Effective planning and investing begins with answers to these five simple questions:
1 What do you want to accomplish in your life?
2. Who are the people that matter most to you?
3. What do you want your legacy to be?
4. What are your main concer ns?
5. How do you plan to achieve your life’s vision?
The information that comes out of this process can be invaluable for managing assets presale, structuring the sale in an optimal manner and then developing a strategy for the proceeds after the liquidity event.
W ill proceeds be suitable to fund future spending goals? If so, the business could be sold earlier than expected If not, postponing to increase business value may be preferred
minimum practical sell price typically generates assets needed to pay for future lifetime spending. If the expected transaction value falls short of that number, options can include:
1 Explore an alter native transition type that could bring a higher valuation
2 Postpone the sale and implement a plan to enhance the value of the business
3 Reduce targeted future spending to bring it in line with post-liquidity event resources
Following the sale, the family mindset may need to shift from business owner to asset manager, selecting a prudent, sustainable asset allocation plan and making responsible timing decisions
Many wealthy families don’t need to invest their assets
On the other hand, many wealthy families could also invest the entirety of their assets in public equities and, even with a drawdown of 50%, still be okay Typically an optimal portfolio lies somewhere in between all cash and all equity
and their families to help nd that balance that ts their goals by using the Liquidity. Longevity. Legacy
Three main functions:
1. Match cash flow to expenses
2. Funding source during periods of market distress
3. Helps avoid forced or panic selling during bear markets
Essential factors include:
The volatility of an investor’s combined Liquidity and Longevity portfolio can directly impact the volatility of their future spending
Portfolio drawdowns, in particular, present a meaningful risk Risk tolerance
The legacy strategy represents a family’s surplus. Once the Liquidity and Longevity strategies are fully funded, excess assets are segregated into the Legacy strategy. This segment is both behavioral and investment related, but is also to support the family’s estate planning and multigenerational objectives.
*Time-frames may vary Strategies are subject to individual client goals, objectives and suitability This approach is not a promise or guarantee that wealth, or any financial results, can or will be achieved.
As you plan and put strategies in place for a more immediate sale, you’ll want to monetize all the hard work you’ve put into your business. The nationally recognized UBS Private Wealth Management team, Matina Group can partner with you to assist with key questions and considerations including:
As you plan and put strategies in place for a more immediate sale, you’ll want to monetize all the hard work you’ve put into your business. The nationally recognized UBS Private Wealth Management team, Matina Group can partner with you to assist with key questions and considerations including:
What are your transition options?
What are your transition options?
How will you get the optimal valuation?
Proudly advising Naples clients since Matina Group
Proudly advising Naples clients since Matina Group
Get the answers and clarity you need to move your business goals forward Connect with Matina Group today
What’s your strategy for securing your legacy? Get the answers and clarity you need to move your business goals forward Connect with Matina Group today
How will you get the optimal valuation? What’s your strategy for securing your legacy?
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UBS Financial Services Inc. Private Wealth Management 801 Laurel Oak Drive, Suite 500 Naples, FL 34108
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Joseph Matina Managing Director–Wealth Management 877-452-4344 toll free joseph.matina@ubs.com
Lear n more at advisors.ubs.com/matinagroup
Lear n more at advisors.ubs.com/matinagroup
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Looking back on the upheaval of 2022 in SWFL
P.40
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
Attempts to fix Florida’s failing property insurance market
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The end of the year is a natural time to look back and take stock, perhaps even more so than usual in this landmark year of change.
Although it might be unusually difficult to re member the first eight months of 2022 given the events of Sept. 28 and the subsequent recovery from Hurricane Ian, as our senior editors David Dorsey and Tim Aten chronicled, it was overall a year of economic growth and change in South west Florida.
from the editor. p.28
HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA EDITOR IN CHIEF
Small “mini-strip” retail centers saw major expansion, anchored by quick-service restau rants and wellness or experiential providers, while many big-box product-based stores either shrank their footprints or worked to diversify their businesses, and medical retailers continued to perform very strongly. The housing market, meanwhile, dropped substantially in 2022, and apartments and rental properties already were in high demand before the storm, signaling further difficulties for new and future arrivals to the area.
To get caught up on their rundown, see page 28.
And while hurricanes tend to draw atten tion to the storms themselves and the devasta tion of their immediate aftermaths, an event of Ian’s magnitude also creates ripple effects that are less visible but felt for years—consider the
Looking back on the upheaval of 2022
rush to find cars and trucks to replace storm-damaged vehicles (see page 82), or the extra pressure on the affordable housing crunch given that many of the residences Ian destroyed were older and therefore cheaper but less likely to be up to modern codes (see the economic commentary on page 26). As John Guer ra writes on page 40, the monumental property damage SWFL experienced during Hurricane Ian also adds yet more pressure to the already dangerously un stable state of home insurance. Insurers have taken a financial beating for years from an astronomical number of claims, many of which are exaggerated or out right fraudulent, forcing some com panies into insolvency and leaving the survivors less able to provide reasonable prices for coverage. Efforts to bolster the system continue in the state Legislature, but all Florida property owners will be better off with solutions in place as soon as possible.
Of course, “soon” is very much on our minds at the moment, as we at Gulfshore Life Media are supremely excited to present The Naples Press, a new weekly newspaper covering our Collier Coun ty community that is set to launch next month—be on the lookout for the pre miere issue in January.
With the holiday season upon us and the promise of a fresh calendar await ing, we’re grateful for our readers and look forward to a spectacular new year with you.
Lois Thome
Chris Cifatte
Matt Devitt
By Justin Paprocki
When Lee Snyder decided to open a mega farm-to-table supermarket in Cape Coral, he traveled to glean design ideas from top grocery chains. He wanted a simple, back-to-basics market, so he looked at New York-based Wegmans, Texas-based Central Market, Stew Leonard’s of Connecticut and others. He also borrowed ideas from his successful seasonal market, Red Barn, in Delaware—and the name “Joe,” a Cape Coral farmer who launched his career.
The 55,000-square-foot Farmer Joe’s Market, at 1401 SW Pine Island Road, features a red barn with a white silo exterior. After paying $1.84 million for the vacant parcel, Snyder and two partners hired Cape Cor al-based Compass Construction, Above All Roofing Contractor of Naples, Cape Coral-based Kirkwood Electric and others to build the roughly $18 million store, which opened in January.
“It was important to have something different from what everybody else was doing,” Snyder explains. “You have to separate yourself from the rest. Every department has its own theme.”
But after more than eight months of success, Hurricane Ian caused ex tensive roof damage, equipment damage and product loss, shutting down the store. In the weeks that followed, as repairs ensued, Snyder worked with the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Spokes of Hope, Feeding Florida and other nonprofits to transform the huge parking lot into a distribution site. They doled out water, meals, cleaning supplies and essentials to more than 15,000 families in need and also hosted a Trunk-or-Treat event, donating more than 630 bags of candy to more than 4,500 kids.
Now, after weeks of repairs, Snyder plans on reopening. “I am optimis tic that we will be open for Christmas,” Snyder says. “When we feel we are ready to reopen, we will advertise on our website, social media page and our marquee sign.”
The simple, quaint market has just seven aisles but features products you won’t find elsewhere.
Inside, the store’s visual focus is its perimeter, a colorful land scape of barns, farm stands, quaint villages and rooftops, wind mills, murals of farms, fields and blue skies. Above the 24-foot “Fresh from the Sea” seafood section, a man fishes from a wood en boat as a pelican floats by and colorful fish swim below.
Some designs are reminiscent of a child’s toy village, such as abstract, billowy green trees dotted with red apples, a beige barn and red tractor, cartoonish cows, chickens and smiling pigs, while others are realistic, such as large cows peering over shoppers.
Snyder’s social media coordinator, Brittany Ritter, created a different animal sign for each aisle’s offerings. Above pet food supplies, a dog perches above a red-framed chalkboard, and she’s created many more 3-D signs. A Florida flag highlights lo cal produce, while chalkboards with messages abound.
Above the bakery is a wheat-field mural and a fence decorat ed with shovels and a pitchfork. Rustic hanging lights are made from old-fashioned whisks. “We went to a lot of auctions, espe cially farm auctions,” Snyder says of vintage touches.
Rustic-looking wood flooring or brick was used on walls, while displays are covered with pallet-type raw wood branded “Farmer Joe’s Fresh Market.” Bottoms of refrigerated displays are wrapped in wood. Floors are simple, polished gray con crete, and high warehouse ceilings were painted black, high lighting the store below and hanging displays, such as chicken coops. The colorful perimeter designs were manufactured by a retail design firm, shipped and assembled onsite.
Instead of numerous confusing aisles, there are seven. “There’s just enough to make it happen, but without many tra ditional household names,” Snyder says, noting that he search es for products not found elsewhere, such as Braveheart Beef
Much of the decor comes from farm auctions, in cluding the hanging lights made from old-fashioned whisks and other rustic additions.
from Kansas. The result is an old-fashioned grocery in over drive, featuring a 13,000-square-foot produce section, a 48-foot Butcher Shoppe, an 82-foot deli section and a 40-foot bakery. In addition, there’s a 6,000-square-foot wine department with a sommelier. One aisle sports 53 doors of frozen items, with vegan and dairy on the other side. A “Little Italy” deli with redand-white canopies features meats and cheeses from around the world, while expert advice is available at a health and beau ty section. Above the perimeter are offices, computer stations, a conference room and a comfortable employee break room.
The focus is local and organic produce—“We have the largest produce department in Florida, maybe even the East Coast,” Snyder says—plus meats, seafood and baked goods, as well as ready-made meals and grill kits, grab-and-go meals and sushi. There is also a small dining area with dark wood tables next to the quaint ice cream, juice and coffee bars.
It was a difficult feat building and buying equipment during the pandemic due to supply-chain issues, but after Lucky’s closed most of its stores and filed for bankruptcy, Snyder pur chased shelving and equipment at its online auctions. “We ac tually bought a whole store,” Snyder says.
Instead of hiding equipment, shoppers can see the hustle and bustle and old Hobart mixers whirring. “There is no be hind-the-scenes,” Snyder says. “You can watch everything being made.”
But tucked behind the deli is a huge kitchen, complete with chefs, sous chefs and prep cooks creating grab-and-go items, meal kits and fresh, colorful pasta and ravioli. To entice palates, there are 18 demo and sampling areas storewide.
Snyder is preparing for store No. 2 in Fort Myers and has already purchased land, he says, adding, “This is just the beginning.”
They’re just cheesecakes, but the purpose behind the busi ness is so much bigger. Larry’s Cheesecake Co. produces hundreds of his signature mini pies a day; if you’ve been to a Pinchers restaurant, you might have ordered one off the dessert menu. But the success story behind his businesses starts with tragedy.
In November 2016, Lawrence and Shannon Barris’ new born daughter Sariyah died due to necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease that affects the intestines of premature babies. “It was devastating. It tore me up inside,” Lawrence Barris says. “I thought, ‘I have to do something about this.’ It was some thing no one should ever have to go through.” He started the business with the intention of raising money to donate to charities that seek a cure for necrotizing enterocolitis.
By Justin PaprockiAfter losing his newborn daughter, Lawrence Barris started his business to raise funds to help find a cure for necrotizing enterocolitis.
The cheesecakes are single-servings, called minis, that have proved popular.
Barris started making cheesecakes on his own, based on a recipe from an old family friend. He wasn’t a baker or a businessman— he’s actually a software engineer by trade— but he felt he had a recipe (and the blessing from the friend to use it) that could really resonate with people. He started baking in his kitchen and giving the results away for free to friends, and dropping off a few dozen at local restaurants. He built the business more by selling at farmers markets. He de veloped the idea of a small, single-serving cheesecake he called a mini, and that proved popular at the markets. “Small and simple, that’s what people like,” he says.
Another vendor at the Lakes Park Farm ers Market helped connect him to Pinchers, which is now his major client. Working in a commercial kitchen in Fort Myers, he can make 200 minis in six hours.
He has a near-term goal of starting a kitch en of his own and putting his product in gro cery stores and other restaurants. It’s tough trying to start a business from scratch—but what drives him is the cause behind it. “This isn’t just about cheesecakes,” he says. “We have a tremendous purpose.”
Three months after the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda celebrated its 60th an niversary this spring, its executive director stepped down and a newcomer took the helm.
Lisa Gallucci had been traveling around the South, searching for a new career, when her son in North Port urged her to consider Southwest Florida. Soon after, Janet Watermeier, the VAC’s executive director for six years, decided to focus on per sonal pursuits and family and was searching for a replacement.
Gallucci, who relocated to North Port in February, began on July 1, bringing with her a background in human resources, finance and dance. Most recently, she’d worked as a consultant and coach, helping nonprofits and businesses develop leader ship skills while implementing policies and procedures to enhance business acumen.
“I’m overwhelmed at the number of artists and art that’s here,” says Gallucci, who will oversee a roughly $700,000 budget and a staff of nine, who are mostly part-time. “I want to learn everything about the center by doing each event.”
She said that the arts have been a consistent part of her life and career: “Growing up and working in a dance school [and] a public television station, and participating as a member of the board of directors for a ballet company, are just a few of the career steps that I feel will contribute to continuing successful management of the Visual Arts Center,” she says.
The center began in 1961 as an outdoor show that drew 3,000 people, prompting artists to create the Charlotte County Art Guild and launch meetings, shows and classes. In the early 1980s, artist Henry Lohse pushed to build a Visual Arts Center and obtained a long-term lease for city property at 210 Maud St.
In 1985 and 1987, the Guild received matching grants from the state Division of Cultural Affairs, and construction began in February 1988. The center, which opened
By Aisling Swift
Lisa Gallucci took over as Punta Gorda’s VAC’s executive director in July, bringing a background in human resources, finance and dance.
in 1989, was built in phases as money was raised. In 2018, it partnered with The Patterson Foun dation in Sarasota and began building an art and supply store within the center.
The 12,000-square-foot contemporary build ing features three galleries, a library, a gift shop gallery, five classrooms and a pottery studio. Fi ber classes are held in a yellow house the center rents about two minutes away in History Park. Twelve-week classes for all ages are offered in January, September and summer and include jewelry, fiber arts, glass, fused glass, pottery, photography, charcoal sketching, wire wrapping and painting.
“One of my goals is to increase our reach and bring in younger donors and members, so they can grow with the Visual Arts Center. A lot of our donors are older, so we need to keep things fresh and bring in new people,” Gallucci says.
She’s working with chambers and art organi zations, such as the Florida Watercolor Society, plans to partner with another art center to share resources and patronage, hopes to bring in new exhibits, especially sculpture, and is promoting children’s programs to parents.
“We also need to promote the summer camp because a lot of parents work and need a place for their kids while working,” she adds.
To extend reach beyond Charlotte and Lee counties, she does Facebook Live events, main
The new director hosts Facebook Live events, using social media to draw people from outside Charlotte and Lee counties.
tains a social media presence and created a TikTok account. She’s also working to replen ish volunteers who left during COVID-19. “We have a wonderful volunteer coordinator and have 50-100 volunteers, but I want to build it to 200,” she says.
The center holds open houses in January and September. A key fundraiser is the Peace Riv er National Arts Festival, a juried art show in Laishley Park in December (the Winter Fest) and spring. Another is the Battle of the Brushes, where six professionals become celebrity artists, get matched with artist instructors in Septem ber and create an art project that’s auctioned off during a November grand finale and dinner.
Gallucci also plans fun events on Valentine’s Day and a high tea on Mother’s Day. “It’s a nice way to get people in to find out who we are and what we do,” she explains.
In her spare time, she paints, writes children’s books and is working on an adult Sci-Fi mystery. Until she finds a permanent home, she’s living with her son; her other twin son, who lives in San Antonio, plans to move to this area in 2023.
VAC President Donna Peterman is confident they’ve selected a director who will bring in fresh ideas and new energy, she said, adding, “We all look forward to working with Lisa to enhance productivity and position the facility for today’s challenges and future growth.”
The Great Recession sometimes seems like a lifetime ago—but the housing industry is still feeling its effects. Adjusting for inflation, home prices nationwide didn’t match their pre-recession peak until mid-2021. In Florida, home prices have yet to fully bounce back, according to a study by Construction Coverage.
The median home price in Florida this summer was about $397,000. Adjusted for inflation, the pre-recession peak in October 2006 was at about $409,000. Most metro areas are still recovering, too. Fort Myers in particular is still 16% behind where it was in May 2006, the largest gap in the state.
METRO
Fort Myers
Tallahassee
Panama City
Gainesville
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
Miami-Fort Lauderdale
Melbourne
Daytona Beach
Vero Beach Naples Orlando Ocala
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton
Port St. Lucie
Homosassa Springs
Pensacola
Lakeland Jacksonville Tampa
PERCENT CHANGE IN MEDIAN HOME PRICE ( INFLATION-ADJUSTED )
-16.50% -13.40% -11.80% -10.70% -9.40% -8.20% -8.10% -6.70% -6.20% -5.70% -5.60% -5.50% -3.50% -1.90% -1.70% 0.025% 0.035% 0.057% 0.089%
CURRENT MEDIAN HOME PRICE ( 2022 DOLLARS )
$428,413 $251,816 $348,594 $283,262 $442,771 $456,489 $361,157 $356,707 $389,420 $631,425 $394,922 $267,237 $497,516 $404,033 $279,235 $294,428 $311,508 $370,983 $382,776
PRE-2008 PEAK MEDIAN HOME PRICE ( 2022 DOLLARS )
$513,030 $290,719 $395,342 $317,247 $488,759 $497,218 $392,832 $382,225 $415,204 $669,793 $418,471 $282,645 $515,638 $411,723 $284,000 $287,226 $300,928 $350,898 $351,560
PRE-2008 PEAK DATE
May 2006 October 2006 May 2006 October 2006 May 2006 November 2006 May 2006 October 2006 May 2006 July 2006 October 2006 December 2006 June 2006 May 2006 October 2006 May 2006 August 2006 October 2006 October 2006
By Christopher WestleyWorkforce housing in Southwest Florida was at crisis levels prior to Hurricane Ian. Now the sit uation is much, much worse. Consider that the vast majority of housing destroyed by the hurri cane was built prior to the upgraded construction codes enacted in the 2000s. Think of the pictures from Fort Myers Beach of a home built in, say, 2012 that survived the storm while the home next door, built in the 1970s, was ruined.
Multiply this phenomenon across the region, and it’s clear why workforce housing problems have suddenly become even more severe. Precode housing was more affordable to workforce employees, and Ian removed large swaths of it. Where will these workers live as we enter the winter months? Add to their numbers labor coming to the region to rebuild post-hurricane. Those workers won’t come if they can’t afford to live within reasonable driving distance of the re covery zones.
In June 2022, housing prices were inflating, with median home prices of $795,000 in Collier, $450,000 in Lee and $400,000 in Charlotte. Un less inflation was abated—requiring the Fed to stop financing the growth of government with money created out of thin air—Southwest Flor
ida was on the way to becoming more like Key West, and not in a good way; by requiring much of the workforce to make long daily commutes or live in cramped rental homes.
There are no easy answers in Southwest Florida, which is structurally unfriendly to workforce housing in any case. Think of all the Midwestern baby boomers who still have the desire and equi ty cash to move here. Then there’s the dwindling amount of buildable land in Collier County, which also creates upward pressures on housing prices. Why would the homebuilding industry cater to low-income housing units when the re turn on investment for higher-end housing is so much greater?
This is not a market failure. In fact, natural disasters are when market forces should be the most welcome. Skyrocketing workforce hous ing prices will signal to builders to allocate re sources to serve this sector over time, and the most we can ask of government is not to im pede this process.
Whatever your political opinion of the phrase “build back better,” it applies to hurricane re
covery. Much of the new building will be able to sustain any Ian-like hurricanes of the future. While there should also be a market for home buyers with greater risk tolerance to purchase lower-priced but less storm-ready housing, there will be greater demand for new housing that can withstand higher-category storms. Five years from now, when we look back at the rebuilding year of 2023, our region will be in a better place.
But let’s not forget the structural issues that make workforce housing in Southwest Florida difficult in any case. When the Fed inflates the currency and prices rise nationally, they rise here even more—especially in real estate—because much of that new money makes its way to the Gulf Coast. Much of the ongoing concerns about workforce housing ignores this factor, and until it is addressed, workforce housing problems will never go away, with the occasional hurricane only exacerbating them.
In the meantime, let’s focus on what we can control. Let prices allocate resources follow ing any natural disaster. Find housing for tem porary workers necessary for the recovery, as well as for those displaced and disconnected in Ian’s aftermath. Empower those regional insti tutions, mostly private, to best help those least able to help themselves in a post-Ian world.
By doing this, we will not just build back better, but quicker and smarter, too.
In June 2022, median home prices were $795,000 in Collier, $450,000 in Lee and $400,000 in Charlotte.
Christopher Westley is dean of the Lutgert Col lege of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Any retrospective about how Southwest Flor ida fared in 2022 must be cut into two parts— before and after Hurricane Ian.
On the 271st day of the year, Sept. 28, Hurri cane Ian’s destructive force of 155 mph winds and 6 to 15 feet of storm surge devastated the coastal region. As of this writing, there have been 130 Hurricane Ian-related deaths in Florida, including 61 in Lee County, accord ing to the Florida District Medical Examiners report—making it the state’s deadliest hurri cane since 1935.
Hurricane Ian also disrupted the lives of tens of thousands. It wiped out most of the businesses on Estero Island, including Times Square, the heart and soul of Fort My ers Beach. It clobbered Sanibel and Captiva islands. It inflicted heavy damage to Pine Island, Matlacha, Cape Coral, Fort Myers and far inland, too. From the southwestern reaches of Naples, where the Naples Pier was heavily damaged, on north to Rotonda West in Charlotte County, which received about 30 inches of rain that fateful day, effects were felt far and wide.
The final 94 days of the year were—and continue to be—fraught, with responses to and then recovery from the storm. But the first 75% of 2022 dealt not with fierce winds and storm surge. Instead, it demonstrated shifts in business and real estate trends as the nation, state and region continued recov ering from the financial aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Florida’s real estate markets across all sectors—residential, retail, industrial and office—had been hot for all of 2021. They slowed in 2022, but not by much. There were
Hurricane Ian wiped out most of the business es on Estero Island, Sanibel and Captiva, and did heavy damage to Pine Island, Matlacha, Cape Coral, Fort Myers and far inland.
still mega, multimillion-dollar deals going down, and a flurry of new businesses opening.
“My team and I, our hearts go out to all of those who suffered a loss, whether it’s to life, their health or their physical belongings,” says Jim Shiebler, vice president of investments for Marcus & Millichap commercial real es tate brokers, recognizing Hurricane Ian’s destruction. “It’s tragic what has occurred. I don’t want to talk about business without rec ognizing the gravity of what happened.”
More than two years before Hurricane Ian, COVID-19 compounded with e-commerce trends to disrupt the retail landscape in 2020 and 2021. But in 2022, some of the businesses that had been forced into hiber nation because of the pandemic—fitness and wellness centers, for example—came back.
As Gulfshore Business began looking back on the year, one trend stood out above the others: the rise of the mini-strip retail cen ters. These relatively smaller strip shopping centers of new construction were springing up across all of Southwest Florida.
Cape Coral’s latest strip center, at the northwest corner of Pine Island Road and Del Prado Boulevard, began filling in with tenants later in the fourth quarter, with Firehouse Subs, First Watch and Mission BBQ three of the more notable inclusions.
Estero Crossing is nearing the end of construction and set to open in early 2023. It is a 306-unit apartment and retail com plex south of Corkscrew Road and just west of Interstate 75. Although designing the project began in 2014, the mix of eventual
tenants has certainly evolved, said Keith Gelder, president of Stock Luxury Apart ment Living.
Stock Development’s list of signed leases is indicative of the kinds of businesses that are thriving in the new retail world: Chick en Salad Chick, Crisp & Green (salad and healthy foods), Dunkin’ (donuts), Oak & Stone (artisanal pizza and craft beer), Or angetheory Fitness, Restore Cryotherapy, Sherwin-Williams (paint), Affordable Den tures, The Joint (chiropractor) and Bubba koo’s (burritos and tacos).
“There’s been a shift away from malls and mega retail,” Gelder says. “I think COVID proved to the world that retail was still very much needed; convenience, wellness and those types of things that can’t be replaced with online retailers, can’t be replaced by Amazon. The most recent changes were fix ating on health and wellness. The tenant mix really shifted over the past 24 to 36 months.”
Near Naples, The Pointe at Founder’s Square opened this year at the southeast corner of Immokalee Road and Collier Bou levard, providing the same type of tenant mix as Estero Crossing: restaurants such as I Heart Mac & Cheese, Fuji Sushi Bar & Asian Bistro, Skillets breakfast-lunch cafe, Tacos & Tequila Cantina, South Street City Oven Grill, Crisp & Green and Outback Steakhouse all opened this year. So did wellness businesses including Collier Urgent Care and Gulf Coast Orthodontics, plus Luxury Nails & Spa and Salon Bellezza.
Development has been moving away from malls and mega retail, and moving toward strip malls.
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach Resort was in the midst of a major $50 million ad dition to be unveiled in a matter of weeks when Hurricane Ian surged across Van derbilt Beach in late September. Comple menting the resort’s dramatic “Evolution of an Icon” remastering project was a coast al-inspired redesign reflecting tropical breezes and soothing waves. In a matter of hours, those idyllic breezes and waves would become hurricane-force winds and a massive storm surge slamming into the classic resort and other coastal properties along the Gulf.
Not only is The Ritz-Carlton, Naples not unveiling its new 14-story tower in Decem ber, as originally scheduled, but it's not reopening until at least March after sus taining millions of dollars in damage from Hurricane Ian. Its temporary closure comes at a time during the busy season when the hotel’s revenue reaches $20 million per month. In addition to the monumental cost to rebuild the resort, it’s experiencing the loss of revenue from its restaurants, ban quets and standard room rates ranging from $1,665 to more than $6,000 per night for some club-level suites.
March will mark the first anniversa ry of The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples welcoming Ferland as area general man ager of two of the brand’s prestigious properties on Florida's Paradise Coast. A seasoned industry leader, Ferland was prepared to usher the iconic local resorts into a new chapter of a storied history. It was unthinkable to foresee the night mare ahead.
While the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort far ther inland was spared serious damage in North Naples, its 37-year-old sister prop erty on the beach encountered millions of dollars' worth of destruction. Historic storm surge tore through the beachfront hotel, damaging the heart of the resort. Its entire first floor flooded, destroying its electrical power grid, laundry equipment, loading dock, human resources and wine room, as well as some of its restaurants and backof-house rooms storing the resort’s ban quet chairs, china and silverware.
In Ian’s aftermath, the Ritz laid off 591 employees in October and announced
that it would be closed for more than five months. “The safety of our guests and la dies and gentlemen remains our priority," Ferland said in a brief statement.
South Seas Island Resort on the north ern tip of Captiva Island laid off 238 posi tions, according to paperwork filed with state officials. Reservations at the 330acre resort have been canceled through at least Jan. 31. “The hotel sustained significant roof damage and water pen etration. Other areas of the resort fared similarly, and several areas cannot be re paired without rebuilding them to current building codes due to the extent of the damage,” resort officials report.
Pink Shell Resort, an icon on Fort Myers Beach since 1950, had to lay off 195 employees after hurricane damage forced it to close for at least a year. The 195-room property was already in the midst of a $7 million renovation project when Ian hit.
Lani Kai Island Resort, a spring break destination on Fort Myers Beach since 1978, vows to rebuild after a 15-foot storm surge from Ian engulfed it, washing out its ground-floor shops, bars and offices while reinforced concrete pilings saved the rest of the building.
Nearby on Fort Myers Beach, the build ers of the sprawling new Margaritaville Beach Resort may have inadvertently ben efited from years of construction delays. Interior buildout had yet to begin inside the concrete block buildings being built in the once-colorful tourist destination.
Other major regional resorts under construction along the Gulf face addition
al setbacks after years of delays. Storm damage temporarily halted construction on the 785-room Sunseekers Resort Charlotte Harbor and on the 216-room Four Seasons hotel at Naples Beach Club resort.
Along Gulf Shore Drive in North Na ples, the Vanderbilt Beach Resort and La Playa Beach & Golf Resort both remain offline because of Ian. La Playa and its beachside Baleen restaurant are projected to reopen on or before Dec. 15. Vanderbilt Beach Resort plans to reopen its condos for resort guests by Dec. 15, while the pool and beachfront hotel building are targeted to reopen no later than Jan. 15. “Because it suffered more significant damage, we do not believe that we will be able to reopen the Turtle Club restaurant until late summer or early fall of 2023," the resort reports.
Even before the hurricane hit, 2022 was shaping up to be the year of hotels, albeit on a much more positive note. That included notable sales of three historic hotels last spring in Naples.
London-based Henderson Park bought Naples Grande Beach Resort from Denver-based Northwood Hospital ity for $21.4 million, plus $24.8 million for its 18-hole golf course and $4.8 million for the 15-court tennis center. Pebble brook Hotel Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that also owns La Playa, acquired the 119-room Inn on Fifth in downtown Naples from local en trepreneur Phil McCabe for $156 million.
In mid-March, Denver-based Mission Hill Hospitality acquired the 99-room Inn of Naples from Dallas-based MCR for more than $15.3 million.
The Capri Inn is the new name for Trianon Old Naples, an upscale boutique hotel that joined the Opal Collection after selling for more than $24 million in November.
Also last spring, demolition of the his toric Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club com menced to make way for redevelopment of the Naples Beach Club, a mixed-use re sort that will include the aforementioned Four Seasons hotel. Also in Naples, a three-story AC Marriott is under construc tion abutting Naples Square on the corner of U.S. 41 East and Goodlette-Frank Road.
The new 113-room Fairfield by Marriott launched on schedule off Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs a day after the cat astrophic storm made landfall in South west Florida. Many other smaller hotel properties in the region are undergoing construction or renovation.
In Fort Myers, Benderson Develop ment filled two of these mini-strip cen ters adjacent to one another off Dani Drive near Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The region’s first of six planned Chick en Salad Chick restaurants opened there in September.
“It’s interesting, right?” Shiebler says. “This is where the retail market was going, pre-pandemic. Right now, the retailers that are thriving are the necessity retailers, or the experien tial retailers. The product-type re tailers are shrinking in quantity and in square footage.
“The 40,000-square-foot center is going to 26,000 square feet; 30,000 square feet is going to 19,000. And so on. And they’re certainly diversify ing, as well.”
In Cape Coral, a former flooring out let store became one of the first new businesses to open post-Hurricane Ian. But the new Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store at Pine Island and Pondella roads became just the latest in the trend of repurposing big-box stores.
“There’s six or seven asset classes within retail that thrived during the pandemic,” Shiebler says. “Certainly, grocery topped the list.”
Dollar/discount stores, including Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dol
lar General, keep thriving along with drug and grocery stores, home improvement stores, convenience stores and gas stations, as well as what Shiebler called QSR: indus try-speak for “quick-service restaurant,” such as a Chicken Salad Chick. “Those retail classes boomed during the pandemic,” Shie bler says. “And they continued to thrive.”
In south Fort Myers at the Market Square shopping center, a haven for big-box stores, Petco looks the same on the outside but has changed on the inside because of the online retail revolution.
“Petco is a massive store,” Shiebler says. “But their online purchasing has been gobbled up by e-commerce. As a company, they’ve realized that they need to diversify. So, they’ve built two new businesses inside: a grooming service and the other is like a pet hospital service. Now they have become essential retailers as opposed to being just product-based. They’ve dedicated 40% of their space to those services to attract con sumers who need those services.”
Two more downward trending sectors are banks and auto retailers. “And it’s interest ing,” Shiebler says, “because older clientele still go into banks. But during the pandem ic, all the seniors had to learn how to do online banking. Now, you do not have a re placement consumer for that sector. The millennials and the younger generation, they grew up with online banking. That’s
During the pandemic, more and more business was conducted online, from banking to online re tail, making large store fronts unnecessary.
why you have that space littered with emp ty banks. The 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot banks are becoming 2,000 square feet. They recognize that they don’t need that mass of employees.
“The next product type that has a murky or gloomy horizon or future is the auto parts sector—Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, O’Reilly’s. It’s because of the pivot to electric vehicles.”
But even electric vehicles need tires and get into crashes, which is why stores such as Tire Choice are thriving, Shiebler said. “No matter the propulsion of the vehicle, they all need collision repairs, and they need tires,” he says.
Shiebler also said Med-tail is positioned to thrive, using the play on words between medical and retail. “That is the new dar ling,” Shiebler says. “It’s extremely fortified. It has a massive level of demand. It’s a ne cessity-based retailer. Particularly in Flori da, where you have two things going on. An insane level of migration that exponential ly increased during the pandemic. It con tinued to break records because of remote working. When you couple that with the median age of the seniors and their needs, it’s very, very fortified and very secure.”
In September, rising interest rates put a damper on residential home sales, said Den ny Grimes of Keller Williams Realty—even more so than Hurricane Ian, which didn’t arrive until the end of the month. The num
ber of home sale transactions in Southwest Florida dropped by 43% over last year. Ian, of course, will factor into the housing mar ket in 2023.
“I think October (2022) will be the slow est number in 10 years,” Grimes says. “And then it will start picking up at a pace proba bly a little slower than 2019.”
Grimes described his crystal ball as cloudy. That’s because there will contin ue to be newcomers to the area, mixed with coastal residents leaving because of the hurricane mess. “There’s going to be an incoming and outgoing tide of owners,” Grimes says. “There will be people who run for the hills. However, for everyone who wants to leave, there’s somebody knocking on the door, looking for houses.”
Another real estate agent, Ronnie Delfino of Amerivest Realty, already started getting calls after Hurricane Ian about listings that have been sitting on the market for weeks.
“I think this is going to revitalize our market, quite frankly,” Delfino says. “What I mean by that is, we were getting to a point this summer where things were sitting on the market for a little longer. You’re going to see a lot of them get scooped up by people who have major damage to their multimil lion-dollar properties.
“I don’t think this storm is going to stop the northerners from coming to Southwest Florida, because we still live in paradise. And in my opinion, this was a 100-year storm. We haven’t had anything this cata strophic on such a vast scale.”
Myra
three days before her 97th birthday.
Before Hurricane Ian changed the local landscape, the region lost some long time notable figures who gave years of their time and energy to make a differ ence in our communities.
Myra Janco Daniels, the legendary founder and CEO of the Naples Philhar monic Center for the Arts, died in June three days before her 97th birthday. The Philharmonic Center, popularly known as The Phil and eventually renamed Ar tis—Naples, is the cornerstone of Dan iels’ legacy. The Pelican Bay campus includes another one of her significant creations: the Naples Museum of Art, now the Baker Museum. These cultur al destinations pioneered by Daniels put Naples on the international map for world-class art, music and theater.
Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann also died in June. Mann began his career in public service in 1974, representing Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties in the Flori da House of Representatives, then served in the Florida Senate for four years. In 1993, he was appointed as a Lee County commissioner, a role in which he served until the day of his passing this summer. Throughout his public service career, Mann was known for his leadership in pro tecting Florida’s natural resources.
Another regional environmentalist, Nancy Payton, died in May. Until her re tirement in 2018, Payton was the region al policy director of the Florida Wildlife Federation, where she was instrumental in creating wildlife crossings and pro tecting Florida panthers. To honor her, Collier County proclaimed July 10, 2022, as Nancy Payton Day.
Nancy Laschied, who co-founded the Neighborhood Health Clinic in Naples with her late husband, William, also died in Au gust. She devoted more than two decades providing medical care for the working poor who lacked health insurance.
Southwest Florida also lost an icon who spent his time working behind the scenes in construction and real estate development. Daniel Harper, who died at 96 in April, played a role in building al most every prominent road in Lee Coun ty and pioneered mining in the southeast corridor of the county, which helped him transform dirt roads into asphalt.
In late September, there were more than 120 deaths associated with Hur ricane Ian in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. Many of those deaths occurred on Fort Myers Beach.
Those lost in the storm included Mar tha “Marti” Campbell, a 74-year-old re tired consumer science teacher, who was sheltering at home when her Fort Myers Beach house collapsed. Campbell be came well known in local theater circles for her many years as an usher at Flori da Repertory Theatre and the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers.
Campbell’s neighbor on Hercules Drive, Mitch Pacyna, nicknamed the "Mayor of Fort Myers Beach," also per ished in the storm when his home col lapsed. The 74-year-old retired FedEx worker was known for welcoming people to the Chicago-themed sports bar he cre ated in his home garage.
Many other Southwest Floridians died in the historic Category 4 storm that made landfall in Lee County.
The number of displaced residents will be in the thousands. This means all of the apartment units constructed and opened this year will be filling up fast, which should pave the way for new projects to get under way, too.
The rental home market also is tight, and vacation rentals that once blocked off short-term stays are shifting to longer-term occupancies.
“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for a rental shortage, it did,” Grimes says. “Our phone is ringing off the hook. Finding a rental is a very inefficient process in a normal market.
"Right now, it’s hideous. There really needs to be a bulletin board; an old-fashioned bul letin board. People would write their phone number on it 25 times, and you pull off a tab, and then you’d call it. Communication right now is challenging. We have a lot of empty condominiums and villas. A lot of the people who were displaced, they need something that’s furnished. Just like everyone is able to donate water bottles and generators, we’ve got to get the word out to homeowners.”
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city experienced a 26% drop in population 15 years later, U.S. Census re cords show. Delfino did not expect such a drastic impact from Hurricane Ian.
“It’s apples and oranges,” he says, “or ap ples and green beans. Fruits and vegetables. Southwest Florida is still one of the most desirable places to live in the world.”
COLLAPSE: verb; to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely; fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure
CRISIS: noun; a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger
Collapse. Crisis. Those are the words near ly everyone—from the governor to industry analysts to insurance company CEOs—uses to describe the state of the property insur ance industry in Florida.
“The private home insurance market in Florida is on a trajectory toward total col lapse,” says Mark Friedlander, the Florida analyst for the Insurance Information In stitute. “We've never seen anything like this man-made crisis anywhere else in the Unit ed States. Universal Property and Casualty, the largest private insurer in Florida, just announced a moratorium on writing new business in several Florida counties due to the unstable market. In total, 13 home in surers in Florida have stopped writing new business in either parts or the entire state since January.”
Here's the point people may not want to hear: Homeowners in Southwest Flori da and elsewhere in the state are partly to blame for what many call a national embar rassment. According to insurance compa nies and prosecutors, property insurance companies are being bled dry by homeown ers, roofers and lawyers who file frivolous and even fraudulent claims.
Dishonest roofing companies—not all of them are, of course—knock on doors to convince homeowners to let them inspect their roofs for free. The roofer finds a little damage but tells the homeowner they will convince their insurance carrier to pay for a completely new roof. The roofing company
Homeowners, roofers and lawyers are crippling the insurance industry when they file frivolous and fraudulent claims.
has the homeowner sign what is known as an assignment of benefits, or AOB, in effect signing over the insurance policy to them.
When the insurance company refuses to pay, the roofer, armed with a homeowner’s AOB, sics a lawyer on the insurance com pany. When the insurance company caves or loses in court, it pays the company for the new roof and the plaintiff’s lawyer’s fee. The lawyer often adds a fee multipli er that can double or triple the award the roofer receives.
“When a homeowner or contractor wins a property claim lawsuit, the courts are al lowed to award what’s called a fee multipli er on top of the claim payment,” Friedland er says. “All of this extra money goes to the plaintiff’s attorney, and the insurance com pany is on the hook for all of it.”
How big a problem could it be? “One attorney alone has filed 10,000 lawsuits against insurance companies in Florida,” Friedlander says. “They make millions and millions of dollars on these cases.”
The painful process has been replicating itself for decades around Florida, including Friedlander’s neighborhood.
“My neighborhood has 750 homes in it,” Friedlander says. “I would say at least 500 homes have gotten new roofs, and that’s not an exaggeration. My own neighbors don’t understand why their insurance is being canceled or increasing by 100%. It’s because of these scams.”
According to the Insurance Information In stitute, more than 116,000 property insur ance claim lawsuits were filed against insur ance companies in Florida in 2021, compared to 20,000 claims in the rest of the country.
“We’ve analyzed this—no other state had more than 1,000 property claim lawsuits filed last year, and in Florida, the claims of ten have nothing to do with hurricanes or other weather events,” Friedlander says.
The state’s property insurers paid out $15 billion in claims costs between 2013 and 2020, according to the institute. Nearly three-quarters of those dollars went to at torneys. As a result, insurance carriers are becoming insolvent.
Here’s a sampling of property insurance companies that have declared insolvency or liquidated in Florida since January 2022:
• Avatar Property & Casualty Insurance Co. of Tampa
• Gulfstream Property and Casualty Insurance Company
• Lexington Insurance Co.
• Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp. of Tampa
• Progressive
• Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Company
• Southern Fidelity Insurance Company in Leon County
• St. Johns Insurance Company of Orlando
• Sunshine State Insurance Company
Insurance carriers in Florida are canceling homeowner polices. Norman Lutz, CEO of Iron Ridge Insurance Services, believes there is an insurance crisis, without question.
If they aren’t pulling out of the state al together, insurance carriers are cancel ing homeowner policies to stay solvent. FedNat Insurance Co., for instance, an nounced it would cancel 60,000 policies under a restructuring plan. Once one of the largest insurance carriers in the state, the company reported $100 mil lion in losses last year.
“There is an insurance crisis in Flor ida, no question,” says Norman Lutz, CEO of Iron Ridge Insurance Services in Fort Myers. “There is very little ca pacity in the marketplace due to compa nies that went into receivership, and the remaining companies restricting what they are willing to write. The few com panies that are left simply don’t have the capacity to write more policies.”
Steve Stewart, the retired president of Florida Gulf Bank in Cape Coral, is like any other SWFL homeowner in hurri cane country—he can’t go a day without the right property insurance.
When the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation declared his long-term in surance carrier insolvent in January, the carrier sold Stewart’s policy and those of 3,200 other customers to another insur ance carrier. His policy was still good, but the new carrier said they’d renew it after the start of hurricane season.
“I called the new company, and they said, ‘We’ll send you your renewal terms at the end of June.’ I asked, ‘Can you tell me what the policy terms are?’ She said, ‘I have the information, but I cannot tell you.’ I had the feeling there would be a
Hurricane Ian leveled Sanibel Island and Fort Myers just 120 days after the Florida Legislature passed a law de signed to reform the state’s property insurance industry.
The catastrophic storm, which de stroyed tens of thousands of condos, homes and businesses, is now a test bed for the new relationship SB 2D created among property owners, in surers, lawyers and contractors.
The flood of property insurance claims started the morning after the storm hit.
Before homeowners could find some one with a boat to take them back to Sanibel to check on their homes, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis set up an initial payment center in Fort Myers. Policyholders could meet in per son with their insurance representatives and file their claims.
Brian Chapman Jr., owner of Chap man Insurance Group, has 30,000 customers, many on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach and inland of the Intracoastal Waterway. The day after Ian hit, his offices were seeing 15 calls a minute from customers who had ma jor damage or lost homes. The same scene played out at other insurance companies around the region.
SB 2D is designed to staunch the flow of exiting insurance companies. According to Chapman, a lot of prop erty owners lost coverage when insur ance companies declared insolvency in 2022. Therefore, many homeown ers were between property insurance carriers before Ian hit.
“We’ve had five insurance com panies go into liquidation this year,” Chapman says. “It’s miserable. State law gives insurance brokers 30 days to replace that policy for the customer or they lose coverage on that policy.”
If a homeowner has an open claim with the liquidated carrier, a new car rier isn’t likely to write a policy for that homeowner. “It’s almost impossible to replace that policy when you have an open claim,” Chapman says.
Chapman, who was interviewed on CBS’ "60 Minutes" Oct. 9, told corre spondent Bill Whitaker many will have to sell and move on.
“It’s going to be a long road to re covery,” Chapman says. “The ones that forewent insurance, I’m certain there will be some who sell their real estate or their land.”
Insurance carriers will have to de termine whether wind or water was the primary cause of damage to each
property, a complex process, Chapman told "60 Minutes."
“You have two policies, one flood, one wind,” he says. “Did the wind damage hap pen first, or the water rise [first]? Was there wind damage before it flooded? It’s hard to know the answer to that question.”
Mark Friedlander, the Florida analyst for the Insurance Information Institute, says disputes over wind vs. water destruction could lead to legal disputes that could lead other insurers to leave the state.
“Those legal disputes could amass $10 (billion) to $20 billion in litigation costs as homeowners sue their insur ers over denied claims—particularly de terminations between windstorm and flood losses,” he says. “These litigation expenses will most likely lead to the in solvencies of several more small, region al Florida residential insurers that were already struggling financially.”
Friedlander says Ian’s costs could wipe out a fund the new insurance law created that props up insurance companies.
“The only impact ... Hurricane Ian will have on the SB D2 reform bill is the $2 billion Reinsurance to Assist Policyhold ers, or RAP, Fund,” he says. “We expect that fund to be quickly depleted based on the high volume of insured losses from Ian.”
large increase in my rate, something I was not going to like.”
Stewart decided to shop for another car rier on his own and found an insurance broker who could narrow his choices. His broker got a new policy with a rate and the coverage he likes in time for storm season. He urges homeowners to investigate op tions instead of waiting for the carrier.
It’s important you pick up your cell phone and be proactive; nobody is going to take care of the consumer, except the consumer, he said.
“Insurance companies are in business to make money. That’s the way it is,” Stewart says. “If they have you between a rock and a hard place, you’ll get both the rock and the hard place.”
And that’s where far too many homeown ers in Southwest Florida find themselves.
Writing policies when carriers fail Chapman Insurance Group, with five loca tions in SWFL—Port Charlotte, Punta Gor da, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs— is an agency that helps homeowners and business owners find the right property in surance with the right insurance carrier.
“We’ve had five insurance companies go into liquidation this year,” Chapman says. “It’s miserable. State law gives insurance bro kers 30 days to replace that policy for the cus tomer or they lose coverage on that policy.
“We do our best to find them a new car rier.” The carrier keeps their policy money until the homeowner files for its return. “When the carrier goes into liquidation, the Florida Insurance Guarantee Association, or FIGA, steps in to settle claims and refund
the insured their premium back,” Chapman says. But there is a $100 deductible they have to pay to get their money back.
“It’s a heartbreaker,” Chapman says. “You can have someone who renewed his policy in May and the carrier goes insolvent in June, just a month later, but some of those lost pre miums can be paid back through FIGA.”
Getting that money back can take eight to 10 weeks, Chapman said. Meanwhile, the homeowner has to write a check for a new premium to another carrier. If a homeown er has an open claim with the liquidated carrier, a new carrier isn’t likely to write a policy for that homeowner. “It’s almost impossible to replace that policy when you have an open claim,” Chapman says.
There’s another option, but agents say that option is also wobbling.
Florida residents who find themselves without property insurance can go to the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Cor poration, or CPIC. The program is funded by policyholder premiums, but state law allows CPIC to levy assessments on policy holders if there are catastrophic storms.
According to CPIC spokesman Michael Peltier, the state-run fund doesn’t have enough reinsurance coverage to meet risks posed by hurricanes, hail storms and other threats to property. Some reinsurers—com panies that provide coverage when carriers incur more claims than they can pay—are also pulling out of the state.
The insurance companies that can buy reinsurance “pass these expenses on to consumers, which is one of the reasons
why Floridians are paying the highest average home insurance premium in the U.S.,” Fried lander says.
Not only that, but the state insurance fund is straining under the weight of panicked home owners, according to Peltier. For instance, in June, the first week of hurricane season, CPIC underwriters were writing policies at a feverish rate of 30,000 a month, and have now passed 900,000 policyholders.
Citizens insurance is required to offer an option within 30 days, but the deluge of home owners seeking policies makes it impossible to get those property owners a new policy. That’s because Citizens and FIGA do not have the re sources to get all of the liquidated carriers’ cli ents into their systems, Chapman said.
“The fuse is burning; after 30 days there is no coverage,” he says. “They are so backed up they aren’t meeting the deadlines to put the infor mation into their systems.”
Banks also will put mortgage holders into an insurance program to protect their loans.
“If you have a loan, you’re going to get forceplaced into a policy, the bank does that,” he says. “The insurance company can charge what they want and it’s usually outrageous, some times two or three times more. And the policy is not as good.”
After noting that his state accounts for just 9% of the nation’s home insurance claims but files 79% of the country’s property insurance law suits, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a special
With the state-run insurance company handling an in crease of policies, Brian Chapman, owner of Chapman Insurance, believes they don't have enough resources.
session of the Legislature. The goal of the session, which lasted from May 22-27, was to write laws to correct the listing property insurance industry and stabilize its future. Bringing down rates will take longer, says state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Manatee, who led the effort to write Senate Bill 2D.
DeSantis signed SB 2D on May 26, and it became law on July 1. In addition to making the filing of a claim containing false, fraud ulent or misleading information a third-de gree felony, the law:
• Creates the Reinsurance to Assist Policyholders, or RAP, program, which gets $2 billion of reinsurance coverage at no cost to insurers. In return, carriers must reduce rates to policyholders;
• Bars assignees of benefits from col lecting attorney fees, even if they prevail in court;
• Prohibits contractors from inducing a homeowner for the purposes of making a property insurance claim for roof dam age “unless the communication provides certain notices to the homeowner”;
• Requires property insurers to send a copy of any detailed insurer adjuster’s estimate within seven days of a request by the insured;
• Prohibits assignment of attorney fees other than to a named insured person or a named beneficiary under the policy;
Filing a claim containing fraudulent or misleading in formation is now a third-degree felony. Iron Ridge In surance Services CEO Norman Lutz believes this will, in time, create stability.
• Requires that a valid assignment of benefit specify that the assignee will hold harmless the assignor from all liabilities, including attorney fees;
• Declares attorney fee multipliers may only be awarded under rare and excep tional circumstances; and
• Creates the Property Insurance Sta bility Unit to increase regulatory oversight for property insurers; the unit also will investigate whenever customer com plaints suggest repeated fraud.
New rules for roof replacement in the law will add more protections for homeowners and insurance companies, Boyd said.
“We are protecting homeowners from being canceled when a roof is less than 15 years old, or when an inspection shows an older roof still has plenty of useable life left,” he says.
According to Friedlander, SB 2D doesn’t entirely rid the state of fee multipliers. Though fee multipliers were eliminated for third-party, or contractor, lawsuits, they still are allowed for lawsuits filed by home owners.
“The Legislature did not take strong enough actions in the special session to stop the crisis and this has further eroded the market,” he says. “Homeowners sign an AOB form or direction to pay agreement that says the roofing company has control over the in
surance claim. And until they totally elimi nate the fee multipliers, AOBs and direction to pays, these exorbitant expenses will con tinue to put insurers on the brink of failure.”
The direction to pay agreements, which are similar to AOBs, are largely unregulated and do nothing to protect homeowners, he said. “Many unscrupulous contractors use a direc tion to pay to avoid the numerous regulations of an AOB.”
Lutz applauds the limitations put on as signments of benefits. “This is a significant improvement and should have a demonstra ble impact on Assignment of Benefit abuse and misuse,” he says. “One of the significant aspects of the change is roof inspectors must comply with the strict requirements of the AOB statute.”
He also likes the changes to attorney fee structures, eliminating the ability of contrac tors to recover attorney fees in certain cases, limiting attorney fee multipliers and allow ing courts to award insurers their attorney’s fees for obtaining a dismissal.
Lutz believes SB 2D—by creating over sight and limiting big paydays to lawyers and roofers—will in time create stability that will draw primary insurance carriers back to the state. But it won’t be overnight. “Changes are not going to be noticeable tomorrow; it will take years to correct a neglected system,” Lutz says.
“Once we change the landscape, insurance companies will bring back capital, which cre ates capacity, which brings competition. That may create conditions for a robust, healthy insurance market.”
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Admission Office: (239) 415-8945 www.canterburyfortmyers.org
Head of School: Rick Kirschner
To experience Canterbury is to appreciate inspiring teachers, coaches, and mentors rigorously preparing students for a world of unlimited possibilities. The foundation of our school is based on four tenets: academics, leadership, character, and service. These tenets work in conjunction with key aspects that create a great “prep” school –a strong honor code, exceptional academics, a wide range of cocurricular opportunities, and meaningful relationships. Each year Canterbury’s SAT and ACT scores far surpass local, state, and national results. Canterbury students are a sure bet among colleges and universities. Working together in a resilient community, Canterbury prepares students to meet challenges with confidence, knowledge, integrity, courage, and responsibility. This powerful combination provides the foundation for your child’s success in learning and in life. There is no doubt that this is one of the true values and lifelong returns of Canterbury’s independent school education.
Community School of Naples strives to provide students with rich and robust academic programs and extracurricular activities that ignite their passion in an environment that fosters health, wellness, and optimal performance.
The inspired faculty, staff, and coaches model lifelong learning by participating in collaborative and continual professional growth opportunities that foster and create a rewarding place where students thrive.
The programs foster a culture that values student and community wellness.From core courses to electives, from environmental studies to fine and performing arts, wellness will support our students as they learn to balance their obligations and explore their personal passions.
The campus provides the landscape for success with its world class facilities of 24 buildings, a swimming pool, and athletic fields sprawling across 77 acres. With such resources and support, students are inspired to discover their full potential at Community School of Naples.
A Commitment to Excellence
13275 Livingston Rd. Naples, FL 34109
(239) 597-7575 communityschoolnaples.org
Head of School: Dr. David J. Watson
Committed to academic excellence, Community School of Naples inspires and empowers students to realize their own potential as engaged learners and responsible global citizens.
To be a world-class independent school, meeting our mission in memorable ways for the benefit of every student, every day.
To learn more, visit our website: www.communityschoolnaples.org
8237 Beacon Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33907 (239) 936-3319 goecs.org
Head of School: Dr. John M. Hunte
The 2022-2023 school year marks the 50th anniversary for ECS. We have celebrat ed this monumental milestone by garnering another year of substantial growth and learning.
From 1973 to present, ECS has built its foundation on Christian principles while creating an accelerated learning environment.
We want to meet you and share the ECS experience! Please contact Melissa Bizier at mbizier@goecs.org to schedule a tour of our campus. To support ECS visit our website at https://goecs.org/support-ecs/
At First Baptist Academy, our talented students are achieving success both in the classroom and beyond as well. Students compete and excel in a full range of athletic opportunities, with individual and team sports. Our fine arts programs are strong and thriving in the areas of art, theatre, vocal and instrumental music—reaching large audiences throughout our community. That’s all a part of the unparalleled opportunities our FBA Lions have. Whether you’re new to the area or making a change during the school year, we welcome you to tour our campus, meet our staff and students, and ask any questions you have
3000 Orange Blossom Drive Naples, FL 34109
(239) 597-2233, ext. 300 fbalions.org
Head of School: Dr. Ryan Dupeé
Director of Admissions: Nate Foster
16100 Livingston Road Naples, FL. 34110 (239) 594-9888
royalpalmacademy.org
There’s a real advantage at a school committed to developing a deep sense of belonging. Royal Palm Academy is passionate about character formation, encourages intellectual curiosity, and takes pride in serving our community. Our students are leaders, creative, bright, focused on achieving their full potential, and never afraid to be themselves. Students are grounded in their Catholic Faith, growing in virtue, and forming healthy habits for a lifetime.
We are celebrating 25 years of academic excellence. We partner with our parents and encourage them to participate in their child’s education. Our caring school community of parents, teachers, and staff collaborate to benefit all our students. When you choose RPA, you become a member of a very special, closeknit school family. We are rooted in our Catholic identity, promoting healthy social relationships, and partnering with our supportive, vibrant, and engaged school family. Come see where students thrive!
Saint Ann Catholic School has provided excellence in the education of Spirit, Mind, and Body since 1956. Our emphasis and dedication to high academic standards for all students are evident throughout the school’s state-of-the-art campus and well-round ed curriculum: gifted, honors, and resource classes, integration of technology, band, choir, art, music, drama, foreign language, physical education, and athletic offerings in competitive sports. Saint Ann has partnered with First Lego League encompassing PK3-8 classes.
Through the dedication and commitment of our highly trained, certified professional teachers and staff, each child is nurtured to reach their fullest potential. Many of our teachers have been classroom trained to use the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is a multisensory phonics technique. Students learn the value of selfless service and are taught the necessary skills for their life’s work in the kingdom of God within a caring, safe, and disciplined environment.
542 Eighth Ave. S. Naples, FL 34102
(239) 262-4110 | stann.net facebook.com/saintannschool
Principal - Mr. Michael Buskirk mbuskirk@stann.net. Director of Admissions - Tracy Farley, tfarley@stann.net
Grade levels: PK3-8th Grade No. students: 426 No. faculty: 54
Average class size: 18 Student/teacher ratio: 10:1 Year founded: 1956 Admissions deadline: Rolling Annual Tuition: $10,500 Financial aid available: Yes No. of sports teams available: 9 Clubs or other activities available: 12
6000 Goodlette-Frank Road Naples, FL 34109 (239) 593-7686 www.tvsnaples.org
Head of School: Dennis Chapman
Director of Enrollment Management: Cameron Steese
At The Village School, we’re blessed to provide an environment where our students are known, nurtured and loved. Where creativity and curiosity blossom into discovery. Where the classroom is just the beginning of the learning experience, and where our shared faith roots and connects us. Our teachers don’t just teach the material, they bring it to life, building essential knowledge and skills for active problem-solving. Our dedicated staff serve each day with true joy knowing the power of a smile to change a life. We inspire our students to be creative critical thinkers, strategic communicators, empowered lifelong learners, engaged collaborators and global citizens. The Village School of Naples is a Pre-K3 to 12 independent school located in Collier Co. in Southwest Florida. In 2006, TVS was accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council, and welcomed the upper school division in the fall of 2017.
5598 Sunrise Drive Fort Myers, FL 33919 (239) 274-6700 bvhs.org
5598 Sunrise Drive Fort Myers, FL 33919 (239) 274-6700 bvhs.org
Principal: Suzie O’Grady, MPA, S.Ed.
Principal: Suzie O’Grady, MPA, S.Ed.
As we celebrate sixty years of educational excellence, Bishop Verot Catholic High School builds relationships centered on faith, learning, and leadership devoted to educating the whole person, utilizing innovative technologies, empowering students through collaborative experiences, and cultivating a spirit of service while grounded in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We have been recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for continuous innovation in learning, teaching, and the school environment. Bishop Verot provides students with opportunities for lifelong learning and leadership, teaching skills for college and values for life. Schedule a private tour today to learn more about Bishop Verot Catholic High School and joining the Verot family.
With more than five decades of educational excellence, Bishop Verot Catholic High School builds relationships centered on faith, learning, and leadership devoted to educating the whole person, utilizing innovative technologies, empowering students through collaborative experiences, and cultivating a spirit of service while grounded in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We have been recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for continuous innovation in learning, teaching, and the school environment. Bishop Verot provides students with opportunities for lifelong learning and leadership, teaching skills for college and values for life. Schedule a private tour today to learn more about Bishop Verot Catholic High School and joining the Verot family.
6401 Techster Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33966 (239) 245-8212 | delasallefm.org
6401 Techster Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33966 (239) 245-8212 | delasallefm.org
Principal: Sarah Barrow, Ed.S
Principal: Sarah Barrow, Ed.S
De LaSalle Academy recognizes that every student learns differently. Students with learning challenges are educated in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where each individual’s diverse ability is honored and valued. Founded on three key principles; individualized instruction, small class sizes, and nurturing teachers, De LaSalle is specifically designed to support student’s individual needs and promote academic success to the highest degree possible.
De LaSalle Academy recognizes that every student learns differently. Students with learning differences are educated in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where each individual’s diverse ability is honored and valued. Founded on three key principles; individualized instruction, small class sizes, and nurturing teachers, De LaSalle is specifically designed to support students’ individual needs and promote academic success to the highest degree possible.
1509 SE 27th St. Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 772-3922 www.standrewcs.org
Principal: Mr. David M. Nelson
Since 1989, “Building Faith, Hearts and Minds” has been the motto and impetus in providing an exceptional education at St. Andrew Catholic School.
Faith – Through Catholic traditions and Gospel values, students develop as principled, caring and balanced individuals, respected as children of God.
Hearts – New families say that St. Andrew has an inviting fami ly atmosphere. Whether collaborating in the classroom or through community service, students open their hearts, demonstrating open-mindedness and a connection to others. Teachers are dedicat ed professionals in partnership with families.
Minds – A cornerstone program, STREAM, integrates Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math, enhancing the curriculum and nurturing inquiring life-long learners.
3750 Colonial Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33966 (239) 936-8865 sfcakings.org
Head of School: Mrs. Lisa Kleinmann
Southwest Florida Christian Academy has been a leader in K-12 education for 29 years and is fully accredited by Cognia and ACSI. Students are provided a Christ-centered, expansive educational program that includes STEM offerings, AP courses, one-to-one technology, a comprehensive fine arts program and over 42 competitive sports teams. While leadership training occurs across all grade levels, SFCA’s unique Student Leadership Academy identifies and equips students who will be the next generation of leaders. Community involvement is encouraged through field trips, service projects and mission trips.
2730 53rd Terrace SW Naples, FL 34116
(239) 455-2262 www.saintelizabethseton.com facebook.com/SESCatholicSchool
Principal: Mrs. Maria Niebuhr, M.Ed.
In 1981, St. Elizabeth Seton School was hand-built by the loving hands of parishioners who wanted their children to have a quality faith-based education. The school was founded in honor of the first American born saint in keeping with her virtues of courage, hard work, faith, discipline, and love. From our humble beginnings, the philosophy and commitment to excellence in Catholic education continues. In a safe, caring, family-oriented environment, students achieve their greatest intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social po tential, while developing their faith, character, and virtue.
Join our school family! – Scholarship/Assistance for Grades PK3 – 8.
THE SETON WAY…CHRIST-CENTERED LEARNING WITH A JOYFUL SPIRIT!
2055 Heitman St. Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 334-7707 stfrancisfortmyers.org
Principal: John Gulley
Welcome to St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, serving PK-3 -Grade 8! Our school began in 1938 to provide a sound Catholic education, rooted in Gospel values. We support our students’ individual learning capabilities and provide a challenging and rigorous academic program that is reflective of current trends in education and technology. Our middle school features 1:1 iPads and technology used throughout the school. We teach our students, from day one, that a strong academic education goes hand-in-hand with solid Christian values. Our philosophy can be summed up in our mission. “To be like Christ in all we think, do and say while experiencing the joy of learning.” If you believe your child’s school should reinforce the values you teach at home, come join the St. Francis Xavier Catholic school family.
2055 Heitman St. Fort Myers, FL 33901 (239) 334-7707 www.stfrancisfortmyers.org
Pastor: Father Anthony Hewitt
Principal: John Gulley
(239) 455-2262
2730 53rd Terrace SW Naples, FL 34116 www.saintelizabethseton.com
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School welcomes you to join our family, our tradition and our journey with Christ!
• We are a Blue Ribbon School, accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference.
• Established 84 years ago, Saint Francis Xavi er Catholic School has provided more than 6,500 students with an exemplary academic education built upon a Catholic foundation of spirituality and compassionate humanity.
• St. Francis Xavier Catholic School students outscore their public school counterparts in achievement tests.
• State-of-the-art computer lab, 21st Century classrooms and Middle School 1:1 iPad Program, robotics
Call today for a student-guided tour and learn more about our curriculum, activities and faith formation.
As the oldest locally owned bank in Lee County, Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands has a long history as an independent community bank with an undeniable interest in the region’s future growth and well-being. The business was founded on the belief that there is a better way of banking, where banking isn’t just about numbers, it’s about people.
Celebrating 25 years in business, Edison National Bank is known for on-site decision making and community roots that only a local bank can provide. Personalized solutions, meaningful relationships and exceptional service meet the unique needs of businesses, nonprofits and individuals.
Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC.
When Edison National Bank opened its doors in 1997, we commemorated the occasion by planting a Royal Palm. Today, that tree is a testament to 25 years of service. We’re standing strong and continue to plant the seeds of trust and loyalty. As the oldest locally owned and chartered community bank in Lee County, our roots go deep in the community, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to your banking needs.
To learn more about our customer services and convenient locations, please visit EdisonNationalBank.com or call 239.466.1800.
Fifth Third’s Business Banking division plays a critical role in helping its clients through every phase of the business lifecycle. From start up to transition, business bankers are skilled at helping owners simplify financial decisions, gain access to capital, maximize cash flow, reduce risks, and implement strategies for long-term scalable growth.
Often the greatest risks to a business are those that are unseen. That’s why our business bankers get engrained into their client’s business, serve as thought leaders, and focus on five critical areas of success:
• Business Lifecycle
• Risk Mitigation
• Financial Management
• Workforce Development
• Succession Planning
Because one size does not fit all, our trusted advisors will customize and align solutions to fit each client’s unique needs. Additionally, Fifth Third’s One Bank approach ensures industry experts are brought into the fold, when needed, to ensure success every step of the way.
Fifth Third Business Banking is here to help.
Mark D. Ryczek, Senior Vice President, Business Banking Market Executive
Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.
From expansion to reducing the risk of fraud, we know your business requires custom solutions to meet the moments you’re navigating. Fifth Third has industry experts who understand your challenges, and the tools to make your business more efficient.
53.com/Commercial
239.472.6100 8 Convenient SWFL Locations www.SanCapBank.com
Since Hurricane Ian, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has been working hard alongside our Southwest Florida community to recover and restore the vibrancy our area is known for. As a true community bank, we are devoted to helping our customers, team members and community even more now during these tough times when so many are dealing with such devastation.
An essential part of recovery for Southwest Florida is getting locally owned and operated businesses—the heart of our economy—operational. We are extremely proud to be the financial partner of choice for thousands of businesses who depend on us, in good times and bad. The solid relationships we have created and cultivated with our customers allow us to find solutions where other banks fail. Now more than ever, people need solutions and that is exactly what they get from us. It is the SanCap Bank difference. And you can bank on it.
When you bank with Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, you get more than a bank – you get a partner.
Since we’re a locally owned and operated community bank, we have the flexibility to get you answers quickly. Unlike big box banks, our business banking products and services are tailored to offer you solutions to meet your operational needs when it matters most to your business. Stop by today and experience the SanCap Bank difference.
3401 Tamiami Trail North Naples, FL www.wintrustflorida.com
Community is everything to Leandro Soler. An active community member who works with Naples SCORE, FGCU Small Business Development Center, and others, Leo has direct experience with the unique needs and goals of local businesses. Nothing brings him more satisfaction than helping businesses grow—something he does every day at Wintrust Banking Center.
“To me, community banking is all about being there for our local businesses,” said Soler. “Seeing small businesses start growing is the most rewarding part of our work.”
With a robust selection of products and services, Leo sets customers up for success through tailored lending solutions. Building your own business? Reach out today to see how we can help!
3401 Tamiami Trail North | Naples, Florida To see more tools and resources we o er to help
Cogent Bank is a full-service commercial bank that offers commercial banking, consumer banking, association bank ing, private wealth, 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.
Contact our local team of banking experts today at one of two convenient Southwest Florida locations:
Naples Banking Center: 239.610.4720 Fort Myers Banking Center: 239.766.8980 www.CogentBank.com
Cogent is a full-service commercial bank with a full spectrum of lending, depository and treasury management services to meet the unique needs of our clients. We have local decision-making authority and are passionate about the success of our clients.
Let’s talk about your why. Call Russell Beckner, Naples Market Leader, at 239-687-7260 or visit pnc.com/privatebank
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the marketing name PNC Private BankSM to provide investment consulting and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDIC-insured banking products and services, and lending of funds to individual clients through PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”), which is a Member FDIC, and to provide specific fiduciary and agency services through PNC Delaware Trust Company or PNC Ohio Trust Company. PNC does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice unless, with respect to tax advice, PNC Bank has entered into a written tax services agreement. PNC Bank is not registered as a municipal advisor under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Bank deposit products and services are provided by PNC Bank, National Association, Member FDIC. “PNC Private Bank” is a service mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Everyone’s “why” is different. And we want to hear all about yours, because the answer gets to the heart of everything that’s important in life. Asking why can lead you to your ultimate purpose, the reason for working so hard, for protecting what’s valuable, and for passing on what you’ve achieved. We’ll work with you on the how. You just tell us, what’s your why? ©2022 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. INV WM PDF 0821-027-1875002
Starting in 2003, with the original family members, MY Shower Door has grown to a staff of over 185 employees, with ten Florida locations, a manufacturing/ distribution facility, and an architectural glass division. Both MY Shower Door and the manufacturing compa ny, D3 Glass, have been selected by GROWFL as one of Florida’s 50 Companies To Watch. Additionally, MY Shower Door has been ranked seven times by INC Mag azine in their INC 5,000 Top 5,000 Fastest Growing Businesses in the United States
The secret to the success is that each of the Daubmann family members has a unique set of skills that allows them to work together cohesively as a family to grow and flourish in the business world. Parents Bill and Donna focus on the strategy and compli ance of the business while sons Keith and Doug have grown the company through Social Media (Keith has >30,000 followers on LinkedIn) and vertical integration (Doug expanded the business by spearheading the manufactur ing arm, D3 Glass).
D3 Glass has been named “Manufacturer of the Year” in Lee County and MY Shower Door has been named “Small Business of the Year” and “Innovator of the Year” by SWFL, INC and the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce. Their shower doors were ranked #1 in the US by Glass Magazine and the company was just ranked the #1 shower door company in the US by Glass Magazine in their annual rankings.
MY Shower Door
13500 Tamiami Trail (Rt 41 at Wiggins Pass) Naples, FL 34110 239-596-3255 www.myshowerdoor.com bill@myshowerdoor.com
13500 Tamiami Trail (Rt 41 at Wiggins Pass) Naples, FL 34110 239-596-3255
In 1927, our great-grandparents began selling Ford vehicles in Fort Myers.The organization was known as Lee Motors, and it was Model T’s and dirt roads throughout Southwest Florida. We often heard stories of how Henry Ford and Thomas Edison would visit the dealership while vacationing at their homes on the bank of the Caloosahatchee River. Mr. Ford would speak with the staff at the dealership and even ask advice on how he could make their jobs easier as design changes took place on future models.
In the late 1940’s our grandfather, Sam Galloway Sr., assumed ownership of Lee Motors. Later, he relocated and renamed the dealership and Sam Galloway Ford was born! In 1970, Sam Galloway, Jr. took the helm; where he remained until his pass ing in 2021.
Nowadays, Sam III, Katherine and Robert Galloway, the fourth generation, own and operate the organization.While many things have changed during the last 95 years, some things simply do not … we remain focused on our customers and our community.
Before Steve Watts and his son Eathan purchased Vespa Naples in January 2022 it was owned and operated by Johnny Nocera and his two sons JR and Jimmy for many years. Continuing with the father and son tradition the business has experienced exceptional growth over the past 2 ½ years. With an experienced team of sales and ser vice experts Vespa Naples has grown to be the third largest dealer in the US and recently added a 2nd location in Gainesville FL. Vespa Naples focuses on providing a world class customer experience and having the industry’s largest selection of scooters.
977 4th Ave. N. Naples FL 34102 239-674-3343 www.vespanaples.com
A Southwest Florida company that is family-owned and operated, Varian Construction has delivered impressive results renovating homes, condominiums, and commercial projects for over 30 years.
Accredited, licensed, and insured, with 15 Florida Home Build ers Association awards for exceptional work, Varian Construc tion ensures that any residence or commercial project we build will be quality built and designed for many years to come.
From whole-house remodels to custom commercial buildouts, Varian Construction uses its connections and resources to not only meet the owner’s expectations but to exceed them.
If you are interested in hiring Varian Construction for your residential or commercial renovation, contact us today at 239.514.0103 or visit VarianConstruction.com
Ted Smith has a unique automotive industry perspective. As president of the Florida Auto mobile Dealers Association, he oversees about 850 dealerships, many of which endured Hur ricane Ian without substantial damage.
But for more than 20 years, Smith has cul tivated his expertise in understanding the dealers’ customers. He knows they suffered greatly. Thousands of vehicles were damaged or completely totaled during the devastation, and the owners of those vehicles have pur chased or will need to purchase replacement new or used cars or trucks.
“We haven’t had a great amount of damage to vehicles, at least not vehicles in the possession of dealerships,” says Smith of the more than 100-year-old FADA, a trade organization based in Tallahassee. “But obviously people at home and in businesses lost vehicles, either in flood ing or winds, and they are just going to be in the open market.”
According to Florida-based Mark Fried lander of the Insurance Information Institute, Hurricane Ian was the second-largest natural disaster vehicle loss event on record in the U.S. About 500,000 vehicles were destroyed when Hurricane Harvey swept through Texas and Louisiana in 2017. About 350,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Ian.
Several automakers have offered consumer assistance. The Disaster Relief Bonus Cash Pro gram, provided by GM in eight Florida counties including Charlotte, Collier and Lee, offers a $1,000 incentive to owners of damaged cars or trucks toward the purchase of a 2022 and 2023 model Buick, Cadillac, Chevy or GMC. A $500 incentive is available for customers leasing GM vehicles. Mazda Financial Services is offering extensions and lease deferred payments, redi recting billing statements and arranging phone or online payments.
As has occurred several times previously during Smith’s tenure, hurricanes have great ly affected the Florida automotive industry— which yearly provides about 16% of the state’s tax revenue, according to the Michigan-based Center of Automotive Research.
Dealerships suffered extensive damage in Hurricane Charley (2004) and Michael (2018); Southwest Florida dealerships and car rental agencies learned from the past and moved vehicles to higher ground as Hurri cane Ian swept across the state. The foresight provided a positive from a tragedy. Smith said dealerships don’t have a large new inventory, but used vehicles are more readily available— although still also limited by the ongoing sup ply chain shortage.
About 350,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Ian.
The number already was staggering, and then it quickly nearly doubled in the chaos of Hurricane Ian. CARFAX, the company known for its vehicle history information, reports the coun try now has more than 750,000 wa ter-damaged vehicles.
About 400,000 water-damaged vehicles already were on the road be fore the devastation in Florida and the Carolinas. Some of the owners are un knowing scam victims. The potential for the same wrongdoing is now further prevalent.
Cars can be sold in Florida with wa ter damage if the seller informs the buyer and the vehicle receives a “sal vage title.” But disclosure doesn’t al ways occur. Damaged vehicles often are taken out of state where vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, can be switched.
A vehicle damaged by water may appear cosmetically sound, but it could be “literally rotting from the inside out,” says Emilie Voss of CARFAX. “If you don’t know what to look for, it’s nearly impossible to tell.”
Floodwater can cause mechanical, electrical and health and safety issues
in a vehicle. According to the Missou ri-based data company, Texas and Flor ida continue to lead the nation in the dubious honor of the most flood-dam aged cars on the road. “We are seeing these flooded cars show up all around the country, putting unsuspecting buy ers at risk,” says Voss.
CARFAX has a multi-point list for con sumers to follow when checking a ve hicle for flood damage.
• A musty interior odor that sellers sometimes try to cover with a strong air freshener
• Loose, new, stained, damp or non-matching upholstery or carpeting
• Rust around doors, under the dash, on pedals or inside the hood and trunk latches
• Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats
• Brittle wires under the dashboard
• Fog or moisture beads in the interior or exterior lights or instrument panel
The National Insurance Crime Bu reau offers a free, searchable VIN da tabase at nicb.org.
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Electric vehicles whose batteries have been damaged by saltwater are susceptible to catching fire.
“The inventory is very, very low,” says Andrew Le Sueur, sales manager of Germain Honda in Na ples. “With so many cars totaled, people are buying whatever they can get their hands on.”
Germain sells several manufacturers’ vehicles in numerous locations in Southwest Florida.
“With the supply so low and the demand so high, it’s creating a tough situation for a lot of people,” says Le Sueur. “We can’t get new cars or pre-owned cars fast enough.”
A better option for buyers is the increasing avail ability of car auctions online.
“It can really be a helpful thing for dealers and for people who come in and say, ‘I need a car to day,’” says Smith. “I would say the best thing people can do is go to a franchised new car dealership. It may be a limited inventory of new vehicles and a reasonably good inventory of used vehicles. And if not, they will be able to assist the person in finding something online to meet their needs.”
Supply and intensified demand definitely af fect consumer prices, notably in the automotive industry. “I have dealers that have made a com mitment to sell at MSRP (manufacturer suggest ed retail price), and I have dealers who are not making that commitment for one reason or an other,” Smith says. “They are selling the vehicles at whatever the market will allow.”
Hurricane Ian brought another automotive dan ger to the forefront: the spontaneous combus tion of electric vehicles whose batteries have been damaged by saltwater.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis tration has long warned of EV fire dangers, detail ing the susceptibility of lithium-ion batteries to catch fire when damaged by saltwater. The federal agency, which oversees the country’s transpor tation safety, states that flooded electric vehicles should be at least 50 feet away from vehicles or any thing easily flammable.
About two weeks after the disaster, Florida State Fire Marshal Jim Patronis scolded the major EV manufacturers for not equipping their vehicles with safeguards against spontaneous combustion.
In a letter to more than 30 EV carmakers, in cluding Ford, General Motors, Rivian and Tesla, Patronis asked the companies to “step up, demon strate leadership and partner with the State of Florida and local officials in this recovery.”
Patronis reported on social media that a home on Sanibel Island was severely damaged after the Tes la in the garage caught fire from the storm.
Florida has just fewer than 60,000 registered electric vehicles, the second most of any state in the country behind California. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 3% of the cars sold in Florida in 2021 were EVs.
“The unfortunate reality is that there is a popula tion of vehicles that could spontaneously combust, putting our first responders at risk, and the man ufacturers are nowhere to be found,” the fire mar shal wrote. “For as big a risk as this is to fire teams, for companies who have received an immense sum of subsidies from taxpayers, I would have hoped the reaction by manufacturers would have been more robust.”
Given the proliferation of marijuana dispensaries in Florida since smokable medical marijuana was legalized in 2019, it’s often assumed that operating a successful cannabis business is as easy as opening the doors. In reality, the cannabis industry deals with a number of hurdles that other businesses rarely en counter. And the most prominent of those barriers is the lack of banking options.
“Because cannabis is not a federally approved product, we are not allowed to do banking in most of the financial institutions across the country,” says Dennis Oils, CFO for Cresco Labs, parent company of Sunnyside medical cannabis dispensaries. “That includes things like credit card processing. Those transactions are not allowed in this industry any where in the United States because of the fact that it is not an approved substance and is not credibly ap proved at the government level, which would enable banks to transact with cannabis companies in a safe and insured manner.”
Though larger national banks avoid the cannabis industry, many smaller, state-chartered financial institutions have begun catering to the needs of dis pensaries. However, given the lack of federal deposit insurance, banks serving the cannabis industry are doing so with additional levels of caution.
Since cannabis is not federally approved, banking options are extremely limited.
“There’s increased due diligence that transpires when we look at banking these customers,” says Chris Hartman, EVP and chief deposit of ficer with Cogent Bank. “So, because of that additional effort, there are more limitations in terms of options for the cannabis clients when they’re looking to find a financial partner.
There are multiple steps that we have to take in terms of gathering additional information from these clients that we wouldn’t necessar ily gather from other clients. That includes information about their sales activity; what kind of software they’re using to monitor their pointof-sale transactions. What payment mechanisms are they utilizing?”
Without the ability to process credit card transactions, a cannabis dispen sary remains primarily a cash business. Though that creates security concerns for each dispensary, it also requires the banks that work with them to modify how they handle their deposits.
“We do not accept the (cannabis) deposits in our banking center. The armored car carrier picks up the cash from the dispensary. They’re actually validating the cash and they’re giving us the total, so we can then post that
deposit to the customer’s account,” Hartman says. “We have guardrails in place and we utilize a company that helps us monitor these deposits. Most banks will have a limit in terms of the number of deposit dollars associated with (cannabis industry) customers.
According to our cannabis policy, we have a percentage based on our asset size, but we are nowhere close to reaching that limit at this point in time and we are capable of modifying our policy.”
As Florida’s medical marijuana in dustry is still relatively young, its rules and regulations are still subject to modification. That means, as the in dustry continues to grow and change, financial institutions working with cannabis clients must also constant ly monitor compliance, said Lindsay Larson, VP BSA/AML officer at Co gent Bank.
“Certainly one of the biggest hur dles is the ever-changing legal land scape,” Larson says. “I would say, especially for payment processing, that’s a hurdle since … the large credit card companies have taken the posi tion to prohibit marijuana-related transactions from traveling the credit card rails, and they’ve vowed to hold
As the third most populous state and the fourth-largest econo my, Florida is one of the fast est-growing medical marijuana markets in the U.S. However, while it’s projected Florida will have almost 500 medical marijuana treatment centers, or MMTCs, by the end of 2022, there are only 22 companies licensed to supply and operate those dispensaries. That’s because of Florida’s vertically inte grated framework, which requires each MMTC to manage its own operations, from cannabis culti vation and processing to testing, distribution and retail sales.
“There is no other state like Florida that requires 100% vertical integration. When it’s all under the same umbrella, it helps us be a little bit more prof itable,” Oils says. “That’s because you’re not buying someone else’s product and turning around and reselling it for a lesser margin. So you are able to retain more of your margin.
“Most states have a cap on the number of stores that you can have. And the reason for that is, they want to have great social equity and allow a lot of minori ties to go in and open individual stores. In a state like Florida, you really can’t do that because you have to be able to grow your own product. That’s an anomaly.”
Florida is projected to have almost 500 medical marijuana treatment centers by the end of 2022.
that position until marijuana is fed erally legal. And, of course, a big issue for bankers is that there will always be a huge compliance presence in these banking relationships. We have to follow any and all guidance that’s passed down. And it certainly seems to be always subject to change.”
Ultimately, both cannabis busi nesses and financial institutions are cautiously optimistic that some ver sion of the Secure and Fair Enforce ment Banking Act—which would ease federal regulations on banks working in the cannabis industry—will be en acted at some point. While that would reduce the risk for banks and make it easier and more affordable for dis pensaries to conduct transactions, Oils says passage of the SAFE Bank ing Act also would help consumers.
“We’re all going to benefit from some version of SAFE Banking pass ing. A company will benefit in higher revenues and profits. The amount of tax revenue that it generates will be higher,” Oils says. “People will be able to buy more product and the individ ual state store owners will be able to generate more profit … because they’re not paying some of these exorbitant interest rates and all these incremen tal fees that are required to operate in this business. That, in some form or fashion, is going to get passed along to the consumer, as well.”
ai16642125178_11863 Gulfshore Business Naples Motors.pdf 1 9/26/22 1:15 PM COLLEGE OF BUSINESS LUTGERT FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
is great to work with. Their personalized service is so valuable. They presented the best lending solution that fit our construction schedule and allowed us to meet our goals.” –Tom Taylor, Manager
It all starts with a conversation. Call Pat Miller at (239) 919-1362 to get started.
Like many of those in the corporate world, Car olyn Homberger was forced to slow down during the pandemic. She’d spent her career working in the FinTech industry, and she had achieved a C-suite level; she was financially successful and widely recognized as a leader in her industry. But in the early days of the pandemic when her office was closed, Homberger found herself at home, thinking. “It was the first time in 20 years that I slowed down,” she says. “And that’s when I realized I wanted something more."
In what way? “I knew I had this amazing job and I was very successful, but I felt like I was missing a connection with my community,” she adds. “I felt like I needed more in my work. I’m an extrovert, and I love being around oth er people. In my next chapter, I knew I had to figure out how to make a living with something that tied me a little deeper to the community.”
In July 2021, on the heels of a corporate lead ership change that moved the office of her com
During the pandemic, Carolyn Homberger realized she wanted something more than the corporate world could offer.
Even with experience, adjusting from the corporate world to entrepreneurship can be intimidating. she says. “Whether it’s a small community business or a multi million-dollar software company, I feel the same deep sense of per sonal responsibility.”
pany from Naples to Coral Gables, Homberger decided to leave her position and set out on her own. “Honestly, I could not imagine moving away from Naples.”
She hired a franchise broker to scan the market and suggest dif ferent concepts. That’s how she landed on Athletic Republic, a sports training center for athletes of all ages and disciplines. In May 2022, Homberger and her hus band Eric launched Athletic Re public Naples.
The concept made sense for the pair. They’re both lifelong ath letes—Eric has run seven mara thons in his lifetime, one for each continent (including Antarctica); Homberger has run four, and she runs the Naples half-marathon ev ery January. Their three children are also in athletic activities.
Yet even with nearly two de cades of professional experience, Homberger said the leap from the corporate world into entre preneurship was still daunting. Thankfully, she had a vast bank of knowledge to draw on. “At the end of the day, it’s a business,”
That personal responsibility has led her to make successful choices, both for her new business and for her own life.
Homberger gives the same advice to entrepreneurs that she gives to other athletes: “Always have a goal in mind. Then you’re working to ward something.”
Both in her family and with her professional team, Homberger sets long-term goals, quarterly goals and monthly goals. These are goals that can be measured and used to hold themselves ac countable. “They motivate us to do more than we thought possi ble,” she says.
Her biggest tip for achieving any goal? Work on it every day. “Even if you only make 1% prog ress, that’s how you move for ward. Then suddenly, one day, you’ve arrived at your goal.”
Leah Rae Light as trustee for the Wade, Shannon and WS Trusts and Daniel B. Light purchased a 26,090-square-foot industrial building at 5570 Enterprise Parkway in Fort Myers from Interface Collaborative Group LLC for $4,962,000. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, and Alec Burke of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer, and Shawn Stoneburner and Gary Tasman of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the seller.
Taylor Road 1 LLC purchased a 35.41-acre mixed-use property at 13426-3444 Taylor Road in Punta Gorda from ORE as Q1 for Newfoundland Five Inc. for $2.7 million. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, and Christi Pritchett, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
By Adam ReganTamiami Trail Storage LP purchased 1.95 acres of land at 3491 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte from Heise Port Charlotte Property LLC for $1.5 million. Lane Boy of Cush man & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the seller.
PSPR Forum LLC purchased a 70-acre mixed-use development at State Road 82 in Fort Myers from C-Hack LLC and Keystone Creek LLC for $30 million. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.
Real Property for $2.25 million. Felipe Arcila of KOVA Commercial Group represented the buyer and seller.
the seller, and Carlos Acosta of CRES of SWFL Inc. represented the buyer.
Kakiland LLC purchased 7.95 acres of vacant land on Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres from National Christian Foundation
M&H Investment Properties LLC purchased 3.79 acres of vacant land at 625 NE 10th Place in Cape Coral for $1,975,000 from National Christian Foundation Real Property. Felipe Arcila of KOVA Commercial Group represented
MCIN Bell LLC purchased a 5.13-acre commercial site at 336 Blackstone Drive in Fort Myers from Riverside Apts Inc. for $1.1 million. Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, of CRE Consultants represented the seller, and Hunter Ward of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer.
L.T. Land Development LLC purchased a 1.85-acre commercial corner at 1675816776 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers from R.B.I. Holding LLC for $1 million. Fred Kermani, CCIM, AIA, and Enn Luthringer, CCIM, of CRE Consultants represented the seller, and Frank R. Jenkins Realty represented the buyer.
WR Adventures LLC purchased a 4,500-square-foot commercial space at 6101 Shirley St. in North Naples from Garden Street Iron & Metal Inc. of S.W. Florida for $1,573,530. Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, and William V. Gonnering, CCIM, SIOR, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Craig Ekonomos of the Paradise Coast Property Team represented the buyer.
Soho Printing LLC leased 4,091 square feet of retail space at Pelican Palms, 771 Airport-Pulling Road N., suites 4 and 5, in Naples from Naples Flooring Gallery Inc. Todd Sabin and Bryan Flores of KOVA Commercial Group repre sented the lessor and lessee.
American Mattress of Florida
LLC leased a 3,600-square-foot space in Trail Plaza, 710 Ninth St. N., Suite 732, in Naples from Designer’s Rug Center Inc. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Ellie Mental Health leased 2,630 square feet of office space at 75 Vineyards Blvd., Suite 201, in North Naples from Vineyards Corp. Shawn Stoneburner and Hanna Ray of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the lessor.
By Adam Regan Transcend Capital Advisors LLC leased 2,089 square feet of office space at 821 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 102, in Naples from Fifth Avenue South LLC. Todd Sabin with KOVA Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee.
Radikafitness Nutrition USA Inc leased a 2,350-square-foot space in Naples Production Park, 4227 Enterprise Ave., Unit D, in Naples from 4227 Enterprise Ave. Ltd. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Cohen Concierge PLLC leased a 2,200-square-foot space at The Mustang Center, 12250 Tamiami Trail E., suites 208 and 209, in East Naples from 12250 East Trail LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessee.
The Owl and The Pussycat LLC leased 1,224 square feet of retail space at 719 12th Ave. S., Unit 2, in Naples from S and S Louis LLC. Bry an Flores, Phil Josberger and Todd Sabin of KOVA Commercial Group represented the lessor and lessee.
TZ Dragon LLC leased a 1,200-square-foot space in Berkshire Commons, 7055-7301 Radio Road, Unit 7071, in East Naples from Regency Centers. Brent Westerfield of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers
and Brad Knop of JLL
represented the lessor, and Rebecca Femiano of Domain Realty represented the lessee.
LEE COUNTY Building Services Group Inc. leased a 35,250-square-foot space in the Rice Building on the Alico Trade Center campus, 8951 Alico Trade Center Road, in Fort Myers from Seagate Ali co North LLC. Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob Johnston, SIOR, and Jerry Messonnier, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
D-1 Sports Training leased a 4,992-square-foot retail space in Meridian Marketplace, 3397 Pine Ridge Road, suites 101 and 102, in North Naples from Pine Ridge Livingston LLC. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.
Neuroscience & Spine Associates leased 3,413 square feet of medical office space at 8380 Riverwalk Park Blvd., Unit 320, in Fort Myers from Marivan Realty Corp. Inc. Gary Tasman of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial
Property Southwest Florida repre sented the lessor and lessee.
Rising Sun Aviation LLC leased a 2,989-square-foot space at 10951 Harmony Park Drive, Unit 2, in Bonita Springs from 376 N 3rd LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessee, and Patty Mc Climans of SVN Commercial represented the lessor.
Prestige Glass & Mirror LLC leased a 2,000-square-foot space at 2651 Park Windsor Drive, Suite 208, in Fort Myers
from Carrell Corners East LLC. Jose Pastor of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessee, and Michael Costa of IMC Equity Group represent ed the lessor.
Edison Eye Care PLLC dba Edison Eye Care leased 1,500 square feet of retail space at 19527 Highland Oaks Drive, Suite 503, in Estero from Estero Covenant Group LLC. Rob Car roll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and Jared Vander sluis of CARR Florida represent ed the lessee.
Mercedes-Benz and its uber-luxury sidekicks AMG and Maybach offer 31 vehicles in 2022 models. Coupes, convertibles, electric vehicles, sedans, sport utility vehicles, road sters and wagons all are in the mix. Add multiple trims in each segment, and whether via app or abacus, keeping track of the German manufacturer’s extended family of vehicles is a task.
Even connoisseurs of the carmaker’s stoic vehicles might need a chart to differentiate the GLA 250, GLB 250 and GLC SUVs. The former is a luxury subcompact; the latter is a luxury compact. The Mercedes-Benz GLC is among the competitors of the GLB, which seats as many as seven. Now in its third model year, the 2022 GLB 250 continues the first generation which debuted in late 2019 as a 2020 model. Only a few nuanced changes were added this year.
The GLC is available in five trims, including a hybrid and three AMG performance options. The GLB 250 is available with front-wheel or all-wheel (4MATIC) drive and with upscale AMG trimmings. The GLB doesn’t have a fourth relative as a competitor, although the manufacturer may find another SUV niche it hasn’t yet filled.
The reviewed GLB 250 4MATIC with its performance-oriented AMG treatment has a starting cost of $2,000 more than the front-wheel drive version—although purists of the upscale, hand-made performance and aesthetic treatment may scowl, as the AMG additions aren’t hand-built.
With high-raised seating and a stiffer suspension, the GLB has a more traditional boxy SUV look; the GLA has a more sleek styling. Despite its compact status, the GLB 250’s boxy style gives it an advantage over competitors. Its interior is spacious and it has an op tional third row, though it’s adequate for children only. The interior design also provides superior vision via the large windshield and rear mirror.
Adult second-row passengers won’t feel cramped, a shortcoming in some compact SUVs. Comfortable seating and support abound. Mercedes-Benz uses high-quality ma terial, and the soundproofing must also be top-notch since the GLB offers a quiet ride. It’s another trait not always available in the segment.
Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 6.9 seconds
Airbags: 7 Fuel economy: 22 mpg city, 30 mpg hwy
Horsepower: 302
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $40,600
Manufacturer’s website: mbusa.com
Price As Tested: $50,995
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 4 years/50,000 miles; Corrosion, 4 years/50,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 4 years/50,000 miles
Exterior appearances aside, the GLA and GLB operate with the same engine, a turbocharged 2.0-li ter four-cylinder engine. All models are powered by an eight-speed du al-clutch automatic transmission.
Technology equipment is plentiful and functional. The GLB’s standard features include the Mercedes-Benz MBUX infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in tegrated. The controls are easy to use and provide clear images and prompt navigation directions. Further, the
optional adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are welcome safe ty technology. If still unfamiliar with the systems, there’s a learning curve that may cause early-use uncertainty, but the features can be lifesavers.
The Premium Package adds a 10.25inch infotainment screen and a 10.25inch digital gauge cluster, as well as auto-dimming mirrors, power-folding side mirrors, a hands-free power lift gate, Keyless-Go and SiriusXM.
The Driver Assistance Package adds adaptive cruise control, evasive steer
ing assist, speed limit assist and lanekeep assist.
As a tight, comprehensive and var ied compact SUV, the 2022 GLB 250 exceeds the segment’s expectations, notably with the AMG upgrade. It’s nimble and easily maneuverable in tight spots, swift around town and confident cruising on the highway.
It’s a $50,000 vehicle at its top end, about $4,000 more than the average price of a new car in the United States. In that respect, it’s not only a bargain, it’s at the top of its class.
A woman arrived at T2 Aquatics in Naples one day to begin enjoying the gift she purchased herself as a 50th birthday present—learning how to swim. Initially afraid to put her head underwater or let go of the side of a pool, the neophyte is now advancing toward her goal of swimming 25 yards without assistance. While the distance is an afterthought for veteran swimmers, it’s the standard length of an aquatic facility or a community pool such as Naples Swim School, and a com mon goal for those learning to swim as an adult or returning to the activity after an extended hiatus.
According to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the sci ence-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health, 37% of the country’s adults can’t swim the length of a 25-yard pool. Further, the CDC reports 46% of American adults are afraid to go into water over their head, and 70% of all the country’s drowning victims are adults.
The predicament is among reasons for the popularity of the nationwide orga nization U.S. Masters Swimming, or USMS, including the program at T2 Norris Aquatic Center. The nationwide initiative declares itself “on the front lines to change this statistic. With education, outreach and financial support, USMS is making more adults safer around water.”
Maria Sunyak is team manager of the USMS at T2 Norris Aquatic Center, one of several community locations that offer adult swimming in Southwest Florida. She, her husband and their three adult children are all involved in the program. It caters to lifelong adult swimmers, participants returning to the recreation after years away and members learning to swim.
“We have a master’s team and they are anywhere from 18 to 85,” says Sunyak. “Some are former competitive swimmers and some don’t compete. It’s a wide range of abilities. We have some people who come all of the four days we offer the program, and others come twice a week, just for a little exercise. We now have some of the adults who are in the program to help others who are new—and that’s pretty great. For the experienced swimmers, I just think it’s them going back to
By James RaiaSwimming can reduce stress, increase serotonin, boost endorphins and help cognitively.
their first love. And other adults say, ‘You know, I should swim. It’s good for me.’ And they give it a whirl.”
Swimming’s benefits include reducing stress, increasing sero tonin levels and boosting endorphins, and it’s less stressful on the body than other exercises. Neurobiologists also believe swimming has cognitive benefits; it helps develop brain cells.
Adult swimming businesses abound—Swimtastic in Naples and Fort Myers to Sunsational Swim School in Naples to the Greater Naples YMCA, usually offered in conjunction with youth and family classes.
Sunsational Swim School caters to adults in one-on-one lessons, customizing workouts to meet swimmers’ needs and help them achieve goals. The company’s instructors can assist students in a community or backyard pool.
“Whether you’re an adult beginner dipping your toe into the pool for the first time, working to overcome a fear of water, or seeking advanced swim training to complete the 1,500-meter swimming split of a triathlon, we’ll be with you every stroke of the way to get you to your goals,” says the Sunsational website.
Similar to bicycling enthusiasts’ sentiments, swimming advo cates like to aver that “It’s never too late to learn how to swim.”
Swimtastic locations detail their adult swimming approach as a combination of overcoming the fear of water for swimming as an exercise and assisting parents in having the life-saving skills of swimming. The two area facilities offer small-group, semi-private and private lessons at varying ability levels.
Open water swimming is also popular in Southwest Florida, with T2 Norris Aquatic Center among several locales offering instruc tion in the specialty.
“People who are returning to swimming after a long hiatus often comment that they just feel better,” says Sunyak. “Mentally and physically, they feel better. It’s good for your cardiac health and good for respiratory health. The benefits are incredible.”
Arianna Norris, Sunyak’s 29-year-old daughter, is the instructor for the woman who purchased swimming lessons for herself.
The new swimmer is no different than veteran competitive swimmers. Whether improving to swim 25 yards or competing for age-group records or challenging long ocean distances, swimming gives the practitioner a feeling of accomplishment.
Marie Kondo, the tidiness author and television
would be proud. Desks overflowing with papers, pens, charging cords, sticky notes and other assorted clutter can all be condensed and efficiently used with The Home Office. The portable office in a box is touted as being “designed for remote workers by remote workers.”
Plugged into any standard power outlet with its detachable power cord, the compact desk (26” x 16” x 3.5”) includes built-in power and four-port device charging with USB-A and USB-C options. It has a LED video conferencing light with adjustable brightness, a stationery and file storage organizer, an accessory holder and magnetic dry erase whiteboard. It’s compatible with up to 15.6-inch laptops and weighs 11 pounds.
Worky’s The Home Office is ideal for the kitchen table, bedroom, recreational vehicle or hotel room. When the work day is done, it folds for easy storage. And perhaps it also assists in fulfilling the concept of “out of sight, out of mind”— even for workaholics.
The Celestial Railroad enjoyed a brief run in late-1800s Florida, linking the hamlets of Jupiter and Juno with stops along the way at freight stations named Venus and Mars. It went bust by the turn of the century, but the winter town of Jupiter took off. Today, Jupiter is one of the wealthiest and most exclusive winter retreats in the state with some of the biggest names in show business among its residents. Celine Dion, Burt Reynolds and Per ry Como have all called it home. With gorgeous beaches, memorable dining and an all-around luxe vibe, Jupiter makes the perfect weekend getaway.
By Artis HendersonJupiter is one of the wealthiest, most exclusive winter retreats, home to celebrities such as Celine Dion, Burt Reynolds and Peter Como.
An outstanding way to structure a visit is to grab the Passport to Jupiter (jupiter. fl.us). It can be downloaded as a mobile app, requested in the mail or picked up from the Town Hall or Jupiter Commu nity Center. The passport includes more than 70 fun stops and activities, and it’s great for exploring both Jupiter’s hidden gems and better-known landmarks.
Don’t miss the stately Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse (500 Captain Armour’s Way, Jupiter; 561.747.8380; jupiterlighthouse. org). Officially lighted in 1860, the beacon played a key role in saving ships from the reefs and shoals that run along the coast. Keepers tended the lighthouse until it be came automated in 1987. Today visitors can tour both the lighthouse and its muse um, including climbing to the top.
The Square Grouper Tiki Bar (111 Love St., Jupiter; 561.406.6417; squaregrou per.net) is one of the most recognizable joints in Florida. It was the setting for the music video for the hit country song “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” by Ju piter Island resident Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett. The Square Grouper is a 21-and-up establishment with live music seven nights a week. It has an easy-going atmosphere with no dress code, no reser vations and nothing to get in the way of its beachy, boozy vibe.
The Jupiter Lighthouse, first lit in 1860, saved ships from the reefs and shoals that run along the coast.
For a luxury dining option, reserve a table at 1000 North (1000 US-1, Ju piter; 561.570.1000; 1000north.com), the glamorous waterfront establish ment that counts Michael Jordan as one of its partners. The menu features upscale American regional cuisine with a focus on steaks and seafood. Guests can enjoy a meal inside the stunning dining room, on the al fresco terrace or at the luxuriously appointed tavern. The Club Lounge, however, is for members only.
For those seeking a traditional hotel experience, the Wyndham Grand (122 Soundings Ave., Jupiter; 561.273.6600; wyndhamgrand.com) offers upscale rooms and suites on Jupiter’s Intra coastal Waterway. Its poolside bar is a prime spot for frozen daiquiris.
For a more personalized and unique experience, the area has in credible short-term rentals. Try the River House on the Loxahatchee from Airbnb. The vintage coastal property was built in 1962 and ma jorly renovated in 2021. It overlooks the Loxahatchee River and includes amenities such as a hot tub and pri vate beach. Or look for tastefully renovated mid-century bungalows in the exclusive Jupiter Inlet Colo ny. Many come with pools and water views, and celebrity sightings are no extra charge.
Technology can certainly stress you out. The buzzes and beeps from an iPhone can trigger just about anyone. So why not let technology soothe you for once? Anti-stress apps, gad gets and monitoring devices are proliferating in recent years, getting more innovative, more stylish and less intrusive. Here are a few of the latest:
You don’t have to leave your home to put yourself in a peaceful environ ment. The Meta Quest (formerly Oc ulus Quest) is a virtual reality head set that lets you do everything from play games to explore new worlds. Its Guided Meditation VR program can immerse you in the sights and sounds of a lush environment, from tropical rainforest to mountaintop vista. The headset is pricey (Meta Quest 2 is $399), but the program itself is only $14.99. store.facebook.com/quest/
Fitness trackers have been getting smaller and more stylish—includ ing the new Oura ring. Slip it on your finger and forget it, while its sensors track everything from body tempera ture to heart rate to stress levels and sends info to an app on your phone. It can even predict when you’re catch ing a cold. But it can help you sleep better, too. It measures sleep quality and makes suggestions about your best times to wind down for bed. The third-generation ring is costly ($299) but may be worth it given the wealth of information it provides. ouraring.com
By Justin Paprocki
Reducing your kids’ stress will ulti mately reduce your stress. Designed for children ages 3-8, My Little Mor
pheé is a radio-like device that can help kids relax or even fall asleep. The two knobs allow children to select their own relaxing journey, from narrated stories to sooth ing music. Unlike many devices, it doesn’t come with an app—and that’s the point. It gets kids offscreen to relax. The cost is $99. morphee.co
Although research is limited, more study is occurring about how aro matherapy can aid relaxation; the lavender scent in particular has been shown to be effective at re ducing stress. The Moodo AIR is for those who want to take their aromatherapy to the next level. The small box serves as a 2-in-1 device: It’s a diffuser for scents as well as an air purifier. Cost for the device is around $159; capsules run around $7.50 each. moodo.co
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If you have $25 million or more and are forming a new Family Office or are looking to outsource the investment management of an existing Family Office, let’s discuss a comprehensive wealth strategy as part of an integrated solution tailored to your needs.
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