Biz941 September-October 2015

Greater Good Awards Page 24

INSURANCE WINNER

Al Purmort Jr.

THE CEO

Restaurateur

John Horne keeps business sizzling Page 54

The Rosemary District Awakens Page 60

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 $3.95 A Sarasota Magazine Publication

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Whether it’s our commitment to you, or to our work in the community, involvement will always play an essential role in our game plan.

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C H A R L O T T E

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T A M P A

T A M P A

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T O L E D O

T O L E D O

When you’re ready to make a difference, we’re ready to help Merrill Lynch is proud to support Sarasota’s non-profit organizations.

Giving back to your community is important to you — and to us.

That’s why we’re committed to helping you make a difference.

Brian Mariash, CIMA® Senior Vice President – Wealth Management Wealth Management Advisor Portfolio Manager 941.364.5678 • brian_mariash@ml.com

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IN THE BIZ: CELEBRATING THE ORIGINALS’ FAMILY-OWNED RESTAURANTS

36

SS •

AR

35 EUPHEMIA HAYE

INE

AR

Chef Ray and his wife D’Arcy put their interest and talents to good use at the helm of Euphemia Haye restaurant. Their daughters, representing the third generation, grew up in the business, too.

S IN B

US

SS •

MADFISH GRILL. Parents and restaurant owners Miles and Mindy Millwee have

YE

HARRY’S CONTINENTAL KITCHENS

www.dineoriginal.com

IN B

CAFÉ BACI. Over the years, Roberto Mei has worked alongside his wife, mother-in-law, two uncles and both kids at Café Baci. The family’s history in the restaurant business stretches back 200 years in Italy, and many of the team members have been there so long that they truly feel like family, as well.

EUPHEMIA HAYE. Chef Raymond Arpke grew up in a hospital kitchen run by his mother. The business fascinated him. In 1980,

S

YE

IN B

HARRY’S CONTINENTAL KITCHENS. A multigenerational restaurant that was established in 1979. Harry & Lynn Christensen along with their son, Hal Christensen, continue to serve generations of families.

19

S

CEDAR REEF FISH CAMP. Owners Michele and Dean have happily welcomed Dean’s son and brother to the tight-knit team. Michele’s parents, too, can be seen pitching in on busy nights.

SS •

US

SS •

IN B

SIESTA KEY OYSTER BAR. After sisters Beth and Jill went into business together, their husbands soon joined in: Keith, a former engineer, and Geno, a former programmer and bartender, have helped create the perfect dynamic for running a restaurant.

INE

S

12

always treated their staff as family—even before their daughter Casey joined as a manager in 2007 and now serves as marketing director.

US

AR

INE

YE

VILLAGE CAFÉ.

The Kouvatsos family moved to Sarasota with 3 young children who were raised in the business and have since moved on to college and AR YE beyond. Kay and Tom can VILLAGE CAFE be found in the restaurant seven days a week along with Tom’s father, who retired from New York and moved to paradise to join the Village Café team.

US

SIESTA KEY OYSTER BAR

Nearly half of The Sarasota Manatee Originals’ locally owned restaurants feature owners working alongside their families: Husbands and wives, children and siblings, parents, grandparents and more—these dynamic family teams power the best restaurants in our community.

INE

authentic ristorante. Their shared Italian heritage emphasizes family and the love of really good food.

GULF DRIVE CAFÉ & TIKI. Always on the job, husband-and-wife owners George and Wendy gave their children a restaurant upbringing: They did everything from bussing tables to bartending. Nowadays, you might still spot the kids working the floor during their college breaks.

28

CAFÉ L’EUROPE. Titus and Norbert started Café L’Europe in 1973, and Betsie, who would eventually become Titus’ wife, was first a restaurant

CARAGIULOS

ROESSLER’S. Chef Klaus and Linda AR YE Roessler opened their restaurant in 1978, and, as the name shows, Roessler’s has always been a family business. Klaus and Linda’s children, Chef Klaus and Marilyn, run the restaurant today.

26

SS •

INE

SS •

THE LOBSTER POT SS •

THE CROW’S NEST. “Restaurants are in my blood,” says owner Steve Harner, and he’s passed that tradition on to his family. Steve’s wife, Cheri, manages the restaurant and his son-in law, Matt, is assistant manager.

a new breed of american eatery

IN B

INE

INE

SALUTE! Father and son Marco and Alberto partnered with longtime friends, Chef Laszlo and Augusto, to create this

THE LOBSTER POT. Taking after his father, Glen started the restaurant with his wife Kathy, and now the third generation has arrived: Their sons, Mark and Tony, and their wives, Claire and Francine, run the restaurant.

S

MICHAEL’S ON EAST. Having grown up in the hospitality industry at The Colony, Michael Klauber opened Michael’s On East in 1987. His business partner, Phil Mancini, joined him shortly thereafter.

Over the years, almost every member of both owners’ families has worked in the restaurant, wine cellar and/or catering operation.

CARAGIULOS. The five Caragiulo brothers have owned and operated Caragiulo’s restaurant for 26 years.

They grew up in the restaurant business as busboys, dishwashers and prep cooks, and they all agree: “The restaurant business is in our DNA.”

US

US

generational, family-focused success story. Mike’s son Justin grew up in the restaurant; now he manages operations.

IN B

SS •

AR

AR

15

patron, and then a bookkeeper and then marketing guru. Though Titus passed away in 2011, Betsie has maintained the restaurant’s historic, family-centric character.

IN B

YE

S

SHARKY´S ON THE PIER

YE

S

SHARKY’S ON THE PIER. In 1986, childhood friends Mike Pachota and Greg Novack purchased Sharky’s, laying the groundwork for a multi-

THE BIJOU CAFÉ. JP and Shay opened Bijou three weeks before their son was born. At first, JP did all of the cooking with Shay taking care of the bookkeeping. Now that their son and their business are both 29 years old, Shay still works in the office, and JP still spends every day at the restaurant.

US

IN B

3

S

Y CAFÉ GABIANNO. Husband-andwife owners Marc and Laura complement each other’s strengths: Marc manages and cooks; Laura serves and helps in the back office. Plus, Marc’s uncle, Peter Tracy, manages daily operations, for family influence in all aspects of the business.

INE

EAR

PATTIGEORGE’S and POLO GRILL. Overseeing all aspects of both restaurants, husband-and-wife team Tommy and Jaymie Klauber share a passion for family, food CAFÉ GABIANNO and fun—as well as horses and beautiful sunsets, of course.

US

PACIFIC RIM. Owners Ann and husband Veth, along with Ann’s parents, make sure their family and heritage shine in all aspects of the restaurant. They work together, cook together and love the business. Their motto: “Guests are family.”

EILEEN

FISHER

saks.com

Visit us at our new Sarasota home in The Mall at University Town Center 120 UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER DR. 941.364.5300

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 LORI SAX

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

When you’re a multibillion-dollar company, you have enough employees to provide paid time for volunteering, plenty of managers to track their hours and outcomes, and big budgets for cash contributions and employee matching programs. But in our region of smaller businesses, doing good is more difficult. Obvious, right?

Tell that to the winners of our first Greater Good Awards. These individuals and companies found creative, meaningful ways to contribute to our region’s quality of life while growing their companies and careers. Here are some of their tips.

It comes from the top. Al Purmort Jr., owner and president of Al Purmort Insurance, told us that his conviction that companies should give back to the community that supports them enables his employees to give hundreds of volunteer hours each year.

Philanthropy must have meaning. We all perform better when we’re passionate about the work. Kim Bleach, a wealth manager at U.S. Trust, was inspired by a family member to get involved in LGBT issues; Mike Quillen, one of the founders of Gecko’s, was moved by the sacrifices law enforcement makes every day.

Stay within your field. Donating to causes related to what you do reinforces your brand. David Sessions of Willis Smith has donated time, materials and money into construction projects for nonprofits.

Stay local. Your customers will feel connected to your cause when they know your good deeds are improving their community.

For more about our inspiring winners, go to page 24.

susanb@biz941.com

24

GREATER GOOD AWARDS

Meet the winners of our first annual business philanthropy awards.

54 THE CEO 60 ROSEMARY RISING

Restaurateur John Horne on building employee loyalty.

Is success for the beleaguered Rosemary District right around the corner?

66 LOOKING TO CUBA

Opportunities, and risks, that Cuba may offer Southwest Florida businesses.

10

77

TALK

Stuff you need to know, from the rules on overtime pay to Sarasota’s upcoming new hotels.

TOURISM BEAT

The latest tourismtracking technology.

89

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

73

HR CORNER

How to make flextime work for your company.

Media consultant Irwin Starr.

93

107

THE SEEN

People and events in pictures.

120

OFF THE CLOCK

Hydrograss Technologies’ Bob Arello is a track and field champ.

FAST TRACK

Movers, shakers and headline makers.

ADVERTISING SECTION

19 CareerEdge Funders Collaborative: The Power of Partnerships 37 Stories of Hope 79 Family Businesses

biz941.com Check out our website, featuring new and archived articles, and sign up for our e-newsletter, Biz(941) Daily.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 5

Hats off to Greater Good Awards Finalist, Tara, from your friends at BB&T Insurance Services.

Congratulations to Tara Williams, Business Insurance Advisor, on your well-deserved recognition as a finalist for the Greater Good Awards. We are very proud of your commitment to our community through your various involvements, to include but not limited to PACE Center for Girls of Manatee, Leadership Sarasota, and Project InVest. Your example enriches our community and inspires us all.

CEO Dan Denton Executive Vice President & Kelley Lavin Group Publisher Vice President & Pam Daniel Editorial Director Consulting Publisher Randy Noles Vice President & Pamela Flanagan General Manager

EDITOR Susan Burns EDITORIAL Managing Editor Ilene Denton Senior Editor Kay Kipling Associate Editor Hannah Wallace Web Editor Megan McDonald Web & Editorial Assistant Chelsey Lucas Intern Bobbilynn Hollifield

Bradenton | Sarasota 941-748-1431

ART AND PRODUCTION Publications Director Norma Machado Art Director Pepe Nieto Art Director Mark Howell Designer Amy Hoffarth

Š 2015, Branch Banking and Trust Company. All rights reserved. Insurance.BBT.com

Advertising Services Katherine Orenic Manager

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Senior Account Executive Kim Davis Account Executive Keith Magnuson Account Executive Debra Clark Maradiaga Account Executive Dan Starostecki Account Executive Sandy Moore Account Executive Katie Fegan Sales and Marketing Regina Walters Team Leader Marketing Manager Amy Overbay

CIRCULATION Circulation Manager Diana Clenney Circulation Coordinator Joy Quici

BUSINESS Clerk Credit Manager Sara Clements

CONTRIBUTING Writers David Ball, Tony D'Souza, Brad Edmondson, Lori Johnston, Kim Hackett, Cooper Levey-Baker, Rich Rescigno, Jackie Rogers, Carol Tisch, Johannes Werner Photographers Jenny Acheson, and Artists Barbara Banks, Salvatore Brancifort, Everet Dennison, Kathryn Brass Piper, Matthew Holler, Chris Lake, Gene Pollux, Lori Sax, Alex Stafford

330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 487-1100 Fax: (941) 365-7272 Biz941.com | SarasotaMagazine.com

6 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Charting A New Course Before beginning any new adventure, it’s important to have a plan. Icard Merrill can help guide you through the complexities of today’s world. From business matters to civil disputes to family concerns, our lawyers have the specific skills and experience to advise you in a wide range of legal fields. We offer a comprehensive approach to the practice of law, with the well-being of our clients always a top concern. No matter the obstacles of your particular journey, we will do our best to ensure smooth navigation along the way.

941.366.8100 • icardmerrill.com M a na t e e , Sa r a s o t a & Cha r l o t t e C o u n t i es

The Publications of Gulfshore Media, LLC

It’s where we Help.

As a commercial property & casualty insurer, FCCI keeps our promises so businesses can thrive, manage risks and face the future with confidence.

As a company with our roots in Sarasota, we support our local community and the organizations that make it strong. We are pleased to be included among the companies and individuals who make a difference in Sarasota and beyond.

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8 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

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Talk SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015

I NNOVATOR ➜ Nadine

Noky

VENICE RESIDENT NADINE NOKY, a former radar technician who served in the U.S. Army from 2002-2007, lamented over the lack of chic apparel options for female veterans when she returned from her tour in Iraq. So Noky, 30, founded Lady Brigade, a clothing line dedicated to letting women veterans and service members wear their military pride in style.

Noky released her first design, “Any girl can wear heels but it takes a woman to wear combat boots,” on her Etsy shop in March 2014 and sold all 20 shirts at about $25 each almost instantly. After the social website Buzzfeed featured Lady Brigade in February, she had to scramble to keep up with the demand. (Totes are $12 and hoodies are $40.) What started as a hobby has almost become a second full-time job, says Noky, who works full-time as a designer for the Sarasota international packaging company MyUs.com.

From finding U.S.A.-made shirts to building a website and her brand, Noky referenced start-up podcasts and books to launch her business. Now she’s ready to start looking for a business partner. She also plans to purchase a building on Venice Avenue and open a storefront by fall 2016 so she can expand her product line. (Visit GoFundMe.com/ LadyBrigadeHQ to help.)

“People always say write [your business plan] first, but I wouldn’t have learned what I know about my business [that way]. Take action,” she says. “Do something every day that brings you closer to what you want to do.”

■ By Chelsey Lucas

10 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

ALEX STAFFORD

Founder, Lady Brigade

OVERHEARD

“Is there an 800 number you can call to find out your SAT score in 1972?”

—State Sen. Nancy Detert’s mocking response at a recent Sarasota Tiger Bay luncheon on the 2015 Florida legislative session regarding the teacher bonus bill that gives $10,000 to teachers who scored well on their SATs in high school.

39 METRIC

The percentage increase in population, ages 16-24, from 2000 to 2013 in Sarasota and Manatee.

In Sarasota, the 25-44 age group declined 4 percent; in Manatee, that age group increased 9 percent.

SOURCE: Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Community Indicators

BIZ RULES

By Chelsey Lucas

Overtime Pay Update PRES. OBAMA’S PROPOSAL to make millions more fulltime workers eligible for overtime pay has rattled plenty of employers. The rule more than doubles the salary threshold of eligible workers from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to about $970 per week ($50,440 per year).

The U.S. Department of Labor is accepting public comments (go to regulations.gov to submit) on the proposed overtime rule until Sept.

4 before making a final ruling, although no date for the decision has been made.

Labor and employment attorney Lori Hultman of Sarasota’s Hultman, Sensenig and Joshi, P.A., says employers need to prepare for the possible change and keep these points in mind: The salary thresholds are based on the standard 40-hour workweek, not pay periods; more than 40 hours per week constitutes overtime. If a DOL audit determines an employer is not paying overtime to entitled employees, the employer must retroactively pay for all the affected employees going back at least two years, as well as the

employee attorney fees—even if the claim is found to be false.

Employers can respond in a number of ways, Hultman says.

They may decide to reduce the hours employees work to avoid the 40-hour mark that kicks in timeand-a-half pay. Employers might hire people at lower rates of pay, so if it’s necessary to pay overtime it isn’t as costly, or they might hire two people for the same job so neither goes into overtime.

Any silver lining? When workers have more money, they buy more things. “Employers should understand that paying workers fairly is the right thing to do,” says Hultman, “and it should be better for business overall.” ■

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 11

Talk

DRAWING BOARD

In 18 months, downtown Sarasota may have 912 more hotel rooms.

Hotel

Aloft Hotel (part of One Palm) 240 S. Pineapple Ave.

Hotel Sarasota North Palm Avenue

Embassy Suites 202 N. Tamiami Trail

Developer

JWM Management/Shane Eagan (Sarasota)

Floridays/Angus Rogers (Sarasota)

Jebco/Jim Bridges (Sarasota)

Floors

10

8

18

Rooms

138

164

180

Rates

NA

$200/night

$176-$185/night

Completion

October 2015

Late 2016

December 2016

Cost

$54 million*

$40 million

$40 million

Hotel

Westin Hotel (part of Vue Sarasota Bay) Gulfstream and N. Tamiami Trail

Quay 33 North Tamiami Trail

Sarasota Marriott 332 N. Tamiami Trail

Developer

The Kolter Group/David Arent (West Palm Beach)

GreenPointe Homes

Queensgate Homes/Lauren Palombo

Floors

18

NA

18

Rooms

255

175

200

Rates

NA

NA

NA

Completion

December 2016

January 2017

2017

Cost

$120 million**

NA

NA

* Cost includes the hotel tower and the apartment tower at One Palm. ** Cost includes the hotel tower and the condominium tower at Vue Sarasota Bay. SOURCES: Developers and City of Sarasota.

Information compiled by Bobbilynn Hollifield

12 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Corporate Gift-Giving

Give your employees and clients the true gift of local luxury this holiday season. Contact The Met for details on our rewards program.

Rachel Rich 941.388.3991 ext. 210

35 SOUTH BLVD. OF THE PRESIDENTS SARASOTA, FL 34236 941.388.3991 THEMETSARASOTA.COM

Talk

BUSINESS CLASS The latest timepieces offer value and style.

By Jackie Rogers

REACTOR WATCH Guys craving a rugged timepiece look to Reactor Watch Co. for performance sports watches that are stylish, durable and wearable from workweek to weekend. The Proton World Time features marinegrade stainless steel, Superluminova dial markings and hands. The World Time bezel can show local time in any time zone and, with a simple twist, even accounts for daylightsaving time. Shown in gun metal, $650 from Coffrin Jewelers.

ROLEX Big watches are in, but let’s face it, they can overpower. Rolex, one of the most recognizable watches at a glance, offers a mid-size 31mm perfectly suited for a woman’s wrist. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust was designed to be precise, reliable, waterproof and functional with a timeless elegance that can be worn in any circumstance. $8,350 from The Diamond Vault.

14 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

OFFICINE PANERAI Watch enthusiasts are drawn to Officine Panerai watches for their blend of Italian design and Swiss technology. Designed for the Royal Italian Navy in the early 1900s to withstand rigorous missions in deep-water conditions, this watch reflects the original, and limited editions drive a loyal following of collectors. Panerai Luminor Marina, limited edition $8,250 from The Diamond Vault.

SHINOLA

GUCCI

APPLE WATCH Apple Watch provides a whole new way to interact with technology, all with a turn of the wrist. Among the many exciting features, three stand out: the talk-to-text function that is not only convenient, but also simple and accurate; the gentle wrist tap alerting you of an appointment or incoming call without the noise of a chime; and the activity tracker that monitors your every move and reports everything from your heart rate to calories burned. Durable, sleek and minimalist design, available in two sizes. 42mm Stainless Case with Milanese Loop, $699 from Apple.com.

Women who prefer a nontraditional timepiece can look to Gucci for outof-the-ordinary style and design.

For more than 70 years, Gucci has incorporated natural bamboo into its designs; today, The Bamboo Collection timepiece is designed with inlaid natural bamboo around the bezel and Gucci’s signature horse bit motif to create a watch with quiet sophistication. 33mm stainless steel case, quartz Swiss movement, $1,090 from McCarver & Moser.

The Shinola Brakeman offers both classic style and a great American story. Headquartered in the former General Motors Argonite Building in the heart of Detroit, Shinola is breathing economic life into the city. Named for the steel-nerved locomotive brakemen of the early 1900s, this watch is hand-built using Swiss components for high-accuracy quartz movement.

Shinola Brakeman, 46mm, $775 from Saks Fifth Avenue.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 15

Talk

AGENDA R /O SEPTEMBE

U.S. C T O B E R The Department

SEPT. 2 East Meets West VI Business Expo, co-sponsored by the

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $10 if registered after Aug. 26. To register, visit eastmeetswestexpo.com.

SEPT. 8 SCOPE

2015 Boundary Crosser Award Celebration honoring Carolyn Johnson, 5-6:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Ave. S. in Sarasota. $35. To register, visit scopexcel.org.

SEPT. 11 Economic

Development Corporation of Sarasota County Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota. $65. To register, visit edcsarasotacounty.com/ events.

Valley Blvd., Nokomis. $65. To register, contact Debra Mattar at vchamber@venicechamber.com or visit venicechamber.com.

OCT. 2-3 Venice Area Chamber of Commerce Expo, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. S. Free. For details, visit venicechamber.com.

OCT. 8 The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 95th Annual Meeting, 1 1:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. $55 members; $65 nonmembers. To register, visit sarasotachamber.com.

NOV. 1 USF Sarasota-

SEPT. 17 Venice

Manatee Brunch on the Bay, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on

networking at 5:30, dinner at 6:45 p.m. at Mission Valley Country Club, 1851 Mission

the USFSM campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $250 for individual tickets; sponsorship tables $1,500-$10,500. For details, contact Andrea Stephens at (941) 359-4737 or ajstephens@ sar.usf.edu.

Area Chamber of Commerce 91st Annual Banquet and Installation of Officers,

16 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

READER METER

of Labor has proposed raising the overtime threshold for full-time salaried workers from $23,660 to $50,440. Do you support this?

66 Yes

%

34%

SOURCE: Biz(941) Daily poll

No

TRENDSPOTTER

CRANKING OUT JOBS “Florida is expected to be among the leading job creators in the nation over the next few years and is home to six of the top 10 metro areas with the highest forecasted employment growth.”

SOURCE: Florida TaxWatch, “Florida’s 2015 Mid-Year Job Growth”

INNOVATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY

Philanthropy is our innovation engine.

At Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we invest in things like developing 21stcentury talent, assisting entrepreneurs, and providing more opportunity for all residents. Things that will move our region toward an innovation economy.

And in everything we do, we leverage the strategic giving of our generous donors. Because together with our donors, we transform our region through bold and proactive philanthropy.

Learn more about these and other Gulf Coast initiatives on our website:

941.486.4600 GulfCoastCF.org

Ask the Originals We need to have a meeting catered or in a private setting.

Whom should we call?

Talk

By Hannah Wallace

BIZ BITES

The Lovin’ Spoonful diner offers uncomplicated, good food.

(941) 366-8111 | bijoucafe.net

CHAD SPENCER

(941) 462-2650 | eatfastnfresh.com

THE PLACE

(941) 366-0007 | bestfood.com

a new breed of american eatery

(941) 782-0899 | pologrillandbar.com

www.DineOriginal.com

Lovin’ Spoonful, 2241 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, (941) 366-4408.

An unassuming, sunlit diner, Lovin’ Spoonful has the kind of no-frills charm you want in a downtown lunch stop. There’s the requisite diner bar and a booth by the front window, with a line of tables and chairs stretching toward the back of the elongated space.

18 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

THE PEOPLE

City workers from nearby governmental offices, including suits, subcontractors and lab-coated employees from the health department.

TIME FACTOR

Make it a long lunch meeting if you’re dining in; for folks on the go, there’s a steady stream of called-in takeout orders.

THE FOOD

Hearty diner favorites do not disap-

point, including the avocado BLT ($7.95), the tuna melt on rye with tomato and Swiss ($7.95), and the standard selection of deli sandwiches. The breakfast menu, no less hearty, is also available during lunch and includes a waffle ($4.95), quiche ($7.95) or a heaping serving of biscuits and peppery sausage gravy with two eggs ($6.95), as well as a good selection of pastries. ■

THE P OWER OF

careeredgefunders.com

SPONSORED REPORT

PARTNERSHIPS CAREEREDGE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE CREATES BETTER JOBS, BETTER WAGES, A BETTER COMMUNITY.

“CareerEdge said, ‘Let’s get employers around a table. What do they need? What’s their opinion?’ We felt we were an integral part of how, what, when, where.”

Jennifer Behrens Schmidt, president, Atlantic Mold & Manufacturing Corp.

I

n 2010, business, government and philanthropic organizations in Sarasota and Manatee counties broke through the walls of their traditional silos and joined together in an innovative partnership to create the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative. Their goal: to create a workforce system that supports current employers and attracts new ones, and that opens career pathways for job seekers and current employees through education and job training.

Seeded with $1 million from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation and funds from public agencies and philanthropic investors, CareerEdge, in five short years, has leveraged these dollars into hundreds of new jobs and $22 million in wages and raises. The result has been to enhance the economic vitality of the region and the quality of life of its residents. Far from relying on public dollars, today 95 percent of CareerEdge’s funding comes from private sources, proving that this approach is sustainable.

And now this pioneering partnership is expanding its reach into Pinellas, Hillsborough and Charlotte counties, bringing employers, educators, economic development organizations, funders and the all-important job seekers and employees together for the same powerful impact on jobs and wages.

SPONSORED REPORT

WHO WE SERVE

HOW WE CLOSE THE SKILL GAP

> Employers > Job seekers and re-entering workers > Existing workers from low- to high-wage

> > > > > >

Identify a need in an industry sector Bring the right players to the table Collect data from all employers in the sector Inform educators about the skills gap Create trainings and certificates to fill the need Create demand by reaching educators, parents and students > Hold everyone accountable

CareerEdge helps workers reach new income levels.

“CareerEdge has helped us expand our creativity in terms of what we can do to develop our employees.” Rod Hershberger, CEO and chairman, PGT Industries FUNDING $4,677,000 from philanthropic and local government $3,927,382 from employers $ 773,506 from CareerSource funding and Sarasota County government for the purchase of equipment

Total Workforce Investments

95%

The amount of CareerEdge’s funding that comes from private sources

$9,377,888

“CareerEdge provides services our health care collaborative couldn’t do on its own—surveys, getting data, connecting with educators and connecting us to services.”

Veronica Lequeux Thames, vice president of human resources, Blake Medical Center

SPONSORED REPORT

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS

SINCE 2010, CAREEREDGE HAS CHANGED THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND STRENGTHENED THE WORKPLACE IN SARASOTA AND MANATEE.

THE INDUSTRIES WE HELP > > > > >

Health Care Manufacturing Financial Services and Insurance Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Information Technology and Computer Science

HILLSBOROUGH

PINELLAS

MANATEE

SARASOTA

CHARLOTTE

NEW TERRITORY CareerEdge has expanded into Pinellas, Hillsborough and Charlotte counties.

THE IMPACT 2,565 468 1,505 5,315 825

People trained People promoted People received raises Certificates and degrees earned New jobs created

$22M In new wages and raises FIGURES THROUGH DEC. 31, 2014

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative is one of 36 programs of its kind funded by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions

For more insight, please contact: Mireya Eavey, Executive Director CareerEdge Funders Collaborative 7131 Professional Parkway E. Sarasota, FL 34240 (941) 363-7231 mireya@careeredgefunders.org careeredgefunders.org

SPONSORED REPORT

“CareerEdge has allowed me to be more focused on the employer. We now view employers as the main stakeholder and have them on every curriculum board.”

Dr. Todd Bowden, director, Suncoast Technical College

THANK YOU, INVESTORS!

ORIGINAL FUNDERS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

John S. & James L. Knight Foundation City of Bradenton Central Community Development Agency Bradenton Downtown Development Authority Gulf Coast Community Foundation Bank of America Bradenton 14th Street Community Redevelopment Agency Manatee Community Action Agency National Fund for Workforce Solutions

Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Suncoast Community Capital Community Youth Development (CYD) Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association (SAMA) State College of Florida Manatee Technical College Sarasota Technical College Goodwill Manasota Jewish Family & Children Services USF Sarasota-Manatee Ringling College of Art and Design New College of Florida Keiser University CareerSource Suncoast Women’s Resource Center Manatee Community Federal Credit Union Aerotek Staffing Agency Turning Point: Community Coalition on Homelessness One Stop Resource Center HOPE Family Services Manatee County Central Library Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) & Our Mentors Salvation Army of Manatee County Iberia Bank Fifth Third Bank UnidosNow

CAREER EDGE (TO COME)

EMPLOYER INVESTORS Blake Medical Center BioLucid Kobernick House Life Care Center of Sarasota Manatee Memorial Hospital Pines of Sarasota Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida Sarasota Memorial Hospital Tidewell Hospice Venice Regional Hospital Community Health Systems Air Products KHS Mustang Vacuum Radiant Power PGT Industries Tervis Tumblers Advanced Masonry Systems

careeredgefunders.com

2015 Saluting the companies and leaders who make the 941 a better place. P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B A R B A R A B A N K S

W

e live in a remarkably philanthropic region. We knew that, but we were still surprised by the avalanche of nominations—255 in all—that we received when we launched our first ever Greater Goods Awards this summer. Our judges were both impressed and inspired by the many ways that business contributes to our community—thousands of volunteer hours, millions of donated dollars, and immeasurable talent, energy and love. On these pages, you’ll meet the winners—and finalists—in 11 different categories. They represent a variety of companies and industries, but they share some common

convictions. They believe they have an obligation to help the community that helped them succeed; and they not only believe this—they embrace it. And they also believe that the more they give, the more they prosper.

Philanthropy, it turns out, not only enriches the soul, it also boosts employee morale, productivity and the bottom line.

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, and thanks to our judges, who included nonprofit consultant Sophia LaRusso and Wells Fargo business banking manager Kevin Stencik, as well as editors Ilene Denton and Susan Burns.

For more information about our finalists’ good deeds, go to page 36.

24 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

FINANCIAL FINALISTS

ELISA GRABER

IBERIA BANK

STEPHEN BART BRIAN FANCHER LOWTHER MARIASH

MARIASH LOWTHER WEALTH MANAGEMENT MERRILL LYNCH

WINNER

KIM BLEACH

Vivacious and persuasive, Kim Bleach, a wealth manager at U.S. Trust, Bank of America, stepped forward three years ago to champion equal rights U.S. TRUST, for the LGBT community. As an Asolo Repertory BANK OF AMERICA Theatre board member she took charge of OUT, the Asolo Rep’s subscription series for the LGBT community and their friends. Bleach secured U.S. Trust’s sponsorship and grew this small program into a large, successful series for the theater and the Sarasota-Manatee community.

“My focus on the local LGBT community began when a family member came out later in life,” she says. “I wanted to show my support and to help make change happen.”

Bleach also serves on the advisory board of Equality Means Business for the state of Florida and encouraged U.S. Trust to join this coalition of businesses, which supports LGBT inclusion programs. Her passionate chairmanship and countless hours of volunteer time of the Sarasota Equality Florida annual celebration last year brought in new energy and new donors, and she’s planning for the same success this year.

“I’ve always been involved,” she says. “My natural optimism comes from deep inside, and my company gives me the ability to practice my passions, believing we are better when we’re connected.” —Susan Burns SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 25

LEGAL WINNER

DAN BAILEY

Marking his 40th year with the law firm of Williams Parker, land use WILLIAMS and local government PARKER attorney Dan Bailey serves with humility and good humor as a champion of the community he’s called home since 1957. Bailey has been president of more than a half-dozen local civic organizations, including Tiger Bay, the Sarasota County Bar Association, Red Cross, Civic League, Kiwanis and United Way (where he followed in the footsteps of his father, a prominent local banker).

“My father taught me that if there’s a need for something to be done, be willing to do it,” he says.

Bailey helped form the Sarasota Military Academy and the Education Foundation; and he and a small group of civic leaders developed the “Pledge of Public Conduct”— which gained national media attention and is still used today by local governments—that led to the formation of SCOPE (Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence).

He counts serving on the Selby Foundation board for 12 years and granting several million dollars a year to worthy nonprofits as a highlight of his civic service. It should be noted most of these grants were for capital projects—literally building our community.

– Ilene Denton

FINALISTS

BENJAMIN HANAN

SHUMAKER, LOOP & KENDRICK, LLP

26 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

ROBERT ROBINSON

KIRKPINKERTON, PA

WINNER

DAVID SESSIONS

As a young man putting himself through the University of Florida, WILLIS A. SMITH David Sessions worked CONSTRUCTION four different jobs, and relied on financial aid for the difference. Now president and CEO of Willis A. Smith Construction, Sessions has returned the favor for Ringling College of Art and Design students. In 1998, his firm created the Willis Smith Scholarship endowment, which has given more than $500,000 for scholarships and capital projects. In all, Willis Smith has donated $636,000 to Ringling. This figure does not include the volunteer hours the company and Sessions have invested.

Sessions has also contributed to more than 25 other regional nonprofits, whether through board service, volunteering or writing checks.

BUILDING Committed to sustainability, Session built the company’s new headquarters in 2008 as an experiment in energy efficiency, and Willis Smith donated 126 photovoltaic panels, worth $115,000 to Mote Marine Laboratory; they’ll save on Mote’s power costs for the next 20 years. In July, the Keating Center at Ringling College also received its own set of the panels at an estimated cost of $100,000.

“Any successful business has a social responsibility to the nonprofits around them,” Sessions says. –Anu Varma Panchal

FINALISTS

JACK COX

HALFACRE CONSTRUCTION

JON SWIFT

JON SWIFT INC.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 27

REAL ESTATE WINNER

RITA B. SMITH

COLDWELL BANKER

Rita B. Smith credits her Christian upbringing—her mother taught Sunday school and founded Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, and her father was a Baptist minister—with inspiring her devotion to helping others.

Today, when Smith isn’t showing homes (she’s a Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate realtor with a soft spot for first-time homebuyers), she’s serving on three nonprofit boards and doing hands-on volunteer work, too—including stuffing 30,000 bags of food for the needy of Manatee County with Bradenton’s Kiwanis and 50,000 bags with the Florida Association of Realtors Leadership Academy (yes, that’s 80,000 bags in all!).

Through the Florida Association of Realtors Leadership Committee, Smith became active in Lifelink, an organ and tissue donation organization, and was named Rookie of the Year. She also received the Community Service Award from the Manatee Association of Realtors.

And she continues to support her mother’s Mount Carmel Resource Center, which serves growing numbers of the hungry and needy. Her sister is executive director, and Smith makes time to pitch in. “[Helping others] is our mission on earth, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to do that,” she says. –Anu Varma Panchal

28 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

FINALISTS

TOM AND CHARLOTTE HEDGE

PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

PAT NEAL

NEAL COMMUNITIES

INSURANCE

WINNER

AL PURMORT JR.

AL PURMORT INSURANCE

Al Purmort Jr., president of Al Purmort Insurance Agency, is so serious about community giving that he has an employee whose major function is organizing the company’s nonprofit support. “She’ll announce that we’re donating to an organization which would like 25 hours of volunteer time in the next three months. We give paid time off to our employees to volunteer,” Purmort says.

The insurance agency, with a staff of 25, has donated nearly $100,000 to about 100 area nonprofits over the past three years, while also donating hundreds of volunteer hours and underwriting services to 60 community nonprofits.

The “all in” philosophy dates back to Purmort’s father, Al Purmort, who headed up the agency for decades, and his mother, whose nonprofit board service and volunteerism inspired her husband to underwrite many local charities. The younger Purmort took up the mantle.

“Management has to push this,” he says— and it’s also good for the bottom line. “When we invest in a client’s interests, the next time he goes looking for insurance [our support] will be a factor. In a community-based business, those things matter,” he says.

–Anu Varma Panchal

FINALISTS

STEVE HALL

ALLTRUST INSURANCE

TARA WILLIAMS

BB&T INSURANCE SERVICES SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 29

HEALTH CARE Over the past two decades, Dr. David Shoemaker, the founder of Center for Sight, has given hundreds of people CENTER FOR SIGHT suffering from cataracts the ability to see clearly again. “If you’re fortunate enough to be successful, that carries with it the responsibility to give something back,” he says. “You can’t solve everything, but you do what you can.”

Shoemaker launched Mission Cataract to help area residents who can no longer see because of cataracts and lack the income or insurance for the procedure. Funds from the Center for Sight Foundation (a donor-advised fund of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation) help defray expenses, and all Center for Sight surgeons who participate donate their time and skills to Mission Cataract. Since its inception, the program has performed 700 surgeries in Sarasota, although prospective patients apply from all around the United States.

Those surgeries are valued at $2.8 million, but Shoemaker—who likes to describe the moment when a man whose cataracts had completely destroyed his vision opened his eyes after surgery and saw his partner for the first time—says giving the gift of sight is priceless. –Anu Varma Panchal

FINALISTS

SAMANTHA HOBBS

CANADA MED SERVICES/DISCOUNT PRESCRIPTION SERVICES

MICHAEL JUCEAM

RIGHT AT HOME

30 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

COURTESY OF DR. SHOEMAKER'S OFFICE

WINNER

DR. DAVID SHOEMAKER

SALLY SCHULE

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

WINNER

RETAIL Friends and colleagues affectionately—and appropriately—call Saks Fifth Avenue marketing manager Sally Schule “Sallysota.” Since Saks opened here in 1996, Schule has guided its support of more than 50 local organizations and overseen 175-plus in-store events, including Saks’ signature Key to the Cure celebration supporting breast cancer research. For 10 years this event has benefited Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation. Last year, it hit the million-dollar donation mark.

Schule—who’s always impeccably dressed, with a megawatt smile—says her people skills help make her events successful. “I have a talent for positioning people with the right cause,” she says. “You’re successful when you surround yourself with great people; I think I help charities do that.” Her legendary organizational skills and energy probably also play a role.

And she says that while Saks Fifth Avenue is philanthropic in all its markets, Sarasota has something special. “There’s such a hot event circuit and people want to give and help others,” she says.

“And you really can teach people how to help others—and that’s a rewarding experience.” –Megan McDonald

FINALISTS

MOLLY AND DAVID JACKSON

NEW BALANCE SARASOTA

JESSE WHITE

SARASOTA ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 31

HOSPITALITY WINNER

MIKE QUILLEN AND MIKE GOWAN GECKO’S HOSPITALITY GROUP

Mike Quillen and Mike Gowan

FINALISTS

ED CHILES

CHILES RESTAURANT GROUP

JOHN HORNE

ANNA MARIA OYSTER BAR

32 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Mike Quillen and Mike Gowan have been providing hospitality and goodwill services in Sarasota and Manatee through Gecko’s Charitable Giving Program since their first restaurant opened in 1992. They’ve supported Sarasota 4-H, the YMCA Youth Shelter, Share Our Strength’s No Kids Hungry campaign, the veterans of Operation Second Chance and area schools.

Last year, Gecko’s received the Barry Jones Business Partner Empowerment Award from the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and Manatee School Board for its free meal cards, encouraging students' good grades and attendance. Gecko’s employees often wear T-shirts that say, "Help one person at a time and always start with the person next to you.” And just this year, Quillen helped to found and is chair of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit that provides funds for SCSO employees facing personal catastrophe.

“These people put on a bulletproof vest every day, “ says Quillen, who adds that he and Gowan feel a debt of gratitude and responsibility to the officers and community that have supported Gecko’s restaurants for 24 years.

“The better we do, the more we can do. We seldom say no,” he says.

—Chelsey Lucas

SMALL BUSINESS

WINNER

GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS

Angela Massaro-Fain remembers the day she committed Grapevine Communications, the marketing ADVERTISING AGENCY firm she owns with husband John Fain, to corporate giving on a large scale. After listening to grant recipients speak at the Florida Winefest & Auction in 2002, she was moved to tears by the immense need welling under the surface of such an affluent community.

Since then, Grapevine Communications has given $1.7 million to more than FINALISTS 70 area nonprofits, serving on their boards or volunteering time, expertise and services. For the 2014 Modern Pentathlon, Grapevine Inc. ended up donating more EUPHEMIA than 700 hours over six months at a value of $95,000.

HAYE While they started with a focus on children’s charities, today Grapevine chooses RESTAURANT projects with potential to impact entire families and future generations. This year, the company formally supports eight groups, but Massaro-Fain admits she can’t resist creating the occasional ad for a nonprofit supported by a client (or founding a MAULDIN & giving circle, the Sisterhood for Good, or the Massaro Kozak Art Scholarship Fund at JENKINS LLC the Out-of-Door Academy).

“If we can do something, we should do it,” she says. “It’s a part of our commitment to being in such a great community.” —Anu Varma Panchal SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 33

MEDIUM BUSINESS WINNER

MICHAEL’S ON EAST

AND

MICHAEL’S WINE CELLAR Michael Klauber and Phil Mancini have been at the center of Sarasota’s culinary, hospitality and nonprofit scene since they opened Michael’s On East in 1987.

(The two also own Michael’s Wine Cellar and Michael’s Events and Catering.) Giving back “has always been the heart of our operation,” says Klauber. “There's something contagious about working with the philanthropic leaders and supporters in our community. The shared desire to help make great things happen creates a momentum for good.”

About 500 nonprofits have benefited from more than $1 million in donations, time, energy and services from Michael’s On East since it opened. During the financial crisis, the duo decided to take home less money so they could support the agencies that had come to rely on their generosity. Klauber—who also helps raise funds for many causes as a high-energy volunteer auctioneer at black-tie galas—is also spearheading Bayfront 20:20, a community initiative to create a world-class destination on 75 acres of downtown Sarasota bayfront.

“We’re all part of the same family,” says Mancini. “Every year, we ask our accountant: ‘Are we OK?’ If we’re OK, we just keep on doing things the same way.” –Anu Varma Panchal

34 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Phil Mancini and Michael Klauber

FINALISTS

NUOVO SALON GROUP

N & M COOL TODAY

LARGE BUSINESS

FCCI's Lisa Krouse, vice president and chief human resources officer, and president and CEO Craig Johnson

FCCI INSURANCE GROUP WINNER

FINALISTS

PUBLIX

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Every new hire at Lakewood Ranch-based FCCI Insurance Group gets a welcome card with the message, “FCCI takes great pride in giving back to the community.” That is not empty corporate rhetoric. Each one of its 730 employees in 18 states receives four paid hours to give to the nonprofit of their choice. In 2014, employees donated 2,000 hours (almost $80,000 in employee-related time).

The HR department provides plenty of suggestions in case an employee isn’t sure about which causes to support and arranges opportunities such as food-sorting days for a local pantry. Twice a year the company recognizes FCCI Heroes in a ceremony that leaves many employees in tears. The company has been a major sponsor of United Way, Habitat for Humanity, All Faiths Food Bank, Children First, Step Up for Students, Suncoast Charities for Children and the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

CEO Craig Johnson, who was inspired by the company’s values when he was hired in 2003, says FCCI’s community involvement helps retain employees. “They feel committed to a purpose other than profitability,” he says. “I tell other CEOs, ‘Don’t look at this as an expense. It’s an investment.’”—Susan Burns SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 35

Meet Our Finalists

We chose two finalists in each of our Greater Good categories. Here’s why they caught our judges’ attention:

FINANCIAL ELISA GRABER, Iberia Bank In 2014, Graber, the bank’s regional CRA (Community Revitalization Act) liaison, logged 262 hours, often working late into the evening, using her financial and graphic design skills to help 10 different nonprofits, many of them working with the homeless.

STEPHEN FANCHER, BART LOWTHER and BRIAN MARIASH, Mariash Lowther Wealth Management Merrill Lynch This trio of wealth managers contributes time, money, leadership and even musical talent to numerous nonprofits.

LEGAL BENJAMIN HANAN, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP The managing partner of Shumaker Loop, Hanan took on top leadership roles on major boards such as the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County.

ROBERT ROBINSON, Kirk-Pinkerton, P.A. A champion of Operation Second Chance, a nonprofit devoted to wounded veterans, attorney Robinson donated $20,000 in pro bono hours last year and used his legal expertise to navigate government regulations to create a hunting lodge for these veterans.

BUILDING JACK COX, Halfacre Construction President and CEO of Halfacre Construction Cox is the board president of Suncoast Charities for Children. His company has assisted Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities by donating $20,000 in in-kind services to renovate buildings and rallying the building community to step up.

JON SWIFT, Jon F. Swift Inc. Swift has served as president and chair of the Police Athletic League and Sailor Circus, chaired the Education Foundation, started the Swift Family Foundation to fund such projects as a library at Phillippi Shore Elementary School, and has served on many other boards. In 2014 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange.

R E A L E S TAT E TOM and CHARLOTTE HEDGE, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty This husband-and wife real estate team has supported the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota County for almost 22 years as presidents of the board, teaching children how to knit, helping to raise millions for the clubs and donating personally.

PAT NEAL, Neal Communities Over the past decade, Neal and his company have donated more than $7 million to support a wide range of local community organizations.

INSURANCE STEVE HALL, Alltrust Insurance As a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Hall, market president of Alltrust Insurance, has taken a leading role in helping local veterans, sits on several nonprofit boards and inspires his employees to give back through company team-building events that serve numerous charities.

TARA WILLIAMS, BB&T Insurance Services Insurance agent Williams is the incoming vice chair for PACE Center for Girls of Manatee, volunteers at Manatee High School, serves on the Executive Council of Leadership Sarasota and is active in many organizations.

H E A LT H C A R E SAMANTHA HOBBS, Canada Med Services/Discount Prescription Services Hobbs, working with her mother, Dulcy Kushmore, has supported SPARCC, Parkinson Research Foundation, Girl Scouts and many other organizations. She also created Charity of Choice: Every time a customer places an order, Canada Med will donate to one of 32 participating nonprofits—an impact of $15,000 in donations so far.

MICHAEL JUCEAM, Right At Home Juceam owns this large home health company and sits on the board of SCAN and the Home Care Association of America, supports the Senior Friendship Center, sponsors and chairs numerous nonprofit events and involves his employees.

R E TA I L MOLLY and DAVID JACKSON, New Balance Sarasota Honored nationally for their nonprofit work by New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., the Jacksons provide donations and in-kind services to hundreds of local charities and support to more than 100 events and races every year.

JESSE WHITE, Sarasota Architectural Salvage White opens the doors of his Sarasota Architectural Salvage to numerous nonprofits, holding fun and funky fund raisers while bringing in dollars and exposure to good causes.

H O S P I TA L I T Y ED CHILES, Chiles Restaurant Group With three popular restaurants, Chiles has been donating food to nonprofits

36 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

for years; recently, he’s become a leader in harvesting, sourcing and serving sustainable local seafood and is involved with global organizations to support sustainable tourism.

JOHN HORNE, Anna Maria Oyster Bar Always willing to serve, Horne has chaired, organized, conducted capital campaigns and contributed personally and corporately to many Sarasota and Manatee nonprofits, including a $170,000 donation to PACE Center for Girls.

SMALL BUSINESS EUPHEMIA HAYE RESTAURANT For more than 10 years, D’Arcy Arpke and her husband, chef Raymond Arpke, have raised almost $150,000 for the cure of Type 1 Diabetes through the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

MAULDIN & JENKINS LLC The Bradenton office of the accounting firm Mauldin & Jenkins has been involved with several local nonprofits, but in 2014, the local firm upped its game through its new Community Service Program, committing to support two charitable activities per quarter.

MEDIUM BUSINESS NUOVO SALON GROUP NUOVO is the state’s first wind-powered green salon and has been recognized for its recycling program. Owners Terry McKee and James Amato also participate in fund raisers for numerous causes, donating services, raffle items, conducting cut-athons, fashion shows and enlisting stylists’ time and talent.

N & M COOL TODAY President and owner Jaime DiDomenico supports many organizations, including Goodwill Manasota (where he was recognized for Employment Impact Partner of the Year), Autism Speaks and Night with the Stars Prom for individuals with disabilities. Through his website, he also has started a “Taking Care of People Pay it Forward” campaign.

LARGE BUSINESS PUBLIX This Lakeland-based grocery store gives to thousands of local nonprofits in the six states and more than 1,000 stores in the chain; one example of Publix’s impact is its 25-year relationship, which includes financial and daily food donations, with Sarasota’s All Faiths Food Bank.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES Since moving their Major League spring training and Minor League training operations to Sarasota in 2010, the Baltimore Orioles have contributed cash and in-kind donations totaling $2.25 million to hundreds of local nonprofits, held free youth baseball clinics for nonprofits and provided a day at the ballpark for disadvantaged children. ■

STORIES ADVERTISING SECTION

of

HOPE

Sarasota and Manatee counties are known for our philanthropy. Our residents’ unusually high level of engagement with nonprofit institutions makes our area unique. This special section illustrates a great many of these caring nonprofits, whose vital role in strengthening our community is shared with all of us.

We hope that these powerful stories inspire you to take your place in supporting our area’s charitable causes.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 37

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Provides Provides targeted targeted financial financial assistance, assistance, primarily primarily forfor mortgage/rent mortgage/rent and and utilities, utilities, toto families families who who areare onon the the verge verge ofof homelessness, homelessness, allowing allowing them them toto remain remain in in their their homes. homes.

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Ensures Ensures that that more more children children inin low-income low-income famifamilies lies areare reading reading onon grade grade level level byby the the end end ofof third third grade, grade, anan early early and and important important predictor predictor ofof school school success success and and preparedness preparedness forfor college. college.

Arts Integration Integration inin Education Education ^ ^Arts

Creates Creates access access toto arts arts education education programs programs and and out-of-school out-of-school experiences experiences and and resources resources forfor local local students. students.

With With a “two-generation” a “two-generation” approach, approach, the the Community Community Foundation Foundation focuses focuses onon significant significant local local and and national national initiatives initiatives that that change change the the lives lives ofof parents parents and and children children living living inin poverty poverty inin Sarasota Sarasota County County through through four four key key components: components: education, education, economic economic supports, supports, social social capital, capital, and and health health and and well-being. well-being.

The The Community Community Foundation Foundation ofof Sarasota Sarasota County County is is proud proud toto bebe the the intersection intersection where where the the comcommunity’s munity’s needs needs meet meet the the people people with with a vision a vision ofof aa better better future. future.

Every Every person person can can bebe the the one one toto make make a difference. a difference.

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

ALL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

MISSION

All we do. All for kids.

KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE KIDS. But sometimes illness or injury occurs that requires expert care. Thankfully All Children’s Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine located in St. Petersburg, is nearby to provide that expert care to children in need, regardless of ability to pay.

All Children’s is the most advanced children’s hospital on Florida’s west coast and a US News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital. With more than 50 pediatric specialties and 259 beds, All Children’s is dedicated to advancing children’s health through treatment, research, education and advocacy. All Children’s is transforming the future of pediatric medicine through its state-of-the-art facility, an innovative research infrastructure for discovering new treatments and cures and an education model that reinvents how physicians are trained.

It pushes medicine’s future to create a better future for children.

Generous support from individual and corporate donors makes all of this possible. When you support the hospital through All Children’s Hospital Foundation, you make a difference in the lives of kids in Sarasota and beyond. You help give all children a chance to reach the very best outcome—to feel better and get back to being kids!

To support the mission and vision of All Children’s Hospital by channeling compassion into philanthropic action on behalf of all children and their families.

Children from

Of those inpatient

All Children’s

All Children’s

To volunteer

the Sarasota

stays, 200 are

Specialty

Outpatient Care,

locally, join the All

area represent

in the 97-bed

Physicians

Sarasota, has

Children’s Hospital

approximately

All Children’s

manage the care

been providing

Guild, Sarasota-

600 inpatient

Hospital Neonatal

of about 900

a wide range

Manatee Branch.

stays each year.

Intensive Care

babies in the NICU

of pediatric

Learn more at

Unit (NICU).

and 1,300 children

outpatient

allkids.org/guild.

in the pediatric

services in the

department at

Sarasota area

Sarasota Memorial

since the 1980s.

P.O. Box 3142 St. Petersburg, FL 33731 (727) 767-4199 givetoallkids.org

Hospital each year.

WANT TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Visit givetoallkids.org 40 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

EastEr sEals southwEst Florida

Helping abilities shine.

EastEr sEals southwEst Florida began in 1946 as Happiness House, offering hope to children with disabilities and their families in the SarasotaManatee community. For the past 69 years, the services have changed and evolved in many ways, largely driven by the expansion of services to meet the needs of the local population.

Easter Seals’ work began within the pediatric population and remains a significant part of its services, but today’s ESSWFL includes an alternative high school program as well as an adult program (ages 22 to 87 and counting)—serving the entire lifespan. While the age of the population served has also varied over the years, one core aspect has remained the same: to help individuals with developmental disabilities and their families achieve the greatest level of independence.

Caring intervention and services are provided to people who, for the most part, endured hard times early in life through a diagnosis of autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, developmental delays, and intellectual disabilities. For some, it’s an acquired disability. In either case, Easter Seals’ services allow each individual to achieve his or her full potential while enriching their lives along the way.

MISSION

Providing exceptional services for persons with disabilities and their families across a lifetime by empowering individuals to live their lives to the fullest.

Inclusive

Life and work

Home-based and

After school

Onsite speech-

preschool

skills focus in the

center-based

and summer

language,

model provides

high school and

children’s respite

camp programs

occupational

customized

adult eductional

care for families.

for elementary

therapy, early

development

programs.

students.

intervention and

services.

employment specialized services.

350 Braden Ave. Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 355-7637 easterseals-swfl.org

want to help make a difference? Visit easterseals-swfl.org SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 41

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

Glasser schoenbaum human services center

Campus of caring.

The Glasser schoenbaum human services cenTer, founded by the late Dr. Kay Glasser and the Schoenbaum family, has a mission to enhance and better the lives of the underserved in the community. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the center currently houses 19 unique health and human service agencies on its campus. The agencies that make up that center help nearly a third of Sarasota County’s population.

The center provides its partner agencies with office space at a minimal monthly rate, allowing them to focus on service delivery. Those partner agencies are dedicated to helping low-income and at-risk adults, along with children and families, to achieve and maintain productive lives as participating, contributing members of the community.

The campus concept allows multiple agencies to work together to change the lives of individuals and families.

Glasser Schoenbaum strives to live up to its reputation as the “Campus of Caring.”

The reach is wide and its impact is limitless—just as your next donation can be. If you are interested in donating your time, the center and its partner agencies are always looking for volunteers to assist.

MISSION

to enhance the social services delivery system for underserved individuals and families so that they may access the services they need to become participating members of the community.

19 nonprofit

1 central location

25 years of

10,000 clients

$10 million in

agencies

easily accessible

providing the

receive services

agency operational

working in

by public

opportunity

each month

expenses

collaboration to

transportation

to become

from the partner

reinvested into

better the lives

that provides a

productive,

agencies.

direct services over

of individuals in

hub of human

self-sustaining

our community.

service agencies.

members of the community.

the last 25 years.

1750 17th St. Building J-One Sarasota, FL 34234 (941) 365-4545 GS-HumanServices.org

want to help make a difference? Visit GS-HumanServices.org 42 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

GOODWILL MANASOTA

Seeing the whole person.

July 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA, a turning point for improving the treatment, education and employment options for those with disabilities. Goodwill Manasota is proud to employ people in the community who identify with having a barrier to self-sufficiency. In fact, in 2015, 12 percent of Goodwill’s local workforce—approximately 900 Goodwill Manasota Team Members— has a significant disability.

These employees are part of Goodwill Manasota’s Supported JobsPlus (SJP) program, which helps them become independent and earn a paycheck.

Ten years ago, Leonzo Gonzalez became blind after being hit by a drunk driver. He had to relearn everything— most importantly, how to continue supporting his wife and two children.

Goodwill hired Leonzo three years ago and he has been one of the most dedicated and valued employees since his first day.

The goal of Goodwill’s SJP Program is to employ people with disabilities and support them as they embark on their journey to become an involved and independent member of their community.

With the belief that there is always more to do, and always a way to improve, Goodwill continues changing lives through the power of work.

MISSION

Changing lives through the power of work.

In 2014, Goodwill

Placed 680

Assisted 520

Diverted 39

Economic impact

served more than

people in jobs.

veterans and their

million pounds

of $81.3 million.

families.

from local

16,000 people.

landfills.

CORPORATE CAMPUS 2705 51st Ave. E. Bradenton, FL 34203 experiencegoodwill.org

want to help make a difference? Visit ExperienceGoodwill.org SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 43

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF SARASOTAMANATEE

MISSION

Enhancing lives.

THE JEWISH FEDERATION fulfills its mission by supporting programs that assist people in need in Sarasota-Manatee, in Israel and around the world. Programs include providing food for the hungry, rescue and relief efforts for isolated Jews in distressed regions, and supporting innovative educational outreach initiatives.

The Federation creates a sense of community for thousands of area residents through programs aimed at strengthening the relationship between the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community and the broader society of which it is a part. Through its various community partners, the Federation provides a wide range of cultural and educational opportunities.

Most importantly, it changes lives.

The Federation distributes grants for children to attend summer camp, disburses thousands of dollars in college scholarships and provides life-sustaining food for homebound seniors in the former Soviet Union and Ukraine.

Your support makes these, and so many other programs, possible.

To save Jewish lives and enhance Jewish life in SarasotaManatee, in Israel and around the world.

Meeting the

Promoting a

Supporting and

Involving

Strengthening

human needs of

positive Jewish

advocating on

and building

ties between the

the local Jewish

identity; fighting

behalf of Israel.

community

Sarasota-Manatee

community and

anti-Semitism

throughout

Jewish community

of fellow Jews

and promoting

Sarasota-Manatee,

and the broader

worldwide.

diversity.

promoting inter-

society in which

faith relations.

it thrives.

Klingenstein Jewish Center 580 McIntosh Road Sarasota, FL 34232 (941) 371-4546 jfedsrq.org

WANT TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Visit jfedsrq.org 44 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA

Life-changing opportunities.

JAMES JOYCE walked the streets of Dublin, as did the characters in his stories. And for a week, two New College students followed in their footsteps.

Students Andrew Schlag and Eliza Fixler were the college’s inaugural James Joyce Scholars, supported by a foundation created by Sarasota residents Tom and Maureen Steiner.

The Steiners have taken high school students to Ireland for years and wanted to expand their program.

“Our dream was always to bring this to the college level, and we’re delighted to begin it with you,” Maureen told the students.

The Steiners’ friend Kevin O’Halloran, a Dubliner and part-time Sarasotan, gave the students a whirlwind tour of Irish literature, focusing on Yeats and Joyce. They stayed at Trinity College and retraced Joyce’s steps, from the archives at the writer’s first school to his college, to the tower where he briefly lived. They visited Joyce museums and participated in the annual “Bloomsday” festival, where Dubliners citywide recite portions of Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses. Schlag is now researching Joyce for his senior thesis. The Steiners’ program made Joyce more real and “revitalized my desire to write on his works,” he says.

Through thoughtful philanthropy, New College of Florida provides its students with life-changing opportunities.

MISSION

New College offers a distinctive academic program which develops the student’s intellectual and personal potential and fosters the individual’s effective relationship with society.

A topnotch

A real college

An affordable

All-star students:

High-achieving

education at an

education: a 10:1

college education:

The Class of

alumni: New

affordable price:

student faculty

In-state tuition is

2014 had one

College graduates

U.S. News & World

ratio, with all

less than $6,900

Truman Scholar,

include scientists,

Report, Forbes

classes taught

a year, 90 percent

two Goldwater

scholars, attorneys,

and The Princeton

by professors,

of students get

Scholars, and

physicians,

Review all give

not graduate

financial aid,

five Fulbright

diplomats, CEOs,

New College

assistants.

and 61 percent

Scholarship

and the presidents

high marks

graduate with

winners. 60

of Chatham

for academic

no debt.

Fulbrights in

University and the

the last decade.

New York Federal

excellence and low cost.

NEW COLLEGE FOUNDATION 5800 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 487-4800 ncf.edu

Reserve.

WANT TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Visit ncf.edu SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 45

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Strength in faith, excellence in knowledge, character in service.

ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL is a Catholic Christian community that strives to integrate, in the lives of its students, the message of Jesus.

St. Martha’s philosophy is based on the belief that home and school are partners responsible for creating an environment for the child that nurtures his/her spiritual, physical, psychological, social and intellectual growth to his/her fullest potential.

St. Martha Catholic School strives to provide a curriculum that gives opportunity for growth in the student’s relationship with Jesus, while building confidence in academic disciplines, basic skills, aesthetic appreciation and physical development. The school seeks to enable the children to construct a realistic framework for living; accept their limitations; develop their capabilities; develop a just and loving moral code; and develop a mind that inquires and seeks truth and knowledge. The faculty recognizes that Catholic faith is not merely taught from books, but is more realistically inspired by the teachers who strive to provide a model for Catholic living. It is through the generous support of so many volunteers and donors that St. Martha is able to provide the highest-quality Catholic education, where students develop their strength in faith, excellence in knowledge, and character in service.

MISSION

To provide each student with diverse opportunities that develop strength in faith, and excellence in knowledge and learning.

Accredited by the

Grades 2

Member of the

Resource/

Fund-raising

Florida Catholic

through 8 take

Florida Gulf

intervention

activities include

Conference and

the nationally

Coast Athletic

program, licensed

the Zazarino

the National

standardized

Conference and

RN, chaplain,

Center campaign,

Council for

Iowa Test of Basic

competitive

Association of

Interactive Dinner,

Private School

Skills, regularly

sports teams for

Student Leaders,

Annual Fund, Golf

Accreditation;

scoring above

those in 6 through Christian Service

designated Blue

national averages.

8 grades.

Program, National

Ribbon School of

Junior Honor

Excellence.

Society, KNN

Tournament and Crawfish Festival.

CAMPUS 4380 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34232 (941) 953-4181 stmarthaschool.net

News Production and more.

WANT TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Visit stmarthaschool.net 46 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

All FAiths Food BAnk Join a community united against hunger.

It Isn’t every day that you can change a life. But today you can—by helping All Faiths Food Bank provide food and a future for children and families in the community. You can make sure that all children return to school healthy and ready to learn. You can bring courage to a family in crisis and comfort to a veteran who feels forgotten. Be part of something meaningful and life-changing by supporting All Faiths Food Bank.

All Faiths’ vision is a community without hunger. Food is the first step to helping your hungry neighbors move toward stability and independence. Contact All Faiths today to learn about becoming a program or event sponsor, make a donation, host a food and fund drive, or to volunteer.

MISSION to lead the community to end hunger.

8171 Blaikie Court, Sarasota 34243 (941) 379-6333 allfaithsfoodbank.org

BIG CAT HABITAT AND GULF COAST SANCTUARY Love, respect and sanctuary for life.

Big Cat HaBitat and gulf Coast sanCtuary is a nonprofit organization in Sarasota dedicated to providing a safe and permanent home to many endangered big cat species and a variety of other exotic animals that have been surrendered or confiscated from their original owners who could no longer properly care for them.

Along with its commitment to provide these beautiful creatures a loving home for life, the sanctuary’s mission embodies educating people and organizations about species and habitat conservation in a concentrated effort to ensure the survival of these magnificent beings for future generations.

As the Sanctuary staff would remind us, extinction is forever.

MISSION To provide a permanent home to big cats and other endangered animals, and to educate the public on the importance of habitat preservation for all wild animals.

7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34240 (941) 371-6377 | bigcathabitat.org

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 47

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

The CirCus ArTs ConservATory Enrichment, education, entertainment.

The CirCus ArTs ConservATory’s extraordinary mission underscores its commitment to sharing the enrichment, education and entertainment that circus arts provide.

The Sailor Circus Academy, America’s longest-running youth circus, is an athletic performing arts training program. Participating students develop life-management skills, gain self-discipline and bolster confidence all while learning the circus arts. The Humor Therapy Program—“Humor with a serious purpose”—uses the age-old art of clowning to bring joy and memory stimulation into care facilities to enhance the residents’ quality of life. The Humor Therapy Program impacts the lives of its participants, their family members and the care staff as well.

Additionally, thanks to the education program’s teaching artists, thousands of area students have learned to succeed in math, science and language arts through a unique, arts-integrated curriculum that meets academic state standards.

MISSION To educate students using innovative learning programs; improve the quality of life for individuals in care facilities; advance the legacy and heritage of the circus arts.

2075 Bahia Vista St. Sarasota, FL 34239 (941) 355-9335 | circusarts.org

Designing Women Boutique Celebrating 13 years of giving back to Sarasota.

Designing Women has given grants and gifts of merchandise to more than 72 worthy local causes totaling $1.75 million over the past 13 years. Through its boutique sales of high-end fashion, furniture and interior design items, along with a full program of fund-raising social events and prestigious concierge estate liquidation and downsizing services, DWB is “where fashion meets philanthropy.”

The charity has a stellar reputation for carrying international brands such as Prada, Chanel and St. John. Consigned and donated from fashionable local closets, all merchandise can be found in the boutique at well below regular prices. An eclectic collection of eveningwear is always available, ready for the busy Sarasota winter social events. And the beautiful Upper Level Galleries above the main store showcase fine art and a collection of unusual home accessories.

MISSION to meaningfully grow funding for sarasota’s arts and human services organizations.

1226 N. Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 366-5293 | designingwomenboutique.com

48 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

The Friendship CenTers Making (long) lives worth living.

Whether dancing to live band music, eating a nutritious lunch with friends, taking a balance class or learning to use an iPad, participants at the Friendship Centers make the most of what life has to offer. Some come for companionship; others have nowhere else to go for their medical or dental care, or require a homedelivered meal in order to thrive. Many participate in adult day care, caregiver support groups and supportive aging services. Together, the Sarasota and Venice Friendship Centers reach 7,500 seniors each year.

This trusted nonprofit has provided innovative support to Southwest Florida’s older adults for more than 42 years. Approximately 1,100 volunteers care enough to give their time and financial resources to ensure that the Friendship Centers will flourish for another four decades. Internationally recognized and award-winning, the Friendship Centers is the leader in the aging arena in Sarasota County.

MISSION To promote health, dignity and quality of life throughout the journey of aging.

1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota, FL 34236 2350 Scenic Drive, Venice, FL 34293 (941) 955-2122 | friendshipcenters.org

Habitat for Humanity Building homes, investing in families.

There is a vasT need for affordable housing in Sarasota. Families on the Habitat for Humanity waiting list are extremely rentburdened, paying more than 50 percent of their monthly income toward housing. They often have to decide between paying for rent, utilities or food.

To qualify, families must be willing to partner, verify a need, and able to make a mortgage payment. They are vested in the program by volunteering a minimum of 300 hours, attending homeownership classes and providing a down payment. Each home is purchased at-cost, with a zero interest mortgage averaging $600 a month—including taxes and insurance.

Habitat homes are constructed three mornings a week by dedicated volunteers. The organization also operates two ReStores, which sell donated furniture, appliances, cabinets, tools and clothing; ensuring that 100 percent of every charitable dollar funds an affordable home.

MISSION to partner with God and the community to provide decent, affordable housing for people in need so that they may build better lives for their families.

1757 N. East Ave., Sarasota, FL 34234 (941) 365-0700 | habitatsrq.org

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 49

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

JFCS oF the SunCoaSt, InC. Empowering individuals and families toward self-sufficiency.

Founded in 1985, JFCS of the Suncoast is a fully accredited, community-based social service organization, providing a wide array services to children, adults, families, seniors, caregivers and veterans.

Provided to anyone in need, regardless of his or her faith and on a non-denominational basis, services offered to individuals and families include: individual and group counseling, education and mentoring, employment, financial, housing assistance, intervention and prevention resources, support groups, and volunteer opportunities.

JFCS provides a safety net for the entire community and promotes self-sufficiency - empowering people with the resources to cope and overcome life’s challenges.

MISSION Guided by the Jewish tradition of helping all people, JFCS empowers individuals and families toward self-sufficiency.

2688 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 366-2224 | JFCS-Cares.org

Lighthouse of Manasota Shining new light on living with vision loss.

The LighThouse of ManasoTa provides training in skills that promote self-sufficiency and independence in children and adults with vision loss. It’s easy to feel helpless and dependent on others when you have limited vision. Even simple tasks can seem overwhelming. Through specialized training and education, individuals with vision loss learn to use tools, techniques and low vision aids to regain their independence and confidence in their own abilities.

“With education, you can lead the same sort of life you always have.

That’s what the Lighthouse offers, and that’s why it’s so important,” said Terri Blessing, previous Lighthouse cofounder.

MISSION the Lighthouse of Manasota exists to advance the individual growth and independence of adults and children with vision loss.

7318 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 359-1404 | lighthouseofmanasota.org

50 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

Lutheran ServiceS Aid for the disenfranchised.

LSF iS a Statewide, nonprofit, human services agency dedicated to helping all people in need regardless of religion, age or nationality. Focus areas include children and families, elderly and disabled, marginalized and disenfranchised, and disaster response.

LSF provides guardianship services, upon appointment by the courts, to act on behalf of those unable to manage their own affairs because of physical injuries, mental illness, developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Nearly 70 percent of the clients are indigent.

As guardian, LSF works with community agencies to monitor clients’ wellbeing, managing both personal and financial affairs. LSF ensures that appropriate medical, rehabilitative and psychiatric care is received, income is received, assets managed, bills paid, appropriate care is in place and that hospital discharges are prompt. LSF works alongside law enforcement and the criminal justice system investigating cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

MISSION to bring God’s healing, hope and help to people in need.

P.O. Box 848, Sarasota, FL 34230 (941) 358-6330 | lsfnet.org

Meals on Wheels PlUs of Manatee Changing lives, one meal at a time.

Since 1972, Meals on Wheels PLUS has been providing independence and nutrition to vulnerable citizens throughout Manatee County. The organization serves more than 200,000 healthy meals each year. Its outreach to elderly and disabled people in Manatee County prevents hunger, reduces isolation, and helps them stay in their own homes.

Meals on Wheels PLUS has expanded its services to include the Food Bank of Manatee, nourishing not only seniors, but also children and families in need. It’s the largest hunger-relief program in Manatee County. In 2014, 4.5 million pounds of food were distributed to 100 partner agencies feeding the hungry. The Food Bank also provides emergency family and baby baskets for families in crisis.

Approximately 50,000 of our neighbors struggle to make ends meet. They rely on Meals on Wheels PLUS services, made possible by caring people like you.

MISSION to assist individuals to live independently by providing nutrition and caring supportive services.

811 23rd Ave. E., Bradenton, FL 34208 (941) 747-4655 | mealsonwheelsplus.org

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 51

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY CENTERS Minds matter—mental illness can happen to anyone.

Mental illnesses are biological diseases that can happen to anyone at any time. Mental illness causes pain and emotional suffering that can be physically as well as mentally debilitating. It limits the ability to function in day-to-day activities. New medications and therapy permit people with mental illness to remain in their communities, but remaining in the community does not always assure an active life. MHCC provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere, staffed with professionals, peer role models and volunteers. They provide support services, educational programs and training opportunities that lead to vocational opportunities, independent living and socialization outcomes that last a lifetime.

MISSION To offer adults with mental illness caring, encouraging and direct service programs leading to a healthy and productive lifestyle within the mainstream community.

240B S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 953-3477 | mhcci.com Offices also in Arcadia, North Port and Venice.

SOUTH FLORIDA MUSEUM Making an impact on the community.

As the lArgest natural and cultural history museum on Florida’s Gulf Coast, South Florida Museum impacts the community through creative and engaging exhibitions, programs that inspire students and visitors, specialized teacher training and endangered species conservation.

Your gift will support fascinating and innovative events and presentations throughout the year, in addition to helping feed and care for Snooty and his manatee companions undergoing rehabilitation.

The South Florida Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on individual and corporate support for its exhibits, programs and daily operations. Your support will make it possible for area students to continue to have fun and educational field trips, for special exhibitions, and for more manatees to be rehabilitated.

Founded in 1946, the South Florida Museum needs your help to remain a vital part of the education, economic and cultural landscape of the region.

MISSION To engage and inspire learners of all ages; to protect, interpret and communicate scientific and cultural knowledge of Florida, the world, and the universe.

201 10th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 746-4131 | southfloridamuseum.org

52 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

STORIES OF HOPE ADVERTISING SECTION

UNITED WAY SUNCOAST Connecting people. Creating change. Impacting lives.

Achieving one’s full potentiAl is a challenge that starts early on for many in DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Undereducated, impoverished children are nearly three times more likely to drop out of school, struggle financially and repeat the cycle of poverty. Working families face challenges as well, struggling daily with financial and employability issues.

With your support, United Way Suncoast is helping changing their stories through efforts like the new Booker Middle School initiative.

By partnering with Booker Middle School leaders, parents and community partners, United Way Suncoast is increasing learning opportunities for students and their parents and ensuring students have the support they need to succeed. This program, and others like it, empowers our neighbors and creates strong, vibrant communities.

MISSION To break the cycle of generational poverty through educational programs that give children the skills to succeed and help adults achieve financial stability.

1800 Second St., Suite 102, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 366-2686 | unitedwaysuncoast.org

- Join Us -

2015

Annual Celebration & Boundary Crosser Award TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

5:30 TO complimentary 7:00 PM Light bites MICHAEL’S ON EAST beer/wine Hors D’oeuvres

l

Master of Ceremonies

Dan Bailey

Wine/Beer

RSVP I Become A Sponsor Contact: Kim Noyes at reservations@scopexcel.org

Presenting Sponsors:

- HONORING Carolyn Johnson 2015 Boundary Crosser

Media Sponsors:

Cathy Layton & Pete Russell

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 53

THE

CEO Anna Maria Oyster Bar’s John Horne is building an empire one loyal employee at a time.

Raising the Bar

By David Ball

It’s

close to noon and a rare break in the day for John Horne as he scans the interior of his office, located next to the Anna Maria Oyster Bar in the Cortez Village shopping plaza in Bradenton. As the 19-year owner of the popular seafood chain, which has three locations in Manatee County and one more on the way, Horne has amassed plenty of keepsakes.

He focuses on one memento hanging on his wall: a large illustration showing his employees playing golf, on the beach, skydiving and otherwise having fun during the many employee appreciation trips Horne has organized over the years. It was a gift from his staff on the restaurant’s 10th anniversary in 2007. Horne is struck by how many employees in the picture were with him from the very beginning, and how many are still with him today.

54 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Photography by Salvatore Brancifort

Of his 232 employees, 105 (more than 45 percent) have worked there more than three years. Of those 98, the average time with the company is more than eight years. Although Horne doesn’t record employee turnover rates for his restaurants, they are likely far below the national industry average of 66 percent, meaning only 34 percent of restaurant employees remain in their positions after a year, as reported by the National Restaurant Association.

“We’ve been fortunate to work with some great people,” Horne, 54, says. “Even though I’m a negative bastard, we do our best to treat our people very well.

It’s one thing I’m very proud of and it really has been the key to our success.”

“We do our best to treat our people very well.”

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 55

THE

CEO Despite sometimes harping on every little detail, or being a “negative bastard” as Horne puts it, his management style of empowering his employees and demanding their best has paid huge dividends. Horne has built a loyal staff, and they’ve helped create a loyal customer base.

Revenue was more than $11 million last year and is expected to increase 8 percent in 2015, Horne says. That doesn’t include revenue from a fourth Oyster Bar on the Bradenton Beach Pier slated to open later this year.

Horne might be building a restaurant empire in Manatee County, but the roots of his entrepreneurial success trace back to the rural farming town of Bartow, Fla. Horne’s father owned a citrus grove and his mother ran her own court reporting business, a rarity for a woman in Polk County in the 1970s. The dinner table was filled with talk of business dealings, staff issues, payroll and accounting.

“We sat around the dinner table and me, my brother and my parents would talk about our day,” Horne says.

“My mom would talk about an issue she had with her

Matt Andrus with customers at Anna Maria Oyster Bar. staff, and my dad would say, ‘This is what I would do if they worked for me.’ That’s how I started seeing how businesses transpired.”

Horne’s parents owned a vacation home on Anna Maria Island. While attending Clemson University in South Carolina, Horne worked every spring, winter and summer break at Fast Eddie’s Place restaurant on the island. He loved the work but was struggling at school. After several semesters of rotating between majors and earning a tepid 1.7 GPA, Horne decided to make the restaurant business his career. He switched

56 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Revenue was more than $11 million last year and is expected to increase 8 percent in 2015. to an administrative management major and decided he should probably start attending classes.

“There was a direct correlation between attendance and GPA, I found,” Horne says with a smile. “But changing my major gave a practical application to everything. Every class I took after I changed my major, after I had a direction, I felt like I was learning something as opposed to taking tests.”

After graduation Horne started working at Fast Eddie’s full time, eventually moving up to manager.

Horne left Fast Eddie’s a year before it folded in 1992, and the restaurant’s former landowners asked him to manage another one of their restaurants, which was located on Anna Maria Island’s City Pier. The Anchorage Oyster Bar lasted from 1993 until 1996, after which Horne revamped the menu and relaunched the restaurant as Anna Maria Oyster Bar. The restaurant was a hit, blending a family-friendly and casual atmosphere with fresh, well-prepared seafood at modest prices. Less than a year later, in 1997, Horne opened his second location at the former site of Nick Bollettieri’s Sports Grill on Tamiami Trail, a few miles north of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. While he wasn’t looking to expand, Horne says the location made the decision easy.

“It was a deal too good to pass up, and it has proven to be a great opportunity for us,” Horne says. “The start-up costs were really affordable. It was almost just change the sign out front and open up tomorrow.”

Horne’s lease ended on the City Pier in 1999, though he found a new Bradenton location on Cortez Road in 2002. A year later he opened his third restaurant in Ellenton, after first dismissing the city as a viable location. “This realtor said, ‘Have you been out to Ellenton lately?’ I said I hadn’t, and he said, ‘Well, then, shut up and get in my car.’ He told me what an idiot I was and he was 100 percent right. It’s been a great location for us,” Horne recalls.

Anna María Oyster Bar restaurant on U.S. 41 in Bradenton.

During the recession, Horne eliminated waste and other expenses, while not cutting staff or raising prices.

Now Anna Maria Oyster Bar is the second listing on Google when typing in the words “Anna Maria.” The restaurant has earned Horne many accolades, including the 2015 Small Business of the Year (51-100 employees) from The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The award was for Anna Maria Oyster Bar’s location on Tamiami Trail.

Christine Miller, assistant to the chamber president and organizer for the awards, says the judges were impressed with Horne’s commitment to his staff.

“John has created a positive work environment for staff so that they are loyal and have stayed for years as a result, very unusual in the restaurant field,” Miller says. “He showed infectious enthusiasm for his business and pride in his employees.”

The road wasn’t always smooth. Horne says he learned a tough lesson in 2006 when he found himself coasting a bit and not anticipating a major drop in profit

due to “not keeping my eye on the ball.” He eliminated waste and other expenses, while not cutting staff or raising prices, and turned the business around by 2008.

A second lesson learned was to constantly improve the menu and keep up with food trends. “It’s the sizzle that sells,” he says. Today that means more locally caught fish and small plates along with traditional offerings.

Steve Harner, owner of The Crow’s Nest Restaurant and Marina in Venice and president of the SarasotaManatee Originals restaurant group, says Horne has created what is essentially a model business in the local restaurant industry.

“The biggest challenge locally is the seasonality of the business and keeping a full restaurant and full staff during the summer,” Harner says.

Horne is quick to volunteer that he’s not perfect. “I kid that I’m the most negative manager there is because I point out what’s wrong,” Horne says. “Maybe I don’t point SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 57

THE

CEO out what’s right enough and give enough ‘attaboys.’ I think that’s the biggest management flaw I have.”

Still, that “flaw” is valued by many employees.

Longtime bartenders Woody Coddington and Cherise Sherwin say employees who buy into Horne’s philosophy tend to excel and stay employed.

“I find John just wanting to run a successful restaurant, but if he has to step on some toes, he will,” Coddington says. “People who’ve been doing this for a while, real professionals, they welcome that. If you are going to be a crybaby, you don’t want to work at the Oyster Bar.” Sherwin says Horne is a great motivator, offering gift certificates and other bonuses for on-the-job accomplishments. Horne rewards employees with at least three years at the restaurants with an annual trip to a sporting event. He has also embraced new technology, allowing employees to change schedules and request days off through a smartphone app.

Anna Maria Oyster Bar is the second listing on Google when typing “Anna Maria.”

“He is always willing to work with you if there’s an issue or a problem,” Sherwin says. “[Three years ago] somebody was trying to quit because the schedule wasn’t working, but John saw that and talked to her. He completely turned it around and made her feel wanted and she stayed and is still with us.”

Horne maintains a presence in at least one of his restaurants every day, talking to staff as well as customers.

He also supports charities through his restaurants with events like Relay for Life, blood drives, charity auctions and other events. (He is a finalist in Biz(941)’s Greater Good Awards this year, see page 32.) Personally, Horne has volunteered for educational groups like the Pace Center for Girls Manatee and established his own charity event, the Horne & Moon Social, which raises scholarships for students looking to attend trade school or needing more education in their careers.

But despite all the spinning plates, he commits to being home every night to share a bottle of wine with his wife, Amanda.

“When I first started, a normal week was 90-plus hours. That’s what you do to start a business,” he says.

“But you have to have perspective that a lot of things are important. For me, that’s the community and my home life.” ■

58 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

FROM THE BOSS

Horne’s recipe for success.

IT’S MORE THAN SKILL AND PREPARATION. I have spoken with classes at local culinary programs, and one class had researched all they needed to open a restaurant. But they forgot one thing—cojones. It takes stones to get into the food service business.

You have to be willing to dare, to take risks, to go out on a limb and then have the intestinal fortitude to make it work.

YOUR SALARY COMES LAST. I’ve seen too many owners take salaries of $60,000-$100,000 the first year and then there’s not enough money to run the business. The owner should be the last person being paid, and when you’re successful you’ll be the highest one paid.

SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY. It truly is the sizzle that sells. When your place is exciting and vibrant, people will enjoy dining there. You can tell when you open the door if the staff likes where they work. If they’re having a good time, the guests will have a good time.

EXPANSION IS A GUT INSTINCT. When I walked away from the Anna Maria City Pier in 1999 my heart wanted to pay what they were asking, but my head knew it was time to walk away. We are approached with expansion opportunities several times a year, and this is where your gut has to tell you if it’s a good deal or bad deal.

HAVE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE. In two of our restaurants we painted on the walls a quote incorrectly attributed to Jimmy Buffett. I can’t find the original, so I [still] give Buffett credit: “Be yourself. Be pleasant.

Play hard. Have no regrets.” It’s something we strive to do daily.

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• A fee-only Registered Investment Advisor helping clients achieve their investment goals • Locally owned and operated, serving clients for over three decades

Jerry L. Bainbridge

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By COOPER LEVEY-BAKER

ROSEMARY RISING WITH EIGHT NEW PLANNED PROJECTS, THE DISTRICT’S LONG-DELAYED PROMISE MAY BE COMING TRUE.

60 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

WALK AROUND THE ROSEMARY DISTRICT FOR AN HOUR. SIGNS OF NEW LIFE ABOUND. A HUGE YELLOW CRANE SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD OF SAND ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF FOURTH STREET, THE FUTURE HOME OF THE VANGUARD LOFTS CONDOMINIUMS. From Boulevard of the Arts almost to 10th Street, a black fence surrounds 6.5 empty acres, soon to become CitySide, a 470-unit apartment complex scheduled to open next fall. Across the street, a sign advertises the townhomes of Valencia at Rosemary Place. “Coming Soon!” that placard promises.

You might say that about the neighborhood as a whole.

But haven’t we heard this before?

Bounded by Fruitville Road on the south, 10th Street on the north, U.S. 41 on the west and Orange Avenue on the east, the Rosemary District was originally called Black Bottom, then Overtown, and served as the then segregated city’s first African-American community. In the 1930s and ’40s, the city encouraged black residents to move north into the newer community of Newtown, then demolished many homes and buildings in Rosemary.

Community leaders have repeatedly described the neighborhood as ripe for gentrification, but progress has been fitful. The furniture stores Home Resource and Sarasota Home Collection have succeeded on Central Avenue for more than 10 years, and Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences have built impressive campuses on the same street, but many businesses—coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques—have come and gone.

So have condo projects. When the recession hit, last decade’s ambitious crop of Rosemary developers walked away from their investments or just put their projects on hold. But today, partly buoyed by the city’s recent deci-

sion to allow developers to build denser projects, developers are coming forward again.

Vanguard Lofts, CitySide and Valencia are three of at least eight new residential and commercial developments being considered or built in Rosemary. Ranging from dense apartment complexes to upscale townhomes, from performing arts rehearsal spaces to retail shops, the projects are giving business owners and residents hope that Rosemary’s potential as a lively, downtown-adjacent, mixed-use urban community will at last be used.

There is an elephant in the room: the ongoing presence of the homeless, who congregate in Rosemary mainly because of Resurrection House and the Salvation Army’s shelter, which provide homeless services, and the temporary work company, Trojan Labor, which hires homeless workers. (See “The Homeless Factor,” page 62.)

Still, developers and neighborhood supporters insist that this time it’s different. Believe the hype, says attorney Bill Merrill, who helped shepherd the new density rules through City Hall: “It’s the best thing that’s happened to this city in 10 years, and the place is on fire.”

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 61

Density Boost

THE HOMELESS FACTOR

“APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT IS A GAME OF PENNIES AND NICKELS.”

EVERETT DENNISON

Hanging over every discussion about the Rosemary District remains the ongoing presence of the homeless. Many—including some who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and alcohol— cluster in the Rosemary District, sometimes arguing loudly, panhandling, and even relieving themselves and having sex outside.

“It’s been an environment closer to a Third World country than a civilization like Sarasota,” says Michael Bush, president of Home Resource, located just down the street from the Salvation Army.

Neighborhood, city and county leaders have argued about how best to provide shelter and social services to the city’s homeless for years. One current proposal dubbed the “3 Into 1 Plan” would convert the Salvation Army facility on 10th Street into a so-called “come as you are” shelter with beds open to anyone in need 24 hours a day.

Many residents and business owners resist the idea, feeling it would attract even more homeless to the neighborhood, and at press time other locations for a city shelter were also being suggested.

But even if the problem isn’t solved soon, Rosalyne COO Debra Alward isn’t worried that the homeless will discourage potential CitySide renters.

“Having additional residents in the neighborhood will improve the overall safety and security,” she says. “More people with eyes on the street, more activity; it tends to make it a safer place.”

And Merrill points out, the presence of the homeless in downtown proper hasn’t hampered the sale of new luxury condos there.

Pittsburgh-based Rosalyne Holdings LLC purchased the land that would become CitySide in March 2013. Market research told them Sarasota was desperately lacking quality affordable rental options, but zoning on the property only allowed for 25 units per acre. In the company’s estimation, that wasn’t dense enough to make building a new apartment complex worth it.

“Apartment development is a game of pennies and nickels,” says Rosalyne chief operating officer Debra Alward. “Unlike condo development, the margins are a lot leaner. When we looked at the numbers, we realized that more density would really help the project be more successful.”

Rosalyne CEO and founder Bruce Weiner met with attorney Merrill to brainstorm about how best to increase density in the neighborhood. The plan they eventually crafted called for the city to bump up the per-acre maximum density to 75 units on individual properties while maintaining the overall 25-unit maximum density for Rosemary as a whole.

Merrill says developers and businesspeople were skeptical that the city commission—which at that time had a reputation as being hostile to intense new developments—would approve the plan. But commissioners Willie Shaw, Susan Chapman, Suzanne Atwell, Paul Caragiulo and Shannon Snyder expressed unanimous support. Merrill says keeping the rules simple was vital to making the Rosemary Residential Overlay District a success.

“In order to get a revitalization of an area, you have to give incentives that aren’t burdened with lots of obligations,” he says.

“If it’s too complicated, people won’t do it. To the city commission’s and the staff’s credit, they made it simple.”

62 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Design shops line Central Avenue.

EVERETT DENNISON

Lolita Tartine café livens up a side street in Rosemary.

Overlay District Details The creation of the Overlay District last October allowed CitySide to go forward. The project, the largest so far proposed in the neighborhood, will include 470 units on 6.5 acres, a density of 72.3 units per acre, which wouldn’t have been allowed under the old rules. Since the Overlay District was approved, two other projects have taken advantage of the new density allowances. Sarasota Flats, proposed for the north side of Fruitville between Central and Lemon Avenues, features 228 units on 3.1 acres, 73.5 units per acre, while 7th St. Apartments along Lemon Avenue could include 295 units on four acres, an average of 73.8 units per acre.

Anand Pallegar recently relocated his web development company, atLarge, Inc., from a converted Laurel Park home to a Rosemary District warehouse. He says the potential boom in rental units from projects like CitySide is one of the most exciting parts of being in the neighborhood today. “It’s going to produce a huge influx of younger talent,” Pallegar says. With easy connections to downtown, the bayfront, Ringling College of Art and Design and more, rentals in Rosemary could help finally attract a young professional population the city has been trying to grow for years.

Alward says people interested in CitySide and urban living in general share a “mindset,” not a demographic.

“We hope there will be students from Ringling, young

professionals, downtown workers, teachers from the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, retired couples who want to rent before they buy and singles who don’t want the maintenance of a house,” she says. Units there will range from 572 to 1,403 square feet, with rental rates estimated to range from $1,000 to $2,000.

Overall, the Rosemary District could see as many as 6,000 new residents once built out, says downtown economic development coordinator Norm Gollub.

For perspective, the current downtown Community Redevelopment Area, which contains the Rosemary District and spans from 10th Street to Mound Street and from Sarasota Bay to School Avenue, includes only 6,900 residents. (That number, however, doesn’t fully capture how many people actually live downtown or live there full-time. The residential neighborhoods Gillespie Park and Laurel Park aren’t included in the redevelopment area.) One bonus of dense development is it attracts new retailers, who scrutinize population and income metrics before moving into a new community, Gollub says.

(Continued on page 65)

ROSEMARY DISTRICT COULD SEE AS MANY AS 6,000 NEW RESIDENTS.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 63

ROSEMARY RISING

Going Up

Residential and commercial projects approved or proposed in the Rosemary District.

CitySide DESCRIPTION: Two concrete-block apartment buildings to be built in two phases, with 470 rental units total.

STATUS: Construction on phase one has begun.

LOCATION: Between Cocoanut and Florida avenues and Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street OWNER/DEVELOPER: Rosalyne Holdings; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Bruce Weiner, CEO PRICING: $1,000-$2,000 per month UNIT SIZE RANGE: 572-1,403 square feet DENSITY: 72.3 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 6.5 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 5 NEW PARKING SPACES: 752

Valencia at Rosemary Place DESCRIPTION: Phase two of the Renaissance Condominium located on U.S. 41. Includes 30 luxury townhomes.

STATUS: Final approval pending LOCATION: West side of Cocoanut Avenue, between Boulevard of the Arts and May Lane OWNER/DEVELOPER: Icon Real Estate Ventures; Largo, Fla.; Ryan Studzinski, principal PRICING: Not yet announced UNIT SIZE RANGE: 1,900-2,500 square feet DENSITY: 25 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 1.5 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 5 NEW PARKING SPACES: 69

Vanguard Lofts DESCRIPTION: Townhomes designed

by the Rosemary District architecture firm Halflants + Pichette STATUS: Under construction LOCATION: 1343 Fourth St.; north side of Fourth Street, between Florida and Central avenues

OWNER/DEVELOPER: Tetra Terra Development, LLC; San Francisco, Calif.; Kevin Bryon, president

UNIT SIZE RANGE: 2,280-3,503 square feet DENSITY: 25 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: .24 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 4 NEW PARKING SPACES: 6

OWNER/DEVELOPER: Greystar GP II, LLC; Charleston, S.C.; Managing Director of Development Todd Wigfield and Director of Development Lewis Stoneburner NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 295 PRICING: Not yet disclosed UNIT SIZE RANGE: 600-1,250 square feet DENSITY: 73.9 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 4 acres NEW PARKING SPACES: 460

Rosemary Square

Sarasota Flats

DESCRIPTION: 30-unit condo that

DESCRIPTION: “Urban apartment community” that includes rental units, a pool, lounge, five-story garage and more. Construction value estimated at $35 million.

STATUS: Approval pending LOCATION: 1401 Fruitville Road; on the north side of Fruitville, between Lemon and Central avenues OWNER/DEVELOPER: Framework Group, LLC; Tampa, Fla.; Phillip Smith, president NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 228 PRICING: Not yet disclosed DENSITY: 73.5 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 3.1 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 5 COMMERCIAL SPACE: 2,700 square feet of leasing, office and retail space NEW PARKING SPACES: 406

NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 6 NUMBER OF UNITS SOLD: 4 PRICING: $699,000-$849,000

will house Sarasota Opera artists and performers, plus first-floor commercial space with potential for restaurants, cafés, performing arts organizations and more. Construction value estimated at $20 million.

STATUS: Under construction LOCATION: 1440 and 1430 Boulevard of the Arts, 550 Central Ave. and 1433 Fifth St.; on the south side of Boulevard of the Arts, between Central and Lemon avenues OWNER/DEVELOPER: Rosemary Square, LLC; Sarasota; developing partners are Mindy Kauffman, Mark Kauffman, Jim Lampl and Jonathan Parks NUMBER OF UNITS SOLD: 30 PRICING: Not yet disclosed DENSITY: 20.7 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 1.5 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 4 NEW PARKING SPACES: 41

7th St. Apartments (Also known as Elan Rosemary) DESCRIPTION: Rental apartment complex that includes three courtyards plus a small dog park.

STATUS: Approval pending LOCATION: 627 N. Lemon Ave.; on the east side of Lemon Avenue, between Boulevard of the Arts and Eighth Street

64 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

1515 Fruitville DESCRIPTION: Redevelopment of the former Churchills Furniture property, purchased after foreclosure in 2012.

STATUS: Under construction LOCATION: 1515 Fruitville Road; on the northeast corner of Lemon Avenue and Fruitville Road OWNER/DEVELOPER: K G J Properties Management, LLC; Sarasota; Kimberley Jordinson, manager PROPERTY SIZE: 1.04 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 1

EVERETT DENNISON

Longtime neighborhood business, The Sarasota Collection, on Central Avenue.

“WE’RE LITERALLY TRYING TO BRING SOME ARTS BACK TO THE [BOULEVARD OF THE ARTS].”

COMMERCIAL SPACE: 16,380 square feet of commercial space PRICING: Not yet disclosed NEW PARKING SPACES: 33

Sarasota Marriott Hotel and Condominium DESCRIPTION: Marriott Hotel with restaurant and spa, plus retail, meeting and ballroom space and residential condo units.

STATUS: Approval pending LOCATION: 332 N. Tamiami Trail; along U.S. 41, between Fruitville Road and Fourth Street OWNER/DEVELOPER: Palsar Developments, Inc.; Ontario, Canada; Fausto Palombo, president NUMBER OF HOTEL ROOMS: 200 NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 40 PRICING: Not yet disclosed DENSITY: 26.7 units/acre PROPERTY SIZE: 1.4 acres NUMBER OF STORIES: 18 NEW PARKING SPACES: 300

(Continued from page 63)

Low-density Projects Not every new project shares the dense-is-more strategy of CitySide, Sarasota Flats and 7th St. Apartments. Valencia at Rosemary Place, planned to go up on the northwest corner of Boulevard of the Arts and Cocoanut Avenue, will have just 30 townhomes, low enough density that it wasn’t an issue. The same goes for Vanguard Lofts, a six-unit luxury building with modern architecture set on just a quarter-acre. Rosemary Square, being built on Boulevard of the Arts between Central and Lemon avenues, includes 30 condo units that are being sold to the Sarasota Opera for use as housing for their performers and artists.

Rosemary Square also calls for street-level business space. Mindy Kauffman, a partner in the development, has owned the property since 2003. A plan to build there fell apart during the housing bust. Kauffman says Rosemary Square will likely include a mix of restaurants or coffee shops, art galleries and studios, and space for arts organizations that could use the room for rehearsals.

“We’re literally trying to bring some arts back to the [Boulevard of the Arts],” Kauffman says. “I want to put something there that will energize the area and provide retail and a gathering place for the whole neighborhood.”

That trend toward artsy redevelopment fits with the neighborhood’s more recent attempt to brand itself as the Sarasota Design District. That name was created because of the concentration of architects and design businesses there. Liliana Allen, who co-owns the Central Avenue countertop and flooring business, Oracle, says the Design District brand hasn’t taken hold yet, but an increase in residents and foot traffic could boost the neighborhood’s image as an art and design hub. “I think that the residents will improve things,” she says. “They’ll need coffee shops, restaurants and bars.”

That artsy vibe and urban flavor is exactly what attracted Pallegar to the Rosemary District. “It has this urban grit to it,” he says.

The Rosemary District has risen and fallen many times over the years. For the latest wave of developers and new residents like Pallegar, it’s on the rise again. “I really do believe it’s going to change,” he says. ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 65

Looking to

CUBA INTERVIEW WITH

JOHANNES WERNER

The island nation offers opportunities —and risks—for local businesses.

I nte r v i ew by I S A A C E G E R

On Dec. 17, 2014, presidents Barack Obama and Raúl Castro announced that the United States and Cuba would seek to normalize relations. U.S. business is clamoring to get in, but risks and uncertainties exist, including the question of whether Congress will maintain trade sanctions. Sarasota’s Johannes Werner, editor and managing partner of cubastandard.com, which provides news and analysis on the country’s economy, talked to Biz(941) about what Cuba might offer Southwest Florida businesses.

Johannes Werner, editor of CubaStandard.com

Q. What are the main difficulties in doing business with Cuba?

For U.S. businesses, it’s U.S. sanctions. Eased U.S. regulations now allow for the sale of many goods to private-sector buyers in Cuba.

This is a realm for pioneering niche players willing and able to cope with red tape and compliance issues. For instance, a pair of Alabama-based startup entrepreneurs have applied for a U.S. license to assemble tractors of a very simple design in Cuba and sell them to private farmers there. That would probably just be a few hundred tractors per year in the beginning. They may not get that license; we don’t know whether and how the sanctions enforcers in Washington will act on that. Meanwhile, Caterpillar would like to sell heavy equipment in Cuba, but they can’t, because essentially all construction and mining companies are state-owned.

Q: What happens once you clear U.S. hurdles?

Then you need to convince the Cuban government that what you have to offer will be beneficial for Cuba, and that you’re a reliable company. They’ve

66 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

ERNESTO MASTRASCUSA

Port of Mariel, a big container hub, is the closest Cuban port to Port Manatee.

had their share of bad experiences with carpetbaggers in the 1990s when Cuba first opened up to foreign investment. The remaining hurdles are red tape, lack of buying power among Cuban consumers, and the tendency towards improvisation in the face of lack of access to hard currency, regular flows of supplies and underpaid employees.

Strickland Ranch, one of the bigger ranches in Manatee County, has sold cattle to Cuba. And then you have a handful of individuals who organize travel tours, and there are licensed travel companies in this area.

Q. Should U.S. businesses take a waitand-see approach then?

U.S. businesses would like to go but can’t, and European, Canadian and Asian businesses are pushing hard right now to have something in place when the gringo invasion comes. That’s why you see Cuba’s economy performing very well this year. Investments are beginning to flow. It’s going to be a tsunami from all the pent-up demand in the U.S. Any entrepreneur could figure out something they could do in the mid-term and long term in Cuba. They better look at it now because it’s going to change very fast and the entry ticket is going to be more expensive in the course of the years.

Q. What role does Port Manatee play in this new climate?

The ferry business [to and from Cuba] is in the making, and Port Manatee is one of the prime candidates to host the service. It’s the port nearest to Havana in the continental United States and the closest port to Mariel, which is the big container hub developing in Cuba. [Orlando’s] United Caribbean Lines is seriously considering Port Manatee as a base, and Havana Ferry Partners [out of Fort Lauderdale] has announced it will move its offices to Port Manatee, which is the equivalent of a commitment. Whether they will get the permits from the Cuban government is a separate question. The Cubans may want to keep the number of ferry operators very limited as they are ramping up their infrastructure.

Q. How many Southwest Florida companies already do business with Cuba?

About half a dozen companies in the Tampa Bay area have done actual business transactions with Cuba.

Q. Can we expect cargo to Cuba from Port Manatee?

The ferries carry people, but they also carry cargo.

Neither cargo nor cars are possible in the beginning, but over time that will happen.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 67

Cuba By the Numbers 11.3 million Total Cuban population

5,500

No. of IT engineers who graduate from Cuban universities each year; one-third have earned master’s or doctoral degrees.

Q. What about air travel?

Existing flights from Tampa, Orlando and Miami are flourishing and that market is set to grow. Cuban visitor growth [internationally] has been sensational this year. In May, the most recent numbers rose 21 percent from a year ago. Total cumulative growth for the first five months is a record 15.3 percent. This is [mostly] from Canadians, Europeans and other Latin Americans. Privately owned Cuban mom-and-pop businesses are beginning to make serious money with bed and breakfasts, casas particulares, restaurants and so on. Revenues of Cuban state-operated companies that offer tourism-related service dropped 4 percent. The real growth hasn’t really started yet, so there’s a lot to be gained from flights from Tampa.

100

Percent of Cubans who are literate

1.17

Percent of GDP invested in tech research and development (U.S. public sector invests less than .9 percent of GDP in this category.)

47

No. of universities

International tourists congregate at La Mina restaurant in Old Havana.

5,000

Q. What about Sarasota Bradenton International Airport?

Right now, the big airports—Tampa, Orlando, and Miami—are vying over these Cuba flights. But in the long term, there’s going to be space for Southwest Florida International Airport, Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale to get into Cuba flights because the bigger airports are going to see this business as peanuts.

$25

Q. What Cuban industries have the most potential for the U.S. market?

Cuba is beginning to flourish in the tech realm. They are cranking out more than 5,500 IT workers every year despite having very limited access to the Internet. Then you have the U.S. allowing business within the private sector. For instance, my company, Cuba Standard, is contracting Cuban web designers to redesign our websites in Cuba. Communication is not easy, and I wonder how they get all this stuff done, but their ideas and suggestions are phenomenal.

Number of Cubans employed in hightech industry, most in poorly paid government jobs

Average monthly salary of Cuban worker

1.7 million

Number of visitors to Cuba, Jan.-May 2015, a 15 percent jump from the same period the previous year

Q. Sarasota and Manatee don’t have the historical ties or Cuban immigrant population of cities like Tampa and Miami. How will Cuba notice us?

One prime example is extremely visible. That is Ariel Serrano and his wife,

68 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

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“Being accomplished at one’s career is an opportunity to be a good steward in our community.”

Wilmian Hernandez, who are running the Cuban Ballet School in Sarasota. Eight of the biggest Cuban ballet talents, teenagers, are being sent by the National Academy of Ballet in Cuba to learn with Serrano here over the summer. This is quite amazing. Cuba entrusts some of its biggest talents with a guy who defected in the 1990s and started his own ballet school here.

It’s a political signal. In Cuba, ballet is as important to female Cubans as boxing is to men. I would argue that Sarasota can’t play that big enough if they want to do business with Cuba.

Q. What about business travel?

If you’re a Hilton, a Carnival or a giant corporation, you cannot exercise your business in a full-blown way. You cannot invest in Cuba, you cannot provide tourism services—that’s not possible yet. But Airbnb, based in San Francisco, has set up Cuba as one of its fastest-growing markets. Airbnb can do this because they don’t need any infrastructure. They sit in San Francisco and make money without any representation in Havana. If you’re Hilton, you need bricks and mortar or franchisees. But an online company can list Cuban properties on its website and make revenue.

Q. What’s the best way for a U.S. citizen to travel to Cuba?

The U.S. government has 12 categories under which you can travel and it includes everything except having fun. You’re not allowed to be a tourist. You can do anything else. You don’t have to apply for a license anymore in D.C., and oodles of companies are offering travel to Cuba. It is easy to go [but] you must have a paper trail in case a U.S. official asks you for one upon return. As long as you keep some kind of a diary about whatever research you were doing you’ll be fine.

Q. How is Cuba Standard capitalizing on the changes?

The intent for us is to become active in a variety of different areas, not just in the publishing and selling of information, but also providing travel to Cuba. We are getting into the conference business. We are offering our first business-familiarization tour in November.

We are offering 15 spots; we want to keep it small to allow face-to-face interaction with Cuban officials and foreign business people who are already embedded in Cuba. Details to come. ■

perfect a

Partnership



When two come together to create something great.

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Van Wezel Foundation, continuing to work together to deliver first class children’s educational programming for our community. With the Foundation’s support, more than 25,000 students from four counties are provided with programs and access to the theatre each season to experience the arts through the Schooltime Program.

Won’t you show your support and help us continue to keep the children coming?

To learn more, please contact us at (941) 366-5578 or visit us at vwfoundation.org.

70 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

SakS FiFth avenue salutes the 2015 recipients of the biz(941) greater good award.

sarasota, 120 University town Center Dr. 941.364.5300

Congratulations E LI S A G R A B E R Biz (941) Greater Good Awards Finalist

Thank you for your hard work and volunteerism in our community. You are truly making a difference.

www.iberiabank.com Member

Interview by Chelsey Lucas

HR Corner

Balancing Act

Flextime schedules can make workers happier and more productive.

Q

Lately Frank, the HR director at an accounting firm, has had requests from employees for better worklife balance. Many of his employees have young children, and others are single Millennials, who chafe at a rigid schedule. Even boomers are more frequently asking for long weekends. Frank’s boss is concerned about lack of accountability, productivity and the bottom line. Does flextime work?

A

JEAN JUCHNOWICZ, OWNER, HUMAN RESOURCES SIMPLIFIED

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has embraced alternative work schedules and is encouraging organizations that are serious about hiring and retaining top talent to do so, too.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “A flexible work schedule is an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5, 40-hour work week. It allows employees to vary their arrival and/or departure times. Under some policies, employees must work a prescribed number of hours a pay period and be present during a daily ‘core time.’”

I recently conducted a management training program for a group of happy federal government managers. They explained the flextime available to them, including compressed schedules (working longer days but fewer work days to equal a

40-hour week), flexible schedules (varying arrival and departure times), and telecommuting (working from home part or all of the workweek).

Companies have to do costbenefit analysis and determine what type of schedule would work for them. Alternative work schedules depend on the industry you’re in and type of customer. If your company is retail, you can be flexible on time as long as you have coverage on the floor. With manufacturing there are no visitors, and as factory work can be boring, four 10-hour days could be a better fit. Management should get group approval from employees as to what type of schedule they would like.

The real drive is the number of generations in the workforce,

particularly Millennials taking over for boomers. Millennials want work-life balance. In another 10 years, they will make up 75 percent of the workforce.

And while managers have been fretting about Millennials, a new generation has been quietly growing up—the Generation Z kids, now ages 15 to 20; they are the first “always connected” generation. In another five years, they will be making their mark in the workforce. We’re not really certain how this group will pan out as workers: They’re constantly looking at their phones and tablets, they’re a little more unsocial, a little more solo. Time will tell.

Wage and hour laws remain important. Of course, if some of the employees working these schedules are nonexempt (hourly), the Fair Labor Standards Act must be followed as to overtime. The FLSA does not address flexible work schedules, but the Department of Labor has published numerous reports online on the topic. [It is important] to have hourly

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 73

HR Corner employees sign at the end of a pay period that their hours are correct. Another option includes company web portals that show when someone logs on or off, or that can block certain email addresses from access during after-work hours.

Employers—CEOs, CFOs and HR leaders—need to clearly understand the pros and cons of transitioning to an alternative schedule. The pros include enhancing work-life balance, having an additional full day off each week, reduced employee stress, less office space needed, less absenteeism, increased productivity, improved job satisfaction and an easier

commute and less gas used by avoiding rush hours. Consider downtown Manatee or Sarasota: Trying to get in at 8 a.m. is nuts [with traffic], so being allowed to come in at 9:15 eases that stress.

[Alternative work schedules can also] accommodate employees with disabilities.

The cons include not having all staff at group meetings, social needs of some employees won’t be met—sometimes people need that “water cooler chatter”—managers unsure of how to supervise if they cannot physically see their employees, the risk of technology breakdowns and, as always, customer needs must be considered first.

You don’t have to manage a government agency or a Fortune 500 company to implement these changes.

Alternative work schedules work through communication [among the staff and managers].

Many employers in our tricounty area have found success over the last five years using some of these programs.

There are helpful sites, such as flexjobs.com, workoptions.com, telework.gov, telcoa.org and dol. gov, which can guide you.

And I can provide a sample policy that can be adopted; contact me at jj@humanresourcessimplified.com. ■

David R. Kotok

Chairman & Chief Investment Officer Since 1973, Cumberland Advisors has been a trusted source for expert, personalized money management. Our firm has a wealth preservation bias and a conservative investment orientation to manage both risk and return.

As a fee-for-service manager, our firm manages more than $2 billion in fixed income and equity accounts. Our clients include individuals, institutions, retirement plans and government entities.

One Sarasota Tower

2 N. Tamiami Trail, Suite 303 Sarasota, FL 34236

74 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

800.257.7013

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@CumberlandADV

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COMPANIES WHO CARE

CS&L CPAS

CONTINUING 60 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP.

BRADENTON: 1001 Third Ave. W., Suite 700,

FL 34205 | (941) 748-1040

SARASOTA: 1515 Ringling Blvd., Suite 900,

FL 34236 | (941) 954-4040 TAMPA: 101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 1460, FL 33602 | (813) 490-4490 CSLcpa.com COMMUNITY SERVICE Named 2014 “Community Spirit Award” recipient, Manatee Community Foundation.

Over 30 nonprofits served in 2014-15.

t The CS&L CPAs team supports numerous nonprofit organizations throughout the year through volunteer hours, fund-raising efforts, sponsorship support, donations and more.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be a socially responsible company? Does it mean sponsoring fund-raising events for nonprofits? Donating unused technology? Participating in char-

mindset and culture, one that is built from the inside out. CS&L CPAs was founded on a commitment to exceptional service, fostering an enjoyable and respectful workplace, and serv-

Through CS&L CAREs, the firm hopes to strengthen the quality of support it provides for local organizations and enhance the impact of the staff’s contributions. ity events to raise awareness and funds for special causes? Of course it means all of these things, but most importantly, being a socially responsible company requires a firm-wide

ing the community. This is why, in 2014, CS&L developed a unique firm program called CS&L CAREs, which is a platform for employees to volunteer, donate, fund raise, participate

in and support local organizations.

Through CS&L CAREs, the firm hopes to strengthen the quality of support it provides for local nonprofits and enhance the impact of the staff’s contributions.

Enthusiasm and passion are characteristics that all CS&L staff members exhibit, whether they are working to solve a complex client challenge or volunteering their time and talent to assist local organizations. The team excels in their roles as trusted advisors to their clients, but they are also proud community ambassadors and volunteers—a strong combination which has led to long-term success.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 75

Some day,

he’ll be courage.

Some day, this cute, cuddly—and not just a little bit crazy—10-week-old will be the difference between a life half lived, and one fully engaged.

But it’s not easy. It takes two years, thousands of dollars, and hundreds of volunteer hours to turn raw potential into polished performance. And it’s all possible because of people just like you.

Some day, with your help, starts today.

Your Hometown Heroes

Tourism Beat

By Cooper Levey-Baker

Where’s Waldo?

New technology allows us to know where tourists go and what they do.

IT’S CALLED A MAGICBAND —a brightly colored, mouse-embossed wristband you get if you’re a Walt Disney World passholder, or if you stay at a Disney Resort hotel. The wristband unlocks your hotel room, gets you into the park and even pays for food and merch.

And through its radio frequency device and transmitter, it also collects information about what you’re up to and how you’re moving around.

Why? Cihan Cobanoglu, chair of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Leadership at USF Sarasota-Manatee, says data collected from radio frequency-enhanced tickets help attractions better understand how visitors experience their parks. That in turn lets companies adjust where they place food and drink kiosks and other amenities and also contact guests with special deals if they’re in the vicinity of a specific vendor.

a fine line between gathering data and annoying consumers.

Visit Sarasota County conducts what Haley calls “visitor intercept interviews” every month (volunteers with iPads do face-to-face interviews with visitors), as well as ION UT follow-up email surveys.

RIB IST D IA ED The Bradenton Area ConvenIC M SS LA ©C O tion & Visitors Bureau, meanwhile, LD A W E’S ER employs a third-party research WH firm that performs “low-key” visitor Q&As to learn about tourist habits there, says executive direcSarasota and Manatee attractor Elliott Falcione. The Manatee tions aren’t as sophisticated yet.

County bureau also uses focus As Visit Sarasota County president groups in cities like Baltimore Virginia Haley points out, many and Washington, D.C., to gauge of Sarasota’s biggest destinapotential tourists’ knowledge of tions—the Ringling Museum, Mote Southwest Florida.

Marine, Selby Gardens—are nonBut all that depends on visitors profits, not exactly up for headactually volunteering info. to-head competition with Mickey Visit Sarasota County also Mouse. But local tourism agencies analyzes data from its website are doing their best to gather as and whether users are on desktop much detailed information about browsers, tablets or smart phones. visitors as possible, while walking Matt Murphy, Visit Sarasota SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 77

Tourism Beat County’s website manager, says data on mobile users is particularly valuable, allowing the agency to analyze a user’s specific location and interests. But Visit Sarasota County treads gently. “We could analyze a little deeper and more invasively,” Murphy says, “but that sort of location-based tracking is not a neutral topic. We’re a little cautious about that.”

The Visit Sarasota County website includes a map widget that identifies your current location (if you allow it to) and suggests nearby hotels, restaurants and leisure opportunities. Murphy says examining what users look for on the maps can yield surprising

insights. One example: Visitors who have already arrived in the region often are still searching for accommodations. That information may influence how Visit Sarasota markets area lodgings.

Visit Sarasota County is exploring how best to use its mobile app to send notifications about events and discounts to users. Haley says it’s difficult to figure out how to reach app users with useful information without harassing them so much they delete the app altogether. “They don’t want to be dinged all the time,” Haley says. “It has to be something that they really are going to appreciate.”

Another advantage that global attractions like Disney have over regional destinations like Sarasota and Manatee is that Disney often controls the entire visitor experience, including transportation, lodging, food and entertainment.

A typical trip to Sarasota, on the other hand, might include a stay at a locally owned hotel or condo, a day out in nature or at the beach, and visits to any number of independent nonprofits. The challenge is piecing together the visitor’s overall pattern and figuring out why he or she chose activity X instead of activity Y. Unless, of course, we just start issuing MagicBands to every tourist who crosses the county line. ■

TM

MAGNIFICENT 7 SEASON OPENER BRUNCH Benefiting the 7 Youth Orchestra Ensembles of the Sarasota Orchestra

Sunday, November 15, 2015 | 10:30 AM Michael’s on East Join us for a morning of great music, food and friends to celebrate our 7th Season Opener Brunch and support the Sarasota Youth Orchestras.

Enjoy a special performance by John Miller and his jazz ensemble featuring familiar faces from the Sarasota Orchestra.

Reserve your seats today! $150 pp For more information or to RSVP contact Mary Hoffman at 941-487-2737 or MHoffman@SarasotaOrchestra.org www.SarasotaOrchestra.org Special thanks to our Title Foundation Sponsor:

78 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

ADVERTISING SECTION

OUTSTANDING F A M I LY B U S I N E S S E S RUNNING A BUSINESS CAN BE CHALLENGING. FAMILIES CAN BE CHALLENGING. BUT WHEN THEY WORK RIGHT, FAMILY-RUN BUSINESSES CAN BE INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL. THE STABILITY, INNOVATION, CARE FOR EMPLOYEES AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT OF THESE FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES MAKE THEM STANDOUTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 79

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

TO SHOP ONLINE, VISIT 2020VISIONUSA.COM

2020 ViSioN USa Not loNg ago, PhiliP Meyer came out of retirement and found his passion in the perfect product for Sarasota: hip, colorful reading glasses and sunglasses, which he began selling to trendy local establishments. Together with his daughter, Denise Foster, they turned 2020 Vision USA into an empire. The father/daughter team is a wholesale supplier of in-house designed readers.

“What a blessing it is to be with Dad and running the business while living here in Sarasota,” says Foster.

Their “vision” is that glasses are more than just a tool to help see. They are an integral part of one’s personality and style.

80 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

In addition to supplying perpetually cool reading glasses, 2020 Vision USA is a brand with an innovative product and a desire to promote positive change in the world with a policy of giving back to organizations.

2020 Vision UsA, sArAsotA, FL (214) 769-2227 / 2020VisionUsA.com

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

MiCHael and CHarlotte JoneS witH SonS (Center) and tHe exCeptional Staff at CoMfort keeperS

cOMfOrt Keepers hOMe care

Owner Michael JOnes’ MOttO, “Family taking care of family,” embodies how he feels about his clients and staff. When Jones was only 7, he was thrust into the role of head of household, and caring for others has been a cornerstone of his life’s work ever since.

When Jones and his family moved here to be close to his aging mother, he realized the need for quality homecare. He chose Comfort Keepers for its groundbreaking, interactive care-giving methods, which allow seniors to remain in their homes.

Jones hosts a talk show on SNN TV discussing senior issues. He is a founding member of the state board for the Homecare Association protecting senior rights and heads

the annual company Senior Food Drive and Alzheimer’s Walk fund raisers.

Michael and his wife Charlotte Jones, R.N., attribute their 15 years of success to their partnerships with local businesses and to only hiring compassionate, competent caregivers they’d trust to care for their own family.

Serving SaraSota & Manatee CountieS (941) 921-4747 / SaraSota.CoMfortkeeperS.CoM fl liCenSe # HHa 299992670, 299994101 SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 81

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

Jaime DiDomenico with nicole murby, Director of chilDren's services, easter seals southwest floriDa. cool toDay DonateD a commercial refrigerator to the lily school.

Cool today “When I bought Cool today 10-plus years ago, I didn’t just want to grow a successful company. There were plenty of those in this area,” explains Jaime DiDomenico.

“I wanted to grow a great corporate citizen, using its resources and gifts to not only give back, but to bring awareness to causes that impact people locally.

“Giving is a key part of what we do,” says DiDomenico, “not just because it’s good business, but because it’s the right thing to do.

The company’s vision—“To be the best, and to get the best from Today”—refers not only to giving the best service, but going beyond expectations. “We’re hoping to

82 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

inspire clients and competition alike to do more with what we have, and to make our town, our community, and yes, our world, a better place to live in,” says DiDomenico.

6143 clark center ave., sarasota, fl 34238 (941) 404-1349 / cooltoDay.com

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

DULCY KUSHMORE WITH DAUGTHER SAMANTHA HOBBS AND SON-IN-LAW JR HOBBS.

canaDa meD services anD Discount PrescriPtion services

“Welcome, family!” says Dulcy Kushmore, founder of locally owned Canada Med Services and Discount Prescription Services. Entering her 13th year in business, Kushmore is proud to celebrate daughter Samantha Hobbs, who joined as partner in 2010, and welcomes son-in-law JR Hobbs, who joined the duo this past March.

Samantha focuses on community outreach and marketing efforts. Evidence of her success can be found in the company’s Charity of Choice Program, which partners customers with 32 local nonprofit organizations. JR has rounded out the sales team working with 3,000-plus customers and businesses to promote services and savings of up to 75 percent on prescription medication.

The award-winning company, which has been recognized

by the Chamber of Commerce and Biz(941)—most recently as a Biz(941) Greater Good finalist—gives customers the ability to afford safe medications via friendly professionals.

4119 Bee Ridge Road, SaRaSota, FL 34233 (941) 927-3600 / M-F 8:30-5:00 SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 83

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

chad hoopingarner, Jordan hoopingarner, president/ceo Brice hoopingarner, sec./treas. tricia keeton hoopingarner, caLeB hoopingarner, vice president Brent hoopingarner.

Keeton’s office & Art supply

Keeton’s office & Art supply was founded in 1951 by the late William Keeton. For the past 40-plus years, Keeton’s has flourished under the leadership of brothers Brice and Brent Hoopingarner. Now, the third generation is preparing to carry on the tradition of being experts in the industry, and is positioning Keeton’s for the future.

Over the years, Keeton’s has experienced many changes and obstacles. To remain competitive, the Hoopingarners aligned themselves with the industry’s largest co-op and suppliers, and streamlined operations. In addition to selling office supplies, the company broadened its categories to include office furniture, promotional products, business machines, art supplies, cleaning and break room supplies and now coffee service.

84 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

“We are a hub of information and a culture of family deeply rooted in the communities in which we serve.” says Brice Hoopingarner, president.

817 Manatee ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 747-2995 / keetonsonLine.coM

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

Dr. Bo martinsen, may-eLise martinsen, Dr. anne-marie ChaLmers anD Johannes martinsen proDuCe innovative Fish-oiL proDuCts.

 oMega3 innovations Drs. Bo Martinsen anD anne-Marie ChalMers turned their expertise in family medicine into a family business.

Originally from Norway, the husband-and-wife team founded Omega3 Innovations in 2006 and they have since dedicated themselves to making Sarasota the fresh fish oil capital of the world with a series of innovative omega-3 products.

The doctors say they owe part of their product inspiration to their two children, who also work in the family business.

"Growing up, Johannes and May-Elise didn’t like taking fish oil, so we had to be creative," says Dr. Chalmers.

Today, Omega3 Innovations produces Omega Cookie, Omega Passion chocolates, and Omega Cure. “Using ultrafresh fish oil and a patented process that allows us to bake

clinical doses of omega-3 into cookies and chocolates, we have created a unique line that appeals to picky eaters— and benefits young and old alike,” says Dr. Martinsen.

727 CommerCe Drive, veniCe, FL 34292 (866) 414-0188 (941) 485-4400 omega3innovations.Com SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 85

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

Bill and mary ellen Blechta Produce eye-catching BuSineSS SolutionS.

Sun Graphic

TechnoloGieS, inc.

Founded in 1976 by George and Bill Blechta, Sun Graphic Technologies has partnered with a wide variety of business types and sizes, helping them draw attention to the products and services they offer. Originally in south Sarasota, the company moved in 1984 to its current location, and recently expanded by another 3,000 square feet. Bill remains highly involved on a daily basis as president, and his wife, Mary Ellen, serves on the team as a client representative.

Having the competitive advantage of hybrid technologies, digital and screen (analog) printing, SunGT provides the best solution for permanent and promotional graphics. Retail, point-of-purchase, display advertising,

86 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

wayfinding, equipment markings, vehicle graphics, political and outdoor signage are a few types of graphics SunGT can produce for you. Combined with a variety of finishing functions and fulfillment, SunGT is your total solution.

2310 Whitfield Park ave., SaraSota, fl 34243 (941) 753-7541 / SungraPhictechnologieS.com

ADVERTISING SECTION

Outstanding Family Businesses

 al Purmort insurance Dating back to 1876, the Purmort family has delivered risk management and insurance expertise that has transcended more than five generations.

Now celebrating 30 years of service to the Sarasota community, AI Purmort Jr. and his business partner, Patrick Del Medico, carry on that tradition by providing customized insurance solutions for businesses and families.

API's concierge style approach and world-class carrier network allows them to create cost effective protection while building long-term partnerships that go beyond insurance.

If you build it, live in it, work in it or simply love it, API can protect it.

Al Purmort Jr.rePresents the fifth generAtion of Purmort fAmily insurAnce Along with business PArtner PAtrick Del meDico.

3340 bee riDge roAD sArAsotA, fl 34239 (941) 924-3808 AlPurmort.com

Outstanding Family Businesses

 Bert rodgers schools of real estate, inc.

Bert rodgers schools has been disrupting the status quo and changing customer expectations since starting the first real estate classroom in Florida in 1958.

The company recently announced Bert’s Blog, a weekly publication where real estate minds collide and careers are cultivated.

Bert Rodgers Schools is a nationally recognized education company. Its exclusive online course content prepares license candidates for successful careers and keeps licensed practitioners up-to-date. Online courses offer the most solid foundation for learning, as proven by state pass rates, which are substantially higher for online versus classroom.

Lori J. rodgers, president of Bert rodgers schooLs

p.o. BoX 4708 sArAsotA, fL 34230 (941) 306-2531 Bertrodgers.coM Bertrodgers.coM/BLog SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 87

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Karen Rivot, CFP ®, Matt Otto, CFP ®, Angelo Lombardo, Kelly Christiansen

Each of us individually at The Otto Group is proud to support various charitable organizations in our community.

One of the six components of our Advanced Planning Formula is customized philanthropic solutions. We are honored to educate our Clients in the numerous strategies available to best implement and optimize their charitable intent. There are many ways to give - it’s all about understanding the options available and best matching a strategy that fits one’s specific goals.

Matthew Otto, CFP® SVP, Private Financial Advisor SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. 1777 Main St., 7th Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 941.951.3052 matthew.otto@suntrust.com suntrust.com/wealth Investment and Insurance Products: •Are not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured • Are not Bank Guaranteed • May Lose Value The Otto Group is a team of professionals employed by SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. SunTrust Private Wealth Management is a marketing name used by SunTrust Banks, Inc. and the following affiliates: Banking and trust products and services, including investment advisory products and services, are provided by SunTrust Bank. Securities, insurance (including annuities) and other investment products and services are offered by SunTrust Investment Services, Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, member FINRA, SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency.

What I’ve Learned

By Kim Hackett

Irwin Starr HE MAY NO LONGER MANAGE or consult for TV stations all over the globe, but retired media executive and Sarasota resident Irwin Starr still follows the media landscape. Starr, 75, holds court a dozen times a year at the Florida All Media Roundtable, a loose organization of working and retired publishers, station owners, reporters and some of the biggest names in the business, who meet at the Field Club for frank (and off the record) discussions about media, old and new. Starr has been running the 66-year-old Roundtable since 2001. During much of that time, he also consulted and operated the Landings Eagle, a community newspaper and website he developed and sold in 2012 for a handsome profit.

Starr started in radio as a teenager when rock ’n’ roll first hit the airwaves. He helped launch a PBS station in Pennsylvania and managed TV stations all over the country when there were only three networks.

After the fall of communism, Starr consulted with former Soviet states on how to build capitalist-style networks.

started taking magic lessons at a magic shop when I was 11. I worked Saturdays and summers, doing banquets and birthday parties; that got me interested in broadcasting.

My greatest success and my greatest failure happened in the same place. I moved to KGW-TV in Portland, Ore., when it was doing badly from both a ratings and a financial standpoint.

We had a financial and programming turnaround in 18 months and the station increased its share of market profits each year. NBC was on a growth swing, going through a renaissance in the mid-1980s.

Bill Cosby, then the top-rated show, was going into syndication and we decided to buy it. It cost us millions and it was a total failure in reruns.

I had the good fortune to work for privately held companies for most of my career. They didn’t answer to the stock market;

they answered to the owners’ needs. They wanted to be profitable and grow, but they also had goals of public service and public commitment. Public companies have a different balance; their first goal is growth. It’s led to a lot of short-term thinking among media companies and it’s hurt them.

You need to get staff committed to what you are trying to accomplish. You have to plan where you are going in a company and involve department heads in the process, whether they want to participate or not.

ALEX STAFFORD

Working in magic shows was as close to show business as I could get when I was a kid. I

I’ve never been a believer in cleaning house. When I took over managing a TV station, I’d get to know people to see if they had the same goals and attitudes as I did. It took about five or six months for me to figure out who were my good people. When you can’t get them on your team, sometimes you have to let them go.

Accept that you can’t manage the guy above you.

In television, you have three constituencies: the advertisers, the audience and the people you work for. You can influence advertisers and your audience, but you can’t control corporate. I never spent a lot of SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 89

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What I’ve... time trying to manage corporate, you have to concentrate on what you can control.

Cable has fragmented the audience. We used to all see the same things; we had a common experience. Now, people go to the newscasts that are comfortable with their philosophy.

What excites me in media is the choice of delivery methods.

Through your phone, electronic reader, on the computer, on TV. Twitter is part of the downside; you can’t tell a story in 140 characters, and it’s unfortunate that that’s where a lot of people get news.

“You can’t control corporate.”

I see a lot of innovative things going on in media. The New York Times does a very good job with its Internet site and use of electronic journalism. They are doing video stories and interactive animated graphics that surpass what you see on TV news. Netflix and Amazon are doing some innovative programs with strong character dramas and solid writing. They are targeting smaller niche markets and are not driven by the same forces that drive the networks. Amazon has a show, Mozart in the Jungle, that features a symphony. When have you ever seen a sitcom made about a symphony?

One of the biggest concerns at the Roundtable is the decay of print media. Local newspapers

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have gotten so thin. There’s a lack of reporters and a lack of content. There is also a love-hate relationship with the young reporters coming up. While they have energy, they are coming in at the expense of seasoned people from the “check and double-check” era. Where are the editors? ■

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Fast Track

Movers, Shakers & Headline Makers

STEVE KEMPTON

CHRIS LOFTUS

POSITIONS TAKEN

Michael A. Janis, president and CEO, Stewart Engineering Consultants.

Steve Kempton, promoted to regional president of Florida, Taylor Morrison Homes.

Chris Loftus, chief operating officer, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Jeremy Hertz, vice president of compliance, Alltrust.

MaryAnne Young, vice president for advancement and executive director; and Jessica Rogers, associate vice president for advancement and associate director, New College Foundation.

Damean Searle, senior residential lending originator, Insignia Bank.

Terry Hoatland, project superintendent, J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp.

Steve Ananicz, director of operations; and Matt Andrus,

DAMEAN SEARLE

TERRY HOATLAND

general manager, landside location, Anna Maria Oyster Bar. Toni Barion and Lori Wahlen, commercial lines account managers; Kelly Hazledine, client concierge; Lori Warnelo, marketing manager and executive assistant; Joahnna Neer, commercial lines processor, Al Purmort Insurance.

Scott Rimmer, commercial real estate adviser, Sperry Van Ness.

Mike Huckleberry, superintendent; and Emmalee Legler, marketing manager, Jon F. Swift Construction.

Joey James, company manager and assistant to the artistic director; and Travis Ray, promoted to associate managing director, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

Wilhelmine WieseRometsch, M.D., founding director, Florida State University

JOEY JAMES

TRAVIS RAY

College of Medicine’s new internal medicine residency program at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

Jill Hinman, clinic director, Turning Points’ medical and dental clinic at the Bill Galvano One Stop Center.

Nicole Rissler, chief operating officer, Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center at Nathan Benderson Park.

Chris Braun, manager of programming, Women’s Resource Center of Manatee.

Dr. Karen Leggett, medical consultant, MindSpa Integrative Wellness Center.

Jonathan DeRue, executive chef, Café L’Europe.

Marissa Bressi, director of communications, Manatee Sarasota Eye Clinic.

Kaitlyn Fusco, public relations manager, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 93

Fast Track

NICOLE RISSLER

MARISSA BRESSI

Gary Tuhro, pro services relationship manager, Sarasota Tile Outlets of America.

Tom Johnson, sales associate, Harshman & Company.

Rob King, area sales manager, Neal Signature Homes.

Angie Stringer, executive director, Girls Inc. Rick Carlisle, CEO, Community AIDS Network.

ACCOLADES

For the fourth consecutive year, JMX Brands was named

ROB KING

ANGIE STRINGER

to Internet Retailer magazine’s Second 500, which ranks North America’s fast-growing mid-tier Web merchants.

Nathan Benderson Park was named Venue of the Year by the Florida Sports Foundation.

Susan Humphreys was chosen as a Top 100 ProAdvisor for QuickBooks for the second consecutive year, out of more than 100,000 internationally.

Tri County Air Conditioning and Heating has won its 10th Lennox Premier

CATHLEEN MCCABE, M.D.

CHRIS ROMINE

Dealer Award, placing it in the top 1 percent of all Lennox dealers for a decade.

Cathleen McCabe, M.D., of The Eye Associates received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has named its new officers: Kathie Roberts, chair; Orion Marx, vice chair; Rick Gans, vice chair and secretary; and Patrick Dorsey, treasurer.

Fast Tracker Born and raised in Bradenton, MICHAEL GALLEN is the Manatee Chamber of Commerce’s new vice president of public policy and small business. Gallen, 41, replaced Neil Spirtas, who retired in March after 30 years of service to the chamber.

Gallen’s previous experience includes a four-year elected office term on the Manatee County Commission, teaching American government at Lakewood Ranch High School, and serving as an attorney for the Florida House

of Representatives Business Regulations Committee.

Gallen’s new responsibilities relate to transportation, land development, urban infill and revitalization. He points to St. Petersburg as a model for retaining young professionals and

94 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

sees Manatee County benefiting from a more thriving downtown. “We’re losing a lot of our young, bright minds to areas that have housing that’s more affordable, so we’re working toward Millennial and Gen X housing.” – Chelsey Lucas

Fast Track

Fast Tracker ❰❰ DAVID SPIRE merged his 10-year-old Bradenton-based IT firm,

As a company that provides computer support, such as application and mobile development, e-commerce and network security for small- to midsize businesses, Spire says the merger gives United Systems “the economy of scale, staffwise. As with many small businesses, many of us have

United Systems, with Fort Myers-based Entech this summer, expanding the company’s reach from the Tampa Bay area south to Marco Island. The new company, which goes by Entech, now has 30 employees and more than 300 clients. “We had two relatively mature IT businesses of relatively decent size looking to grow through acquisition,” says Spire, now the chief development officer and senior executive vice president of Entech. had to wear multiple hats. Now we are afforded the luxury to place team members into dedicated roles that will allow us to deliver more efficient support and communication.” Spire adds that Entech is adding staff.

“This merger catapulted us into a position to implement our organizational vision today rather than in the future,” he says. “It is a service footprint [with a reach] that is frankly unmatched in our industry.” – Chelsey Lucas

OCTOBER 10

INNOVATION • COMMUNITY • COLLABORATION • CREATIVITY

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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 95

Fast Track The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Award winners are: Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Small Business of the Year (51-100 employees); Sir Speedy Sarasota, Small Business of the Year (1-50 employees); Gabriele Vest, Young Professional of the Year; Child Protection Center, Nonprofit Organization of the Year; Contract Furnishings International, International Business of the Year; Suncoast Communities Blood Bank, Health Care/Wellness Organization of the Year; Florida Studio Theatre, Cultural Organization of the Year; and Sunglass Express Optical, Retail Business of the Year.

The Venice Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Business of the Year award winners are: Heaven’s Best Carpet, Small Business; Joyner Family Insurance, Medium Business; PGT Industries, Large Business; A Catered Affair, Young Professional Business; and Trinity Presbyterian Church – Community Assistance Ministry, Nonprofit.

Realize Bradenton, Inc. has elected Dennis Zink board chair and Chris Timol vice chair.

Zink also was elected chair of Manasota Score.

G. Lowe Morrison is the new chairman of the board of trustees of Mote Marine Laboratory.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s critical care unit

was awarded the Silver Beacon Award of Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Jason Swift, president of Swift Construction, is the new chairman of board of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

Chris Romine and Pamela Swain were named to the State College of Florida Foundation board of directors.

ROBRADY design studio received four Green Good Design awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in association with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

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Anna Maria Oyster Bar and its team work to make a difference every day. From awarding local graduates and gap program students with scholarships and collecting donations during the holidays, to hosting on-site blood drives and holding fund raisers such as the annual Horne & Moon Fundraiser Social and events for the PACE Center for Girls, the company remains active all year round to help those in need.

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Fast Tracker ❰❰ SWEET SPARKMAN ARCHITECTS received two

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awards from the Florida/Caribbean Association of the American Institute of Architects for two recreational shelters: the Siesta Beach “2-pole” picnic shelter and the Fruitville Park Play Ball pavilion.

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Nine members of the Icard Merrill law firm are included in the 2015 edition of Florida Super Lawyers: Charles J. Bartlett, G. Matthew Brockway, Arthur D. Ginsburg, F. Thomas Hopkins, Thomas F. Icard Jr., Robert G. Lyons, William W. Merrill III,

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Alyssa M. Nohren and Jaime L. Wallace.

Anthony D. Bartirome and Michael D. Magidson of the law firm of Blalock Walters were named to the 2015 edition of Florida Super Lawyers, as were Dana Laganella Gerling and Rodney D. Gerling of the

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Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett was appointed to the Florida Defense Support Task Force by Gov. Rick Scott.

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We Have Two Great Events This Year!

A Tribute To Veterans

“Uncorked” Gourmet Wine Dinner At Michael’s On East Wednesday, Nov 11th • 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Food & Wine Tasting Great Food & Wine Tasting At The Polo Grounds Saturday, Nov 14th • 1:00pm to 4:00pm Proceeds to benefit area charities and other projects of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch

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Certificate of Excellence based on the reviews it received on TripAdvisor.

Tim Holliday, co-owner of Children’s World and Children’s World Uniform Supply, was named treasurer of the nonprofit American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

Attorney Ryan Featherstone was named a shareholder in the law firm of Dunlap & Moran, P.A. Cumberland Advisors was named one of Forbes’ Top 100 Wealth Managers of 2015, and the Financial Times’ Top 300 Registered Investment Advisors for the second consecutive year.

ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design ranked No. 23 on Landscape Management’s Top 25 list for highest, revenue-generating landscape firms in the Southeast, with $17 million in revenue in 2014.

Osprey Biotechnics was named a 2015 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award winner by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Marisa J. Powers was elected to the board of directors of the Manatee Bar Association, and Alexander K. John and Jason H. Levy were elected to the bar association’s Young Lawyers Division. All are with the law firm of Blalock Walters.

Will Robinson of the law firm of Blalock Walters was elected chair of the Twelfth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

Ashley Brown, executive director of the Women’s Resource Center of Manatee, has joined the Leadership Florida board of directors.

Trevor D. Harvey of State

Connect. Capture. Compete. Communicate. www.edcsarasotacounty.com

Congratulations!

The EDC of Sarasota County would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s Greater Good Awards.

The EDC is proud to work in a business community that demonstrates a spirit of caring and generosity in many meaningful ways that contribute to a better quality of life for all of Sarasota County.

We celebrate along with all the winners as we recognize what makes Sarasota County truly the best place to do business and live on Florida’s West Coast.

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104 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Fast Track College of Florida has joined the board of the Sarasota Family YMCA. Jeanie Kirkpatrick is the new chair of the board of the South Florida Museum.

James “Jim” Meister was appointed by the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board, the governing body of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, to Seat 1 in the Northern District.

MOVING AND OPENING

Norris Furniture & Interiors has opened at 8001 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.

BananaBug Designs boutique has opened at 824 44th Ave. E. in Ellenton.

Palm Avenue Express, a sundries store and bodega, has opened at 43 S. Palm Ave. in Sarasota.

Amanda E. Stiff has opened Access Advisors, LLC at 1990 Main St., Suite 750, in Sarasota.

Arhaus, Free People, Lucky Brand, Vince Camuto, Burger & Beer Joint and YO! Sushi have opened at the Mall at University Town Center.

Tru U Fitness has opened at 1727 Second St., Suite 1, in Sarasota.

Endurance House, an endurance equipment retail chain, has opened at 5434 Lockwood Ridge Road in Bradenton.

T.J. Nutter and Brad Westover have launched NCC Property Services, a concierge property service and maintenance company.

The Roots Chiropractic has opened at San Marco Plaza in Lakewood Ranch.

Alliedflex Technologies has moved its headquarters to expanded offices at 780 Apex Road in Sarasota.

Sports Clips has opened at 8378 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. ■

If this booklet has been removed, please visit biz941.com.

2015 Event & Meeting Guide the best event venues, resources and ideas.

Photography by Lori Sax

1

3

The Seen

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Zenith Insurance Welcomed Biz(941)'s Women of Influence 1 Erika Wise Borland, Susanne Wise, Courtney Wise Snyder, Take Care 2 Tara Williams, BB&T Insurance Services; Cindy Fitzgibbons, Atlas Insurance 3 Todd Cicero, Zenith Insurance; Anne Kirn Rollins, Gecko's Hospitality; Mary Fran Mullan, Lanier Upshaw; John Weber, Zenith Insurance 4 Kevin Curtis, Tiffany and Pete Liashek, Michael Brigger, Studio South Fitness 5 Kari Van Gundy, CEO, Zenith Insurance

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Biz(941)'s Women of Influence 6 Bridget Ziegler, Sarasota County School Board; Margi Furey, Al Purmort Insurance; Angela Bothwick, Zenith Insurance 7 Taylor Hendrick, Zenith Insurance; Wendy Atkinson, Atlas Insurance Agency 8 Rebekah Emoch, Jenna Jones-Heonis, Erica Enmeir, All Faiths Food Bank 9 Vicki Deters, Bouchard Insurance; Angela Smith, Al Purmort Insurance 10 Judith Bell, Neuro Challenge; Lindy Purnell, University Park Community Association; Chris Purnell, EDC Sarasota County; Ann Logan, Selby Gardens

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Keiser University

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associate degrees in nearly “Students in the 70 concentrations. Whatever sport management KEISER UNIVERSITY is a regionally accredited, gain valuable real-world experience in theyStudents hope to do professionally, program receive private university serving students seeking doctoral, a sport can setting by participating in four internships students advance their master’s, bachelor’s and during their sport management program. career opportunities through a well-rounded associate degrees in nearly This provides students professional these highly marketable “Students in the education that links 70 concentrations. Whatever opportunities in entry-level settings degree programs.

The Bachelor sport management sport management they hope to do professionally, including professional sports teams, college of Science degree in sport program receive students can advance their sport communication management athletic presentsdepartments, a wide theory with industr career opportunities through and public marketing range of professional andrelations firms, sport practice.” a well-rounded these highly marketable and advertising agencies and recreational academic opportunities. education that links degree programs. The Bachelor facilities. program The sport management sport management of Science degree in sport Skilled sportanmanagement professionals at Keiser University provides opportunity to combine studen management presents a wide are truewith force that powers successful system a student’s love ofthe sports a career in business. theory with industry range of professional and sport couples organizations around theofcountry This hybrid program the convenience online establi practice.” academic opportunities. and around the world. Keiser University’s learning with personalized, face-to-face instruction Don’ The sport management program creative scheduling (onethe class at a time), in the classroom.

Students learn about business industr at Keiser University provides an opportunity to combine of students-first philosophy and support sports, including topics such as effective sport marketing, school a student’s love of sports with a career in business. systems will help prepare students for the fast-paced, sport journalism, consumer behavior and social media This hybrid program couples the convenience of online and established technologysport usageindustry. in the sport industry. At Keiser learning with personalized, face-to-face instruction Don’t delay yourindream of working in the program sport University, students the sport management in the classroom. Students learn about the business industry field. For more information, please visit the receive a well-rounded education that links sport of sports, including topics such as sport marketing, school’s website keiseruniversity.edu management theoryatwith industry practice. sport journalism, consumer behavior and social media and technology usage in the sport industry. At Keiser KEISER UNIVERSITY SARASOTA CAMPUS University, students in the sport management program 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota, FL 34240 receive a well-rounded education that links sport (866) 534-7372 | KeiserUniversity.edu management theory with industry practice.

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The Seen

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Photography by Lori Sax

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The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Frank Berlin Jr. Small Business Awards 2015

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1 Charlie Brown, Insignia Bank; Rick Halloran, Neil McCurry, Sabal Palm Bank 2 Chris Gallagher, Hoyt Architects 3 Jeff Greco, Valerie Leatherwood, Steve Seidensticker, Louies Modern 4 Marissa Rossnagle, CS&L CPAs; Jon Pierce, CareerEdge; Mimi Fleck, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

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The Seen

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Sarasota Magazine and Biz(941)'s "Marketing Tactics Come and Go, Branding is Forever" 1 Kelly Romanoff, Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Suzanne Gregory, Conservation Foundation; Minta Getzen, Forty Carrots Family Center 2 Danielle Mowrey, Nancy Nallin, Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary 3 Donna De Paolo, Lee Holden, Judy Egan, Key Chorale 4 Candice Goodman, Mary Lou Bale, SCF Foundation

4

CONGRATULATIONS, Visit Sarasota County Board of Directors Chairman, Michael Klauber, on your nomination for the First Annual Biz(941) Greater Good Awards.

Thank you for making Sarasota County shine bright!

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Michael Klauber Visit Sarasota County Board of Directors Chairman

112 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

CONGRATULATIONS

Steve Hall

BIZ 941 GREAT ER GO OD AWA R D S F I N A LI S T

The compassion you show through your volunteerism and community service is an inspiration for us all. Thank you for everything you do!

STEVE HALL

CEBS, Market President of Alltrust

The Seen

Photography by Lori Sax

Sarasota Tiger Bay Legislative Update 1 ➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com

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1 Adam Bragg, Tannenbaum Law Group; Rebekah Bragg, State Attorney's Office 2 Morgan Bentley, Bentley & Bruning P.A. 3 Ron Turner, Sarasota Supervisor of Elections chief of staff; Peter Abbott, Edward Jones 4 Karen Rushing, Sarasota Clerk of Circuit Court; Shelli Freeland Eddie, Sarasota city commissioner and Freeland Eddie Law

2

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CONGRATULATIONS

FINALIST: BIZ(941) GREATER GOOD AWARDS

LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR We extend our deepest appreciation to Publix for their ongoing generosity and support of All Faiths Food Bank.

Photo by Evan Sigmund

Leading our community to end hunger. Join us! allfaithsfoodbank.org • 941-379-6333 • 8171 Blaikie Court • Sarasota FL 34240 114 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

&

LAGUIA

present

2016

UNITY AWARDS

NOMINATE NOW! Honor the local people and businesses who encourage diversity and make our workplaces and communities more productive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION TO SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS ONLINE AT BIZ941.COM NOMINATIONS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 25

BUSINESS | LEGAL | NONPROFIT/PHILANTHROPY | MEDICAL EDUCATION | ENTREPRENEURIAL | ARTS | ALUMNI Winners will be profiled in the January 2016 issues of both magazines and will be honored at a luncheon in January.

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE OR CALL (941) 487-1140.

The Seen

Photography by Lori Sax

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➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com

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EDC Sarasota County “BIG Thinking About BIG Data” 1 Anand Pallegar, atLarge; David Gillman, New College of Florida; Oscar Callejas, Voalté 2 Larry Thompson, Ringling College of Art and Design; Teri Hansen, Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation 3 Dr. Michael Mears, SCF; Sarah Pappas, Selby Foundation; Charles Nardone, SCF 4 Chris Prinzel, Stephanie Ashley, The Corridor; Mark Huey, EDC Sarasota County

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Exceptional musicians from around the world, performing for you in America’s only 18th Century European Opera House, and other one-of-a-kind venues.

OF SARASOTA SARASOTA

POPS

INSTRUMENTAL

PIANO

VOCAL

Unique, live musical events that entertain, engage and inspire.

More than forty performances annually.

For our schedule, details and tickets visit www.artistseriesconcerts.org TICKETS 941.360.7399 (Daily 10-4) GROUPS & INFORMATION 941.306.1202 (M-F, 10-4)

2015 TWENTIETH 2016 ANNIVERSARY SEASON

116 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

PROVIDING

HELP C R E AT I N G

HOPE

SERVING

ALL

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. in Sarasota and Manatee counties provides the most vulnerable people in our local community with assistance to help them thrive. Without basic necessities it is very difficult for a child to learn in school or an adult to maintain employment or a senior to remain healthy. Catholic Charities offers courageous families and individuals valuable resources to become more self-sufficient.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR 2016 FUNDRAISING EVENTS! Catholic Charities Ball Saturday, January 30 at the Ritz-Carlton

Bethesda House Mardi Gras Madness

Fat Tuesday, February 9 at Michael’s on East

For more information about our programs and services, call 941-355-4680 or visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.

5055 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234

LIVE HERE. GIVE HERE.

ABOVE EXPECTATIONS. BEYOND SHOES. • Quality Footwear Made in America.

• Area’s Largest Selection of Widths & Sizes.

• One-on-One Consultations & Fittings with the Experts.

• All Adding Up to a More Comfortable Fit!

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

941.921.3696

www.newbalancesarasota.com 1872 Stickney Point Road, Sarasota, FL 8204 Tourist Center Dr., University Park, FL

VOTED BEST LOCAL SHOE STORE THANK YOU SARASOTA AND MANATEE!

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 117

The Seen

Photography by Lori Sax

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Biz(941)/Saks Beauty Night Out 1 Josh Shoecraft, Lorena O'Daniel, Saks 2 Dr. Lisa Merritt, Multicultural Health Institute; Amara Merritt; Debra FlyntGarrett, Westcoast Black Theater Troupe 3 Julie Leopold, Saks 4 Kim Macalister, Macalister Quinby and Associates 5 Sally Schule, Saks

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Volume 12/Number 5, September/October 2015, Biz(941) (ISSN 1936-7538) is published in January, February, April, June, September and November by Gulfshore Media, LLC, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.

Subscriptions are free to qualified individuals. For customer service inquiries, subscription inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Subscription Department, Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236. Phone (941) 487-1100 or (800) 881-2394, Fax (941) 365-7272.

Periodicals postage paid at Sarasota, Florida, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2015 by Gulfshore Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.

118 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Biz(941) would like to celebrate the milestones of the these family businesses that enhance our community.

euro tech cabInetry, Inc., 31 years Jon f. swIft constructIon, 35 years sun graPhIc technologIes, 40 years saramana busIness Products, 40 years yoder’s restaurant & amIsh vIllage, 40 years bacon’s furnIture, 43 years

30 + years

observer medIa grouP, 20 years Plant Parents, 20 years 2020 vIsIon usa, Inc., 20 years mIchael’s on east, 28 years

20 To 30 years

north Port taekwondo, 13 years comfort keePers, 15 years karIn’s engIneerIng grouP, Inc., 16 years abacus web servIces, 18 years

0 To 10 years

IntrusIon ProtectIon technologIes Inc., 4 years cuttIng loose salon, 5 years overturf’s floor & fabrIc care, 7 years bears transPort, 9 years

11 To 19 years

north Port taekwondo, 13 years comfort keePers, 15 years k arIn’s engIneerIng grouP, Inc., 16 years abacus web servIces, 18 years

20 To 30 years

observer medIa grouP, 20 years Plant Parents, 20 years 2020 vIsIon usa, Inc., 20 years mIchael’s on east, 28 years

30 + years

euro tech cabInetry, Inc., 31 years Jon f. swIft constructIon, 35 years sun graPhIc technologIes, 40 years saramana busIness Products, 40 years yoder’s restaurant & amIsh vIllage, 40 years bacon’s furnIture, 43 years

Build your career with a company focused on success.Yours.

Daniel J. Forssell, AAI

Brett M. Lacey

More Options. Better Choices.

That’s Benefit Advisors!

• Seasoned employee benefits consultants • Member firm of NFP/Benefits Partners • Family owned and operated since 1986

Ashley Leon Director of Professional Recruitment (941) 957-4537 sarasota.nm.com ashley.leon@nm.com

Bradenton/Sarasota

941-201-5610

www.benefit-advisors.com 05-3080 © 2015 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual).

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015 BIZ(941) 119

Off the Clock

By Ilene Denton

Heavyweight

BOB ARELLO

HYDROGRASS TECHNOLOGIES CEO Bob Arello stood on a podium at the World Masters Athletics championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year and accepted the gold medal for his 48-foot, six-inch shot-put throw that landed a full five feet farther than his nearest competitor’s.

A Master thrower who ranks No. 1 in the world in his 55-60 age group for the pentathlon and superweight throw (that’s up to 300 pounds, folks), Arello, 56, is selfeffacing about his after-hours passion. “How far can you throw 300 pounds?” he asks. “Not far. Last

“I’ll go out after work and throw for an hour and a half. I call it my t­ herapy.”

year, the first time I [competed] in ultraweight, I threw it four feet and won the nationals.”

Arello, who threw competitively in college and returned to the sport nine years ago, built a throwing circle on an acre of land adjacent to his Lakewood Ranch office, which is a branch of his Massachusetts-based company. (Hydrograss Technologies helps clients like site developers, state departments of transportation and even a golf course in Dubai prevent erosion by applying products that bind up soils and promote grass growth. “It’s a less expensive alternative to sodding,” he says.)

120 BIZ(941) SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

BARBARA BANKS

Hydrograss Technologies’ Bob Arello is a world-champion thrower.

USA Track & Field (USATF) named Arello the 2014 Athlete of the Year in his age group. He credits his success to a rotational spin he’s developed. “I’m not giant like some of the guys who compete.

I’m quick,” he says. He practices hammer throw and other throws two or three days a week and inbetween does cross-fit training. “At my age, less is more,” he says. “I’m always battling injuries—shoulders, elbows. Sometimes you need the rest more than the training.”

Arello competed in Jacksonville in July at the USATF nationals, and in Seattle in August in the USA Masters Throws Championships.

He won’t be going to the world championships, which this year will be held in Lyon, France, because they coincide with his daughter’s graduation from Florida State University. Plus, “When you run two businesses, with 50 people working for you, it gets crazy,” he says. “I’ll go out after work and throw for an hour and a half. I call it my ­therapy.” ■

WE GIVE because because this this is is our our children’s children’s hometown. hometown.

Ask Ask Terri Terri Vitale Vitale why why she she and and her her husband, Dr. Chris Sforzo, are husband, Dr. Chris Sforzo, are committed committed to to local local nonprofits nonprofits and and she is quick to reply, “Because she is quick to reply, “Because this this is where we are raising our is where we are raising our children.” children.” She She is is especially especially passionate about passionate about the the Community Community Foundation of Sarasota Foundation of Sarasota County’s County’s literacy work.

Together, they literacy work. Together, they believe believe that that their their immediate immediate efforts have long-term efforts have long-term benefits benefits for for the the community community their children will their children will one one day day call their own. call their own.

Terri Terri Vitale, Vitale, Chris, Chris, Sydney Sydney and and Ryan Ryan Sforzo Sforzo

Whether you are looking to make an immediate impact or invest Whether you are looking to make an immediate impact or invest in our community for generations to come, the Community in our community for generations to come, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County is committed to helping donors Foundation of Sarasota County is committed to helping donors maximize the benefits of giving – for themselves and their families, maximize the benefits of giving – for themselves and their families, for the causes they love, forever. for the causes they love, forever.

To learn more, call 941.955.3000. Let us show you how easy it is To learn more, call 941.955.3000. Let us show you how easy it is to give through a donor advised fund. to give through a donor advised fund.

2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota | www.CFSarasota.org 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota | www.CFSarasota.org

Achieva Credit Union Experience the GOOD

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