paid for, but does the average person need that level of sophistication to draft their will?

I think, and I don’t have data to support this, that the pendulum will swing back, to a certain degree, and we will see a rise in the generalists again.

EW: I would think that would also mean a better quality of life for those lawyers who are attracted to that? JS: That is true. The legal profession is looking to help reduced the strain that causes lawyers to be driven toward health issues like cardiac arrests and stroke, in addition to substance abuse or suicide.

We have had a huge focus on mental health and wellness at the Bar. I’ve always said, most lawyers are frustrated social workers at heart, they like to do good. As a generalist, you have that opportunity and you can make a good living. Also, filling out the blanks in a digital form isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Those questions are there for a reason and the implications can be far reaching, so legal counsel is essential. Even Legal Zoom’s model has changed from people going online to fill out forms, to a model that embraces having a relationship with lawyers.

They have a better product when they connect that consumer to a qualified lawyer. Plus, Legal Zoom only covers a couple of areas of the law, so when other needs arise, like a car accident or labor issue, that consumer now has a relationship with an attorney.

EW: Can you explain what The Florida Bar is? JS: The Florida Bar is an arm of the Florida Supreme Court and is tasked and governed by the Court.

The Court has delegated to the Bar’s Board of Governors the oversight of the Bar’s 108,000 attorneys. The Board is a 52-member elected body, representing each of the 20 Court Circuits in Florida and includes four out-of-state representatives and two non-lawyer members. The Bar has an executive director and headquarters is in Tallahassee, with four regional offices and over 380 employees, with an annual budget of around $46 million. Half the budget is spent on investigating and initiating lawyer discipline; we police and punish lawyers who violate the rules the Bar has established –

which means protecting the public by ensuring lawyers that shouldn’t be practicing are not doing harm. Sometimes [the recommended discipline] is a matter of getting proper education or, if it is major issue, the offending lawyer could be disbarred. In all these issues, the Supreme Court has the final say both in both the rules and in their enforcement.

The other half of the Bar’s purpose is to ensure the ongoing education, wellbeing and support of lawyers. This includes them fulfilling their Continuing Educational requirements (CEU). One of the things I was instrumental in getting passed was the addition of three hours of CEU’s on technology.

EW: You have a passion for moving your profession forward through technology; where is Florida’s legal profession in that continuum and where is there opportunity to innovate? JS: I’m an early adopter of technology, but I am by no means a technologist. I became the chair of the Bar’s technology subcommittee, I think, because I was the youngest person available. In three years, chairing that subcommittee, I’ve learned a lot. We are a big state, with 20 Circuits, but 67 Counties.

That presents challenges as each County has a Clerk of the Court. One unforeseen consequence deals with uniformity. I practice in the 19th Circuit that represents Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counties, four counties, four fantastic Clerks, but not everything gets managed the same way, which can cost us time and time is the lawyers marketable product. Currently, the judiciary branch of our state government gets less than one percent of the state budget. I think because of this current situation, the legislature – which has been a close ally of the judiciary – will see the wisdom of investing in technology that will significantly improve our current system. This current health pandemic underscores the point that in spite of the mandatory restrictions, just like certain critical goods and services have to continue, people and businesses have to have access to justice – it’s a core essential service. People get arrested and need the opportunity to post bond, disputes still have to be resolved. It is a big challenge right now, but it is also a great opportunity. That may be one of the silver linings in this terrible situation, that the legal profession will become more technologicallyinclusive and adaptive. •