It’s a huge life change to stop spending so much of your time on your business. What will you do with yourself? How will your exit affect your family? Your employees? Your self-worth? It’s an emotional process.
UBS spoke with business owners* who’ve said: “It’s sad and hard when you sell because you’ve not only invested time and money, but also a bit of your soul.”
“A part of me was delighted but another part of me was sad. The office was like a second home.”
Prepare for your exit
48% of business owners don’t have a formal exit strategy in place. Here are three tips to help you get started.
1. Plan ahead
Start planning early with your financial advisor, tax professional and estate planning attorney to be confident about your future. Be certain that advanced income, legacy and tax planning are a part of these conversations.
2. Define what you want
Reflect on your passions and plan for what you want to accomplish next in life. Research found that 48% of business owners look forward to traveling more, while 26% plan to give back to their community or causes.
3. Break the silence
Only about 25% of owners talk to their children and heirs about family wealth. Communicate early about what you expect or hope for. This can help create a clearer picture and gives everyone involved a chance to contribute.
The power of emotions
Many times, selling your business is about letting go. This can be a profound change with powerful emotional aspects. For some owners, it’s confusing. For others, there’s a sense of elation. Many talk about feelings of depression and a lack of purpose.
Owners say
“I felt very muted. I didn’t know how to process it. I had to figure out how to deal with a new reality.”
“I had been working hard for a long time. At the beginning, I did nothing, and it was great. People say you get bored, but I didn’t—it was wonderful.”
Planning for life after the sale: the six stages
Think through these questions well before your transition.
1. Recharge. Is a vacation or dream purchase desired? Do you need some space to think? Is an escape and recharge a good idea?
2. Self. How much money do you have and need? Is your wealth life-changing or life-enhancing?
3. Enabling. What professional advice do you need? Do you have the right advisory team?
4. Family. How do you want to support your family? Do you want to set money aside for home purchases and education?
5. Legacy. What do you want to leave for future generations and your employees? How should it be left?
6. Opportunity. How do you find personal fulfillment in the future? How can you best contribute to others?
Whether your transition is a few months or a few years away, it’s important to start planning for how you want to live your life after selling your business.
Building a successful business is no small feat. Exiting a business isn’t either. So, when you’re considering stepping away, and putting strategies in place for an immediate sale, you shouldn’t go it alone. The UBS Private Wealth Management team, Matina Group has helped scores of entrepreneurs and founders buy, expand and exit their companies. Their insight can help you add significant long-term value to this major liquidity-generating event.
Get the answers and clarity you need to move your business goals forward. Connect with Matina Group today.
Matina Group
Joseph Matina Managing Director–Wealth Management 877-452-4344 toll free joseph.matina@ubs.com
UBS Financial Services Inc. Private Wealth Management 801 Laurel Oak Drive Suite 500 Naples, FL 34108
advisors.ubs.com/matinagroup
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key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS.
NEWS BITES P. 10
ICYMI! Top stories from Gulfshore Business Daily
TRENDLINE P. 14
SWFL’s expanding restaurant numbers
SPACES P. 16
Salon Bellezza gets a glow-up as it grows up
MAKERS P. 22
Resin-based alternatives for architectural flair
ENTREPRENEURSHIP P. 28
Advice on planning from longtime coach Tom Matthews
ECONOMIC COMMENTARY P. 30
March Madness underscores cost of workplace time theft
MARCH 2023
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There are some standard topics of idle conversation, in waiting areas or elevators or around water coolers, that just do nothing for me. Anything to do with March Madness is practically a foreign language, for example. But lately I’ve been pricking up my ears when I hear someone mention mileage or lease deals, because I’m going to be in the market for new wheels soon. And I’m thinking pretty seriously about a hybrid.
I’m not sure I’m ready to take the plunge into getting an all-electric vehicle yet, but many of our neighbors clearly are: Data shows that last year, 3,649 EVs were sold in Southwest Florida. That might not sound like a huge number—it’s only 5% of all vehicles sold in the area, after all, plus 3,500 cars probably feels like a light Tuesday for anyone used to driving down U.S. 41 during Season—but consider that just five years ago, the number of electric vehicles sold across the region was 74. That’s a growth rate of more than 4,000% since 2018.
EVs aren’t for everyone, of course. Some drivers want more range or require more flexibility, and some simply relish the sound and feel of a gas engine. For shipping companies and corporate fleets, the numbers may not
add up. Yet. But as battery technology continues to improve and more infrastructure is added to SWFL, the option is becoming more tempting for many. I’ll be curious to see how the industry develops and grows in the coming years. I haven’t yet driven an EV, but David Dorsey did for this month’s issue—read his report, and a range of local perspectives, in “Power Surge” on p. 32.
Of course, development and growth are always on the minds of Southwest Floridians. Every year brings more residents, so the area needs more housing, more retail, more dining, more health care … and that means more infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water. But our resources are finite, and community growth means having to maintain—or attempt to maintain—a tricky set of tradeoffs between the demands of development and the continued survival of Florida’s natural splendor. John Guerra delves into the political realities of water infrastructure for his feature “In the Balance” on p. 42. It’s a complex issue, and a critically important one.
As the year progresses, it continually offers fresh reminders of why we love living here so much in the first place. I hope we all find plenty of examples this month.
HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA EDITOR IN CHIEF
SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGIZING Advice on planning from longtime coach
Tom Matthews
By Artis Henderson
[ LEE COUNTY]
A Southwest Florida tech company is preparing to launch itself and the local economy into space in 2023 using 3D-printed satellites. Space Tech founder Wil Glaser set his sights skyhigh and then some, hoping what is now a model rocket will carry his company into the future.
The company is using 3D printers to create a design-intensive cube satellite, made to efficiently house all the hardware and software needed to operate in space. Thanks to the 3D printers, not much assembly is required, so Space Tech does not need a large facility. The company is located on Florida Gulf Coast University-owned property where it can focus on its commercial application and is able to bring students in from FGCU to learn its applications, as well.
Addison Square, a community of 52 homes, is coming to south Fort Myers at the southeast corner of Idlewild Street and Plantation Road. Pulte Homes paid $2.4 million for the 17-acre lot in a deal brokered by Chuck Mayhugh of Mayhugh Commercial Advisors.
The homes will start at more than $500,000 and will range from 1,600 to 3,400 square feet of living space. Construction of the model homes is expected to begin by the spring, with some of the houses expected to be finished by summer.
Kia of Cape Coral and Kia of Port Charlotte, both formerly owned by the late Billy Fuccillo, have been purchased by Morgan Automotive Group. Morgan paid $14.5 million for the Cape Coral land at 404 NE Pine Island Road and $22.35 million for the Port Charlotte land at 202 Tamiami Trail. Morgan made the purchases from LMP Automotive Holdings, which bought the Cape Coral land from Fuccillo’s company for $13.1 million in March 2021, an increase of about 11% in value in less than two years.
LMP Automotive, a Fort Lauderdale-based publicly traded company, is dissolving and liquidating its assets, while Morgan Automotive Group continues to expand. LMP Automotive began distributing the profits to shareholders at the start of 2023.
LEEThe iconic clock on Fort Myers Beach, which was lost during Hurricane Ian, is being replaced. Fort Myers Beach builder Joe Orlandini attempted to find the Times Square centerpiece, but after no luck, he and his partners purchased a replacement clock for $38,000 from Verdin Company in Ohio, the same company that built the original.
“We definitely want to keep the character and keep the vibe of the island,” Orlandini says.
Orlandini also replaced the palm tree in Times Square, and has been searching for other landmark pieces that were lost in the storm. He found the tiki head that sat outside the Yucatan Beach Stand across Matanzas Pass and brought him home.
Liquivida Wellness Center has opened at 9655 Tamiami Trail N., Unit 102, in North Naples. The franchise, which is based in Fort Lauderdale, has a range of services from Botox to hormone replacement.
IV drip therapy is one of the premier services the center provides for people of all ages in different areas of life. Although IVs have gained a reputation for being a hangover cure, this type of therapy is beneficial in various aspects of lifestyle wellness, from vitamin B energy boosts to strengthening the immune system.
The IV drip process takes between 30 and 45 minutes and is administered by a licensed paramedic on staff. Each dose ranges from $95 to $250.
Two iconic properties on Fort Myers Beach have sold for big money. The property where The Cottage and Shucker’s once stood is officially under contract. Though the buyer information has not yet been released, the listing agent said it is a “very well-respected company.”
The property had an asking price of $16 million, and was said to have sold for around that price.
The Silver Sands Villas property also sold to TPI, who is developing Margaritaville, for $7.1 million. In 2001, the same property sold for $1.75 million.
New businesses at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt have filled the available units at the North Naples lifestyle center. Not only are existing units leased, but a new multitenant space, Building 900, is under construction off Airport-Pulling Road near the center’s northeast entrance.
“We already have a few new tenants that have pre-leased the building. I have a few left. I anticipate as we get closer to completing the building that it will be leased up very quickly,” says P.J. Hill, leasing manager for the Shoppes at Vanderbilt.
Built 15 years ago, the Shoppes at Vanderbilt offers a variety of tenants from quick-service and full-service restaurants to retailers and service concepts in a collection of at least a dozen buildings on more than 30 acres.
More new tenants will be joining the new six-unit building under construction in 2023.
“We’re going to be bringing in a Crave cookies franchise. It’s similar to Crumbl,” Hill says. “I’m working currently with a high-end fashion designer and Murano glass retailer, as well. We expect some additional retailers there; service concepts, as well. We’re leaving that pretty open and we’re welcoming all opportunities and all different concepts.”
[
The organic market to complement the Food & Thought 2 restaurant in North Naples launched at the end of 2022, with 800 to 1,000 customers visiting the market on its opening day.
The market joins the restaurant that opened in mid-June in a Fountain Square space off Airport-Pulling Road, and they share an outdoor seating space between them in an expansive courtyard.
Some of the market’s stations include a gluten-free bakery and deli, a cheese and guacamole bar, a juice bar and sections for produce, wine, beverages, health products and grab-and-go meals. There is a stage for live music set up outside, along with a fire pit.
WINK News; Samantha Roesler; Shoppes at Vanderbilt; Tim AtenFinding a good place to dine in Southwest Florida is getting easier these days. Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties are home to close to 4,000 dining establishments, according to data compiled by FGCU’s Regional Economic Research Institute. Despite the pandemic, the number of establishments in the three-county area rose about 11% from 2018 to 2022.
About three-fourths of those establishments are considered typical seated restaurants, but the figures also include take-out spots, food trucks, caterers, hot dog vendors and vending machines (those that sell things such as sandwiches, not just snacks and soda). Food trucks in particular have been growing—in 2022, about 400 food trucks were registered in the area, more than double the number five years previous.
When Melissa Columella decided to move her salon to a larger space in a new shopping center across the street, she wanted a different design— something contemporary and minimalist. Two years later, after lease negotiations, construction, buildout and design, Salon Bellezza moved from the southwest corner of Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard, in Shoppes of Pebblebrooke, to the southeast corner, at The Pointe at Founders Square. The move to the 2,900-square-foot space came in September, as the lease was ending, and provided 500 square feet more.
“I am grateful to have the most wonderful staff, so I wanted to give them a beautiful, comfortable, functional space for them to create in,” says Columella, an esthetician who co-owns the salon with her stylist husband, Michael. “My last design was baroque. It was like a woman’s boudoir, the inside of a jewelry box, with chandeliers and gold everywhere.”
But gold cast a yellow tint on customers’ hair, so in her new space Columella opted for a black and white contemporary design with pops of emerald green. “That and the high white ceilings create the best light to work by,” she explains.
Columella knew what she wanted, but needed guidance, so she hired architect MK Architecture LLC, interior designer LVD Spaces and Heatherwood Construction Company, which built the plaza, for the buildout.
“I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. I also didn’t want it to get too busy or dated,” she says.
Melissa Columella, Salon Bellezza co-owner, wanted to give her staff a beautiful, comfortable, functional space to create.
She also hired Sanders Cabinets Inc. to create a coffee table and cabinetry, and purchased salon chairs from Georgia-based Minerva Beauty.
The garden theme decorates the space with green leaves, vines, a trellis and a silk tree—named Vivian, which means “life”—that sits within a dark wood coffee table, as well as green velvet couches in the waiting area.
“A garden is a nod to the nursery that was on the property,” Columella says, adding that it also benefits her husband. “His therapy is our garden, where he loses himself. I thought it was a shame he only gets to garden two days a week, so I brought it here.”
Dark gray luxury vinyl-plank flooring matches a long fireplace mantel in the waiting area. Some wood features caused difficulties due to code restrictions, so
Graffiti artist Marcus Zotter created a mural titled “Dahlia” showing a woman’s face and a butterfly, which represents a customer’s transformation.
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a fire-retardant black paint was used that allowed the mantel’s wood grain to show through.
“There are a lot of details and color schemes,” says Erik Squibb, Heatherwood project superintendent. “It helps separate different areas of the salon and creates transitions.”
For example, black vertical slats allow light to shine through the salon area; distinctive Schumacher luxury wallpaper differentiates work areas; and sliding doors allow sections to be closed off.
At the reception area, customers can check in and order coffee, tea, wine
and other beverages while waiting for an appointment or color processing. White-washed brick surrounds the fireplace, providing a cozy feel. Customers also can sit at a counter at the front window.
A separate makeup area features whimsical Schumacher wallpaper with birds and butterflies. Salon chairs upholstered in a warm woody brown face vertical, live-edge wood-framed mirrors and white cabinets in work stations that accommodate 16-24 employees. That number includes the couple’s daughter, Maria, an esthetician and nail tech who also performs
microblading; their son, Michael, does errands and support work. Above the chairs, vines hang from white trellises. Inside the nail salon, customers can sit on large massage chairs while soaking their feet in custom-made green glass bowls. The area is cordoned off with large sliding glass barn doors that keep it bright while not excluding those inside from salon activity.
In the shampoo area, Columella hired graffiti artist Marcus Zotter to create a black-and-white mural titled “Dahlia”—showing a woman’s face, a butterfly, magnolias and peonies, with a smattering of bright green leaves. Kelly
“Marcus projected it onto the wall to determine the scale,” Columella says, adding that it’s filled with her favorite things, including a butterfly that represents a customer’s transformation, and a bumblebee representing her husband, who is “busy as a bee.”
A color-mixing bar is hidden in the back, where ceilings are lower in the staff areas. They include a breakroom, laundry, bathroom and Col-
At the reception area, customers can order coffee, tea, wine and other beverages to enjoy by the fireplace while waiting for an appointment.
umella’s office. Employee and guest bathrooms feature stunning Schumacher wallpaper.
Toward the back are two treatment rooms decorated with relaxing Chinoiserie-style wallpaper that are used for facials, waxing, eyelash extensions, tinting, massage, permanent makeup and scalp micropigmentation, or SMP.
Sliding doors allow the rooms to connect if guest educators are teaching
classes or a customer’s family is watching an SMP reveal. “It’s life-changing,” Columella explains.
She’s pleased with the outcome and the help she received.
“She was a really involved owner who knew what she wanted and helped the process along by being here nearly every day and supervising,” Squibb says. “It helped us make decisions much faster.”
Steven Russell is giving a tour of his factory when he points to a large beam on top of a shelf.
“Only you and I know that’s not wood,” he says. It certainly looks like wood, down to the grain texture. But it’s easy enough for one person to lift without much effort. And that’s the beauty of his business, he said.
Creative Architectural Resin Products creates faux wood and stone products, such as beams, paneling and molding. The resin-based goods are more durable than Styrofoam, lighter than concrete and cheaper than wood or stone. It’s been a long journey to where he is now, but he feels he’s found the right niche.
The idea was actually planted about 25 years ago when Russell was working in the yacht industry. He was involved in the manufacturing process from start to finish, and saw how resin products were used to build the watercraft. The idea bubbled up again when he was selling impact glass in Fort Myers years later. He kept hearing about a need in home building for alternatives to Styrofoam or concrete. So he ventured into a business creat-
Steven Russell and his partner Marilyn Santiago started Creative Architectural Resin Products in 2015, creating resinbased goods that are more durable than Styrofoam, lighter than concrete and cheaper than wood or stone.
CARP’s clients are mostly housing developers looking to create something unique for their projects. “They don’t want something cookiecutter. We are only limited by our imagination,” says Marilyn Santiago.
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CARP’s 6,000-square-foot factory in Fort Myers serves as home base, but the company is just about at capacity and looking to expand.
ing resin products. It was successful at first, but the timing was off: The Great Recession hit and the home-building market tanked.
He later regrouped and, along with partner Marilyn Santiago, started CARP in 2015. Its clients are mostly large housing developers looking to create something unique for their projects. The business has recently provided shutters and other architectural details for Margaritaville communities across the South. Its 6,000-square-foot factory serves as home base, but the company is just about at capacity and looking to expand. “Our emphasis is custom work,” Santiago says. “[Our clients] are looking for products that differentiate them. They don’t want something cookie-cutter. We are only limited by our imagination.”
Tom Matthews is a small business guy. “I love small businesses,” he says. “I like the struggles of small business, and I like small business people. They’re willing to go in and take a risk and put everything they’ve got on the line.”
Matthews has been coaching small businesses for decades. He’s learned in the trenches, owning a host of his own small businesses over the years—he started his most recent endeavor, Gem Payroll, in 2019 with his wife. The company offers payroll processing services “with all the bells and whistles of the big guys,” Matthews says, plus all the flexibility of a smaller company. “If the boss forgot to put hours in for somebody, we’ll put together one paycheck and run it to the office so they can get paid on Friday.”
Though Matthews’ father worked a corporate job, Matthews knew his own path was headed for entrepreneurship. He graduated college with a degree in accounting and worked for a big travel company in Chicago. But he made a promise to himself that by the time he turned 30, he’d make the leap into self-employment. His last corporate paycheck arrived on Dec. 31, 1986—his 30th birthday.
“It was time to take off the golden handcuffs and jump ship,” Matthews says. He never looked back. “Entrepreneurs are built different. We’re risk takers. We learn to close our eyes and jump. Hope-
Tom Matthews knew he was headed for entrepreneurship. He made a promise to himself that by the time he turned 30, he’d make the leap into self-employment.
fully there are no rocks down below, though sometimes there are.”
He’s developed a few strategies over the years for avoiding those rocks, both in his own small businesses and when he’s advising his clients. His first piece of advice is to network. “You need to make friends,” he says. “Small business people often get so caught up in their business that they forget to go to the chamber of commerce meeting.” Networking is key because it provides a group of friends and mentors to turn to in difficult times. “Never be afraid to ask for help,” Matthews says, “Never. That’s how relationships are built.”
His second piece of advice is one that new entrepreneurs often forget. “Cash is king,” he says. “All businesses have cash flow issues. Make sure you’re not spending all your cash on living expenses, because then you won’t be able to run your business.”
His final suggestion: Know the numbers. “So many small businesses don’t know their numbers,” Matthews says. “They know sales, but they don’t have a clue about anything else.” He suggests entrepreneurs make a forecast every month—or at least every quarter—and then compare their numbers to that forecast, taking into account their profit margins, operating expenses and net income percentages. Being able to compare the current set of numbers to previous months, quarters and years is key. “That way, you can start to control your bottom line.”
Every spring one major event disrupts the workplace: March Madness. How does an annual college basketball tournament have relevance to the workplace? Well, estimates by a variety of sources indicate employees not only waste up to six hours a day, but also may resort to calling in sick throughout the NCAA Tournament. While seemingly innocuous, these estimates indicate March Madness results in up to $13.8 billion in lost revenue annually due to lower employee productivity.
The concept of employee time theft is not new—nor unique to seasonal sporting events. Time is a unique re-
source; unlike other resources, it is not renewable, recoverable or substitutable. However, like other resources, time can be stolen. After considering how and why, the question becomes what do we do about it, both during peak misuse such as March Madness and everyday misuse?
Time is relatively easy to steal, especially in the digital age, and that theft can take many forms. From an extreme standpoint, it could include falsifying time cards. However, the majority of time theft involves such activities as daydreaming, web and social media surfing, socializing and using work hours to do personal tasks—say, fol-
lowing sports events and setting up betting pools. All of this is done while seemingly completing work tasks. The “why” of time theft is much more complicated than the “how.” The causes of time theft boil down to the person, the job and the organization. Since people who are inherently devious, counterproductive and inclined to slack off regardless of their position or task are luckily fairly rare, the nature of the job tasks and the organizational culture are much more important to understanding the “why.” Research suggests the strongest job-related predictors of employee time theft are task conflict and task ambiguity. When em-
ployees don’t know what they are doing or have conflicting tasks, it increases their stress and frustration to the point that they have to step away from the job to repair their mood.
Organizational norms and expectations around time also play a large role in time theft. In environments in which water-cooler talk, socializing and web surfing aren’t closely monitored, it will likely be seen as “less wrong” and increase such behavior.
Understanding why someone is stealing time will provide direction to employers about what, if anything, can be done to ameliorate time theft. This can be done by increasing the clarity of work tasks and decreasing conflict between the expectations of projects. Furthermore, employers should pro-
vide clear expectations of workplace time norms for employees.
During March Madness, which is an isolated event irrelevant to a particular job or organizational culture, it might be best to take control of the fact that employees will inevitably engage in off-task activities. I suggest turning it into a team-building exercise by having workplace or workgroup competitions surrounding the tournament. This could increase not only team cohesion but employee well-being and commitment to the organization. While there might be lost dollars from reduced productivity, the value added to the organization by increasing employee commitment is substantial.
It all comes down to one thing at the end of the day: What are you will-
ing to tolerate in your organization? Behavior measured and subsequently rewarded or punished is the behavior you allow. If you are going to tolerate time theft, find ways to change the narrative, bring it to light and use it to your advantage.
Meagan E. Brock Baskin, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management in Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business. She publishes and consults in the areas of time theft, organizational culture, ethics and human resources. She is also director of the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute at FGCU, through which she designs and delivers corporate training and development programs for businesses in Southwest Florida.
The majority of time theft involves such activities as daydreaming, web and social media surfing, socializing and using work hours to do personal tasks.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES REV UP GROWTH IN SWFL
BY DAVID DORSEY
Around here, the electric vehicle revolution so far has sounded like the cars themselves. It has been a quiet one in Southwest Florida, where sales of new electric vehicles, or EVs, exponentially have grown over the past five years, but have sputtered behind the rest of the country. In 2023 and beyond, however, the sales of EVs appear poised to accelerate quickly around the region … as soon as supply-chain issues get resolved.
The times, and the energy sources for driving, are changing. Sometimes at a rate that seems as fast as a Tesla Model 3, which can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and reach top speeds of 162 mph. At other times, the pace of change seems as slow as a horse-drawn carriage.
There were 67,952 new cars sold in Southwest Florida in 2022. Of those, 3,649 were EVs, according to sales data from Experian Automotive AutoCount. That means 5.3% of all new vehicles sold in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties were electric last year. The United States, as a whole, averaged more, with 5.8% of all new vehicles sold, an increase from the 3.2% mark in 2021, according to data pulled by the Wall Street Journal . The same story put the rest of the world at about a 10% mar-
ket share rate for new EVs against their gas-powered counterparts.
“Now is an historic and exciting time for car makers,” says Joe Parisi, general manager of Polestar in Naples, which has been a part of the Naples Volvo dealership off Naples Boulevard. But Parisi is planning a new standalone showroom, slated to open this year at the Mercato shopping center in north Naples. “It’s an opportunity to seize the moment, do better and dare to build the dream of climate-neutral, beautiful cars. We want to make the car industry a driving force in the shift to a green economy, accelerating the shift to sustainable mobility.”
The local data doesn’t sound like much until comparing it to five years ago. In 2018, there were 66,197 new cars sold across the region. Of those, only 74 were EVs, less than 1% at 0.111%. While the numbers are still a mere fraction of the overall total, the growth rate over the past five years has been 4,674%.
Sales of EVs in Southwest Florida almost doubled from 2019 to 2020, increasing from 76 to 142—a climb that has everything to do with Tesla opening a Fort Myers dealership and showroom in 2020. Tesla opened its Naples showroom at the Waterside Shops off U.S. 41 in December 2016, and has plans to build
Joe Parisi, general manager of Polestar in Naples, says his goal is to make the car industry a driving force in the shift to a green economy.
a 44,800-square-foot service center near Alico Road at what had been a medical mask factory.
The Tesla brand encompassed 78% of all EV sales in 2021 in Southwest Florida (1,572 of 2,014 vehicles). But even as it sold in larger numbers, its market share dropped to 68% last year (2,503 of 3,649 vehicles) as other brands began rolling out their competition.
In 2018, there were eight models of new EVs sold in Southwest Florida, combining for 74 vehicles. In 2022, there were 18 models, combining for 3,649 vehicles.
Although the traditional, gas-powered automakers are all making EVs now and planning more models for the future, the current ones are tough to find locally. In recent weeks, Gulfshore Business had trouble finding many new EVs at various area dealerships. There were five Volkswagen ID.4 SUVs, of which 53 were sold across the area last year, in Fort Myers. Three were for sale, and two had arrived pre-sold. Those were listed at $47,975 to $53,293.
There was one electric MINI Cooper S, listed at $37,550, at MINI of Fort Myers. Victory Lane Chevrolet in Fort Myers had two Bolts on hand, listed at $40,695 and getting 115 miles per gallon equivalent. Mazda in Fort Myers had two Solterras, listed at $50,432 and $54,032. Sutherlin Nissan in Fort Myers had two examples on hand of the new Ariya SUV, which costs between $43,190
and $60,190, but both of them had arrived to the lot pre-sold. There were zero Leafs at the same store, and there were only five Leafs sold in all of Southwest Florida last year—not due to lack of demand, but because of lack of availability, said Sutherlin Nissan sales manager Jonathan Garcia.
“There’s a lot of people who came in and asked, and we couldn’t get one for them,” he says. “Even more people called, and more people reached out online. The demand for electric cars has risen.”
Garcia noted how the battery efficiency of the new EVs has risen, as well. “In 2017, the Leaf got up to 107 miles on a charge,” Garcia says. “The Leaf, now, can get up to 212 miles. That’s now, a 2023 model. The Ariya can get up to 289 miles, and the highest level gets 304 miles.
“The EVs have been around awhile, so there has been time to tweak things and perfect things. The Ariya, it’s loaded with everything. Sedans are kind of dying out; the world is geared toward SUVs.”
In keeping with that trend is Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, which costs between $41,450 and $56,500. It’s a different dealership, but the same story as at Sutherlin Nissan.
“Almost every Ioniq that comes off the truck has been pre-sold,” says Rex Moonshower, the general sales manager at the Fort Myers Hyundai dealership. “That’s one of the things the manufacturer has gone to. About 75% of them are already claimed. Right now, I have five available.”
Rex Moonshower, general sales manager at Fort Myers Hyundai, says almost every electric vehicle comes to the dealership pre-sold.
The only reason Hyundai has five, Moonshower said, is because the automaker realized sales were soaring at the dealership after Hurricane Ian wrecked so many cars on Sept. 28.
“If you check all the boxes, you’re rewarded for your hard work,” he says. “We were able to get more inventory. The Ioniq 5 is very retrofitted. It’s also very different from anything else on the market.”
Scotlynn, a Lee County-based national produce and food transportation company, has a fleet of about 430 trucks that are moving about 80,000 pounds each, per day, an average of 400 miles per trip, company president Ryan Carter said. When his company built its new headquarters just north of Alico Road and west of Interstate 75, he had electrical conduit run to some of the parking spots, “because I figure at some point we’ll have electric vehicles.”
That point hasn’t arrived yet.
“We haven’t had anybody ask about one,” Carter says of installing a charging station for employees. “There are some kinks to work out. I’m sure at some point, we’ll take it more seriously.”
What Carter does take seriously is hauling produce at peak efficiency. If a hypothetical electric truck could haul less product because of the size and weight of a battery, it wouldn’t make sense to switch from a gas-powered truck, he said.
“The batteries aren’t there yet for longhaul trucking, which is mostly what we do,” Carter says. “A battery for 400-plus miles, it’s not really feasible. It’s hard to pinpoint when we’ll have that technology. You can al-
ways add more batteries, but then you’re adding more weight. That’s counterproductive. I can see it being good for like a 23-foot truck hauling stuff around town. But not doing big-time miles.”
LeeSar and Cooperative Services of Florida distributes medical supplies and pharmaceuticals for Lee Health and three other hospital groups in Florida. The Fort Myers-based company owns a fleet of more than 45 vehicles that are both leased and owned, said Barb Fernandez, LeeSar’s vice president of human resources. None of them are electric.
“The LeeSar tractor-trailers, box trucks, vans and cars travel many miles every day and are on very tight schedules,” Fernandez says. “Charging availability and time-to-charge requirements are two main considerations.
“We will continue to monitor how the EV industry improves for heavy-use, commercial settings and embrace options that are best aligned with our ability to support our health care systems while also being responsible to our communities and our environment.”
The Hyundai brand offers some perks with a purchase. One of them, Moonshower said, is two years of free charges at any Electrify America charging station.
“There’s a special code that comes with each car,” he says. “It’s attached to the vehicle. We enroll the consumer in it. They can charge it at any charging station.”
But so far, Electrify America has just two charging stations in Southwest Florida, according to its website. One is at
Juice Americas Inc., a company headquartered in St. Petersburg, sells portable, 22-kilowatt charging adapters. Michael Boehm, general manager at the company, says the adapters start at $549 on Amazon, which is where most of them are sold.
The assignment seemed simple: I would drive an electric vehicle to Orlando for a fun weekend getaway, return in triumph and write about it. But there were challenges. And even though I didn’t run down the battery and get stranded, I still made a bunch of first-time blunders.
My wife, Bonnie, and I left on a Friday morning, bound for the Hard Rock Live that night. I rented a Polestar 2 from Hertz, which has its headquarters in Estero and has committed to adding 175,000 electric vehicles to its fleet over the next five years.
As we left, the dashboard showed the battery at 80% charged with a range of 200 miles. It’s about 190 miles from our house to the Orlando hotel via Interstate 75 and Interstate 4, but just 153 miles by cutting up the center of Florida along State Road 17. So we chose the latter route.
We stopped for lunch at Disney Springs, which has a bank of charging stations. I plugged in, and the yellow light in the car’s charging port glowed yellow, so it must have been charging, right?
Two hours later, we learned it wasn’t. I had neglected to pay.
After 150 miles of driving, the battery had run down to 16% power and showed a range of a mere 40 miles. That covered us for the 11 remaining miles to the hotel, where I dropped off Bonnie to go look for a charging station.
Hertz told me the car’s trunk had a Tesla charging adapter and a regular wall outlet adapter. A nearby Wawa had a bank of Tesla charging stations, where I learned the adapter didn’t work with the Polestar.
(Upon returning home, I realized the regular wall outlet adapter wouldn’t charge the car either).
A Google search showed a ChargePoint station less than half a mile from the hotel. I found it and spent almost an hour learning. I downloaded the phone app required to charge, set up the online credit card payment, plugged in and made sure the car’s plug-in light was flashing green this time.
It took overnight, about 13 hours, to reach 100% charge, costing $34.82. After a Saturday trip to Mount Dora, we returned to top it off with energy for the ride back to Fort Myers, paying $6.43 over three hours to add 65 miles more range, giving the battery 89% life and a 230-mile range for the ride home.
After returning to Fort Myers, I found a free charging station to boost the battery from 13% back to 100% and the maximum 260-mile range. Monday morning, I had to return the Polestar 2, paying $201 for three days of rolling in a $48,400, powerful, smooth and quiet-driving machine. I really wish it were mine, despite Florida’s charging infrastructure clearly not being ready for the masses. But when it is, I’ll be waiting. —David Dorsey
Walmart at 9885 Collier Blvd., in Naples, where there are four charging ports; two of the “hyper-fast” variety, and one labeled “ultra-fast.” The other is at Walmart at 375 Kings Highway in Port Charlotte with the same setup as in Naples.
Tesla has fewer than 40 Destination Charging stations spread across the region, from two in Marco Island to 19 in the Naples area, two in Bonita Springs, one in Cape Coral, five in Fort Myers and one each in Sanibel Island, Captiva Island and Punta Gorda.
It seems like not enough, said Michael Boehm, which is why his company makes portable EV charging adapters. Juice Americas Inc., headquartered stateside in St. Petersburg, sells portable, 22-kilowatt charging adapters. They start at $549 on Amazon, which is where most of them are sold, Boehm said. Someone on a road trip staying at a rental home or at a friend or family member’s house without an EV charging setup can just bring the adapter, which weighs less than eight pounds, with them.
“You can,” Boehm says when asked if travelers can take the “great American road trip” in an electric vehicle. “It’s just a little bit more of an adventure than it is with a gas car. But you can absolutely do it.”
For those who regularly drive less than 200 miles per day, buying an EV is a “no-brainer,” Boehm said. There are other issues drivers in the Sunshine State won’t have to face compared to their northern counterparts, either. “The colder it is, the less range that you have in an electrical car,” Boehm says. “That’s one issue you don’t have in Florida.”
There are three levels of charging for an EV: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.
“Level 1 charging is when you use a regular electrical outlet,” Michael Boehm explains. “That will take you 27 to 30 hours to charge. The next level is Level 2 charging, which also can be done from home. Most of the charging stations you find are Level 2 charges. You can fully recharge your car in about four to six hours. That is the kind of charging you would be using at your home. Or, if you’re at the supermarket, and you want to go shopping at a mall, and you’re going to be there for three hours.
“Then you have Level 3 charging. There, you can recharge a car in about 20 minutes to half an hour. That’s the kind of charging you can find along the interstates. That’s the kind of infrastructure you still need in the United States.”
The percentage of electric vehicles versus gas-powered ones has grown from next to nothing to 5.3% over the past five years in Southwest Florida.
Here’s a breakdown looking at numbers of each model sold from 2018 through 2022.
New cars sold: 67,952
New EVs sold: 3,649
Percentage: 5.3
Models: Tesla Model Y, 1,110; Tesla Model 3, 874; Tesla Model X, 261; Tesla Model S, 258; EV6, 126; Ford Mustang Mach-E, 114; Porsche Taycan, 110; EQ5, 99; Hyundai Ioniq 5, 84; Chevy Bolt EUV, 75; Volkswagen ID.4, 53; Chevy Bolt EV, 31; Audi E-Tron, 29; Audi SS Sportback, 28; Audi Q4 E-Tron, 18; Audi E-Tron Sportback, 14; Nissan Leaf, 5; Toyota Prius Prime, 5
New cars sold: 76,026
New EVs sold: 2,014
Percentage: 2.6
Models: Tesla Model 3, 747; Tesla Model Y, 623; Tesla Model S, 202; Porsche Taycan, 139; Volkswagen ID.4, 101; Chevy Bolt EV, 80; Ford Mustang Mach-E, 74; Toyota Prius Prime, 24; Audi E-Tron Sportback, 12; Chevy Bolt EUV, 7; BMW i3, 3; Audi SS Sportback, 2
New cars sold: 63,354
New EVs sold: 142
Percentage: 0.22
Models: Chevy Bolt EV, 59; Tesla Model S, 27; Porsche Taycan, 26; Tesla Model 3, 10; Toyota Prius Prime, 10; Tesla Model X, 6; Nissan Leaf, 3; BMW i3, 1
New car sold: 64,164
New EVs sold: 76
Percentage: 0.11
Models: Chevy Bolt EV, 21; Honda Clarity, 17; Toyota Prius Prime, 16; Chevy Volt, 10; Nissan Leaf, 9; BMW i3, 3
New cars sold: 66,197
New EVs sold: 74
Percentage: 0.11
Models: Honda Clarity, 19; Nissan Leaf, 18; Chevy Bolt EV, 16; Chevy Volt, 9; Toyota Prius Prime, 5; BMW i3, 5; Tesla Model 3, 1; Tesla Model S, 1
Also of note is how people’s relationships with energy are changing, said Kevin Hernandez, a partner with the Raleigh, North Carolina-based Scott Madden consulting firm, which helps prepare businesses for shifting their energy consumption to solar power and EVs. “It’s gone from flipping on a light switch to much more than that,” Hernandez says. “It used to be, as long as the lights were coming on, people were happy. Now, people look at things a little bit differently. In a lot of ways, people are bringing their energy back home with them.”
That’s in part because of shopping centers such as Miromar Outlets in Estero, which has 32 charging stations, 16 for Tesla-branded vehicles and 16 generic chargers. It’s the largest charging facility in Southwest Florida.
Jay Ganzi, managing partner at Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership off Pine Island Road, didn’t have any pure EVs for sale on his lot, but he did have a handful of Jeep Wrangler 4 x E’s, which are hybrids that get about 49 miles per gallon. They can drive in three modes: gas, electric and hybrid, with electric having a range of about 60 miles— enough for a short commute.
All four of the on-site, new auto brands have pure EVs in the works, and Ganzi expected them to arrive by the end of this year or early 2024.
“I think that true horsepower people will always want high-power cars and the rumble of the V8 engine,” he says. “The gearheads, they like to hear their cars roar.”
Ganzi has been behind the wheel of EVs. He knows they accelerate faster than gas-powered cars and can drive faster than them, too. But do not underestimate gas-powered car enthusiasts, he said. They will keep traditional cars on the road.
“I miss the sound of the motor,” he says. “Maybe I’m old-school. My thoughts are people are still going to want natural horsepower. Muscle-car people and enthusiasts.”
Even so, Ganzi said the EV era is arriving. He expected his dealership to offer a 50/50 split of gas-powered and electric vehicles within about 10 years.
Other industry estimates are more conservative. “The models that we regularly review indicate a 32-to-35% growth rate between now and the 2030 time frame,” Hernandez says. “I would say 2035 would be conservative for it to be 50/50.
“I think the battery technology will continue to evolve. There’s a lot of emphasis to make batteries smaller and more power dense.”
Hernandez also predicted companies such as LeeSar and Scotlynn will be switching to EVs sooner than even they might think.
“There’s a lot of efforts on commercial fleet vehicles,” he says. “Delivery vans and those kinds of things.
I wouldn’t be surprised if those go electric even sooner. The reason why is if you’re a company, and you’re operating a fleet of vehicles, there’s a real advantage. They’re cheaper. There’s a lower maintenance cost.”
The “gearheads” could become “torqueheads” when they learn, for example, that the 2024 Polestar 2 will carry up to 455 horsepower and 546 pounds per foot of torque—the measure of force that enhances the car’s ability to turn – on the dual motor variant. The single-motor variant will have up to a 300-mile range. Both will be eligible for the $7,500 U.S. government rebate as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Boehm of Juice America said the average gas-powered car lasts 13 years. That means it could be at least about a decade until the tipping point when EVs outnumber gas-powered vehicles.
Studies also have shown that it takes about two years for EVs to offset the burning of carbon required to produce a car battery.
“Gas cars won’t go away as quickly as some people may want them to,” Boehm says. “But electric cars—let’s be honest, we’re a nation of drivers. If you haven’t driven an electric car, an electric motor has the maximum torque. You have instant power with an electric motor. An electric has all the power available from the start. It is extremely nice to drive an electric car. I am sure that a lot of the gearheads, they’ll be adopting electric cars.”
TO MANAGE LAND DEVELOPMENT, LEE AND COLLIER MUST HANDLE WATER AND POLITICS
BY JOHN GUERRA
For 15 years, the Lee County Commission refused to even consider a lime rock mine in the southeast part of the county. The mine would be smack dab in the middle of the Density Reduction/Groundwater Resource area in Estero, a special area of concern whose designation was applied to most of southeast Lee County in 1990—to protect the area's shallow aquifers by limiting development in the precious habitat.
Mining the rock, which is used in road construction, piers and other large engineering projects, would have meant 1,100 dump trucks a year on Corkscrew Road. That’s one every 90 seconds, carrying 10 million tons of limestone from the mine each year. A judge reviewing the project said mining would rely on blasting the rock from the earth while dewatering a rich ecosystem that for tens of thousands of years has depended on the uninterrupted flow of groundwater.
The county has repeatedly refused to even process the mining permit application since 2007, when it was launched. After years of denials, the new owners, Corkscrew Grove Limited Partnership, asked a judge to intervene. The court agreed the landowners had a case under the Bert Harris Jr. Act, which meant the county might have to pay the mining company $63
million in unrealized mining profits. The court also ordered the county to process the mining application.
Instead of paying the fine or allowing the mine, the Lee County Commission last June signed a settlement agreement giving Corkscrew Grove permission to build a large planned community on the sensitive land. The project, known as Kingston, includes 10,000 homes, some 240 hotel rooms, private and public schools, roads, sidewalks and parking lots, as well as the construction of wireless communications and other infrastructure.
Though the agreement was the subject of three public hearings, one before a hearing examiner and two before the county commission, Kingston bypassed approval under the county zoning process and was not reviewed and adopted through the comprehensive plan process— and is not consistent with the Lee County Comprehensive Plan.
“After the Bert Harris Act challenge and win by the property owner, it was out of the county's hands at that point,” says John Cassani of Calusa Waterkeeper. The organization monitors the impact human development has on the Gulf, rivers and other natural water sources. “It evolved into a Brian Tietz
John Cassani works for Calusa Waterkeeper, an organization that monitors the impact human development has on the Gulf, rivers and other natural water sources.
maintain 61% open space when finished;
restore and conserve 3,287 acres under a recorded conservation agreement at no cost to Lee County taxpayers;
restore wetlands and large animal corridors, and re-create the historic flow-ways from the northern property line to its discharge in the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, as well as surrounding conservation lands;
wetlands. He told the court weighing the settlement agreement that he does not believe developers can keep their word.
The settlement agreement between Lee County and the company building Kingston requires the builders to mitigate the destruction of sensitive habitats in the county’s Density Reduction/ Groundwater Resource area in Estero, an area of special concern. The DR/GR designation was applied to most of southeast Lee County in 1990 to protect the area's shallow aquifers by limiting development there.
The 6,676-acre property is also contiguous to Collier County conservation lands to the south and east and Lee County’s Imperial Marsh Preserve to the west. The settlement agreement of June 2022 requires the developer to:
limit what it draws from the aquifer to 9.9 million gallons of water a day—that represents a 77% decrease in what is permitted, according to planners;
reduce nitrogen in the water by 49% and phosphorus by 80%;
build a spine road to mitigate damage to county roads, and pay its share of county road improvements; and
build a hydraulic connection to alleviate historical flooding of the Wildcat Farms properties.
John Cassani, known throughout Florida as the Calusa Waterkeeper, created an organization of the same name that monitors the damage developments visit on the health of the region’s streams and
“Stormwater runoff discharged from [Kingston] and proposed to be permitted through Lee County’s stormwater program gives no assurance that state water quality standards will be met,” Cassani says. He provided a study indicating pollutants from Kingston will enter the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, and, ultimately, the Imperial River and Estero Bay. “This will further degrade downstream water resources,” he says.
He told Gulfshore Business that groundwater in the DR/GR is already reduced. “The development will also consume large volumes of groundwater on-site, mostly for lawn irrigation,” he says. “That region of the county is already experiencing a downward trend in
groundwater elevation.” On the other hand, Lee County said it adds lands to its protected acreage. In 2017 the county bought the Larry Kiker Preserve for $42.4 million. The land, adjacent to Hidden Cypress Preserve, is among lands maintained by the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. The land includes habitat for listed species such as the Florida panther and the wood stork, said Lee County spokesperson Betsy Clayton.
The Kingston developer wrote that not everyone is opposed to the project. “Some residents are resigned to the fact that the area is growing rapidly, and new development is inevitable,” reads an editorial on Gulf Coast Florida Homes’ website. “Cameratta Companies have already shown their ability to responsibly create new home communities in the area, like Verdana Village and The Place, among others.”
But Cassani doesn’t want a repeat of what happened to Spring Creek, a stream designated worthy of special protection because of its outstanding natural state. In spite of promises from developers, runoff from parking lots and residential streets and other pollutants ruined Spring Creek’s pristine water. Spring Creek is impaired now for nutrient pollution, and there is no restoration program proposed that defines how much the polluter has to reduce its loading.
“The development is no longer in compliance,” Cassani says. “The state does not require compliance unless a restoration plan is in place. There is no mitigation plan.”
April Olson of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida also doubts developers and Collier County officials can prevent the harmful effects of three large housing/retail developments in the Rural Lands Stewardship Area. The area, like
John Cassani doesn't believe developers can keep their word when it comes to assuring that the state water quality standards will be met.
Lee’s DR/GR, is an area of special concern. The area is home to eight federally listed species, including the endangered Florida panther; it provides important habitat connections to Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress National Preserve.
“We did raise concerns with Collier County that the county has not demonstrated to the public how the plan will affect Collier County’s water supply or water quality,” Olson says. “The planning area allows 45,000 acres' worth of town and village development, which is the geographic size of Washington, D.C.”
Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel says county staff visit the construction sites to ensure compliance. Developers are required to hire third-party consultants who see whether burrowing owls, gopher tortoises or other endangered wildlife are on the site.
McDaniel, who has experience developing land in Collier, says, “There were third-party environmental experts I would hire to ensure our permits were proper. The county does that, as well.”
court-mediated settlement agreement that bypassed all the County planning requirements.”
Lee County had lost a years-long battle that serves as a model for what is happening east of Interstate 75 throughout Southwest Florida. Lee is not alone; as developers win approval to build large planned communities east of I-75 and into the Everglades, Southwest Florida counties and municipalities must drill more wells, build new wastewater treatment facilities or upgrade existing water infrastructure to meet demand.
“Typically, there’s a development review process,” says Pam Keyes, Lee County’s utilities director. “This one was such a surprise to us; it came up less than a year ago. We had to pivot to expand our capacity.”
This is not to say Lee County was caught flat-footed, Keyes said. The county’s capital improvement plan, based on a 10- to 30-year window, predicts where water infrastructure will be needed to support new development.
“We already had plans to build a water reclamation facility; we worked with Kingston on a schedule to get the plant built in time for that development,” Keyes says. “The project will provide the county with a 6-million-gallons-per-day advanced water reclamation facility that can be expanded to 10 million gallons per day or greater, if needed.”
Keyes and county engineers began meeting with Kingston developers some months ago, and continue to commu-
Pam Keyes, Lee County's utilities director, says the Kingston project was a surprise but the county was ready, thanks to its capital improvement plan, which predicts where water infrastructure will be needed.
nicate via email and phone on almost a daily basis. A full team of engineers and environmental scientists briefed the developers on how the thousands of homes would affect the county’s water system.
Developers of Kingston and other communities—not the county—fund and install residential pipes and water lines, lift stations, pumps and other water infrastructure for their planned communities.
“The developers build the infrastructure they need and contribute that infrastructure to us at the end of their project,” Keyes says. “The lines, lift station, they are responsible for building those and other components.”
Within the southeast area, the new developments will be serviced by three water treatment plants: Pinewoods, Green Meadows and Corkscrew Water Treatment, with interconnected distribution systems. Each plant has a dedicated wellfield with diverse-source water.
Lee and Collier counties also must ensure developers do what they promise to do when given permission to build on environmentally sensitive land: Protect water quality and ensure the free flow of water into precious wetlands, protect large animal corridors and limit water they take from the aquifer. (See sidebar, Protecting Estero and the DR/GR, page 46).
Collier County has been expanding its water and sewer infrastructure to support the construction of thousands of
In addition to creating water capacity for new development, older cities such as Fort Myers must ensure they produce enough water for growing populations. After years of falling water pressure brought on by new development and an aging infrastructure, Fort Myers came under state mandate to fix its water system by 2024. It must drill 11 more wells and make other improvements to ensure there is enough water for new development in the city.
“Over the decades, the infrastructure wasn’t fixed to keep up with population and growth,” says Liz Bello-Matthews, public information officer for the city of Fort Myers.
After the Florida Department of Environmental Protection banned the city from issuing general permits on water mains, the city notified developers that though they can obtain permits for new connections to the city’s water system, water flow might not be available.
“The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health are concerned that with the growth in the city and the number of development projects permitted in recent years that the city may not be able to meet the water demand generated by these
projects without additional wells,” the official letter reads.
The consent order, which was signed by Mayor Kevin B. Anderson in September, requires the city to hire engineering consultants in order to determine what needs to be done to improve well and storage capacity to meet the average daily water demand, including enough water pressure for firefighting from fire hydrants and other sources. The city can be fined up to $1,000 a day if it fails to satisfy the order’s requirements—adding two new wells and well-pumping equipment by March 31, 2023; two by Dec. 31, 2023; and five remaining wells by Sept. 30, 2024.
The work so far already is improving water pressure, Anderson told WINK News. The city’s utility director agrees.
“Since May 9, we’ve added three wells at a half-million gallons a day,” Utility Director Richard Moulton tells Gulfshore Business “We should have the fourth one cleared by the FDEP by early next year. We will have 11 wells total, including those four by the end of 2023. That will allow us to outperform our growth projections as we are today, and put us in a better position to address some of the needs
that developers will have for additional water resource in the next year or so.”
Hurricane Ian didn’t do the city any favors.
“We’ve made great strides since Ian, which presented a number of leaks in the distribution system,” Molten says. “Falling trees uprooted service lines and caused breaks to the water lines. During the postIan period of Sept. 30 to Oct. 12, we were lucky in that we had help from other municipalities; they helped us locate and repair 42 major water leaks in that time. Since then, our system has really allowed us to increase our water tank levels. We are full around our tanks.”
The city has since returned to a healthy average water pressure of 52 pounds per square inch.
“We have not really had many pressure complaints over the last two months,” he says.
After years of falling water pressure brought on by new development and an aging infrastructure, Fort Myers came under state mandate to fix its water system by 2024.
homes in three planned communities. Collier Enterprises, owned by the family for whom the county is named, wants to complete the Town of Big Cypress and neighboring villages of Rivergrass, Longwater and Belmar inside the county’s Rural Lands Stewardship Area, or RLSA.
The Stewardship Area contains 300 square miles of agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands and is a hot spot for ecological diversity, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, which monitors development in Collier and Lee. April Olson, senior planning specialist for the Conservancy, said three-fourths of the Stewardship Area lies in primary panther zone habitat, which supports the state’s only breeding population of panthers.
Like Lee County, Collier planned ahead by launching its Northeast Service Area project in 2019, which includes the construction of pipelines and treatment facilities, storage tanks and associated pipelines to provide potable water and irrigation quality water to a growing population. Construction continues into 2023. The new infrastructure will serve the entire county, not just the planned communities.
“The NESA facility has been in planning for more than a decade; all our facilities are for use in the en-
April Olson, senior planning specialist for the Conservancy, says it recommends each town provide a Flow-way Management Plan to address effects to wetlands, flow-way systems.
tire county,” says Evelyn Longa, spokesperson for Collier County Utilities.
Though Collier Enterprises promises on its website to preserve 12,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land, reestablish historic waterways and restore critical wildlife corridors, Rivergrass alone is a 1,000-acre community of up to 2,500 homes, an 18-hole bundled public golf course and 62,500 to 80,000 square feet of neighborhood-scale retail and office uses, as well as at least 25,000 square feet of civic, government and institutional space. That’s substantial.
“I am concerned about the Rivergrass application,” says John Cassani of Calusa Waterkeeper. “Specifically, water quality and supply issues are becoming more severe in Southwest Florida now than in the past. We are not keeping up with the effects of development on water quality. For every pound of pollutants, it’s continuing to get worse.”
Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel, in whose district the communities will be built, says county staff step in when developers fail to do what they promise.
“We have county staff that regularly monitor these development agreements, tracking measurables
and milestones,” McDaniel says. “Not only that, developers are required to hire third-party consultants to help them monitor and manage their own agreements.”
He’s familiar with the balance between landowner rights and protecting legacy environments that can’t be replaced.
“We have very progressive land management plans for the eastern part of the county,” he says. “That is to preserve and protect enormous amounts of environmentally sensitive lands. One way to do that is with our Rural Fringe Program.”
The county program directs development away from sensitive lands by allowing landowners to transfer their development rights to areas where development is more suitable.
“Landowners have property rights, and this provides for a transfer of those rights to less environmentally sensitive lands,” McDaniel says.
Collier has not determined whether its aquifer can handle the large population, Olson said.
“Developments, particularly those proposed in wetlands, have the potential to impact water resources through loss of aquifer recharge, loss of floodplain storage
and loss of habitat,” she says.
The Conservancy recommended that each town and village should provide a Flow-way Management Plan to address any effects to wetlands and flow-way systems. For instance, interrupting water flow or allowing parking lot runoff to enter streams injects carbon monoxide, fossil fuel and other pollutants into sensitive wetlands. And developers can’t simply block creeks and streams by filling and landscaping.
“Even though county staff recommended flow management plans in 2018, Collier County, unfortunately, did not adopt such a requirement during the recent (Stewardship Area) amendment process,” Olson says.
Elected officials try to find a middle way to provide water to new homes while protecting the irreplaceable environments that draw people here in the first place. It’s not an easy thing to do.
“Our efforts to meet the demands of growth require both individual focus (and) also a realization that all the sectors must coalesce as one,” says Lee County Commissioner Ray Sandelli. “Water, infrastructure, utilities, schools, green space, are among the key fundamentals of creating new communities.”
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Since our founding in 1920, Hahn Loeser has grown to one of the top 500 full-service law firms in the nation, with over 140 attorneys across six offices, serving clients across the country and around the world
Hahn Loeser has thrived for a century because of our pursuit of excellence. Our longevity gives us perspective, and our team-based approach provides our clients with the multi-dimensional insights that are essential during challenging times.
Hahn Loeser opened its Naples office in 2005 and the Fort Myers office in 2008 to meet our clients’ expanding needs in the vibrant Florida market. We serve clients
as trusted advisors across a full range of services including business succession planning, probate and trust litigation, corporate securities and financing, estate planning trust administration, intellectual property, eminent domain, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, construction contracts, taxation, employee benefits and community association law.
As we look to the future we will stay focused on the same core values that our firm was built on over 100 years ago—a commitment to our people, a passion for excellence, results and client service that exceeds expectations.
AT A GLANCE
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
5811 Pelican Bay Boulevard Suite 650, Naples, FL 34108 (239) 254-2900
2400 First Street, Suite 300
Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 337-6700
hahnlaw.com
Practice Areas
Business Succession Planning
Probate and Trust Litigation
Corporate Securities and Financing
Estate Planning
Trust Administration
Intellectual Property
Eminent Domain
Labor and Employment
Mergers and Acquisitions
Real Estate Transactions
Construction Contracts
Taxation
Employee Benefits
Community Association Law
With more than nine million residents living in homeowners and condominium associations, Florida stands among the top three states in the country for the most community associations. To ensure these associations are functioning within the bounds of Florida law, Colby Keefe dedicates her entire practice to assisting the board of directors and managers of these communities. From helping to enforce covenants, interpret and revise governing documents, and comply with the Fair Housing Act, to working with vendor contracts, collections, and lien foreclosures, she brings variety to her work as well as a wealth of knowledge to those in need.
Colby’s legal practice in the realm of community association law is both exhilarating and diverse. Not only does she get to work closely with managers and boards of directors, but she also educates them on the intricacies of the law and gives thoughtful answers to legal questions in an understandable manner.
Colby Keefe dedicates her entire practice to assisting the boards of directors and managers of Florida’s condominium and homeowners associations. She helps enforce covenants, interpret and revise governing documents, and checks compliance with the Fair Housing Act. Colby works with vendor contracts, collections, and lien foreclosures, and brings a wealth of knowledge to each client. She understands the complex nuances of association operations and develops unique solutions based on a client’s needs – just as we’ve done since 1924.
Colby Keefe, Esquire
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. 1715 Monroe Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901 colby.keefe@henlaw.com
Practice Areas
Condominium and Homeowners’ Association Law
Real Estate Law
Education Flagler College, B.A., cum laude University of Georgia Law School, J.D.
Select Memberships
South Gulf Coast chapter of the Community Association Institute
Sara White is a senior associate in Porter Wright’s Naples office. She advises clients surrounding complex matters in the areas of commercial litigation, banking and finance, probate litigation, bankruptcy and real estate law. A Naples native, Sara is passionate about her community and serves on the board of directors for the Naples Therapeutic Riding Center where she is committed to working alongside its board and staff.
Sara is named to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in Commercial Litigation and the Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 Class of 2022. She is a graduate of Asbury College, magna cum laude and University of Miami Law School, cum laude.
FOR A MORE INSPIRED TOMORROW.
Porter Wright is proud to announce its expansion into Tampa. This growth creates the firm’s second office in Florida and ninth nationwide.
Quarles’ history dates back to 1892. Since its inception, the firm has provided a range of legal services to businesses and individuals. Today, Quarles is a multidisciplinary AmLaw 200 firm with more than 500 attorneys in 11 offices around the country.
The firm’s Naples office opened in 1982 in order to serve as base of operations from which to offer the full services of the firm, including comprehensive estate planning and wealth preservation services. Quarles Partner Kim Dillon—a Florida Bar board certified wills, trusts and estates attorney with a master’s degree in taxation—leads the firm’s Estate, Trust & Wealth Preservation Practice in Naples.
• Comprehensive estate planning services
We work with a wide spectrum of clients in Southwest Florida on their wealth transfer and preservation needs, including families with significant wealth that they wish to preserve through careful stewardship, and business owners seeking to implement succession planning.
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As a part of a national, full-service law firm, any Quarles attorney you work with can draw on a deep bench of colleagues to provide you, your business or your family with personal estate planning solutions—regardless of whether that entails corporate and transactional matters, charitable planning, adoption, tax, real estate or any other legal matter.
For more information on the firm’s Estate, Trust and Wealth Preservation Practice, contact Kim Dillon at 239.434.4965 or Kimberley.dillon@quarles.com
[
BLENDING TECH WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FGCU takes new approach to business skills, digital media
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By Bill WasingerSince graduating with a degree in digital media design, or DMD, from Florida Gulf Coast University in May of 2021, Angela Humphrey has applied her knowledge to a variety of opportunities.
“I focus on animation game design and 3D modeling. I went out and became an adjunct instructor in game design at Wake Tech, (that) was my first job out of college. So, I went straight from being a student to teaching college students,” she says. “I also worked for a few months as a freelance technical artist at Devster games, and I worked on a few shipped games doing some freelance work for visual effects. And right now, I teach game design for kids at a company called Game U while also doing grad school full-time at Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy.”
Seeing how Humphrey and others were putting their digital media design degrees to work, FGCU officials concluded that the DMD program could provide business skills and business opportunities. That realization was the impetus for the uni-
versity to move the DMD program from the Bower School of Music & the Arts to the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship and design cross over so much more than people think. A lot of what designers do is add value to businesses and companies, and if I had one issue that design students would approach me about the most, it’s ‘How do I start my own company? How do I turn these skills so that I’m working for myself and not for somebody else?’” says Professor Michael Salmond, program coordinator for FGCU’s digital design program. “That is exactly what entrepreneurship is all about. So by crossing over and becoming part of the School of Entrepreneurship, we’re giving design students access to how to get venture capital or how to write business plans. And then also, the entrepreneurship students who are on the other side of things say, ‘I’ve got a great idea for a business. How do I approach the marketing? How do I approach logo design?’ The synergy is so obvious when you say it.”
The other benefit of mixing digital media and entrepreneurship is that doing so constantly allows both elements to be exposed to emerging ideas and technologies. To enhance the design and entrepreneurial opportunities that may arise as technology evolves, Salmond said, FGCU’s digital media design program will always be encouraging interaction and looking toward the future.
“Our focus is really on the technology; we’re a very forward-looking program. We have traditional aspects of graphic design, but we look mostly at things like video games, interaction design, animation, the entertainment business, augmented reality, mixed reality video games and that sort of thing. So our students are very diverse on the technological side,” he says. “What I’m hoping will happen … is our students will want to take these skills and start developing their own businesses. That’s the sort of thing that the entrepreneurship school, faculty and the students really give us that we didn’t have before.”
In addition to creating more oppor- Brian Tietz
Director of FGCU’s Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship Sandra Kauani and Professor Michael Salmond believe bringing design and entrepreneurship together will produce graduates who can bring greater value to businesses.
tunities, FGCU leaders also want to encourage entrepreneurship and digital design students to be engaged with the community. That will be the goal of the Ain Digital Design Hub, a new facility within the School of Entrepreneurship made possible by a recent donation from Mark Ain, the founder and former CEO of global workforce management provider Kronos.
“We’re thinking outside the box on how to grow and how to develop things that add value to our community. [The Ain Digital Design Hub] is going to be
a great opportunity for our students and for the businesses in this community,” says Sandra Kauanui, director of FGCU’s Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship. “If we’re working altogether, it’s just going to create conditions where … if students want to start a business, they can do it. If they want to go work for a company, we can help them do that, as well. I think having the opportunity to do that will make a difference for our students [toward] hopefully staying in Southwest Florida, so we can keep our entrepreneurial endeavors continuing and our business communities growing. And keep economic development going in this area.”
Ultimately, while FGCU’s goal in combining digital media design with entrepreneurship is to give students more access to the skills that will help them thrive after graduation, a secondary goal is to produce graduates who can bring greater value to businesses. Beyond that, Salmond also believes the synergies between digital design and entrepreneurship students could also lead to even bigger things.
“There are million-dollar ideas out there that aren’t happening because a design student isn’t having a casual conversation with an entrepreneurship student and going, ‘Well, I could help you with that,’ and they say, ‘But I can help you with that,’ and the next big thing is born,” he says. “That hasn’t been happening because we’re siloed in these different areas. But now it will happen—and I think that’s the really exciting thing about it.”
Uline’s launch this spring of its massive distribution center in Collier County is the latest example of economic diversification of an area that heavily relies on tourism and construction industries.
“What it signifies to us as much as anything is how our government is making investments in our community,” says Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel, whose district included Uline when it was greenlighted. “We have to incentivize non-construction-related industry to come to our community. That’s the key to long-term economic sustainability.”
Uline, a Wisconsin-based distributor of shipping, packaging and industrial materials, completed construction in early 2023 of its 915,750-square-foot warehouse off City Gate Boulevard east of Collier Boulevard, near the 100-acre Paradise Coast Sports Complex and the future Great Wolf Lodge Resort.
“This size building is on par with other buildings that you’d see throughout the Uline network,” says Naples Branch Manager Brad Heisner. “It has quite a bit of space in it, which is part of the Uline value proposition. We like to always have stock for our customers.”
The company offers same-day shipping on more than 40,000 products from its website
and 840-plus-page catalog. “Boxes are our bread and butter,” Heisner says. “But any warehouse supplies or shipping-related supplies are also in our wheelhouse.”
DeAngelis Diamond of Naples teamed up with Minneapolis-based Mortenson to build the $96 million distribution center for Uline, which began construction in July 2021. After major on-site events in February and March to hire about 200 employees, Uline plans to begin serving Florida customers in April from its new air-conditioned warehouse and offices.
“I think Naples is craving an employer like us in the area,” Heisner says. “Our business brings steady, year-round job employment to a market heavily dominated by the seasonal service and tourist industries. We offer above-market wages, and it’s a place where you can grow. There are not many better employers out there than Uline, if any.”
The Collier location is the first distribution center in Florida for the fast-expanding Uline, which has more than 9,000 employees at distribution centers in California, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as in Canada and Mexico. The Naples center will distribute products to most of Florida, serving the major metropolitan markets of Miami, Orlando and Tampa.
Uline's launch of its distribution center in Collier County is an example of economic diversification of an area that heavily relies on tourism and construction industries.
Uline, a distributor of shipping, packaging and industrial materials, completed construction in early 2023 of its 915,750-square-foot warehouse in Collier County.
The advantage of locating a center in Naples allows Uline to easily serve Miami via Interstate 75’s Alligator Alley without being in the middle of Miami’s congestion, Heisner said.
“In Naples, it’s a direct, uninterrupted route to Miami, and then Tampa and Orlando are easily served through I-75, as well," he says. “Collier County is a conducive environment for businesses and it aligns with how Uline likes to operate. It was pretty much an easy choice for us to decide to build here.”
In December 2020, Uline purchased 102.68 acres in the City Gate commerce center. “This monumental transaction has been several years in the making and a big win for Collier County and Southwest Florida as a whole,” says William Rollins, senior broker of LSI Companies, which brokered the deal.
“We’re thrilled with Uline’s investment here in Collier County,” says Michael Dalby, president and CEO of Naples Chamber of Commerce, which has a partnership with Collier County to help with economic development outreach. “It really does both provide some good jobs that are fairly well-paying and have benefits attached to them, as well, along with diversifying the economy. This is really our first major foray into trucking-intensive logistics operations, but Naples and Collier County sit at a good crossroads point, if you look between Miami and Tampa, and this could be
one of those opportunities that leads to other logistics-type operations considering our area.”
Collier County uses incentives as a public-private partnership to foster growth and support successful ventures seeking to open, relocate or expand in the county. "We understand that a major barrier for companies looking to expand or relocate is cost— of space, equipment and training employees. We also know incentives are an important part of any site location decision," according to incentives program information published on the Collier County Economic Development Office website.
In October 2020, Collier commissioners approved a contribution agreement with Uline to accept specific donations of land and improvements with an estimated value of about $6.6 million. Uline will receive a one-time reimbursement of about $575,000, an amount that was amended last summer after Uline decided it wanted to eliminate obligations for tax increment financing (TIF) credits. The company consistently avoids the use of taxpayer incentives when it develops distribution centers throughout North America.
Staff executive summary documents shared by Ed Finn, who oversees Collier’s corporate financial and management services, summarize additional aspects of the county’s agreement with Uline. The county agreed to “fast track” the Uline project in
the enterprise zone and provide construction easements to the company.
Most of the tangible benefit to the county will come from Uline’s contributions to the new Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Uline will dedicate a 6-acre lake area, a 2.6-acre grass parking area and an acre for fitness and obstacle use to the county at no cost. The value of this dedication totals about $4.3 million. Uline also relocated City Gate Boulevard South within its acquired area at no cost to the county. The road connecting the north and south sections of City Gate Boulevard was renamed Uline Drive, which runs along the western edge of the company’s lengthy warehouse.
Uline’s new warehouse sits a short distance away from where Amazon opened a last-mile delivery station in June 2021 at Collier and Davis boulevards in East Naples. Of course, Uline’s expansive building is nearly nine times as large as Amazon’s nearby location.
“They are a major player nationally. It’s really like an honor for them to choose us and look at us for a place to put these types of operations,” Dalby says. “This is one of those classic instances where our county’s ability to step up and offer some incentives enabled us to kind of set us apart as a location—not just geographically for their operations, but also as a community that wanted the jobs and wanted the new industry sector to choose us.”
Five years ago, Carolyn Homberger started to hear something new among her executive colleagues: Gig work was making its way to the corporate world. At the time, Homberger was a 20-year veteran of the financial services industry with a high-level executive job. But the idea of the new gig economy reaching the C-suite level sounded just fine to her.
Fast forward to today, and Homberger has pieced together what industry experts call a “portfolio career.” The term was first popularized in the mid-1990s by organizational behavior and management specialist Charles Handy. Over the years, various pundits have argued for both the rise and decline of the portfolio career, but in this modern era it’s not only thriving—it’s reaching new heights.
According to Forbes, the pandemic years saw gig work increase by 30%. A survey released by the Freelancers Union and Upwork predicted
that more than half of the American workforce would be freelancing by 2027. And recently gig work for CEOs, CFOs and CIOs has acquired its own name: fractional executives.
Today Homberger balances owning her own business with part-time high-level work in fin-tech and occasional consulting gigs. “Gig work isn’t just for Uber drivers,” she says. “Leaving my corporate job and switching
to a portfolio career gave me the opportunity to take a step back and ask myself what I really wanted from the next chapter in my career.”
She’s not alone. The Harvard Business Review recently tackled the idea that portfolio careers are replacing the traditional one-job career path. “Whereas a career path tends to be a singular pursuit (climb the ladder in one direction and focus on what is
straight ahead), a career portfolio is a never-ending source of discovery and fulfillment,” the article argues. A career portfolio can hold more in the mix than a single-focused career path. “It represents [a] vast and diverse professional journey, including the various twists and turns … In a world of uncertainty, talent that can expand their thinking beyond boxes, silos or sectors will be in demand.”
Homberger understands the world of corporate uncertainty well. Her own leap into entrepreneurship and part-time gig work was launched when her company closed its office in Naples. She had the choice of leaving Southwest Florida, where she and her family had built a community they loved, or trying something new. “These days, I feel so much more in the driver’s seat than I did with a single job,” Homberger says.
Meagan Baskin, director of the Southwest Florida Leadership In-
stitute and an associate professor at Florida Gulf Coast University who specializes in human resources management and organizational behavior, said gigs at the executive level can be a boon to both the employee and the employer.
for CIO and COO positions, “but it might be a lot more challenging at the CEO level.”
Carolyn Homberger balances her own business along with part-time, high-level work in fin-tech and occasional consulting gigs. Being able to leave her corporate job and switch to a portfolio career gave her the opportunity to see what she really wanted from the next chapter in her career.
“The constant swift movement within organizations today requires so much innovation. There’s a need for flexibility and adaptability, and committing to a long-term position might be a hindrance,” Baskin says. “Companies might be more apt to seek out these fractional executives to maintain adaptability. As the need for certain skillsets shifts, businesses are able to bring on short-term people with the technical expertise needed in that moment.”
Still, she warned that too much uncertainty at the C-suite level can be destabilizing to a business. Fractional executives make the most sense
Yet even with an upside for both parties, Baskin doesn’t believe that the economy will turn entirely to gig work at senior levels. “Even though people are less committed to a single job, we still haven’t broken that mentality completely in the work space.”
Though Homberger stepped away from her full-time executive position, she acknowledges that corporate work is still key to her career. “Make no mistake, the corporate job funds the small business. That is absolutely the model,” she says. But the new gig economy at the C-suite level allows her access to the perks of a corporate lifestyle— good benefits, a healthy paycheck— with the flexibility and personal satisfaction that comes with other career roles. “Having the opportunity to do both fulfills me,” she says.
Plover Realty II LLC purchased 18,450 square feet of commercial space at 3558 Plover Ave. in East Naples from ZED Holdings II LLC for $4.5 million. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
Toll Bros. Inc. purchased 10 acres of vacant land at County Barn Road in East Naples from Mary A. Armbruster Revocable Trust for $1,662,121. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, and David J. Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
Triple C Partners LLC purchased a two-property investment portfolio known as North Collier Corporate Center at 1004 and 1016 Collier Center Way in North Naples from Klinger Properties NC LLC for $7.25 million. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the buyer, and Dave Wallace and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the seller.
Monterey Development Inc. purchased a 6,060-square-foot, fully leased, industrial building at 1502 Rail Head Blvd. in North Naples from 1502 Rail Head LLC for $1.35 million. Ed Boeder of SWFL Properties LLC represented the buyer and seller.
TGC Holdings purchased 2,280 square feet of commercial space at 5567 Taylor Road, suites 9 and 14, in North Naples from
5567 Taylor Road LLC for $690,000. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
Bonita Lots LLC purchased an 11.43-acre commercial property at 13090 Bonita Beach Road SE and 27951, 27865 and 27869 Bonita Grande Drive in Bonita Springs from DHMAL LLC for $3.75 million. Justin Thibaut,
CCIM, and Alexis North, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
Old US 41 Venture LLC purchased a 5,795-squarefoot single-tenant building on 6.26 acres at 16340 Old U.S. 41 in Fort Myers from Terrence and Denise McLaughlin and George Richard Sapp for $2 million. Brock Rasmussen of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the buyer and seller.
1431 Railhead LLC purchased 11,172 square feet of commercial space at 1431 Rail Head Blvd. in North Naples from Phillip D. Melton Revocable Trust $2.3 million. William V. Gonnering, CCIM, SIOR, and Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Matthew Maloney of Premier Plus Realty represented the buyer.
Bayside Pet Resort at Fort Myers LLC purchased a 2.4-acre commercial property at 13500 Riverside Center Court in Fort Myers from Riverside Center LLC for $1,050,000. Hunter Ward, CCIM, and Christi Pritchett, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
Investments S&O LLC purchased a 0.73-acre commercial property at 4102 Cleveland Ave. in Fort Myers from Jurgensen Real Estate LLC and Yowel Real Estate LLC for $795,000. Hunter Ward, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc., and David Zorn of D.R. Zorn & Associates LLC represented the buyer.
Coneco Realty LLC purchased a 648-squarefoot building on a 0.66-acre lot at 2505
N. Airport Road in Fort Myers from AA Vehicle Rentals Inc. for $409,900. Adam Bornhorst, Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob Johnston, SIOR, and Jerry Messonnier, SIOR, represented the seller, and Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the buyer.
Get The Hammer Investments LLC purchased a 1,712-squarefoot retail building on 0.34 acres at 3194 Palm Beach Blvd. in Fort Myers from Peters Fort Myers Auto LLC for $359,000. Jeff Forsythe, CCIM, and Jose Pastor of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the buyer and seller.
B&W Golf Cars Inc. leased 5,460 square feet of retail space at 4520 Tamiami Trail N. in Naples from Greenbelt LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, and David Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee.
Dean, Mead, Egerton, Bloodworth, Capouano & Bozarth P.A. dba
Dean Mead leased 2,914 square feet of office space at 4501 Tamiami Trail N., Suite 220, in Naples from FLP 4501 LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. negotiated this transaction.
P.A. leased 2,144 square feet of office space at 661 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Suite 104, in Naples from Allied Odyssey LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessee, and Dean Prevolos of Commercial Management of Naples represented the lessor.
Loandepot.com leased a 2,346-square-foot space in the SunTrust building, 8011 Laurel Oak Drive, Suite 402, in North Naples from American National Insurance Co. Thomas Webb, CCIM, MSRE, and Michael Mahan of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Landscape Products & Supplies LLC leased 1,800 square feet of commercial space at 2135 Corporation Blvd. in North Naples from Steven Norat Special Needs Trust. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessee.
Heartland Dental LLC leased a 3,763-square-foot space in the Bay Building at Charleston Square, 225 Banyan Blvd., Suite 200, in Naples from Charleston Square of Naples LLC. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Robert D. Klausner M.D. leased a 3,379-square-foot space at Bonita Bay Lifestyle Center, 26800 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 360, in Bonita Springs from Bonita Bay Club. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessor and lessee.
Concentra Health Services Inc. leased a 10,454-square-foot space in the Meridian Business Campus, 16200 Parallel Drive, Building C, Unit 1, in Fort Myers from West GC LLC. Adam Bornhorst, Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob Johnston, SIOR, and Jerry Messonnier, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort
Myers represented the lessor, and Jordan Buis of CBRE/Dallas represented the lessee.
Davies Duke PLLC leased a 3,219-square-foot office space in Beachway Professional Center, 3301 Bonita Beach Road SW, suites 211 and 213, in Bonita Springs from Klinger Properties B LLC. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants
represented the lessor, and Rick Ikeler of Trinity Commercial Group represented the lessee.
Able Scaffold SWF LLC leased a 2,240-square-foot space at 16190 Lee Road, Unit 200, in Fort Myers from SFG Fort Myers Lee LLC. Brock Rasmussen of Lee & Associates NaplesFort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Maughan Himshoot
Law Group leased a 1,565-square-foot office at 15750 New Hampshire Court, Suite A, in Fort Myers from HDS LLC. Stan Stouder, CCIM, of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
Connexpay LLC leased a 1,039-square-foot office space in Riverview Corporate Center, 27299 Riverview Center Blvd., Suite 104, in Bonita Springs from Brookwood SFL I LLC. Randal Mercer of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
HORSEPOWER / WELLNESS
NEW&NOTEWORTHY / WEEKEND GETAWAY / BACKSTORY [
HONOR GUARD
2023 Land Rover Defender, more powerful and luxurious
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By James RaiaPrice is the 2023 Land Rover Defender’s biggest drawback
By James RaiaSometimes vehicles get second or third chances. The Land Rover Defender, absent from the new car landscape for several years, returned not too long ago as a revived model. For 2023, the off-road slanted sport utility vehicle is customizable to please any adventurer. As a midsized luxury SUV, the Defender is available in three body styles—the two-door Defender 90 and four-door Defender 110 have been joined by the extended-length Defender 130, which has three rows of seating in a 3-2-3 configuration—and three engine choices, as well as several trims with multiple option packages. The threesome’s base level starting prices range from $53,400 to $68,000.
The vehicle is also unique because it’s in a segment alone—the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler are marketed for off-road treks, but the Land Rover is more powerful and more luxurious (and more expensive). The Lexus GX is also touted for its offroad capabilities, but its technology and other modern-style features don’t compare to the Defender’s offerings.
The reviewed Defender 110 personifies the brand’s reputation inside and outside. The interior is simple and appealing with a spacious, rugged design. Land Rover’s recent vehicles aren’t as boxy as older models featured in movies set in deserts or jungles. But the overall theme remains, including top prices nearly double the entry-level numbers when the SUVs are properly equipped.
The driven Defender has a 5.0-liter V8 engine, propelled by an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Gas mileage averages are dismal and towing capacity isn’t particularly impressive: 8,200 pounds with available advanced tow assist.
A twin-speed transfer box, Terrain Response with off-road drive modes, LED headlights and taillights and rear fog lights give the Defender its impressive night-driving savvy. Rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, wireless charging, two USB ports and two 12V power sockets add to the vehicle’s proficiency. The 700-watt Meridian surround sound system is top-line, and the standard infotainment system features the Pivi Pro system with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, loaded
Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 6.7 seconds
Airbags: 6
Fuel economy: 14 mpg city, 19 mpg hwy
Horsepower: 518
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $107,700
Manufacturer’s website: landroverusa.com
Price as tested: $109,970
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 4 years/50,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 4 years/50,000 miles; Corrosion, 6 years/unlimited miles
with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, HD Radio and navigation.
Safety is a Land Rover strong point. The Defender includes a driver condition monitor, emergency braking, a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, lanekeep assist and wade-sensing: vehicle-mounted sonar pulses that help navigate streams or flooded roads.
With its tall profile, the Defender offers a spacious interior, front seat and back. Overall vision is excellent, part of the vehicle’s popularity in remote ar-
eas and a trademark since the British brand’s debut in 1948.
Land Rover vehicles are not, however, known for keen acceleration or smooth rides. The Defender 110 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Once at cruising speed, smooth rides rule for front-seat occupants, but backseat passengers don’t have the same experience. All imperfections, on and offroad, will be felt; nothing is absorbed.
The Defender has a few smaller impressive touches, as well. If equipped with air suspension, the ride height
can be lowered from the cargo area to ease the task of loading heavy stuff. Also helpful is a swing-out tailgate that opens toward the curb. The spare tire is mounted on the tailgate for easy access, although it’s heavy and partially obscures the rear window view.
As a luxury SUV, the Land Rover has much to offer, but its price may prompt a pause. With full packages, taxes and destination fees included, the Defender joins the six-figure SUV fraternity. It costs too much for a vehicle that’s at its best where it’s viewed less.
Much like sticking to a diet or getting proper sleep, maintaining a fitness workout routine is more easily accomplished by self-motivated individuals. For others, not so much. A gym membership can help, with its financial commitment perhaps boosting commitment to working out. But commercial gyms aren’t for everyone: Crowded facilities, traffic and potential parking issues, community health concerns, inclement weather and increasing monthly fees can quickly dampen exercisers’ enthusiasm. Instead, many fitness enthusiasts have discovered home gyms provide a preferable solution.
Removing the various distractions and inconveniences of commuting to a gym, yoga studio, boxing center or other remote facilities, the use of exercise equipment at home streamlines potential obstacles. It also enhances the chance for individuals to practice fitness routinely.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, adults should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, 1 hour and 15 minutes per week of vigorous exercise, or a blend of the two. The HHS also recommends separating workouts over days and including muscle-building workouts at least twice a week. But what’s the best approach? What equipment is needed? What are the costs?
“It all depends upon what kind of space you have,” says Mike Edwards, owner and manager of Fitness Inside &
Out in Naples. “I always recommend at least one piece of cardio equipment. It also depends upon what kind of limitations a person might have. It could be a recumbent bike, an elliptical machine or a rowing machine.”
Newbie or experienced, he recommends a physical assessment for anyone considering a home gym. “It’s best to see what’s best for a person first,” says Edwards, who has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and consults with clients in their residences or his company’s workout facility. “A lot of times, what happens is that someone might have talked with a friend who has a multi-unit in their garage, and he has a stair-climber and he has a rower and [the person thinks], ‘I might do that.’
“But you have back problems or shoulder problems. You’re trying to do something that somebody told you about and it sounds neat. But you’re not realizing, ‘I’ve got shoulder impingement.’” Edwards generally meets with home gym practitioners once every three months or at least twice a year. He gauges progress and offers workout suggestions for improvement, or to correct a potential workout weakness.
First Place Fitness Equipment, a specialty company with eight locations in Florida including Naples, has provided consulting for and equipped commercial gyms, hospital rehabilitation centers, apartment complexes, hotels, condos, country clubs, corporate wellness centers and homes. The company emphasizes the Brian Tietz
need for the proper home gym.
“Space is needed for a treadmill or ellipticals or anything like that,” says Nash, a First Place Fitness Equipment staffer. “Definitely, space is going to be big. Treadmills can range from 70 to 80 inches in length. Elliptical machines have free-moving arms, requiring more space than may have been considered. You may find an elliptical machine that, when standing still, will keep to a small space—but when you are moving on it, the arms will move out and backward to a full length. You need adequate space.”
The ideal fitness equipment and associated requirements for a specially designed rehabilitation center wouldn’t be appropriate for a studio apartment.
“When it comes to flooring, if you are going to have free weights and
dumbbells and equipment like that, it’s always best to buy gym mats, so you don’t ruin the tile or any type of flooring you may have,” explains Nash. “For cardio equipment, any flooring will be good. But you can also buy yoga mats to use so you don’t scratch the floor.”
Numerous entrepreneurs with YouTube channels, from Budget Home Gym to Home Gym Essentials Illustrated to Garage Gym Reviews, offer expertise for beginners to veteran fitness practitioners. One common theme: Less can be more. A simple home gym with a few equipment choices, such as dumbbells, can cost a few hundred dollars, while elaborate home workout facilities may represent $15,000 investments.
To decide, consider the available space in a spare room, basement or
garage and who will use it. What are your fitness goals? Will you read, listen to music, watch television for entertainment or virtual fitness instruction? What equipment do you enjoy the most? “It all depends on what you are looking to get out of your workout,” says Nash.
Bryan Green, the founder of Fitness Design Group of Southern California, has a global business including clients in Southwest Florida. He has worked with private and public health clubs, universities, hotels and individual homeowners.
He believes a home gym is a sanctuary. He explains what arguably are the best reasons to ponder for anyone considering a home gym: “Your home workout environment should be a place to treat and invest in the well-being of your family.”
Mike Edwards, owner and manager of Fitness Inside & Out, generally meets with home gym practitioners once every three months or at least twice a year to gauge progress and offer workout suggestions for improvement.
aervana.com
$79.95
A portable aerator for excellence on the go
There may be a little oenophile in all of us. So while traveling, why not make the best of the wine you drink?
That’s the job of the Aervana Travel Portable Electric Wine Aerator.
The compact, easy-to-master gadget is a one-touch wine aerator. It’s ideal for any travel scenario when a glass of wine seems appropriate—from a rest stop during a hike to a weekend excursion to visit relatives.
To infuse the chosen varietal with air, attach the stainless steel tube that accompanies the Aervana Travel to the body of the aerator, place the apparatus over an open wine bottle and press the button on top. It produces the same effect as if the wine had been uncorked to “breathe” naturally for an hour before it was poured.
Aervana touts its aerator as providing six times more aeration than traditional pour-through versions. It prepares more than 150 bottles of wine on one set of six AAA batteries, which are included, as is a carrying case. The compact contraption measures 12 x 12 x 9 inches and weighs 1.41 pounds.
By Artis Henderson
Rosemary Beach sits among a constellation of dazzling white-sand beaches on Florida’s northwest coast. The South Walton beaches— named for Walton County, where they’re located—have benefited from the best of planned development. Among them is the intensely photogenic town of Seaside where The Truman Show was filmed. Rosemary Beach is less famous than its neighbor, but no less picturesque. This coastal town makes for the perfect weekend away.
Among a constellation of whitesand beaches on Florida's northwest coast, Rosemary Beach may not be as famous, but the coastal town still makes for the perfect weekend away.
al options, sites such as Airbnb and VRBO offer luxury condominiums and beachfront mansions.
Edward’s Fine Food and Wine (66 Main St., Rosemary Beach; 850.231.0550; edwards30a. com) is known for its award-winning wine list and sophisticated menu. Like Rosemary Beach itself, its vibe is upscale yet informal. The menu features both surf and turf entrees with a spotlight on local Gulf seafood. The Summer Kitchen Cafe (78 Main St., Rosemary Beach; 850.213.0521; thesummerkitchencafe.com) is a favorite breakfast and lunch spot with locals. Don’t skip the whipped feta appetizer served with carrots and lahvosh.
Rosemary Beach was designed to be walkable. Created by the same firm that designed neighboring Seaside, the town deemphasizes driving in favor of pathways built for strolling. Rosemary Beach’s pedestrian-friendly boardwalks lead to a collection of sophisticated eateries and boutiques in the town’s center. And because it has a height restriction of 50 feet, the scale of the town feels quaint despite its modern amenities.
True to its intentions, Rosemary Beach provides visitors several good options when it comes to spending the weekend. The Pearl (63 Main St., Rosemary Beach; 850.588.2881; thepearlrb.com) offers a thoughtfully curated luxury hotel experience with cocktails at check-in, fresh-baked treats in the evening and private balconies with views of the Gulf. For larger rent-
County Road 30A, which runs beside Rosemary Beach, is one of the most scenic coastal drives in the state of Florida. It extends for 24 miles along the panhandle’s coastline and stretches among the beachside towns of south Walton County—Dune Allen Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Grayton Beach, Watercolor, Seaside,
Edward's Fine Food and Wine
mirrors the vibe of Rosemary Beach itself and is known for its award-winning wine list and sophisticated menu.
Seagrove Beach, WaterSound Beach, Seacrest Beach, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach and Inlet Beach. Each town has its own style, entirely distinct from the others: Grayton Beach is on the funky side, while more formal Alys Beach looks like it’s been lifted out of Santorini.
The panhandle is a trek from Southwest Florida. Consider skipping the interstate and taking a plane instead. The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (6300 W. Bay Parkway, Panama City; 850.763.6751; iflybeaches.com) is only half an hour away from Rosemary Beach, and it welcomes private jets. The Naples Jet Center (377 Citation Point, Naples; 239.649.7900; naplesjetcenter.com) can arrange a charter for an easy weekend away.
Consider taking a plane instead of a car for an easy getaway. The North Florida Beaches International Airport is just 30 minutes away from Rosemary Beach.
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Certain industries have a tendency to come and go rapidly. As a local example, logging in the Everglades was once big business. But not for long.
Around World War II, demand was high for the durable wood of cypress trees. As cypress groves around the Southeastern United States started to get depleted, the timber industry set its sights on the Everglades, where some cypresses had grown to over 130 feet. The swampy terrain was difficult to traverse, but the development of the Tamiami Trail and railroad lines into Southwest Florida made the once unthinkable possible.
Lee Tidewater Cypress Company, the C.J. Jones Company and other timber businesses made their stake in Southwest Florida logging in areas that are now known as The Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and Big Cypress National Preserve. Company towns such as Copeland and Jerome were established to house the hundreds of workers and their families who moved south looking for work. Over the course of a decade, Lee Tidewater alone shipped about 360 million board feet of cypress to its mill in Perry, Florida, about 400 miles north. The C.J. Jones sawmill in Jerome grew to become the largest in the Southeast, producing 100,000 board feet per day.
The mill burned down in 1956. But by then, most of the harvestable cypress had been depleted, and the timbering companies ventured elsewhere. The Southwest Florida timber boom ended as quickly as it began.
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