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While black Americans as a whole enjoyed less economic prosperity growth as the nation’s economy grew, those in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area enjoyed greater strides than in any part of the country. A study released by Lending Tree shows the region ranked No. 1 in terms of financial progress achieved by blacks. “The gap is shrinking in the region,” said Kali McFadden, lead research analyst.

Notably, the report didn’t find the same trend nationwide. From 2013 to 2018, black Americans enjoyed a boost in prosperity during post-recession economic expansion. But economic gains within the demographic were disproportionately less than the nation as a whole. The unemployment rate for black Americans in 2018 was 10.6% but at 5% overall. Median household incomes remain 33% below the national average. And while median individual earnings for black workers grew 7.1% over five years, that’s less than the 9% growth for

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Brady Photos by Christine trade to the Southof international offices. about the importance Buqueras talks Lee County Economic Development Director Carlos the first-ever stop at Port Manatee Executive during the Port’s west Florida market

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IN THE NEWS

to Dave Gammon elevated Charlotte EDO director

in the wake of Charlotte County, joinLucienne Pears former director Partners at Babcock ing Kitson and former Business Ranch, elevated and interim Recruitment Supervisor to executive director Dave Gammon Economic Developdirector of the ment Office. face in reGammon is a familiar he development as gional economic three years with his has proven in EDO. County Charlotte continue leading He is excited to like developments several existing page 19

Florida to communities in second one of four host as part of the Lee County was from seven countries welcome companiesTrade Summit. Manatee, annual International International Trade Hub at Port Fort Lauseries visited Organized by The one day Business opportunity ota and Tampa for the 2019 Global Bradenton/Saras derdale, Fort Myers,to 29. 26 Office, Southwest each from Aug. ReEconomic Development and the Southwest The Lee County Chamber of Commerce the event, which Florida Hispanic Association co-hosted gional Manufacturers Gulf Railway. Chile, Colombia, was sponsored Seminole from Argentina, other locales International companies Spain, Peru and Mexico, goods, artisanal apparel, El Salvador, Guatemala, food, coffee, fruits, cooking systems featured wine, snack and state-of-the-art to merchandise companies Lee County industryof founded as part summit showcases during the summit. Trade Hub at Port Manatee, and An expo-style from seven nations markets in Florida and business leaders visiting Summit. The International International Trade advice as a vital link between provides expert See page 6 the second annual in 2014, serves world. The hub TRADE throughout the

ENEURS h SALUTE TO ENTREPR poised for growt and Business Intermediary Proess Advisors experi- a CertifiedMergers & Acquisitions transaction Edison Busin the IBBA ap- Certified designations from ence totaling partner and

GAMMON See

Privacy & Cyber Security d Forum announce

& Cyber SeA special Privacy held on Friwill be at curity Forum 9 a.m. to noon day, Nov. 8, fromNews Community the Naples Daily room. Companies will William C. Huff and insponsor the informational for the community. teractive forum forum is for atThe goal of the clearer undera tendees to gain keep their famito standing of how businesses private. lies, wealth and FORUM See page

in fi$170 fessional a Eric Gall, managing with a concentration proximately for Edison Avenue, won and an MBAthe University of Michigan. broker of record brokerage and lower million. Gall transactions and nance from leading business Gall in business the 2018, 2016 and acquisitions Niehaus, Bro- Assisting middle market mergers Pfeffer, Steven 2014 Business significant changes No. 1 are Michael and Phillip Reda. firm, is announcing kers of Florida Edward Valaitis Business Adto operations. Top Dollar Producer to rebrand itself Pfeffer joins Edison of business The firm has decided over 20 years Award for Southwest Advisors” to better out visors with experience, including 12 as “Edison Business service offerings, Florida, beating busi- transactionbusiness brokerage franchise communicate addedbusiness appraisals, Gall a over 90 other He is years as Southwest Florida. Pfeffer is a including certified appraisals and certiness brokers. owner in Certified certified equipment Business Brokers Board Certified Intermediary, International an and also page 6 strategies. See fied exit EDISON Chairman’s Circle mergers and acquisiBrokerage and led by Association Award winner. Eric holds continue to be tions efforts will 20 years of business Deal Maker Gall. He has over OPENING

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Hoffmann Family buys Hertz Arena, Everblades

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The Hoffmann Family of Companies has entered into an agreement to purchase the Florida Everblades and the Hertz Arena. Plans are underway for a complete renovation of the 8,284-seat, multipurpose arena. The improvements will include enhanced skyboxes, food services and installation of a state-ofthe-art scoreboard. Hertz Arena, which opened in 1998 as Everblades Arena, hosts a variety of events including concerts, Cirque du Soleil, Disney on Ice, boxing and trade shows. The venue offers

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25 suites, two additional ice rinks, a private club and a pub, Breakaway Sports Pub. The arena is also home to the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles club hockey team of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. “We are optimistic that all of the 330 employees will remain with the Hoffmann Family of Companies,” said Craig Brush, Florida Everblades President and General Manager, who signed a five-year contract and has a commitment from all his senior staff to remain in place. “We are thrilled to be acquired by

A specially focused monthly section exploring the SWFL commercial real estate marketplace.

IN THE NEWS

Fort Myers sixth Business Summit slated for Sept. 20

Holly Bell addresses citrus growers about the 25,000-plus uses for industrial hemp, which can now be grown legally in Florida

Cannabis chief promises rich stash for hemp growers Special to SWFBT Submitted By: Jacob Ogles, Editor

SUMMIT See page 7

When other states started authorizing farmers to grow hemp, it didn’t take long to realize there was no place to sell it. Because no structures had been put in place for processing and manufacturing plants, state officials found themselves rushing a regulatory structure through so farmers could offload their first harvests. Holly Bell, Florida’s first Director of Cannabis, plans to learn from that mistake. She said the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will make sure all parts of the burgeoning hemp industry can move forward as soon as new rules unroll later this fall. “When our farmers are ready for a cash flow, we want to encourage them to get going,” she said.

Applications being accepted for the 25th Blue Chip Award The 25th Annual Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award application deadline is fast approaching. The Blue Chip Community Business Award recognizes successful, small businesses in Lee, Collier or Charlotte County that have overcome adversity to achieve success. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, Sept. 4. The independent judges select the honoree after all the applications AWARD See page 19

Bell spoke in August at the Citrus Expo and Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo, where growers from around the region gathered to hear her discuss this new and just recently legal product to diversify their inventory. Just a few years ago, there were no legal reasons to grow cannabis in Florida. Now, medical marijuana dispensaries pop up in more shopping centers each week. Soon, farmers will grow non-narcotic hemp crops. With the 2018 federal farm bill allowing hemp to grow, a budding industry will soon emerge in Florida. The Legislature this year authorized a pilot program for growing hemp in the Sunshine State, and state officials are nearly done weeding through a stack of public suggestions.

GrowFL announced this year’s 50 Florida Companies to Watch honorees, including three from Southwest Florida. Companies to Watch is a statewide competition that identifies companies expected to see significant growth over the next several years. The GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch awards program—now in its ninth year—honors 50 select second-stage companies from throughout Florida for developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and broadening new industries throughout Florida. Chosen from 500 growing second-stage nominations from throughout, Florida, the 50 companies named as the 2019 Florida Companies to Watch honorees generated nearly $1 billion in revenue and added over 900 jobs between 2015 and 2018. Together, the honorees project a 35 percent increase in revenue and 37 percent increase in job growth in 2019 compared to 2018. “These stand-out companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he said. Local honorees include: Cottrell Title & Escrow, Collier County; Mettauer Environmental, Lee County; and VeraData, Lee County . “This list recognizes second-stage Florida companies with passionate leaders who are making a difference in growing and diversifying our economy,” said Jennifer Barrows, GrowFL Chairman of the GrowFL Advisory Board and Business Development Executive with WithumSmith+Brown, PC. Second-stage companies are those

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The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce has announced an exciting line-up for its 2019 Business Summit, set for Sept. 20. The summit, now in its sixth year, will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers. This year’s keynote address is “Communicate Your Way to Success,” by entrepreneur, business coach and international speaker Jason Evers. Evers has traveled to more than 20 countries on five continents

such a prestigious company. Our partnership with the Hertz Corporation and now this new ownership ensures that Hertz Arena will maintain our strong community presence and continue to be the number one choice for entertainment in Southwest Florida.” The team and the arena were previously owned by Peter Karmanos, founder of Compuware Corporation and prior majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League. “Simply put, without the support of

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IN THE NEWS Collier names Pelican as ‘Business of the Wire Month’

During the July ty Commission 9 Collier CounWire was named meeting, Pelican ty ‘Business of the Collier Counthe Month’ and recognized by was the a manufacturing Board for being County for over leader in Collier 40 years. Pelican Wire President Ted Bill, who received the are truly honored award, said “We Collier County to be named the Month’ for July.‘Business of the Since moving AWARD See page

Gov. DeSantis announces job growth grants

Gov. Ron DeSantis the Florida Departmentannounced of Economic Opportunity Florida are acceptingand Enterprise economic development project proposals for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. $40 million is available to fund training and public job projects that support infrastructure growth and employment in Florida. “We know

the frastructure projects importance inand workforce training has on economic development,” said DeSantis. “The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund will help Florida communities ensure they GRANTS See page

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Special to SWFBT Submitted By: Noemi

Southwest Florida tion’s business-theme students in The Immokalee Foundad summer camp entrepreneurial recently shared ideas their Tank event modeled and garnered awards during a Shark The four-week after the popular TV show. was a partnership Business Management Pathway Coast University’sbetween the foundation and Floridacamp Gulf developed businessInstitute for Entrepreneursh ip. among them: finding plans that solved problems Students common clothes on a budget; centric finances; handling ñera; and findinggetting better sleep; planning studenta quincearestaurants suitable stricted diets. for people with reStudent teams gave presentations about ences, startup costs, their target audiprojected profits, marketing other aspects of entrepreneurial plans and Dr. Sandra Kauanui, enterprises at iTECH mokalee. Judges FGCU Director spoke during the for of Entrepreneurs Smart Companies the presentations were: Brian in Imevent. hip, Rist, The Smart Companies executive chairman; Sofia Blanno, gram allows shoppers to arrange tor of corporate intern; and Matthew Turner, Hertz The through social an app, then physically to buy, sell or swap items direcFirst place awards responsibility. central location exchange those in Immokalee. items at a Shop team of Neika of $500 each went to the MentorUs, Daisy Montanez Exulus, Jessica Sales, Alondra Swap & smart financial an app that encourages students and Ailynee Ramirez. Estrada, decisions, earned interested in dressing Aimed at students for team members second place of to make fashionably on $250 each Alex Soriano, a budget, the pro- ie Etienne, Azael Simon-Quirino Je’an Espinoza, Myrlandand Simson Devesaint.

Fort Myers Mayor

Special to SWFBT Submitted By: Karen P. Moore,

launches Divers ity Committee

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more inclusive city. Publisher Student Hailey Countryman asked her employer, Sanibel Captiva “It is never too the Mayor if he munity Bank, Comlate to give up had to FGCU’s College on diversity whom a team of advisors Education. your prejudices.” of Henry David Thoreau for guidance. Since he could rely on said, “We In a recent interview she can’t really say question was no, the answer to that ing to be representative we are tryat that moment Fort Myers Mayor derson felt Henof our city’s derson has known Randy Hen- a team. inspired to create just such residents and community if we don’t have diversity Ndiang’ui wanted Florida Gulf Coast University on the to make She sure the Mayor explained the council itself.” was prepared ter Ndiang’ui for professor Dr. Pe- road ahead committee drew about 10 years and asked him, for the its 18 members was a guest speaker and from the commu“Are in his class, “In- really able to handle the truth?” you nity, representing troduction to Diversity,” diversity project moved The ethnicity, forward. in Novemgender and sexualin race, ber. Henderson Beth Countryman, asked students Hailey’s moth- tity. “We can’t be a committee idenhe could do to what er, became make Fort Myers up of old white made involved with men and think the project, going a which led to we are a $25,000 donation to be in charge of diversity.” from DIVERSITY See page 11 Payment Plans Available • Discounted Merchandise Parking Options Discount • Presale • Private Parties & Exclusive Gifts on Hertz Arena Concerts & Family Shows Buy Any 19/20 & Get A $20 Membership Pack FORD’S GIFT & ‘BLADES TOTE CARD BAG Valid on any NEW

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The Wrench Group acquires Florida Cool

The Wrench Group, a national leader in home repair and maintenance services specializing in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, water and electrical servic-

workers across the board. Put simply, the disparity between black and white Americans has grown even in a period of economic recovery. But the disparity in the Cape CoralFort Myers area, while not erased, is moving in a different direction. In the five years studied, the metropolitan area’s black population grew by 17% while the median household income among blacks jumped 26%, more than anywhere else in the country. Black home ownership leapt by 50% and STUDY See page 14

COVID-19 triggers emergency action

Commercial Real Estate

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Blacks closing prosperity gap locally Special to SWFBT Submitted By: Jacob Ogles, Editor

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Louis Rosmy speaks with members at a meeting of the United Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Florida.

Haitian Chamber offers networking, fellowship opportunities Special to SWFBT Submitted by Jacob Ogles, Editor The scent of Haitian rice and chicken wafted through the air at a recent meeting of the United Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Florida. The small organization has operated from a South Cleveland Avenue

office since a grand opening in August. But the effort to get a Haitian Chamber operating in Lee County was a year-long process before that, said founder Louis Rosmy. “This is a chamber that serves as a liaison to connect all businesses in Haiti, and those who want to do business with Haitians and vice versa,”

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the activation of the Business Damage Assessment survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Florida’s local business operations. The survey, managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, will evaluate businesses affected by COVID-19 and the impacts the virus has had on the local economy so actions to implement appropriate relief programs can begin. “Gathering information about the impact COVID-19 has on Florida businesses and industries will be invaluable to the state’s efforts in coordinating our response,” said DeSantis. “It is important that we understand the total impact COVID-19 has on businesses to ensure that we access the resources that may be available.” The Business Damage Assessment Survey can be taken online at floridadisaster.biz. Results from this survey will be shared with state agencies and local partners. Surveys submitted by small businesses can be used to access the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, made available for COVID-19 through the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Businesses can contact Emergency Support Function 18 at ESF18@em.myflorida.com. “Under Governor DeSantis’ direction, the state of Florida has maintained contact with our business

CHAMBER See page 3

COVID-19 See page 4

IN THE NEWS es, acquired Florida Cool, expanding its footprint in Southwest Florida. Florida Cool has been locally owned and operated by Tom Caprio since 1992 and prides itself on its skilled technicians dedicated to providing superior service. “The WRENCH See page 15

Collier tourism increased, set new record in 2019

Collier County tourism research saw big increases in tourism visitation and spending during 2019. These numbers continued the trend of strong growth in visitation, visitor

spending and hospitality and tourismrelated employment. Collier County tourism research shows 1.9 million visitors stayed at least one night in paid lodging in 2019, an increase of 5.8% over 2018. Those visitors also spent over $2.3 TOURISM See page 15

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To disinfect or not disinfect? That’s the question Being in the cleaning industry for 35 years, I have seen a great number of illnesses come and go. The truth is, you should always be disinfecting your place of business. The past 6-8 weeks of constant “news” about the COVID-19 Virus has caused a great deal of concern for people, and much of the fear that is being created could have been avoided. Let’s turn the clock back to 2009-2010, the last time that we had a pandemic. We didn’t experience extreme panic about the swine flu (also known as the H1N1 BY TIM CONN flu). There was concern, but nothing like what we Guest Columnist are seeing about the current outbreak. There were 60 million Americans that were infected with the swine flu, and only about 300,000 needed to be hospitalized. About 12,000 people died in the United States. While that may seem like a lot of people, please realize that in the 2017-18 flu season, it is reported that as many as 61,000 people died from the flu. 45 million were infected. The current COVID-19 virus is a new virus that we need to deal with, but many people don’t realize that Coronavirus was first identified and talked about in great detail in the mid-1960s. The most recent Coronavirus’ have been MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now SARS-CoV-2 which is identified as COVID-19. Much of the information being provided by the news is causing unrest and panic among people, but the truth is that when your office is being cleaned properly and regularly, you really don’t have much to worry about at

CHAMBER PAGE 1 Rosmy said. Those connections should be important to a number of businesses, Rosmy said. The organization exists to help Haitian business owners try to conduct more work with other businesses within and beyond the Fort Myers Haitian community. But it also hopes to be a conduit for those other businesses looking to make inroads with Haitian consumers. Rosmy, for example, serves as a Chief Visionary/Executive Officer of PEYKO, a granite, quartz and marble supplier, and he hopes the Chamber can help make his business more accessible to developers and other companies seeking the raw materials. It’s also an operation that creates

For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com work. Just as in any cold and flu season, the most important thing you and your staff can do is wash your hands, and stay home if you feel sick. Most professional cleaning companies are utilizing high-grade disinfectants in their day-to-day cleaning. They have well trained staff who understand the importance of cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces. If you only have service 1-2 days per week, your staff needs to clean and disinfect on the days that your cleaning company is not cleaning your building. Cleaning should be performed for two reasons: appearance and health. While many companies out there give the appearance of clean, they are not performing the deep clean as frequently as they should to truly clean for health. A surface that is cleaned only for appearance may still have germs and bacteria on it, while a surface that is only disinfected my be free from germs and bacteria but still look dirty. There is one good thing that has come out of all of this; it has started a conversation about proper cleaning and disinfection. As a seasoned professional in the cleaning industry, it has concerned me for a longtime that people aren’t as concerned about cleaning for health as they are about the appearance of clean. Perhaps next year people will realize that proper disinfection will lead to less lost productivity in the office. Tim Conn is the founder and President of Image One USA, a commercial cleaning service franchise. For information, call the Fort Myers location at (239) 789-2267, call (800) 223-1985 or visit ImageOneUSA.com.

a significant level of fellowship with business owners and community leaders, said Ken Beauvais, the Chamber Vice Chair and Business Development Committee Chair. The Chamber in February held a media roundtable, including Southwest Florida Business Today, to help members learn more bout how to market within the region and reach new groups of consumers. You don’t have to be Haitian to join the chamber. Dan Shoemaker, cofounder of Reciprocal Ministries International, is not, but worked on the island for 25 years before moving the ministry to Fort Myers. The organization will provide a range of training and networking opportunities to members. As of midMarch, the organization had 48 members and counting.

CFS Roofing Services has relocated its Fort Myers corporate headquarters.

CFS Roofing Services expands operations to build new facility

CFS Roofing Services has relocated its Fort Myers corporate headquarters and purchased 7 acres of land to build a new operations center. “We were blessed to find 18,000 square feet of readymade office space and 3,000 square feet of warehouse space to house our corporate functions, administration, sales, business development, marketing, estimating and service division, as well as our sheet metal shop (temporarily),” said David Crowther, president of CFS Roofing Services and Dr. Goodroof. “This expansion is going to help our community offerings and be a state-of-the-art facility that our employees will thrive in.” CFS Roofing Services’ fleet, slope and flat divisions will operate in a temporary space on the 7 acres the company acquired while it builds a new 10,000 square-foot operations center. The new headquarters are located on Business Park Drive off Lee Road in Fort Myers. CFS Roofing Services is a full service, licensed and insured roofing contractor dedicated to providing highquality roofing services to the region. The longtime roofing company has a sheet metal fabrication facility that ensures quality control and provides valuable cost savings to customers. CFS Roofing serves both commercial and residential needs (private and public clients) and its services include re-roof and new construction projects as well as turn-key roof repairs and maintenance plans. CFS Roofing also has offices in Naples, Punta Gorda, and Freeport. For more information, call (239) 747-7907 or visit CFSroofing.com.

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Ransomware 2.0, more than file encryption A small manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicle alternators was hit with ransomware. They soon discovered it was not your typical ransomware. It started when an employee clicked on a URL link in an email. The link installed malware, allowing the hackers to gather intel from the company and steal credentials from compromised machines. The intel gathered was used to identify critical resources and assets that would have the most significant impact when the ransomware was deployed. The hackers, while in the organization’s network, siphoned off credentials and launched a command-and-control attack, enabling the hacker to have complete control over the network, including the ability to execute malicious code that spreads to other devices on the network. The hackers launched the ransom attack, causing the organization to scramble to stop the spread of the infection. While the organization was distracted, the hackers set up a reverse-shell attack, allowing them to exploit an unpatched vulnerability in Java, an action not detected by anti-malware tools. With the stolen credentials, the hackers set up Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections to the network to set the payload server by server. To stop the spread of the infection, the organization began unplugging the machines, exacerbating the problem. They were unaware that the hackers had set a command to corrupt the firmware of the infected machines if the ransomware’s encryption process was disrupted. The result was catastrophic for the small manufacturing company. With their machines infected, manufacturing stopped. Luckily, the organization was able to recover. Others were not so lucky. A telemarketing company was forced to close its doors, laying off 300 employees. Doctors, dentists and others in healthcare determined the recovery cost was too high; they closed their doors. No industry is immune. Ransomware does not discriminate. It does not care if you are

small or large, what industry you are in, or the type of data you collect and retain. The purpose of ransomware is to cause disruption to a business forcing them to pay the ransom. Ransomware can and has impacted every industry: healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, legal, education and government. Yesterday’s ransomware has evolved. In the past, the purpose of ransomware was to encrypt the victim’s files forcing them to pay the ransom to get the decryption key. Today’s ransomware is more sophisticated. BY CARRIE We have discovered that hackers are in a KERSKIE target’s network months, some nearly up to Guest Columnist one year, before deploying the ransomware. The one thing that has not changed is how the hackers gain access to the network– human error. It remains the weakest link in any organization. We are embracing technology without fully understanding how it works. Some organizations implement privacy awareness training programs. Unfortunately, study after study reveal the training does not work. Why? Employees are not motivated to change their behavior or habits. So how can you motivate employees? Simple. Teach them how to protect themselves from cyber threats. The techniques used against an organization are the same used against individuals. Phishing is phishing. The only thing that may change is the message. The goal remains the same— to get you to click on the link in the email. Carrie Kerskie is CEO of Griffon Force, a leading instinctive cyber defense firm serving individuals and small businesse. Contact her at (239) 325-5155 or ck@kerskie.com

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Anticipating what’s next... ...is what keeps you and your business ahead of the game.

M-CORES and the Southwest Central Florida Corridor will strike the right balance. Florida is a state that continually strives for the delicate balance between maintaining an efficient, well-maintained, state-of-theart transportation infrastructure, which supports residents, tourists and businesses, and preserves our precious environmental and agricultural assets. Finding that balance can often be a struggle, but I believe Multimodal CorBY AMY ridors of Regional DAVIES Economic SignifiGuest Columnist cance (M-CORES) and the Southwest Central Florida Corridor strike the right balance between the need to grow our economy and the need to protect our environment. In addition to growing the economy and protecting our natural resources, the corridor will connect our rural communities. Commuters will be able to travel a “Smart Corridor” that supports autonomous/connected vehicles and rural communities will enjoy the benefits and advantages provided by broadband, highspeed Internet and new water and sewer facilities. This would be an economic engine for revitalizing the rural Heartland communities, providing new businesses and retail industries and enhancing our quality of life. The Southwest Central Florida Corridor will also provide an additional evacuation route during natural disasters, which will provide safe travel to Florida’s residents. We applaud the Florida Department of Transportation for implementing an exhaustive public input process that will ensure that our environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife corridors are protected. This provides numerous opportunities for each and every community, as well as environmental advocates, to be heard and for their issues to be addressed. The M-CORES project is important to our current residents, but the corridors are also critical to the economic prosperity and quality of life of the future generations of Floridians. As the third-most populous state in America, and with growth continuing at a rate of almost 1,000 people a day, we cannot afford to wait any longer. Amy Davies is a board member for Floridians for Better Transportation. Contact her at daviesah@cdmsmith.com.

To serve our clients better, SWFBT is now direct-mailed to SWFL business community leaders and top revenue company executives.

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partners throughout the state in order to develop a proactive response,” said Florida DEO Executive Director Ken Lawson. “We need feedback from all Florida businesses to provide comprehensive information about the impacts of COVID-19 to our partners at the federal level.” DeSantis declared a State of Emergency for COVID-19 and directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to activate the Florida Emergency Operations Center to a Level II, to coordinate the state’s response to COVID-19. He also directed the State Surgeon General to declare a public health emergency.

APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 5

GUEST COMMENTARY

Coronavirus versus Florida real estate

I heard the words “Black Swan Event” in the last waiting on that sale, it can be catamonth. I pay attention to the economy and political strophic. The small businesses may news as part of my overall understanding of market not recover and go completely out forces that affect commercial real estate. I did not of business as a result. What does know what that term meant but the commentator something like that do to the buildquickly said that it was “an unpredictable event that is ing owner if that business was a beyond what is normally expected of a situation and tenant of theirs? If this event gets has potentially severe consequences.” much more severe, commercial Wow, this show was giving a comment on the prices will be affected downward. overall economy while predicting continued growth For 3-4 years after 2008, you could through 2024. not give good properties away. Unbelievably, that was February and as I write, toThose who purchased then have day is March 13. I had heard of coronavirus in very BY RANDY been smartly rewarded today. early February. This event is turning “severe” so fast. KRISE The coronavirus scare will end What are our options and predictions? and normalcy will return. There are The events of the past month have mirrored real always winners and losers financially. That is how the estate investment. The time frame of the investment economy works. If you are invested in the economy, may stretch over years, but the results and effects can you can participate in the profits. Otherwise you sit on be related. the sidelines and wonder why your net worth keeps You buy a property. It pays well because it is rent- shrinking. No Pain, No Gain. ed. You buy land and the city announces that they are I am going to act like this event will not be long widening the road in front of the property. Or a large term nor will it completely melt down the economy development is being built very near either type of beyond repair. In 2008, we had to reinitiate the compurchase. An economic meltdown turns a 10-year plete financial operations of our economy. How many plan into a 20-year plan. Who can know? The exact banks failed? How many foreclosures? For this Black timing is certainly impossible to predict, but if history Swan event, my advice to anyone is to move forward. is our guide, most real estate investments do increase Do not worry! Do not make decisions based on the in value over time. last month or the next month. If your judgement was President Donald Trump has just declared a na- good in January, it is good in May. I am still buying. tional emergency. I am 67 years old and I believe 9/11 was the only other time in my lifetime that this Randy Krise, CCIM is the Broker / Owner of Krise has happened. Some in force commercial sales con- Commercial Group in Fort Myers and can be reached tracts will not close because of this event. To an agent at (239) 633-8672 or randy@krisecg.com.

Vantage Construction Services has completed the renovation of a building for Lake Michigan Credit Union located on East Cape Coral Parkway.

Vantage Construction completes Cape LMCU

Vantage Construction Services, a commercial general contractor located in Fort Myers, has completed the renovation of a building for Lake Michigan Credit Union located on East Cape Coral Parkway. The 4,400-square-foot project, managed by Phil Morris, included rough and finish carpentry, metal framing, new acoustic ceilings, modifications to plumbing and HVAC ductwork, new carpet, tile, cabinetry and paint. The storefront, and all windows and doors, were replaced with insulated, impactrated glass and the façade was renovated. The final touch was the installation of new landscaping. The new credit union welcomed customers with a soft opening on March 2. Vantage Construction Services has previously completed three other renovations for LMCU offices in Bonita Springs and Naples.

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Page 6

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ÂŽ

New dental school build finished

Vantage Construction Services, a commercial general contractor located in Fort Myers, has completed the buildout for a 1,700-square-foot dental school at Heritage Palms Shoppes, located off Six Mile Cypress. The construction buildout included management of electrical, mechanical, plumbing and painting trades for the administrative offices, a classroom with two dental chairs, a sterilization lab and a break room. DENTAL See page 12

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PropertyInNaples.com ........... $3,300 MyHomeontheBeach.com .... $2,950 BestofSanibelIsland.com ....... $3,600

Contact Larry Steinborn,

Lic. Real Estate Broker Sand Dollar Real Estate / Business Depot (239) 433-1343 or bizdepot@aol.com 6309 Corporate Ct. #205 Fort Myers, FL 33919

Selling your Business is our Business!

APRIL 2020

Use SBA 504 during economic uncertainty Whether it be the upcoming election, foreign economic issues or the coronavirus, many small business owners are getting nervous about pursuing projects for growing their business in this time of uncertainty and volatility. Hoarding their cash and finding ways to reduce expenses to preemptively stabilize cash flow is a strategy many are deploying. But that does not mean that projects need to be put on hold, especially when it comes to purchasing commercial real estate. The SBA 504 loan is structured in such a way that it helps business owners hoard cash and take advantage of low long-term interest rates to eliminate a lot of uncertainty and volatility. First and foremost, SBA 504 loan rates are at historic lows, boasting 25-year fixed rates in some cases under 3% in March. Although the actual rate is set around 60 days after the loan is closed, experts are predicting rates to hold pretty steady over the next several months. So for this one reason, now is the time to pull the trigger on a commercial real estate purchase for your business. So who qualifies for an SBA 504 loan and how does it work? To qualify for an SBA 504 loan you must simply be using the loan for a business you own, are buying or are starting that will occupy at least 51% of the total space being purchased. There are a few restricted industries like money services businesses, gambling, and adult entertainment, however most industries qualify. Also you must either be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien to qualify. Finally, you should be free of any recent legal or financial issues such as felonies, ongoing lawsuits, bankruptcies or any government loan defaults. If you meet these requirements then the 504 loan program may be a great

solution for your small business. The SBA 504 loan program works by offering the borrower two loans. The first loan finances 50% of the project costs made by a bank in the form of a commercial mortgage. The rates on this loan are negotiated between you and the bank. The second loan finances 30-40% of the project costs (depending on the down payment requirement) BY TOM and is funded through the sale MAIALE of a debenture by the SBA and Guest Columnist CDC. This month the debenture sale yielded rates under 3% fixed for 25 years. So depending on the rate you negotiate with the bank, you could realize blended interest rates on the entire project well below 5% depending on the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate. The down payment is 10% for existing businesses buying a multi-purpose property and then you add 5% for a single purpose property and another 5% if you are a new business owner. So in a nutshell, this program is great for standalone real estate purchases, refinances and even ground up construction. Every deal is a little bit different so please give me a call so we can discuss you individual project and see if this is a good fit! Tom Maiale, First Federal Bank SBA Lending Vice President and Business Development Officer, is a 17-year SBA Lending veteran with SBA Training from The National Association of Government Guaranteed Lending and The U.S. Small Business Administration. Contact him at (239) 288-9966 or tmaiale@cbcnationalbank.com.

Best Commercial Lot Values in Southwest Florida 25335 Rampart Blvd Port Charlotte 33983

4214 Duncan Road (Hwy. 17) Punta Gorda 33982

Price: $995,000 Size: 4.30 AC Description: Medical Office Space. Deep Creek has several ALF communities, private and public. Major Rehabilitation Center adjacent to this site. Two major hospitals within 10 minutes of site. East border of the property is a large Housing Complex with future zoning of commercial in front. Plans available for 7 buildings, each 5,000 sq. ft.

Price: $795,000 Size: 6.84 AC Description: 2 lots, 1 - 5.3 Acre Parcel and 1 - 1.5 acre parcel, 6.8 Acres, environmentals done. Just East of I-75. Zoned Industrial, Retail, Commercial General, No Residential or Mixed Use, 6.84 Acres at Washington Loop. Over 150 sq. ft. Road Frontage on Duncan. Phase I reports available, survey also available. Future land use is Commercial Corridor.

Marion Ave Punta Gorda 33950

For more information contact:

Jeanette Igoe Broker Igoe Realty P.A.

Price: $399,000 Size: 2.70 AC Description: Zoned Low Intensity Industrial. 2 parcels, one approximately .25 Acres, the other 2.7. Perfect for Warehouse, Storage Facilities, Truck or Auto Terminal Hub, close to Hwy 17 and I-75 exit. Railroad meets rear of property. I-75 Interchange currently projected to cross eastern portion of property, high visibility once completed.

ABR, CIPS, CPRES, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, GREEN, SFR, TRC

jigoe5@aol.com 239-572-3269

www.facebook.com/IgoeRealty/

APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 7

CRE Consultants honored with CoStar Power Broker Awards CRE Consultants, a commercial real estate services and property management firm in Southwest Florida, has earned CoStar Power Broker Awards as Top Sales Firm and Top Leasing Firm for 2019. This annual award recognizes the “best of the best” in commercial real estate brokerage by highlighting the firms and individual brokers who closed the highest transaction volumes in commercial property sales or leases in 2019 within their respective markets.

For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com

The following CRE Consultants’ top-performing agents also garnered Power Broker awards for their exceptional performance in 2019: • Top Office Leasing Broker: Randal L. Mercer, Dave Wallace, CCIM, SIOR and Enn Luthringer, CCIM • Top Industrial Leasing Broker: Stan Stouder, CCIM

“We are truly appreciative of the clients we serve and very proud of the collective efforts of the entire CRE team on their behalf,” said Ray Sandelli, managing broker of CRE Consultants. With the largest independently researched database of commercial real estate property information available online, CoStar can identify the top firms and brokers in each market throughout the U.S. and Canada. All awards are based on transaction data maintained in CoStar’s commercial real estate database.

Ceviches By Divino opens in Fort Myers Ceviches by Divino, a new Peruvian restaurant from brothers Christian and Frank Encalada, brings flavors of homeland cuisine in an industrial gastropub setting to the West Coast of Florida. The new location in Fort Myers, on Dani Drive, is now open. With roots in the Miami market since 2011, the Fort Myers location celebrates the fifth restaurant from the duo with other locations in Doral, Coral Gables, Miami Springs, Miami Beach and a new Downtown Miami location coming soon. Fort Myers is the first location on the Gulf Coast to be introduced to this Peruvian concept. The franchise owner, who is from Peru, wanted to bring this concept and Peruvian flavors to Southwest Florida. The menu is categorized by tapas, Ceviches, poke, entrees and more. Guests can savor go-to Peruvian favorites including Lomo Saltado, a Peruvian stir-fry, made with beef, onions and tomatoes or the Traditional Ceviche, marinated lightly in lime juice and seasoned with Peruvian limo chili. All dishes are bright and flavorful, prepared with the utmost quality ingredients. A playful cocktail menu is also available to compliment the bold South American flavors. “It had always been our dream to open a restaurant filled with our homeland favorites and authentic Peruvian dishes,” said Chef Christian Encalada. “Now, as we open our fifth location in an entirely new market, we are beyond thankful to introduce our cuisine to new customers and look forward to growing our business and bringing this concept to the West Coast.” Additional menu highlights include: • Ceviche de Mercado: slices of fresh Corvina fish lightly marinated in lime juice and seasoned with Peruvian yellow pepper and fried squid • Poke Salmon with Aji Amarillo: Peruvian style white rice, salmon ceviche, edamame, wakame, Peruvian giant corn, sesame seeds in a traditional Peruvian yellow chili sauce. • Poke Lomo Saltado: Peruvian style white rice, stir fried beef tenderloin, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, soy, spicy mayo, edamame, wakame, Peruvian giant corn and shoestring potatoes Guests can add classic Peruvian desserts including a Chica Morada infused cheesecake made with a traditional Peruvian purple corn.

PINE ISLAND ROAD, CAPE CORAL FLORIDA

DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP Over $200 Million in Private Development Breaking Ground by 2021

April 28, 2020 8-11:30AM Grace Church 13 SE 21st Place, Cape Coral, FL 33990

• Presentations from Current Pine Island Road Developers • Highlights on the Corridor Zoning Opportunities • Developments Breaking Ground in 2020 • Development Opportunities – Less than 250 Acres Available

For more information, please visit CapeCoral.net/EDO or contact the Cape Coral Economic Development marketing representative Madelon Miuccio via email at MMiuccio@capecoral.net or (941) 769-3718

Page 8

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

APRIL 2020

Choose the right commercial professional for you CARLOS ACOSTA, CCIM

FRED KERMANI, CCIM, AIA

Lee, Charlotte, Collier & Sarasota Counties

Collier, Lee & Charlotte Counties Partner, licensed real estate broker and architect in Florida & California with 36 years of real estate and design experience. Specializes in land marketing and investment properties. • LAND • INVESTMENT

• GAS STATIONS • RESTAURANTS

CRE CONSULTANTS

239-659-4960 fred.kermani@creconsultants.com www.creconsultants.com/fredkermani

JACK MARTIN, CCIM Lee, Collier, Charlotte & Hendry Counties

30 years of experience in Florida real estate with 20 years in Southwest Florida. Servicing in all facets of commercial real estate, both sales and leasing, and specializing in shopping plazas and strip centers.

CENTURY 21 COMMERCIAL • COMMERCIAL • MULTI-FAMILY SELLING PARADISE

• MEDICAL OFFICE • GENERAL OFFICE • VACANT LAND

239-707-9015 jackmartin@ccim.net www.jackmartincre.c21.com

CCIM

If you are a CCIM-SWFL Chapter member, as a benefit, you are eligible to participate in this section. Contact 2020 CCIM-SWFL President Janet Davis for details at jdavis@midlandira.com 2019 CCIM-SWFL President Ron Struthers says: “This ad got me listings. It works!”

MICHAEL J. FRYE, CCIM

Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties Recipient of the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award. Serving the SWFL market for over 30 years. We have 7 CCIMs to serve all our clients’ needs.

RE/MAX REALTY GROUP 239-281-0441 mfrye@ccim.net www.michaeljfrye.com

• OFFICE • RETAIL • INDUSTRIAL • LAND

THERESA BLAUCH-MITCHELL, CCIM

Lee, Collier, Charlotte & Sarasota Counties SWFL CCIM Past President, Florida CCIM Membership Chair, CCIM International Committee. Hablo Español.

SPERRY COMMERCIAL GLOBAL AFFILIATES 239-265-2628 theresa@ccim.net www.sperrycga.com

• INVESTMENT • RETAIL • OFFICE • INDUSTRIAL

Managing Principal/Qualifying Broker. Specializing in acquisitions and disposition of retail, office, industrial, land and investment sales. 5-time CoStar Powerbroker.

Why use a CCIM?

There are countless benefits to working with a CCIM. Commercial real estate investment requires the counsel of a qualified professional. A Certified Commercial Investment Member provides clients with the assurance that every decision will be made in the best interest of their investment objectives. When assembling a commercial real estate investment team, start with a CCIM.

• • • • •

CRES of SWFL 239-823-0115

cacosta@ccim.net www.cresswfl.com

The Benefits of Being a CCIM! “CCIM members can rely on CCIM as a single source for diverse solu�ons. The first one on that list is EDUCATION. Designees can take advantage of the ongoing opportuni�es so crucial to success for your clients in the commercial real estate field today, with the ‘Life A�er the Pin’ learning program. CCIM also offers its members many NETWORKING opportuni�es that may be of educa�onal benefit as well, offering more than just a mere social experience. These networking events also may provide the founda�on for building long-las�ng RELATIONSHIPS with fellow CCIMs who become invaluable RESOURCES for life.” - Adam Palmer, 2018 Florida CCIM Chapter President

CREDIBILITY

CCIM is the most prestigious designation commercial real estate professionals can achieve within the industry. Graduate-level education, coupled with industry-leading technology tools, practical proven experience, and in-depth knowledge of their local markets, gives CCIMs the ability and the credibility to conduct business confidently and successfully. By partnering with a CCIM, you effectively utilize the top-level, most reliable performers in the industry: with an average of 19 years of experience, 70% of CCIM members hold executive-level positions and 90% of members refer clients to other business services. When you use a CCIM, you choose the most credible professional in the business.

JEFF FORSYTHE, CCIM Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties 40+ years of retail, distribution, and warehouse management experience. 20+ years of commercial real estate investmentexperience. Specializing in first-time CRE investment advising and deal representation.

COMMUNITY

Today there are CCIMs in every state, across Canada and Mexico, and in more than 30 countries around the world. Domestically, the network encompasses more than 1,000 markets, from large metropolitan areas to small cities and towns. A truly global network, CCIMs are a powerful force in markets large and small. When you use a CCIM, you choose a trusted community of real estate professionals that are consistently sought for their dependability, intelligence, success and confidence.

• • • • 239-210-7611 jforsythe@lee-associates.com • • www.lee-fl.com

LEE & ASSOCIATES

INTEGRITY

CCIM designees are bound to the strictest ethical guidelines and standards of practice in the industry today. In addition, each CCIM has successfully completed a graduate level program comprised of 160 hours of education. If you ask around the industry, you’ll learn that companies and other real estate professionals are more likely to seek out experts who possess the CCIM designation, as they know CCIM stands for trust, knowledge and reliability. When you use a CCIM, you choose experts with integrity.

MEASUREMENT

Overall, CCIM’s global network enables members to close thousands of transactions annually, representing more than $200 billion in value. But closing transactions is only part of what CCIMs can do. In addition to holding deal making occupations in every property sector, CCIMs are also found in’ leasing, asset management, development, lending, financing, property management, site selection and corporate real estate positions. So, whatever assistance your real estate project requires, a CCIM can help you achieve a better result. In fact, only 6 percent of all commercial real estate practitioners hold the elite CCIM designation, which reflects not only the caliber of the program, but why it is one of the most respected designations in the industry. When you use a CCIM, you choose a professional who produces measurable results.

The CCIM designation is conferred by the Chicagobased CCIM Institute, a commercial real estate affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS. Learn more about the value of working with a CCIM.

RETAIL OFFICE INDUSTRIAL LAND INVESTMENT SALES & LEASING

INVESTMENT SALES & LEASING OFFICE INDUSTRIAL MULTI-FAMILY URBAN MIXED-USE

RON WELEBNY, CCIM

Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry & DeSoto Counties

Qualifying Broker / Managing Director Licensed Real Estate Instructor Director Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association Director, CCIM-SWFL District Past President Commercial Investment Professionals of Southwest Florida Past President SWFL Commercial Alliance Vice-Chair Laguna Estates CDD

COMMERCIAL REALTY ASSOCIATES of SWFL 239-677-2381 Ron@CRA.us www.CRA.us

• • • •

BROKERS ANALYSTS ADVISORS CONSULTANTS

ENN LUTHRINGER, CCIM Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties A partner with CRE Consultants and 15-year commercial real estate veteran, he specializes in the medical and professional office market.

CRE CONSULTANTS

239-994-3703 enn.luthringer@creconsultants.com www.creconsultants.com

• COMMERCIAL • OFFICE • INVESTMENT

APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 9

Choose the right commercial professional for you MARYANN MIZE, CCIM

DAVE WALLACE, CCIM, SIOR Collier County

Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. More than 30 years of commercial lending experience. CCIM Senior Instructor and 2019 Florida CCIM Chapter Southwest District Treasurer. • FINANCING OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

CHARLOTTE STATE BANK & TRUST

941-624-1916 mmize@csbtfl.com www.charlottestatebankandtrust.com

RON STRUTHERS, CCIM

Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, North Port, Venice, N. Fort Myers & Pinellas Park Specializes in all facets of commercial brokerage and leasing in Charlotte County area. 2019 CCIM Florida Chapter Southwest District President.

COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL NRT 941-769-3316 rstruthers@ccim.net www.commercialrealtyfl.com

• • • • •

INVESTMENT RETAIL OFFICE INDUSTRIAL LEASING

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BOB WHITE, INC. 239-850-2217

bob@bobwhiteinc.com

Broker/owner of Krise Commercial Group and 2016 Florida CCIM Regional Vice President and Institute Board Member.

239-633-8672 randy@krisecg.com www.krisecg.com

DAVE WALLACE, CRE Consultants

In the early 90’s our motto in the Southwest Florida commercial real estate business was “Stay Alive Until ’95:” I had to consider several serious questions if I was to continue. The overriding question was, “What can I do to improve my chances of success in commercial real estate sales and investment?” I was convinced achieving the CCIM designation provided me with a solid start for accelerating my career growth because it would 1) help me become known as one of the “Best of the Best” in my chosen profession, 2) give me the educational foundation from which I could build both my career and income, and 3) become an investment in myself that would continue to give me a return over the duration of my career. Since then, I have come to realize the CCIM designation gives you not only that but so much more. The knowledge, tools and relationships that naturally come from being a committed CCIM provides you with the confidence for success for a lifetime.

GERALD HENDRY, MAI, Maxwell Hendry & Simmons Appraisers

To be honest, 15 years ago when I obtained my CCIM designation, I thought it would be cool to have a few more letters after my name. However, being in the valuation industry and not a practicing real estate agent, I wondered if there was any true benefit to me? Oh how my thinking has changed… This group has taught me the value of networking, effective leadership, and has afforded me a strong core group of friends in the industry. My CCIM friends are always available with a simple phone call or text. So, it’s still cool to see those four letters after my name, but I am grateful for the friendships and opportunities CCIM has afforded me, my firm, and my family.

ERIC DEYOUNG, Charlotte State Bank

Earning my Certified Commercial Investment Member designation in 2018 was a career milestone that has benefited both my clients and my business. Many of my clients realize and appreciate the competencies and rigor involved with obtaining the CCIM designation. While many associate the CCIM designation with BOB WHITE, CCIM the commercial realtor community, a growing segment of the CCIM Institute includes lenders and appraisers Lee, Collier & Charlotte among designees. Counties Commercial Realtors appreciate the benefits of referring business to and working with a lender that has a Active Southwest Florida proven track record of core competencies demonstrated Commercial broker for over by the CCIM designation. 25 years. Specializing in industrial, From a knowledge perspective, I reaped the many office and investment properties. benefits of the comprehensive CCIM education process. Past president SWFL CCIM and REIS. I learned more about everything in the buy-sell process, ranging from interest-based negotiations, to investment analysis, to commercial investment real estate ethics, making me a more competent and well-rounded profes• INDUSTRIAL sional. • OFFICE After adding CCIM to my name, I quickly came to • LEASE OR SALE • INVESTMENT understand how CCIMs are sought out as experts, each carrying a reputation for trust, knowledge, reliability, hard work and ethical business practices. My referrals rose, my business grew and I was able to get more deals done in less time. RANDY KRISE, CCIM

Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties

KRISE COMMERCIAL GROUP

What does having the CCIM designation mean to me?

• • • • •

COMMERCIAL VACANT LAND INVESTMENT RETAIL INDUSTRIAL

An office, industrial and investment property specialist with more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience in successfully assisting clients with acquisitions, dispositions and leasing.

CRE CONSULTANTS

Naples Office 239-649-7755 dave.wallace@creconsultants.com

OFFICE INDUSTRIAL SALES & LEASES INVESTMENT

ERIC DEYOUNG, CCIM Charlotte & Sarasota Counties Vice President of Commercial Lending with more than 14 years experience. Graduate of University of Florida, MBA at FGCU. Active volunteer and community leader.

CHARLOTTE STATE BANK & TRUST

• FINANCING • COMMERCIAL

941-223-3179 edeyoung@csbtﬂ.com www.charlottestatebankandtrust.com

CCIM

ADAM PALMER, CCIM Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Tampa & Orlando Principal & Managing Director LandQwest Commercial, President - Florida CCIM Chapter, 12-time CoStar Power Broker Award Winner

LANDQWEST COMMERCIAL

239-898-8686 adam@adampalmer.com www.adampalmer.com

• • • • •

OFFICE INVESTMENT LAND RETAIL INDUSTRIAL

BEV LARSON, CCIM

RANDY KRISE, Krise Commercial Group

As a long time CCIM Designee I have a long-term perspective on what the CCIM Designation does for the designee. I was a player who wanted to be an investor in real estate all my life. Prior to my CCIM training I purchased 14 properties. I made somewhere north of $5,000,000. Had I been a CCIM I would have purchased mostly income-producing properties. Land made me money but land only costs you until you sell. CCIM taught me how to evaluate an investment to guarantee success. Income- producing property pays for itself and increases your ability to build a portfolio. Now I think 15 properties and $10,000,000 with a CCIM education and certification—and so should you!

• • • •

Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry & Glades Counties Larson has over 39 years of diversified experience in the SWFL market. She is a Certified International Property Specialist. 2018 Florida CCIM Chapter Southwest District President.

LAHAINA REALTY 239-281-1290 bev1314@aol.com

• • • • • •

COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT RETAIL OFFICE LAND-ACREAGE DEVELOPMENT

Page 10

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

APRIL 2020

Publix announced as anchor of Babcock Ranch center Kitson & Partners, developer of Babcock Ranch, has announced that Publix will anchor Crescent B Commons, an 82,540-square-foot shopping center under construction at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch being constructed about one mile south of the existing entrance on Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31. The estimated opening date for Crescent B Commons is first quarter 2021. Publix will occupy 48,387 square feet and offer a drive-thru pharmacy. Three available outparcels totaling 14,653 square feet are suitable for retail or restaurants. “We are excited to offer area residents the quality and convenience of a nearby Publix, along with additional services and shopping in the plaza,” said Tom Hoban, president and chief investment officer of Kitson & Partners. “Babcock Ranch residents will also enjoy the added convenience of an autonomous vehicle pick up and drop off area. “Crescent B Commons will align with Babcock Ranch’s design style and offer shoppers two unique, distinct outdoor seating areas to enjoy the area’s natural beauty,” Hoban added. Publix will either hire new associates from the area or transfer current associates to help staff its new Babcock Ranch location. “Publix has an excellent reputation for offering their associates advance-

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Publix will anchor the new 82,540-square-foot Crescent B Commons shopping center located at a new entrance to Babcock Ranch, about one mile south of the existing entrance. ment opportunities and resources to help family home annual starts in Charlotte, them develop throughout their careers,” Lee and Collier counties through Sepsaid Matt Buehler, Kitson & Partners tember 2019. vice president of retail operations. “The Emphasizing a lifestyle that nurtures jobs they’ll create in the area, along with a sense of community, Babcock Ranch their superior customer service and gro- promotes healthy living through a walkcery selection, make them a welcome able community plan with 50 miles of addition to the town of Babcock Ranch planned biking and hiking trails, the 4.5and its neighbors in the area.” acre Jack Peeples Park with tennis, pickCrescent B Commons offers in-line leball and basketball courts, interconleasing opportunities for 19,500 square nected lakes for paddling enthusiasts, a feet of space with an attractive bay con- robust calendar of exercise classes, and figuration of 65-foot bay depth. the Healthy Life Center managed by Babcock Ranch was created by Kit- Lee Health at Founder’s Square, with son & Partners with respect for the natu- health club facilities, nutrition counselral environment and the philosophy that ing, therapeutic services and medical smart growth and sustainability work offices. hand in hand. Half of the town’s 18,000Table & Tap restaurant, Slater’s acre footprint is set aside as greenways, Goods & Provisions, Square Scoops parks and expansive lakes, providing Coffee & Creamery, Curry Creek Outrecreation and scenic backdrops for fitters, and Babcock Neighborhood Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Found- School welcomed the greater commuer’s Square downtown district. Babcock nity to Founder’s Square even before Ranch was recently ranked Southwest the arrival of the town’s first residents. Florida’s top master-planned communi- Founder’s Square is also home to Bloom ty based on Metrostudy data on single- Academy, offering infant care through

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VPK, and The Hatchery and Hive coworking classroom and meeting spaces. A sprawling downtown park offers a lakefront bandshell, boardwalk, covered pavilions and charging stations for electronics, including cars. An autonomous shuttle – part of the town’s mobility plan – provides transportation between homes and Founder’s Square. And with plans to expand into On Demand services, goods delivery and hourly/daily car rentals, Babcock Ranch will continue offering compelling mobility solutions that reduce the need for car ownership in the new town. Babcock Ranch was created by Kitson & Partners with respect for the natural environment and the philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand in hand. Half of the town’s 18,000acre footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Founder’s Square downtown district. Babcock Ranch has nine homebuilders offering more than 50 home designs, from condominiums to villas to singlefamily estates ranging from 1,107 to more than 4,000 square feet. Home prices ranging from the $200s to over

BABCOCK See page 11

APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 11

Home ownership empowers women

CubeSmart self storage is open in Ave Maria and units are available for rent.

CubeSmart opens in Ave Maria CubeSmart self storage is now open in Ave Maria and units are available for rent. Located on Useppa Drive, the facility was completed by Seagate Development Group and was a joint venture with Ave Maria Development. Seagate Development also recently completed Arbor Towne Storage in Fort Myers and University Storage in Estero. The facility offers 51,000 square feet of single-story, climate-controlled indoor and exterior storage options. Located within two buildings, storage units are available in a combination of sizes ranging from 5’ x 5’ to 10’ x 30’, with 24 outdoor covered spaces available to accommodate Class A recreational vehicles. The site also features a private gated entry, bright

lighting and 24-hour video recording throughout the property. Other amenities include moving and labor services, lobby workstations, outside parking, dollies and handcarts, and an on-site store with moving and packing supplies. “We are pleased to see this much needed project come to completion,” said Matt Price, CEO and partner at Seagate Development Group. “Self storage is a rapidly growing industry throughout southwest Florida due to the large population increases we are experiencing. Storage facilities are filling as fast as we can build them. Our team is grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with Ave Maria Development to provide additional needed services to local residents.”

BABCOCK PAGE 10

ing neighborhoods, more than two dozen model and quick-delivery homes are now open or under construction by Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Divco Custom Homes, Florida Lifestyle Homes, Fox Premier Builders, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Pulte Homes, Stock Classic Homes and WCI. Many models are open for viewing daily.

$1.5 million. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and offer a full gigabyte of fiberoptic connectivity. Within Babcock Ranch’s welcom-

The issue of home affordability eryone in search of an touches everyone in our community. No affordable home. group, however, is more adversely imMarch is always pacted by the shortage of affordable and a special month for available housing than female-headed Habitat, but this one is particularly sighouseholds. nificant. On March 5, Every day at Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity mothers and grandmothers walk through of Lee and Hendry our doors looking for an opportunity Counties celebrated to build a better life for their children. a milestone by kickThey’re not asking for a handout and ing off its 10th annual they don’t want a free home—they simBY BECKY Women Build Camply want a bit of hope. paign at the Heitman Empowering women and empow- LUCAS House in downtown ering families are central to our goal of Guest Columnist Fort Myers. Over the breaking the cycle of poverty through affordable homeownership. However, past decade, the campaign has galvacurrent gender disparities in housing nized hundreds of local women to join illustrate that the issue of home afford- forces in raising funds and building ability is also a women’s issue. Today homes for strong, independent, femalein America, 35% of single mothers live headed households. Through Women below the poverty line. Often, the high Build, Habitat has partnered with mothcost of housing forces them to sacrifice ers of disabled children, women who’ve spending on basic necessities, including escaped violent partners, grandmothers medical care, quality food and reliable raising their grandchildren and recent widows to make homeownership a realtransportation. With the median rent in Lee County ity for 20 women and their 50 children. This year, our Women Build sponapproaching $1,200 per month, a single mother would have to earn an annual sors, donors and volunteers are striving wage of at least $43,200 to afford a mod- to build and fully fund three additional est, two-bedroom apartment. This figure Habitat for Humanity homes for hardis significantly greater than the entry- working, single mothers in Southwest level wages for many careers that are Florida. To learn how you can become inhistorically female-dominated positions, like teachers, nursing assistants, medical volved with the Women Build Campaign, technicians, government employees and call (239) 652-0434 or visit give.habiservice industry workers. As increases in tat4humanity.org/2020WomenBuild. the cost of housing continue to far outpace wage growth, it’s evident that de- Becky Lucas is CEO of Habitat for Hucisive action is required to mitigate our manity of Lee and Hendry Counties, community’s housing challenges. It’s which has partnered with 1,600 families going to take all of us coming together to build or improve their homes since the and declaring that home affordability is a organization was established in 1982. top priority for women, families and ev- Contact her at (239) 652-0434.

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

APRIL 2020

Real Estate: Good offense, better defense

The same can be said about winning in business and personal finance. In the classic personalfinance book, “The Millionaire Next Door,” Thomas Stanley and William Danko liken offense to income and defense to how you spend (or do not spend) that income. Their premise is that to win at personal finance and become wealthy, you must be excellent at producing income (offense) and even better at retaining it (defense). Clearly, it takes money to make money and some expenses are unavoidable. However, it is important to focus your attention on saving money the right way and looking at big ticket items. That focus can have a huge impact on your personal finance and financial well-being of your healthcare practice. We recently had two clients who were excellent practitioners; able to produce high revenue for their practice and create significant take-home income. They were great at offense, bringing in income; however, upon reviewing their leases, we found their defense to be lacking. Client 1 Our client was leasing space in a multi-tenant building. Her lease was set to expire in just over 12 months, so she was considering relocating her practice or purchasing her existing leased space. After reviewing her lease, we noticed she was paying rent on the entire building (nearly 6,000 square feet), rather than her 4,000 square foot space she was practicing in. She was paying for 2,000 square feet that her practice was not occupying, while the landlord was collecting double rent on the adjoining 2,000 square foot leased space. Consider the ramifications of this. For the sake of round numbers, let’s use a $15-per-square-foot lease rate over a 10-year term. $15 x 6,000 sf = $90,000 (annual rent) x 10 years = $900,000 total rent vs. $15 x 4,000 sf = $60,000 (annual rent) x 10 years = $600,000 total rent. The difference in this scenario is $300,000 over a ten-year lease term. It turns out, there was no malicious conduct or deceptive intent on the part of the landlord (just an honest mistake), but this lease was reviewed by a practice broker, an attorney, two or more doctors and others before it was signed. The space was a part of a practice purchase, so the lease unfortunately was an afterthought. How long would it take to make up for a mistake like this by cutting back on supplies? The reality is, no matter how many pennies you pinch on cotton rolls or materials, it’s unlikely you could make up for this type of an oversight. Simply assuming that the math on a lease will work out fairly or believing that it is not worth the time or money to have a professional review the terms of a deal may end up being the costliest mistake of your professional career. This is an example of

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poor defense: not having someone there to protect your bottom line.

Client 2 The other client was nearing the expiration of his lease, so we reviewed the negotiable terms; namely tenant improvement allowance, free rent, lease rate, operating costs and escalations. The one that stood out BY JARED the most was the tenant imVANDERSLUIS provement allowance. On the Guest Columnist past lease, the landlord’s terms were at least $10 dollars lower than what the client should have achieved. Doing the math here ($10 per SF x 3,500 SF = $35,000). Another example of poor defense. One negotiable term that seems minor or even “fair” could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. The hard part about these transactions is that you want to believe you are being treated fairly. The reality is, your definition of fair is most likely very different than that of an opposing party. You must realize you have competing interests with the landlord, broker or investor that is a professional negotiator with full knowledge of their trade. You could say, a landlord’s offense is better than an unrepresented tenant’s defense. Real estate is the second highest expense for most practices. With this much at stake, it’s not something you want to take a risk on. The good news is that buyers and tenants have every opportunity to create a good defense by seeking professional help. Often times, healthcare professionals will have an attorney review the legal ramifications and consequences of a lease, but the legal side of a lease and the fair-market-value side of a lease are completely different. Very few attorneys know the going rate for tenant improvement allowance, free rent, escalations or lease rates in a healthcare-real-estate transaction. Another common mistake is hiring the wrong real estate professional. Be sure to hire a broker or agent with healthcare real estate experience. Failing to understand the electrical, mechanical and plumbing needs of a healthcare practice on the front end can be extremely costly. Additionally, there are many other business deal points that are vastly different in healthcare real estate vs. general commercial real estate. Jared Vandersluis is an agent with CARR, the nation’s leading provider of commercial real estate services for healthcare tenants and buyers. Contact him at jared.vandersluis@carr.us or (417) 693-2303.

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Architect brings island charm to new Matlacha fire station Visitors to Pine Island this season will enjoy the vibrant design of the new Matlacha Fire Station #4. Designed by Art Castellanos, of Castellanos & Tramonte Architects, the quaint style reflects the character and architecture of nearby fishermen shacks and island charm. Whimsical murals designed by local Matlacha artist Leoma Lovegrove adorn the exterior with functional interior features that include community room, kitchen, sleeping quarters, exercise rooms, contamination room and two fire apparatus bays. Castellanos worked with Vantage Construction Services as the design-build team with TDM Consulting and Passarella & Associates providing civil engineering and environmental consulting services respectively. Located on Southwest Pine Island Road, the new station will allow for better response times. Castlellanos & Tramonte Architects is an awardwinning architectural firm based in Southwest Florida specializing in government, condominium, hospitality, amenity, commercial, educational, veterinary and faith-based design. For more information, call (239)549-0997 or visit www.CastellanosTramonte.com.

DENTAL PAGE 6 Located on Bernwood Place Drive, Heritage Palms Dental School will offer dental assistant training, preparing students to become certified in the state of Florida for basic and expanded functions assisting. The new dental school is an affiliate of the Dental Office Training by Lynn, based in Fishers, Indiana. For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com

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APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

LEGAL & SECURITY

Beware of wiring funds scams You may have heard it before? “Family loses $200,000 in wiring scam.” This actually happens. Hackers are getting very good at hacking into emails and from there they can find enough information about a real estate deal to then attempt to intercept the funds and get them wired directly into their bank account. I know it sounds far fetched. But it almost just happened to real estate tycoon Barbara Corcoran. Her bookkeeper received a spoofed email that appeared to be from Barbara’s assistant asking for a wire transfer that was completely fake. Luckily in this case, the transfer was frozen in time and she did not lose her money but it could have ended very badly. BY SUSAN So what can you do to MILNER protect yourself? You can Guest Columnist use encrypted emails to share any important transaction information. You can let your customers know, and remind them again, to be on the lookout for fake information and to call to verify any emails they receive. I get calls from customers asking me if the email from a title company is valid asking for their personal information. I always welcome those phone calls and make sure to verify that they have in fact received correspondence from the correct title company. Before you attempt a wire transfer double check the wiring information verbally with the recipient or ask your bank to. No one wants to send money to the wrong place so a double check is always a good idea. We absolutely handle real estate transactions via email, electronic signatures and we can even now, in many cases, handle notarizations virtually, but this leaves us open to potential scams as well. We have to be, and make our customers,

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aware of the potential risks. Some things to check for that can help you— verify the email address. People can have the name show up as anyone but often times the actual email address looks funky. It might be a few letters off of the person’s real email or even be something completely weird. You may also find typos or incorrect sentence structure in the email. You could also find links embedded in the email to start a transaction or download a document. If you move your cursor over the hyperlinked text you can see where it is slated to go. Often you will see a weird out of country domain name. These are telltale signs that something is not right. But sometimes they have completely hacked someone’s email and all of that may look completely legit so even if you do not see any of the above red flags you should still pick up the phone and call that agent or title company and confirm those wiring instructions. If you have suspicion of a wiring fraud, or have been a victim of a wiring fraud scheme, you should reach out first to your affected bank and then to your local law enforcement and the FBI for assistance. I hope this article sheds some light on the wiring scams that we have been seeing and to look out for. If you are in need of real estate assistance in Southwest Florida, we would love to be your agents of choice. With many of our customers from out of the area, even out of the country in many cases, we all need to be very diligent with the details. Susan Milner is the broker and owner of Florida Future Realty, a local boutique brokerage in Cape Coral. Learn more about Florida Future Realty at www.WhyCapeCoral.com. Contact her at Mail@SusanMilner.com or (239) 218-2229.

Page 13

GUEST COMMENTARY

COVID-19 not fiscal crisis

I am writing to you not as a candidate for Congress, but as a physician and American citizen. Over the last several days, my phone lines have been flooded with questions, concerns and inquiries regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Let me start off by saying this: We, as Americans, have the single highest quality of healthcare in the world. Issues like this highlight how crucial it is that we work to develop free market solutions that allow our great healthcare to be easily accessed and affordable. Over the past several weeks, I have remained in constant contact with several colleagues from across the globe, monitoring the situation from all angles. Here is the good news: Despite some media reports, your overall chance of contracting the virus is currently incredibly low. Secondly, due to our high health standards, the survival rate of those who do BY WILLIAM FIGLESTHALER contract the virus is expected to remain very high. President Trump took the difficult but necessary step to temporarily expand the U.S. travel restrictions initially implemented last month. I fully support the decision and commend both him and Vice President Pence on their swift and decisiave action on the issue. To be clear, this is not an economic crisis. This is simply a time in which caution and care should be taken on all fronts. Our country has overcome great challenges in the past, and this will be no different. My medical advice is very simple and in no way extreme. 1. Take extra care in maintaining the highest level of hygiene possible. (Wash your hands as often as you can.) 2. When soap and water are not readily available, utilize an alcoholbased hand sanitizer for frequent cleaning. 3. Maintain appropriate social distance when in public gatherings. (Recommended 4 feet.) 4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. 5. Seek medical attention from a professional immediately upon displaying any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty breathing. America is the greatest nation on Earth, and we have the tenacity and resolve to overcome any challenge. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any and all questions that you may have. Dr. William Figlesthaler is a Naples urologist and a candidate for Congress in Florida’s 19th Congressional District. Contact him at (239) 777-0639.

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

APRIL 2020

Pandemic label triggers new ADA rules

STUDY PAGE 1 individual earnings jumped 22%. About 25% more black residents in the region are earning higher education degrees, and unemployment has declined 66%. Notably, the study found education improvements nationwide for black Americans even as inequality worsened. McFadden has concerns about young blacks getting saddled with debt that’s not accompanied by improvement in income after completing a degree. But in the area, the gap between blacks economically and the greater population has closed significantly. That may come from the area taking a harder hit during the recession. The entire Gulf Coast region also saw some economic benefits form a BP settlement after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. McFadden can’t say if the gains occurred primarily from affluent blacks moving into the area or the population here feeling improvement in economic standing. “But a 22% increase in income over five years can’t just be from newcomers,” she said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 dubbed the Coronavirus a global “pandemic,” claiming the health emergency has risen to “the highest level.” It’s the first time the WHO has called an outbreak a “pandemic” since the H1N1 “swine flu” in 2009. Because COVID-19 has now been labeled a pandemic of the highest level, employers need to be aware of specific rules that are now applicable under the Americans With Disabilities Act. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidance for employers to address what can legally be asked of employees during a BY GREG pandemic. ROUCHELL For your ease of reference, Guest Columnist below is quick reference summary of the EEOC’s answers to common questions during a pandemic. Of course, employers should review the EEOC’s Guidance in detail to fully understand what is (or is not) permissible during a pandemic. • May an employer send employees home if they display influenza-like symptoms during a pandemic? Yes. • During a pandemic, how much information may an employer request from employees who report feeling ill at work or who call in sick? Employers may ask employees if they are experiencing influenza-like symptoms, such as fever or chills and a cough or sore throat. Employee confidentiality must be maintained. • During a pandemic, may an employer take its employees’ temperatures to determine whether they have a fever? Yes. • When an employee returns from travel during a pandemic, must an employer wait until the employee develops influenza symptoms to ask questions about exposure to pandemic influenza during the trip? No. During a pandemic, may an employer ask em-

For more business news, visit www.swfloridabusinesstoday.com ployees who do not have influenza symptoms to disclose whether they have a medical condition that the CDC says could make them especially vulnerable to influenza complications? Generally, no. • May an employer encourage employees to telework (i.e., work from an alternative location such as home) as an infection-control strategy during a pandemic? Yes. • During a pandemic, may an employer require its employees to adopt infection-control practices, such as regular hand washing, at the workplace? Yes. • During a pandemic, may an employer require its employees to wear personal protective equipment (e.g., face masks, gloves, or gowns) designed to reduce the transmission of pandemic infection? Yes. But be prepared to provide accommodations if needed, e.g., non-latex gloves. • May an employer require all of its employees to take the influenza vaccine regardless of their medical conditions or their religious beliefs during a pandemic? No, but you can encourage your employees to get vaccinated. • During a pandemic, must an employer continue to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with known disabilities that are unrelated to the pandemic, barring undue hardship? Yes. • During a pandemic, may an employer ask an employee why he or she has been absent from work if the employer suspects it is for a medical reason? Yes. As always, it is advisable for any employer to consult with experienced employment counsel when addressing these issues with your workforce. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide periodic updates as new information is made available. Greg Rouchell is a New Orleans-based lawyer with Adams and Reese who heads the firm’s Labor and Employment Law Team. Contact him at gregory.rouchell@arlaw.com or (504) 585-0285.

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APRIL 2020

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

LEGAL & SECURITY Employee handbook important to your business

Part 1 of 2 erenced in case of future disciplinA comprehensive employee handbook can be a ary issues related to an employee’s highly effective way to inform your employees about violation of a policy. Keep in mind key workplace issues and company policies. Employa handbook does not create a legal ees who understand your policies are less likely to waste contract. time because they know what’s expected of them and what the company has committed to. Best practices While it’s generally not required by law for employWhile an employee handbook ers to create and distribute employee handbooks, such a is unique to the business, there are document can serve as a strong line of defense against general best practices that can help legal actions brought against your business by an emas you develop this document. Payployee or a former employee. Creating an employee BY JONELLE chex HR professional Janelle Rodrihandbook that reflects applicable local, state, and federal GOLDEN guez says to keep in mind the follaws and regulations can also help you focus on produc- Guest Columnist lowing: tivity and worry less about issues that could negatively • Understand that developing a impact business operations. handbook requires hard work and due diligence. • Be sure to have your employee handbook legally Key elements to include reviewed at least once a year. While legal guidelines differ from state to state, most • Don’t include policies that aren’t applicable to the every business in the U.S. must adhere to certain federal business structure or culture. Also, if you’re not sure you laws. Consider outlining your company’s commitment can implement certain policies, don’t include them. to these in your employee handbook: • You expect employees to know and follow the poli• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a fed- cies in the handbook; therefore, managers and supervieral law that sets standards for minimum wage, overtime sors should be expected to read it and implement the pay, child labor and recordkeeping requirements. The policies consistently as written. employee handbook should include policies that comply As with any business practice, complacency can be with these standards (and applicable state wage and hour an issue. For example, failing to refer employees to the standards), as well as provide information on an em- handbook for answers to their questions and to utilize ployee’s classification as either exempt or non-exempt, it as a resource can undermine the potential benefits of pay frequency, performance reviews, salary increases, your handbook. and bonuses (if offered). • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits Paychex HR professionals advice: discrimination by covered employers based on sex, race, • The process of creating an employee handbook national origin, religion, or color. Sexual harassment is deserves time and attention. Don’t rush through it. Unalso considered a form of unlawful discrimination. An derstand what you are creating prior to giving it to your employee handbook should clearly state your business’s employees. commitment to enforcing these policies, fairness in hir• If you are creating an employee handbook, or uping practices, and a workplace free of discrimination. dating an old copy, bring management into the picture. • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects Include them in the process as they can offer valuable inqualified individuals with disabilities from discrimina- sight as to what policies may need to be added, or those tion in employment. In addition, the law requires cov- no longer in practice. ered employers to provide a “reasonable accommoda• Pay special attention to areas that describe paid time tion” to an otherwise qualified applicant, unless to do so off. Employees love to read policies about when they would cause an undue hardship for the employer. get paid for not working, so make sure it is compliant as • The Occupational Safety and Health Adminis- well as clear and understandable. tration (OSHA) requires employers to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. It is a best practice to Other less obvious elements to consider incorporatinclude policies on the safe use of equipment and vehi- ing into your handbook include: cles, handling of materials, or wearing of safety apparel • Severe weather or natural disasters: It’s best to proin your employee handbook. actively address what could possibly happen in the event Your employee handbook should be written in com- of severe weather or natural disaster that would either pliance with these federal workplace laws, as well as ap- prevent the office from opening, or an employee from plicable state and local laws to help mitigate exposure to reporting to work. future legal action. • Infectious disease outbreaks and flu season: DurThere are also state and local laws. Your business ing outbreaks such as the coronavirus in 2020, quaranshould be aware of for inclusion in your handbook, in- tines and self-isolation could balloon employee absencluding paid leave under paid sick leave and paid family teeism and threaten your business operations. Employers and medical leave programs. For example, if there is a should know about paid leave policies at the state and rise in employee absenteeism during a particularly bad local level. flu season, understanding paid leave and documenting it in your handbook would be helpful. Jonelle Golden is a Senior Human Capital Man agement Consultant for PayChex. Contact her at Disclaimer information jkgolden@paychex.com or (239) 936-7013. Golden You may consider having employees sign a receipt is also a member of Preferred Commercial Alliance document (or receipt page included in the employee (PCA), a trusted network of locally owned compahandbook), acknowledging they read and understood nies that can help with every aspect of your company, the policies included. This signed document can be ref- preferredcommercialalliance.com.

WRENCH PAGE 1 Southwest Florida market is experiencing significant growth and the acquisition of Florida Cool strengthens and accelerates our growth,” said Ken Haines, CEO of The Wrench Group. “The Florida Cool team is thrilled to be joining The Wrench Group, an organization which shares the same dedication to its employees and customers,” said Caprio, President of Florida Cool. Florida Cool will be combining its operations with CoolToday, headquartered in Sarasota. CoolToday was acquired by The Wrench Group in April 2019, and quickly expanded its service offerings to Tampa and St. Petersburg. CoolToday President Jaime DiDomenico and Caprio will be working together to combine brand names in the coming months. Caprio will continue to manage the Naples operation as market President.

Page 15

TOURISM PAGE 1 billion, an 8.1% increase for the economic impact to the county. Visitation, spending and key tourism indicators were reported based on this month’s report from Research Data Services. Highlights for 2019 compared to 2018 include: • Average Occupancy in paid lodging rose 2.9% to 76.9 percent • Average daily rate in paid lodging increased 1.4% to $256.60 • Revenue per available room grew 4.4% to $197.30 • Direct Hospitality and Tourism jobs in Collier County topped 32,400, up 1,700 over 2018 The most recent tourist tax report, reflecting taxes paid by guests at hotels, short-term rentals and campgrounds in 2019, shows collections at $32.68 Million, up $4.1 million over 2018.

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

APRIL 2020

Revs Institute to feature Waymo’s “Firefly” vehicle The first self-driving passenger vehicle to drive on public roads, Waymo’s Firefly joins over 100 of some of the most significant cars in history at the Revs Institute in Naples. The Firefly completed the first-ever autonomous trip on public roads in Austin, Texas in October 2015. “The Firefly is an exciting example of driverless technology, a possible way forward in transforming personal transportation as we know it. And it is the first such attempt,” said museum founder Miles

Collier. For Waymo, the donation of this experimental car represents a step in a 10-year journey prototyping the World’s Most Experienced Driver. “We’re excited to partner with the Revs Institute to share the journey of self-driving technology with curious audiences of all ages, and inspire tomorrow’s mobility visionaries, engineers, and designers,” said YooJung Ahn, Waymo’s Head of Design. “I’m thrilled to see the Firefly continue on as a selfdriving icon.”

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The 4 P’s of security in the workplace Now more than ever, it is important for businesses to have safe and secure workplaces for their employees and customers. As threats and violent attacks occur around the nation, such as the recent active shooter incident that took place at the Milwaukee Molson Coors facility in Wisconsin, I encourage you to review, then put into place, the 4P plan listed below. Plan • Do you have a written plan that addresses workplace threats? Are employees familiar with it? Is it reviewed annually? • Have you assessed your physical security measures to see if they need updating? • What about communicating threats? What will you say to alert employees? • Do you have training in workplace violence and active shooter response? Our CRU (Community Response Unit) Crime Prevention

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Specialists can provide training for you free of charge. Prepare If your written plan needs revising to include violence response, seek legal guidance. Have you BY CARMINE assessed your MARCENO building secuGuest Columnist rity and access control? We will conduct a free security survey and provide suggestions for your plan. Is your method for communicating a threat adequate for all areas? Can everyone hear and understand what it means? Practice This is the step that most businesses forget. You can prepare a plan but if you fail to practice it,

what good will it be when you need to use it. • Which doors lock? Which rooms have items to barricade with and can you move it? Are first-aid kits available? • Where do you evacuate to and can those with disabilities access the area safely? Practice the options of Run/Escape, Hide and Prepare to Fight, and Fight/Defend. Protect A business that makes a plan, prepares the plan and then practices the plan will then be better prepared to protect their employees and customers thus creating a safer workplace. The 4P security plan will help businesses better prepare for the “What If?” not the “What Happened?” Carmine Marceno is the Lee County Sheriff. Contact the Community Response Unit at (239) 477-1617.

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