Big Book of Business 2024 by The Observer Group Inc.

BIG BOOK OF BUSINESS 2024

“The

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Know It

sales and starts; the vacancy rates over a five-year period in multiple commercial real estate sectors; and hotel occupancy information.

MARK GORDON MANAGING EDITOR

It’s been more than 20 years since then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld uttered what’s now a rather infamous phrase — “unknown unknowns” — about information, or lack thereof, in global hot spots.

Consider this publication, the Business Observer’s annual Big Book of Business, a known known. This publication is 80 pages of what we believe is vital information to help make you better at business. This is the fourth iteration of the Big Book of Business. The debut was in summer 2020, when, like many other organizations, we did something different to represent and reflect the times. Prior to the Big Book, the annual Business Observer summer publication, going back more than a decade, was the Top 500: the largest 500 companies by annual revenue in the nine counties of our coverage area.

Nothing against the Top 500, but the Big Book of Business is a much more dynamic look at the demographics, economic opportunities, who is winning, who isn’t and more on the west coast of Florida.

The 2024 edition includes:

n Data on employment rates in key sectors; trends in housing

n Lists include the largest private and publicly traded companies in the region; the top 50 contractors; the largest credit unions; and the 15 largest Florida Department of Transportation projects on the west coast of Florida.

n Seven stories on changemakers: business leaders in the region facilitating and shepherding significant change within their organization or the community. This is the Business Observer’s version of most powerful or influential people lists — with a twist. These stories are designed to detail what influential people do with their influence. Like a tech executive in Tampa, Raechel Canipe, who launched what’s now a thriving statewide networking group for other women in tech. Or Kris Chana, a senior living and care entrepreneur who, utilizing a slew of social media channels, has made it his mission to help others enter his field.

The 2024 Big Book of Business also has some new elements, including:

n A unique snapshot of household income in each of the nine counties in the Business Observer’s coverage area through data from the United Way called ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households).

n A map of job hot spots in different regions, based on a report from the Florida Council

THE

of 100, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of Florida business leaders who advise the state’s governor.

n Lists that track today’s trends, such as EV charging stations; job growth in medical professions; and a deep dive into the costs of hurricane damage over the past five years.

This publication is filled with hundreds of other data points to help you make better, and betterinformed decisions — where you know what’s going on. We also always welcome suggestions on how we can do better next. Email me at MGordon@ BusinessObserverFL.com.

Executive Editor and COO Kat Wingert | KWingert@BusinessObserverFL.com

Managing Editor Mark Gordon | MGordon@BusinessObserverFL.com

Deputy Managing Editor Louis Llovio | LLlovio@BusinessObserverFL.com

Sarasota-Manatee Writer Elizabeth King | EKing@BusinessObserverFL.com

Tampa Bay Writer Laura Lyon | LLyon@BusinessObserverFL.com

Editorial Design / Jess Eng, Nicole Thompson

Associate Publishers / Kathleen O’Hara | KOHara@BusinessObserverFL.com; Diane Schaefer | DSchaefer@BusinessObserverFL.com

Director of Legal Advertising / Kristen Boothroyd KBoothroyd@BusinessObserverFL.com

Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton | CStanton@YourObserver.com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland |LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Subscriptions/Customer Service Team Subscriptions@BusinessObserverFL.com

POSTAL INFORMATION

The Business Observer (ISSN#2325-8195) is published weekly on Fridays by the Gulf Coast Review Inc./DBA Business Observer, 1970 Main Street, Floor 3, Sarasota, FL 34236; Periodicals Postage Paid at Sarasota, FL, and at additional mailing offices. The Business Observer is circulated in Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties.

POSTMASTER: Please send changes of address to the Business Observer, 1970 Main Street, Floor 3, Sarasota, FL 34236.

August

PHOTO

JOBS

The jobs picture continues to remain a positive spot in the region. So much so, the further away the pandemicmarred year of 2020 gets, the more that year resembles an outlier, rather than a new normal.

One example: From May 2018 to March 2020, Florida processed an average of about 38,000 continuing claims for unemployment insurance. In April 2020, that number surpassed 375,000 (not a typo), and in May, it cleared 1 million (also not a typo). But in February 2022, that

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

figure was back under 40,000, and has averaged about 37,000 since then.

The pandemic also caused a spike in the unemployment rate and a drop in jobs in Florida’s leisure and hospitality industry. But those blips have since normalized as well.

Construction employment dropped slightly for a few months in early 2020, but quickly recovered and has continued on ever since, frequently posting new highs as new jobs data is released.

Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton

Punta Gorda

Cape Coral-Fort Myers

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island

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BUSINESS CREATION

By one measure, entrepreneurship in Florida is strong and getting stronger. Floridians created nearly 563,000 new domestic LLCs in 2023, an increase of more than 5% from the prior year. That’s nearly 25 new businesses per 1,000 residents, up from about 24 in 2021 and 2022. Correlation does not imply causation, but LLC creation increased when the pandemic started and has only continued to grow. Back in 2015, fewer than 215,000 new LLCs were created, or about 11 per 1,000 residents.

— Alex Walsh

LLCS LLCS CREATED PER CAPITA

DOMESTIC FOR PROFITS

Source: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations

BANKRUPTCIES

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

VACANT OFFICE SQUARE FEET

VACANT INDUSTRIAL SQUARE FEET

2,000,000

RETAIL SQUARE FEET

VACANT MULTIFAMILY SQUARE

Source:

bank… Does your

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HOUSING

Following a major surge in housing prices in the region during the pandemic, a key question for many was simple: Did prices peak?

A nother year’s worth of data provides a clear answer: Yes, prices have peaked.

In the Naples metro area, for example, the median price for an active home listing was just under $800,000 in May 2024, roughly the same as in February and March of 2022. In nearby Cape Coral, the May 2024 median list price was around $462,000 — actually down slightly from February 2022, according to data from Realtor.com.

I nventories of homes for sale have likewise recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In the Tampa metro area, there were about 15,000 active listings as of May 2024, roughly in line with spring 2019 — and up substantially from a low of about 3,000 in spring 2022.

Permit data suggests inventories will continue to increase. More than 3,000 permits were issued for new residential construction in the Tampa market in April 2024, the highest number in the past six years. In other markets, permitting hasn’t changed much, suggesting steady activity in homebuilding.

—Alex Walsh

PERMITS ISSUED

Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton

Punta Gorda

Cape Coral-Fort Myers

Naples-ImmokaleeMarco Island

6/1/1812/1/186/1/1912/1/19 6/1/2012/1/206/1/2112/1/216/1/22 6/1/2312/1/23 12/1/22

MEDIAN LISTING PRICE

6/1/1812/1/186/1/1912/1/19 6/1/2012/1/206/1/2112/1/216/1/22 6/1/2312/1/23 12/1/22 $100,000

INVENTORY

6/1/1812/1/186/1/1912/1/19 6/1/2012/1/206/1/2112/1/216/1/22 6/1/2312/1/23 12/1/22

AVERAGE DAILY RATE

OCCUPANCY RATE

COURTESY

Collier County has the highest average rate in the region.

STEFANIA PIFFERI

The Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County has 785 rooms.

COURTESY

The Epicurean Hotel in Tampa recently expanded.

STEFANIA PIFFERI

The Sunseeker Resort opened in December 2023.

AIRPORTS

MARKET SHARE

Punta Gorda, St. Pete-Clearwater

BANKING

Florida banks are lending more, in line with increased assets. But returns are slowing. Florida banks had just less than $294 billion in assets as of the first quarter of 2024, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., up about $7 billion from last year. To see whether lending is growing with assets, the FDIC reports the median ratio of net loans to assets from across all Florida banks. In the first quarter,

that figure was 66%, up from 63% a year prior. At the same time, net interest margin and returns on assets decreased, with the median margin down 32 basis points to 3.35% and ROA down 25 basis points to 0.72%.

While assets are up statewide, each of Florida’s largest banking markets saw slight decreases in assets. Tampa and Sarasota were each down 6% in 2023 from a year earlier.

—Alex Walsh

Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

ALICE, BY COUNTY

While the War on Poverty dates back 60 years, it wasn’t until the past decade or so communities nationwide started to analyze a more specific lower-income demographic: people and families who live paycheck to paycheck.

Whether in a recession, a boom or even a pandemic, this group is an important facet of a community’s economic makeup. One big reason for that is many times they hold jobs that impact the entire economy, such as restaurant server, child care worker or entry-level construction worker. Another factor is these families often face financial ruin with one major emergency — which further strains a community’s resources.

The United Way has been analyzing this demographic for 15 years, including giving it an acronym: ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are families or individuals, according to a United Way Florida

PASCO COUNTY

Population: 608,794

report, who “are working, but due to child care costs, transportation challenges, high costs of living and so much more are living paycheck to paycheck.”

The first ALICE analysis came out in 2009, when the United Way of Northern New Jersey launched a pilot project called United for ALICE in Morris County. That project went statewide in 2012, and a few years later, several other states, including Florida, began to study ALICE data.

“To achieve lasting change, we must first understand the population of families that are working hard but falling short in each of our communities and across Florida,” states the 2023 United Way of Florida ALICE report.

A sampling of ALICE data in the Business Observer’s coverage area is on this page and pages 19-22. For more ALICE reports and maps of the state and counties, go to UWOF.org/AliceR.

— Mark Gordon

Number of Households: 240,785

Median Household Income: $65,999 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 58% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 37% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 11% (state average: 13%)

POLK COUNTY

Population: 787,404

Number of Households: 291,994

Median Household Income: $62,051 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 58% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 33% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 15% (state average: 13%)

HOUSEHOLDS

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Population: 1,513,300

Number of Households: 582,824

Median Household Income: $74,308 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 66% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 31% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 13% (state average: 13%)

ALICE, BY COUNTY

PINELLAS COUNTY

Population: 961,739 Number of Households: 425,255

Median Household Income: $66,472 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 58% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 34% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 13% (state average: 13%)

HOUSEHOLDS

MANATEE COUNTY

Population: 429,125

Number of Households: 176,772

Median Household Income: $72,108 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 54% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 34% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 10% (state average: 13%)

HOUSEHOLDS

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ALICE, BY COUNTY

SARASOTA COUNTY CHARLOTTE COUNTY

Population: 462,286 Number

$78,341 (state

(state

ALICE Households: 32% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 9% (state average: 13%)

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Population: 202,661

Number of Households: 90,457

Median Household Income: $64,860 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 43% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 35% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 10% (state average: 13%)

ALICE, BY COUNTY

LEE COUNTY COLLIER COUNTY

2022

Population: 822,453

Number of Households: 339,269

Median Household Income: $71,072 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 53% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 32% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 11% (state average: 13%)

Population: 397,994

Number of Households: 166,206

Median Household Income: $80,815 (state average: $69,303)

Labor Force Participation Rate: 51% (state average: 60%)

ALICE Households: 32% (state average 33%)

Households in Poverty: 10% (state average: 13%)

HOUSEHOLDS HOUSEHOLDS

TAXWATCH FORECAST

The leaders at Florida TaxWatch, a nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, set out to answer one key question when it debuted a new quarterly economic forecast series in June 2024: Is the Sunshine State’s economic growth sustainable?

By most metrics — such as employment, GDP and population growth, the answer is no, or at least, not really. But a slowdown in economic forecast terms is all relative.

The report states that a drop in most metrics from 2024 to 2026 will morph into “a return to more characteristic growth rates” in the next two years. A deeper look at the data is on pages 23-26

—Mark Gordon

TAXWATCH FORECAST

The number of visitors to Florida is projected to increase steadily through 2028.

Source: REC Group

TAXWATCH FORECAST

Source: REC Group

TAXWATCH FORECAST

As employment increases, unemployment is projected to increase until 2026 and then begin to level off.

Source: REC Group

Florida’s personal income and overall economy will continue to grow, but at lower rates.

Source: REC Group

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT.

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COUNCIL OF 100

The Florida Council of 100, a group of statewide business leaders who “convene, research and execute on the state’s biggest challenges,” released a new report in June: Bounced Sunshine: Advancing Florida’s World Class Economy for the Next Generation.

The report breaks down sectors across the state where the jobs are now (best bets) and where the jobs will be (emerging clusters.) The report was done in partnership with consulting giant McKinsey & Co.

—Mark Gordon

CENTRAL WEST

FLORIDA’S REGIONAL BEST BETS AND EMERGING CLUSTERS

Investing in regional economic expertise to create higher-wage jobs and sustain growth.

NORTHWEST

■ Aerospace and defense

■ Business services

■ Distribution and logistics

■ IT and tech (emerging)

■ Manufacturing (emerging)

NORTHEAST

■ Business services

■ Distribution and e-commerce

■ Finance and insurance

■ Manufacturing (focus on advanced)

■ Aerospace, defense (emerging)

■ Health services + biopharma and MedTech (emerging)

Central West Florida boasts a world-class health care network, cutting-edge cybersecurity companies and global connectivity through the state’s largest seaport.

■ Population: 4.3 million residents

■ GDP: $234.1 billion

■ Employment landscape: 2.7 million jobs

■ Average per capita income: $62,000

■ Largest City: Tampa

BEST BETS

■ Distribution/Logistics & e-commerce

■ Distribution and e-commerce: GDP ($14.6 billion); Direct Jobs (64,800); Economic Multiplier (3.0); High productivity; 2022 Venture Capital ($155.4 million)

■ Transportation and Logistics: GDP ($5.1 billion); Direct Jobs (47,400); Economic Multiplier (2.6); 2022 Venture Capital ($65 million)

■ Finance and Insurance: GDP ($31 billion); Direct Jobs (114,400); Economic Multiplier (3.0); High geographic concentration; Positive growth during recessions; 2022 Venture Capital ($103.5 million)

■ Health Services + Biopharma and MedTech

■ Health Services: GDP ($21.5 billion); Direct Jobs (237,800); Economic Multiplier (2.3); High geographic concentration; 2022 Venture Capital ($106.9 million)

■ Biopharma and MedTech: GDP ($1.9 billion); Direct Jobs (8,600); Economic Multiplier (2.6); High geographic concentration; Positive growth during recessions; 2022 Venture Capital ($164.3 million)

EMERGING CLUSTERS

■ IT and Tech (including cybersecurity): GDP ($6.1 billion); Direct Jobs (13,000); Economic Multiplier (3.0); High productivity; 2022 Venture Capital ($245.5 million)

FOUNDATIONS

■ Hospitality and tourism: GDP ($11 billion); Direct Jobs (210,100)

CENTRAL & CENTRAL EAST

■ Aerospace and defense

■ Business services

■ Semiconductor manufacturing (emerging)

■ IT and tech (emerging)

SOUTHEAST

■ Distribution & e-commerce

■ Finance and insurance

■ IT and tech

■ Aviation, aerospace (emerging)

■ Health Services + biopharma and MedTech (emerging)

RURAL

■ Distribution and logistics

■ Manufacturing (including aerospace/defense)

■ Agri-business (emerging)

Note: In addition to manufacturing and advanced manufacturing being specifically designated as Best Bets or Emerging clusters in some regions, manufacturing and advanced manufacturing sub-sectors have been embedded in associated clusters (e.g., aircraft engine and engine parts manufacturing in the aerospace and defense cluster).

SOUTHWEST

Southwest Florida’s pristine natural beauty inspires a growing clean-tech economy, complemented by ongoing investments in life sciences expertise.

■ Population: 1.5 million residents

■ GDP: $70 billion

■ Employment landscape: 800,000 jobs

■ Average per capita income: $79,000

■ Largest city: Fort Myers

BEST BETS

■ Distribution & e-commerce: GDP ($3.1 billion); Direct Jobs (10,200); Economic Multiplier (3.0); High productivity

■ Health Services + MedTech

■ Health Services: GDP ($6.9 billion); Direct Jobs (71,000); Economic Multiplier (2.3); High geographic concentration; High productivity; 2022 Venture Capital ($32.2 million)

■ MedTech: GDP ($439.4 million); Direct Jobs (2,400); Economic Multiplier (2.6); High geographic concentration; Positive growth during recessions; 2022 Venture Capital ($32.2 million)

EMERGING CLUSTERS

■ CleanTech: GDP ($496.8 million); Direct Jobs (3,700); Economic Multiplier (2.6); 2022 Venture Capital ($12.5 million)

FOUNDATIONS

■ Transportation and Logistics: GDP ($1.9 billion); Direct Jobs (11,400)

FLORIDA LAGS PEERS IN TERMS OF HIGHPAYING JOBS Employment in high-paying occupations (2022)

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PUBLIC COMPANIES

1 TD Synnex (SNX) 16202 Bay Vista Drive, Clearwater 33760 510-656-3333; TDSynnex.com

2 Jabil Inc. (JBL) 10800 Roosevelt Blvd. N., St. Petersburg 33716 727-577-9749; Jabil.com

3 The Mosaic Co. (MOS) 101 E Kennedy Blvd. #2500, Tampa 33602 800-918-8270; MosaicCo.com

4 Crown Holdings Inc. 14025 Riveredge Drive, Suite 300, Tampa 33637 215-698-5100; CrownCork.com

5 Raymond James Financial Inc. (RJF) 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg 33716 727-567-1000; RaymondJames.com

6 Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (HTZ) 8501 Williams Road, Estero 33928 239-301-7000; Hertz.com

7 Roper Technologies Inc. (ROP) 6496 University Parkway, Sarasota 34240 941-556-2601; RoperTech.com

8 Bloomin’ Brands Inc. (BLMN) 2202 N. Westshore Blvd., Suite 500, Tampa 33607 813-282-1225; BloominBrands.com

9 Herc Holdings (HRI) 27500 Riverview Center Blvd., Suite 100, Bonita Springs 34134 239-301-1000; HercRentals.com

10 SouthState Bank (SSB) 1101 First St. S., Winter Haven 33880 863-293-4710; SouthStateBank.com

11 MarineMax Inc. (HZO) 2600 McCormick Drive, Clearwater 33759 727-531-1700; MarineMax.com

12 Primo Water Corp. (PRMW) 1150 Assembly Drive, Suite 800, Tampa 33607 813-544-8515; Cott.com

13 Kforce Inc. (KFRC) 1150 Assembly Drive, Suite 500, Tampa 33607 813-552-5000; KForce.com

14 ConMed Corp. (CNMD) 11311 Concept Blvd., Largo 33773 727-392-6464; ConMed.com

15 The Baldwin Group (formerly BRP Group Inc.) (BRP) 4211 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa 33607 866-279-0698; BaldwinRiskPartners.com

16 Lazydays (LAZY) 4042 Park Oaks Blvd., Suite 350, Tampa 33601 813-246-4999; Lazydays.com

17 First Watch (FWRG) 8725 Pendery Place, Suite 201, Bradenton 34201 941-907-9800; FirstWatch.com

18 Helios Technologies (HLIO) 7456 16th St. E., Sarasota 34243 941-362-1200; SunHydraulics.com

19 HCI Group Inc. (HCI) 3802 Coconut Palm Drive, Tampa 33619 813- 849-9500; HCIGroup.com

20 Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. (HRTG) 1401 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa 33607 727-362-7200; HeritagePCI.com

$57,654,568,000

$62,343,810,000 -8.13% Patrick Zammit, CEO (Rich Hume CEO through Sept. 1, 2024) Technology leading distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem

$34,702,000,000

$33,478,000,000 3.53% Mark T. Mondello, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Manufacturing global manufacturing, engineering and supply chain solutions provider

$13,696,100,000

$19,125,200,000 -39.64% Bruce M. Bodine Jr., CEO, President and Director Agriculture concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrient mining

$12,010,000,000

$12,943,000,000 -7.77%

$11,619,000,000

Timothy Donahue, President and CEO

Manufacturing packaging for consumer goods and industrial products

$11,003,000,000 5.30% Paul C. Reilly, Chairman and CEO Banking/ Finance/ Investment wealth management

$9,371,000,000

$8,685,000,000 7.32% Gil West, CEO

$6,177,800,000

Business/ Consumer Services leases vehicles and equipment

$5,371,800,000 13.05% L. Neil Hunn, President and CEO Technology software and engineered products and solutions

$4,671,470,000 $4,416,508,000 5.46% David Deno, CEO

$3,282,000,000 $2,740,000,000 16.51% Lawrence H. Silber, President, CEO and Director

Business/ Consumer Services equipment rental supplier

$2,261,950,000 $1,735,213,000 23.29% John C. Corbett, CEO and Director Banking/ Finance/ Investment loans and other financial services

$2,063,257,000 $2,308,098,000 -11.87% William Brett McGill, CEO, President and Director Retailers boat retailer

$1,771,800,000

$1,693,200,000 4.44% Robbert Rietbroek, CEO Manufacturing beverage products, packages and distribution

$1,531,756,000

$1,710,765,000 -11.69% Joseph J. Liberatore, President, CEO and Director Business/ Consumer Services professional staffing and solutions firm providing strategic partnership in technology and finance and accounting services

$1,244,744,000 $1,045,472,000 16.01% Curt Hartman, Chairman, President and CEO Technology, Health Care

$1,218,555,000 $980,720,000 19.52% Trevor Baldwin, CEO

$1,082,747,000 $1,326,961,000 -22.56% John North, CEO and Director

$877,092,000 $719,181,000 18.00% Christopher A. Tomasso,

technology company that designs and sells surgical devices and patient monitoring products

private risk management, personal insurance, Medicare, family office, commercial risk management, employee benefits, asset & income protection

sales, service, parts, accessories financing and insurance and RV campground

LOGISTICS EXPERTISE ENSURES SUCCESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

By Paul A. Nolletti

In the ever-evolving realm of business logistics, achieving seamless coverage and efficiency is paramount. Businesses, driven by the demands of an increasingly interconnected market, require comprehensive East Coast coverage to swiftly reach their clientele. This entails the ability to deliver goods to the most customers within a tight two-day shipping timeframe, coupled with access to key seaports east of the Mississippi. Such capabilities not only streamline distribution but also bolster competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

Enter CONRI Services, a venerable industry titan boasting an impressive 75-year legacy. With roots firmly planted in the Northeast, CONRI has carved a niche as a premier third-party logistics (3PL) provider, also specializing in drayage and trucking. This expertise allows CONRI to deliver tailor-made transportation solutions, precisely calibrated to meet the dynamic needs of its clientele.

Yet, CONRI’s prowess extends beyond mere transportation. The company offers an array of services including short and long-term warehouse storage, pick & pack order fulfillment, e-commerce fulfillment, and kitting & assembly. These services, designed with versatility in mind, cater to a diverse spectrum of business requirements, ensuring maximum flexibility in inventory management and supply chain optimization.

In a strategic maneuver to fortify its market presence and better serve its clientele, CONRI recently unveiled a cutting-edge 47,000 square foot warehouse in Palmetto, Florida. This state-of-the-art facility, complementing CONRI’s existing strongholds in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, represents a significant expansion into the Southeast region and allows the company to deliver to 80% of the country within a critical 2-day shipping window.

CONRI Services represents the pinnacle of business logistics expertise, offering unparalleled East Coast coverage and tailored solutions. With the addition of a state-of-the-art warehouse in Palmetto, Florida, CONRI reaffirms its commitment to innovation and client satisfaction. Leveraging over 75 years of experience, CONRI remains the trusted partner of choice for businesses seeking seamless distribution solutions tailored to their unique needs.

“ CONRI Services is my go to partner for all crossdock, transload and 3PL warehouse needs. I have used their facilities in PA, NJ and now FL. They are a full service 3PL warehouse provider. Great team of supply chain professionals that I plan on using again in the future! ”

- Kyle Goodman, Cross Dock America Founder

TOP PUBLIC COMPANIES

21 Pacira Biosciences Inc. 5401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa 33609 813-553-6680; Pacira.com

22 NeoGenomics Inc. (NEO) 9490 NeoGenomics Way, Fort Myers 33912 239-768-0600; NeoGenomics.com

23 Superior Group of Cos. (SGC) 200 Central Ave., Suite 2000, St. Petersburg 33701 727-397-9611; SuperiorUniformGroup.com

24 Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG) 302 Knights Run Ave., Tampa 33602 813-209-0600; OSG.com

25 Digital Media Solutions, Inc. (DMS) 4800 140th Ave. N., Suite 101, Clearwater 33762 877-236-8632; DigitalMediaSolutions.com

26 American Coastal Insurance Corp. 800 Second Ave. S., St. Petersburg 33701 727-633-0851; AmCoastal.com

27 Beasley Media Group Inc. (BBGI) 3033 Riviera Drive, Suite 200, Naples 34103 239-263-5000; BBGI.com

28 Sila Realty Trust Inc. 1001 Water St., Tampa 33602 813-287-0101; SilaRealtyTrust.com

29 BayFirst National Bank (BAFN) 700 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33701 727-440-6848; FirstHomeBank.com

$543,302,000 $578,831,000

$451,871,000 $466,800,000 -3.30% Samuel H. Norton, President and CEO

$334,900,000

Other energy transportation services company, delivering crude oil and petroleum products worldwide

$391,148,000 -16.80% Joe Marinucci, CEO and Director Technology adtech company leveraging innovative, performance-driven brand and marketplace solutions to connect consumers and advertisers

$286,543,000

$269,791,000 5.85% R. Daniel Peed, CEO

Consumer Services insurance company that underwrites commercial and personal property

TOP PUBLIC COMPANIES

30 Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) 9696 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 208, Bonita Springs 34135 239-596-0204; IVFH.com

Apyx Medical Corp. (APYX) 5115 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater 33760 727-384-2323; APYXMedical.com $52,349,000 $44,510,000

32 Alico (ALCO)

10070 Daniels Interstate Court, Suite 200, Fort Myers 33913 239-226-2000; ALICOInc.com

$39,846,000

$91,947,000

Cr yo-Cell International Inc. (CCEL) 700 Brooker Creek Road, Suite 1800, Oldsmar 34677 813-749-2100; Cryo-Cell.com $31,343,695

LM Funding America (LMFA) 1200 Platt St., Suite 1000, Tampa 33602 813-222-8996; LMFunding.com

35 Naples Soap Co. (NASO)

14601 Jetport Loop, #180, Fort Myers 33913 239-325-8263; NaplesSoap.com

36 OriginClear (OCLN) 13575 58th St. N., Suite 200, Clearwater 33760 727-440-4603; OriginClear.com

37 Procyon Corp. (PCYN) 164 Douglas Road, Oldsmar 34677 727-447-2998; ProcyonCorp.com

38 Invo Bioscience (INVO) 5582 Broadcast Court, Sarasota 34240 978-878-9505; InvoBioscience.com

$12,984,090

$1,733,951

$12,350,000

$11,100,000

$6,708,178

$10,376,573 -54.69%

$4,686,659

Bruce M. Rodgers, Chairman and CEO

Deanna Wallin, founder and CEO

T. Riggs Eckelberry, CEO, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Secretary, Treasurer, and President

$4,842,433 -3.32% Justice W. Anderson, Director and CEO

$3,020,575

$822,196 72.78% Steve Shum, CEO

NOTE: Tampa-based Masonite International Corp., Venice-based PGT Innovations and Fort Myers-based Chico’s FAS were acquired in 2024.

solutions to community associations

producer of more than 300 bath, body and personal care products sold at the company's 11 Florida retail locations

self-reliant water revolution, connecting investors with water projects, commercializes modular, prefabricated, filter-free advanced systems for sanitation

Health Care manufactures and markets skin and wound care supplies

Health Care

medical device company focused on creating simplified, lower cost treatments for patients diagnosed with infertility

Source: SEC filings

TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES

1 Publix Super Markets Inc. 3300 Publix Corporate Parkway, Lakeland 33802 863-688-7407; Publix.com

2 Morgan Automotive Group 3031 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 770, Tampa 33607 813-434-1982; MorganAutoGroup.com

3 FrankCrum 100 S. Missouri Ave. Clearwater 33756 727-799-1229; FrankCrum.com

4 Bealls Inc. 1806 38th Ave. E., Bradenton 34208 941-744-4309; BeallsFlorida.com

5 Manhattan Construction Group 3705-1 Westview Drive, Naples 34104 239-435-3827; ManhattanConstructionGroup.com

6 Gettel Automotive Inc. 5959 E. State Road 64, Bradenton 34208 941-417-5003; Gettel.com

7 Power Design Inc. 11600 Ninth St. N., St. Petersburg 33716 727-210-0492; PowerDesignInc.us

8 Ferman Automotive Group 1306 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa 33606 813-251-2765; Ferman.com

9 Automated Petroleum & Energy Co. Inc. 1201 Oakfield Drive, Brandon 33511 813-681-4279; AutomatedPetroleum.com

10 Gulfeagle Supply Inc. 2900 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa 33605 813-636-9808; GulfeagleSupply.com

TREASURY MANAGEMENT

SMALL BUSINESS LOANS

COMMERCIAL SAVINGS

BOLT LOANS

COMMERCIAL CHECKING

TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES BIG BOOK OF BUSINESS

813-938-1250;

18 Stock Development 2639 Professional Circle, Suite 101, Naples 34119 239-292-2721; StockDevelopment.com

813-623-6777; RipaTampa.com

20 Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive, Fort Myers 33913 239-561-4141; Owen-Ames-Kimball.com

TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES BIG BOOK OF BUSINESS

21 DeAngelis Diamond 6635 Willow Park Drive, Naples 34109 239-594-1994; DeAngelisDiamond.com

22 Ajax Building Corp. 425 Commercial Court, Suite J, Venice 34292 813-792-3900; JaxBuilding.com

23 J.H. Williams Oil Co. Inc. 423 S. Hyde Park Ave., Tampa 33606 813-228-7776; JHWOil.com

24 RNR Tire Express (SPF Management Co. LLC dba RNR Tire Express) 13922 Monroes Business Park, Tampa 33635 813-977-9800; RNRTires.com

25 Florida Medical Clinic PA 38135 Market Square, Zephyrhills 33542 813-780-8440; FloridaMedicalClinic.com

26 Gold Coast Eagle Distributing 7051 Wireless Court, Sarasota 34240 941-650-3139; GCEagle.com

27 Brooks and Freund LLC 5661 Independence Circle, Suite 1, Fort Myers 33912 239-939-5251; BrooksAndFreund.com

28 Premier Sotheby’s International Realty 4001 Tamiami Trail, Suite 350, Naples 34103 239-262-4242; PremierSothebysRealty.com

29 Amscot Financial Inc. 600 N. Westshore Blvd., Suite 1200, Tampa 33609 813-637-6205; Amscot.com

30 Sun State International Trucks LLC 6020 E. Adamo Drive, Tampa 33619 813-621-1331; SunStateIntl.com

TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES BIG BOOK OF BUSINESS

31 Hawkins Construction Inc. 1430 L&R Industrial Blvd., Tarpon Springs 34689 727-938-9719; HawkinsNet.com

32 Creative Contractors Inc. 620 Drew St., Clearwater 33755 727-461-5522; CreativeContractors.com

33 S-One Holdings Corp. 1605 Main St., Suite 300, Sarasota 34236 800-453-9538; SOne.com

34 B&I Contractors Inc. 2701 Prince St., Fort Myers 33916 239-332-4646; BAndIFlorida.com

35 FineMark National Bank & Trust 8695 College Parkway, Fort Myers 33919 877-461-5901; FineMarkBank.com

36 Crowther Roofing and Sheet Metal 2543 Rockfill Road, Fort Myers 33916 239-337-1300; Crowther.net

37 Connor & Gaskins Unlimited 1998 Trade Center Way, Suite 2, Naples 34109 239-260-5068; CGUnlimited.com

38 Willis A. Smith Construction 5001 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Sarasota 34240 941-366-3116; WillisSmith.com

39 NDC Construction Co. 1001 Third Ave. W., Bradenton 34205 941-747-1062; NDCConstruction.com

40 The Bank of Tampa 601 Bayshore Blvd., Suite 100, Tampa 33606 813-872-1200; BankOfTampa.com

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The 112,000-square-foot Bradenton Area Convention Center is undergoing an exciting transformation sure to make it the go-to destination for convention and meeting planners. Centrally located on Florida’s West Coast, the venue is reimagining the event experience with a new ballroom, large trade show floor, versatile outdoor spaces, and the connected Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa.

MEDICAL PROFESSIONS LICENSED

DOC STAMPS

Courtesy Tampa General Hospital

EV CHARGING STATIONS

Photo by Stefania Pifferi

TOP 10 FDOT PROJECTS

The Florida Department of Transportation is driving more than $4.2 billion in spending across 43 major projects in the region.

A significant portion of that is being spent in the Tampa Bay area on a new bridge and a new tollway. The 5.8-mile Howard Frankland Bridge connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg will cost $871.3 million to build,

according to FDOT’s website. (That’s up slightly from last year, when the contract value was listed at $866.5 million.) The Gateway Expressway system in Pinellas, meanwhile, is now expected to cost $598.9 million, also up slightly from last year.

Across all projects with a contract value of at least $20 million, Pinellas and Hillsborough are benefiting from $1.75 billion and

$837 million in spend, respectively. In Polk County, there are currently eight FDOT projects worth at least $20 million underway, totaling $645 million in contract value.

A look at the top 10 projects in the region reveals one other nugget: Six of the projects are at least two years away from completion.

— Alex Walsh

Source:

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LARGEST BANKS

1 SouthState Bank, National Association 1101 First St. S., Winter Haven 33880 800-277-2175; SouthStateBank.com

2 Raymond James Bank, National Association 710 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg 33716 727-567-8000; RaymondJamesBank.com

3 FineMark National Bank & Trust 8695 College Parkway, Fort Myers 33919 877-461-5901; FineMarkBank.com

4 The Bank of Tampa 601 Bayshore Blvd., Suite 100, Tampa 33606 813-872-1200; BankOfTampa.com

5 BayFirst National Bank 700 Central Ave, St. Petersburg 33701 727-440-6848; FirstHomeBank.com

6 TCM Bank, National Association 3501 E. Frontage Road, Tampa 33607 800-242-4770; ICBABanCard.org

7 Citizens Bank and Trust 2 East Wall Street, Frostproof 33843 863-635-2244; Citizens-Bank.com

8 Sanibel Captiva Community Bank 2406 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel 33957 239-472-6100; SanCapBank.com

9 Bank of Central Florida 5015 South Florida Ave., Lakeland 33813 863-701-2685; BankOfCentralFlorida.com

10 Members Trust Co. 14055 Riveredge Drive, Suite 525, Tampa 33637 888-727-9191; MembersTrust.com

$51,269,000$34,121,00050.26%

$30,678,000$29,052,0005.60%

LARGEST BANKS

Ave., Fort Myers 33907 239-466-1800; EdisonNationalBank.com

20701 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa 33647 813-929-4477;

N. Orange Ave., Sarasota 34236 941-303-4200;

SBA LENDERS

ew York-based Newtek Bank Small Business Finance Inc. remains the most prolific lender for Small Business Administration-supported projects in Florida, according to SBA data through July 5. Newtek approved 358 deals

through that point in 2024 worth a total of $178 million, or slightly less than $500,000 per project. Delaware-based TD Bank had the highest volume by number of loans with 531 projects, but the average project value was much smaller than

Newtek’s, at about $125,000. Among banks based in Florida, the most active SBA lender is St. Petersburg-based BayFirst National Bank, which handled 307 projects with $60 million in total value, or an average of nearly $195,000 per project.

CREDIT UNIONS

PATENTS, FLORIDA

TOP EMPLOYERS BY COUNTY

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

COLLIER COUNTY

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

LEE COUNTY PASCO COUNTY MANATEE COUNTY

PINELLAS COUNTY

TOP 50 CONTRACTORS

TOP CONTRACTORS

LARGEST BUILDINGS

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES

Reinhold Schmieding

FOUNDER, ARTHREX

Reinhold Schmieding could easily be a braggart.

T he Naples entrepreneur has a lot to boast about, much of it attributable to Arthrex, a medical manufacturer focusing on sports medicine and less invasive surgery products through the motto of “helping surgeons treat their patients better.”

S chmieding, born in Michigan and the son of German immigrants to America, founded Arthrex in 1981 in Munich, Germany, and moved it to Naples a decade later. When he pulled into Naples in the summer of 1991, the assets of Arthrex were locked inside a van and U-Haul trailer he was driving.

Some 35 years later, the company’s success has changed the lives of thousands of people — both employees and patients. Its economic i mpact on Collier County is also singularly unique. Not only is it the

largest private employer, it also has a hotel and conference center on its sprawling state-of-the-art campus, where hundreds of doctors and medical professionals come every year for courses and training seminars.

That second facet has led to a niche in medical tourism, where some of those medical professionals check out Naples, shop, eat and even find a place to buy and move to town.

Some of the standout Arthrex statistics include:

n 3,793 employees in Collier County (6,000-plus worldwide)

n $ 3 billion in annual revenue

n 1,200 patents and pending patents

n More than 14,000 products

n At least 14 million people have had benefited from Arthrex innovations

“Reinhold has made an incalculable impact on Collier County,” says Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders. He adds that the medical tourism side of Arthrex is a key part

of its impact, adding to the tax base. “He’s brought a lot of people to Collier County. That’s been a big boon.”

Yet, even with those figures, comments and many other accolades, S chmieding rarely speaks in a public setting about Arthrex. He’s turned down multiple interview requests from the Business Observer for more than 15 years, including in 2008, when he was named a Top Entrepreneur in the publication.

Schmieding has rejected other interview requests, too. That includes Forbes, of which Schmieding is on the magazine’s 400 richest people list, with an estimated net worth of $7.2 billion in 2024. When he debuted on the list in 2013, a Forbes w riter, in a profile story, wrote “Schmieding agreed to sit down with Forbes in Munich for what apparently would be his first-ever interview with a national publication.” The magazine says Schmieding canceled the day before, instead a nswering questions over email.

BE THE CHANGE

Naples medical device manufacturer founder Reinhold Schmieding moved Arthrex from Germany to Naples more than 30 years ago — a patriotic homecoming. “As a first-generation American born and educated in Michigan, I grew up watching the importance of auto manufacturing in Detroit and the economic prosperity and job security it created for the community,” Schmieding says in an August 2020 video posted on the company’s website. “I learned that manufacturing changes the lives of so many people.”

Some insight into Schmieding’s mindset and what makes Arthrex so successful came from an April 2021 interview posted on YouTube. He had just received the Edison Achievement Award, which honors excellence in new product development and innovation and is named for Thomas Edison. The interviewer was PBS national science correspon-

Reinhold Schmieding says little publicly about the company he founded, Arthrex. His silence belies the company’s resounding, generational success.

dent Miles O’Brien — who had his left arm above the elbow amputated in 2015 after an accident on the job.

Asked how the company is able to keep up the pace of 1,000 new products a year, Schmieding says Arthrex has “a lot of creative people” and it gives them the “resources and the autonomy to make decisions.” Schmieding also corrects O’Brien, saying the company introduced 2,000 new products in 2020. “Our minimum expectation is 1,000 new products a year,” Schmieding says.

On the company’s financial success, Schmieding tells O’Brien “economic gain was something I was never really interested in. You know, that’s my one piece of advice for those who are developing a product or starting a company: Follow a passion; do things for the right rea-

son … if you do it for economic gain, you probably won’t be successful.”

Several times in the O’Brien interview, Schmieding credits the Arthrex employees for the company’s success, saying “really, I’m just one of the team players.”

S aunders says that’s not a trite false-modesty statement, either. Saunders says he’s gotten to know Schmieding through Collier County meetings and Arthrex initiatives, such as affordable housing projects or the redevelopment of the Golden Gate golf course. “Reinhold really cares about his employees’ wellbeing,” Saunders says. “He has set a standard of corporate culture unmatched in Collier County.”

O ne nugget to back that up is a company perk called “Trip of a Lifetime.” According to a company blog post, for every five years of employment with Arthrex, employees are eligible for a company-paid Trip of a Lifetime to recognize their dedication. The company posts stories a bout some of the trips on social media. One employee, under the position “Infrastructure Analyst II,” recently took his wife and four kids

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to Walt Disney World, the company posted on Facebook. Those life-changing experiences and the life-changing experiences for patients continue to motivate Schmieding. In the 2021 interview with O’Brien, Schmieding, then 66, says as long as he’s healthy and has “the ability to create and make a difference (in) people’s lives, help patients around the world, help surgeons, help our employees and do good … I will continue to do that.”

Schmieding reflected a bit, too, talking about the startup days on his “little white table” in his apartment in the Olympic Village in Munich. He had no outside financing i n a foreign country in a market of high-end surgical instruments that didn’t exist, he told O’Brien.

“When you follow up passion like that and you have nothing, you’re sacrificing everything,” he says. “All you want to do is survive and hopefully, you can take care of your family someday. That was my only

REINHOLD SCHMIEDING

Raechel Canipe

WOMEN IN TECH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, REVSTAR

Not many people can say they maintain two C-suite roles at the same time. As if being the chief marketing officer at software firm Revstar wasn’t enough t o fill her days, Raechel Canipe is also founder and CEO of Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship – a cohort that started as a happy hour in Tampa in 2022 and has since grown into 3,000 members in six chapters statewide.

“We’re incredibly motivated and

C anipe was born in North Carolina and grew up in Central Florida w ith her single mother and a closeknit extended family that cared for her while mom went back to school — twice — and worked multiple jobs. Canipe cites her mom as her first example of “grit, tenacity, and resilience,” traits that would serve her well as she obtained her degree in psychology and sociology from the University of South Florida and entered the workforce.

Jobs at Dex Imaging, Quiet Professionals Inc., Project Afghan Relief Fund and Synapse Florida positioned her for her current role at Re vStar, a software development company focused on cloud-native technology.

“I jokingly and lovingly call myself a chaos monster,” she laughs w hen asked about how she handles change and being a changemaker.

“So my thing that I’ve been working on (regarding) change management has been slowing down enough to bring more people along for the ride, to give them a chance to share the really incredible insights that they also have that m ight shift my thinking or approach and to give them enough i nformation and time to process that information to trust in the change that I’m leading.”

Canipe spent a lot of time conceptualizing and doing preliminary research by asking around t he female tech community about what everyone would want in a group crafted to support them. The launch got off to a shaky start — the first happy hour was rained out — but pointed questions of “when are we going to start this?” became a signal of things to come.

BE THE CHANGE

Raechel Canipe is on a mission to unite women in a maledominated industry, providing resources and community — for free — along the way.

i ncredible team of volunteer managers who have stepped up to help e nsure these things are still possible. And I have an incredibly flexible arrangement with my employer t hat allows me to give a significant amount of time to this organization while still having the income to financially support me and my organization out of my day wages.”

Canipe has bootstrapped the entire endeavor with help from volunteers and sponsors. She is singularly focused on keeping the interests of the members first, ensuring as few barriers to entry as possible. “We are not interested in passing along the cost to members because those costs are one of the key barriers that are preventing diversity in the first place,” she says.

A Slack workspace serves as the primary communication platform for the group. Women from Tampa, St. Pete, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and, most recently, a USF chapter, are able to post jobs, grants and event happenings for free. Any in-person event hosted by WTE is free of cost as well.

T he connections forged in these spaces continue to inspire Canipe. “My belief is that as the organization continues to mature, as those relationships among our members have time to grow and evolve and new opportunities begin to arise for them, that the impact will just be exponential. I’m most excited about what the impact will be in the long run.”

interested,” Canipe says of women in the technology field. Her own experiences with harassment, in addition to those of women she’s met i n her career, inspired her decision to launch Women in Tech.

“In realizing that I wasn’t alone in the experience, I came to the understanding that we needed to do something, but there needed to be a stronger community. In particular, in the tech and tech entrepreneurship space,” Canipe says.

“One of the biggest challenges that we have had from the very beginning is the ability to scale to meet the demand. Demand for our resources and community has far outpaced the financial resources that (we) have to support that,” Canipe says, “Thank God we have an

Women in WTE have found new jobs through group postings amid a slew of layoffs in the tech sector; a few banded together to create a tech summer camp for K-12 students in Fort Lauderdale; and an

See CANIPE page 74

Raechel Canipe is helping women find their way in technology — one Slack post at a time.

MARK WEMPLE

RAECHEL CANIPE holds two C-suite level posts in technology.

Tra Williams

FLEETFORCE AND PARKPRO

Getting a commercial driver’s license, or CDL, is the “golden ticket” for some families in Florida, according to Tra Williams, owner of truck driver training company FleetForce.

B radenton-based FleetForce is on track to train nearly 3,000 drivers this year through a monthlong course on college campuses statewide. It is a program that can “change the trajectory of a family,” Williams says.

“There isn’t another trade in America where you can go from minimum wage to $80,000 a year in four weeks,” Williams adds. “It does not exist. It is CDL. That is it.” Williams, 50, sees his company as filling a need at both the national and local level, and the company

plans to grow beyond Florida in the next year.

Over the next decade, the trucking industry will need to hire roughly 1.2 million new drivers to keep pace with retirements and growing demand, according to the American Trucking Associations. Those drivers are needed to do everything from hauling cargo to transporting people.

“The commercial driver’s license makes you a professional driver,” Williams says. “People use the term trucker loosely, but make no mistake about it, these guys are experts

BE THE CHANGE

Entrepreneur tackles two big gaps in trucking: finding parking spots and finding drivers.

puses, where the schools certify t he drivers.

In Florida, there is a need for 15,000 to 16,000 CDL drivers alone. In Texas — where FleetForce will be launching in 2025 — there are about 72,000 CDL jobs that need to be filled, he says.

The plan is to grow FleetForce to a “half-dozen or so” states, according to Williams.

“There’s such a demand for what we do, we could go to 10 states in six months if we wanted to. But we really think of this as a marathon and not a sprint,” Williams says. “So we’re being really methodical about where we go and who we work with. I like to move fast as an entrepreneur, but I don’t want to get out over my skis.”

i n their field. You’ve got to move a $2 million excavator that’s three lanes wide? You call a CDL driver ... Everything from the trash being picked up beside your roads to the school bus that picks up your kids and takes them to school is driven by a CDL driver.”

Williams — he does not have a CDL himself — views his role as something of a connector. In 2020, he bought what he described as a sleepy truck driving school in Winter Haven with seven to 10 students a month.

“I saw the saliency and the need and the pent-up demand for drivers,” Williams says. He also knew federal legislation was taking effect in 2022 that would require training programs of CDL drivers.

Drawing on experience he gained from working in franchises earlier in his life, Williams grew t he business. FleetForce is now at 10 college campuses around the state. It is “not a school,” Williams says. It provides a service on cam-

Williams has had the drive to forge his own path his entire life. Growing up in an area where there were “no readily available jobs,” he says he learned to create his own. He hails from Blackshear, Georgia, a town of a little over 3,500 people about 80 miles northwest of Jacksonville. His family had a roadside stand selling vegetables and painted ceramics when he was a child. A s a teenager, he mowed grass and painted fences to earn money.

In his early 20s, he started a business as a personal trainer in Nashville, where he offered his services to hotels off Music Row. Among his clients were record executives staying in hotels.

“ I had more clients than I did hours in the day and figured out that I could farm those to other personal trainers,” Williams recalls. “The hotel would pay me, I’d keep my cut and pay (the trainers). That was like my very first job.”

He had always been passionate about health and fitness. In fact, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine from the University of Georgia. At the time, he thought he would go into managing hospitals, to have the great-

See WILLIAMS page 74

MARK WEMPLE

TRA WILLIAMS worked in several industries before he acquired a truck driving training school.

Craig A. Goddy

Douglas B. Szabo

Krithika S. Venugopal

Shannon M. Puopolo

Gary D. Rhodes Jr.

Scott E. Atwood

Carlos A. Kelly

Scott A. Beatty Department Chair

Jacki Liszak

FORT MYERS BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Over her eight years as president of the Fort Myers B each Chamber of Commerce, Jacki Liszak has endured one challenge after another. Hurricane Irma in 2017. Major red tide o utbreaks. The pandemic. And, of course, 2022’s Hurricane Ian, which completely devastated the town on Estero Island.

Her job for almost a decade has been one part business booster, one part tourism promoter and one part community cheerleader. It’s required perseverance, adaptability and a desire to keep advocating for the barrier island Liszak c alls home. Even after her own residence and the boutique hotel she owned suffered major damage from Ian.

“You just do it,” says Liszak, 58. “You wake up every day and you look forward.”

She’s doing just that in her position as head of the chamber, which i s playing a crucial role in the recovery and reinvention of Fort M yers Beach. One major focus is maintaining the offbeat, funky spirit the town was known for as it rebuilds — and changes significantly — for the long term.

“It’s a big topic right now, especially with all the projects that are c oming forward, because we have some pretty big-sized projects that are approaching us and are going through the process right now,” she says. “How do we embrace the new builds and the requirements that we have to have, but how do we also put back that funky feeling, that cute eclectic thing that we are, while still following the rules for the future to give our children and their children a community to call home down the road?

Jacki Liszak balances many needs and wants in her role as her town’s chief business cheerleader.

already taking place in Fort Myers Beach before Ian swept through. Mother Nature helped accelerate that.

“The silver lining is that there were a lot of structures on the island that had lived their lifespan, f rankly,” says Liszak. “The storm just kind of kicked it all into high gear by removing a lot of those and giving folks no options.”

She’s one of them. The small boutique hotel she owned, The Sea Gypsy Inn, is no more. “In retrospect, that building was toward the end of its lifespan, and I was going to have to make some hard decisions in the next few years about i t,” she says. “Well, guess what? Those choices were taken off the plate.”

“I live on the island, and I’ve lived here most of my life,” she continues. “My friends and neighbors, we’re not going down without a fi ght. We’re very much wanting and requesting the developers to build in our style, not their style.”

Recovery is taking a lot longer than Liszak and everyone else on Estero Island would like. But she’s also pleased by how far Fort Myers Beach has come since Ian, as well as the sense of community togetherness she’s seen since the storm.

“ We’re still continuing to pull together and support each other,” she says. “The community spirit is incredible. And the human spirit and resilience is so powerful and so motivating.”

Changes and reinvention were

BE THE CHANGE

As president of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, Jacki Liszak is helping the community recover from Hurricane Ian and look toward the future while also preserving its fun and quirky past.

As work continues in Fort Myers Beach, balancing the needs of the community with the needs and wants of developers behind much of the rebuilding will remain a challenge.

“Construction is expensive, and these people have spent tens of millions of dollars on property,” says Liszak. “It’s about helping them find a way to build a large project that will sustain the revenue stream that they need, yet also m aking it so that the community isn’t overrun by overdevelopment.

“We do want nice things on the island, and we do want a community that welcomes visitors and t hat supports our children and their children into the future,” she adds. “But we don’t want to be just a tourist town. We want to be a place where people can move to and live and thrive.”

For that to happen, she knows the town can’t do it on its own.

“I’m a big believer in reaching across the bridge to our partners in the county,” she says. “Because as much as this is our beach and we live here, it’s all of their beach as well. (My role) has taught me diplomacy and the need for teamwork

See LISZACK page 74

STEFANIA PIFFERI

JACKI LISZAK has lived in Fort Myers Beach most of her life.

Kris Chana

it work,” Kris Chana says.

Young twenty-something newlyweds Kris and Chelsea Chana made something of an unusual home choice after their 2011 honeymoon to Staniel Cay in the Bahamas.

Upon returning to Florida, the Orlando natives moved to Port Charlotte, where they got into the senior living industry. They got so into it that, after buying, gutting and renovating what was a s huttered 12-bed assisted living home, a $450,000 project, they actually moved into the facility themselves. Chelsea was 21 and a new University of Florida grad. Kris, also a UF grad, who walked away from a career in insurance and financial planning — too boring, he says — was 23. “Chelsea le arned how to crochet, I learned how to cook and together we made

T hat lasted some three years — which, looking back, Chana, now 36, says was both a grind and a great learning experience. That’s because a decade later, while the couple no longer lives in the assisted living home, which they r enamed Chelsea Place Retirement and Assisted Living, Kris C hana remains heavily invested in changing the industry. Not just in capital — of which he’s spent, borrowed and mortgaged millions of dollars on multiple entities. But in leading a seismic change in the way people think about, and businesses operate and deliver, senior c are offerings. He does that through adult day care. The concept is to provide care and companionship during the day for older adults who require some assistance or supervision, but not at the level of, say, a skilled nurs -

Not yet 40, Kris Chana has already been in the senior living industry for nearly 15 years. He has a lot more to offer.

tion was the assisted living facility t he couple ran; it’s since been renamed ActivAge at Chelsea Place.)

W ith a mission to help seniors live their best life and a vision “to change the world by helping seniors find joy, happiness and a renewed sense of purpose,” ActivAge i s built around a tropical theme and a relaxing and chill vibe. Half of the 16,000-square-foot Sarasota building is dedicated to the adult day care side, while another portion is for offices and the company’s c ontent studio, where Chana and his team use proprietary software to create the day’s activities. Those activities include live music, exercise, nutritious meals and more, at, s ays Chana, half the cost of other services, such as in-home care and assisted living.

Including the $2.8 million building purchase, the Sarasota ActivAge is a $5.7 million project. It took about two years to get from building purchase to a mid-July grand opening.

ing home. This can accomplish two i mportant things: provide the adult a place to go for meals, socialization, some health care services and more, while the primary caretaker, usually the spouse or partner, and almost always an unsung hero, gets a respite for the day or a few hours.

By doing that, adult day care, says Chana, solves a big problem by providing “another option outside of staying at home care and going into a facility. I’m adult day care’s No. 1 fan.”

Chana has put some muscle behind the fandom.

O ne part of that stems from ActivAge, his entry into adult day care.

T he company recently opened a Sarasota location, on Bee Ridge Road, to complement its first location, in Port Charlotte. (That loca-

BE THE CHANGE

W hile the energetic and excitable Chana loves talking about ActivAge, his why for adult day care goes deeper. On the business model side, he’s invested time and resources into building a franchise division for the business. He projects having five franchisees by 2025, 10 by 2026 and 100 in 10 to 15 years. (He says most franchisees will open three locations, as the business model is volume-dependent, so easy access is a key.)

That’s one way he seeks to grow the industry.

C hana also has another angle from which he promotes and grows the industry, which is in growthmode but a bit fragmented. There are some 31,300 adult day care businesses in the U.S. as of 2023, according to research firm IBISWorld, up 3.6% from 2022. The sector had $7.4 billion in revenue in 2023, an increase of 6.4% from 2022, IBISWorld reports. The industry is expected to reach $7.5 billion in 2024,

Kris Chana is on a mission to make adult day care a key option for the senior living industry — in Florida and nationwide.

LORI SAX

KRIS CHANA worked in insurance and financial planning before getting into senior living.

Naomi Boyer

EDUCATION DESIGN LAB

Since the beginning of her career, Naomi Boyer has wanted to help people who struggle, and do it through education.

A fter multiple career stops, the Polk County education executive is now doing that by helping swaths of people advance in their careers, and life, through earning what’s become a hot commodity in higher education: microcredentials.

B oyer started out as a special education teacher, working with children who had severe emotional issues and learning disabilities. Her undergraduate and master’s degrees are in special education from t he University of Florida. “I’ve been passionate about learning and education, particularly those who face more hurdles and barriers in the learning process,” Boyer says.

But when she started a family, she shifted to focus on her two daughters, so she took a step back from

being the leader in a classroom. She instead went back to school herself.

“Women can do it all … the constraints are I can’t do it all at once,” says Boyer, now 57. “You have to determine what’s important individually. My most important thing at that point in my life was raising my children and making sure that they had a good foundation before I went back into the world of work. I was able to couple my home time with them with continuing education.”

She got her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Florida in 2001, focusing on interdisciplinary education and organizational change. Her dissertation was “Building Online Learning: System Insights into Group Learning in an International Online Environment.”

That paved the way for what she calls a “winding journey” in higher education leadership. It also paved the way for Boyer to foster change within her industry.

BE THE CHANGE

Naomi Boyer went from a special educator to earning a Ph.D. and becoming a higher education administrator. Now she works for an organization that seeks to link people and institutions with opportunities through microcredentials.

She did that first for a decade, from 2002 to 2011, at the USF Lakeland/ Polytechnic campus, where she was an assistant vice president. She helped develop online programs, faculty-staff development, youthbased programs, robotics education and international initiatives.

Next, she spent another decade, from 2011 to 2022, at Polk State College, where she worked in a variety of administrative roles, ultimately serving as the vice president of strategic initiatives and innovation and chief information officer. She took on more change-based leadership tasks there, working on the school’s aerospace and elementary education programs, among others. She says her career was never “on a chartered

path and all of it (was) just raising my hand when someone said, ‘Hey, can anyone do this?’”

Boyer says she initially thought change happened from within universities. But as time went on she felt like she was pushing a boulder and could only take it so far. While at Polk State, she says an organization called Education Design Lab facilitated some of the work groups with which she was involved.

“When the opportunity opened up to join the lab, and that was over five years ago, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I can facilitate scalable change at a higher, broader level, without some of the bureaucratic constraints,’ and so it was a tremendous opportunity for me,” Boyer says.

When she first joined the lab, her role was to help roll out a catalog of “digital microcredentials,” she says. A m icrocredential can be a soft skill like critical thinking or oral communication. Education Design Lab released microcredentials in 2020 that it can award itself or give to colleges, universities and employers to award to showcase a person’s skills. People can then put the mi-

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Naomi Boyer is focused on how to change the way the world looks at skills.

crocredentials on their resumes, LinkedIn profiles or Facebook pages, Boyer says.

S ince joining the lab, Boyer’s role has expanded, and she is now the senior vice president of digital transformation for the Washington, D.C.-based organization. Her current focus? Skills.

“In my work now, the conversation that’s going on is a global one w ith regard to the advent of skills,” Boyer says. “How can we get talent into the job roles that employers need but also open up the door for those who need opportunity but may have been constrained by the lack of credentials?”

Boyer says she has a team of data coaches and a data collaborative working on helping employers and colleges develop tools that will help them use microcredentials, such as incorporating them into employee

recruiting or the student admissions processes. She also has software that will match microcredentials and skills associated with them to job listings for job seekers. For example, a waitress may have a skill of active listening that could correlate to a customer service job.

“It’s really about elevating people into the job opportunities based upon what they know and can do,” Boyer says.

A great deal of focus is on what she calls the “new majority” learners, for whom the pathway to college is not the most accessible.

W hile she has global connections and partners, Boyer also thinks local first. “My biggest hope is that the work that we’re doing as the nation and the international community, I want to bring it back here. I want to bring it to Polk County, I want to bring it to Florida and I want to make sure that we have robust opportunities in skill visibility, and it’s really a bout transforming individuals’ lives and economic vitality at the same time,” Boyer says.

“I never thought I would be doing the work I’m doing today because I

started in a very classroom, handson approach,” Boyer says. “I am a very square peg that doesn’t fit well in round holes. My passion is really

about education transformation and facilitating change, again for those who need it the most.”

— ELIZABETH KING

CALVIN KNIGHT

NAOMI BOYER of Polk County has worked in education for more than 25 years.

Dan Dobrowolski

CEO, ESCAPE HOMES

As housing costs continue at a level making it difficult — if not impossible — for many Floridians to afford buying a house, there is a small community in Hillsborough County where you can buy one for less than $100,000.

No, that’s not a misprint. In late July, the community had a house listed for $95,000. But the key word in that first sentence is small.

The house is in Escape Tampa Bay Village, a community of tiny homes on the east side of the county on a rural stretch of land.

It is the brainchild of developer Dan Dobrowolski, 65, who began building small homes in Wisconsin about 25 years ago. Dobrowolski has also become an affordable housing advocate of sorts, arguing tiny houses are a good alternative governments need to embrace to address, or deliver positive change, to t he housing affordability issue.

The reason for that is these tiny homes provide residents with the benefits — their own space, modern design, environmental protections — usually not available in more traditional affordable housing properties. Or, as Dobrowolski says, “There’s no reason affordable housing has to be as ugly as it is. When you think affordable housing, a lot of people think Section 8, they think concrete block bunkers. (The politicians) think it’s better. We reject that. We think that affordable housing should be beautiful.”

Dobrowolski was raised in Chicago and spent years in Florida after h is family moved to Sarasota in the mid-1970s. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in meteorology and worked at WFLA -TV in Tampa for a bit before heading back to the Midwest.

The history of Escape Tampa Bay Village starts in Canoe Bay, Wisconsin. Dobrowolski bought property t here in the early 1990s and began

building small cottages, mostly fewer than 600 square feet.

He calls Canoe Bay “an unusual, let’s call it a resort.”

One of the things that’s unusual about it is the distinctive architecture, Dobrowolski says. “We got a lot of notoriety for it. The design of the buildings, the style of the buildings, etc. People were always fascinated.”

“So, we came up with the idea to make the buildings portable. People could literally buy the architecture. That’s what started it. We started building them on wheels and it just kept evolving.”

The company then moved into development, believing it could set the course of what a neighborhood in the 21st century should look like.

And that neighborhood is Escape Tampa Bay Village. The community sits on a one-acre parcel at 11008 U.S. Highway 301 in Thonotosassa. He paid $400,000 for the property, a former mobile home park.

A t iny home is, as the name im-

Dan Dobrowolski believes communities must consider tiny homes when looking for solutions to the affordable housing crisis.

plies, small — usually no more than several hundred square feet. But, as Escape Tampa Bay Village says on its website, the homes are designed to feel open and spacious with large, wide windows, full kitchens, large bathrooms and bedrooms. The units, the website says, come with washer and dryer units, LED lights and storage.

The idea is to create a place with all the benefits individuals want when they look for a house in a neighborhood.

Of course, many, if not all, the amenities are available in apartments. But what makes a tiny home community different is the absence of communal living space and the individuality that comes with having a standalone space.

And that’s what bothers Dobrowolski about communities in des-

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perate need of affordable options for residents not considering tiny houses as an option. “They don’t think you can have whole neighborhoods of this on a very small property that has fairly high density,” he says.

“But people want to have space. I like green. I like to be able to walk

outside and have room, and I don’t want to go into a hallway with dozens of other people walking out and I’m in a concrete bunker. To me, that’s fairly inhumane. Why not give people the option of owning a house, and cheap?”

Dobrowolski has spoken to offi-

cials in various communities about t he tiny home option. But he says he has faced nothing but resistance from people who are reluctant to change what they are doing.

I n comparison, Escape Tampa Bay Village has fit 13 buildings onto 8/10ths of an acre. Of those build-

Dan Dobrowolski believes small houses provide homeowners what they need and are more humane than traditional apartment blocks.

ings, 10 are homes and the others are common buildings.

The vast majority of the acreage is green space and lawns. He says you could put 15 buildings into the space and still not be crowded.

That’s done by having all the homes face forward, which both maximizes space and creates that neighborhood or subdivision feel.

As for who lives there, it’s a cross section of America, Dobrowolski says. There is a man with two small children, recent college graduates, retirees and professionals.

“They’re efficient. They’re green. You got plenty of space. It’s your own house. You’ve got a park; you’ve got a front yard; you’ve got beautiful landscaping,” he says.

“It’s a great alternative. The only barrier is that the cities don’t endorse it.”

— LOUIS LLOVIO

OWEN-AMES-KIMBALL COMPANY

DAN DOBROWOLSKI, CEO of Escape Homes, is the developer behind the tiny home community Escape Tampa Bay Village.

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CANIPE from 62

angel investor began posting educational content to help founders h one in on their pitches for their best chance at getting funding.

“I am really proud of the way the community has rallied together to create change,” she says.

S haring her vision for the future, Canipe says: “I believe that t his means that within the next five to 10 years, we’ll be able to serve women all throughout the Southeast with the very long term goal of

being able to serve women all over the world.”

Another WTE chapter is forming in Melbourne, where Canipe’s mother currently lives. Other chapters are in the works as well. “ What really excites me is that we’re just getting started,” Canipe says, “And we’re already seeing the transformative power of the community we’re building and the joy t hat it brings to our members and the impact that it has on them.”

— LAURA LYON

est impact on the largest number of people. However, “after completing undergraduate school … I was so incredibly burned out that I lost my momentum,” Williams says.

In 2021, Sunbury Press published his book “Boss Brain: Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Instincts” to help people get out of their own way and start their own businesses as he had done.

tween those who have space and t hose who need space,” says Williams. His plan is for places like c onvention centers that do not need parking lots overnight to be able to connect with truck drivers looking for someplace to rest t hrough an app that works like Uber or Airbnb, he says. The ParkPro app is currently in pilot mode.

and the need for collaboration … Those relationships that you build are what support you and sustain you through times like this.”

Things on the north end of Estero Island are moving along, with more than 50 bars and restaurants open, watersports and boat tour operations up and running and a proposed redevelopment plan for the Times Square area. Spots like Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers Beach are bringing visitors to the island.

“Do we have what we had before the storm? No, not yet,” says L iszak. “But every week that goes by, more and more things are opening and more homes are being completed.”

L iszak can easily envision the bright future of Fort Myers Beach down the road. “It’s so cute!” she says, picturing what it will look like. “We’re going to have worldclass amenities for people to come, stay, visit, fall in love with the town, buy property and move here. We have a special island here; it’s really unique.”

— BETH LUBERECKI

just a call for franchisees.

with a compound annual growth rate of 2.1% over the past five years.

C hana’s role in unifying the industry, and recruiting new entrepreneurs for both ActivAge and the f ield, is aided by harnessing the power of social media. He debuted a YouTube channel in 2019 dedicated to adult day care, where he promotes the industry and posts videos on frequently asked questions a bout getting into the business. Through mid-July, he had posted more than 700 videos, with some 6,300 subscriptions and 409,000 views. Chana is also active on Facebook and LinkedIn, where he says t he ongoing goal is to promote the industry as a viable alternative to other models in senior care — not

C hana has taken the mission to more platforms. He hosted a podcast, The CAREpreneur Show, from 2019-2022 and runs a monthly webinar on adult day care topics. Everything he does is free, save an Adult Day Care Mastermind group, because he wants that one to be a more exclusive offering.

C hana says many people he speaks with over the platforms want to open or invest in adult day care but are intimidated by the startup process. So he talks them through that while also going into his mission and his why. “Maybe I’ll inspire people to open up a mom and pop adult care center, or maybe they will get into ActivAge,” he says. “It doesn’t matter, as long as we can grow the adult day care industry.”

— MARK GORDON

“I don’t know if I’m a thriving entrepreneur because I’m a terrible employee or vice versa,” Williams says. “But from a very, very young age, I wanted to carve my own path.”

During his career, he’s also worked in commercial real estate, which he says gave him knowledge that led to his latest venture: an app called ParkPro. It aims to put empty parking lots to good use.

A ccording to Williams, there is an overage of places to park across the country but legions of truck drivers with nowhere to park their vehicles during the 10 hours a day they are federally mandated to be off the road.

“We are not short on space. What we are short on is connectivity be-

“In a lot of ways, the ParkPro and FleetForce model are very similar, where we are trying to connect those who need a product or service with those who have a product or service, and we like that because it requires agility, it requires the willingness to be disruptive in the industry and it requires that you be a little fearless because it’s a twoway marketplace,” says Williams. In both ventures, “I just kind of fell into it,” Williams says. “But you know, that’s been true for just about every company that I’ve founded or entered or been part of. In retrospect, it was never really part of my plan, but I think t hat part of the definition of being an entrepreneur is being open to opportunities when they present themselves and not feeling the rigidity that comes with sticking to some clearly quantified plan.”

— ELIZABETH KING

WILLIAMS from 64

LISZACK from 66

LORI SAX

KRIS CHANA with TONY SAVAGE , chef at ActivAge in Sarasota, where the adult day care offers nutritious meals.

CHANA from 68

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