Gulfshore Business - August 2023

THE NEW PATHS WITH NIL PROGRAMS

Name, Image and Likeness rights give students new opportunities

With Florida Blue and Truli for Health, you can offer employees access to quality coverage, with less administrative work for you and lower costs for everyone. Our group health plans offer benefits like $10 copays for virtual visits for general medicine, plus access to 8,000+ doctors,* 180+ hospitals, and most major pharmacies.

TThank you, Southwest Florida for trusting us to not only be your financial institution but also your partner and friend. This year we celebrate 20 years of delivering smart banking and lending solutions to our customers, taking care of our SanCap Bank family and supporting the community who has been so good to us.

hank you, Southwest Florida for trusting us to not only be your financial institution but also your partner and friend. This year we celebrate 20 years of delivering smart banking and lending solutions to our customers, taking care of our SanCap Bank family and supporting the community who has been so good to us.

What began as a small island bank chartered on Sanibel has grown to eight locations throughout Lee County with over 110 employees. Although we’re a little bigger these days, we’re still that small island bank at heart.

What began as a small island bank chartered on Sanibel has grown to eight locations throughout Lee County with over 110 employees. Although we’re a little bigger these days, we’re still that small island bank at heart.

We pledge to remain locally owned and operated with the unwavering commitment to our customers, team members and community we’ve had since the day we opened.

We pledge to remain locally owned and operated with the unwavering commitment to our customers, team members and community we’ve had since the day we opened.

8 convenient SWFL locations

8 convenient SWFL locations

FIRST FAIR EVERYWHERE

Chris Cifatte

Lois Thome

Matt Devitt Chief Meteorologist

RISE OF THE MACHINES

The growth of artificial intelligence and its place in a changing employment landscape p 42

NEW PATHS WITH NIL PROGRAMS

Name, Image and Likeness rights give students new opportunities at schools large and small p 54

NEWS BITES P. 14

ICYMI! Top stories from Gulfshore Business Daily

TRENDLINES P. 18 New businesses launching faster—especially in Florida

SPACES P. 20

Harmony, hope in the SWFL Music Education Center

MAKERS P. 26

German woodworker joins craftsmanship, creativity

AUGUST 2023

ENTREPRENEURSHIP P. 32

Todd Wilkowski on the entrepreneur’s mindset

ECONOMIC COMMENTARY P. 36

A new index for insight into the national rental crisis

HORSEPOWER P. 102

Hybrid style in the NX 450h+

WELLNESS P. 104

Affordable, high-quality options in sunglasses

WEEKEND GETAWAY P. 106

DeLand in demand

BACKSTORY P. 112

From airdrome to Naples Airport

HUMAN RESOURCES P. 74

Is a shortened workweek a long-term solution to retaining employees?

FINANCE P.76

How 30- and 40-something entrepreneurs manage SWFL’s high costs of living

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE P. 82

Top sales in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties

NEW & EXPANDING P. 84

Top leases in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023 P. 86

SWFL businesses recognized in 11th annual readers’ poll

AFTER HOURS

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Heidi Rambo Centrella

Senior Editors Tim Aten, David Dorsey

Digital Editor Adam Regan

Associate Editor Kaitlin Regan

Assistant Editors Katiuska Carrillo, Samantha Roesler

Copy Editor Steve Gill

CONTRIBUTORS

Artis Henderson, Beth Luberecki, Melanie Pagan, Justin Paprocki, James Raia, Aisling Swift, Bill Wasinger, Sheldon Zoldan

ART

Creative Directors Scott Glick, Jerry Pomales

Photo Editor Mary Rich

ADVERTISING

Associate Publisher Chris Renstrom Marketing Consultant Valerie Fluegeman

MARKETING

Director of Marketing and Events Rachel Galante

Digital Media Marketing Manager Brittney Kleis

CIRCULATION

Director of Audience Development Kerri Nolan

PRODUCTION

Production Manager Martha Leavitt

ADMINISTRATION

Advertising Services Manager, Subscriptions & Distribution Kathleen Hill

READER SERVICES

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THE POWER OF POTENTIAL

I’ve been intrigued to see the recent proliferation of national news stories and personal conversations about artificial intelligence. Relentless optimism or doom-andgloom forecasting that reminds me a little of the Y2K panic, AI seems to be on everyone’s mind. That includes Beth Luberecki—a real person and not a computer algorithm—who discusses some of the possibilities, good and bad, with local business leaders in “Rise of the Machines” on page 42.

While years of TV and movies might have conditioned us to envision computer intelligences turning murderous, along the lines of 2001 or The Terminator, I think the very real threats are subtler: plagiarism and intellectual theft, accidental spread of bad information and deliberate attempts to lie and deceive through computer-generated images and fake identities. The political world, especially, is more than turbulent enough without “deepfakes,” and not being able to tell what’s real is a dangerous slippery slope.

On the other hand, ignoring this tech won’t make it go away. I keep coming back to what the article said about AI being not an adversary, but a tool. If it’s used incorrectly or with ill intent it can create awful outcomes, but it’s not meant for annihilation; it’s a resource that can help with anything from brainstorming to time-saving.

It’s true that some technologies that seem like a great idea can ultimately prove detrimental—remember that there was a time when we filled homes and offices with asbestos as protection against fires—but advancement comes with trying new things. As long as we don’t destroy

From the editor.

what we’re trying to improve in the process, experimentation can lead us in new directions, including some unexpectedly positive results.

Case in point: local innovation within the new issue of Name, Image and Likeness rights. I’m not a devoted follower of college sports, to put it mildly, but I like the idea of athletes being able to receive some of the money from sales of their jerseys and such—and I love what FGCU is doing within the larger arena. Although our local school doesn’t have the established fanbase or colossal donations to compete with bigger schools in Miami, Tallahassee or Gainesville for traditional recruiting, as Sheldon Zoldan explains on page 54, it’s making good use of advantages such as the school’s entrepreneurship program to give its athletes creative benefits.

Of course, if you’re looking for local entrepreneurship leading to creative benefits, this is the right issue for you: We’re extremely proud to share the winners of our 2023 Best of Business readers’ choice poll. The honorees are exemplars of excellence in a spectrum of industries, and each one has some thoughts on what makes their organization stand out in the increasingly crowded Southwest Florida business landscape. The list begins on page 86; hopefully perusing it will serve as a reminder how fortunate we are to have such vibrant, dedicated local corporations in our community.

HEIDI RAMBO CENTRELLA EDITOR IN CHIEF

NEWS BITES / TRENDLINES / SPACES

in the 239

MAKERS / ENTREPRENEURSHIP / ECONOMIC COMMENTARY

[ ENTREPRENEURSHIP ]

RISK BUT ANALYZE

Todd Wilkowski on the entrepreneur’s mindset

p_32

By Artis Henderson

[ LEE

COUNTY] NEW LEE COUNTY MANAGER

Lee County Commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Dave Harner as the new county manager following Roger Desjarlais’ retirement announcement. Harner’s contract was brought to a commissioners’ meeting June 20, and was approved; he assumed the role of county manager on August 1.

Harner has served as deputy county manager since February 2019 and has had several other roles within the county, such as the director of parks and recreation beginning in 2012 and assistant county manager since 2015.

Desjarlais served as county manager since 2013, overseeing a $2 billion budget and 2,640 employees.

LEE COUNTY ] NEW FOOD TRUCK PARK IN FORT MYERS

[

Backyard Social, a new food truck concept in south Fort Myers, is expected to open this month. The 9,000-square-foot structure at 16371 Corporate Commerce Way will have eight food trucks, each with a different theme and various food offerings.

A bar will be in the middle of the building, which will have large fans to circulate the air of the indoor-outdoor facility. The restrooms and duck-pin bowling alley will be under air conditioning.

There

will also be dartboards, cornhole, shuffleboard and other games, plus a stage for bands.

Inspired in part by Celebration Park in East Naples, owners Mat Baum and John Mann bought the land for $1.19 million in November 2021.

Lee County Government; David Dorsey; Samantha Roesler

APARTMENTS COMING TO DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS

Vantage, a 17-story, 229-unit luxury apartment complex, is expected to break ground this month, with construction taking about two years for a projected opening in August 2025.

DevMar Development reached an agreement to buy the site in 2019 and closed on it in January 2021 for $3.74 million. The developer will be receiving $11.4 million in tax increment financing from the city of Fort Myers, a little more than 10% of the anticipated $94 million construction costs.

[

COLLIER COUNTY ]

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX TO BE PUT TOWARD ARTS AND CULTURE

The Collier County Tourism Development Council unanimously voted to recommend an $824,000 Tourist Development Tax grant be put toward arts and culture events in the county. The grant will fund the entire arts and culture program in the Collier County Tourism Division, with a major portion put toward the continuance of ¡Arte Viva!, a yearlong initiative focused on showcasing Hispanic art and life.

The grant is funded from hotel surtax, applied from rental fees paid by visitors for short-term accommodations. According to the national Creative Vitality Index, Collier County produces an estimated $1.7 billion in sales and income from various creative industries each year, and the creative sector has created almost 10,000 jobs, demonstrating arts and culture is a substantial driver for the county.

LEE COUNTY ] LUXURY

COLLIER

COUNTY]

RESTAURANTS REOPENING ON VANDERBILT BEACH

Some of Naples’ most popular restaurants in resorts along Vanderbilt Beach still have not reopened since being washed out by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge last fall, creating a heavy loss for the businesses, their employees and their patrons. After missing out on a full busy season this winter and spring, those longtime restaurants at upscale resorts on the Gulf will begin opening this summer and all plan to be open before the end of the year. The fine-dining venues include The Turtle Club at Vanderbilt Beach Resort, Baleen Naples at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort and The Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

ARTHREX CREATES ACL RECONSTRUCTION TOOL

Naples-based Arthrex, a surgery technology company, received Food and Drug Administration approval for an orthopedic tool for ACL reconstruction called the ACL TightRope.

Aimed at the smaller-sized pediatric population, the ACL TightRope takes into account the differences between an adult and a child and adapts the tools to fit the space, allowing the surgeon to precisely target where they want to drill without harming growth plates around the knee.

[ COLLIER COUNTY]

[

COUNTY ] NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR CCPS

The School Board of Charlotte County selected as the new Charlotte County Public Schools superintendent Mark Vianello, who assumed the role and responsibilities this summer.

Vianello had been a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels, a principal of both an elementary and high school, the Executive Director of Student Services, the Executive Director of Career and Technical Education, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Operations Officer for Marion County Public Schools.

“His expertise and vision align perfectly with the goals and values of our district. We are confident that his leadership will help us continue to provide a high-quality education for all of our students,” CCPS said in an online announcement.

COUNTY

SUNSEEKER RESORT OFFERING $100K RETENTION BONUSES

Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor, which is set to open in October, is offering eligible employees a $100,000 retention bonus and free Allegiant Air flights, among other benefits.

The bonuses will be payable in equal annual $10,000 installments over 10 years after the employee completes 10 years of continuous full-time employment with Sunseeker. The resort is projected to employ more than 1,200 hospitality workers and is recruiting within multiple career fields, including hotel services, housekeeping, restaurant servers, chefs, kitchen workers, warehouse operators and engineers.

Employees eligible for the retention bonus include fulltime hourly or select entry-level salaried employees hired by the resort before its opening or within the first 30 days after the resort’s planned opening. Other benefits include free flights on Allegiant Air to numerous destinations throughout the U.S., along with medical, dental, vision, retirement options and more.

[ CHARLOTTE

]

[ CHARLOTTE

THE STARTING LINE

NEW BUSINESSES LAUNCHING

FASTER—ESPECIALLY IN FLORIDA

By Justin Paprocki

The start-up surge continues.

As businesses were shutting down in the early months of the pandemic, more people started to venture out on their own. New business applications, which rarely got above 300,000 in a single month nationwide, suddenly shot up to 552,214 in July 2020, according to data from the U.S. Census. And it really hasn’t stopped—since then, an average of 433,000 business applications have been filed each month.

Of course, not all new businesses are created equal. But the Census designates a percentage as “high-propensity business applications,” meaning businesses that are likely to start hiring employees, and even those have significantly risen since the onset of COVID-19.

What types of businesses are these? The top three are retail, professional services and construction, according to an analysis of 2022 data by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Florida, in particular, has been conducive to new businesses; the state saw a 50% increase in business applications in 2022 compared to 2019, according to the Chamber.

THE MUSIC OF LIFE

HARMONY AND HOPE IN THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MUSIC EDUCATION CENTER

By Aisling Swift

A former Naples bank branch has been gutted and transformed into the Southwest Florida Music Education Center, a world-class music school that enables neurodivergent students to learn career and life skills.

The 3,237-square-foot space at 5551 Ridgewood Drive, Suite 100, was gutted and rebuilt by Stevens Construction. The process involved removing three bank vaults and providing new framing, soundproof drywall, insulation and finishes, including nontoxic paint and flooring, cabinets and an upgraded air-filtration system.

Stevens Construction saved the nonprofit $140,000 in cost-savings suggestions during the design and completed the project in two months, working with Parker Mudgett Smith Architects and Finding Sanctuary by Lisa Kahn Designs. The total cost was $497,367 and the school, which had been providing online classes, moved in this February.

“This is a transition stage, so students know that when they come in, they’re leaving the chaos of the rest of the world,” Executive Director Jennifer Clark says of the entrance room, where “engage, create, thrive” is written on the wall. “Lisa was such a loving, guiding presence and chose paint colors to keep it calm and serene.”

The school teaches students, ages 18 to 30, with a strong interest in music and low- to moderate-support needs, enabling them to gain independence, learn skills and get jobs in music, including writing, recording, retail and playing instruments.

“We spent time looking out the windows to tie in what’s outside, because it’s really the natural world that possesses the healing, calming and grounding power, where things are in balance—so we want to bring all of that inside,” Kahn explains. “We did that with paint colors, textures and finishes and the

Craig Hildebrand

TRANSFORMED SPACE A former Naples bank branch at 5551 Ridgewood Drive was gutted and rebuilt into the Southwest Florida Education Center, a world-class music school that enables neurodivergent students to learn career and life skills.

way we oriented some rooms so that you could really enjoy and appreciate what you can see outside, because it’s quite beautifully situated.

“When we’re in toxic environments, those that aren’t specifically and intentionally designed to support us and nurture us both in our creativity and our evolution, it really affects us and our health—spiritual health, emotional health, mental health, physical health, all of it.”

A light wood-bead chandelier softens the lighting, giving the entry an elegant look. “We looked at half a dozen different options and wanted to bring in that reference to trees and

NONTOXIC ENVIRONMENT When designing the center, it was important to create a “centering, loving space.” All the materials used, including paint, furniture and flooring, are organic and free of toxins.

nature outside, which is a grounding, stabilizing force,” says Kahn, who has a special-needs daughter and understood what was needed.

Furniture is nontoxic due to students’ sensitivity to smells and chemicals. Office furniture is made by Poppin, while the rest is by Burrow, which uses sustainably sourced hardwood, free from toxic glues, high levels of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Soothing non-VOC paint colors, such as Creamy, Choice Cream and Sky High (blue) by Sherwin-Williams are featured. Lights are on dimmers because many students are sensitive to lights,

so Kahn recommended 3500 Kelvin, a warm, white neutral light for a welcoming feel. Lighting is on motion sensors, so they’re energy-efficient.

“We used special glue on the carpet and flooring to make sure it didn’t have a negative impact on our students,” Clark says. “Most traditional furnishings will off-gas for years after purchase, so all of the materials are organic and free of toxicity, which makes it safe for our students.”

Two condensers feature a hydrogen-peroxide-ionized UV filter, and the larger spaces also have ultra-HEPA AirDoctors. EMF exposure also was taken into account.

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Treat yourself to the highest-quality menus paired perfectly with our award-winning wine list and craft cocktails served on crisp white table cloths.

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Treat yourself to the highest-quality menus paired perfectly with our award-wining wine list and craft cocktails served on crisp white table cloths. We go above and beyond to make sure that each and every carefully considered detail comes together in a way that entertains, not overwhelms, so that you can focus on enjoying the moment and making memories with your guests.

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in the 239

The school features six soundproof practice rooms, a rehearsal area, music technology laboratory, “zen den,” employee lounge and administrative support space.

The main gathering space with its ample windows can be adjusted into an ensemble area, with keyboards, microphones, headsets and other equipment. The architect designed the music rooms using non-90-degree angles to create better acoustic quality, eliminate echoes and add a lively sound.

All desks allow students to sit or stand. “These are the least-resistant adjustable desks, so it’s just one touch and it goes up or down,” says Hannah Fan, the director of music education, adding that many students have low muscle tone and motor skills.

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL While music is the center’s main focus, the design works to ensure students feel calm and centered so they can unlock their full potential, says Executive Director Jennifer Clark (pictured opposite with Lisa Kahn)

Cubby holes provide storage, as do hooks that look like guitars, while wall hangings, including large musical notes, were chosen to fully engage students. Practice rooms feature doors with drop-down noise-blockers, and the piano room contains extra sound-absorbing foam.

Clark said Kahn’s choice of paint colors, flooring, finishes and an “incredible chandelier” created a “very centering, loving space. Music is our focus, but of equal importance is the mental-health aspect of our curriculum, making sure that our students feel calm and centered to unlock their full potential.”

Since 1976, Bond has worked with Collier County businesses from startup and beyond, handling operational and complex matters including contracts, corporate governance, IP, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate, property issues and more. For more information, visit bsk.com.

James Morey

William Owens

Neil Gregory

Kevin Recchia

Christopher Hoertz

in the 239

MEET THE GERMAN WOODWORKER

JOINING CRAFTSMANSHIP AND CREATIVITY

By Justin Paprocki

Tobias Pütz goes by The German Woodworker because—well, that’s basically all you need to know, he said.

Woodworking has essentially been his life since he was growing up in Germany. He’s always had a fondness in working with his hands, using his creativity to create new things. He’s quick to point out that unlike in the United States, woodworkers there needed three years of education in the craft before they were able to get a license and officially start work in the business. But that was close to 40 years ago. And he’s been creating tables, cabinets, chairs or really whatever strikes his fancy or his clients’ fancy ever since. “If you are a woodworker in Germany, you have to know how to build just about anything,” he says.

Brian Tietz

A LIFELONG PASSION Tobias Pütz has always had a fondness for working with his hands, and woodworking has been a primary part of his life since growing up in Germany, where woodworkers needed three years of education in the craft before being licensed.

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DECADES OF EXPERIENCE For the past 40 years, Tobias Pütz has been creating items, such as tables, cabinets and chairs, but he is known for unique or whimsical takes on common pieces.

‘NO RISK, NO FUN’ Pütz and his wife Doris moved to Naples in 2019, despite having a successful business in Dusseldorf. The Florida sunshine became infectious, and the two decided to take the leap and move.

Pütz and his wife Doris moved to Naples in 2019. They had visited before, but the sunshine became infectious. He had a successful business in Dusseldorf, and she was a sales manager at a steel company. But under the mantra, “no risk no fun,” they made the move.

They’ve primarily built their business through word of mouth. Pütz is known for unique or whimsical takes on common pieces; he’s worked with the Aldo Castillo Gallery before on several projects, including a shelving unit incorporating a blue sculp-

ture of a woman that had been split into five pieces. He uses epoxy in some cases to fill in imperfections in the wood or to create a whole new piece, such as the table that has a winding river of blue down the center. “I’ll take a look at something and say, ‘Let’s make something fun,” he says.

Even through a pandemic and a hurricane that put knee-deep water into his Naples studio, he’s still committed to life in the Sunshine State. “I can run around all year in shorts,” he says with a laugh. “Sure beats Germany.”

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RISK BUT ANALYZE

TODD WILKOWSKI

By Artis Henderson

Todd Wilkowski didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. “I’m a physical therapist by trade,” he says. “Entrepreneurship wasn’t even on the radar when I went to physical therapy school 30 years ago. I was just focused on being an excellent orthopedic therapist.”

But when he was offered the opportunity to launch his own business, he seized it. He was running a physical therapy unit inside a multispecialty medical practice in New York City, and when the owners of the practice asked Wilkowski if he’d like to buy the physical therapy portion and launch his own endeavor, he didn’t hesitate. This willingness to take a calculated risk, he said, is what sets entrepreneurs apart. “It’s all how people are wired. You’re either wired to take a risk or you’re not.”

Yet he makes a distinction between risk-taking and gambling. “I’m a calculated risk-taker,” he says. “I analyze an opportunity first. You’ll hear that from most entrepreneurs.”

SEIZING OPPORTUNITY When Todd Wilkowski was offered the opportunity to launch his own business, he didn’t hesitate. In 2002, he opened his first Performance Optimal Health location in Manhattan before expanding to Connecticut and Naples.

ON THE ENTREPRENEUR’S MINDSET

Wilkowski launched his first location of Performance Optimal Health in Manhattan in 2002. He expanded to six locations in Connecticut and now two in Naples. While he’s been running his business, he’s also taken time to complete a management program at the Wharton School, where he learned the theory behind what he’d been practicing in his day-to-day operations for 20 years. “I’m always looking for how I can make myself better,” he says. “I’m a lifelong learner.”

Between his experiences at Wharton and his hands-on approach to his own business, Wilkowski has seen the path to successful entrepreneurship firsthand. What’s the secret ingredient? “It’s never just one thing,” he says. “If it were, then there’d be a lot more success. It’s not easy to put all the pieces together.”

Those pieces include a variety of elements—a strategy aligned with the business’ operations, the nuts and bolts of finance and accounting and a team of people committed to a company’s mission. It’s also important to have a group of trusted advisers, Wilkowski said. “Look for people who have had success as entrepreneurs,” he suggests. “They’ll see what you’re going through, and they’ll want to help. But you have to be willing to listen.”

The most essential element in entrepreneurship, Wilkowski said, is communication. Yet communication is not everyone’s strong suit, nor is entrepreneurship.

Wilkowski spent his early years deeply involved in team sports— football, basketball and track in high school, and he continued with football in college. “People in team-oriented sports just get it,” he says. “They know how to work hard and practice as a team, and they’re

good at setting long-term goals, like when the coach says, ‘The goal for this year is to win a championship.’”

But not everyone can be the coach, Wilkowski points out. “There are certain people who have the necessary inspiration and vision to guide a team. They know how to see the possibilities, how to communicate and how to lead. I think these same qualities are innate in entrepreneurs. At least, the successful ones.”

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in the 239

THE BURDEN OF COSTLY HOUSING

A NEW INDEX FOR INSIGHT INTO THE NATIONAL RENTAL CRISIS

By Shelton Weeks

Over the last few years, numerous news stories have addressed the escalation of rental rates in housing markets across the country—and particularly in Southwest Florida. Unfortunately for our local consumers, many of the municipalities that have experienced the greatest increase are in the Sunshine State. In spring 2022, after doing several interviews for various media outlets across the state and discussing the situation with Bennie Waller of the University of Alabama and Ken Johnson of Florida Atlantic University, I agreed to embark on a project examining these rental market outcomes.

Instead of following the typical academic research pattern, where sophisticated econometric modeling is a prerequisite for publication in highly rated journals, we developed a rental index that provides easily understandable in-

RENTAL INDEX The Waller, Weeks, Johnson Rental Index provides easily understandable insights to help the public make more informed decisions when looking for housing.

level. Every other major market had rental rates at a premium, with the two largest being in Miami (10.84%) and Cape Coral (14.33%).

To add contextual insight, we include income values for each market. These numbers reflect the minimum income required not to be considered

“rent burdened” or “severely rent burdened.” HUD defines affordable housing as housing cost, including utilities, equal to or less than 30% of occupants’ gross income. This 30% limit is referred to as “rent burdened.” “Severely rent burdened” is defined as cost equal to or greater than 50% of occupant

income. In April 2023, an income of $92,905 was required in Cape Coral for a household not to be considered “rent burdened;” it was $112,184 in Miami. To avoid being “severely rent burdened,” one must earn $55,743 in Cape Coral and $67,310 in Miami. Our index doesn’t include utilities, which under-

states the level of income required to avoid being “rent burdened” or “severely rent burdened.”

The index signals that specific markets, such as Cape Coral, will face challenges moving forward. Adding more housing to a market usually takes years to accomplish.

WHAT’S AFFORDABLE? The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing cost, including utilities, as equal to or less than 30% of an occupant’s gross income.

In the interim, renters will see their budgets stretched to the point where difficult choices must be made. Additionally, employers will face increasing difficulty recruiting and retaining employees.

Interested readers can find the Waller, Weeks, Johnson Rental In -

dex at fgcu.edu/cob/lucas/overvalued-rental-markets.

H. Shelton Weeks is a professor of finance and director of the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development & Finance at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business.

Houck-Toll Business Organizations & Planning and Tax Law Chair

Carlos Kelly Business Litigation Chair

THE GROWTH OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ITS PLACE IN A CHANGING EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE

BY BETH LUBERECKI

On any given week, you can find news stories espousing the life-changing benefits and capabilities of artificial intelligence, warning about the dangers of adopting the transformative technology too quickly or pondering the effects artificial intelligence will have on the future of the workplace and employment.

It was one of the concerns for members of the Writers Guild of America when they decided to strike in May. Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of AI, made big news when he left his job at Google to warn the world about the risks of the technology. The White House even entered the discussion in May, announcing plans to research risks and devise guidelines around responsible use of AI. And the concept has classrooms, universities and, yes, newsrooms uneasy about what it means for everything from essay writing to the job market for journalists.

Artificial intelligence is an umbrella term for systems and processes that allow computers to simulate human intelligence. It includes machine learning, when data sets help computers “learn” and create predictive algorithms, and deep learning, which takes that a step further to power sophisticated natural language processing and generative AI tools such as the news-dominating ChatGPT from OpenAI.

The fast-moving, ever-changing AI landscape is a lot for the average person or business to take in, and for everything that we know at this point, there’s just as much that remains unknown. But whether you think the continued growth of AI is a revolution that will change the world for the better or you’re worried about what it means for your business, your employees or yourself, you can’t ignore it.

WHAT IS AI?

Artificial intelligence is an umbrella term for systems and processes that allow computers to simulate human intelligence.

“Stopping it or trying to avoid it or not engaging with it, I think, is not the right answer,” says Jit Kee Chin, chief data and innovation officer for construction and real estate firm Suffolk, which has a location in Estero and others around the U.S., and has been taking advantage of AI and machine learning for a while. “You have to embrace and engage, and you have to play with it. I think playing with it with your eyes wide open, though, is also really important.”

GENERATING IDEAS, INCREASING EFFICIENCY

There are many Southwest Florida businesses that already understand the power of machine learning, automation and other forms of artificial intelligence. Over the last few years, Suffolk has been using or experimenting with the technology via applications including image recognition for detecting safety hazards or defects, and predictive algorithms for water leak mitigation and risk mitigation.

“Construction’s obviously a risky business,” says Chin. “We have to manage time, cost, quality and safety risks as we put up a building. Machine learning algorithms can actually help us as a decision aid to flag times when risk is elevated so that we can take the appropriate action. … It lets you know which particular project across your whole portfolio is at higher risk or lower risk at that given week or point of time.”

Fort Myers-based decision science company VeraData specializes in using machine learning and AI for the nonprofit community. It collects and aggregates data about nonprofits in the U.S. and around the world to help nonprofits maximize their fundraising efforts, providing insight they can use to make decisions about related marketing materials and outreach methods.

“What’s the thing that triggers that person psychologically to engage with a mail piece?” asks VeraData founder and CEO Michael Peterman. “What teaser copy should I put on an outer envelope? We’re able to do things that I don’t think anybody else is able to do.”

He sees existing AI capabilities and the advent of ChatGPT and other sophisticated generative AI tools opening up an exciting range of possibilities for businesses. “The whole world benefits from this,” he says. “AI—or machine learning or deep learning—has the ability to unlock so much value and so much potential for all types of businesses. … Sales, marketing, e-commerce, supply chain, manufacturing—it can help you find new customers, grow revenue and optimize decisions.”

Local marketing agencies already are tapping into ChatGPT or similar options to generate ideas, do research on search engine optimization keywords and trending hashtags, even create content for social media posts or blogs.

“We have a lot of clients and a lot of work, and my digital team here is fairly small,” says Seth Mohs, vice president of digital media at CONRIC PR + Marketing in Fort Myers. “It’s going to help us be more creative by automating a lot of the research and writing, while we work on the strategic concepts and topics and ways to engage audiences so we can drive traffic to our clients’ sites.”

“We use it here a lot for brainstorming,” says Harrison Ambs, chief strategy officer at Fort Myers-based digital marketing firm Vectra Digital. “There are certain places we’ve found where it can make things a lot faster and a lot easier for us to get a bunch of ideas. It’s almost like putting a bunch of ideas on a whiteboard that allows the team to pick and choose what

they like and build some really great stuff on top of it.”

Health care is another industry in which AI will likely have a big impact. Lee Health sees the technology being used to help physicians prioritize patient messages and requests, and for analyzing patients’ electronic health records to aid doctors in determining diagnoses and treatments.

“What’s going to happen in very short order is a computer program will be able to digest a patient’s chart and give you a synopsis,” says William Carracino, vice president and chief digital health executive at Lee Health. “The doctor is still going to have to be creative, ask questions and choose the best treatment plan. But the digestion of the chart is one of the things I’m waiting for; it’s going to be exciting.”

Other applications for AI include tools for assessing and transcribing conversations between patients and health care providers that quickly insert relevant information into a patient’s chart, as well as technology to help automate the time-intensive process of onboarding new physicians into a health system. Working smarter and more efficiently is important in health care and similar fields in which staffing can be an issue.

“We have a physician shortage; the nursing crisis is on the front page of most newspapers,” says Carracino. “It’s going to be able to augment humans so we can do a better, more creative job with a lower workforce.”

PRIVACY, ETHICS, BIAS AND OTHER CONCERNS

The beneficial side of AI doesn’t come without challenges and concerns. To start, the results a company can get from AI are directly related to

A WORLD OF BENEFITS

the information a computer or software program uses to create them.

“AI is very dependent on the quality of the data that you provide, especially if you’re using some of the more sophisticated applications,” says Chrissann R. Ruehle, a management instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business who’s been researching AI for years. The common mantra is: Garbage in, garbage out.

That means not only using high-quality data but also data that is free of any bias, especially if it’s being used to screen job applicants or undertake other decision-making tasks when real people are involved.

“In many cases, the output being provided is used for important decisions,” says Ruehle. “It could be affecting people’s ability to secure a mortgage, for example. It could be impacting their ability to get into college or receive life-saving health care treatment. … Companies need to have some processes in place for making sure that there isn’t any bias in the data.”

Businesses also need to think about the sensitivity of the data they’re supplying. Unknowns still exist about exactly how AI tools use and store that data, and the privacy and security of any data supplied. “Every business has trade secrets,”

Michael Peterman, VeraData founder and CEO, sees AI capabilities and tools opening a range of possibilities for businesses.

says attorney Mark Nieds, chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt P.A. “If you divulge that to the AI, does that mean you’re disclosing your trade secrets and sharing them publicly? Theoretically, AI doesn’t keep the information you give it, but it learns from it. … You should protect your trade secrets regardless of whether there is AI in the mix and adhere to your own procedures for protecting that information. If that means you don’t tell it to an AI program, you just don’t tell it.”

The questions you ask an AI tool such as ChatGPT—often referred to as prompts—also influence the outcomes you get. “It’s one of those things where if you don’t give it the right information up front, it will struggle to come up with anything that makes creative sense,” says CONRIC’s Mohs. “It’s not a creative tool; it’s a functional tool. It’s not going to write a novel for you.”

The content produced by ChatGPT and other tools raises questions about intellectual property and copyright issues. “Your employees can prompt AI to do something like create content for a blog site, but who owns the output?” says Nieds. “Who owns the content that the AI creates?

“And it can be problematic, because AI doesn’t think about whether or not its output might infringe on someone else’s copyright,” he continues. “You can tell AI, ‘Write me a story about a white whale,’ and the next thing you know it spits out Moby Dick. You have to be careful that the output doesn’t infringe on someone else’s rights.”

Ethics also come into play, since AI makes it easy to create and spread misinformation. “You can get photorealistic images that never actually happened,” says Mohs. “That’s where the companies have to take the necessary steps—and we

as a society have to take the necessary steps—to use the tools responsibly.”

“People know and understand that you feed data into a machine and the machine produces a result,” says FGCU’s Ruehle. “But people don’t necessarily understand how the machine arrived at the result. … Companies need to develop an understanding about how the machines produce this result, and they need to be transparent about it.”

The bottom line: Don’t just blindly rush into using AI without putting some thought into it. “It’s a brand-new thing and we don’t understand a lot about how it works,” says Nieds. “There are quirks to it that are going to have to work out in the legal system, and the legal system is always slower than reality. You should just look at it as another business tool, and if you’re going to implement it, use common sense.”

THE POWER OF PEOPLE

A big looming question is whether—or to what extent—AI will replace jobs currently held by humans. Right now, some of the weaknesses of AI mean that humans still need to be involved.

“At this point, the main reason why AI isn’t going to replace much in the way of jobs is that it’s not sophisticated enough to know if it did a good job,” says Vectra Digital’s Ambs. “It doesn’t know if what it told you is true or accurate.”

In fact, AI feeds users incorrect information often enough that there’s a term for it—hallucination. FGCU’s Ruehle, for example, asked ChatGPT to write a short professional bio for her. There’s lots of accurate info about her online, but it still managed to include that she has a computer science degree from Stanford—which she does not have.

GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT

Chrissann Ruehle, management instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University, says AI is dependent upon the

quality

of data provided.

How to Get Started

BY BETH LUBERECKI

If your company hasn’t started experimenting with AI yet, now’s the time. The first step is taking a look at your business and seeing where the technology could be helpful.

“Bringing AI into your business without understanding what it can do, or not thinking about what it can do in your business, would be like hiring someone without interviewing them first,” says Vectra Digital’s Harrison Ambs.

AI could help automate some of your email communications or be used for calendar scheduling. “It doesn’t have to be this revolutionary thing,” says Ambs. “It can be something that sort of affects the margins of your day. What are the things that you’re annoyed with that you have to deal with over and over again?”

In addition to its content- and idea-generating capabilities, AI can also be used for research, summarizing information and outlining pieces of written communication. “It’s a tool,” says FGCU’s Chrissann R. Ruehle. “But the quality of your output is going to be much higher than

Brain Tietz; Getty

ChatGPT will ever produce, trust me on that. Your humaneness is always going to produce better, higher-quality writing, but ChatGPT can be a writing partner.”

“It’s a time saver, a money saver and a way for you to learn and to distill information so much faster,” says VeraData’s Peterman. “I don’t think people really appreciate how fast they can learn things and how fast they can automate things.”

But make sure amazement doesn’t replace education, caution and an understanding of AI’s pros and cons. “I think it’s incumbent on every business to ask the right questions when it starts to use it,” says Chin. “And inform itself of what the technology can do and what it can’t do.”

UTILIZING AI

Harrison Ambs, with Vectra Digital, says using AI doesn't have to be revolutionary; it can be used to help with day-to-day tasks, such as calendar scheduling.

“Sometimes it gets it wrong,” she says. “You need to verify any facts and figures to make sure that they’re correct, and that’s a value we can add as humans.”

And while AI tools are good at spitting out information, they can’t yet replicate the kind of personality-filled or heart-tugging copy that a human can. “It produces something that looks OK, but it has some problems,” says Ruehle. “It doesn’t have human emotion or emotional intelligence. For any piece of writing that has a persuasive quality, like a sales document or a proposal, ChatGPT is going to produce results that are very bland. It doesn’t have the emotional element; that’s where we, as humans, distinguish ourselves.”

Naples-based Wilson Creative Group has been using ChatGPT for SEO research and to generate ideas and copy. The company embraces the efficiencies and competitive advantages it can provide, but it realizes where the limitations lie.

“It takes a human to know the client,” says Ryan Hall, the company’s creative director. “AI can try to know our clients, but at the end of the day, we’re the experts. … It’s really the idea generator; it’s not the end-all be-all.”

So, will AI eliminate jobs down the road? The jury is still out. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna got people’s attention when he said in an interview with Bloomberg that the company will slow or suspend hiring for roles that could be replaced by AI. His assessment that 30% of back-office positions could be automated would affect nearly 8,000 jobs over a five-year stretch.

Others don’t see AI as completely taking over human-held jobs, but instead changing the way we all work. “It’s not going to totally replace peo-

ple,” says Mohs. “Photoshop never replaced any designers; Word hasn’t replaced writers. But it’s going to replace tools. It’s going to evolve to the point where we’re not necessarily going to need certain tools and certain services. … That’s just the nature of the beast. As technology advances, folks are going to adjust and use these new tools, and the older tools that are less useful are going to become outdated.”

“Remember when the internet came out and what everyone said?” asks Ambs. “It didn’t replace anyone’s jobs; it just sort of reshuffled some jobs. That’s the way I look at it. I think human beings are adaptive.”

“We all have access to the same information; it’s what you do with the information creatively that will set us apart and help us stand out from the masses as a differentiator,” says Peggy Wilson, CEO of Wilson Creative Group. “It will be survival of the fittest in the end of who can leverage the tools the best to their highest advantage.”

“It is always a concern with each new sort of major step change in technology,” says Suffolk’s Chin. “If you look at previous technological leaps, it doesn’t displace, it shifts. Certain jobs will change. Capabilities that are valued in the past may be less valued, but then new capabilities will be valued. And typically, the new capabilities or the new jobs or the new roles tend to be higher value-add.”

“People that are going to get the jobs and excel in their careers will have the ability to harness and work with AI,” says Ruehle. “They’ll know and understand the strengths of it and know how to harness it, but they’ll still retain the critical thinking. The humanness—that’s the key.”

EMBRACING AI

Wilson Creative Group's Ryan Hall and CEO Peggy Wilson have been using AI for research and to generate ideas, but they understand where AI's limitations lie.

NEW PATHS WITH NIL PROGRAMS

NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS

RIGHTS GIVE STUDENTS NEW OPPORTUNITIES AT SCHOOLS LARGE AND SMALL

BY SHELDON ZOLDAN

WITH NIL

Florida Gulf Coast University men’s basketball players were having their own March Madness on a late Friday afternoon. Their season had ended a couple of weeks earlier, and they were on the campus beach playing with Gel Blasters, part water pistols without the water and paintball guns without the paint.

PROGRAMS

gator Alley at the University of Miami: Billionaire alumnus John Ruiz wasn’t shy about making public his use of NIL money, spending anywhere from $7 million to $10 million to entice athletes to transfer to Miami or keep them there, according to various websites.

The toy firearms were a surprise ending after the team heard a presentation from MarketPryce about how to take advantage of new NCAA rules allowing athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness. Each player walked away that Friday with weekend spending money for playing with the Gel Blasters.

Two years ago, it would have been an NCAA violation to do what the basketball team did, but on July 1, 2021, the acronym NIL was born. The NCAA, which oversees college sports, changed its rules to allow student-athletes to earn money with their name, image and likeness.

But the simple idea of allowing athletes to profit from jersey sales and personal appearances turned into something bigger. The results were as if somebody had detonated an atomic bomb instead of a firecracker.

CASHING IN

Universities still can’t pay their athletes, but rich alumni and boosters can, thanks to NIL. One prominent example is found two hours across Alli-

Ruiz signed an $800,000, two-year deal with Nijel Pack when he transferred to Miami from Kansas State to play basketball … and promote Ruiz’s company Life Wallet.

The school has drawn criticism for its handling of NIL deals, including a year’s probation and minor sanctions for the women’s basketball program, and its success in the 2023 women’s and men’s NCAA basketball tournaments (the women made the Elite Eight; the men the Final Four) only intensified the scrutiny.

EAGLE AWARENESS

FGCU isn’t in the same league when it comes to competing with the University of Miami or other large schools. The Eagles don’t have the large donor base bigger schools have. They don’t have collectives, a recent phenomenon of alumni and boosters donating money to a “pot” to give to athletes through the NIL. FGCU shoots Gel Blasters, the big schools shoot bazookas.

“For us, we have to deal with it,” FGCU Athletic Director Ken Kavanagh says.

MAKING A PROFIT

Florida Gulf Coast University's men's basketball team is just one of many athletic teams starting to benefit from new NCAA rules allowing athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.

“We’re still staying simple with it. We’re trying to do general stuff.”

FGCU does have something many universities don’t have: a highly ranked entrepreneurship program. The school ranks 15th nationally. Kavanagh worked with entrepreneurship professor Mark Bole to come up with a plan on how to meld NIL with the program.

“I talked to nearly every team,” Bole says.

FGCU has about 260 athletes, he said, and he has worked with 60 to 70 over the past 18 months. The instruction comes in different ways; it might be helping the athletes find a voice with social media or improving or developing a website or product.

“We’re trying to stay focused on the athletes and help them through the process— because they can get overwhelmed by it if they are not careful,” Bole says.

The athletic department is also helping athletes in other ways; it made a deal with Campus Ink for the FGCU NIL Store to sell clothing with an athlete’s name and number. The player receives anywhere from $8 to $15 per item sold, according to the Campus Ink website.

“The NIL store is fun, cool and creative,” says men’s head basketball Coach Pat Chambers. “At least it allows players to make some pocket money.”

The site is dominated by players from the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the most popular sports on campus.

IN SEARCH OF INNOVATION

The NIL Store fits into what the men’s basketball program is trying to do to compete.

“We have to be creative and innovative,”

Brian Tietz; Matt Kahn

Chambers says. “We have to think outside the box.”

Kevin Hudash, the director of operations and NIL, is the outside-the-box thinker for the men’s team. He began educating himself about NIL, scouring the internet, reading stories and seeking ideas. He noticed that a University of Miami player he followed, Isaiah Wong, was in a short film, and contacted MK Hustle CEO Matt Kahn, the representative who found Wong the part.

“He reached out to me, which was very atypical,” says Kahn, who founded the Atlanta-based MK Hustle. “It’d usually be me pounding the pavement to get clients.”

Hudash also reached out to MarketPryce, the company that made the March presentation, after seeing a story that it had signed a deal with Florida State’s collective. FGCU signed a deal with MarketPryce in the spring to allow athletes to use its website.

MarketPryce and MK Hustle are two of the many companies fighting for NIL dollars, though they rely on different business models. MarketPryce’s web page is a landing site for athletes, agents and companies—CEO

WITH NIL PROGRAMS

Hustle is more agent-driven, where an agent finds opportunities for athletes and the company keeps 20% of what money the athletes receive.

ON THEIR HUSTLE

Kahn found opportunities for two FGCU basketball players, starting with Dakota Rivers—6 feet, 8 inches tall with an electrifying personality matching the energetic dunks that make him a fan favorite. He’s also a favorite on TikTok, where he has more than 395,000 followers.

Rivers said he’s been making videos since he was 14 or 15. He turned to TikTok to kill time during the COVID-19 pandemic and before

MARKETING STUDENT ATHLETES

Matt Kahn, MK Hustle CEO, found NIL opportunities for FGCU basketball players Dakota Rivers and Brandon Dwyer. As an agent-driven business model, MK Hustle finds opportunities for athletes and keeps 20% of what money the athletes receive.

Jason Bergman compares it to dating sites, where people match their similar interests. Athletes and agents pay to join, where they can see what companies are on the site and what deals they can make. MK

the NCAA approved NIL. He mixes basketball and workout videos with product videos, sprinkling in serious content with messages about mental health, and opts for quality over quantity when it comes to posting. He’s also picky when it comes to what he promotes.

“Dakota turns down more than he accepts,” Kahn says.

Brandon Dwyer is a different case, and an example of how the landscape is changing for student-athletes.

“Brandon is the poster child for us when we recruit,” Hudash says.

The question about NIL is part of the recruiting conversation for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

NEW PATHS WITH NIL

“They always ask the question about NIL opportunities,” women’s coach Karl Smesko says about recruits.

PROGRAMS

Dwyer is an unlikely candidate to be making money with NIL: He’s a non-scholarship player who played two minutes all season. Hudash went to a skeptical Kahn about Dwyer a few months after recommending Rivers.

“I have a wild card I want to talk to you about,” Kahn remembers Hudash telling him. “He’s a walk-on, but I think he’s really talented with social media.”

Kahn couldn’t market him as a basketball player, so he marketed him as an influencer. Dwyer’s TikTok videos making fun of his basketball ability gained a following. Some have been viewed more than one million times.

“It turns out he’s really gifted at it,” Kahn says.

Dwyer created his TikTok account Aug. 25 of last year. He gained 265,000 followers in seven months. He had 349,500 followers by mid-April.

He has a long list of products he promotes, from Suja Juice—where he only gets the product, not cash—to Muddy Bites Ice Cream to Cramly. ai, a study tool. The product received 150,000

CHANGING LANDSCAPE

Non-scholarship, walk-on FGCU basketball player

Brandon Dwyer is an unlikely candidate to make NIL money, but with his "influencer" skills and nearly 350,000 followers on social media, he clears between $10,000 and $15,000.

likes in the first two hours after he promoted it, and 500 people used the site at least one time. He even booked a deal with the local restaurant Poke Fusion at University Village to get free meals. He promotes the restaurant on social media every time he eats there.

Dwyer makes between $10,000 and $15,000 with his deals, Kahn said.

PATHS TO SUCCESS

Soccer player Stephen Linton is another FGCU athlete taking advantage of NIL, but he is traveling a different route: He’s a product of the Entrepreneurship School’s Runway Program. He received around $2,500 after making a pitch for his affordable streetwear brand of clothing Silkedbys.

He designed the clothes, built his website, silkedbys.com, and found a manufacturer in Pakistan. He works about 15 hours a week on the business, and made about $10,000 last year, he said.

FGCU’s coaches will continue to tout success stories such as Linton’s. The athletic department will continue to educate students about the opportunities available, such as the Runway Program and NIL store.

Hudash would love to see a collective started, but he doesn’t think that will happen soon.

“I don’t think the administration is ready,” he says. “But we are definitely educating ourselves. … “We’re getting to the point where if you don’t have a collective, you’re in the basketball minority.”

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How

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By Melanie Pagan

after hours

SELLING SHORT

Is a shortened workweek a long-term solution to retaining employees?

By Bill Wasinger

As an account service associate at Iron Ridge Insurance Associates, Darius Banfield knows that most of his workday will be spent handling certificates and renewals for the agency. But Banfield also knows that, like most of his co-workers, he’ll only have to work four days each week.

“With the four-day workweek … I feel like I’m more productive. I feel like I get things done quicker, and I’m happier in life and I’m happy at work. That’s going to also make the work better,” Banfield says. “For me, finding that positive work-life balance was something that I didn’t really realize that you could do. Now that I’m doing it, I feel like it would be so hard to wire my brain back to doing the fiveday workweek.”

For many employers, the desire to provide employees with greater work-life balance has been driving a trend toward shorter workweeks and more flexible scheduling policies. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all schedule policy for four-day workweeks, since no two businesses are identical. And as Naples Airport Authority Human Resources Director Risa Zadorecky notes, flexible scheduling isn’t always as simple as it sounds.

“Every one of our areas has different scheduling needs. We actually have a variety of scheduling arrangements with people depending on the department. So in some parts of the airport, we have employees who are able to work four days a week all year round and … some actually

only have that flexibility during the summer,” Zadorecky says. “It definitely adds to (scheduling) complexity. As each new situation comes up you weigh it out, determine the best way forward and you keep moving because people really appreciate this benefit. It’s worth the time to figure it out.”

While the desire for shorter workweeks predated COVID-19, more workers have sought greater work-life balance since the pandemic. However, just as every business is different, every worker has a different lifestyle, as well. So, even if a company can’t offer a shorter workweek or flexible schedule, human resources professionals say employers can still attract employees simply by paying more attention to their needs.

“People keep talking about a work-life balance. But the truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as work-life balance. It’s a work-life integration,” says Karen Shepherd, owner of HR by Karen in Naples. “You have to look at the big picture and business owners and leadership need to understand what’s important to their employees after five o’clock. What I feel is more important is to make sure, when you’re leading your employees, that you’re leading with compassion, empathy and heart.”

While most employers that have adopted shortened workweeks have seen positive results, there are ultimately some businesses and jobs that may always need

to be five days a week. For those employers, Shepherd recommends finding additional ways to be flexible and accommodating.

“There are so many industries that are just a five-day workweek, Monday through Friday, and I don’t know if we’re ever going to get away completely from that. With technology now, there are so many ways that an employer can be accommodating, even with their policies.” Shepherd says. “Again, it’s finding out what’s important to your employee. For instance, if a four-day workweek is important to an employee and they want to work 10-hour days, make that accommodation. However, not just for one employee, but for all employees. The important thing is to be communicative and consistent. Those are the critical pieces here.”

Finally, in an age of worker shortages and debates over work-from-home versus office work, offering a shortened workweek or flexible scheduling options can serve as a perk to attract more job applicants. And for employees who appreciate the benefits of a shorter workweek, jobs requiring a traditional five-day workweek may no longer hold appeal.

“When I applied (with Iron Ridge) and found out that it was a four-day work week, I thought, ‘How is this gonna work? Are those four days going to be … super stressful, with a lot of anxieties and I’m going to be micromanaged?’” Banfield says. “In my past five-day workweek, I couldn’t find a really positive work-life balance. (A four-day workweek ) wasn’t something that I knew I wanted or needed. But, now that I have it, I can’t go back.”

WORK-LIFE BALANCE Naples Airport Authority Human Resources Director Risa Zadorecky says flexible scheduling isn't always as simple as it sounds.

MEET THE HENRYS

How 30- and 40-something entrepreneurs manage SWFL’s high costs of living

By Melanie Pagan

Jesi Cason, who spent many years living with multiple roommates in two-bedroom houses as a self-described “broke punk kid” in East Texas, doesn’t mind sharing a house these days with her partner and two others. Only now, she’s 36 and not broke. She made six figures last year through her branding photo business, Jesi Cason Photography.

“We’re able to split up the expenses between the four of us so we can all live really comfortably,” Cason says. “That, I think, is the perfect example of the HENRYs.”

HENRY stands for “high earners, not rich yet”—a term used to describe high-earning millennials who may struggle to get ahead with today’s cost of living, which is 9% higher than the national average in Fort Myers alone, according to Payscale.

We asked Cason, who works on her own (except for the occasional contracted photo assistant), and Pro-Tec Plumbing & Air President Rick Hume Jr., whose business has grown with the region for 15 years and now includes about 60 employees, how they manage expenses in Southwest Flor-

ida, to explore concerns of high-earning millennial entrepreneurs.

A SOLOPRENEUR’S PERSPECTIVE

Cason’s partner Peter Kolter, a full-time musician, bought their house in 2017 after saving for a down payment while living rent-free with family.

“All of my friends our age or younger, if they own a house, it’s because they had a situation like that,” Cason says. “The price of it is so much higher today than when he bought it just a few years ago; it’s crazy. We wouldn’t be able to afford it today.”

Cason said millennials should open up about how they can or can’t afford owning a home, thriving in business and funding their lifestyles, since their purchasing power differs from Gen Xers—who had the highest household incomes of any generation in 2022, according to an annual survey by the National Association of Realtors.

“Making people feel like the lifestyle you have is inaccessible to them is terrible, but

DIFFERING POWERS Jesi Cason, 36, says millennials should be open about how they can or can’t afford owning a home, thriving in business and funding their lifestyles, since their purchasing ability differs from Gen Xers—who had the highest household incomes of any generation in 2022.

making them feel like it’s accessible if they just worked hard and did the right things is also unrealistic. So many of us have help we don’t talk about,” she says, such as having financial support from family or friends.

SAVINGS AND SACRIFICES

The price of child care is one reason Cason doesn’t plan to have kids. Instead, she’s considering using her background in disability support services to open a group home for adults with special needs. “That is a financial goal I’m working toward, but kids would be a huge financial drain,” she says.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING Rick Hume bought a home in Naples at market price in 2011, when he and his brother Brandon Hume started their business. Now, one of their greatest challenges is employee recruitment due to soaring home costs.

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HR

Benefits

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she thought about returning to school but didn’t want student loan debt. “You have to weigh the pros and cons of all your life decisions, and there are so many more cons in the financial category than there used to be,” she says.

That doesn’t mean one can’t learn more about business before starting one of their own in this climate.

“There are books you can read, classes you can take, podcasts, mentors. You don’t have to figure it out as you go along entirely,” she says. “Having a basic level of education in how business and marketing works before you start a business will help so much.”

Piece of advice: Cason said entrepreneurs

One of the best because of you.

We’re honored to be recognized as one of the Best Accounting Firms in Southwest Florida for the eighth year and are grateful to those who voted for us. People like you are why we work. We don’t just do tax returns or keep the books. We are your trusted advisor, your partner, every step of the way. You and your success are our primary focus, always.

Whether an individual, household, small business, or large corporation, we have your accounting and financial needs covered.

need to charge properly in order to support themselves. “Unless you have somebody that’s going to supplement your income, you just have to charge a lot,” she says. “That’s the only way you’ll stay afloat.”

AN EMPLOYER’S PERSPECTIVE

If Pro-Tec were to launch today, “it would be harder to maybe grow to the size we are,” Hume says. At 40, he is just a few years shy of being in Gener-

ation X, and he has seen how high living costs can affect business.

Hume bought his mother’s Golden Gate Estate home in Naples—where he and his brother ran Pro-Tec for the first five years—for market price in 2011. He now lives there with his wife, two daughters and a host of animals.

Though he was able to buy the home by himself back then, today Hume says, “I’d probably be looking elsewhere” to find something more affordable. “What I paid full price for

is wild. We’re talking five-time multiples of what I bought it for at the time, which was market value, versus what things are now.”

Though his company has been established since 2008, Hume still must factor in how the currently soaring home costs can affect employee recruitment.

“The biggest challenge you run into business-wise right now is this area is not affordable for most working-class people to live in,” he says. “I would say it’s easily 50%, maybe more, of the

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company (employees) does not live in the Naples area or even Collier County itself, and has to commute every day to work with us.”

BALANCING GROWTH AND LIFE

While millennials such as Cason may consider the cost of starting a family, Hume and others on the higher end of the millennial age bracket evaluate how to support their established households.

“The biggest personal thing for both myself and, I’m sure, a lot of parents who have kids is they have to work long days and long hours just to support their kids and get by,” Hume says. “I think anybody who’s a business owner can attest that having a work-life balance can be very challenging. Part of [the benefit of] building a company is so I have people who can operate and handle things, so I don’t have to miss stuff like that with my kids growing up.”

Piece of advice: Hume says controlled, strategic growth and having a safety net help his business ride out economic storms. Rather than expanding, he says now is the time to save, no matter the age. “Now is definitely a tough time to do things because, just like everything—groceries, property, everything is through the roof right now,” he says. “People who are smart about it, put the money away and wait for everything to tank, are the ones who can really take off.”

By Adam Regan

LEE COUNTY

COLLIER COUNTY

Cabrera Realty

LLC purchased a 7,770-square-foot freestanding industrial building at 1478 Rail Head Blvd. in North Naples from PDJ LLC for $1,995,000. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the seller, and Brian Ohlis of Sun Realty represented the buyer.

Adamyia Holdings

LLC purchased 3,150 square feet of commercial space at 1439 Rail Head Blvd. in North Naples from DLM Holdings LLC for $1,337,000.

Christine McManus, CCIM, SIOR, William V. Gonnering, CCIM, SIOR, and Shawn McManus of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer and seller.

3 H Ranch LLC, John F. Hales, trustee of Norman and Carol Hales trust for Audra Leigh Hales and Ethan Freinman, purchased a 2,755-acre agricultural property at 21121 Granville Road in North Fort Myers from R.J.S. Florida LLC for $17 million. Randy Thibaut, ALC, and William Rollins, CCIM, ALC, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.

TKS Properties purchased 21,858 square feet of retail space at 19521 and 19527 Highland Oaks Drive in Estero from Estero Covenant Group LLC for $9.2 million.

Rob Carroll, CCIM, MAI, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the seller, and Eric Strom and Walt Nelson of Trinity Commercial Group represented the buyer.

Takoda Land Group LLC purchased 345 acres at 12850 N. River Road and 17900 and 18420 Owl Creek Drive in Alva from Talon Ventures LLC for $5.5 million. Stan Stouder, CCIM, of CRE Consultants represented the buyer and seller.

Taylor Morrison of Florida Inc. purchased a 50.6-acre residential property at 17251 Williams Road in North Fort Myers from WS Trust and Slater Bend LLC as to Parcel A-1, Danial B. Light and Gully Creek LLC as to Parcel A-2 and L.B. Anderson and Co. Inc. and Gully Creek LLC as to Parcel A-3 for $4 million. Justin

L&A Strand LLC purchased a 5,878-square-foot office building in The Strand Professional Park, 5692 Strand Court, in North Naples from 5692 Strand LLC for $1.88 million. Laura Cari, CCIM, and Eric Edwards, CCIM, of LandQwest Commercial Naples represented the buyer.

OGNC LLC and 8140 College Parkway LLC purchased a 16,864-squarefoot office building at 8140 College Parkway in south Fort Myers from HB Family Limited Partnership for $1,555,000. Michael J. Frye, CCIM, and Abby Kesslak, ACP, with RE/MAX Realty Group and Frye Commercial Group—Commercial Division represented the buyer and seller.

in south Fort Myers from 805 Del Prado Building LLP for $2.2 million. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, and Christi Pritchett, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.

Max Alico LLC purchased 3.3 acres of commercial property at 17025 Cam Court, off Alico Road, in south Fort Myers from TJD Holdings for $2 million. Lane Boy of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the seller.

Thibaut, CCIM, and Randy Thibaut, ALC, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.

CAH–Homestead 40 LLC purchased a 40.5-acre residential property at 250 Homestead Road S. in Lehigh Acres from Homestead 40 LLC for $4 million. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, and

Randy Thibaut, ALC, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the buyer and seller.

Wayne Moomjian Revocable Trust purchased an 18,492-square-foot single-tenant building on 1.7 acres at 3748 Ironbridge Blvd. in Fort Myers from KP Properties of Florida LLC for $3.5 million.

Adam Bornhorst,

Derek Bornhorst, SIOR, CCIM, Bob Johnston, SIOR, and Jerry Messonnier, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the seller, and Justin Ankney, CCIM, of Mayhugh Commercial Advisors represented the buyer.

14590 Metro LLC purchased a 5.82-acre commercial property at 14590 Metro Parkway

DT Three Oaks LLC purchased a 1.5-acre commercial property at Three Oaks Parkway and Oakes Towne Center Lane in south Fort Myers from Pan TC Land LLC for $965,000. Justin Thibaut, CCIM, and Alexis North, CCIM, of LSI Companies Inc. represented the seller, and Ted Campbell of Starlink Realty represented the buyer.

By Adam Regan

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

VidaCann leased 1,800 square feet of retail in Shoppes of Port Charlotte, 1100 El Jobean Road, Unit 112, in Port Charlotte from 2011 Falls Creek Limited Partnership. Mike Concilla and Laura Cari, CCIM, of LandQwest Commercial represented the lessor and lessee.

COLLIER COUNTY

Collier County Marquee Coffee I LLC leased a 1,688-squarefoot space in Charleston Square, 1400 Gulf Shore Blvd., Suite 148, in Naples from Charleston Square of Naples LLC. Bill Young and Biagio Bernardo of Lee

& Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor.

Porven Ltd. leased 1,188 square feet of retail space at 28 10th St. S. in Naples from 1010 Central Avenue LLC. Tara L. Stokes of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor, and John Paulich

IV of Trinity Commercial Group represented the lessee.

Grand Living at Naples leased a 1,131-squarefoot office space at 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Unit 104, in Naples from Johansen Imperial LLC. Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR, and David Wallace of CRE Consultants

represented the lessor, and Trinity Commercial Group represented the lessee.

David Newman Art LLC leased 899 square feet of retail space at 374 13th Ave. S. in Naples from Wayne L. Ambroze Jr. and Deborah Miller Ambroze. Tara L. Stokes of Investment Properties Corp. represented the lessor and lessee.

Apex Brain & Spine leased 3,335 square feet of office space at Kraft Center, 3530 Kraft Road, in Naples from Kraft Office Center LLC. Adam Palmer, CCIM, SIOR, and Laura Cari, CCIM, of LandQwest Commercial represented the lessor and lessee.

LEE COUNTY

Gulf Coast Fitness LLC

dba Hammerhead Gym leased 10,000 square feet of retail space at 1013 Cape Coral Parkway E. in Cape Coral from National Fitness Clubs of Florida I Inc. Gary Tasman & Shawn Stoneburner of Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Property Southwest Florida represented the lessor and lessee.

Patients First Home Care LLC leased 3,778 square feet of office space a 2675 Winkler Ave., Suite 180, in Fort Myers from Meadowcreek Mobile Park Inc. George Vukobratovich with Welsh Companies Florida Inc. represented the lessor, and Abby Kesslak, ACP, and Michael J. Frye, CCIM, with RE/ MAX Realty Group Frye Commercial Group –Commercial Division represented the lessee.

Mor-Sports Group Inc. leased a 2,907-squarefoot space at 9401 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Suite 300, in Estero from Hamleg Corkscrew LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessor, and Jeff Hathy of Platinum Real Estate represented the lessee.

Mike Arcentales & Associates Inc. leased a 2,596-square-foot space at the Toll Brothers

building, 24201 Walden Center Drive, Suite 206, in Bonita Springs from Heart Partners LLC. Matt Stepan, CCIM, and Jeffrey Clapper of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the lessor and lessee.

The Sterling Center Organization Inc. leased a 2,288-square-foot office in Broadway Medical Center, 3594 Broadway, Unit 110, in Fort Myers from 3594 Broadway LLC. Jeff Forsythe, CCIM, of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessee, and Dan O’Berski of Trinity Commercial Group represented the lessor.

Trivic Electrical Contractors Inc. leased a 1,538-square-foot flex space condominium in Commerce Lakes Industrial Park, 12801 Commerce Lakes Drive, Unit 3, in Fort Myers from Marinello & Baker Properties LLC. Brock Rasmussen of Lee & Associates Naples-Fort Myers represented the lessor and lessee.

Florida Department of Health leased a 4,924-square-foot office space in Fairfax Center, 4210 Metro Parkway, Suite 250, in Fort Myers from WCP Fairfax LLC. Randal Mercer of CRE Consultants represented the lessor, and Megan Lawler of Savills represented the lessee.

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

Southwest Florida’s incredible, ongoing growth is reflected in our thriving local business community, but that growth means the challenge to excel is consistently greater. As more businesses are established in categories from community banking to commercial real estate, all entrepreneurs must invest more energy, more expertise and more dedication to their chosen field in order to be the very best. We believe that deserves recognition, and based on our readers’ input we are thoroughly pleased to present the results of the 11th annual Gulfshore Business Best of Business poll. Thousands of readers voted online via a survey requiring participants to provide their name and email address, so each respondent could only cast one ballot. For each of the 29 categories, listed in alphabetical order by business type, we present the winner and finalists—all of whom are exceptional. We’d like to express our thanks to all those who voted, and our congratulations to each local enterprise listed in the following pages for its role in our rapidly growing, businessstrong community. These are Southwest Florida's Best of Business honorees for 2023.

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

The Best in Business Finance, Insurance and Law

Accounting Firm

Winner

Hissam & Associates

Accountants Inc.

Finalist

Dee & Associates CPAs

Finalist

Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company P.A.

Commercial Bank

Winner

Cogent Bank

Finalist

FineMark National Bank & Trust

Finalist

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

Winner The Dane Group LLC

Winner Javed Kapadia - State Farm Insurance Agent

Finalist Brown & Brown Insurance

Finalist Gulfshore Insurance

Corporate & Business Law Firm

Winner Boy Agnew Potanovic

PLLC

Finalist

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt P.A.

Finalist Pavese Law Firm

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

Financial Advisory Firm

Winner Moran Wealth Management

Finalist

Advanced Wealth Advisors

Finalist

Capital Wealth Advisors

Health Insurance Brokerage

Winner Stone Health Insurance

Finalist Brown & Brown Insurance

Finalist

Gulfshore Insurance

Payroll Company

Winner Integrity Employee Leasing

Finalist

ADP Fort Myers

Finalist

The Dane Group LLC

Trust Company

Winner

FineMark National Bank & Trust

Finalist

Northern Trust

Finalist

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Co.

The Best in Business Services

Hotel/Meeting Center

Winner

Hilton Naples

Finalist

Luminary Hotel & Co.,

Autograph Collection

Finalist

Venture X Naples

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

IT Services Contractor

Winner Entech

Finalist Inceptus LLC

Finalist

Naples Network Services

Private Jet Service

Winner

PrivateSky Aviation Services

Finalist

Elite Jets

Finalist

Naples Jet Center

Travel Agency

Winner Preferred Travel of Naples

Finalist Elect Lifestyle

Finalist

Travel Leaders / MAD Travel Inc.

The Best in Commercial Building & Real Estate

Commercial Architecture Firm

Winner Studio+

Finalist RG Architects P.A.

Finalist

SchenkelShultz Architecture

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

Commercial Construction

Winner DeAngelis Diamond

Finalist

PBS Contractors

Finalist

Stevens Construction Inc.

Commercial Electrical Contractor

Winner B&I Contractors Inc.

Finalist

ACRA Electric Inc.

Commercial HVAC Contractor

Winner B&I Contractors Inc.

Finalist

Conditioned Air

Finalist

Gulf Shore Cooling LLC

Finalist

Speedy Air Conditioning Inc.

Commercial Interior Design Firm

Winner Studio+

Finalist OFDC Commercial Interiors

Finalist

SchenkelShultz Architecture

Commercial Property Management Company

Winner CRE Consultants

Finalist Axis Property Management

Finalist

Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property SWFL

Finalist

LandQwest Commercial Fort Myers

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

Commercial Real Estate

Agency

Winner Fischler Property Co.

Finalist

CRE Consultants

Finalist

Investment Properties

Corporation

Finalist

LSI Companies Inc.

Commercial Real Estate Agent

Winner Christi Pritchett

Finalist

Justin Thibaut

Finalist

Phil Fischler

Engineering Firm Winner Velocity Engineering Services

Finalist

Banks Engineering

Finalist Morris-Depew Associates Inc.

The Best in Marketing

Advertising Agency

Winner

Priority Marketing

Finalist

Pushing the Envelope Inc.

Finalist The Partnership

Digital Marketing/ Advertising Agency

Winner

Priority Marketing

Finalist

4 Corners Creative

Finalist

Pushing the Envelope Inc.

BEST OF BUSINESS 2023

Public Relations Firm

Winner

Priority Marketing

Finalist

Pushing the Envelope Inc.

Finalist The Partnership

The Best in Business

Dining & Drinks

Business Lunch

Winner

El Gaucho Deli Cafe

Finalist

Cristof's on McGregor

Finalist

Shula's Steak House

Caterer

Winner

G3 Catering

Finalist

Artichoke and Company

Finalist

Jamie's Cuisine

Finalist

Sage Events Catering and Allergen Friendly Meal

Delivery

Happy Hour/Networking

Restaurant

Winner

El Gaucho Inca Estero

Finalist

Shoeless Joe's Sports Cafe

Finalist

Shula's Steak House

Vending/Coffee

Company Winner Narrative Coffee Roasters

Finalist Chocolattés

Finalist

Stan’s Coffee & Food Service

By James Raia

after hours

LEXUS BE NIMBLE

By James Raia

One year after its second-generation debut last year, the Lexus NX lineup returns in 2023 with a collection of small crossover sport utility vehicles, including two hybrid offerings.

The 450h+ is the upscale carmaker’s first plug-in hybrid, joining the NX 350h conventional hybrid. The NX lineup was first introduced nearly a decade ago and is slotted between the subcompact UX and the mid-sized RX.

Who knew there was a need for a slew of “Nimble Crossovers,” the meaning of the vehicles’ two-letter identifier? Buyers, apparently. The NX joined two siblings in the top 10 luxury hybrid SUV sales for 2022, and the 2023 models are a holdover.

Competition in the plug-in luxury SUV segment is increasing, with Lexus choices matched against selections from Audi, Volvo and an upcoming addition to the Mercedes-Benz GLC lineup. The choices are all good, with welcome variety.

The Lexus 450h+ is a mechanical mirror of the Toyota RAV4 Prim plug-in. It combines a four-cylinder gas engine and a dual-electric motor, resulting in 304 horsepower propelled by continuously variable transmission. It’s available in two trim levels, both with all-wheel-drive powertrains. While not as quick as some competitors, the 450h+ is fast enough, with some power boosts in low- and mid-range maneuvering if the need for quick passing arises.

Throughout its tenure, Lexus (it became its own brand in 2005) has emphasized a quiet ride. The NX 450h+ complies. There’s little hybrid-electric whine and the SUV’s insulation is done right. With its comfortable seating and straightforward, if stoic-looking interior, the NX 450h+ further reinforces Lexus’s reputation for refinement; the SUV cruises along like one of its classy sedan siblings.

Lexus improved its NX lineup’s technology with last year’s second-generation unveiling. The usability of the infotainment touchscreen has improved (it’s now 14

FACTS & FIGURES

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 5.9 seconds

Airbags: 8

Fuel economy: 84 mpg(e), 36 mpg (combined)

Range: (electric only) 37 miles

Horsepower: 304

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $56,555

Manufacturer’s website: lexus.com

Price as tested: $62,780

Warranty: Bumper to Bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles; Powertrain, 6 years/70,000 miles; Hybrid Battery, 10 years/150,000 miles; Corrosion, 6 years/unlimited mileage; Maintenance: 8 years/100,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 4 years/ unlimited mileage; Battery, 2 years/unlimited mileage

Hybrid style in the NX 450h+

inches), although it still isn’t intuitive. Push-button and sliding functions are both featured and several switches and dials are oddly positioned, leading to the possibility of distracted driving.

Cloud-based navigation, virtual voice assistance and wireless Apple and Android smartphone integration are second-generation new and standard on the high-level trim. A hands-free power liftgate, heated and ventilated front seats and leather upholstery are also standard. An ambient lighting package (64 color choices),

a 10-inch head-up display and a panoramic moonroof are also available.

The Mark Levinson audio system is top-line.

Safety and reliability are also Lexus watchwords. The standard safety equipment list includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, pedestrian detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

Several unspectacular qualities are troublesome but not purchase break-

ers: With the rear seats up, the cargo space is 22.7 cubic feet, below average for this class. With the rear seats down, the area is more aligned with competitors with 46.9 cubic feet. Similar to other small SUVs, rear visibility is limited. The inside door releases are small and the push-button releases are awkward to operate.

One final stylistic critique: The Lexus “spindle” grille is polarizing at best. Perhaps a vehicle so beautiful inside and outside and so pleasing to drive shouldn’t look so angry.

SHADES OF PRACTICALITY

Affordable, high-quality options in sunglasses

By James Raia

Nearly 45 years ago, the iconic rock band ZZ Top released its hit single “Cheap Sunglasses.” The playful party tune with a catchy beat and keen guitar riffs is still in heavy rotation on classic rock stations … and it also has an unintentional relevance in the vast (more than $4 billion in revenue for U.S. manufacturers in 2021, according to Statista) business of selling sunglasses.

The song’s subtext is that a woman wearing cheap sunglasses is more approachable than a woman wearing shades bearing a luxury designer’s logo or signature—but the reality is that plenty of inexpensive (cheap!) sunglasses protect wearers’ eyes better than high-priced choices purchased

Sunglass manufacturers understand. There’s an exponentially growing trend toward products that get the job done inexpensively with quality materials and while protecting consumers’ eyes.

Tifosi Optics, Knockaround and Blenders Eyewear are among numerous sunglass makers whose offerings reflect the notion that more doesn’t have to cost more.

Joe Earley, founder and owner of Tifosi, and his wife Elizabeth were among the first to adapt. Former sales representatives for companies providing high-priced, aggressively marked sunglasses to athletes, the couple realized the products they were touting weren’t affordable to

The result: Tifosi, the eyewear named after the Italian phrase for “fan,” started in 2003 and is based in Watkinsville, Georgia. The company’s lineup is sold in more than 120 locations in Florida, including the Bike Route, a cycling specialty store, and the Esplanade Golf & Country Club, both in Naples.

“What really sets Tifosi apart is accessible price points,” says Earley of Tifosi. “Our prices start at $25 for eyewear that would sell for over $100 with other brands.” Tifosi, like other manufacturers, uses polycarbonate lenses and provides UV protection. The brand’s top price is $79.95.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the international eyecare patient advocacy organization based in San Francisco, recommends only buying sunglasses that block “99% of ultraviolet rays.” Long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is linked to cataracts and eye growths, including cancer.

Tifosi Intense MetSilver

Tifosi Sizzle Proud Pink

Plastic and glass lenses absorb some UV light, but UV absorption can be improved by adding chemicals to the lens material during manufacturing or by applying special lens coatings. Sunglasses must meet federal impact standards for safety. Plastic lenses are less likely than glass lenses to shatter when hit by a ball or stone. Most nonprescription sunglass lenses are plastic. Polycarbonate plastic sunglasses, used in many sports, are especially tough, but scratch easily. If you buy polycarbonate lenses, scratch-resistant coatings are recommended.

Polarization to reduce reflected glare is an important feature. Activities from driving to alpine skiing to fishing are best practiced while wearing polarized sunglasses. The reduction in glare can help prevent glaucoma and macular degeneration. Polarized lenses have been specially treated with a thin chemical film, which contains molecules that block a portion of the light waves.

“Quality frame and lens materials like we use to make the sunglasses are not only more comfortable for the wearer but will last far longer than many products at a similar price,” says Earley. “Quality lens materials like our polycarbonate lens provide UV protection and protection while using the eyewear for different sporting activities.

QUALITY

BUT

AFFORDABLE

While there are plenty of luxury sunglass brands out there, many affordable shades are out there, too—and just as effective. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends buying sunglasses that block 99% of ultraviolet rays.

“Our sunglasses are packed with technical features like nose pads that will not slip, and our lifestyle products have Tifosi Glide technology, which does not pull hair. We also offer a lifetime warranty.”

Like Earley, Ed Rainey, chief operating officer of San Diego-based Knockaround, helped build a company via frustration and necessity. He lost a pair of expensive sunglasses and knew all too well the cost of a replacement pair. Knockaround, marketed as the “original, affordable sunglass brand” was born in 2005. Its sunglasses range from $28 to $50.

Knockaround founder Adam Moyer named his company after his father’s fondness for a pair of sneakers he kept in the garage.

“He called them his ‘knockaround sneakers,’” Moyer says. “He could count on them, they were dependable and if you lost them or broke them, no big deal. The Knockaround name seemed like a natural fit—like, I’m just going to

knock around this pair of sunglasses.”

Blenders Eyewear, also headquartered in San Diego, began in 2012. Surfer and company founder Chase Fisher had $2,000 (a loan from a friend) and wanted something different from his sunglasses. The result, a selection of glasses that represents the colorful nature and outdoor lifestyle of Southern California beach communities—or the ways of any beachfront community.

As a surfing coach, Fisher spent long days in the sun, with sand and water as his office. He noticed the designer eyewear of beachgoers—Gucci to Oakley to Ray-Ban—but couldn’t afford those styles. Instead, he wore cheap neon green models purchased at a local Target, and received plenty of compliments just like beach patrons wearing high-dollar eyewear.

Blenders, which cost $29-$89, was born, and quickly expanded from an original order of $300 to more than $1 million in revenue within three years. Italian eyewear company Safilo Group acquired 70% of the company in 2019. The value of Blenders was estimated at $90 million.

Cheap sunglasses? Yes. A vast industry where less means success? Yes to that, too.

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DELAND IN DEMAND

ONCE PERSIMMON HOLLOW, NOW A PLEASANT OLD FLORIDA IDYLL

By Artis Henderson

DeLand was once known as Persimmon Hollow for the wild persimmons that grew in the places where natural spring water bubbled up from the earth. Like so much of Florida in the early 1900s, the persimmon trees were plowed under to make way for the land boom that would last until the mid-1920s. Though patches of DeLand fell on hard times in the intervening years, today the town of 40,000 offers the kind of picturesque Old Florida setting that makes for great film sets (in fact, it’s been the location of a number of movies). DeLand is home to Stetson University, beautifully restored early 20th-century architecture and a quaint downtown that’s perfect for strolling.

CHANGING LANDSCAPE DeLand was once known for its wild persimmons, but in the early 1900s the trees were plowed under to make way for the land boom that would last until the mid-1920s.

CATCH A SHOW

The Athens Theatre (124 N. Florida Ave., DeLand; 386.736.1500; athensdeland.com) in downtown DeLand offers one of the finest examples of the Italian Renaissance architecture that swept Florida in the early 1920s. The historic theater stages live musicals, plays and recitals.

COLLEGE TOWN

At the heart of DeLand, Stetson University (421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand; 386.822.7000; stetson.edu) was founded in the late 1800s. It was named for one of its trustees, John B. Stetson, the Philadelphia hat maker behind Stetson hats who wintered in DeLand. The university’s campus makes for a pic turesque stroll, especially in fine weather. The architecture of its original buildings is a blend of Neoclassicism and Mediter ranean Revival, and its roster of founding donors reads like a who’s-who of early 20th-century titans. Don’t miss Samp son Hall, financed by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, whose red brick edifice and colonnaded portico are pure collegiate charm. And stop by Flagler Hall, paid for by a donation from Henry Flagler, whose Mediterranean Revival style was an ob session of the railroad tycoon.

Courtesy Stetson University; The Rodriguez Group; The Athens Theatre

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A WALK DOWN MAIN STREET

DeLand’s historic downtown is an excellent place to shop and nosh. Start by following the historic mural walk, an outdoor promenade through the town’s history. A downloadable brochure is available from Main Street DeLand’s website (mainstreetdeland.org). Then stop in for a cold pint at Persimmon Hollow Brewery (111 W. Georgia Ave., DeLand; 386.873.7350; persimmonhollowbrewing.com), whose motto is “Drink sensibly, but get weird.” The business is known for the Daytona Dirty Blonde, a blonde ale, and the Beach Hippie, an American IPA.

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When it’s time for a bite, try the tapas and sangria at De La Vega (128 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand; 386.734.4444; delavegart.com). Don’t miss the dish that made it famous: the hibiscus tacos. Corn tortillas are filled with hibiscus petals, onions, cilantro, garlic, mozzarella cheese and red pepper sauce. “A combination of flavors that would make even the harshest food critic blush,” the menu boasts.

For another sumptuous dining option, DeLand’s Urban Brick (112 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand; 386.337.7040; urbanbrick.com) has top-notch fare. Offering farm-to-table American and Italian delectables, the menu includes both vegan and gluten-free options. Don’t miss the house-made cannoli from the restaurant’s pastry chef. Pair them with an espresso brewed from locally roasted beans, and this corner of central Florida will feel like a little piece of heaven.

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GATEWAY TO THE WILD BLUE YONDER

From airdrome to Naples Airport

By Justin Paprocki

Naples has the U.S. Army to thank for its airport. In 1941, the then-town learned that a site in Naples had been identified as a possible Army airfield, according to Nancy Fessenden’s book Pilots, Pinballs and Politics: A History of the Naples Airport. At the time, most of what’s now the city of Naples was swampy terrain and landing strips were far and few between. In fact, airplanes used to land on a golf course in downtown Naples. So, the town jumped on the offer to aid in the war effort.

The site served as a sub-base for Buckingham Army Airfield in Fort Myers. For close to two years, fighter planes and bombers flew faux raids over the skies of Naples. Pilots were trained, then sent to fight on the European and Pacific fronts.

Once the war ended, the Naples Airdrome, as it was called, was no longer needed. In 1947, the property was transferred back to the city and county (the county later sold its interests to the city), and the airport started to evolve.

In the 1950s, private and other types of air travel started to take hold. Provincetown-Boston Airlines (pictured, 1966)—which would become a major carrier in the country—launched operations in Naples. Its most popular flight was the daily half-hour trip to Miami International Airport.

Provincetown-Boston managed the airport until the City of Naples Airport Authority was formed in 1969. The airport served as the primary hub of air travel for the Naples area until Southwest Florida Regional (now International) Airport opened in 1983.

Naples Airport now is primarily a general aviation airport with more than 120,000 takeoffs and landings per year. It’s home to private jets, flight schools, sightseeing companies and public services, such as the Collier Mosquito Control District.

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