941CEO November/December 2017

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LESSONS FROM HURRICANE IRMA NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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November / December 2017

CONTENTS

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ROCK YOUR 18 RETREAT

Talk

Stuff you need to know, including six comfortable office chairs that look great and how a fight with melanoma inspired a line of sun-protective clothing for athletes.

TIPS TO MAKE OFFSITE MEETINGS PAY OFF FOR YOUR COMPANY.

8

Property Watch The North Trail gets a makeover.

10

You Do What?

Cleaning outdoor grills turns into a hot business for a Bradenton couple.

12

Tourism Beat

Medical tourists come for specialists, but the sunshine and beaches are nice, too.

48

Biz Bites

Fine dining spots that are conducive to conversation.

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Fast Track

22 26

IRMA’S IMPACT

How the hurricane affected businesses, and what they learned from it.

LEFT: BRODTCAST / SHUTTERSTOCK. RIGHT: PEPE NIETO

50

What I’ve Learned

Venice-based Coach House spars above its weight in the motorhome industry.

The literary legacy of romance novel queen Karen Solem.

52

Business movers and shakers.

56

The Seen

ADVERTISING SECTION Gulf Coast Builders Exchange

31

941CEO.com Check out our website, featuring new and archived articles, and sign up for our e-newsletter, BizDaily.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

People and events in pictures.

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SPARED IRMA’S WORST, BUT HARDLY UNSCATHED ON AN EVENING in late September, as I settled into a booth at the Gold Rush BBQ in Venice, co-owner Patrick Caudill came over to greet me.

“Glad to see your restaurant made it through Hurricane Irma unscathed,” I said as Pat took a seat across from me.

Caudill’s smile vanished.

While the restaurant had almost no physical damage, he explained, the hurricane knocked out power for six days.

The restaurant was forced to throw out thousands of pounds of ribs, chicken and beef.

“In 17 years, we’ve never been closed for more than one or two days at a time,” Caudill said. “We took a big hit, but as owners we’ll recover. It was far worse for our 30 employees who weren’t able to work.”

Hurricane Irma will go down as one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with losses that could total $65 billion. But even those estimates do not quantify all the ways that Irma set back businesses, even in areas that were largely spared, like Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Our story, “Irma’s Impact,” chronicles how businesses, large and small, prepared for the storm, the toll it took and, most importantly, the lessons that will guide their preparation for the next storm. And, being Florida, there will always be the next hurricane.

Off the Clock

No mountain high enough for restaurateur Alex Floethe.

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING GROUP PUBLISHER Kelley Lavin SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Kim Davis,

Dan Starostecki ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Debra Clark Maradiaga, Sandy Moore ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER

Amy Fitzgibbons MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER

Sarah Beattie EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Pam Daniel EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 941CEO Susan Burns EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 941CEO David Hackett SENIOR EDITOR Ilene Denton SENIOR EDITOR Kay Kipling ASSOCIATE EDITOR Cooper Levey-Baker WEB EDITOR Megan McDonald

ART CREATIVE DIRECTOR Gigi Ortwein ART DIRECTORS Pepe Nieto, Janine Gevas MARKETING DESIGNER Michael Cronin

PRODUCTION

Full Service Janitorial Cleaning Impress your customers with a professionally cleaned office!

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PRODUCTION MANAGER Guy Vilt SALES & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Emma Burke BUSINESS ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Diana Clenney IT SPECIALIST Shawn Lamb DISTRIBUTION MANAGER David Moreau

FOUNDER EMERITUS Dan Denton CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Su Byron, Vicki Dean, Isaac Eger, Kim Hackett, Ruth Lando, Dennis Maley, Jackie Rogers, Anu Varma, Hannah Wallace CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS Barbara Banks, Salvatore Brancifort, Chad Spencer, Robert Castro, Alex Stafford, Lori Sax, Jenn Soos, Everett Dennison, Evan Sigmund, Matthew Holler, Chris Lake, Gene Pollux, Fred Lopez, Victor Juhasz, Vincent Dale

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All contents of this magazine are copyrighted ©2017. Unsolicited photographs and manuscripts are welcome, but return cannot be guaranteed. Circulation audited by U.S. Postal Service. Advertisements in this publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

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n e ss Top busi e 941 th stories in d to delivere ily! a d x o b in r yo u RIB SUBSC TO

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BIZ

Y L I DA FREE ER SLETT E-N E W

941ceo.com/newsletters NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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8 PROPERTY WATCH // 12 TOURISM BEAT // 16 BUSINESS CLASS

INNOVATORS

TRI TRI AGAIN Stefani Schuetz’s Tri Sirena sun-protective clothing keeps triathletes safe in the sun.

T

riathlete Stefani Schuetz was diagnosed with stage II melanoma at age 25. Surgery successfully removed the cancer, but Schuetz needed to find sun-protective clothing to continue competing.

“Living in Florida, I thought there’d be a ton of options. But there weren’t,” she says. “I had to ride my bike in rash guard [long-sleeve surfing tops] or loosefitting fishing shirts.”

A radiologist by trade, Schuetz, now 30, consulted with a friend in clothing design, and together they located a manufacturer in Tennessee who could provide high-quality, cooling fabric with a high UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor).

Working with that company, Schuetz created and tested her own designs for shirts, pants, full-body suits, gloves, socks and hats.

6

TALK Tri Sirena launched this fall. The company’s name and its bold, feminine aesthetic honor Schuetz’s affinity for mythological sirens.

(Sirena is Italian for mermaid.) “I designed exactly what I wanted to wear,” she says. “I want to do sports and be a badass, but I still want to feel like a woman.”

Triathlon clothing sets are “an investment,” Schuetz says—high-performance Tri Sirena tops start at $140. For now, the entrepreneur is handling online sales, and packing and shipping all orders from her home.

In the next year, she’s hoping to partner with local retailers such as Endurance House and eventually to have her own distribution center.

Schuetz has recruited a “Luminary Team” of competitive triathletes who sport Tri Sirena at races while Tri Sirena preaching founder skin Stefani cancer Schuetz awareness.

“I want to do everything I can to educate people, and then say, ‘Now here’s a product for you,’” she says. “Next year we’re adding running leggings and a long-sleeve swimsuit. We want to cover all outdoor athletes.”

—Hannah Wallace 941CEO

IMAGE COURTESY OF TRI SIRENA

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TALK PROPERTY WATCH

● BY SUSAN BURNS

Trail Blazing Highway improvements, new businesses and multimillion-dollar projects may finally revitalize North Tamiami Trail.

IS

Sarasota’s North Trail on the brink of a makeover? The Trail has long been seen as a blighted corridor with rundown motels, drug activity and prostitution. But with its medians full of trees and flowers and the absence of unsightly strip centers, North Tamiami Trail also has enormous potential as the major entrance to downtown Sarasota. Lining the highway are institutions that have put Sarasota on the map. New College of Florida, the John and Mable Ringling Museum, the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Ringling College of Art and Design and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall all call U.S. 41 in north Sarasota home.

Now, that vision is starting to come into focus. This year, along with a public investment in infrastructure, developers and business owners are taking a fresh look at neglected properties.

Before the end of the year, the Florida Department of Transportation will embark on two multimillion-dollar roundabouts, one on 10th Street and one on 14th, to improve traffic flows.

Entrepreneurs have surfaced.

In January, Jessica Simmons and Kim Cressell opened The Reserve, a coffee shop and bookstore at 1322 N. Tamiami Trail, that has become a popular gathering place for college students and residents of surrounding neighborhoods.

Next door, just north of The Reserve, is the proposed Whitaker Lofts, the first project being developed by architects Michael Halflants and John Pichette of Halflants + Pichette Studio for Modern Architecture. The pair is looking for an investor, but site improvements have already started on the vacant lot along North Tamiami Trail between 14th and 15th streets.

“We purchased the property with the intention to develop it with 21 condos over retail,” says Halflants. The pair likes the location. It’s close to the Rosemary District and faces Whitaker Gateway Park, Halfant says. Traffic flow should improve after the roundabouts are finished. And, in the future, Halfants hopes, an old rail line, not too far away, will become an extension of the Legacy Trail, an 11-mile paved trail for biking and walking. There’s also a plan to connect Whitaker Gateway Park to Centennial Park, the Van Wezel and the rest of the city-owned waterfront.

On the west side of the Trail, at 1889 N. Tamiami Trail, is The Strand, a development proposed by Sarasota developer Jebco Ventures, which is building the Embassy Suites on the North Trail at Fruitville Road. The Strand will be a 152-unit condominium of two buildings and will include 47 private boat slips, a pool, a fitness center, a dog park, a boardwalk and

a paddleboard launch. Designed

by Hoyt Architects in a coastal contemporary style, the project was set to start marketing in November and is expected to break ground first quarter 2018 and be finished 15 months later. Prices for the units start in the low $300,000s. “The North Trail is so convenient,” says Jebco CEO Jim Bridges. “It’s close to the airport and the Sarasota Bayfront 20:20 project [a 42-acre city-owned bayfront property].

It’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for developers and people looking for new homes.”

Benderson Development has also taken an interest in this section of North Trail. Benderson is under contract to purchase the site where the rundown Monterey Village at 2413 N. Tamiami Trail used to stand. The developer has submitted a site plan application to the city of Sarasota to lease the property to Starbucks, says Ryan Chapdelain, the city’s manager of Neighborhoods, Redevelopment and Special Projects.

Ringling College of Art and Design, which has purchased several commercial buildings and a large vacant corner lot along the Trail, has been a key player in transforming the area. Now the college has big plans for the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. More than a decade ago, the college purchased a Shell gas station, a well-known haven for illegal drug activity, and made it into a sculpture garden. But Ringling College president Larry Thompson says a major “signature” building is being planned for this lot and will house computer animation, game art and motion design. “It will be the defining entrance of the Ringling College of Art and Design,” Thompson says.

IMAGE COURTESY TONYA GOWAN

Rendering of The Strand on North Tamiami Trail

8

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TALK YOU DO WHAT? ● BY DAVID HACKETT

Randy and Kim Rousseau of The Grill Cleaning Company

NEGLECTED GRILLS SPARK A GROWING BUSINESS.

“AFTER MOVING HERE from Detroit 10 years ago, we started a pressurewashing business. A customer asked me if I could clean the hood on her grill. I couldn’t do it with the pressure washer, but it led me to do some research. It turns out there is a market beyond what I ever imagined for cleaning and repairing grills. We’ve been working seven days a week for the past three years.

only problem: Food is acidic and it can damage the components.

“OUR GOAL IS TO GET the grill as close to new as possible. It’s a two-part process in which we take pieces back to the shop for a deeper cleaning. The average cost is $300 and it takes us between five and six hours of work. About 85 percent to 90 percent of our business is outdoor kitchens; we don’t service small cart grills because financially it does not make sense. We [also] show customers how to clean and maintain their grills. Some customers are scared of the gas tank. Some don’t even know they have a grease pan and what it does. We tell them never to use metal brushes because the bristles come off and stick to the grill, where they can get into the food and people can swallow them. Putty knifes are much better. Scrape the debris off the heat plates.

It’s also critical to cover the grill, but only after it has cooled off.

“SOME CUSTOMERS are better off

“GRILLS GET AWAY FROM US, like cleaning the garage. I’ve seen some bad grills. Rats, African tree frogs, geckos, cockroaches and all sorts of things live in people’s grills. That’s not the 10

buying a new [grill]. A 17-year-old grill may be worth spending the money to repair—they were built to last. One that’s two years old might not be. At the other extreme, I’ve come across grills

that are so meticulously maintained [that] I’ve had to laugh and say, ‘Sir, you really don’t need my services.’

“WE NEVER DREAMED this business would become what it has. We grossed $12,000 the first year, $105,000 the second year, $129,000 the third year, and we’re on track to bring in $180,000 to $190,000 this year. A former restaurant executive on Anna Maria Island pays us $2,400 a year to clean his grill every three months. For a lot of our clients, money is not the issue.

“SOME PEOPLE THINK they don’t need to clean their grills—just fire [them] up and that will burn off all the germs and waste. Or they’ll put foil over the cooking grates, which can melt the components. There’s such a lack of knowledge that we are adding a showroom to sell parts and offering classes on grill maintenance.”

POSTSCRIPT: After the interview, Kim examined my Weber grill, which was less than five years old, but rusted and decayed, and would no longer start. “I don’t think this one is worth saving,” she said. “I’d rule it a premature death from owner’s neglect.”

941CEO

BARBARA BANKS

Some outdoor cooks meticulously clean their grills after each use, scrubbing the grates, changing the grease pans and then covering the grill to protect it. Then there are the rest of us who, after gorging on burgers, hot dogs and beer, forget about the grill until the next time we fire it up. Those are the customers who have provided Kim and Randy Rousseau a burgeoning business.

Four years ago, the couple started The Grill Cleaning Company in Bradenton, serving Sarasota and Manatee counties. Kim recently visited this writer’s home to examine his grill (more on that later) and talk about her business:

TALK TOURISM BEAT

Sarasota’s medical tourism sector faces opportunities and challenges.

H

ealth care isn’t just one of the region’s top employers, it’s also a player in the tourism sector. For evidence, look no further than the Dattoli Cancer Center Wall of Fame

on the second floor of the center’s Sarasota headquarters. Scrawled on top of a huge drawing of the Sarasota skyline, you’ll find thank-you notes from patients who have come from around the country and from all over the world—Saudi Arabia, Barbados, Colombia and Uruguay—for the center’s innovative, nonsurgical prostate cancer treatment.

About half of the center’s patients live within a 50-mile radius, says Virginia Carnahan, Dattoli’s director of marketing and development. Another 40 percent come from elsewhere in the United States, and the final 10 percent visit from overseas.

With an average of 400 patients each year, that means Dattoli is attracting about 200 men to the region each year, and they stay for extended periods.

Dattoli’s typical therapy course takes two months, with 20-minute daily

●● BY COOPER LEVEY-BAKER

appointments at the center. Because the treatment doesn’t limit a patient’s range of activities much (horseback riding and biking are verboten, but that’s about it), Dattoli patients are often hitting the golf course, embarking on fishing trips or walking St. Armands Circle.

“If you’re going to have to spend two months getting treated for prostate cancer, what better place than Sarasota?” Carnahan asks. It’s a win-win: for patients, who get to recuperate in a good-weather spot lush with fun activities, and for local hospitality businesses that benefit from an influx of visitors with a lot of free time to kill and the wealth to spend two months away from work and home.

In this sense, Dattoli’s work falls under the rubric of medical tourism, a broad term that includes niche treatment facilities, as well as recovery and recuperation visits, medical conferences and specialty research projects. A draft research paper put together by the Florida Chamber Foundation in 2016 estimated the global medical tourism market at $100 billion. According to the authors, Florida sees between 300,000 and 400,000 medical tourists each year—activity that generates $6 billion in medical expenditures alone.

Perhaps the region’s biggest medical tourism draw is in North Port, where Warm Mineral Springs saw more than 96,000 visitors during its most recent fiscal year.

The springs, which stay at 87 degrees year-round, attract visitors from around the world. The City of North Port, which owns the 81-acre (Continued on page 14)

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941CEO

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Get Well Here

The consistency of The Balvenie is in the rhythm of his work.

D EN NIS M C BAIN , C OPPERSMITH AT THE BALVENIE FOR 55 YEARS .

The impressive copper stills give The Balvenie its distinctive character. Every repair and replacement needs to replicate the handcrafted originals from over a century ago. That’s why it takes his age-old skill passed down by hand to maintain the honeyed character of the whisky.

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Handcrafted to be enjoyed responsibly.

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TALK TOURISM BEAT (Continued from page 12) property, doesn’t track where visitors come from, but the springs are particularly popular among Eastern Europeans, who come to soak in the waters, which some say have healing properties. For years, local leaders have floated the idea of upgrading the springs’ facility and adding amenities like a hotel and spa. The city is currently looking at proposals to protect the springs’ historic buildings while adding attractions like camping sites, trails, an open-air space for festivals, events and more.

Individual providers and facilities are thriving, but it may not be feasible for our region to develop a deeper brand as a health care destination. In 2011, Visit Sarasota County conducted surveys of local health care providers.

Visit Sarasota County president

Virginia Haley says her office decided it didn’t have a role to play in promoting medical tourism. Facilities like Dattoli are a draw to patients because they offer niche treatments that people can’t find in their hometowns, not because patients are looking to go on a trip. “It is all about the reputation and relationships of the physicians and medical facilities,” says Haley.

That’s true for Sarasota’s Silverstein Institute, specializing in minimally invasive ear surgeries and implants. Drs. Herbert Silverstein and Jack Wazen publish frequently in scientific journals and attend conferences throughout the year, networking with physicians around the world, who then recommend trips to the institute for appropriate cases.

The Silverstein Institute at one point partnered with other health

care providers to launch a website, Florida Medical Retreat, that was intended to link together specialty physicians, local hospitals and luxury accommodations, but the partnership didn’t generate much interest, says Jennifer Moss, the institute’s communications director. “It fizzled,” she says. Patients aren’t looking for a full range of health care treatments; they just want their particular needs addressed.

That leaves individual providers responsible for identifying potential patients. But even more importantly, they must offer services that are effective. Just as in other tourism sectors, word-of-mouth rules in the medical world, says Dattoli’s Carnahan. “We take such good care of our patients,” she says, “and they become Dattoli disciples.”

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida

SARASOTA DINNER &

SILENT AUCTION

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941CEO

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TALK BUSINESS CLASS â—? BY JACKIE ROGERS

BE MY GUEST The seating in front of your desk is as important as the seating behind your desk. Perfect your work domain by coordinating chairs.

Whether your style is modern or more traditional, look for a chair that complements your desk chair rather than matches it. The sharp lines and nail head trim of this leather chair add a modern vintage feel to your office aesthetic. The Weston Chair, in Kasler Cream with nail head trim. | Starting at $1,497 from Blu Home.

SEAT ASSIGNMENTS Comfy office chairs with style.

Make the workday go faster with an office chair designed by Ferrari.

Inspired by the ergonomics of competitive racing seats, this executive chair envelops you with its exquisite detailing and precision craftsmanship. Made with the same materials and design standards as those used in the iconic Italian sports cars, this chair is a power symbol. Adjustable back and seat offer generous support and position for good posture and ease of movement. | The President, price upon request, Home Resource.

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COURTESY IMAGES

THE DRIVER’S SEAT

941CEO

COMPACT MODERN If a large office chair is not an option, no need to skimp on style. The minimalist look and compact footprint of The Alias Rollingframe Tilt chair makes the most of small office spaces. Made of extruded aluminum with diecast aluminum elements, this office chair is lightweight, making movement effortless.

The five-star swivel base supports an ergonomic seat that can be upholstered in mesh or in leather. Choose from one of the many vibrant colors to keep your spirits up all though the workday. | $1,505 for Mesh and Chrome from Soft Square.

OUT-OF-THE-OFFICE STYLE

SADDLE UP If holding proper posture is as important to you as design, then look to the HAG Capsico Office Chair. Inspired by the form and movement of the body, this awardwinning design offers multiple sitting postures, including backwards, sideways and kneeling, making it the perfect complement to an adjustable standing desk.

The contoured saddle seat opens the hips for a more active, forward posture, helping you resist the urge to slouch.

You can even customize

your chair with a shorter lift, added foot ring, or a step-up footrest. | HAG Capisco Chair, $799 from Fully.com.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

The timeless look of tufted seating can be masculine or feminine depending on shape, color and fabric. This armless chair has soft curves to offset a more traditional square shape, and whether you choose leather in a deep, rich brown for a masculine feel, or a woven linen fabric in ivory for a lighter feminine touch, you can’t go wrong with the classic styling and hammered nail detail.

Great for the home office. | Hooker Vintage West Executive Desk Chair, $1,679, Bacon Furniture.

CUSHY COMFORT If a more cushioned office chair suits your style, then try The Stressless Magic Office Chair.

Designed to maximize comfort with its trademark Comfort Zones, this executive chair allows your body to sink deeper into the seat for enhanced personal comfort. Enjoy adjustable lumbar support for your back and neck in any position, plus the Stressless Glide wheels put you in charge of achieving your most comfortable seated position. | $3,595, Copenhagen Imports.

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Rock Your Retreats BY

Vicki Dean

8 steps to a successful company meeting.

Get out of the office

Use a facilitator

Push your employees out of their comfort zones and the “assigned” seats they gravitate to during regular office meetings.

When the company’s CEO leads the meeting and offers opinions, employees aren’t as open or energized. An objective, outside voice is critical.

1

2

Going offsite creates a new environment that helps employees take a fresh look at each other and fuels creativity.

“They help employees think outside the box and be a little more open-minded,” says Lenora Ritchie, vice president of Carter Global, a Sarasota-based worldwide nonprofit consulting agency.

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Company retreats out of the office can energize employees and increase productivity. Choosing the right venue to engage employees is important—and with several new hotels in Sarasota and Manatee, the options are plentiful. Also critical is planning before, during and after the retreat. Before investing your time and money, here are eight steps to ensure your meeting gets the results you want.

Offsite meeting places don’t have to be luxurious, but they should be clean, bright and have good acoustics. They should be big enough to accommodate the group but not so large that employees are dwarfed by the room. Make sure the space can accommodate video and other tech tools, flip charts and breakout rooms if needed.

Facilitators work with stakeholders beforehand to set goals, then they guide the discussion and make sure everyone is heard. They should be able to build trust as they steer the group toward outcomes that can be implemented and measured. “Having a good facilitator ensures that there’s good time efficiency and the group’s going to stay on task,” says Douglas Van Dyke, founder of Leadership Simplified in Bradenton.

941CEO

Attendees should have a chance to provide input on the agenda. A CEO working in a vacuum ensures there will be no buy-in and the meeting will be a colossal waste of time and money.

Ritchie asks these key questions: “Why are we having this? What do we want to get out of it? And what does success look like?” Visioning—a look at the big picture and where the company wants to be in the future—is important, even for companies that are only seeking to update an existing strategic plan.

Van Dyke does oneon-one interviews with attendees beforehand.

Ritchie sends out a questionnaire and talks to key players or a small steering committee to determine the retreat’s objectives. Listing at least two to three specific items that the group wants to achieve is key.

It’s important to distribute relevant reading material before the meeting, but don’t overwhelm the attendees with a mountain of information.

“Going offsite helps employees think outside the box.”

Van Dyke and Ritchie plan agendas down to the minute, but neither is overly rigid, making sure to weave in free thinking time.

Participants should understand how much work needs to be done and the amount of time allotted to accomplish the tasks.

At the retreat, don’t waste valuable time on mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations. Keep it short—most meetings can be conducted in a half-day to a day and a half.

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4

Engage meeting attendees beforehand

Create a time-specific agenda

Pre-planning is crucial. Nothing can derail a meeting faster than fuzzy goals.

The agenda provides a road map to how the retreat will unfold, but it also allows for productive discussions that may not have been anticipated.

TO MYERS-BRIGGS OR NOT Myers-Briggs, a popular test used to identify 16 personality types, is often used for team-building. It offers a wealth of detail about the characteristics and work styles of various personality types, and people usually find it engaging to learn about themNOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

selves and their co-workers. But it can be too lengthy and complex to use in many offsite settings, experts say. (Some facilitators avoid that problem by sending the test to participants before a meeting and having the tests scored and ready to discuss when peo-

ple arrive.) Myers-Briggs also requires expertise to administer and interpret.

And although it can generate selfknowledge and appreciation for differences, it can have a chilling effect if not used appropriately.

(Continued on page 20) 19

Meeting Planner ABCs Team-building exercises are crucial, but can quickly backfire.

Don’t encourage overly competitive behavior or force people to sing and dress up in military garb to hunt each other in the jungle.

“These kinds of activities can create the perfect storm of irony and cynicism,” writes Ben Dattner in Harvard Business Review.

Jennifer Simms, senior manager of special events and sponsorship at the Sarasota Opera, says meetings should be focused but entertaining. Team-building

retreats during her prior job as an event planner at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota included scavenger hunts and kayaking.

“If I’m going to spend a whole day going to a conference or retreat, I want to feel like something positive has happened and bond a little bit with my peers,” Simms says. “Have a good agenda, a good goal, teach your people something new to keep them at the edge of their seats.”

Remember the objectives when choosing the exercise. Keep it fun, but keep it focused.

Everyone who attends should get a chance to speak, especially the introverts who may have a lot to offer but are often overshadowed by their extroverted colleagues.

Breaking into smaller groups makes it easier for all voices to be heard and gives everyone a chance to contribute based on the tasks assigned to each group. Van Dyke encourages everyone to check their titles at the door to level the playing field.

5

6

Include the right team-building exercises

Hear all voices

Getting out of the office allows everyone to interact in different ways and see each other in a different light.

Facilitators walk a fine line, encouraging open dialogue while guiding the conversations back to the task at hand.

(Continued from page 19) Lenora Ritchie, vice president of Sarasota-based Carter Global consulting agency, which works with philanthropic organizations, says she prefers exercises more aligned with the goals of planning sessions that she facilitates. She once used MyersBriggs with negative results.

“It became [a] kind of labeling,” Ritchie says. “I think it can be helpful 20

if we emphazise this isn’t a label. It’s a tool to help us communicate and understand.”

The Myers & Briggs Foundation cautions that administrators must explain that each of the 16 personality types is valuable. “Stress that type does not imply excellence, competence or natural ability,” foundation guidelines say.

Douglas Van Dyke of Leadership Simplified in Bradenton finds [MyersBriggs] too rigid. “As people, we’re more complicated than [the] 16 boxes of Myers-Briggs,” he says. Instead, he uses an exercise that circles back to the theme of the meeting. Any test needs to match your group’s dynamics and desired outcome, he says.

—Vicki Dean 941CEO

To keep the discussion on track, facilitators often use a “parking lot,” a holding pen for topics that come up that are outside the scope of the meeting. Writing down tabled items is a valuable exercise, and the facilitator should circle back to the list at the end of the meeting.

“The facilitator and everyone there needs to be able to respectfully call

7

Set ground rules Make sure people know what is expected of them and stick to the agenda.

Outline consensus, key themes, commitments, assignments and next steps to ensure momentum and accountability. Create a meaningful action plan and assign people to implement each piece of the plan. Set specific deadlines— actual dates—and methods by which to measure success.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

a time-out if we’re really getting in the weeds,” Van Dyke says.

Write everything down, either on a whiteboard or a flip chart, to document key themes, discussion points, consensus and agreement.

Laptops and cell phones need to be turned off, and food should be served in another room to avoid distractions.

“Have a good agenda, a good goal, teach your people something new.”

Summarize and follow up As the event is wrapping up, make sure that the next steps are spelled out.

8

Ritchie sends out a summary within two to three weeks of the retreat, spelling out what was discussed, what was agreed upon and what’s next.

Schedule follow-up meetings and check-ins.

Sometimes a company’s culture is more important than the action plan itself, Van Dyke

says. Facilitators work to align strategies, future actions and the culture.

“You can have the best strategic plan that’s laid out with detailed action and who’s going to do what, by what time,” he says. “If the culture is not consistent with the action plan, it may be doomed to fail.” π 21

IRMA’S IMPACT by

David Hackett and Susan Burns

HOW BUSINESSES WEATHERED THE STORM.

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T

odd Morton knows it could have been worse.

Before its sudden turn and weakening, Hurricane Irma was set to make a direct hit on Sarasota as a major storm, causing enormous flooding and wind damage. Instead, the storm gave Sarasota a glancing blow on Sunday, Sept. 10, with no storm surge and top winds of 85 mph. But Morton, the owner of Morton’s Gourmet Market, is among many business owners for whom a near miss still turned into a big loss. He estimates the financial hit to his stores on Osprey Avenue and Siesta Key and at its commissary could reach $250,000.

“We lost power to all three of our refrigeration units over multiple days, which forced us to throw out probably $100,000 in food,” Morton says. “Our catering business also took a big hit because so many events were canceled.”

CoreLogic, a California firm focusing on business analytics, including disaster analysis, estimates that U.S. losses from Irma could reach $65 billion, over four times greater than the $15 billion inflicted by Hurricane Charley in 2004. As of Sept. 30, the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation said more than 661,000 claims had been filed in the state, including more than 100,000 from businesses.

The combined claims filed in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties totaled less than 20,000, a fraction of the claims in other parts of the state, including Dade County (66,000 claims), Lee County (42,929 claims) and Broward (45,126 claims).

Here is a closer look at how several businesses were affected by the storm and the lessons they learned.

OPPOSITTE PAGE: NOI1990 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

THE CHILES GROUP owns three waterfront restaurants, Beach House Restaurant and Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub on Longboat Key; they employ 350 people.

IRMA’S IMPACT: Company founder Ed Chiles says there was “zero damage” to physical structures.

Power was out for four days at Sandbar on north Anna Maria, but power came back almost immediately at the Beach House and Mar Vista.

“But when you close your business for four to six days, it’s expensive,” he says. “We do $100,000 on a busy day. Even during September, our slow month, when maybe we’re at 50 percent, it adds up. We also threw out $10,000-plus in food.”

HOW THE CHILES GROUP PREPARED: COO Robert Baugh says he began communicating with staff NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

several days before the storm to prepare and to find out which employees would be evacuating, which would be staying and which had special needs. The Chiles Group uses Hot Schedules, a platform all employees log into, to create a timeline to secure all three restaurants (since these restaurants have lots of outdoor seating and outdoor bars, it was a huge chore) and to broadcast when the restaurants would reopen. Team leaders were responsible for communicating with their members. Vendors and chefs were told earlier in the week to reduce food orders to minimize loss. Freezers and refrigerators were packed with hundreds of bags of ice.

LESSONS LEARNED: “I thought I was watching everything I had worked for in the last 37 years taken away,” says Chiles, “so we’re going to debrief to see what worked and what didn’t.” Chiles plans to contact his insurance agent and an insurance lawyer to make sure he has the proper coverage and to investigate whether generators would be a good investment. COO Baugh says his employees did everything asked of them. “People rallied to get the doors back open,” he says. “I’m proud of our team.” His task moving forward is to make sure the plywood is numbered for every door and window and to fine tune the scheduling. “I’m a calendar guy, and we can improve strategic deployment of our teams,” he says.

MYUS.COM: Sarasota-based international packaging shipper with 300 employees and a 175,000-square-foot warehouse with tens of thousands of packages.

IRMA’S IMPACT: No damage to the offices or warehouse.

HOW MYUS.COM PREPARED: CEO Ramesh Bulusu says employee safety came first and then customer shipments. The company began preparing on Thursday, allowing employees to leave work if they were evacuating or needed to prepare their homes or their families’ homes. Absences were excused for any employee who needed to be away, from Friday before the storm, all through the next week.

Remaining employees helped secure the building, protecting the 70,000 packages in the warehouse, and were permitted to leave three hours early.

The company, which operates seven days a week, closed Saturday, Sept. 8, through Monday, Sept. 11, and employees scheduled during those days were paid for eight hours and were not required to use personal time off. The company paid for 2,879 employee hours of time while closed, totaling $40,893. MyUS also ordered lunch 23

DAKIN DAIRY FARMS, a family-owned dairy in business since 1973, employs 80 workers.

IRMA’S IMPACT: Storm damage to its barns and other animal quarters totaled around $250,000, says general manager Scott Cagle. In addition, production disruptions probably cost the dairy 30,000 gallons of milk. And the impact continued weeks after the storm, Cagle says, because once milk cows are thrown off their schedule they won’t return to peak production until they give birth and start a new lactation period.

WHAT DAKIN DID BEST: “Our employees did a great job preparing for the storm, and some stayed here during the storm to get the cows milked and fed,” Cagle says. “The cows have to be milked regularly or they get sick, so the efforts our employees made were critical.”

LESSONS DAKIN WILL TAKE FORWARD: “We need to empty our tanks earlier and ship as much milk as we can before the storm hits.”

Hurricane Irma claims As of Sept. 30, the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation reported the following insurance claims from Hurricane Irma: Florida 661,957 claims 70,389 paid 50,135 closed/not paid 541,433 open

24

Manatee County 6,379 claims 711 paid 567 closed/not paid 5,101 open

Sarasota County 8,228 claims 686 paid 800 closed/not paid 6,742 open

PGT INNOVATIONS, headquartered in Venice, is the nation’s leading manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors and employs more than 2,600 workers.

IRMA’S IMPACT: Company president Jeff Jackson said PGT lost power at some of its facilities, but none of its plants or inventory were damaged. In the aftermath of one of the costliest hurricane seasons ever, PGT is likely to see more demand for its products. From Aug. 17 through late September, a period coinciding with hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, PGT’s stock price soared more than 18 percent.

HOW PGT PREPARED: Jackson said PGT’s leadership team checks in with every employee. A command center was set up in Naples to provide supplies, including generators and water. The company provided Family Fund Loans of $63,000, which aided 174 employees with cash, grocery gift cards, generators and chainsaws.

LESSONS LEARNED: PGT’s engineers will join a research team from the University of Florida to assess how buildings weathered the storm, helping PGT in its design of doors and windows.

TERVIS , a leading manufacturer of tumblers and other drinkware, is headquartered in Venice and employs around 700 workers.

IRMA’S IMPACT: The company closed its manufacturing plant and retail stores for four days so employees could prepare and recover from the storm, says Tervis president Roger Donnelly.

But none of the facilities, even Tervis’ outlet in hard-hit Key West, were damaged. Donnelly says the closure put Tervis production 120,000 units behind, but that employees “have been in overdrive” since reopening and production was expected to catch up by Oct. 1.

HOW TERVIS PREPARED: Donnelly says Tervis emphasized communication before, during and after the storm, including checklists to protect the property and a hotline to tell employees when the plants or stores would be open, so workers weren’t traveling in adverse conditions.

LESSONS LEARNED: Donnelly says the company realized its focus needed to be external, as well as internal. Tervis responded to Hurricane Harvey by partnering with Shelter Box USA, a disaster relief agency headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, to donate all net sales from Love Texas tumblers. After the storm, Tervis extended the donation program to Irma victims by donating all sales from its Love Florida tumblers. More than $10,000 has been raised.

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OPPOSITTE PAGE: PROSTOCKSTUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

or dinner for all days during both weeks, especially important for employees who hadn’t had hot meals in days. MyUS purchased a $150,000 generator to make sure the business could continue to operate in power outages, but the business never lost electricity. MyUS also invested in impact-resistant windows and doors in the office portion of the business. In addition, all employees go through regular disaster training in case of any crisis in the warehouse and were able to communicate through the MyUs Work Updates Hotline.

LESSONS LEARNED: MyUS’s emphasis on employee morale—Bulusu’s motto is “Happy employees make happy customers”— and safety and disaster preparedness paid off. The business was up and running the day after the hurricane.

Advice to heed before the next storm Here are three takeaways from Hurricane Irma, according to Tom Larsen, who assesses hurricanes and other catastrophe-related risk for California-based CoreLogic Inc. Flooding causes the most

Businesses should be customer-

Small and locally concentrated

damage and not enough property

oriented in their preparation:

businesses are most at risk:

owners and businesses are

Estimates of Irma’s impact don’t fully take in losses that come when businesses are forced to close because of power losses, flooding or other impediments. Hurricane planning should include ways to keep the business operating, even when the power is out.

“It might mean bringing in a generator trailer from Georgia,” Larsen says. “But that’s only going to be available if you have planned for it well in advance. You won’t be able to get one a week before the storm hits.”

Large corporations are better able to withstand natural disasters because they continue to generate revenue in regions away from the storm. But smaller and locally oriented businesses face a double whammy: high costs to repair storm damage and no revenue coming in to pay for it. “When your revenue is concentrated, you are at a much greater risk of going out of business after a natural disaster,” Larsen says. “So these businesses need to take extra steps to make sure they can survive.”—David Hackett

CoreLogic estimates that Irma-related flooding from Florida to North Carolina caused up to $38 billion in damage for residential properties and up to $16 billion for commercial properties.

But only $5 billion to $8 billion in residential flood losses were insured.

Uninsured commercial flood losses could total $8 billion. Larsen says property owners should strongly consider getting flood insurance, even if their property is not located in the zones of highest risk. “People forget about flooding, but our data shows the risk is real and pervasive,” Larsen says. insured for it:

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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ONE FOR THE ROAD QUALITY AND INNOVATION DRIVE EXPANSION AT THE FAMILY-RUN

by Vicki Dean Coach House RVs Photography by Everett Dennison OF VENICE.

In

1976, Ruben Gerzeny was doing well as the part-owner of a Volkswagen dealership in Cleveland, Ohio. But his family was choking—literally—on the smoke-filled air of the industrial city. So Gerzeny sold his business, and the family traveled the country for seven weeks in a Volkswagen van towing a pop-up camper, looking for a place with clean air. They chose Venice.

Gerzeny started the Venice-Nokomis Auto World dealership soon after arriving. Van conversions were becoming popular, and by 1985, Gerzeny was converting vans into motorhomes, building poptop and fixed-top RVs one or two at a time in a 5,000-square-foot warehouse on Warfield Avenue in Venice.

Fast forward almost 33 years, and now Gerzeny’s business is Coach House, a nationally recognized manufacturer of Class B and C motorhomes. (They do not manufacture Class A motorhomes, the largest RVs on the road.) Gerzeny’s sons David, 54, and Steve, 51, joined him early on and are now the president and vice president, respectively. Brother Mike, 47, runs Gerzeny’s RV World at four locations in Florida. (Ironically, Gerzeny’s RV World doesn’t sell Coach House motorhomes because the company produces such a limited supply that almost all are sold directly from the factory.)

Coach House employs 64 people today and manufactures 100 motorhomes a year that sell for between $129,900 for Class B and $189,900 for Class C models, a higher price point than the average industry range of $91,000 and $112,000.

Gary Bunzer, who writes The RV Doctor blog, raves that the 2016 Coach House 24-foot Platinum II model was the quietest motorhome he had ever driven. “There was no noise,

26

creaks or rattles, whether it was on the streets, the freeway, gravel or grass field,” wrote Bunzer. He also liked the interior design features of the small luxury motorhome. The galley kitchen, he wrote, is as fully equipped as one in a standard, full-sized motorhome.

Push-button, locking drawers were a nice touch, he added, as was a 6-cubic-foot refrigerator, a size seldom found in smaller RVs. Now is a good time to be making motorhomes.

The RV industry had a record-breaking year in 2016 and anticipates a banner year in 2017 and 2018 as well. The growth, which is occurring among all age groups, says Kevin Broom of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, is a function of a recovering economy and Americans’ “long-held, deep-seated desire for the road trip.” The use of motorhomes also has expanded. Today’s buyers like smaller, lighterweight models for tailgating, soccer tournaments and weekend getaways, not just crosscountry trips.

Two Coach House Platinum model motorhomes

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Coach House employees make 100 motorhomes a year.

Coach House is aiming to get a larger share of this market and recently expanded its 40,000-square-foot plant off I-75 near Laurel Road by 13,000 square feet. The company plans to increase production 25 percent to 30 percent, including adding a new model in 2018. But even with the expansion, Coach House remains a little guy in a $50 billion industry. Nearly 50,000 motorhomes were manufactured last year in the United States, most made by large companies such as Winnebago, which built 13,500 motorhomes.

Coach House’s limited supply and stellar reviews have made its RVs a coveted brand. Steve notes, “I have not been able to use one for the past year. We’re just sold out, we don’t have any.” The plant is at capacity, and it takes about five months to complete most models.

Steve says it was Coach House’s onepiece carbon-fiber reinforced fiberglass design—patented in 2000—that set his company’s vehicles apart from lowerpriced competitors, which use up to 15 parts in an RV body.

“We were in here seven days a week for 17 months to produce the gigantic mold so the body would come out as one,” he says.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

Know Your RVs

Class A Largest at 21 feet to 45 feet; a fully contained home on wheels

Class B 16 feet to 24 feet, a van conversion in a modified panel-type truck

Class C 20 feet to 35 feet, a fully contained RV built on a specially made van chassis SOURCE: Family Motor Coach Association 27

An unfinished interior of a motorhome; next page, a finished motorhome with upscale appointments.

The benefits were immediate. Coach’s onepiece system produced a quieter ride and reduced leaks, which can be a big problem in RVs. Water intrusion leads to interior damage and rotting plywood, which can compromise the electrical system and cause laminate to peel off walls and cabinets.

The molds are expensive. Each one is specific to the make and model of the van chassis that the RV conversion is mounted on. “If we design a mold to fit on a Ford chassis, it only fits on a current Ford chassis,” says Steve. “If Ford decides to modify the cab, we have to modify our molds.” Besides the one-piece fiberglass design, Coach House found more inspiration in the marine industry than in the highly competitive, price-based RV industry.

A family affair: David Gerzeny, president; Zach Gerzeny, production manager; and Steve Gerzeny, vice president.

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About Coach House RVs Employees: 64 Average length of employment: 14 years Production: 100 units per year Cost: $129,900 to $189,900 Class C models: Platinum, ranging from 22 to 27 feet long, all built on a Ford E-450 Super Duty Chassis Platinum II, 24-foot RV built on a Mercedes-Benz chassis Class B model: Arriva RV built on MercedesBenz 3500 Sprinter van conversion Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles, for the conversion and the drivetrain of all motorhomes

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

“We visit a lot of the marine shows and conventions and pick up a lot of cool ideas,” Steve says. “Marine industry interiors far exceed what the RV industry does.”

Coach House’s use of upgraded interior building materials such as high-grade, lowemission plywood and Corian are selling points, as are its heavy-duty hydraulicpowered leveling systems and slideouts that expand the living space.

Customers buy direct from the factory, choosing from several floor plans for the motorhome’s interior. Coach House reps also go to Florida RV shows and one in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to market their models. They’ve also worked to keep employee turnover low, with the average length of service at the factory 14 years.

On one recent day, three workers clad in protective gear were hand-rolling fiberglass coating in an upside-down mold. Freshly painted RVs were drying in an adjacent, dust-free bay. In another part of the factory, workers custom fabricated cabinets and countertops and sewed upholstery.

Workers are paid by the hour and receive quarterly bonuses based on 10 percent of the company’s net profits. And because the cost of warranty repairs comes out of net income, workers are motivated to focus on quality construction.

Once a month, the Gerzenys provide lunch for all the employees. They’ve also closed the plant down to take everyone to a Tampa Bay Rays spring training game.

And after four decades, Coach Homes is staying in the family. Ruben, 82, still checks in regularly at the factory. Steve and David help out on the floor when needed. David’s son Zach serves as production manager.

Steve has a son in college who intends to join Coach House when he graduates.

It’s tough to keep a business growing through the third generation, but the Gerzenys have survived the RV industry’s cycles. Steve says his father mentored his sons equally.

“He’s kept us together,” Steve says of his father. “He taught us a long time ago not to keep score. My mom [Beverly] is the glue. We’re all in this together.” π 29

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SP ONS ORED R EPOR T

65

CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

Gulf Coast Builders Xchange PROUDLY SERVING SARASOTA, MANATEE AND CHARLOTTE’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES SINCE 1952.

In 1952, a small group of 20 Sarasota contractors created the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX).

The goal behind GCBX’s founding was powerful: to serve the community’s building contractors and promote the idea of “Members Doing Business with Members.” Sixty-five years later, GCBX is almost 400 members strong, all licensed professionals who make up a cross-section of the building industry, including contractors, subtractors, suppliers and others from affiliated industries in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

Join the leaders in your industry and become a member today.

(941) 907-7745 AlbaniGustason@gcbx.com

The pledge of the founding members has remained true through the decades.

GCBX members do business with fellow members and are devoted to educating and advocating for colleagues, past, present and future. These same influential members are some of the area’s main employers and economic drivers. They have built homes, schools, stores, hospitals, offices, along with creating thousands of jobs and turning countless dreams into realities.

31

SP ONS OR ED R EPOR T

65

CELEBRATING

1952.............................

1957.............................

A small group formed an organization to serve the needs of local contractors, creating the BUILDERS EXCHANGE.

Formally known as Sarasota General Contractors Association (SGCA), nominated Gil Waters as its first executive secretary.

1991 .........................

2000 .......................

Y E A R S

1983 .........................

GCBX’s long campaign against the regulations resulted in defeat of the moratorium referendum.

GCBX spearheaded a parade involving hundreds of construction vehicles, which snarled morning traffic on U.S. 41 until the last vehicle rolled past the County Administration Center.

2012 .........................

WORKED WITH MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTY OFFICIALS AND SHERIFFS DEPARTMENTS to curb unlicensed contracting.

GCBX SUPPORTED THE RINGLING BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

2013 .......................

SUPPORTED THE BALLOT REFERENDUM FOR TAX ABATEMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MANATEE COUNTY.

2014 .......................

Record membership numbers and completion of the University Town Center, in which many GCBX members were involved.

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SP ONS ORED R EPOR T

1959 ..........................

Volunteer architects and contractors unveiled eight improvement projects, which included THE VAN WEZEL AUDITORIUM AND THE RELOCATION OF SARASOTA CITY HALL.

1962.............................. 1973 ..........................

Sarasota Builders Exchange changed its name to GULF COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE, expanding into Manatee County.

The “Silver Dollar Campaign” had local contractors pay their employees in silver dollars to demonstrate the influence of the construction industry on the area’s economy.

Gulf Coast Builders Xchange

2009.......................

2010 .....................

50%

IN MANATEE COUNTY

AMENDMENT 4, WHICH REQUIRED ANY CHANGES TO A COUNTY’S MASTER PLAN BE APPROVED BY VOTERS.

2015 ........................

2016 .........................

Decreased transportation impact fees by

Mary Forristall, the first female GCBX chair, is appointed and GCBX members lead renovation of the Career Resource Center at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota County.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

DEFEATED

2011

................................

Supported efforts for state funding towards Benderson Park and Aquatic Sports Center to obtain the 2017 WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Supported “FORWARD MANATEE” referendum to support a sales tax for infrastructure and schools. Also, revised Sarasota Comprehensive Plan for next decade.

2017 .........................

HOSTED FIRST ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION RODEO AND RECRUITED TO BUILD ATLANTA BRAVES SPRING TRAINING FACILITY IN SOUTH SARASOTA.

33

SP ONSORED R EPOR T

SIX

REASONS TO JOIN

#1

NETWORKING

Interact with industry leaders

EDUCATION Expand your mind

#3

#4

Your interests are represented by experts

Make a difference in your community

GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY

#5

BE IN THE KNOW Learn about projects first

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#2

COMMUNITY SERVICE

#6

DECISION MAKERS Meet with key players

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Caring About Community.

Tammy Hilliard

Our growth stems from an unwavering discipline towards service for our residents and cost-savings for our communities - all while promoting greater sustainability, cleanliness, and safety in our environment.

SOLID WASTE COLLECTION • RECYCLING • PROCESSING • DISPOSAL www.wasteprousa.com (941) 355-9600 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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65

SP ONS OR ED R EPOR T

CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

BY THE

MIKE BENNETT

numb3rs

F O R M E R S TAT E S E N ATO R

FLORIDA ADDED 35,800 CONSTRUCTION JOBS BETWEEN AUGUST 2016 AND AUGUST 2017.

IN 2015, CONSTRUCTION WAGES AND SALARIES IN FLORIDA TOTALED $20.7 BILLION. CONSTRUCTION WORKERS’ PAY IN FLORIDA AVERAGED $45,800, THE SAME AS ALL PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE.

88% OF CONSTRUCTION FIRMS

SAID THEY PLAN TO INCREASE HIRING. FLORIDA HAD

46,600 CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN 2014, OF WHICH

92% HAD 20 OR FEWER EMPLOYEES. AS OF JUNE 2016, THERE WERE

454,100 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY JOBS IN FLORIDA.

“I have been a member of GCBX for approximately 25 years. I have watched the organization grow and mature into the lead advocate for growth and construction in all of Southwest Florida.

I do not know of any organization that fights harder for its members, has been on the forefront of job creation, and takes a more active interest in local political issues.

GCBX advocates for education, not just the construction workforce, but for the next generation because so many of our members have young children. We fight for educational taxes that make our local schools some of the top in the state.

If a local business wants to belong to an organization that will work for them, then I say Gulf Coast Builders Exchange is and should be your No. 1 choice.”

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

37

65

SP ONS OR ED R EPOR T

CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

JEFFREY E. CHARLOTTE P R E S I D E N T, J. E. CHARLOT TE CONSTRUC TION

GCBX Members: Recruit JUST ONE New Member!

What does the Just One club do for your business?

• Strengthens the voice of our organization in the community to better support you and your business • Gives you access to more Members to do business with • Provides opportunities for more Member-to-Member discounts AND MORE B E C O M E A PA R T O F T H E J U S T O N E C L U B T O D AY !

“GCBX is constantly advocating with local and state government leaders to ensure that a businessfriendly environment is maintained. The commercial construction industry remains challenged by local government’s increased pressure to raise taxes to maintain level of service through ad valorem increases, excise taxes and impact fees all having negative impacts to future growth and with harmful effects to our industry’s workforce. Recently GCBX, in conjunction with the Argus Foundation and other COBA members, was successful in getting the Sarasota County Commission to vote against enacting a 5 percent excise (public service tax) tax to balance its budget.

This PST, if enacted, would have had negative impact on the construction industry’s workforce, which is mostly already qualified as ALICE households.”

( 9 4 1 ) 9 0 7 -7 74 5 A L B A N I G U S TA S O N @ G C B X . O R G

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Southern Cross Contracting, Inc. THE CLEAR CHOICE FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL BUILDING PROJECT Medical • Retail • Restaurants • Educational • Industrial

Certified General Contractors CGC 025894 Design/Build - Construction Managers

Steven Johnson

Certified General Contractor / President Licensed • Bonded • Insured Phone (941) 927.1919 / Fax (941) 927.8986 389 Interstate Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34240 Email: sjohnson@sccsarasota.com • www.southerncrosscontracting.com

MARCH 20, 2018 GCBX MEMBERS KNOW THE FUTURE OF THEIR INDUSTRY LIES IN THE ABILITY TO ATTRACT TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE TO THEIR PROFESSIONS. This year, GCBX hosted its first annual Construction Rodeo.

Held at Manatee Technical College, GCBX’s rodeo attracted more than 350 high school students to hear about the occupational opportunities in construction from 35 local businesses. More than 50 GCBX members supported this educational venture, which also featured hands-on activities and guest speakers.

GCBX is now reaching out to young people for internships and apprenticeships to ensure quality.

For more information call (941) 907-7745.

65 CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

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941CEO

Train The Workers You Need Develop skills for your workers in the construction trades at Manatee Technical College.

No employee, student, applicant for admission or applicant for employment, volunteer, vendor, or member of the public, shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender orientation, disability, marital status, age, religion, or any other basis prohibited by law, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination or harassment under any educational programs, activities, services, or in any employment conditions, policies or practices conducted by the School District of Manatee County.

Solar. Simply Brilliant.

Designing and installing solar power systems for homes, businesses and nonprofits since 2009.

• Lower or eliminate monthly utility bills • Reduce your carbon footprint • Increase your home’s value • Enjoy expert installation by trained, trusted Brilliant Harvest employees - not subcontractors

We are a Tesla Energy Certified Installer of the Tesla Powerwall 2.0. Call us to learn how you can enjoy energy security with solar + the Powerwall!

(941) 359-3700 • BrilliantHarvest.com Contractor license #CVC56791 • NABCEP certified NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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SP ONS OR ED R EPOR T

CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FROM LEFT: Michael

Bennett, BRIGHT FUTURE ELECTRIC; Lemuel Sharp III, SHARP PROPERTIES, INC.; Jason Swift, JON F. SWIFT CONSTRUCTION; Paul Stehle, CLIMATIC CONDITIONING COMPANY; Brett Raymaker, WILLIS SMITH CONSTRUCTION; Russ Bobbitt, PURMORT & MARTIN INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC; Mary Forristall, FORRISTALL ENTERPRISES, INC.; John Brown, ATTORNEYS’ TITLE FUND SERVICES LLC; Mary Dougherty, GCBX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; Bill North Jr., HILL, BARTH & KING, LLC; Kevin Hicks, 2017 GCBX Chairman, GATOR GRADING & PAVING; Chuck Jacobson, AQUA PLUMBING & AIR; Mark Freeman, MCINTYRE, ELWELL & STRAMMER GC’S; Darrell Turner, BURKE CONSTRUCTION GROUP; Doug Sutter, SUTTER ROOFING COMPANY. NOT PICTURED: Brian Leaver, TANDEM CONSTRUCTION; David Karins, KARINS ENGINEERING GROUP, INC.; Jeff Charlotte, J.E. CHARLOTTE CONSTRUCTION; Steve Padgett, FAWLEY BRYANT ARCHITECTS, INC.

M A RY F O R R I S TA L L , F I R S T F E M A L E G C BX C H A I R F O R R I S TA L L D E M O L I T I O N

“The business members of GCBX live and work in this community. We live to serve its residents, to make our communities the best place to raise a family and earn a living. GCBX uniquely provides building assistance to civic and charitable endeavors throughout the year, like the Teen Court obstacle park.”

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941CEO

Roofs in Florida are often put to the test, which can lead to damage SINCE 1902 that needs to be repaired. Sutter Roofing can help solve your problem! We provide detailed estimates and timely service with the industry’s best warranties!

Call SUTTER ROOFING for all your roofing needs (800) 741.0090 ︱sutterroofing.com

GARY A. WOOD

PRESIDENT gary@concretesolutionsus.com (941) 724-6102 MASON CONTRACTOR STRUCTURAL CONCRETE RENOVATION SPECIALIZING IN BRICK AND NATURAL STONE CONSTRUCTION

1610 12TH STREET E., UNIT B PALMETTO, FL 34221 CGC1524898

CONCRETESOLUTIONSUS.COM NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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SP ONS OR ED R EPOR T

CELEBRATING

UPCOMING EVENTS

Y E A R S

NOV 17, 2017 Sporting Clays Tournament at Knight’s Trail

DEC 6, 2017 Holiday Social at Polo Grill

FEB 1, 2018 66th Annual Installation and Awards Dinner

Keynote Speaker: Jimmy Patronis, Florida CFO Hyatt Regency, Sarasota

JOHN BROWN AT TO R N E Y S ’ T I T L E F U N D S E R V I C E S L L C

“We are shaping and crafting a healthier construction industry for the youth of our area.

We’re also fostering a stronger relationship with governmental officials to create a better business environment for the future of Sarasota-Manatee.”

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941CEO

Advanced Masonry Systems is proud to support the Gulf Coast Business Exchange.

CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS STRUCTURAL CONCRETE FLOORS - SIDEWALKS SITE PAVING – HEADWALLS

SOUTH LLC

6298 ZENO CIRCLE PORT CHARLOTTE, FL 33981 (813) 284-4716 WWW.JJBSOUTH.COM

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

45

SP ONS ORED R EPOR T

65 CELEBRATING

Y E A R S

GCBX, owned by its members, is a not-for-profit corporation operating as a trade organization under the guidance of a volunteer board of directors as representatives of the industry.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR 2017 KEYSTONE SPONSORS:

DIAMOND SPONSOR

P L AT I N U M S P O N S O R S

GOLD SPONSORS

S I LV E R S P O N S O R S

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941CEO

Grapevine Communications

Preferred Materials, Inc

Adams and Reese LLP

Guignard Company

Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency, LLC

Andersen Race Park

Gulf Coast Signs of Sarasota, Inc.

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Aqua Plumbing and Air

Hill, Barth & King, LLC

S.J. Collins Enterprises

Bright Future Electric

Juniper Landscaping

SouthTech

Climatic Conditioning Company, Inc.

Karins Engineering Group Inc.

Superior Asphalt, Inc

Coastal Wealth, Bob Blaikie

Kast Construction

Waste Pro USA

E.T. Mackenzie of Florida, Inc.

Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.

Wilson Structural Consultants

Fawley Bryant Architects

McIntyre Elwell & Strammer GC, Inc.

941CEO

asolorep world class theatre • made in sarasota

JAN 12 – MAR 28 PREVIEWS JAN 10 – 11

941.351.8000 asolorep.org

an “ absolute

joy from

beginning to

end.”

—Daily Express

Based on the screenplay by MARC NORMAN and TOM | STOPPARD | Adapted for the stage by LEE HALL | Music by PADDY CUNNEEN | Directed by RACHEL ROCKWELL |

SPONSORS

BIZ BITES TALK ● BY RUTH LANDO

Dining While You Deal Five restaurants conducive to quiet conversation.

Michael’s On East

Sophie’s

This second-floor restaurant, rooftop terrace bar and lounge isn’t just for well-heeled Saks Fifth Avenue shoppers sharing salads. This unique space, only the second in the country created to honor couture maven Sophie Gimbel (the other is in Chicago), has gained traction for its tucked-away dining room and its inventive menu of fresh, healthy food—the portions, thankfully, are not dainty—for lunch and dinner.

(Check evening hours as private social events can commandeer the entire place.) Creative cocktails, wines, beers and ciders change with the seasons, as do starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées, sides and splurgy desserts. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Mall at University Town Center, 120 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota, (941) 364-5300, sophies.com.

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Old World ambiance at Cafe L'Europe

EVOQ

Although it’s not on the water, this big-city style restaurant uses a coastal theme of glass, wood and textiles to evoke a sense of oceanic elegance and flair. Wood-fired proteins and sustainable seafood form the core of a traditional menu dubbed “comfort food, done light,” while served in a soaring, impressive space on the second floor.

The airy, floor-to-ceiling windows open to an outdoor patio that offers sunshine with your meal, but for top-shelf views take the elevator upstairs to the 19th floor Roof Bar & Eats. There you can order libations and food at a poolside table, bar stool or cabana while making your best pitch. But beware—business dialogue might take a back seat to the spectacular display of Sarasota’s bayfront and downtown. The Westin Sarasota, 1175 N. Gulfstream Ave., Sarasota, (941) 2608255, evoqsarasota.com.

Café L’Europe

Since 1973 this oldie but goodie has provided continental cuisine and wellcurated wines from America and Europe in a building that was once John Ringling’s real estate office. Eating outside on St. Armands Circle or the veranda has its charms, but for more concentrated conversation, dine inside where the brick arches, Spanish tile and

artful ambiance convey an Old World elegance. The DiRōNA Achievement of Distinction in Dining and Wine Spectator Award of Excellence speak to the quality of the Dutch- and Germaninfluenced specialties, while tableside service and retro menu feature stars such as Dover sole and steak Diane.

431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, (951) 388-4415, cafeleurope.net.

Indigenous

Chef-driven and always surprising, charming Towles Court eatery Indigenous offers unique, locally sourced menu items to match its one-of-a-kind setting. The bill of fare includes seasonally changing starters and “hook to fork” fish, local vegetables, grains and sustainable animal proteins as well as selective wine and beer choices. Whether you settle into the intimate main room, back room or outdoors, you’ll be treated to fresh flavors at their peak and bold pairings that defy business as usual.

With an earnest and serious philosophy about ethical nourishment and a lot of talent front and back of the house, the total experience of Indigenous inspires meaningful interaction. 239 S. Links Ave., Sarasota, (941) 706-4740, indigenoussarasota.com. π 941CEO

JENN SOOS

At 30, this bastion of prize-winning American dining and sophisticated decor is ever the social and business HQ for Sarasota’s cognoscenti. New restaurants and bistros come and go, but here the ambient lighting, wellspaced tables and cushy banquettes, deep wine list, inventive menu and silky smooth “supper club” ambiance keep on keeping on. MOE has 28 consecutive AAA Four-Diamond Awards. Meet for mainstays like the legacy Colony snapper, the pan-roasted Chilean sea bass or the hand-cut prime steaks aged at least 25 days. Or talk shop over one of the monthly Epicurean Adventure menus from around the globe. You’ll feel like a bigwig. 1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota, (941) 366-0007, bestfood.com.

A D G, I’M NOT. I WAS BORN FOR A PURPOSE. TRAINED TO HELP HER. SHE HOLDS ME WHEN SHE’S AFRAID, WHISPERS THAT I SAVED HER — THAT I AM HER BRIGHTEST STAR. I AM HER GUIDE, HER SUPPORT, HER FRIEND. A DOG, I’M NOT.

We provide all dogs and services free of charge. We receive no government funding.

WITH ME, SHE SEES THE WORLD.

1.800.944.3647 I GuideDogs.org

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

Queen of Hearts Karen Solem looks back on a best-selling career working with romance authors. ● BY DAVID HACKETT

F

OR SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T CONSIDER HERSELF PARTICUL ARLY ROMANTIC, K AREN SOLEM KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO TURN HEARTS AFLUT TER. First as an editor and publisher and then, for the past 20 years, as an agent, Solem has been one of the most influential figures in the genre of romance fiction, discovering author Nora Roberts and helping to launch the careers of bestselling writers such as Sandra Brown, Barbara Delinsky and Janet Evanovich.

Solem, whose Spencerhill Associates literary agency is headquartered on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch, sat down with 941CEO to reflect on lessons from five decades in the book industry.

Karen Solem

you.’ Our goal at Silhouette was to publish four books every other month. By the time I left, we were publishing 26 to 28 books every month, so Dick more than got his wish about getting back at Harlequin.”

“It’s fair to say that I discovered Nora Roberts, and I published her first 100 books. I knew right away with Nora.

There was such passion and emotion in her stories. She grasped immediately what readers like. You can pick up one of her books and think you’ll skim through it and you’ll be completely hooked. When a lot of people think of romance, it’s Fifty Shades of Grey. But it’s not. Most people skip over ‘He put his hand there or she did this.’ You read what brings people together. You’re interested in the hopefulness of the relationship. You want to think that the story ends well for this woman.”

that path. Some people have a hard time deciding what they want to do. But I think that sometimes you just need to find a fit and see where it takes you.”

“My first big break in 1980 was getting hired at Simon and Schuster to start their Silhouette imprint. Simon and Schuster had been the distributor for Harlequin, the leading publisher of romance novels. Harlequin fired Simon and Schuster, and our CEO Dick Snyder said, ‘I’ll get even with 50

“My bosses at Simon and Schuster, Dick Snyder and Ron Busch, were always on the ‘10 Worst Bosses’ lists, but I learned a lot from them.

I found out early that you never BS your way through a meeting. If you don’t know the answer, say you don’t know and then go out and get the answer. Dick Snyder was the kind of guy who would call me into his office and say, ‘Cookie, here is another lesson in power.’ He would then call somebody out of the blue and just ream them out and have me sit there and listen to it. I had one or two encounters when he tried to take that approach with me and I reminded him that my contract really meant nothing to me and I was happy to walk out of the office and not come back. Once he realized that I would not allow him to treat me like he did many people, we didn’t have any problems. But, as I said, I learned a lot from him that proved useful, including always knowing who your next hire is going to be, well before the 941CEO

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPENCERHILLASSOCIATES.COM

“Growing up on Long Island in New York, I was a shy, interior child. I spent a lot of time reading. And I always thought that could translate into a career. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I never wavered from

opening comes up. I was always looking for that person.

Dick also told me to tell him the truth, even if it was not what he wanted to hear, and that is what I want from the people who work for me.”

“Nothing about publishing was 9 to 5. I would work all day and then come home and read. You had to do that work at home and on the weekends because you could not get the time and the quiet to concentrate at the office. You didn’t have much of a life, but my life really was publishing. I loved books and authors. When I traveled, I would go to bookstores and ask what people were reading.

I was just immersed in the whole process of publishing. One of the things I liked most about that time

is that authors had a chance to find their voice. We would publish four or five books before a writer might take off.

That’s no longer the case, unfortunately.”

“When I left publishing 20 years ago, I had had enough of the corporate culture and the stresses of working in New York. I was unemployed and wondering what was the next phase. I decided what I did well was working with writers. Instead of walking that fine line between publisher and author, I could be the author’s advocate exclusively. It’s a move I’ve never regretted. I’ve taken some writers who were not publishable and made them best sellers. So even though I walked away from a big job in which I made a lot of money, I ended up finding the most fulfilling job of my entire career.”

“I think everyone can write a book. The question is: What kind of book can you write? Can you write a good book that you’re actually interested in enough to finish?

I’ve seen things available digitally where the author is bored. You get to chapter eight and the author says this happened, that happened, end of the story. A lot of people today want to put a book out there because it’s going to make them money, change their life or it’s going to buy them respect, but it’s not going to do any of those things.

Like acting, there are a ton of people writing who make no money at all.” ■ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

STEVE HALL, CEBS, CSFS, CHRP Market President LWRBA Member ALLTRUSTINSURANCE.COM

941-713-6187

51

FAST TRACK TALK MOVERS, SHAKERS & HEADLINE MAKERS POSITIONS TAKEN

▶▶ J E N N I F E R J O H N S T O N , senior community investment officer; W E N DY D E M I N G , promoted to chief operating officer; and E R I C A F U R O , promoted to knowledge management officer, Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

52

▶▶

JULIE GL ADDEN

CEO,

▶ ▶ K I M B E R LY G N A D T , promoted to operations manager, Ryntal Property Management. ▶ ▶ J O E L F R E E D M A N , director of land planning, Shumaker Advisors Florida, a division of the law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick.

BARRE , M.D. ,

▶▶ M E L I S S A W E N D E L , procurement official, Sarasota County government. ▶▶ R O N M C L A U R I N , promoted to director of transportation and logistics, Goodwill Manasota.

▶ ▶ E R I N H U R T E R , visitor experience manager, Visit Sarasota County. ▶ ▶ M A R I E B Y R D , director, School of Education; and L E E W I L L I A M S , interim

orthopedic surgeon; J U S T I N R AY E D .O. , interventional pain management specialist; and S A N D I WA L L , promoted to chief marketing officer, Sarasota Orthopedic Associates.

DANA JOHNS TON,

JODI RUBERG

JULIE GLADDEN BARRE, M.D.

▶ ▶ TA N U J B A N K E R , M . D . , vitreo-retinal surgeon, Center for Sight. ▶▶ G E O R G E M C G O N A G I L L , vice president of facilities, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay.

▶▶

InStride Therapy.

▶ ▶ R A FA E L P I TA , M . D . , family practice physician; and A L E X A N D E R B A J O R E K , M . D . , physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System’s First Physicians Group. ▶▶ A P R I L L . F L E M I N G , director of education programs, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. ▶▶ J O C E N E H E N D E R S O N , director of veterans services, JFCS of the Suncoast.

▶▶ J O D I R U B E R G , commercial litigation attorney, law firm of KirkPinkerton. ▶ ▶ PAT R I C K D U G G A N , employment law attorney, law firm of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick.

JAMIE KOEPSEL

ERICA FURO

WENDY DEMING

▶ ▶ W YAT T C H O C K L E T T , chief operating officer, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. ▶ ▶ N AT H A N B R U E M M E R , executive director, ALSO Youth.

regional vice chancellor for advancement, USF SarasotaManatee. ▶▶ L A U R E L C O R R I V E A U , director of client relations, The Otto Group at High Tower.

RAFAEL PITA, M.D.

WYATT CHOCKLETT

art curator; and S A R A H C A R T W R I G H T , promoted to Ulla R. Searing curator of collections, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

TANUJ BANKER, M.D.

Asian

MELISSA WENDEL

R H I A N N O N PA G E T ,

ERIN HURTER

▶▶

▶▶ J A M I E K O E P S E L , corporate and tax law attorney, law firm of Williams Parker. ▶▶ H O G A N C H A P P E L L , property project manager, Gulf Coast Property Management. ▶ ▶ M A R K B L A C K , promoted to general manager, northern division; T I M R E Y N O L D S , comfort specialist;

941CEO

GENEROCITY A

MAGAZINE PRODUCTION

THE SECOND ANNUAL NONPROFIT SHOWCASE

FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE CHARITABLE COMMUNITY A casual, no-ask event, allowing you to interact face to face with a diverse range of dozens of the area’s nonprofits.

Presented by

Presented by

Presented by

JANUARY 16

JANUARY 17

JANUARY 18

SKY FAMILY YMCA

GOLD COAST EAGLE

SARASOTA RINGLING EXHIBITION HALL

701 Center Road Venice, FL 34285

7051 Wireless Court Sarasota, FL 34240

2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234

VENICE

5:30–7:30 p.m.

TICKETS

LAKEWOOD RANCH

sarasotamagazine.com/generocity2018

5:30–7:30 p.m.

5:30–7:30 p.m.

$40 $25 Early Bird Special through Dec. 1, 2017 New Subscribers Special: FREE ADMISSION Use promo code “getinvolved” at checkout

EVENT WILL SELL OUT—SAVE THE DATE!

FAST TRACK TALK

C A I T LY N S A N D E R S O N , membership manager, Center for Architecture Sarasota. ▶▶ J O E M A N T K O W S K I , promoted to general manager, landscape division, ArtisTree Landscape, Maintenance & Design. ▶ ▶ J A M I E S E R I N O , executive director, Take Stock in Children of Manatee County.

ACCOLADES

includes Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties. ▶ ▶ M A N AT E E C O U N T Y is the first Florida county government to achieve Platinum-certified status from the Florida Green Building Coalition. ▶ ▶ R O B E R T E S S N E R was named chairman of the board of Mote Marine Laboratory. ▶ ▶ M I C H A E L J . W I L S O N of the law firm of Williams Parker was named chair of the board of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. ▶ ▶ The C E N T R A L W E S T

B . G R I M E S was elected president of the Service Club of Manatee County. ▶▶

C L I F F O R D L . WA LT E R S

I I I , C H A R L E S F. J O H N S O N ,

MATTHEW J. LAPOINTE

and C H A R L I E E R R I T T , commercial estimator, Conditioned Air. ▶ ▶ TA M M Y H A U S E R , executive director; and

magazine for its work on a 5,000-square-foot Sarasota home. ▶▶

CHRIS TINE ROBINSON

and G R E G L I N E H A N joined the board of Suncoast Charities for Children.

MOVING AND OPENING ▶▶

FOUR WINDS NET WORK

moved its North American corporate headquarters to 72 Sarasota Center Blvd. in Sarasota. ▶ ▶ David Shugol opened SERVICES

M AT T H E W J . L A P O I N T E

KEEPSAKE FIREARMS

and R O B E R T G . B L A L O C K of Blalock Walters; D AV I D

Bradenton.

APPR AISAL SERVICE

in

B OY E T T E , T H O M A S

▶▶

and J A S O N T. G A S K I L L of the Sarasota office of Adams and Reese; B R E N D A PAT T E N and E VA N B E R L I N of Berlin Patten Ebling; and C H A R L E S D . B A I L E Y J R . , J O H N T.

& E AT E R Y

M A N A G E M E N T G R O U P,

BERTE AU, RIC GREGORIA ,

S A R A S O TA V I S I T O R S

$250,000 to $1 million;

MICHELE B. GRIMES, J.

C E N T E R moved to 1945 Fruitville Road in The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce building. ▶ ▶ Laure Weissman opened

E AT S R E S TA U R A N T A N D G A L L E R Y,

under $250,000;

W I L L I A M S W E A LT H

B L A L O C K WA LT E R S , P. A . ,

$1 million and over; and the PA C E C E N T E R F O R G I R L S , top nonprofit. ▶ ▶ D R . J U DY S M I T H was reappointed president of the board of Hope Family Services. ▶▶

M I C H A E L’ S O N E A S T

won its first Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence” after 25 consecutive years of winning the “Award of Excellence.” ▶ ▶ B I L L J O H N S O N of Brilliant Harvest was elected to the board of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association. ▶▶

NEW COLLEGE OF

once again was named one of the country’s top undergraduate colleges

by The Princeton Review. ▶ ▶ New College campus police chief M I C H A E L K E S S I E was elected director of the Florida Police Chiefs Association District 1, which FLORIDA

54

COA S T CHAP TER OF THE FLORIDA PUBLIC R E L AT I O N S A S S O C I AT I O N

was named 2017 Florida Chapter of the Year at FPRA’s annual conference, and these members were CHERAY KEYES-SHIMA

The Manatee Chamber of Commerce’s 38th annual Small Business of the Year awards went to: A R T S & ▶▶

MICHAEL HARTENS TINE , WILLIAM M. SEIDER, JAMES

Z ACHARY B.

BUFFINGTON

and E . J O H N of Williams Parker were named to The Best Lawyers in America 2018. ▶ ▶ The Sarasota S I R S P E E DY received a Top 10 Sales Volume award recognizing the business as one of the top 10 in the worldwide Sir Speedy franchise network. ▶ ▶ M E L O D I E R I C H was named a partner at the CPA firm of Mauldin & Jenkins. ▶▶ J M X B R A N D S , D B A D U T C H C R A F T E R S , placed 2449 on Inc. Magazine’s 2017 list of 5,000 fastestgrowing private companies in the United States. ▶ ▶ E L L I E B A R B E R and L . TURNER

WA G N E R I I

recognized: C H E R AY K E Y E S S H I M A of KSC Advertising & Public Relations received the John Dillen Professional Award; J O E C U R L E Y was named FPRA statewide member of the year; S H A R O N K U N K E L was named to the 2017 Joe Curley Rising Leader Class; TA R A P O U LT O N and R H O N D A L E I B E R I C K became state board members; and LY N N H O B E C K B AT E S joined the state executive committee. ▶▶

H. DART

and

DOUGL AS J. ELMORE

were named shareholders of Williams Parker; and shareholder M I C H E L E

WILHELMINE WIESEROMETSCH, M.D. , have joined the board of Lighthouse of Manasota. ▶▶

WICKED SMART HOMES

won a gold “Smart Home of the Year” award from CE Pro

M E L L I E ’ S N E W YO R K D E L I

opened at 4650 S.R. 64 in Bradenton. ▶ ▶ T H E H U B moved to 1343 Main St. in downtown Sarasota. ▶ ▶ The V I S I T S A R A S O TA COUNT Y DOWNTOWN

MY SPEECH THER APY C O N N E C T I O N at 6170 S.R. 70 E., Suite 103, in Bradenton. ▶▶

B R AV O C O A S TA L B A R

opened at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail in Westfield Siesta Key. ▶ ▶ T H E C R A F T B A R opened at 529 Pineapple Ave. in Sarasota. ▶ ▶ Drs. Anthony Wasem and Jina Foltz opened R E V I TA L I Z E C H I R O P R A C T I C at 3544 Clark Road in Sarasota.

& KITCHEN

▶▶

HOMEWOOD SUITES

B Y H I LT O N S A R A S O TA L A K E W O O D R A N C H opened adjacent to University Town Center in Sarasota. ▶ ▶ V I N E YA R D V I N E S , a clothing boutique, opened at The Mall at UTC. ▶▶

N O E L A C H O C O L AT E A N D

has opened at 1405 First St. in downtown Sarasota.■ CONFEC TIONS

941CEO

A BIKING ACCIDENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. A BIKING ACCIDENT A FLOATING THAT CHANGED VILLAGE IN PARIS. EVERYTHING. CONVENIENCE A FLOATING STORE MADE OF FELT. VILLAGE IN PARIS. PEOPLE. IDEAS. NATURE. CREATIVITY. A CONVENIENCE ONE DAY. COUNTLESS EXPERIENCES. STORE MADE OF FELT. THIS IS PINC. PEOPLE. IDEAS. NATURE. CREATIVITY. ONE DAY. COUNTLESS EXPERIENCES. Sarasota Opera House Thursday, December 7th

THIS IS PINC. TICKETS ON SALE NOW Sarasota Opera House Visit PINCexperience.com Thursday, December 7th for more information.

TICKETS PRESENTED BY ON SALE NOW Visit PINCexperience.com for more information.

PRESENTED BY

THE SEEN TALK

1

2

4

5

GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL MEETING PHOTOGRAPHY BY LORI SAX

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1 Mike Lally, Jen Storch, Frank Morgan, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 2 Ron Turner, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections 3 Brittany Lamont, Sarasota Chamber; Hagen Brody, Sarasota City Commissioner 4 Jennifer Compton, Ryan Nichols, Ben Hanan, Shumaker Loop 5 Vann Smith, Julie Shaffer, Joseph Dunn, ABC7 6 Raja Bagby, Joe Ambrose, Kristen Fulmer, Kristyn Shoop, Matt Antonucci, Comcast Spotlight 7 Sofie Wachtmeister, Kate Knepper, Mote Marine Laboratory

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Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity Committee, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe & Booker High School ARE BRINGING BACK

WEARE SARASOTA

the inspiring story of Sarasota’s journey from the segregated 1950s to the rich multicultural community that it is today as told through courtroom drama, song & dance.

Written, produced and directed by Charles E. Williams, Charlie Ann Syprett and Nate Jacobs

STARRING WBTT, BOOKER HIGH SCHOOL’S DANCE & THEATER STUDENTS AND SARASOTA’S OWN JUDGES, LAWYERS AND CIVIC LEADERS MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2018 – 7 PM VIP RECEPTION 5:30 PM SARASOTA OPERA HOUSE GET READY FOR THE RETURN OF SARASOTA’S MOST POWERFUL PERFORMANCE TICKETS STARTING AT $75 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION SARASOTABAR.COM/PAGE/WEARESARASOTA OR CALL (941) 350-1089

THE SEEN TALK

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VENICE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONSUMER EXPO

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1 Monica Yadav, Susan Rachles, Colleen Carver, Doctors Hospital 2 Meghann Bickel, Carrie Kunda, Sarasota Memorial Hospital 3 Tiffany Steffes, A Catered Affair; Wayne Welsh, Gulf Shores Realty 4 Andrea Arnold, Debra Mattar, Venice Area Chamber of Commerce 5 John Esquivel, Jerry Grissom, Pam Sandlin, Arrow Environmental Services 6 J.R Smith, Shelley Jennings, Nancy Drake, Peggy Sutton, West Villages Realty 7 Kim Jones, Mary Daveluy, Miriam Baez, Venice Regional Bayfront Health 8 Pam Insani, Judy Sweet, Eye Associates 9 Laura Housel, Julia Czyz, Millennium Physician Group

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LORI SAX

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MORE SEEN PHOTOS AT 941CEO.COM

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THE ARGUS FOUNDATION MEET THE LEADERS 1 Josh Tomlinson, ME&S; Jason Swift, Jon F. Swift General Contractors 2 Ryan Portugal, Gail Farb, Williams Parker 3 Mireya Eavey, United Way; Deborah Chapman, Career Edge 4 Colonel Kurt Hoffman, Sheriff Tom Knight, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office; Patrick Wright, CBIZ Insurance 5 Nicole Murby, Easter Seals Southwest Florida; Pam Truitt, Truitt Consulting; Marlene Simons, Pines of Sarasota; Deborah Chapman, Career Edge 6 Todd Bowden, Sarasota County Schools Superintendent 7 Kelly Caldwell, Caldwell Trust; Christine Robinson, The Argus Foundation; Jeff Charlotte, Charlotte Construction 8 Kelly Howard, Darren Howard, Atlas Insurance; Keith Mercier, CBIZ Insurance; Michelle Young, Education Foundation of Sarasota County

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LORI SAX

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7 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

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OFF THE CLOCK TALK ● BY KATHERINE FLANDERS

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arasota native Alex Floethe returned home nine years ago to work with his half-brother Mike Quillen, co-owner of the Gecko’s Group of restaurants. After working in payroll and accounting, Floethe started his own restaurant brand inside the Gecko’s Group, Smacks Burgers & Shakes. When he’s not climbing the corporate ladder, the 33-year-old climbs mountains.

“I’ve always been active,” says Floethe, who backpacks, plays tennis and soccer. But climbing, something he discovered in his early teens, is a passion.

MENUS AND MOUNTAINS In 2015, Floethe spent more than a year planning to scale Mount Everest before an earthquake caused the climbing route to close for the season. He quickly arranged an alternative climb with a group of friends and family to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. The group did a six-day climb, raising $30,000 for a local orphanage in Tanzania where his sister was doing philanthropic work.

In June, Floethe was one of two members of his climbing group—which included his sister, brother-in-law and niece—who made it to Everest’s base

“SETBACKS ARE PART OF BUSINESS, AS THEY ARE A PART OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. YOU TRY AND YOU FAIL AND YOU TRY AGAIN UNTIL SOMETHING STICKS.”

camp after an 18-day climb. A regimen of running, tennis and climbing keeps him fit. Skiing double black diamond slopes in the Aspen Highlands before the Everest ascent allowed him to acclimate to the altitude. Reaching the summit wasn’t a goal on this trip.

“My business partners wanted me to come back in one piece,” he quips, “and the trip up to base camp was plenty challenging.”

Floethe, who manages 30 employees, finds arduous climbing to be restorative.

“Climbing offers a reset without the distraction of technology and everyday life,” he says. “Setbacks are part of business, as they are a part of mountain climbing. You try and you fail and you try again until something sticks.”

Floethe is considering opening another Smacks in downtown Sarasota.

But he’s already making plans to climb Machu Picchu in Peru. “Sometimes, to do what you love, you have to force yourself to not be busy,” he says. ■

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX FLOETHE

A smiling Alex Floethe climbing the Himalayas last summer.

Restaurateur Alex Floethe scales the world’s top peaks.

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941CEO

YOUR CALLING IS OUR MISSION

Health Care isn’t just an occupation It’s a commitment between you and your patient that promotes health and wellness; It’s serving people when they are most vulnerable; It’s your desire to make a difference; And it starts with a high quality education.

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) can help students interested in becoming a physician, pharmacist or dentist answer that calling. LECOM is the largest* and one of the most affordable medical schools in the nation. LECOM leads the nation in medical* school applicants and it is a top ten* ranked college for preparing primary care physicians.

For more information, visit LECOM.edu * U.S. News and World Report Best Medical Colleges

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