P.20
P.80
P.82
CURATING GROWTH
LIFE OF LUXURY
GETTING SMART AT WORK
Collier manager cultivating future of arts and culture
High-end apartment living in Southwest Florida
How technology is changing the office environment
SOUTHWEST F LO R I DA’ S BEST VIEW OF BUSINESS
THE MORE, THE MERRIER? Taking stock of a seemingly endless season __P. 30
INN OF AN ERA Regional hotels changing hands, building up __P. 46
Left to Right:
JULIO RAMIREZ, TODD SONDRINI, JOHN SLAVIK, ESTHER MARSHALL, LAURA ENTWISTLE, RICH LUNG, JIM WEISS (REGIONAL PRESIDENT), JENNIFER AURAY, MARK RYCZEK, CRAIG WATSON
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Contents. F E AT U R E S
P.30
P.46
THE MORE,
THE INN OF AN ERA
THE MERRIER?
Hotelier Phil
Taking stock of a seemingly endless
McCabe’s exit means
season
SWFL scene
changes for the
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Contents. D E PA R T M E N T S
TakeNote Mood Board P. 10 Spaces P. 12 Makers P. 16 Creatives P. 20 Bookmark P. 24 Trendline P. 26 Economic Commentary P. 28
B2B P 76
GOVERNMENT Legislature starts regulatory framework for cryptocurrency in Florida P 80
REAL ESTATE The elements of highend apartment living in Southwest Florida P 82
ARCHITECTURE How technology is changing the office environment P 86
ENTREPRENEURSHIP Naples business owner Stuart Sheppard has been a lifelong entrepreneur P 90
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Top sales in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties P 92
NEW & EXPANDING BUSINESSES Top leases in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties
P.82 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
AFTER HOURS P 96
P.96
HORSEPOWER Power, presence combine in the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing P 98
WELLNESS The utility, convenience of pedometers and other fitness monitors P 100
NEW & NOTEWORTHY Drink the water anywhere with the Sawyer filtration bottle P 102
WEEKEND GETAWAY The state capital is rich in history, politics, culture P 112
UNWIND Giving nature a relaxation boost on Sanibel Island
P.16
P.86
P.102
P.98
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 5
READER SERVICES
EDI T OR IN CHIEF
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ART Cr eative Dir ec tor s Sco t t Glick , Jer r y P omale s
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Volume 27/Number 7, July, Gulfshore Business (ISSN 1935-8199), is published 12 times a year by Gulfshore Life Media, 26101 Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Subscriptions are free to qualified individuals residing in the United States. For customer service inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Gulfshore Business, 26101 Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Telephone (239) 498-8501 or email subscriptions@gulfshorebusiness.com. Periodicals postage paid at Naples, FL, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2021 by Gulfshore Life Media. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law. P O S T M A S T E R : S e n d a d d r e s s c h a n g e s t o G u l f s h o r e B u s i n e s s , 2 6 1 0 1 Ta m i a m i Tr a i l , B o n i t a S p r i n g s , F L 3 4 1 3 4 .
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2
from the editor. J U LY 2 0 2 2
Reinventing ‘Routine’
busiest we’ve seen by a long shot. By far, not even a question,” when asked about this season’s business. And fewer restaurants are closing post-season.
There has been much in the local news lately re-
Occupancy rates in hotels also show
garding upheaval in the realms of restaurants and
HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA
that tourism is alive and well, which is
hotels, traffic and housing; some seasonal, some
EDITOR IN CHIEF
an economic boom considering the bed
pointing toward a more permanent shift in the
tax revenue that surged year over year.
region. One could make the argument that be-
Tourist tax revenue hit a high in March
fore-COVID life has gone into the history books,
over any other month on record, even
and there’s no such thing yet as a “new normal,”
when compared to pre-pandemic num-
because to have normalcy would require some
bers. Hotels have been faring so well
level of consistency. After all, normal means usu-
that we’re seeing more and more invest-
al, typical or routine … and we’re having basically
ment in these homes away from home.
none of that.
Long-time hotelier Phil McCabe sheds
Rather, we’ve been watching real estate deals
light on the sale of his iconic Inn on
explode for larger-than-imagined returns on in-
Fifth, as well as other major local prop-
vestments; continued, yet unusual, growth in the
erties that have changed hands—Inn
hospitality industry with record-setting numbers;
of Naples, Naples Grande and Naples
and housing issues that range from the surge in
Beach Club, to name a few.
apartment sales to the elusive problem of afford-
Several franchises are under construc-
able housing.
tion; other properties, such as Hotel
Traffic at RSW in April hit a record with 1.2
Indigo, renamed Banyan Hotel, in Fort
million passengers, and the first four months of
Myers and The Ritz-Carlton in Naples,
2022 saw passenger traffic increase by 34% from
are undergoing major renovations. Read
last year, with March breaking a record for most monthly passengers. An eye-opening look back on this past season (pg. 30) depicts just how much has changed, and may even give a glimpse into what we can expect in the future.
p.30 SEASON IN REVIEW Taking stock of a seemingly endless season.
more about the state and direction of this industry on page 46. From an economic standpoint, on a hyper-local level, it would appear this has been and continues to be a great year for Southwest Florida—gas prices, sup-
Restaurants have seen an enormous increase
ply-chain issues and inflation notwith-
in business. As one restaurateur put it, “It was the
standing. Just don’t plan on using that term “normal” anytime soon.
8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
p_10 CARRYING COMPANIONS Functionally fantastic tote bags
TakeNote MOOD BOARD | SPACES | MAKERS | CREATIVES | BOOKMARK TRENDLINE | ECONOMIC COMMENTARY
Brian Tietz
Cultivating Cultural Growth FUTURE OF LOCAL ARTS p_20 By Aisling Swift
TakeNote
J U LY 2 0 2 2
MOOD BOARD
James Raia
Carrying Companions STYLISH, FUNCTIONALLY FANTASTIC TOTE BAGS Like blue blazers, white shirts and loafers, tote bags exemplify style versatility. Dress up and pack personal items in high-end, brightly colored designer offerings featuring bamboo handles. Dress down and carry your laptop or farmer’s market finds in a canvas satchel
Belstaff Touring Tote Bag
or leather pouch.
A perfect tote for a safari and any other
Men and women in many ancient cultures carried satchels to tote food, belongings and children. In current society, tote bags, often referred to with further brevity as totes, can be the ultimate genderneutral accessory for work or play, for airplane travel or family picnics. Strictly defined, totes are large and often unfastened bags with parallel handles. All things change. Sometimes, the names given to men’s tote bag styles evoke as much silliness as style—Bro Bag to Daddy Sack,
outdoor use. The London-based company thrives on traditional heritage designs, geared toward men. Available in olive, black, beige and tan, the tote features one main snap-close compartment, two small side pockets with press closures, two adjustable double strap fastenings and an adjustable and removable shoulder strap. The Belstaff Phoenix embossed plaque
Jackpack to Murse. Why not? For women, tote bags can be fun, too.
logo is ruggedly classy, as is the brand
But they lean toward functionality and fashion.
name on the 75% polyester, 25% leather
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and actresses Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams are partial to the Madewell Transport tote. Michael Strahan, the former New York Giants defensive end and current TV personality, carries a large black crossbody messenger bag. Actor Hugh Jackman also carries a smaller, front-worn leather bag. Snoop Dogg, the rapper-turned-entrepreneur, carries a Louis
totes. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Louis Vuitton in Naples.
belstaff.com $395
Provided(5)
Vuitton checkered messenger bag over one shoulder. Fortunately, celebrity status isn’t required for tote ownership.
1 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Stylish Totes The ultimate gender-neutral accessory, tote bags were once used in many ancient cultures by men and women to tote food, belongings and children. In today’s society, totes are just as versatile and can be dressed up with high-end fashion or dressed down with everyday attire.
Gucci Diana small tote bag Introduced in 1991, the bamboo-handled tote is now a long-standing signature with modern innovation. Bands used
Tory Burch/Ella Tote Bag
to keep the handles secure
Distinguished by its oversized
double as leather belts. Classically styled in green leather and complemented with gold-toned “Double G” Gucci hardware, the Italian-made accessory has a microfiber open pocket with a suede-like finish. Besides the bamboo handles, there’s also an adjustable and detachable 21-inch shoulder strap. Dimensions: 11 inches wide, 9.5 inches high, 4.3 inches deep, 1.6 pounds. Available at the two Gucci store locations in Naples, as well as boutique stores Francesca’s and Audrey’s, both also in Naples.
gucci.com $3,500
logo emblazoned on the front of
TUMI/Alpha Tote Backpack
the bag, the Ella is made from
If tote bags define versatility,
lightweight recycled polyester.
how innovative is the TUMI of-
Like other functional totes,
fering in the Alpha 3 Collection?
Madewell Transport Tote
space rules. It’s large enough for
It easily converts into a back-
Versatility, style and safety all in
a 13-inch laptop with plenty of
pack when the convenience of
one. Carry a laptop or notebook,
territory left for personal items,
hands-free carrying is needed.
with plenty of capacity left for
lunch, a water bottle, etc.
a water bottle and snack. The simply designed tote has an interior zip pocket ideal for valuables. The Transport tote has wide,
Available at Saks Fifth Avenue in Naples.
The collection of business and travel luggage and totes is made from ballistic nylon. The open interior has a laptop
toryburch.com $198
compartment. Available at the TUMI outlet
8-inch-long straps that are a
location in Estero and at Macy’s
good length for hand-carrying
and the OMEGA boutique in
or to wear over your shoulder.
Naples.
Reviewed often as a combination of good looks and sturdiness, the tote is made with
tumi.com $860
natural leather and available via the Madewell online store.
madewell.com $168
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2022 1 1
TakeNote S PA C E S
J U LY 2 0 2 2 By Aisling Swift
A New View INSIDE THE RECENT RENOVATIONS AT NAPLES AIRPORT A recent renovation at the Naples Airport improves the experience for pilots, travelers and staff while giving visitors a coastal-contemporary first impression that draws from Naples’ attractions. The $8 million General Aviation Terminal renovation, designed by Orlando-based SchenkelShultz Architecture and constructed by Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.’s Fort Myers team, began in May 2021 and was completed this May after pandemic-related supply delays. “The feedback from passengers and pilots has been very positive,” says Naples Airport Authority Community Outreach and Communications Manager Zachary Burch, noting that most customers are frequent flyer residents, and it hadn’t been redesigned since 1991. “It’s something people can be proud of.” NAA revenues—fuel sales, land rentals and hangar fees—paid for the renovation, which features an upgraded lobby, expanded passenger lounge, a marketplace offering food and drinks, BOS Tampa furniture, new exterior canopies, upgraded office space and pilots’ lounges. The tired yellow exterior was replaced with crisp white, highlighted by sea-blue Bahama shutters and wave-like white canopies that provide shade at entryways and over an outdoor, contemporary whiteand-teal seating area. “It’s reflective of the ocean and the coast,” Burch says of the cooling canopies. “The main one is in the style of the Naples Pier. It’s reflective of the style and quality of this community. This is the first impression people see as they come in.” A terrazzo floor with a tropical palm pattern pays homage to a maAnna Nguyen
jestic palm that once stood in the lobby, he explained, while white walls provide an airy feeling and highlight a dark wood shiplap ceiling. 1 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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IMPROVED EXPERIENCE The $8 million General Aviation Terminal renovation at Naples Airport improves the experience for pilots, travelers and staff.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 1 3
TakeNote S PA C E S
Behind a marble reception desk, two living walls created by Cincinnati-based Urban Blooms naturally filter air and provide a burst of color. They flank a shimmering glass water feature that’s highlighted by six delicate laser-cut wood pendant lamps above. “Once we get these walls tuned in, they can live for decades,” says Urban Blooms President Tyler Wolf. “They wanted something impactful that was going to wow customers and be bold. The plants will become very dramatic as they grow and have a waterfall effect.” The walls, including a third in an outdoor lounge, were custom-built onsite in phases and took about 10 days after initial planning, Wolf said, noting that he can incorporate signage, TVs or create artistic murals “painted” with plants. For the outdoor living wall, he chose plants native to Florida, including bromeliads and orchids. Artwork that decorates the terminal and administration area was bid out, a competition won by Alexis Martinez Puleio, a Naples artist known for her acrylic and epoxy resin aerial-seascape paintings. Her large seascape, a focus of the lobby, provides a bird’s-eye view of azure water lapping at white sands. “We wanted something that reflected the coastal style of this community,” Burch says. In one lounge, rows of hard chairs were replaced by inviting, cream-colored couches and denim-blue contemporary chairs, where travelers can watch a large-screen TV. A rug with sea green, pale green and white evokes ocean waves. Behind the couch, a high-top counter and Scandinavian-style chairs allow travelers to work or watch planes. Nature photos are sprinkled throughout the terminal. On the marketplace walls and ceiling, gray and white shiplap panels provide a coastal feel. Instead of two vending machines, travelers can now purchase snacks, sandwiches and beverages through an honor system, charge Anna Nguyen
their electronics and sit in contemporary seating areas featuring blues and driftwood gray. 1 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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REFLECTIVE STYLE The renovation has incorporated the style and quality of this coastal community into its design.
Behind the scenes, employee and
pilots to charge tablets containing
all over. Now, it’s more work collabo-
pilot areas were redesigned. A row of
flight plans. A flight-planning room
rative and efficient.”
refrigerators allows caterers to de-
provides computers and monitors so
About 25% of traffic was moved
liver food for flights, and a large bar-
pilots can check flight information,
to the North Road Terminal, freeing
height counter facing a panoramic
weather and even emails. If they’re
up space for staff and travelers and
window lets employees monitor the
thirsty, flavored seltzer water, coffee,
making it safer on the tarmac be-
tarmac. “Staff is now facing out and
hot chocolate, espresso and hot water
cause staff doesn’t have to tow planes
can see outside and react,” Director
for tea are provided.
there anymore.
of Development Kerry Keith explains.
“There were significant changes
Despite the changes, one tradition
The pilot area and lounge features
to the back to make it a better, more
remains untouched: York Pepper-
massage chairs they can nap on in two
logical work environment for staff,”
mint Patties. As Burch says, “People
quiet rooms. Charging stations allow
says Burch. “There was wasted space
who fly here expect them.”
Andrew Reiss
Thomas Rinaldi
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G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 1 5
TakeNote MAKERS
J U LY 2 0 2 2 By Justin Paprocki
The Spice of Connection THE DREAM OF BRANDI WOOLINGTON’S PEPPER STREET STUDIO Naples business Pepper Street Studio sells organic candles, soaps, diffusers and the like. But for owner Brandi Woolington, it also has a greater purpose. When her daughter was 5 years old, she was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that affects speech and motor skills. “That shook my world,” Woolington says. In part, that diagnosis helped motivate her to start a business. She has an interior design background but had long been interested in making candles. The business gave her a chance to indulge in a passion, and to raise money for a plan to create a second home of sorts for people with special needs. In the future, she envisions a Pepper Street location next door to what she would call Sofi’s Home. Named after her daughter, it would serve as a place for people with disabilities and their families to gather, and Anna Nguyen
would also provide employment opportunities through Pepper Street Studio. 1 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 1 7
TakeNote
1 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Gutter
Anna Nguyen
MAKERS
gulfshorebusiness.com
It’s an ambitious plan, but she’s already come a long way. Woolington started her business in October 2019, and was traveling frequently across the state to sell her wares at markets and events when the pandemic hit. She shifted to doing more digital sales and building the business one person at a time; reaching out to existing customers and at times literally meeting them in parking lots to drop off soap or candles. But it worked, and she was growing her business by word of mouth. She opened a studio in North Naples in November 2020 and started hosting candle-making classes. She’s found that the one-on-one contact at the classes and at local farmers markets has really helped the businesses thrive.
“We had to build a loyal follow-
A GREATER PURPOSE
ing,” Woolington says. “It’s fun to
Not only has Brandi Woolington started her own business selling organic
grow a business, because if you
candles, soaps and diffusers, but she hopes profits can finance her dream
have a great product people will
of opening a second home of sorts for people with special needs.
keep coming back.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 1 9
TakeNote
J U LY 2 0 2 2
C R E AT I V E S
By Aisling Swift
Cultivating Cultural Growth JOHN MELLEKY HAS EYES ON THE FUTURE OF LOCAL ARTS John Melleky is working with a blank can-
seums; and working closely with artists, arts
vas. As the Arts and Culture Manager for
groups, the Naples Arts District, Bayshore
Collier County’s Tourism Division, a newly
Arts District and Naples Design District.
created post, Melleky’s job is to enhance
“We need to look at the different neigh-
arts programming and services. He hit the
borhoods as these arts districts grow and
ground running in February by reaching
really help them to see what they need as-
out to groups that were part of the county’s
sistance with, because those are some of the
Arts & Culture Strategic Plan, a blueprint
next areas of growth, especially for artists,”
developed from the local arts, culture and
Melleky says, adding that affordable hous-
creative sectors, patrons and residents.
ing and whether artists can afford to live and work here is a concern.
nizations, providing outreach, working on
He’s looking at areas where the county is
the [Tourist Development Council] grant
growing, such as East Naples and Immoka-
program and implementing the plan,”
lee, and how to bring more arts education
Melleky says of meeting with organiza-
to children and adults, as well as augment-
tions, including the United Arts Council.
ing what schools offer. And he’s visiting
“The strategic plan is excellent and really
Everglades City, the former county seat,
has a wide breadth of opportunities.”
knowing the county’s 100th anniversary is
His priority will be to strengthen, adapt
approaching on May 8, 2023.
and diversify programs to address the
He’s also met with artists and groups to
community’s changing needs, while en-
discuss how Zoom and other virtual plat-
couraging a rich arts and cultural environ-
forms played a part in sustaining creativity
ment that will strengthen the community
during the pandemic and how virtual plat-
and boost tourism.
forms can continue being part of their out-
Among ideas Melleky is working on are
reach efforts.
arts and cultural festivals; public art, such
Melleky, who lives in Bonita Springs, was
as murals and sculptures; educational arts
the senior development officer at the John
workshops; promoting the county’s five mu-
and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The
2 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Brian Tietz
“My role is working with the arts orga-
gulfshorebusiness.com
ENHANCING THE ARTS “My role is working with the arts organizations, providing outreach, working on the TDC grant program and implementing the plan. The strategic plan is excellent and really has a wide breadth of opportunities,” John Melleky says.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 2 1
TakeNote C R E AT I V E S
State Art Museum of Florida, in Sarasota, and the principal at FiG Solutions in Bonita Springs, where he directed fundraising and partnership efforts for the Edison Festival of Lights. His 20 years of cultural and arts experience ranges from development, fundraising and strategic planning to organizing events and festivals. When he was chief executive officer for the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, one of the nation’s largest cultural festivals at over 3.6 million attendees, he grew it from 90 to 110 groups. In Collier County, he’s working on a Latin and Hispanic arts and culture festival. “Arts and culture organizations want to feel they’re a part of the messaging, and that’s important because it’s such a rich and diverse arts culture,” he says. “There’s a lot people can choose from, and they need to get involved, so I’m helping tell the story for locals and tourists so more tourists will come.” He’s also working on the Tourism Development Council grant program. This year, it grew to $900,000 after ranging from $600,000-$800,000 in past years. The increase came from reserves, he says, noting that the TDC wanted to help support organizations that were trying to do more and grow, especially after the pandemic. He hopes to boost that amount more in the future, alMelleky will create a public art plan and is working with a public art committee that will consider sculptures, murals and other art on public lands. “I used to live in Richmond, Virginia, and they had a great mural program, so
GRANT INCREASE This year’s Tourism Development Council grant grew to $900,000, after ranging from $600,000 to $800,000 in past years. Melleky hopes that grant continues to grow, but it heavily depends on tourism tax revenues.
I’m looking at what they do,” he says. 2 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Clockwise; Reagan Rule; Anna Nguyen; Provided; Caronchi Photography.
though that depends on tourism tax revenues.
other arts organizations on upcoming events. “Together, we can promote cultural-arts tourism in Collier County, so that people will not only trade in He’s also researching best prac-
Paula Brody, who operates Inspi-
white snow for white sandy beaches,
tices in other communities, such as
rations Artists and Design Gallery
but the opportunity to enhance the
Sarasota, which has a strong arts-
and is president of the Naples Art
awareness of the arts,” Brody says,
grant program, and Miami-Dade and
District, a neighborhood of 95 art-
echoing a Paradise Coast TV com-
Broward counties, which are known
ists north of Pine Ridge Road, said
mercial. “And tourists can meet the
for their arts websites, outreach and
she is looking forward to applying for
95 artists who work to create their
promotions.
grants and working with Melleky and
art in this neighborhood.”
ai165333110411_11863 Gulfshore Business Bailey's.pdf
1
5/23/22
2:38 PM
Our commercial loans help keep your business beautiful. When third and fourth-generation owners of Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel Island needed financing for store and property improvements, they called LMCU’s commercial lending team.
Our experienced, local lenders are ready to help you finance your next project. Call Jay McGregor at (239) 314-0533 to get started. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 2 3
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J U LY 2 0 2 2
BOOKMARK
RALPH READS
Connection and Change an avid reader and owner/CEO of Johnsonville
This month’s selections may seem unrelated at first, but there is an important lesson for all of
Sausage, leads a
us that will be evident to those who read both
book club in Naples
books. I recommend you read them in the order
with about a dozen
presented in this column, beginning with From
other high-power
Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happi-
friends. The group
ness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of
He starts by showing that our brains
only reads non-fic-
Life by Arthur C. Brooks. Brooks starts the book
change over time. They work much faster and
tion as a way to
with an incident that changed his life. He was
more creatively in specific areas when we are
seated in the dark on an airplane when he heard
young. Young people are able to multi-task, as
a man behind him tell his wife he wished he was
is apparent in the scientific community where
dead. Brooks assumed the man had been an ab-
almost all breakthroughs are accomplished
ject failure in life. When the lights came on, he
before the mid-thirties. This is the same for
recognized the man, who was well-known and
everyone, and the decline comes much faster
revered for the things he had accomplished when
than we want to believe; most people are in
he had been a young man. His questions, “Why is
the decline by their mid-forties. But this isn’t
this successful person so despondent and what
a tragedy. While our fast response and specific
are the implications for me?” are what Brooks
focus skills are declining, our broader concep-
answers in this book.
tualizing skills are growing. We become able
keep learning and sharpening the mind. Every month, Stayer shares the latest page-turners earning a permanent spot on his ever-expanding bookshelves.
2 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Brian Tietz; Provided(2)
RALPH STAYER,
READING FOR PERSPECTIVE ON ADAPTABILITY AND HAPPINESS
in a sweat shop to salesman to getting into the oil business. Wilzig had an uncanny knack to see through details to get to the important information that would create success in a business. This was apparent in his story of survival in Auschwitz, when he was confronted with many situations in which the wrong decision would have meant his death. He chose correctly every time. He used this skill to become the CEO of a NYSE publicly traded oil company. This is a man with an eighthgrade education who became CEO of a to draw on our experiences and make
Siggi Wilzig is a Holocaust survivor
company in an industry rife with an-
deep connections that are not obvious
who was shipped to Auschwitz in the
tisemitism. He then took over a small
to young people.
spring of 1943 along with his mother,
bank in New Jersey and built it to $4 billion in assets.
Some people refuse to accept the
father and sister. He saw each of them
decline and don’t make the transition
die in the camp, but he survived. He
This is another of a long list of “Only
to wisdom. Those who do are in posi-
also survived several death marches
in America” stories—but this one
tion to reap the rewards—those who
during early 1945. The book Unstop-
doesn’t have a happy ending. This is
don’t will end up like the man in the
pable by Joshua M. Greene details
where we make the connection be-
story. This book resonated with me be-
the conditions in the camp and what
tween the first and second books.
cause it described my journey from a
Wilzig did to survive. The inhumane
Wilzig was never able to make the
self-centered, “all about me” business-
horrors of the camp are gut-wrenching
transition from doer to mentor. He
man to someone who takes great joy
to read, but it is important background
was an incredibly gifted person, but
in helping others succeed. I went from
to what Wilzig accomplished after be-
the self-reliance lessons he learned in
being miserable while I was becoming
ing liberated. He worked his way to
the camps traumatized him to the ex-
more and more financially successful
America after the war, and began his
tent that he could never trust anyone.
to feeling joy and fulfillment every day
business career by shoveling snow.
He eventually drove his entire family
of my life. Try it. You’ll like it.
He had no more than a grade-school
away from him. As Wilzig said, he left
education when he arrived in America,
Auschwitz, but Auschwitz never left
The second book is a story about the
but he could speak English. The book
him. The lesson is obvious … and that is
indomitable will of the human spirit.
describes Wilzig’s rise from a laborer
why these two books are paired. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 2 5
TakeNote
J U LY 2 0 2 2
TRENDLINE
By Justin Paprocki
So Long, City Life CENSUS DATA SHOWS SWING AWAY FROM MAJOR METROS U.S. Census Bureau: Americans are moving away from large metros into smaller cities. Southwest Florida: Tell us something we don’t know. The bureau confirmed what we’ve felt for the last two years—people are migrating from big cities into places such as Naples and Fort Myers during the pandemic. Perhaps we didn’t know just how big that swing was. Lee County was among the top 10 counties in the country in population growth from April 2020 to July 2021. Estimates put that more than 27,000 people arrived during that time. Polk County just east of Tampa saw similar growth. Overall, all but 10 Florida counties grew during the pandemic. Miami-Dade saw the greatest representing a 1.4% decline.
Getty
losses by far: Close to 39,000 people left,
2 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Polk County Lee County Pasco County St Johns County Hillsborough County Osceola County St Lucie County Sarasota County Manatee County Lake County Volusia County Collier County Brevard County Marion County Charlotte County
TOTAL POPULATION ( JULY 2021 )
INCREASE FROM APRIL 2020
PERCENT INCREASE
753,520 787,976 584,067 292,466 1,478,194 403,282 343,579 447,057 412,703 395,804 564,412 385,980 616,628 385,915 194,843
28,474 27,154 22,176 19,041 18,432 14,626 14,353 13,051 12,993 11,848 10,869 10,228 10,016 10,007 7,996
3.9 3.6 3.9 7 1.3 3.8 4.4 3 3.3 3.1 2 2.7 1.7 2.7 4.3
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 2 7
TakeNote E C O N O M I C C O M M E N TA R Y
J U LY 2 0 2 2 B y To m S m y t h e
Pain at the Pump ARE OIL COMPANIES PROFITEERING ON THE BACKS OF AMERICANS? Over the last several months, a steady chorus of critics has suggested oil companies are profiting excessively. Some have even thrown around the “G” word— gouging. For there to be gouging in Florida, officially speaking, there must be a declared state of emergency. Beyond that, prices must have risen by a “substantial” amount above the 30-day average before the emergency. Because there is no state of emergency, technically there is no gouging. However, one might use the term in a nonlegal sense to mean companies are generating excessive profits at the expense of consumers. Let me be abundantly clear: This is not happening. Washington politicians have blasted this idea from the Capitol steps, even hinting at an investigation by the Department of Justice, while another politician has called for oil companies to pay a 95% “windfall profits” tax. Of course, the politician fails to mention that doing so will drive up prices further. All of this is political posturing and does nothing to help Americans understand the problem, nor help them at the pump. For oil companies to earn excessive profits, there would have to be extensive collusion. Oil companies are already under a microscope. Their every move is watched by consumers, regulators and activists. For them to collude in a way that harms consumers is highly unlikely. While the collusion necessary to justify profiteering is almost impossible, the data also does not support the claim. In fact, my current research on this topic leaves me convinced oil companies have been restrained in their price increases since the beginning of the year. This is especially true since the Ukraine crisis began. I have been more than a casual observer of the relationship between pump prices and gasoline futures prices for 15 years. Futures are financial contracts that allow market participants to “estimate” the price of a commodity—gasoline in this case—at some point in the future. This estimate is based on what is happening in the markets now and what expectations the participants have for the future. My colleagues and I noticed the premium of pump prices to futures prices
2 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Getty
rose dramatically during the pandemic. This prompted us to examine whether gulfshorebusiness.com
this was an anomaly. Our research, and that conducted by others in our field, shows there is a strong relationship between crude oil prices and pump prices. Moreover, our research also demonstrates the relationship between pump prices and futures prices is even stronger. Since 2005, including the pandemic period, the pump-to-futures premium averaged 42%. If we exclude the pandemic period, the premium is 39%. While we only have limited data points in 2022, the average has been 32% as of April. But since the war between Russia and Ukraine began, the pump-to-futures average premium is only 27%. That’s 30% lower than the average in relative terms. If oil companies were profiting excessively, we would expect the average pump-to-futures premium to be higher. Without getting into statistics, this is a very large difference. When looking at the total increase in pump prices and futures prices over the same period, we draw similar conclusions. Futures prices have risen 56% since the beginning of the year, but pump prices have only risen 30%. The comparable figures for the period since Ukraine was invaded are 29% (futures) and 20% (pump). So, oil companies are not unduly profiting from economic and world events—quite the opposite. Rising prices are not necessarily a sign of inappropriate behavior but may simply reflect current market conditions. Yet, politicians are beating the
BE INFORMED While Washington politicians have blasted the idea that oil
drum that oil companies are the enemy. Don’t buy the hype; be informed. Tom Smythe, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department
companies are generating excessive profits at the expense of
of Finance & Economics in the Lutgert College of Busi-
consumers, the collusion necessary to do so is almost impossible.
ness at Florida Gulf Coast University. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 2 9
Provided
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THE MORE, T H E M E R R I E R? TAKING STOCK OF A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS SEASON By David Dorsey
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 3 1
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER?
Alan Adler likes vacationing on Fort Myers Beach so much that he practically lives there. The retired dentist from Michigan spends months at a time staying at the Bay Inn at the Lani Kai. When he wants a change of scenery, he packs up his stuff, loads it into his travel van and departs—venturing all of 500 feet west to the Silver Sands Villas. Adler is approaching his 69th birthday and his seventh year of living this kind of vagabond lifestyle. As the weather grows warmer and wetter, he’ll make his way north again, migrating little by little back to his native Michigan. And as the calendar gets closer to turning, he’ll get closer to turning the van around and driving back to the beach. Adler, as much as the numbers and statistics gathered for this year’s look back at the 2022 peak season, bears witness to the bullish market of tourism in Southwest Florida. “I hit the road in a travel van six years ago,” he says. “I did two laps around the country. A lot of places,
rolled around, I’d get into South Flor-
TRAFFIC RECORD
ida. I didn’t want to keep moving any-
Southwest Florida International Airport surpassed 1 million passengers
more. Every year, I added more and
in each of the first four months of 2022.
Provided
I’d stay one day. Whenever December
more time on Fort Myers Beach.” 3 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Adler’s far from alone. Not just Fort Myers Beach, but tourism across all parts of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties has been surging. It has been on the upswing since the hotels, bars and restaurants reopened a few weeks after the threat of COVID-19 shut their doors March 17, 2020. But the 2022 peak tourist season of January through March tells the tale of a full rebound. Southwest Florida International Airport eclipsed 1 million passengers in January, February, March and April, a milestone it typically only reached during the month of March. With 1.5 million passengers passing through in March, the airport broke a record for most monthly passengers. Although the omicron variant knocked back travel in mild fashion in January, the airport still drew a million passengers, the third-best January on record. Over the first three months of this year, RSW drew a combined 3,708,480 passengers, a record for January-March that was 1.6% betG U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 3 3
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER?
ter than the prior mark of 3,649,741 passengers set during pre-pandemic 2019. In April, 1.2 million passengers passed through RSW, the biggest April on record. The first four months saw passenger traffic increase by 34% from last year. The influx of visitors has translated to booming metrics that measure tourism all around the region. Occupancy rates and average daily rates help tell the tale of tourism: In Collier County, hotels achieved occupancy rates of 67%, 78% and 78% in January, February and March, respectively. That was up 1.6% in January, up 13% in February and down 3.7% in March. The average daily rate grew by 39%, 43% and 28% during those three months when compared to 2021. The daily rates stood at $493 by the end of March, County’s Paradise Coast visitor and convention bureau.
Provided
according to statistics gathered by Collier
3 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
“Going into 2019, we were setting all new benchmarks,” says Paul Beirnes, executive director of Collier County’s tourism. “Everyone was celebrating numbers they’ve never seen historically. Occupancy. Average daily rate. Length of stay. All of the above. In 2020, everybody in the whole world took a bit of a hit. We started getting our foothold, very strong, in the middle of 2020 by tapping into Florida residents. The state was open by about July. Florida residents started exploring in their own backyards.” The new Florida visitors combined with the rest of the country and the world beginning to travel again entering 2021. This set the stage for a rejuvenated tourist season in 2022, the metrics and anecdotal evidence show. In Charlotte County, January hotel occupancy increased by 24% from
2021 to 73% this year. The average
FULL HOUSE
daily rate climbed by 48% to $132.65
Local restaurants saw more diners than ever before during
per night. February hotel occupancy
season this year. Naples venues enjoying the boost included The
increased by 29% to 85% this year. The
Bevy (top left), Ocean Prime (above) and Turtle Club (left).
average daily rate grew even more, by 56%, to $187.70 per night. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 3 5
_SEASON FEAST OR FAMINE FOR SWFL RESTAURATEURS This year’s season was
and the best month-by-
exceeded its initial bud-
record-breaking for local
month since we opened [in
get. “That project is about
restaurants, but supply
early 2018]. All the evening
two and a half times what
chain issues thwart-
services were amazing.
was originally budgeted,”
ed restaurateurs who
Brunch on Sunday was
Pavicevic says. “It would be
attempted to launch new
booked eight to nine weeks
about five times higher if we
locations in 2022. Depend-
in advance, and holidays—
started now.”
ing on where the dining
Mother’s Day, Easter and
spot was in the pipeline, it
cess with Two Fillets, a new
Christmas—were booked
the local craftsmanship
was feast or famine.
dining concept launched
about three months in
after gutting the former
in early March in Deep
advance.”
Agave restaurant for
“It was the busiest we’ve seen by a long shot. By far, not even a question,” says Grant Phelan, CEO
Lagoon’s former spot in
On the flip side, the Sails
Unhappy with some of
Butcher, the team ripped
Naples Park, and Fish-Tale
crew had planned to open a
out work multiple times
Waterfront Dining, which
new luxury steakhouse con-
in the 9,900-square-foot
of Bonita Springs-based
the company purchased in
cept, Butcher Restaurant in
freestanding building. Cost
Phelan Family Brands,
April at Fort Myers Beach.
North Naples, last Novem-
overruns stemmed from
Two Fillets was one of
ber—but now is targeting a
construction do-overs, as
which operates a half-dozen local restaurant brands,
those local restaurants
launch this fall because of
well as top-notch natural
including Pinchers and at
that caught a piece of
supply chain bottlenecks,
manufacturing products
least 15 restaurants in Lee
season but had hoped to
inflationary costs and their
imported from Europe. Italian
start doing business much
demand for quality products
leather from nearly 270
and Collier counties.
earlier. “We were supposed
and craftsmanship. “We
cows for chairs and booths
ties, Phelan’s restaurants
Averaging all proper-
to open in December, but it
did break the timeline due
went up four times; the
were up 30% in same-
got delayed all the way to
to many factors," Pavicevic
white French oak for parquet
store sales, Phelan said,
March because of a refrig-
says. “But the biggest factor
flooring, wall panels, the
noting that tickets at Deep
eration unit, tables, chairs
is that everything in the
ceiling and cabinetry went up
Lagoon Seafood increased
and general items caught
building is custom-made.
about six times; marble from
60% after it relocated to
in the supply chain,” Phelan
We are very particular in
Greece for the restaurant’s
says.
everything we do.”
bar, kitchen and restrooms
new digs a short distance away in North Naples. Phelan also found suc-
Veljko Pavicevic and Corrine Ryan, co-owners of
Butcher’s costs, estimated to be in the millions, far
also would have been six times more, if it had not been
Sails Restaurant on Fifth Avenue South in Naples, also saw both sides of the coin this season. “We Pavicevic says. "This has been the best season
3 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Robert Exelbierd
are breaking all records,”
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER? Charlotte County bed tax revenue grew by 51% from January
Boulevard and Immokalee
2021 to $962,615 in 2022. It grew
Road, faced construction
by 55% from February 2021 to
delays traced to supply
$983,015 in 2022. It grew by 38%
chain shortages. Even
from March 2021 to $1.3 million
veteran restaurateurs were
in 2022.
not immune. The deliv-
In Lee County, hotels achieved
ery delay of ceiling tiles
occupancy rates of 76% in Janu-
prevented Skillets founder purchased ahead of the curve, Pavicevic said. “The white French oak went up 70% from when we agreed on the job,” he says. Although about 40 restaurants launched in the first quarter of 2022, many others missed opportunities in Collier and Lee counties. While restaurants such as Nosh on Naples Bay and The Bohemian Restaurant in Bonita Springs opened in the early part of the year— albeit much later than originally anticipated— others such as MareTerra Ristorante in Bonita and Food & Thought 2 in North Naples had planned late 2021 launches but didn't open until June. Eight restaurants originally planned to launch last fall in The Pointe at Founders Square, a new mixed-use development on the corner of Collier
Ross Edlund from opening
to eat away at restaurants’
ary and 88% in February. That in-
his 12th restaurant on
profits and the world
creased by 38% in January and 29%
time there. A missing
returns to some normal-
walk-in refrigerator/freezer
cy after the pandemic
in February from one year prior.
unit caused co-owners
panic, Phelan predicts
Jon and On Augsondthung
challenging times ahead
to open their second Fuji
for restaurants—which
Sushi Bar & Asian Bistro
he says see inflation first,
months later than they had
because they watch the
planned.
rising cost of eggs and
While post-season
flour and other food items
May is the month of the
cut into their already slim
year when the most local
profit margins.
The average daily rate grew by 37% in January to $199 and increased by 45% in February, up to $277 that month. Bed tax revenues responded by surging in Lee County. They increased by 47% to $7.79 million in January and by 44% to $8.1 million in February, as compared to a year earlier. In March, Lee County
“Although it was a
set more tourist records. The tour-
close after last-ditch
phenomenal season, I’d
ist tax revenue jumped from $8.7
efforts for seasonal busi-
put a little asterisk next to
million in March 2021 to $10.9 mil-
ness, this year atypically
it, because the next seven
lion this year, a record high for any
saw more restaurants
months will be a different
open than close. At least
story,” he said in May. “We
month on record. It was even high-
10 restaurants opened in
are heading back the way it
May, missing the boost
was before, in my opinion.
that season provides.
For two years, we hadn’t
restaurants historically
As inflation continues
had an end of season because people were locked down up north and didn’t leave here. Folks are heading back this summer.”
— Tim Aten
er than the $9.1 million collected in each of March 2018 and 2019. Since February of 2021, each month has set a new revenue record for that month. In Lee County, those tourist tax revenues go toward paying for sports facilities used by the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, renourishing the beaches and funding the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau’s 33-member staff. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 3 7
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
Park in East Naples.
3 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Provided
The busy season was remarkable this year for Southwest Florida venues, including Celebration
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER? G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 3 9
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER? NEW LOOK IN LEE Lee County also spent $200,000 from
end, said Melissa Schneider, the ho-
that budget on rebranding its tourism
tel’s marketing director.
slogan. The signage and logo shifted
In January, the Lani Kai’s 100
this year from “The Beaches of Fort
rooms have gone from 94% occupied
Myers and Sanibel” to “Fort Myers Is-
in pre-pandemic 2018 to 96% this
lands Beaches & Neighborhoods.”
year. In February, the Lani Kai surged
Tamara Pigott, executive director of
from 96% in 2018 to 100% occupancy
the Lee County Visitor & Convention
this year. In March, more of the same:
Bureau, declined an interview request
100% this year. In April, the hotel ex-
through Lee County communications
perienced 100% occupancy in 2021
director Betsy Clayton. She suggested
and again this year.
instead talking to Lee County Com-
That’s a substantial change from
missioner Cecil Pendergrass, the chair
the peak pandemic lockdowns of
of the Tourist Development Council.
April 2020, when closures resulted
“People keep coming here for the
in 5% occupancy.
three W’s,” Pendergrass says, “the
“The town allowed everybody to
warmth, the weather, the water. The
open again May 15,” Schneider says
way of life is more casual here than on
of 2020. “That’s when you had people
the east coast. And we have such a di-
who weren’t locked down who were
verse area here to vacation.”
coming. There was a time where peo-
It’s more than about the beaches
ple just got tired of being locked down,
and the baseball these days, Pender-
and they were booking. It’s been in-
grass said. There’s ecotourism inland
teresting seeing the different waves
and activities like horseback riding
of people visiting, whether they were
in Alva. “Some people come here for
locked down or tired of people being
shopping or golf or pickleball,” he says.
locked down. And then people were
As for the rebranding, that made
getting the vaccine, and they felt more
sense, too, he said. They wanted to get
comfortable traveling.”
away from marketing “Lee County” to
The months of August and Septem-
avoid confusion with the nation’s six other Lee counties. “Fort Myers is the hub of the county,” Pendergrass says.
WATER ATTRACTION Fort Myers Beach has been packed with
BEACH HOTELS FULL
tourists this year.
Adler, the vagabond tourist, has plenty of company at the Lani Kai, where tourist season seems to never 4 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
ber used to be quiet at hotels, even on the beach, with families shutting down their summer vacations and returning to work and school. That late-summer slowness has stopped. In August and September 2018, the Lani Kai was at 65% and 60% occupancy, respectively; in 2019, 75% and 75%; in 2020, 80% and 75%; in 2021, 95% and 95%. “When Easter comes along, a lot of people used to usually go back north,” Schneider says. “But with the last couple of years, that’s just changed. We’ve been in season since we opened in May 2020. It’s been one long season. Septembers used to be pretty quiet. This September, we had 95% occupancy.” INLAND HOTELS ALSO THRIVING Inland hotels keep filling almost all of their peak season rooms on a regular basis, said Jim Larkin, general manager of the Crowne Plaza at Bell Tower. “It was the second-best March we’ve ever had,” Larkin says. “For the month of February, we were 98.9% occupied. For March, it was pretty much the same thing; we had 99.3%. The only time we were better than that was 2018. “I think it was pent-up demand from
Provided
folks in the Midwest and Northeast who hadn’t fully come out of COVID restrictions. And quite honestly, the weather G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 4 1
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER?
PLAY BALL! Southwest Florida's spring training teams, including the Minnesota Twins, were affected by a shortened season because of Major League negotiations.
was pretty ugly up there. There was just a pent-up demand for people who hadn’t traveled in two years.”
to hit baseball on this sunny day instead. “It’s wonderful, and the weather has been wonderful,” says Beth McCarthy,
Provided Robert Exelbierd
who is from Wakefield, Massachusetts. “I THE SPRING TRAINING FACTOR
love Vanderbilt Beach, and Lowdermilk
Rylan McKnight holds the baseball. The
Beach is wonderful. We love them both.”
13-year-old, with his sister Kadlyn, 11,
But on this day, they arrive to feel the
nearby, hopes to land an autograph on
buzz of the crowd. During the pandemic,
it from any one of the Boston Red Sox
they spent lockdown playing 300 games
players walking just below him, to and
of Scrabble and 250 games of cribbage.
from the playing field at the Fenway South complex. As Rylan hopes for the best, his father says they’re just overjoyed to be vacationing in Southwest Florida from the cold, windy city of Chicago.
“This,” says Mac McCarthy, again displaying that beer, “is like going to heaven. Baseball, drinking beer—it doesn’t get any better than this.” Not even a half-canceled spring training because of Major League Baseball
“We’re down here for spring training,”
labor negotiations could throw too big a
Bryan McKnight says. “We’ve been trying
wrench into the seasonal tourism eco-
to go to all of the stadiums. We did not go
nomic engine. But it did affect Southwest
to any games at all for the last couple of
Florida’s three spring training teams.
years; up until COVID, we were trying to
The Boston Red Sox played 10 instead of
go to two or three stadiums a year. This is
18 scheduled games at JetBlue Park. They
the first game we’ve been to since 2019.”
ranked fourth among all 30 big-league
But COVID-19 reared its ugly head
teams by drawing 73,303 fans and averag-
again during the trip; the McKnights were
ing 7,330 per game, according to an analy-
slated to stay with their uncle, who at the
sis by Ballpark Digest. But their per-game
last minute caught the coronavirus. The
attendance average dropped by 16% com-
McKnights changed their plans and found
pared to 2020, another shortened season
an Airbnb in Naples instead.
because of COVID-19 cancellations.
“It’s great to be out without a mask on and enjoying it,” McKnight says.
“Our approach didn’t change,” says Red Sox vice president and chief operating of-
A few minutes later, on the concourse
ficer Jonathan Gilula. “We had the same
behind him, Beth and Mac McCarthy
plan. The only question was, when were
emerge from a beer kiosk with triumph
we going to start?”
on their faces and Miller Lite cans, drip-
Normally, the players would have re-
ping with ice-cold water, in their hands.
ported mid-February and played their
The two often hit the beaches, but decide
first games Feb. 27. This year, they reG U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 4 3
_THE MORE, THE MERRIER? ported March 13 and played their
park Digest analysis showed. Overall,
first games March 17, with the updat-
spring training attendance dropped
ed schedule pulled together practi-
8% this year when compared to 2020
cally overnight.
and 31% compared to 2019, the last normal spring training.
the players reporting, we pressed play
The Red Sox, Twins and Rays won’t
for our plan,” Gilula says. “The unique
divulge how much revenue they
challenge was ticketing for the games.
missed by losing almost two handfuls
And a new schedule came out. We’ve
of games, but it wasn’t a pittance.
been pleased with the attendance,
“It will have an impact,” St. Peter
given the circumstances. The change
says of the bottom line. “Spring train-
in the schedule, it aligned with some
ing is certainly a bigger business than
of the New England school vacations
it used to be. But we can overcome it.”
for spring break. We’ve seen good en-
On the other hand, that lack of
ergy in the ballpark and enthusiasm
games did not have as big a domino ef-
among our fans.”
fect on the rest of the region, according
The Minnesota Twins played nine
to hotel and restaurant owners.
instead of 18 games at Hammond
“That hurt us early in March a lit-
Stadium. They ranked 14th among all
tle bit,” Larkin says of the shortened
teams in attendance, drawing 45,505
spring training. “But you wouldn’t
fans, an average of 5,006 per game.
know it, because our numbers are so
That average fell by 36% from 2020.
strong. The only dates that were soft
“I would say it was a mixed bag,”
for us were the first week of March.
Twins president Dave St. Peter says.
After that, we just made up for it with
“Clearly, we were ecstatic with a labor
the pace.”
agreement that allowed us to proceed
Michael DeNunzio, owner of Fine
with 162 games in the regular season.
Folk Pizza, shifted his business mod-
“We were in the upper half of Ma-
el to doing more takeout than dine-in
jor League Baseball for attendance.
when the pandemic began, and he is
But it hasn’t been the same as a
maintaining that shift in philosophy.
typical spring. We’re not selling out
He believes that shift helped him
every game. When you’re drawing
overcome the lack of spring training
4,500 or 5,000 fans, it’s different
from mid-February through mid-
than 7,000 or 8,000.”
March when traffic to the pizzeria
The Rays in Port Charlotte ranked
picked up again.
28th, drawing 28,306 fans in 10 games.
“We built fine Fine Folk Pizza next
The average of 2,831 fans per game
to that stadium because we knew on
dropped 24% from 2020, the Ball-
game day it would be good exposure
4 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Provided
“Once we got the green light with
NUMBERS DOWN The Boston Red Sox averaged 7,330 in attendance per game for its 10 spring training games this year at JetBlue Park in Lee County.
for us,” DeNunzio says. “We count on a busier March, for sure. It’s important that we maximize our opportunities. We definitely saw some stragglers coming over from the stadium. I think the ballpark being back to being open helped our business in a positive way. I definitely noticed there were people in baseball gear out there.” With the pandemic introducing more Floridians to Southwest Florida as a daytrip or short vacation destination, the idea that tourist season ends at Easter is starting to fade. After all, Adler’s still living/vacationing at Fort Myers Beach after Easter these days. “Everything’s really alive here,” says Adler, who spent 20 consecutive months living there after the pandemic began, before resuming his vagabond ways. “The beach was only closed for a couple of weeks. So every weekend, from Friday through Sunday and the holidays, everybody from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, the Keys, everywhere else was shut down. So the beaches here looked like spring break. The bars and restaurants were having record revenues from June, July and August. And it never ended. It just kept going. “It was just me. It’s fun to see the beach happy again.”
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 4 5
Brian Tietz
THE INN
OF AN ERA HOTELIER MEANS
CHANGES BY TIM ATEN
PHIL FOR
MCCABE’S THE
SWFL
EXIT SCENE
_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
Significant sales and changes for hotels in Southwest Florida had historic magnitude during the first quarter of 2022, and continue to affect the rest of the year. Naples entrepreneur Phil McCabe was in the center of it, his personal story tied to many of the local properties making headlines, including the sale of three hotels in Naples. Inn on Fifth The days immediately before and after the real estate transaction closed for the sale of his longtime hotel on Fifth Avenue South, McCabe fell into a deep funk. He had built and owned the iconic Inn on Fifth for more than 25 years, so his decision to sell wasn't easy and weighed heavily on him. The normally upbeat and in-command McCabe was depressed and seemed broken. As of 10 a.m. May 11, he was no longer the owner of the Inn on Fifth. “Seventy-two hours before the closing,” McCabe says, “it started sinking in. ‘What have I done? What am I going to do?’ “I’m obviously at the end of my game,” says McCabe, who turned 75 on May 1 and estimates that the Inn on Fifth represented 50% or 60% of his professional life. “Suddenly, it’s gone.” McCabe purchased the 699 Fifth Ave. S. property, a former bank office, in August 1996 for $2.65 million and redeveloped commercial property across the street in 2010 to create the Club Level Suites at Inn on Fifth. Not only has the hotel been a major part of McCabe’s life, it was a centerpiece for change on Fifth Avenue South for decades. “It turned Fifth Avenue around,” McCabe says. “There isn’t anyone in our community that has had more of an impact on shaping Fifth Avenue South than Phil McCabe,” says Bruce Barone Jr., executive director of the Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District. “His vision, dedication and stewardship of the Inn Robert Exelbierd
on Fifth is unparalleled. His work over the last 20 years has put us in the position we enjoy daily with guests from all over the world.” 4 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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NAPLES LANDMARK The iconic Inn on Fifth has been a centerpiece for change on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples for more than 25 years.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 4 9
Robert Exelbierd, Brian Tietz
TIME FOR CHANGE Entrepreneur Phil McCabe (right) sold his longtime Inn on Fifth (above) in downtown Naples to Pebblebrook Hotel Trust this spring for $156 million.
5 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
for meticulously by the current owner,” Bortz said. It took a few days after the hotel’s sale before McCabe was ready to talk about the transition. “The closing process was incredibly complicated,” he says, mentioning that he had Washington, D.C., law-
The Inn on Fifth was a place where McCabe had been at 2 in the morning, 4 in the morning, whatev-
yers to handle the heavy lifting. “We had amazing professionals working through the process.”
er the reason necessary, to handle anything the job
Still, the sale took a personal toll on McCabe, at
demanded. “When you own a hotel, you’re in it full-
least temporarily. “I’m past it now. It was difficult, so
time. It’s open 24/7. You're responsible for that,"
difficult,” he says. One of the hardest parts was no-
McCabe says. “When you own an asset like I owned,
tifying his 99 employees, some of whom worked for
you’ve got to make sure it’s running correctly.”
him more than 20 years. “It was like family,” he says.
But McCabe knew this hands-on period of his
The good news, McCabe told his staff, is that he
career had culminated. “For sure, my operating
was going to still be working in their Inn on Fifth of-
days are over,” he says. “I've built four hotels and
fice for another four months, through the summer,
six restaurants in my career. That chapter of my
so he wasn’t going anywhere immediately. This al-
life is closed.”
lowed him to move into the next phase of his life,
His decision to sell the hotel initially shocked his sons, Philip and Joseph. “They thought their dad was content for the rest of his life to operate the hotel,” McCabe says. “But they were 100%
what he refers to as starting a new book, affording more time to tend to his personal portfolio. “I spend a lot of time on my other assets," he says. “I got very excited about this other stuff.”
behind it. They didn’t want to operate the hotel.
That stuff won’t include golf, which McCabe said
They each have their own careers, their own pas-
is the perfect preoccupation for many retirees, but
sions and interests.”
it’s personally not for him. Besides, he’s not exactly
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a publicly traded real
retiring anyway.
estate investment trust, acquired the 119-room hotel for $156 million. The boutique accommodations,
Inn of Naples
which recently underwent a $5 million renovation,
Denver-based Mission Hill Hospitality acquired
include two fine-dining restaurants, Truluck’s and
the 99-room Inn of Naples from Dallas-based MCR
Ocean Prime.
for more than $15.3 million in mid-March. The ho-
Pebblebrook tapped Noble House Hotels & Resorts to manage the four-star, four-diamond landmark hotel, which will be part of the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. Pebblebrook also owns LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, while Noble House manages that North Naples property, too. In making the announcement in late April of the then-pending sale, Jon E. Bortz, chairman, president and CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, lauded the hotel and McCabe. “The Inn on Fifth exemplifies South Florida’s effortless blend of upscale, laidback luxury and was developed flawlessly and cared
tel at 4055 Tamiami Trail is undergoing a brand
_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
The upscale resort opened as The Registry Resort in the late ’80s and has changed hands a few times over the years. It was renamed Naples Grande Beach Resort before being rebranded as Waldorf Astoria Naples for a brief time. Its name reverted back to Naples Grande Beach Resort in late 2014.
changeover to the Tapestry Collection by Hilton,
Before the Naples Grande’s previous sale, Mc-
so all guest rooms and suites, the lobby, public and
Cabe tried to buy the resort years ago. “I think they
meeting spaces and its restaurant are being com-
wanted $195 million at that time, but I just couldn’t
pletely renovated.
make the numbers work. I made an offer close to
The Inn of Naples was McCabe’s first Naples ho-
asking on it. They declined my offer and sold it for
tel, launching more than 35 years ago. "My Inn of
asking,” he says. “I had a plan and a vision for that. I
Naples was under construction when they opened
was going to drastically change it.”
the Ritz-Carlton [Beach Resort]," he says. The Reg-
McCabe wanted to convert it into a boutique
istry Resort, now the Naples Grande, opened a few
hotel with some residential residences. He was
months before McCabe opened Inn of Naples. The
going to turn its tennis cabanas into condos, gate
overflow from the Ritz and Registry resorts made
the property and change the look, color and every-
the Inn of Naples an instant success with guests,
thing. “I’m kind of glad they didn’t accept my of-
McCabe said. “They were lined up out the door.”
fer," he says.
Naples Grande
Naples Beach Club
The Naples Grande Beach Resort also changed
Demolition of the former Naples Beach Hotel &
hands this spring. London-based Henderson Park
Golf Club commenced this spring on the Gulf shore
bought the hotel at the end of March from Den-
and is expected to be completed this summer to
ver-based Northwood Hospitality for $218.4 mil-
make way for redevelopment of the Naples Beach
lion, plus $24.8 million for its 18-hole golf course
Club, a mixed-use resort that will bring a 216-room
and $4.8 million for the 15-court tennis center, ac-
Four Seasons hotel to Naples. After operating the
cording to Collier County property deeds.
historic resort for 75 years, the Watkins family sold
The resort at 475 Seagate Drive in Naples has 395
the 125-acre property to The Athens Group and Mi-
standard rooms and 29 tower suites with 50 villas.
chael Dell’s MSD Partners last year for more than
It includes seven restaurants/bars, 12 spa rooms
$362 million.
and three pools spread across 23 acres.
“The Four Seasons will have a profound impact on the city of Naples,” says McCabe, noting that the high-profile project denotes the start of major redevelopment, not the density development that preceded it. “Older buildings being torn down and architecture coming in at a higher cost. That's what you're going to see here because of the Four Seathe Ritz-Carlton was a game-changer.” Because of the Four Seasons, McCabe said Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is here today with the Ronto
5 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Robert Exelbierd
sons. The Four Seasons is a game-changer just as
GRANDE SALE The Naples Grande Beach Resort sold in March for more than $218 million, plus another nearly $30 million for its golf course and tennis center.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 5 3
NAPLES ICON EXPANDS: PUTTING MORE ON THE RITZ The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
ironically made his for-
refers to its addition of a
tune with the Waffle House
14-story tower and other
restaurant chain, bought
luxury amenities this year
the first hotel and the
as “the evolution of an
Ritz-Carlton name in Bos-
icon.” The beachfront re-
ton before building addi-
sort’s most notable make-
tional locations in Atlanta;
over in nearly a decade
Buckhead, Georgia; and
truly earns a place in its
Laguna Niguel, California.
storied history.
The Naples hotel was the
says. “Then, they anchored the southern
fifth for the Ritz-Carlton,
end [of Pelican Bay] with the Registry
the Ritz-Carlton beach
which sets the standard for
Resort (now Naples Grande Beach Resort)
resort in December 1985
hotel luxury.
with a group out of Texas.”
The Naples opening of
was monumental by all ac-
Westinghouse wanted
counts. “It really launched
the Ritz-Carlton to anchor
ly development. “I bought pre-construction
Naples, that Ritz-Carlton. It
the Pelican Bay waterfront
in the Remington high-rise in Bay Colony.
laid the foundation for the
community that the com-
I was actually living in the first high-rise
wealthy coming to Naples,”
pany created just north of
at Bay Colony at the time,” he says. “I had
says Naples entrepreneur
the city of Naples on more
the opportunity to buy the land where the
and longtime hotelier Phil
than 2,300 acres it pur-
Remington sits from WCI for a hotel next
McCabe. “The Ritz-Carlton
chased from Barron Collier.
to the Ritz. I’m pretty sure it was $5 mil-
laid the groundwork.
Coral Ridge Properties, a
lion.” The transaction didn’t transpire, but
division of Westinghouse
the rest is history, as they say.
“The Ritz-Carlton came
McCabe had a front row seat for the ear-
here because of W.B. John-
that became WCI, offered a
son, who had a home here
piece of beachfront prop-
way in the evolving hospitality market in
and had a relationship with
erty on the northern end of
Naples. Its new tower rising on the local
Westinghouse, which was
Pelican Bay to Johnson for
horizon is part of a $50 million renovation
developing Pelican Bay.”
the hotel about 40 years
project targeted for completion in Decem-
ago. “They wanted the
ber. The addition on the southwest side of
Ritz-Carlton there,” McCabe
the beachfront hotel is being built in place
Atlanta businessman William B. Johnson, who
The Ritz-Carlton continues to lead the
of a former swimming pool. “We’re really taking the leadership role," says Mark Ferland, area general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples. “This iconic resort has always been really one of the crown jewels of the Ritz-Carlalready an iconic and revered property but we’re really transforming it into an even greater experience. We’re creating a new legacy for many years to come.”
5 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Provided; Robert Exelbierd
ton brand for almost four decades. It was
_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
The Ritz-Carlton embrac-
legacy is preserved and
is, basically, a bi-level
the guests staying on
es the historic opportunity
that the Ritz-Carlton
suite,” Ferland says. “So,
the Club level.”
to take its iconic property
Naples continues to be
you’ll enter in the parlor
One level below
in Naples and redefine it
a global leader in the
area then you’ll go down
the Club will be the
from a luxury perspective,
luxury space.”
the stairs and you’ll be
resort’s new restau-
Ferland said. The resort’s
The Ritz actual-
into your secluded bed-
rant, Sofra, which
new 101,334-square-foot
ly paves the way for
room experience. We're
will also launch in
tower addition rises more
another luxury resort
already getting a lot of
December. “Sofra
than 157 feet. A lobby with
brand such as Four
interest in those suites.”
is going to be our
a mezzanine on the second
Seasons to desire to be
More than half of the
eastern Mediter-
level will welcome guests
in Naples. “Naples is
new three-bedroom
ranean-style new
to the five-star, five-dia-
such a desirable leisure
ocean view royal suites
restaurant featuring
mond resort’s 474 rooms
location. Whether it's
that the resort recent-
a very vegetable-for-
and suites, including its
arts or shopping or fine
ly launched in its new
ward menu, very
dozen new 1,478-square-
dining, it’s just become
south tower are already
inspired by a little
foot three-bay suites.
such a luxury destina-
booked for the week
more healthier eating
tion," Ferland says. “It’s
starting Dec. 26, he
again," Ferland says.
mation project in the histo-
really perfect to have
said. When the transfor-
“In the evening, it
ry of the Ritz-Carlton brand
more luxury hotels.”
mation is unveiled at the
will have beautiful
end of the year, the Ritz
fresh fish, a very
“It’s the largest transfor-
certainly outside of a new
The Ritz-Carlton's
build or a new hotel being
latest addition includes
will have 92 new suites
Mediterranean-style
constructed. So, we really
a dramatic transforma-
and a Ritz-Carlton Club
menu.”
stand ready to transform
tion of its guest suites,
Lounge.
this distinguished resort,"
which Ferland describes
Ferland says. “Really, each
The resort is trans-
“The Club is really
forming its outdoor
as a personal sanctu-
unique in that it will be
amenities, as well.
purposeful step has been
ary. "We have a unique
unlike any in the brand,
“We’re building not
undertaken to assure our
suite product which
because it’s going to be
only an adult pool
close to 4,000 square
but a lap pool that’s
feet with really dramatic
connected right onto
floor-to-ceiling views
it with spectacular
of the Gulf of Mexico,"
bungalows and pri-
Ferland says. “It will
vate cabanas—really
be off the lobby on the
unlike anything in the
first floor. It will have
marketplace today,”
seven to eight of its
Ferland says. “The
own terraces so a family
bungalows will have
can have breakfast out
private bathrooms,
there and just enjoy the
showers and air
Gulf of Mexico and the
conditioning—really
views. It’s going to be
a very, very special,
very highly personalized
unique experience.”
with an individual bar, so we’ll have a craft cocktail program just for
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 5 5
_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
Group’s proposal to redevelop the Mansion House cooperative next to Lowdermilk Park for luxury condominiums. “Those are the fundamental changes you’re going to see here,” he says. More accommodations Other hotel properties also are making news this year in Southwest Florida, including the addition of a 14-story tower and more at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples. Also notable and highly visible are massive construction projects on the Gulfshore for the sprawling 254-room Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach and Allegiant’s massive 785-room Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor. After experiencing extended delays, vertical construction is underway for both projects, which are expected to be completed in 2023. A four-story, 118-room Hampton Inn is under construction on the corner of Cleveland Avenue and McGregor Boulevard in downtown Fort Myers and expected to be completed this fall. The Ellington, a mixed-use project with a 10-story, 125room hotel, broke ground this year at the intersection of U.S. 41 East and Davis Boulevard in East Naples. The eight-story Hotel Indigo, which has been renamed Banyan Hotel and rebranded as a Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has been undergoing a floor-by-floor renovation of its 67 rooms on Broadway Avenue in downtown Fort Myers. The newly renovated Wiggins Pass Chalet boutique hotel in North Naples relaunched its 14 suites this spring after being shuttered for more than five years. Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach is set to undergo a $7 million renovation project starting in August to upgrade its 195 guest rooms. Other area hotel projects are in the works, including a new six-story Hampton Inn & Suites planned for Bell Tower Robert Exelbierd
near U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway in south Fort Myers, and a three-story AC Marriott abutting Naples Square on the corner of U.S. 41 East and Goodlette-Frank Road in Naples. 5 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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GOING UP Construction continues on Allegiant's 785-room Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor. The resort is targeted for completion in 2023.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 5 7
CHECKING OUT Naples entreprenuer Phil McCabe will work through the summer from his
5 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Brian Tietz
office at the Inn on Fifth before he moves to a new office at Naples Airport.
gulfshorebusiness.com
_T H E I N N O F A N E R A
Phil’s future McCabe doesn’t plan to reinvest his fortune from selling the Inn on Fifth. At his age, he said, he is focused on preservation of wealth, structuring it in such a way that it's going to have a multigenerational impact. “All of my future has changed with my perspective,” he says. “I'm never going to leverage or step out there into the development world, risking all of my wealth. I still own great assets and land.” The product of a blue-collar community in Boston, McCabe at age 27 invested his life savings of $25,000 to buy a bankrupt hotel in Maine, creating a multimillion-dollar business. Today, he’s the largest property owner in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he owns a home and 62 acres. “I've owned it for years and years, some for 40 or 50 years,” he says. “I'm immediate neighbors to the Bushes.” McCabe still has property in Naples, too. He has the groundfloor retail spaces below the Residences at 5th & 5th and nearly the entire block behind the parking garage on Fourth Avenue South. He doesn't have plans there for the moment after recently completely renovating an 11-unit apartment complex there. He also is building a hangar at Naples Airport tied to a large office building he will have there. When he says his final farewell at the hotel, that’s where he will move his office for Gulf Coast Commercial, the company he has owned for 30 years. “That’s the company I used to develop a lot of what we did over the years,” he says. McCabe also co-owns 250 acres on the northern tip of Anguilla, a Caribbean island that’s a British overseas territory. He and co-owner Kevin Stoneburner, the developer of Bayfront Naples, are in the process of getting land-use entitlements now with the government of Anguilla. The Ritz-Carlton is interested in their planned development, which is subdivided into lots, condos and single-family residences. "The Ritz-Carlton has agreed they would like to be there in one of the subdivisions on 26 acres with two 18-story buildings—condos and a hotel,” McCabe says. He notes that Four Seasons has a hotel on the other side of the island. “The point is, I’m not going to go off and play golf or go fishing," he says. “If I want to do something, I have plenty.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 5 9
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style pools, private tennis, a luxurious spa, boating, dining, and Visit usfitness to Learn More about Membership state-of-the-art facility. All enjoyed among familiar www.naplesbayclub.com or call Membership Director, Robert events, creating memories in a private club environment. Forrest at (239) 530-5159 to arrange a Club Tour
faces, with an extensive year-round social calendar of member
1800 Tamiami Trail East. Naples FL 34112 | naplesbayclub.com | (239) 530-1199
Lifestyle, Pools, Dining & Social, Wellness, Tennis and much more! Enjoy the good life at Naples Bay Club. Visit us at naplesbayclub.com to learn more about membership.
Join Naples Bay Club to enjoy the best of Naples, Florida. Here you will have access to a world class Private Membership Club, Resort Style Pools and Spa, YearRound Social Events, Dining, Wellness Center, Tennis and Fitness Programs. Visit us to Learn More about Membership www.naplesbayclub.com or call Membership Director, Robert Forrest at (239) 530-5159 to arrange a Club Tour 1800 Tamiami Trail East. Naples FL 34112 | naplesbayclub.com | (239) 530-1199
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COUNTRY CLUB LIFE
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Pelican Isle Yacht Club is the Yacht Club of Choice in Southwest Florida! Situated just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico via the Cocohatchee River, the pristine beaches of Wiggins Pass State Park and Barefoot Beach Preserve are part of the panoramic views Members enjoy from the Club. For their boating Members, the 190 slip Marina offers easy access to intercoastal waterways and the Gulf. When not on the water, Members of PIYC enjoy an active lifestyle that includes everything from pickleball to paddleboards, bocce to kayaking with fellow Members. With all of this to offer along with an unrivaled camaraderie, it is no wonder PIYC is recognized as the #7 Yacht Club in America by Club Leader’s Forum and as Top 50 Yacht Club in the World. Additional information about this exclusive Members Only Club is available at www.piyc.net.
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P
erfectly located in the heart of Naples, the Vineyards is one of the largest communities with an enduring legacy spanning more than 30 years. This thoughtfully
designed development has approximately 2,800 residences just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and Naples’ finest cultural pursuits. The family owned, award-winning, Vineyards Country Club is the community’s central feature. Recently renovated, the 70,000 square-foot clubhouse and the new adjoining 15,000 wellness center & spa offers refined indoor and outdoor settings where members enjoy premium lifestyle amenities including 36 holes of golf, tennis, pickleball, bocce, swimming, fitness, wellness and spa services. The Club’s year-round, robust
social calendar includes a variety of signature events, family activities, offsite adventures and on-site interclubs providing non-stop opportunities to experience the best Southwest Florida has to offer. Vineyards Country Club’s ballroom, grand dining and banquet rooms create perfect settings for memorable celebrations. While membership is not required to host a private event, each guest can expect the highest quality, attentive service, sophisticated style and exceptional cuisine in the ultimate event destination. 239-353-1500 info@vineyardscountryclubnaples.com 400 Vineyards Blvd., Naples, FL 34119
Welcome to Vineyards Country Club Reimagining Your Private Club Experience
Located in spectacular Naples, Florida, Vineyards Country Club is one of this city’s most unique and remarkable places. Take this opportunity to learn more about this landmark destination, which serves as a home away from home for those seeking authentic connections in an environment of unsurpassed reputation and quality. Our door is always open to those who appreciate the best of everything and want to belong to a true legacy!
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A GULFSHORE BUSINESS SPECIAL REPORT & GUIDE
G U I DE TO BUS I N ESS & COMMERCIAL BANKING 6 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s foundation is built on people and relationships. Our success stems from the importance we place on relationships with our customers, team members and the community. This approach enables us in delivering smart, thoughtful banking and lending solutions with unmatched, superior customer service. Rather than a “one size fits all” philosophy, we focus on each person’s and business’ circumstances to find the right solution. Despite our name, we’re not just an island bank. We have eight branches conveniently located throughout Southwest Florida with local bankers and loan officers eager to help you with your banking and lending needs. As a locally grown business dedicated to staying locally owned and operated, we’re fortunate to be in the unique position to help our fellow community members thrive, something we’ve done proudly for the past 19 years, with many more to come.
Local Bank. Lending. Decisions.
We bank on relationships.
W
ith Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, you get more than a bank and lender – you get a partner who cares. For close to 20 years our customers have been more than account numbers to us – they’re our partners, neighbors and friends. As a locally owned and operated community bank, all our decisions are made right here in Southwest Florida. Recognizing and valuing relationships with our customers, team members and community allows us to find solutions where traditional banks fail. Stop by today and experience the SanCap Bank difference.
8 convenient SWFL locations 239-472-6100 | www.SanCapBank.com NMLS #411904 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 6 7
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Moving You Forward
Put your goals in motion with our team of trusted experts. Naples Banking Center 999 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 511 Naples, FL | 239.610.4720 Fort Myers Banking Center 14421 Metropolis Avenue, Suite 102 Fort Myers, FL | 239.766.8980
banking, and treasury management services. In addition, Cogent focuses on SBA, USDA, Private Banking, Residential Lending, and Specialty Financing, including Asset-Based Lending. Cogent believes banking is personal and requires high-touch, innovative services designed to make managing financial transactions easier.
cogentbank.com Equal Housing Lender
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ME E T I NG & EVENT PLANNER
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S JULY 2022 69
MEETING & EVENT PLANNER
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Consider DeRomo’s for your upcoming event! DeRomo’s La Fontana Banquet Room can comfortably accommodate parties of up to 100 guests, while our beautifully decorated private dining room is perfect for smaller events up to 25 guests.
DeRomo’s offers brunch, lunch and dinner options customized to fit your event, theme, and Italian favorites. With an event planner on staff, we can assist you in designing the perfect menu, along with all other aspects of your event, to make your visit a truly unique and unforgettable experience. If your event or meeting is being held elsewhere, DeRomo’s also offers a full catering menu. Let us do the work so you can enjoy the party!
DeRomo’s Gourmet Market, Restaurant & Banquet Room 26811 South Bay Drive, Suites 140 & 148 Bonita Springs, FL 34134 239.325.3583 DeRomos.com
WE CATER TO ALL Host an event your guests will rave about with DeRomo’s. BANQUET ROOM Our Banquet Room is ideal for up 100 guests. PRIVATE DINING ROOM For smaller events up to 25 guests and is intimately secluded. CATERING Assortment of food trays & platters for pick-up or delivery. Weddings & Anniversaries • Christenings • Baby Showers Bar & Bat Mitzvahs • Confirmations Graduations • Holiday Parties Awards Banquets • Fundraisers • Corporate Events
DeRomos.com | 239.325.3583 26811 South Bay Drive, Suites 140 & 148 Bonita Springs, Florida 34134 Market I Restaurant I Private Dining Room I Banquet Room I Catering I The Center Bar 7 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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Plan your next memorable event or meeting at
Host Your Event in Artistic Style Whether your event is an intimate gathering of a dozen people, an elegant wedding reception, a business luncheon or dinner, or a corporate conference for more than a thousand, we have spaces on the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus that are sure to match your style, aesthetic and state-of-the-art production needs. From the John and Jeanne Rowe Performance and Learning Center and The Baker Museum Signature Event Space to the art-filled tranquility of Norris Garden and the stunning sunset views from the Nancy and Lanny Baird Terrace, your event at Artis—Naples will be distinguished by excellence.
Please contact Event Services at events@artisnaples.org
Holiday Inn – Reimagined
Fully renovated meeting rooms, restaurant & bar coming up in late 2022. Our versatile event space will accommodate groups of 2 to 200 people. Collaborate with your team in the Studio, raise the bar in our Boardroom, celebrate your successes in the Ballroom, sharpen the skills in the breakout rooms, share drinks and laughs around the firepit on the lakeside patio. Catering, group rates, shuttle to RSW airport will complete the planning.
Holiday Inn Ft. Myers Airport @ Town Center 9931 Interstate Commerce Dr., Ft. Myers FL 33913 239-561-1550 hotel, sales@hiftmyersairport.com www.holidayinn.com/ftmyerstownctr
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FORT MYERS AT BELL TOWER SHOPS
Crowne Plaza Summer Meeting and Events Savings Let us help make your summer gathering a complete success. From July 1 through September 30, spend $2,500 and receive these added meeting benefits: • Complimentary meeting room rental • Complimentary iced coffee /iced tea station • 10% off catering menu items • 10% off audio visual needs • $50 Gift Certificate for Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café For reservations or information call 239-210-2470. 13051 Bell Tower Drive | Fort Myers | 239-482-2900
Take Your Business Meeting to the Next Level
When you need to seal the deal, impress clients or ensure productivty, schedule your next business meeting for lunch or dinner at Shula’s Naples. Meet your clients in our elegant dining room or book one of our private dining rooms for that perfect seminar.
Contact Stephanie Scholes to book your meeting at (239) 659-3176 or visit ShulasNaples.com 7 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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p_80 The elements of high-end apartment living in Southwest Florida
2
B. BUSINESS 2 BUSINESS
GOVERNMENT R E S I D E N T I A L R E A L E STAT E ARCHITECTURE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS NEW & EXPANDING
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Adapt to Thrive
JULY 2022
NAPLES BUSINESS OWNER HAS BEEN A LIFELONG ENTREPRENEUR p_86 Brian Tietz
By Artis Henderson
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S JULY 2022 75
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
GOVERNMENT
By John Guerra
Codifying Crypto LEGISLATURE STARTS REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR CRYPTOCURRENCY IN FLORIDA A detective in Miami Beach didn’t know he was about to make history in 2013 when he posed as a criminal when buying Bitcoin on the street. Michell Espinoza, 30, took the detective’s cash and in turn sent some Bitcoin, the digital currency, to the undercover officer’s online Bitcoin account. Because the undercover agent said he’d buy stolen credit cards with the Bitcoin, they arrested Espinoza and charged him with money laundering and engaging in the business of a money transmitter without a license. It’s the lack of a trading license that led a Miami-area legislator to sponsor House Bill 273, which says, simply: Individuals don’t need a license to trade or transmit such cryptocurrencies as Bitcoin, Tether, Binance and Ethereum. SWFL financial advisors call the law—which passed the Legislature in May—the foundation of Bitcoin regulation in Florida, an important step to the use of cryptocurrency in the state. And it is new. An appeal court wrote of the Espinoza case: “At all times relevant, there was no mention of virtual currency nor of Bitcoin anywhere within the Florida Statutes.” As more consumers use cryptocurrency to purchase SWFL, the question of whether one can use Bitcoin to buy a used car or other item in a private transaction becomes important.
HOUSE BILL 273 SWFL financial advisers refer to the law as the foundation of Bitcoin regulation in Florida. The law does not require a license in order to trade or transmit cryptocurrency.
7 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Getty
groceries, art, clothing and other goods and services in
Florida isn’t the only state addressing
estimates 600 worldwide) are central to
cryptocurrency; Georgia and Wyoming
the availability and transmission of cryp-
have adjusted their money transmitter stat-
tocurrency among individuals. Would-be
utes to allow private cryptocurrency trans-
Bitcoin investors can buy as little as $25
actions. Other states are following suit.
worth through an online exchange such
Jeff Janson, a wealth adviser and plan-
as Coinbase. Of course, $25 represents a
ner with Summit Wealth Partners LLC
tiny fraction of a single Bitcoin, which was
in Fort Myers, attended Bitcoin 2022
worth $40,140 on April 12. Only a finite
in Miami Beach in April. He saw gov-
number of each cryptocurrency will be
ernment and business leaders crowing
created, which creates urgency as the last
about the future of cryptocurrency in
of them are generated. For instance, Bit-
that region. The new law should make
coin has a “hard limit” of 21 million coins,
trading and transmitting cryptocurren-
which will be reached in 2041, according
cy easier, he said.
to Business Insider.
“The requirement for licensure should have been applied to businesses only and
THE DARK SIDE
should never have been applied to a trans-
House Bill 273 is the beginning of a
fer of crypto between consumers, either
much-needed regulatory framework to
in a pure exchange of fiat for crypto, or in
protect consumers, but it also allows un-
using crypto to purchase a good or a ser-
regulated cryptocurrency among indi-
vice,” says Janson. SWFL will follow suit,
viduals, said Professor Thomas Smythe,
he believes.
who teaches money and capital markets at
“Southeast Florida is smoothing the
Florida Gulf Coast University.
way for further adoption and use of digi-
“What I would be concerned about,
tal currencies,” he says. “For now, they are
especially with Bitcoin, is that it’s flying
a bit more progressive when it comes to
under the radar,” Smythe says. “Crypto-
cryptocurrency than SWFL.”
currency is ripe for consumer fraud. I’ll be stunned if we don’t see criminal activity.”
“S OUT HEA ST FL OR I DA IS SMO OT HING T H E WAY FOR FURT HER AD OPT I ON AND US E OF DI GI TA L CUR R E NCIES.” —Jeff Janson
In a Federal Trade Commission con-
NUTS AND BITS Calling cryptocurrency “Bitcoin” is like
sumer fraud newsletter article titled,
saying “Scotch Tape” to describe all the
“Cryptocurrency buzz drives record in-
brands of clear adhesive tape. Bitcoin is
vestment scam losses,” the FTC says cryp-
one of nearly 30 “brands” of cryptocurren-
tocurrency scammers stole more than $80
cy. Each fraction of every coin can be iden-
million from 7,000 investors between Oc-
tified, assigned ownership and tracked by
tober 2020 through March 31, 2021, and
the unique string of code attached to it. It
that number has increased since then.
is distributed using blockchain architec-
Here’s one common scam, according
ture that maintains a secure and decen-
to the FTC: A scammer, possibly through
tralized record of transactions anywhere
an online cryptocurrency trade club,
in the world.
convinces another trader to reveal key
Cryptocurrency
exchanges
(Forbes
account information. The trusting target G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 7 7
Business 2 Business GOVERNMENT
also might agree to send money or cryptocurrency for an investment opportunity. About 20% of the money lost in romance scams was cryptocurrency, the FTC says. That’s why Smythe believes there are good reasons to require individuals to have a license to trade cryptocurrency—or at least to add digital currency into anti-fraud and money laundering laws. “There are specific statements you
With Bitcoin, volatility is the nature of the beast The cryptocurrency market
“I don’t think Bitcoin is
took a major drubbing in May,
dead,” says Smythe. “I do
but financial advisers remain
think people are starting
confident in cryptocurrency’s
to see why it could never
future. Such price fluctua-
be used as a true curren-
tions have happened before.
cy—there is nothing backing
From May 4 to May 18—two weeks—in round numbers,
it like the Fed or the taxing authority of government.”
have to say until the transaction clears,”
Bitcoin fell from $40,000 to
Smythe says. “Who is going to monitor
just below $30,000. That rep-
cryptocurrency rates are not
resents a loss of one-fourth
tied to any nation’s econom-
of its value. Bitcoin, however,
ic performance; its price
has recovered from worse.
floats free of grain sales, or
According to Fast Company ,
the price of oil, for instance.
in 2018, when it was newer,
When it launched in 2009, it
Bitcoin fell from $20,000
was worth zero.
that? If it’s truly without a license, how do you know who’s doing it? If you’re shafted, who do you go to?” Corey Vertich, a partner with Uhler and Vertich Financial Planners of Fort Myers, provides planning services, financial investment and estate planning for highnet worth clients. His world, of securities, stocks and other traditional investments,
per coin to $3,000. It then
Bitcoin owners like that
“I think the other issue is one
shot to $68,000 in November
that Bitcoin supporters have
2021, its highest level ever.
actually promoted as good
According to CNBC’s online
and that is there is no national
is highly regulated for a reason. He sees
“Cryptoworld,” cryptocur-
boundary to Bitcoin,” Smythe
volatility in unregulated cryptocurrency.
rency prices fell with stocks
says. “That means its value can
in May after the Bureau of
swing based on what is going
try, the Bitcoin market requires anti-mon-
Labor Statistics reported
on anywhere in the world.”
ey laundering and fraud regulations,”
an 8.3% hike in April con-
“If you buy something in another coun-
Vertich says. “In the securities world, we develop a very great number of investor protections to prevent schemes such as pump and dump. There’s ample evidence that there is a tremendous manipulation of the cryptocurrency price.” PART OF THE FUTURE? Some people trade Ethereum, Tether,
sumer prices. That spooked investors, which led them to abandon riskier investments, including crypto. That means investors consider Bitcoin and other virtual currencies bona fide investments some of the time. Nervous investors will return and new ones will take a chance.
Bitcoin and other such cryptocurrency
7 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Getty
in such online trading clubs as “Bitcoingulfshorebusiness.com
CRYPTOCURRENCY MARKET Cryptocurrency rates are not tied to any nation’s economic performance. For instance, they float free of grain sales and the price of oil.
ers of SWFL.’’ That group has some 850 members, says Bill D’Antuono, who owns a fishing charter business. “Peer-to-peer
What if a national govern-
transactions are instantaneous and will
ment created a digital currency
inevitably be the catalyst for many new
tied to its national banking
start-up business and entrepreneurs of
system? It would possess the convenience of cryptocurrency
our time,” the club’s online mission state-
but be much more stable. Chi-
ment says.
na, the European Central Bank
SWFL businesses have been accepting
and the Bahamas are creating
digital currency for various goods and
digital currencies tied to their
services, especially high-dollar items
banking systems. The Baha-
such as jet aircraft, real estate and art,
mas, by the way, call theirs the
Smythe said. Marlissa Gardner, owner of
“Sand Dollar.”
Emillions Art Gallery in Naples, got me-
The United States Federal
dia attention when she made history sell-
Reserve is expected to intro-
ing an original Picasso to a customer who
duce a central bank digital
paid with cryptocurrency.
currency, or CBDC, in the next several years, Smythe said. “As for a central bank digital currency, it’s coming,” he says. “The Fed seems to be taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude, but it’s coming. The difference between this and Bitcoin is that the Fed would still back it and it is tied to a country, meaning it is still tied to inflation and economic output.” An American CBDC would theoretically be more stable and attract more currency traders and investors, but until then, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to work for millions of people.
“I F YOU BU Y S O M ET H I NG IN ANOT H ER C OUN T RY, TH E BI T C O I N M AR K ET REQU I R ES A N T I-M O NEY L AUND ER I NG A ND F R AU D REG U LAT I O NS.” —Corey Vertich
State lawmakers hope House Bill 273 and subsequent legislation will convince the public that cryptocurrency is safe enough to use in everyday transactions. One SWFL small business owner says she accepts cryptocurrency from her customers when they order online. They simply click on crypto as a payment option and go from there. “We have people who buy chicken, beef, bacon, eggs and other farm-fresh items with crypto,” says Nicole Cruz, who, along with her husband Manny, owns Circle C Farm Store in Bonita Springs. “There is a positive energy around crypto and its utilization. I don’t think crypto is going anywhere, it will continue to be a presence for a very long time, like Apple Pay and PayPal. It has now solidified, with emotional safety surrounding its use.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 7 9
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
R E A L E S TAT E
By Tim Aten
Life of Luxury THE ELEMENTS OF HIGH-END APARTMENT LIVING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Luxury apartments—multi-family communities on the
Naples-based Barron Collier Companies (BCC) has
flip side of affordable housing—are rising in popularity in
participated in joint venture development partnerships
Southwest Florida to meet high-end demand. But what
that include multifamily luxury projects such as Mura-
exactly does luxury mean today when it comes to apart-
no at Three Oaks in Fort Myers. BCC partnered with CC
ment life?
Residential to build Addison Place, a multi-family devel-
“To me, when you look at what defines something as lux-
opment on the northwest corner of Immokalee Road and
ury, it’s a variety of things,” says Keith Gelder, president
Collier Boulevard in North Naples. On the southeast cor-
of Naples-based Stock Development’s Luxury Apartment
ner of that same intersection, The Pearl Founders Square
Living division. “The most recognizable things are the club-
apartments are under construction as part of BCC’s
house and amenities, the finishes on the units, high-visibili-
Founders Square development.
For instance, Stock is upgrading all of its kitchens with quartz countertops and high-end, stainless steel appliance
Branding apartments as luxury housing is a way for developers to step up in a competitive market, said Barron Collier Companies CEO Blake Gable.
packages. “We stand out in amenities pretty significantly,”
“From an apartment standpoint, you have a lot of peo-
Gelder says. “We’ve built some of the larger pools. We try to
ple trying to stand out,” Gable says. “It’s one of those
stay on the cutting edge as far as amenities.”
things where you are trying to let the market know the
Stock’s Allura luxury apartment community under construction on Livingston Road at Veterans Memorial Bou-
amenities are going to be great and the apartments are well-appointed.”
levard in North Naples will have a bowling alley and a golf
Of course, upscale amenities usually translate to upscale
simulator. Stock properties also accentuate outdoor living
rents. The Pearl’s rental prices range from $2,474 per month
with amenities such as putting greens, grilling stations and
for a one-bedroom 684-square-foot studio apartment to
outdoor bar areas, Gelder said.
$4,244 per month for a three-bedroom/two-bathroom
“We are introducing dog spas (with a pet wash and
1,535-square-foot apartment.
groomers), which is something you see in the new proj-
The Pearl’s floor plans offer high-end features and sleek
ects,” he says. “We try to embrace pets with dog parks on
finishes, such as 10-foot ceilings, wood-finish flooring, large
all the properties.”
walk-in closets and gourmet kitchens with stainless steel
Luxury is part of Stock’s branding and image, Gelder said.
appliances, quartz countertops and custom Shaker-style
“It’s part of our brand identity. It’s part of our tagline. That’s
cabinetry with wine racks. The community of 400 apart-
why we use it.”
ments also features two resort-style pools with cabanas, a
8 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Provided
ty, high-touch kind of items.”
LUXURY LIVING A variety of elements make a living space considered luxury, such as the clubhouses, amenities, finishes on units, high-visibility and high-touch kind of items.
two-story state-of-the-art fitness center, golf simulator lounge, gourmet coffee bar, cinema room and cyber lounge. Proximity to restaurants and retailers makes a difference, too, and is considered an amenity. Some apartments are built in conjunction with an adjacent retail project, such as Stock Development’s Corsa at Estero Crossing and Citria at Fruitville Commons. “It really makes a difference,” says Claudine Leger-Wetzel, vice president of sales and marketing for Stock Development. “I think when we say luxury, it’s a lot about the social component of living in a rental apartment,” says Leger-Wetzel, noting that Stock was the first to offer outdoor tiki bars. “We created this outdoor living component where people can meet, eat and socialize.” At Corsa, under construction off Corkscrew Road in Estero, the two-story clubhouse is nearly 17,000 square feet under air, Leger-Wetzel said. Amenities include full-size bowling lanes, a golf simulator/movie theater with a sports lounge, a recreation deck with a covered veranda, green space with walking trails, an indoor pet spa, electric car charging stations and a nearly 88,000-gallon resort-style pool with an expansive sun deck. “As a business model for Stock, it makes a lot of sense for us. We have three projects in the works and we are anticipating more,” she says. Since homebuilder Stock jumped into the luxury apartments market in 2014 with the development of Spectra in south Fort Myers, the company has completed more than 1,200 units in Southwest Florida. All have a high occupancy rate, Gelder said. “We are seeing more apartment construction than we ever have,” he says. “The demand is there. All the developers are catering toward high-end products, trying to capture that same market. We have another 2,000 units in the pipeline to deliver over the next couple of years.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 8 1
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
ARCHITECTURE
By Bill Wasinger
Getting Smart at Work HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT At Venture X, a co-working space in Naples, members can enter any part of the facility touch-free, any time of the day or night. Inside, the space features an array of flexible workspaces and fiber internet access, and members can even set up their own VPN for online privacy. Plus, the LEED Gold-certified facility offers motion-sensitive LED lighting and an HVAC system with UV air filtration that provides a fresh air exchange every 20 minutes. “We have a lot of different companies that work here. [As a smart office], we have just about what anybody is looking for,” says Kathryn Parker, director of sales for Venture X. “And because of everything that has happened over the past two years, having the touchless access points … is something a lot of people appreciate.” While smart office features are part of the flexible office space design that Venture X offers, comparable elements of automation, sustainability and efficiency also are rapidly being written into local building codes. However, many workplaces are utilizing smart office technology to not only enhance the comfort and convenience of their employees and their customers, but to attract them, as well. “Employers want the state-of-the-art, but they also want better workspaces. It’s all about employee experiences. And it’s
Home. “This is geared toward growth of the company. If you’re
8 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Provided
dent of the hospitality division for Naples-based Clive Daniel
Provided
about guest experiences,” says Nancy Woodhouse, vice presi-
gulfshorebusiness.com
In Conference
a company wanting to attract a cer-
When the pandemic forced
camera, so it’s captur-
businesses to go virtual,
ing the entirety of the
Zoom became a hugely
room. But it’s listening in
important conferenc-
the room to try to deter-
technologies. The same is true if you
ing tool. Today, as some
mine who’s speaking. At
want to attract a certain employee to
employees have returned
that point, it focuses on
your company.”
to the office and others
them (to) create a look
still work from home,
like there’s a camera per
workplaces turned to smart office
the challenge for many
person.”
technology and flexible workspaces to
companies is to create a
For other businesses,
smart conference room
the goal is to simply make
that accommodates both
a smarter, more flexible
a hybrid workforce and
conference room.
their clientele. “The biggest piece we
“The conference room, to me, that’s a flexible
tain clientele or guest, you need to showcase
these
state-of-the-art
In the wake of the pandemic, many
provide the same comforts and conveniences that their employees may have grown accustomed to while working from home. However, more employees in open, hybrid workspaces created more challenges, too.
saw post-COVID-19 was
workspace. For some
improving conference
companies, they ended
room technology. One
up being for meetings
thing we’ve been doing
with their own clientele,”
effectively, that creates some difficul-
there is something called
Woodhouse says. “Some
ty holding conversations with mul-
‘Meeting Owl,’” Konert
have the living room
tiple people in the same room. A lot
says. “It’s a camera that
approach. So, even cli-
of sound masking systems we’re in-
goes in the middle of the
ent-facing, they’re using
stalling (are) helping block out sound
table in the conference
that space as more re-
room, and it’s got some
laxed, not-so-structured,
and give privacy,” says Bradd Konert,
AI built into it. It’s a 360°
space.”
“As real estate gets more expensive and we’re trying to use a space more
president of Gamma Tech Services, a full-service technology company in Naples. “When you get into medical
FLEXIBLE WORKSPACES
and HIPAA situations, we’re doing a lot there just for privacy reasons.
Many workspaces turned to smart office technology
Financial offices, insurance offices,
and flexible workspaces during the pandemic to
attorney’s offices—any place where
provide comfort and convenience to employees and
they want to be able to have those
their customers.
conversations and be confident that no one else is hearing them.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 8 3
Business 2 Business ARCHITECTURE
As the pandemic continues to ebb, some workers simply don’t want to return to the office, regardless of the amenities. In those cases, the touchless, automated security system that’s popular at Venture X can also be very useful for other businesses. “Employee turnover is incredibly expensive from an HR perspective. It’s also incredibly expensive as far as maintaining access to the building and how you handle that turnover,” Konert says. “How are you controlling access to the office? How do you handle it when an employee leaves? With an access control system, if you have turnover, you just remove their code and remove their access to the building. You never have to change locks.” Ultimately, as technology continues to evolve, it’s expected that more businesses will integrate smart technology into their workplaces for sustainability, efficiency and convenience. But whether it’s a programmable thermostat, motion-activated lights or fully functional, hightech conference rooms, Woodhouse cautions that function should still take priority over form. “We should always be improving our spaces, work areas or guest areas. That said, people need to hire the right people to look at [smart office technology] and understand it. They need someone to come in and assess their workflow. Watch how they work. Listen to how they work,” she technology—but if it’s not appropriate for your work area, you just wasted money.” 8 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Provided
says. “You can have the best-of-the-best smart
EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY As technology continues to evolve, it’s expected that more businesses will integrate smart technology into their workspaces.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 8 5
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
By Artis Henderson
Adapt to Thrive NAPLES BUSINESS OWNER STUART SHEPPARD HAS BEEN A LIFELONG ENTREPRENEUR Entrepreneurialism came early to Stuart Sheppard, founder and president of GWT Outdoors in Naples. In high school in Westchester County, New York, he and his buddies ran a house painting company. By college, they were renting out VCRs and VHS tapes. “We were always trying to do our own thing and find our own niche,” Sheppard says. After he graduated from college, Sheppard gave working for other people a shot, and spent 15 years in the financial industry employed by big-name firms such as Lehman Brothers. Eventually he admitted that working for other people wasn’t for him. “It started to wear thin,” he says, “so I fired myself out of that position.” Back in business for himself, Sheppard launched a blinds-cleaning company where he “quickly became an all-star.” Soon he noticed a pattern: His clients would bring him worn-out shades asking him to work miracles, and he’d have to suggest they skip the cleaning and buy new shades instead. It didn’t take long for him to see the business opportunity. Soon he launched a Hunter Douglas window treatment business and sold off the blind
“If you can adapt to changes quicker than your compet-
8 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
Erik Kellar
favorite pieces of entrepreneurial advice: Adapt or die.
Brian Tietz
cleaning company. The change sparked one of Sheppard’s
gulfshorebusiness.com
FINDING HIS NICHE Stuart Sheppard began searching for business opportunities in high school. He tried a few different ventures, and even gave working for other people a try before realizing that wasn't for him and decided to go into business for himself.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 8 7
Business 2 Business ENTREPRENEURSHIP
8 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
ADAPT OR DIE "If you can adapt to changes quicker than your competitor, you're going to do really well in life," says Stuart Sheppard.
itor, you’re going to do really well in life. But if you ignore circumstances that are changing, you’re going to go the way of the dinosaur.” That same adapt-or-die mentality got him into the outdoor pergola business, where he’s happily thriving today. GWT Outdoors specializes in custom adjustable pergola systems. Over the course of his career, through a variety of different businesses, Sheppard has been guided by the same entrepreneurial spirit that had him painting houses in high school. “I like being in control of my own destiny,” he says. “I like to know that every hour, every day, every year that I work I can control both the effort and the outcome. That keeps me motivated.” Hot Tip: Keep it to yourself Sheppard has serious advice for new entrepreneurs: Stop shopping around your ideas. “If you have a great idea, just go do it,” he says. “Don’t talk about it too much with your friends. Almost everybody you talk to will try to talk you out of what you want to do.” When Sheppard launched his Hunter Douglas business, his father told him he was crazy. “There are too many Hunter Douglas dealers in the world,” his father said. But Sheppard quickly took his company to No. 1 in the region, and it’s still a successful business today. “It’s remarkable how many people will tell Brian Tietz
you not to do something,” Sheppard says. “Until you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t realize how many people will try to discourage you.” G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 8 9
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
By Adam Regan
LEE COUNTY Seagate Mine LLC purchased a 503-acre mining property at 21260 State Road 82 in Fort Myers from MCIN Bell LLC for $15.2 million. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
Reynwood LLC purchased 37,344 square feet of office space at 14850 Global Parkway in Fort Myers from Panther Center FIP LLC for HB Family Limited Partnership Ltd. purchased a 10,522-square-foot space at 13525 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers from First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. for $2.75 million. Michael J. Frye, CCIM, with RE/MAX Realty Group Commercial Division represented the buyer, and Tony Mangione and Ty Hensley with Trinity Community Group represented the seller.
$6,625,000. David J. Stevens, CCIM of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
Walco Leasing LLC purchased 9.16
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
acres at 2200 SW Pine Island Road in Cape Coral from Manfred Lueck Bryan Belk, John Tennant, Chris
cant land, Parcel #00447240009
for $2.2 million. The acquisition was
Estate Investors purchased a
Adams and Sam Roe of Franklin
at Tamiami Trail East and Habitat
in conjunction with Walco Leasing’s
91,498-square-foot, single-
Street Commercial Real Estate
Drive, in East Naples from Utopia
purchase of the adjoining 5.96
tenant retail property within
represented the seller.
East Trail LLC for $2.2 million.
acres at 2120 SW Pine Island
David J. Stevens of Investment
Road from DELODDER MARY P TR
Properties Corp. represented the
for $1.25 million. Michael Price,
seller, and William V. Gonnering
ALC, of LandQwest Commercial
Port Charlotte Town Center, 1441 Tamiami Trail, in Port
COLLIER COUNTY
Charlotte from an affiliate of RCG Ventures for $8.8 million.
Rodney B Hansen 2012 Family
of Investment Properties Corp.
represented the buyer in both
The space is leased to Bealls.
Trust purchased 2.75 Acres of va-
represented the buyer.
transactions.
9 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Provided
Texas-based Ford & Sons Real
RR Copperhead LLC purchased
Majestic Palm Holdings LLC
Jason Lomano, Jack Lomano
321 Ave T Realty Corp. purchased
a 176-acre golf course property
purchased a 3.47-acre multifamily
and Andrew Lomano purchased
a 10,000-square-foot office/flex
at 20910 Copperhead Drive in
site at 4018 Princeton St. in
a 4,550-square-foot building
building at 1749 NE 10th Terrace
Lehigh Acres from A Fortune
Fort Myers from Island Coast
at 17707/711 San Carlos Blvd.
in Cape Coral from Heartland LLC
Teller’s Dream #2 LLC for
Developers Inc. for $1.8 million.
near Fort Myers Beach from
for $1,175,000. Philip Josberger
$2.1 million. Randy Thibaut,
Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, of
International Capital Investment
with KOVA Commercial Group
ALC, Hunter Ward, CCIM, and
CRE Consultants represented
Co. III for $1,595,000. Michael
represented the buyer, and Phil
William Rollins, CCIM, ALC, of LSI
the seller, and Ken Mulligan of
J. Frye, CCIM, of RE/MAX Realty
Deems with Phil Deems Real
Companies Inc. represented the
Downing Frye Realty represented
Group represented the buyer
Estate represented the seller.
buyer and seller.
the buyer.
and seller. 11230 Bonita Beach RE LLC purchased 2.11 acres at 11230
208 Palm River Boulevard LLC purchased a 12-unit apartment complex at 208 Palm River Blvd. in North Naples from E & B Home Group Inc. for $5.25 million. David J. Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.
and 11290 Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs from J.M. Beals Enterprises Inc. for $1.1 million. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. Represented the seller, and Richard Corley of Enterprise Real Estate Advisors Inc. represented the buyer.
Jonathan Martinescu purchased 1.83 acres at 4613 Chiquita Blvd. S. in Cape Coral from NEWCOM Real Properties for $850,000. Hal Arkin with Frye Commercial Group and Michael J. Frye, CCIM, with RE/MAX Realty Group Commercial Division represented the seller, and Phil Deems with Phil Deems Realty represented the buyer.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 9 1
Business 2 Business
J U LY 2 0 2 2
N E W & E X PA N D I N G
By Adam Regan
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
COLLIER COUNTY
My Salon Suite leased 10,560
Basilica Gifts Inc. dba Global
Alliant Property Management,
DeAngelis Custom Buildings
square feet of retail space in
Gallery leased 4,680 square feet
LLC leased 2,588 square feet of
Inc. leased 1,542 square feet of
Peachland Promenade, 24123
of retail space at 350 Fifth Ave. S.,
office space at 4501 Tamiami
office space at 3435 10th St. N.,
Peachland Blvd., Unit 160, in Pun-
Suite 100, in Naples from Reinco,
Trail N., Suite 224, in Naples from
Suite 303, in Naples from HPPC
ta Gorda from IVT Port Charlotte
Inc. Tara L. Stokes of Investment
FLP 4501 LLC. Rob Carroll, CCIM,
Investments Properties LLC. William
Peachland LLC. Bruce Micciche,
Properties Corp. represented the
MAI, of Investment Properties
V. Gonnering, CCIM, SIOR, and
CCIM, of LandQwest Commercial
lessor and lessee.
Corp. represented the lessor, and
Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, of
Hamish Williams of AJS Realty
Investment Properties Corp. repre-
Group represented the lessee.
sented the lessor and lessee.
represented the lessor. J & D Enterprises of Naples Boba Tea leased 1,476 square feet
leased a 3,812-square-foot space
of retail space in Port Charlotte
in the Tanglewood Marketplace,
Cantor Fitzgerald L.P. leased
Becker Restaurant Ventures LLC
Town Center, 1100 El Jobean
4910 Tamiami Trail N., Suite
2,295 square feet of office space
leased a 1,325-square-foot space
Road, Suite 122, in Port Charlotte
300A, in Naples from Tanglewood
at 3001 Tamiami Trail N., Suite
in the Meridian Marketplace, 3375
from Calprop LLC. Mike Concilla
Naples LLC. Bill Young and Biagio
200, in Naples from Collier Place
Pine Ridge Road, Building 400, Unit
and Laura Cari of LandQwest
Bernardo of Lee & Associates
Holdings LLC. Sara Masterson of
106, in North Naples from Pine
Commercial represented the
Naples-Fort Myers represented
Investment Properties Corp. rep-
Ridge Livingston LLC. Bill Young and
lessor and lessee.
the lessor and lessee.
resented the lessor and lessee.
Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Sportsman’s Warehouse Inc. leased 29,413 square feet of retail space at 6329 Naples Blvd. in North Naples from 6329 Family Limited Partnership. Patrick Fraley, CCIM, and David J. Stevens, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Tom Godino with Atlantic Retail Florida LLC represented the lessee.
NAMI Collier County leased a 1,218-square-foot office space in Collier Park of Commerce, 3050 Horseshoe Drive N., Suite 168, in Naples from Helios Colliers LLC. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants represented the lessor and lessee.
Jump Hair LLC leased a 975-square-foot space in Pelican Plaza, 713 Bald Eagle Drive, Unit 707, on Marco Island from 102
Prtovided
Development Company LLC. Bill
9 2 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Club Champion leased 2,500 square feet of retail space in Shops at Village Walk, 7977 Dani Drive, in Fort Myers from 13555 TTN, LLC. Tom Strauss and Jessica McEvoy of LandQwest Commercial represented the lessee.
AAPA LLP leased a 1,929-squarefoot space at 9400 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 204, in Bonita Springs to Essco Naples LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented Worthington Realty Inc. leased 1,350 square feet of office space at 8880 Gladiolus Drive, Unit 110, in Fort Myers from Avalon Office Park Developers LLC. Gary Tasman and John Albion of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the lessor and lessee.
the lessor, and Jay Crandall of Crandall Commercial represented the lessee.
H&R Block Eastern Enterprises Young and Biagio Bernardo of
Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob
Trail in Estero from Estero Ridge
Inc. leased 1,065 square feet
Lee & Associates Naples-Fort
Johnston, SIOR, Jerry Messonnier,
LLC. Philip Josberger and Chad
of retail space at 2378 Surfside
Myers represented the lessor
SIOR, and Meaghan Schmitt of
Commers with Kova Commercial
Blvd., Unit 123, in Cape Coral from
and lessee.
Lee & Associates Naples-Fort
Group represented the lessor, and
J McGraw LLC. Gretchen Smith of
Myers represented the lessor and
Jennifer Castriotta and Rachel
Cushman & Wakefield Commer-
lessee.
Guertin with RE/MAX Commercial
cial Property Southwest Florida
represented the lessee.
represented the lessor.
Cak’d LLC leased 900 square feet of retail space at 304 Ninth St. N. in Naples from My Naples Sun-
Morgan Stanley Smith Bar-
shine LLC, Queeny Bee LLC and
ney Financing LLC leased a
Avalon Risk Management
Bednarz Tovar Series LLC leased
Killer Cooke LLC. Tara L. Stokes of
10,414-square-foot office space
Insurance Agency leased 2,610
a 985-square-foot retail space
Investment Properties Corp. rep-
at 7811 University Pointe Drive in
square feet of office space in Alico
in Beach Plaza, 4836 Bonita
Fort Myers from CDW 7811 Uni-
Center, 10070 Daniels Interstate
Beach Road, Unit 6, in Bonita
versity Pointe Drive LLC. Randal
Court, Suite 100A, in Fort Myers
Springs from 27702 Simmons
Mercer of CRE Consultants repre-
from Sunset & Whitney Holdings
LLC. Bill Young and Biagio
sented the lessor, and Brad Knop
LLC. Adam Palmer, CCIM, SIOR,
Bernardo of Lee & Associates
of JLL represented the lessee.
and Steve Wood of LandQwest
Naples-Fort Myers represented
Commercial represented the
the lessor and lessee.
resented the lessor and lessee.
LEE COUNTY Vivid EV LLC leased 46,053 square feet of space in Meridian Center South at 10411 Meridian Center
Floral Artistry of the Island Inc.
lessor, and Eric Edwards and Eli
Parkway, suites 11-14, in Fort
leased 6,100 square feet of
Lauber of LandQwest represented
Myers from Meridian South LLC.
retail space at 20041 S. Tamiami
the lessee.
G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 9 3
WOMEN IN
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE INAUGURAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS
Touchstone Wealth Partners
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Power and presence combine
Drinking water anywhere
AfterHours
U N W I N D | H O R S E P O W E R | F I T N E S S | N E W & N O T E W O R T H Y | W E E K E N D G E TAWAY
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THE UTILITY AND CONVENIENCE OF PEDOMETERS p_98 By James Raia
AfterHours HORSEPOWER
Outrageous and Fun POWER AND PRESENCE COMBINE IN THE 2022 CADILLAC CT5-V BLACKWING New American luxury sedans are rare. Rarer still are land cruisers with manual transmissions. The 2022 Cadillac CT5 V-Series Blackwing arrived this year, and qualifies for both niche categories with a monster presence and a masterful ride. It also represents a farewell. When the high-performance machine was unveiled in early 2021 as a 2022 model, Cadillac announced it would be joined by its junior, the CT4-V Blackwing, as the final gasoline-powered V cars made by the manufacturer. As a last hurrah, congratulations to Cadillac. The CT5-V Blackwing is simultaneously outrageous and fun. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine is mated with a six-speed manual transmission—a 10-speed automatic transmission is optional. The carmaker touts the sedan as having a top speed of 209 miles per hour and as the most powerful production vehicle in its 120-year history. Cadillacs haven’t resembled their ancient beast-like relatives for years. Expansive styling is gone, replaced by a modern look—a sharp-angled, condensed assembly with a spoiler, meshed grilles, etc. It’s more futuristic than flamboyant. The luxury sedan still carries the Cadillac logo, once the symbol of the gargantuan brand’s beauty. It now represents, especially in the Blackwing persona, a still-prestigious sedan renowned for its power. Driving a performance-oriented sedan with a six-speed manual transmission begins as simultaneously awkward and joyous. A short, smooth-shifting, 4,123-pound cruiser with a celebratory exhaust growl? Who knew such a vehicle existed?
J U LY 2 0 2 2 By James Raia
FACTS & FIGURES Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 3.4 seconds Airbags: 8 Fuel economy: 13 mpg city, 21 mpg hwy Horsepower: 668 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $83,995 Manufacturer’s website: cadillac.com Price As Tested: $113,445 Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 6 years/70,000 miles; Corrosion, 4 years/50,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 6 years/70,000 miles
During long freeway treks, the manual transmission configuration can be forgotten. If a slowdown occurs, beware. A quick downshift is required in the highway cruiser. But why not have more fun? Likewise, the Blackwing’s quiet, powerful engine can provide trickery; gliding along at speeds far surpassing speed limits is likely and sometimes alarmingly easy. Not much acceleration muster is required. Provided
Even drivers without performance-oriented desires can marvel. What often would be a maneuvering challenge is no longer a challenge. Power at will is a beautiful thing, 9 6 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
even for those who don’t thrive on tes-
cruise control, automatic high beams
plush as competitors. Trunk space is
tosterone. Freeway ramp acceleration
and lane-keep assist.
adequate, but not the cavernous car-
difficulties? Nope, not in this vehicle.
On the downside, heavy cars with
go container offerings of Cadillacs of
The top-line CT5-V includes stan-
superior performance are gas guzzlers.
dard features from the three addition-
The super sedan is constantly thirsty
What’s a first-year ride like this, al-
al less powerful trims. There’s Super
and has a $2,100 gas-guzzler tax. Its
ready an icon and the last of a kind
Cruise and a hands-free semi-auton-
fuel costs an estimated $8,250 more
from a 120-year-old American auto-
omous driving system. The top-level
during the first five years of ownership
TITLE GOESIt’s likely an mobile company, worth?
navigation system is superior, and
than the average new vehicle.
yesteryear.
AND HERE easy choice forHERE Cadillac enthusiasts. Other info goes here
the Bose premium audio package is
The driving quarters are comfort-
But it’s a not-so-wise selection for pru-
a music enthusiast’s treat. Multiple
able and spacious, with the exception
additional packages add more driver
of a lower back-seat roofline. Materi-
dent buyers unimpressed by speed, exhere.
assistance features such as adaptive
al quality is above average, but not as
and here and here and
cess and unbridled fun.
GGUULLFFSSHHOORREE BBUUSSI INNEESSSS JM UAY LY 2 0 2 2 9 7
AfterHours
J U LY 2 0 2 2
FITNESS
By James Raia
Step by Step THE UTILITY AND CONVENIENCE OF PEDOMETERS AND OTHER FITNESS MONITORS About 15 years after the chisel-faced crime fighter began
search website reports: “The rapid increase in demand
capturing criminals, Dick Tracy did something remark-
for multimedia devices and smartphones, coupled with
able for the first time. In his namesake comic strip, the
the surge in the adoption of fitness trackers and health-
detective talked into the watch fastened on his left wrist
based wearables, is anticipated to propel the market for
for two-way communication with his co-workers. It was
wearable technology.”
for fictional law enforcement officers.
Increased consumer awareness of the benefits of fitness activities makes monitoring progress and analyz-
But like freeze-dried food, driverless cars and robotic
ing the physiological data gathered more popular. From
surgery, the once-futuristic technology of a cartoon char-
about $100 to more than $500, a smartwatch can record
acter is now a reality for myriad uses. Wrist-worn mobile
and dissect nearly any physical activity as needed.
devices track users’ vitals, provide internet access, notify emergency contacts and count our steps.
“It’s the responsiveness of how you are doing,” says Dante Johnson of Fleet Feet in Fort Myers, which offers Garmin
Carrying a laptop on a wrist isn’t convenient or pru-
products exclusively. “It’s how quickly it updates the pace
dent. Wearing a fitness watch simplifies wearers’ life-
you’re running, as well as the different modes like its flash-
styles. It’s an exercise partner, always loyal as long as
light, training programs—and you can even race yourself,
it’s charged and on its owner’s wrist, hooked to attire or
lap to lap.”
stored in a pocket.
Modern-day fitness trackers arrived in 1965 with Man-
Where it all started is debatable. Swiss horologist Abra-
po-kei, which translates into “10,000 steps meter.” It was
ham-Louis Perrelet, inventor of the automatic watch, may
invented by Dr. Yoshiro Hatano, a professor at Kyushu
have created the first pedometer, a step counter, in 1777.
University in Fukuoka, Japan, who was researching how to
Thomas Jefferson, the country’s third president, brought
combat obesity. He believed 10,000 daily steps provided the
a crude pedometer back from a trip to France, in 1788. He
proper balance of caloric intake and activity-based calorie
made the contraption more viable and mechanical.
expenditure to maintain a healthy body. While the con-
Additional studies cite French craftsman Jean Fernel as maybe having invented the first pedometer in 1525. Or
cept has been questioned as not adequately beneficial, the “10,000-step” goal is still a benchmark in fitness trackers.
maybe it was Robert Hooke, an English scientist and ar-
Much has happened since Hatano’s studies. Polar watch-
chitect, in 1674. English watchmaker John Harwood was
es were introduced in 1982 to monitor heart rates. The idea
awarded the first pedometer patent in 1924.
was cultivated by the company five years earlier to record
Nearly 100 years later, the global wearables market is
the heart rates of cross-country skiers in Finland. Later,
predicted to reach $118 billion a year by 2028, accord-
mobile phones incorporated 3D accelerometers that mea-
ing to researchandmarkets.com. The global market re-
sure movement and vibration in a three-dimensional space.
9 8 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
gulfshorebusiness.com
Provided
1946, and catching bad people changed forever—at least
WEARABLES MARKET In 1924, the first patent for a pedometer was awarded. Nearly 100 years later, the global wearables market is predicted to reach $118 billion a year by 2028.
Garmin introduced its first smartwatches, the G101, 201 and 301 in 2003. Nokia’s 5500 Sports handset, which debuted in 2006, is credited as the first phone able to accurately track the SAMSUNG GALAXY ACTIVE WATCH
user’s physical activity. Fitness monitors in more recent years are categorized with the umbrella term “wearables.” Industry stalwarts include fitness trackers, smartwatches, fitness rings, cameras and virtual reality headsets. The Apple Watch phenomenon began in 2015 and has skyrocketed. Apple led the industry with a 36% market share in 2020, with buyers primarily interested in heart-tracking capabilities and older buyers seeking fall protection. Apple Watches have limitations and are only compatible with iPhones; smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but require installing an app. The wearable industry also has critics. A report on Barclay’s
GARMIN 220 SPORT WATCH
Digital Wings, the international bank’s online platform, details potential security breaches, limited battery technology and expense as pitfalls in the wearables industry. Further, it reported consumers can become obsessed with fitness data. Decreased work productivity and eating disorders can be perpetuated by obsessive wearable monitoring. Someone not used to always having a phone on them could require acclimation to a constant companion. Researchers in the wearable industry at Duke University in North Carolina determined in 2015 that activity tracking can decrease enjoyment of whatever pastime someone is trying to
FITBIT CHARGE 5
quantify. Two years later, a study published in the journal Eating Behaviors also found associations between calorie-counting and/or fitness-tracking devices and eating disorder symptoms among college students. Some younger wearable users call their devices “the enemy.” It’s resulted in feelings of watch-wearing, fitness-related guilt. “Don’t be obsessed with your times or so much worry about your pace,” says Johnson. “It’s better to realize the route you may be running on (or in other fitness activities) may require you to drop your pace at a certain point. On a treadmill, you may be able to consistently hold it.”
APPLE WATCH G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 9 9
AfterHours NEW & NOTEWORTHY
J U LY 2 0 2 2 By James Raia
A Thirst for Safety DRINK THE WATER ANYWHERE WITH THE SAWYER FILTRATION BOTTLE
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&
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O R T
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Removing cholera, cryptosporidium, E. coli, giardia and salmonella from the water you’re about to drink could mean the difference between experiencing safe hydration or suffering. The filtration system in the Sawyer water bottle gets as close to guaranteeing the former as possible. The simple-to-use system includes a 24-ounce BPA-free Tritan bottle, a cap that fits standard wide-mouth bottles, the dual threaded Mini Filter and a backwashing syringe. Altogether, it’s 9.5 inches tall and 3 inches wide, and weighs 7.5 ounces. The bottle features a 0.1-micron absolute hollow fiber membrane filter. It removes 99.9% of all bacteria and protozoa and bacteria and 100% of microplastics—so you can fill the bottle and drink instantly from freshwater lakes, streams or rivers during domestic and international travel. It’s an ideal companion while backpacking, camping, hiking and walking and for emergency preparedness. It filters as much as 100,000 gallons of water and is easily cleanable and reusable.
1 0 0 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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T H E
W E A T H E R
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J U LY 2 0 2 2
W E E K E N D G E TA W AY
By Artis Henderson
Tallahassee on Top THE STATE CAPITAL IS RICH IN HISTORY, POLITICS, CULTURE Tallahassee was established as the Florida state capital in 1821, but the area surrounding the city has been on European maps since the 1500s. Long occupied by the agrarian Apalachee people, the area slowly gave over to Spanish and other European settlers beginning in the 1600s. Today Tallahassee sits firmly at the center of Florida history, politics and culture—even if, to those of us in Southwest Florida, it still feels like a remote outpost. For those willing to make the trek, Tallahassee makes for an illuminating weekend away. The Capitol Building Tallahassee has some of the best museums and historic sites in the state. Start with the Florida Historic Capitol Museum (400 S. Monroe St., High points include the restored governor’s pri-
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Tallahassee; 850.487.1902; flhistoriccapitol.gov).
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RICH IN HISTORY Home to some of the best museums and historic sites in Florida, Tallahassee was established as the state capital in 1821 and originally occupied by the agrarian Apalachee people.
AfterHours W E E K E N D G E TA W AY
vate office from the early 1900s, the Civil Rights exhibit from the 1960s and a pair of boots from Lawton Chiles’ 1970 U.S. Senate campaign. Chiles walked 1,033 miles from the panhandle to the Florida Keys and earned the nickname “Walkin’ Lawton.” Florida State University A visit to the university begins at the James D. Westcott Memorial Building (222 S. Copeland St., Tallahassee; fsu. edu), the architectural centerpiece of the campus and an iconic symbol of FSU. Originally built in 1910, the building was reconstructed after a fire in 1969. Today it stands as the administrative hub of the university. From there, visit the adjacent historic Eppes Hall, the nearby iron arch that serves as the entrance to the university and the Westcott Fountain that has been flowing for over 70 years. Maclay Gardens The ornamental gardens of the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (3540 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee; 850.487.4556;
floridastateparks.org)
were first planted in the early 1920s as part of a family winter estate. Today, the state park is spread over more than 1,000 acres and includes a secret garden, a reflecting pool, a walled garden and hundreds of camellias and azaleas. Getty; Provided
The gardens have nature trails, as well as a lake where visitors can swim, fish, canoe and kayak. 1 0 4 G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2
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ORNAMENTAL GARDENS The gardens at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park were first planted as part of a family winter estate in the 1920s. Now the park is spread over more than 1,000 acres. G U L F S H O R E B U S I N E S S J U LY 2 0 2 2 1 0 5
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MODERN TWIST A WWII-era industrial park has been transformed into boutiques, galleries and eateries in the Railroad Square Art District.
2022 GIVING GUIDE: BUSINESS GIVES BACK Don’t miss out on the
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For more information visit: gulfshorebusiness.com/givingguide GIVING GUIDE:
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Building Business. Growing Wealth. Since 1868. Railroad Square Art District After the historic sites and museums,
Busey’s experienced wealth management team, Charles Idelson | Executive Vice President, Regional President; Susan Chicone | Senior Vice President, Private Client Manager; and Brent Crawford | Executive Vice President, Executive Managing Director are right beside you.
step into something more thoroughly modern: the Railroad Square Art District (Railroad Square, Tallahassee; 850.224.1308; artdistrict.com). The
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WWII-era industrial park has been transformed into boutiques, galleries and eateries. Try the Crum Box Gastgarden (653 Railroad Square, Tallahassee; 850.599.0633; facebook.com/ thecrumbox) for house-made sausages, regional craft brews and live local music. Just look for the red caboose. Hotel Duval from the Marriott Autograph Collection The Autograph Collection’s Hotel Duval (415 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee; 850.224.6000; marriott.com) is at the epicenter of Tallahassee, close to the university, museums and the capitol building. The historic structure was originally built in 1951, and the modern-day boutique hotel has signature amenities that fans of the Autograph Collection have come to appreciate, like expansive bathrooms and fine de-
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tailing. Round out a stay in the state’s capital with a cocktail at Hotel Duval’s chic rooftop bar.
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GuestList
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RECOGNITION
Women in Business Awards Hosted at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa by Gulfshore Business
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Photography by Reagan Rule
CAPTION INSET 1. Mike Duvall, Kimmi McGonnel, Rob Whyte, Jen Whyte, Monica Dixon 2. Stefanie Edwards, Rebekah Barney, Rachel Pierce 3. Karen Mosteller, Gail Markham 4. Krista Anderson, Mayor Kevin Anderson, Sarah Newcomb 5. Jill Palmer, Marie Grasmeier, Jamie Andersen 6. Marcella Sousa, Erica Brace, Janeen Jones 7. Anna Hansen-Price, Teri Hansen, Julia Babair
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GuestList RECOGNITION
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CAPTION INSET 1. Pamela Beckman, Gerri Moll, Adria Starkey 2. Lois Thome, Tracy Connelly, Katie Crabtree 3. Scott Burgess, Nancy Dauphinais 4. Amy Frith, Chanel McGregor, Nina Gasparrini 5. Trista Meister, Jennifer Gebeau, Anne Frazier, 6. Kathleen Passidomo, Ingrid Aielli, Julie Schmelzle 7. Robbie Roepstorff, Geoff Roepstorff 8. Josh Milton, Chelsea Castoria, Connie Ramos-Williams, April Bordeaux, Rick Williams
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UNWIND
By Justin Paprocki
Walk the Mindfulness Trail GIVING NATURE A RELAXATION BOOST ON SANIBEL ISLAND Typically, a nature walk is a relaxing experience—at least, in theory. But how often instead of relaxing do you get distracted thinking about all the things on your to-do list? A new experience at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island can help ease your mind a little bit more. The refuge earlier this year unveiled its Mindfulness Trail, a third-of-a-mile path along a marsh in the Bailey Tract. Along the path are five signs, each with a QR code (so be sure to bring along your smartphone and ear buds). Each QR code is a link to a different short recording on basic mindfulness techniques. The purpose of mindfulness is being able to live in the moment, so each recording will encourage participants to stay grounded and engage their senses. For example, the first recording is from retired orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joe Blanda, who describes the health benefits of nature. Studies have shown that
then began using the recordings. In February, they held the in-
just being in nature can lower blood pressure, boost
augural Wellness Week full of activities such as yoga classes and
the immune system and reduce stress, among other
wellness seminars. Even if mindfulness isn’t your thing (or taking your iPhone
The idea for the trail grew out of brainstorming
along on your walks), the trail is still a peaceful way to discon-
sessions at the refuge during the early days of the
nect, said supervisory refuge ranger Toni Westland. “There’s no
pandemic. The refuge was attempting to find safe
better place than the Bailey Tract to feel like you’re alone in the
and relaxing ways to draw people back out of their
wilderness,” she says. For more information, visit dingdarling-
homes. Staff started with guided mindfulness walks,
society.org.
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health benefits.
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Korunda Pain Management Center “Striving to deliver the highest quality of comprehensive care for those suffering with chronic or acute pain.”
(239) 591-2803 4513 Executive Drive, Naples, FL 34119 (1/2 mile East of I-75 off Immokalee Road by Quail Creek/Longshore Lakes) Accepting Medicare and most commercial insurance plans
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661 Goodlette Frank Road, Suite 103 Naples, FL 34102
• D.O. New York College of Osteopathic Medicine/NYIT, 1983
Board Certification & Advanced Training • Board Certified in Pain Medicine by American Osteopathic of Board of Anesthesiology • University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, Bioethics Fellowship • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey, Anesthesiology Residency • United States Air Force, Homestead, Florida, two-year Fellowship in Pain Management
Medical Education
SCOTT FUCHS, DO
Physicians Regional Medical Center 8340 Collier Blvd., Suite 205 Naples, FL 34114
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, 2006
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• M.D. University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia, 1996
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• M.D. University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 2010-2014
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