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LEE COUNTY HOSTED 2019 INTERNATIONAL TRADE SUMMIT

Salute to Entrepreneurs

Startups, solo practitioners and visionaries fuel the economy of Southwest Florida.

Commercial Real Estate

A comprehensive 8-page pullout section that is a quarterly Southwest Florida Commercial Real Estate market overview.

IN THE NEWS

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

Privacy & Cyber Security Forum announced A special Privacy & Cyber Security Forum will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Naples Daily News Community room. William C. Huff Companies will sponsor the informational and interactive forum for the community. The goal of the forum is for attendees to gain a clearer understanding of how to keep their families, wealth and businesses private. FORUM See page 18

19/20 SEASON

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

South American businesses visit Fort Myers

Special to SWFBT

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

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Edison Business Advisors poised for growth Eric Gall, managing partner and broker of record for Edison Avenue, a leading business brokerage and lower middle market mergers and acquisitions firm, is announcing significant changes to operations. The firm has decided to rebrand itself as “Edison Business Advisors” to better communicate added service offerings, including certified business appraisals, certified equipment appraisals and certified exit strategies. Brokerage and mergers and acquisitions efforts will continue to be led by Gall. He has over 20 years of business

transaction experience totaling approximately $170 million. Gall won the 2018, 2016 and 2014 Business Brokers of Florida No. 1 Top Dollar Producer Award for Southwest Florida, beating out Gall over 90 other business brokers. He is also an International Business Brokers Association Chairman’s Circle and Deal Maker Award winner. Eric holds

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a Certified Business Intermediary and Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Professional designations from the IBBA and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Michigan. Assisting Gall in business transactions are Michael Pfeffer, Steven Niehaus, Edward Valaitis and Phillip Reda. Pfeffer joins Edison Business Advisors with over 20 years of business transaction experience, including 12 years as a business brokerage franchise owner in Southwest Florida. Pfeffer is a Board Certified Intermediary, Certified EDISON See page 6

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OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 3

Tight labor market brings talent retention challenge

I’ve been living in Southwest Florida for over 30 years and it is interesting to see how the economy and workforce have changed overtime. Back in the 1990s, our population was about 631,551, according to the 1990 Census. Since then we have seen quite an increase in our population. The 2000 Census reported 880,678 people, and the latest 2010 Census reported 1,152,276 people. Now, why would the population be of any interest to you? Well, according to the latest unemployment report in July 2019, there are about 619,426 potential workers in our labor of which 597,135 are working, leaving an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent for the five-county area in Southwest Florida. Although this is impressive from the perspective of a strong economy; it brings the challenge of a tight labor market. Businesses are struggling to fill their open positions, they see themselves in a tight labor market in which they must compete with other business, creatively come up with ways to attract new talent, and focus on engagement of their exiting workforce. Past years have shown that when businesses compete for talent, salaries tend to increase as an attractive feature while others may focus on added benefits. As of today, we have not seen the salary increase we would normally expect

in this economic environment, which is an unexpected surprise. Other businesses have come up with creative ways to attract talent. They will hire an individual based on their skills, talents and personality without having an actual job posted. This is certainly a new trend we are seeing. Understanding that the talent pool is low, businesses have decided that hiring a person with potential is BY JANETH more important and they can later creCASTREJON ate a job for them. Guest Columnist Another strategy is engagement of the existing workforce. Hiring and training a new employee can cost a business up to a third of a year’s salary, therefore retaining employees by engaging them is more cost efficient and necessary in this workforce environment. In order for engagement to work, retention becomes the goal by asking questions like why and when people quit. In order to retain and engage good employees, you must consider questions. What is their identity within the company? Is their current job fulfilling? Do they feel job owner-

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Fieldr latest in series of startups

By Connor Firmender Guest Columnist

Born and raised in Danbury, Conn., Connor Firmender ventured down to Fort Myers after graduating high school four years ago. Before launching his own startups, Firmender developed and grew a social startup, WearTheFund Apparel, where he managed a sales portfolio of over $1.5 million and over 65 nonprofit partners ultimately bringing the company to its first profitable year. His first startup, VIIX Entertainment is an event and talent management group, independent record label and managing partner of VIIX Studios, a recording studio located in Sarasota. Moreover, Firmender’s latest success has been the launch of his social network, Fieldr. Fieldr is a Social Network that streamlines the engagement between Students and Recruiters. The focus is on bridging the gap in communication and career readiness between users through experiential learning opportunities. Fieldr has recognized a problem that is shared by many recruiters, hiring managers and business owners altogether. This online community allows for students to browse new opportunities exclusively and contact the organizations, while organizations are able to post their various opportunities onto a dashboard that is exclusively visible to higher education students. Beta 1.0 has launched and any organization can register free. Visit https://fieldr.app/

and register according to your user type. As the CEO, Firmender carries with him a strong history of sales and marketing, business development and strategy, as well as recruitment and project management. Moreover, Firmender is also a member on LARC, Inc.’s Development Committee – a local nonprofit aiding the developmentally disabled. In addition to this, Firmender is Florida Gulf Coast University’s Alumni Relations Officer, where he sits on the Board of Directors, Development Committee, and Community Outreach Committee, amongst a multitude of other responsibilities. Although endeavors play a major role in the daily lifestyle of Firmender, he wakes up at 5 am every day for workouts and meditation; what he refers to as his Health & Wellness hours. Giving back to his community is a priority whether it be through volunteer engagement, service learning, or mentoring students. At his entirety, Firmender anticipates on being a serial entrepreneur, writing many books in the coming years, and founding a nonprofit organization to aid the restoration of marine life and coral reefs. Please contact Firmender at your pleasure, he is happy to connect and urges you to visit his Beta site for Fieldr Connor Firmender is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fieldr. Contact him at ConnorFirmender@gmail.com, Info@FieldrInc.com, Cfirmender@fgcu.edu or call (203) 448-9181.

For more business news, visit www.swﬂoridabusinesstoday.com ship? Are they given clear direction to achieve their goals? And how does the job or company impact their personal growth? When thinking of identity, a business must identify if they are hiring the individual for their skills and talents or filling a job requisition? It is important to have honest communication with the individual about problems and challenges along with outlining the rewards of being part of the company. Overall, the best strategy in this economy is to retain and engage your existing workforce. Do some homework in finding out why are they leaving the company and put in place an engagement plan to succeed during this tight labor market. Janeth Castrejon is the communications manager for CareerSource Southwest Florida and the organizer for The Fall Hiring Event at FSW Suncoast Arena on Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (239) 225-2500, ext. 5239 or email jcastrejon@careersourcesouthwestﬂorida.com.

Pendergrass appointed to regional task force Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass was recently appointed by Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Thibault to serve on the Southwest-Central Florida Connector Task Force. The Florida Legislature established the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance program to address transportation and infrastructure needs throughout the State. The Southwest-Central Connector, extending from Collier County to Polk County, is one of three corridors that will be studied. “It’s an honor to be appointed by Secretary Thibault and confirmed

by my colleagues on the BoCC for this role. This program will improve transportation and public safety while protecting our natural environment for the whole State of Florida,” Pendergrass said Commissioner Pendergrass. The Task Force will meet several times over the next year with a final report due to Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature by Oct. 1, 2020.

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DOING IT RIGHT, FROM THE START

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

What to look for when buying a business

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Think about changing entrepreneurial mindset

Psychology is the foundation for sucnew ways of doing cess? It’s true. things continuously? If there is anything I would tell my forOr did they want to do mer 23-year-old entrepreneur self, it would everything their way be this simple thought: The way you think is and by themselves? the ultimate source for your success. The struggle of When talking about entrepreneurial ethos is real for some. growth, the conversation tends to gravitate Ego holds back toward sales objectives and other missions progress, and fear of with profit maximization and value creation change paralyzes othin mind. There’s no question that sales are ers. It hurts businesses. important; however, a deeper understand- BY MATT Micromanagement BERNHARDT ing of mindset and psychology needs to be was never a good a conversation piece at the forefront of busi- Guest Columnist thing, but it’s very easy ness owners’ minds. to fall into that way of thinking. Entrepreneurs by nature are resourceful, There is a bright side; you can let somepassionate, and adaptable. one else make decisions. You want that amazing entrepreneurial Big shifts in your business and your way mindset to propel you, not hold you back, of thinking can come from trusting the peoright? ple you have surrounded yourself with and Confidence is not usually an issue for who have the knowledge and skills that you entrepreneurs or you wouldn’t be one. We do not. Let them filter and influence deciare the risk-takers, the dreamers, and the in- sions. Let their success be your success. novators. Leadership is more about psychology Yet, only 4% of small businesses in the than it is about skills. United States will survive, according to the As a longtime entrepreneur, I didn’t alRobbins Research Institute. ways embrace the idea of partners. Four percent. Luckily, entrepreneurship is experiential, If I had to guess, I’d say those business and I am grateful to have learned that letting owners started off pretty confident. They the right partner into my circle and my busiprobably had amazing ideas. But did they ness is a shot in the arm and not a setback. have an open mind and did they explore Partners challenge you by bringing ideas ®

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You Have One Opportunity to Sell Your Business

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and a different way of thinking. They bring a wealth of experience and a circle of their own experts. Partners also can help things feel a little less dim as you go through the daily grind of entrepreneurship and instead position you to welcome and meet challenges, experience the growth of your business, and keep the same positive outlook you had as when you dreamed up your venture. I am without a doubt a better leader and business owner by adjusting my mindset and not staying entrenched to my old habits and thoughts in order to meet my goals. If there is any valuable “skillset” that should define the 21st-century business owner, it should be the entrepreneurial mindset and it should always be evolving. With an open mind, you will be able to manage, guide, and lead teams to accomplishments that are even greater than you imagined. Outsized success will follow. Just think about it.

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Question: I am looking to start a new business. Would it make more sense to consider buying an existing business? And what information should I request in the due diligence process? Answer: Starting a business from scratch is a daunting task fraught with uncertainty. Purchasing an established business with a proven track record eliminates many of the uncertainties. With an existing business you eliminate the startup tasks, have a staff in place, with a customer base, and existing vendor relationships. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your due diligence prior BY GRAY to the purchase. POEHLER Investing in a Guest Columnist business is no different than investing in stocks, bonds or real estate. You look at past performance, current conditions and outlook for the future, with help and advice from professionals. When buying a business, “due diligence” refers to the process of reviewing all of the available information related to that business. The following are some, but not all, of the important issues you should consider: • Why does the owner want to sell? Determining the answer to this question may be difficult. If the business is doing well, only poor health or a desire to retire is a credible answer. • How is the business doing financially? You can determine the answer to this question by requiring three years audited financial statements and tax returns. An aged list of accounts receivables and accounts payable to others. An itemized inventory list if selling a product. A list of all physical assets. • Are there any pending legal issues? These could include outstanding judgments, lawsuits involving patent disputes, intellectual property, product liability or negligence resulting in bodily injury or property damage. Request copies of insurance policies to determine if the business is adequately insured? • Are there employee turnover and morale issues? Request employee handbooks, salary and benefit information and non-compete and confidentiality agreements. Are there any ongoing grievances? • Customer and Vendor information. Ask for a list of major customers and suppliers with whom they do business. Is the customer base growing and is the company’s supply chain not overly reliant on one vendor? • Who are the major competitors? What differentiates this business from their competitors. What value does the customer derive from doing business with this company? Once you have accumulated this information, be sure to have a qualified accountant and attorney review the documents. With their help you can determine if the asking price is fair and where you can take the business going forward.

Gray Poehler is a volunteer with SCORE Naples. Business counseling on this and other business matters is available, without charge, from the Naples Chapter of SCORE. Visit https://naples.score.org/mentors or call (239) 430-0081.

OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 5

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Leaders must look beyond the ‘Ostrich Complex’ Myth: Ostriches really put their head in the sand. They don’t. It merely appears that way when they ﬂop on the ground and their head and neck color blend into the sand. Fact: Some leaders really do put their head in the sand when faced with difficult decisions. Tough decisions are just that, tough. Playing the “ignore it and it’ll go away” game is disastrous. This is a win-lose situation where the problem wins and the organization loses. When I first started in business, I had a mentor in the hotel development field. His number one rule in all of business was that time kills all deals. In other words, opportunities will fall by the wayside and problems will grow when people just let time pass. Most of the time it is fear, avoiding emotional discomfort, or a desire to have all the information before making a decision. “Been there, done that,” as the saying goes now. So how does one extricate one’s cranium from the silica? It takes practice, but through focus, discipline

and action, proper decisions and forward moving steps can happen. Focusing on the true kernel of the problem or dilemma usually brings it down to a size that becomes manageable. Ask relevant questions. Many times, it is not one giant problem but a series of smaller ones that have been allowed to fester, feeding on each other. Decisively dealing with each smaller BY THEO component makes dealing with the ETZEL collective whole much easier. Guest Columnist It takes discipline to stay and face the battle rather than run and hide or ignore it. This is a gut check. By dealing with the issues, examining options and asking advice from trusted sources, you are doing positive things to address the problem. This is where deliberate thought and focus come together to help formulate a plan of action.

Action is when the talk is implemented into a plan that is put into motion and people are held accountable to get it done. You can’t talk a parachute open; you must pull the rip cord. People see and react to action. They feel as if they had better take action because the leader is taking action. The leader is seen as a decisive person and not afraid to wrestle with a tough problem. The ostrich has a bad rap. People say it puts its head in the sand when it doesn’t. Don’t set yourself up for a bad rap either. Focus, discipline, action: Focus on the heart of the matter; have discipline to stand in there and face the music; take action to correct the situation. The feeling of relief from conquering an obstacle that seemed daunting before facing up to it is enormous. And the best part of that is that it is real relief with lasting benefits and not just avoidance and a ﬂeeting feelbetter-now reaction. It is, in essence, sleep insurance. Theo Etzel is chairman of Conditioned Air Company. Contact him at wte@conditionedair.com.

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Entrepreneurs should always stay true to what they believe

What advice does Jennifer Alvarez Linguidi, owner of Purely You Spa, have for aspiring entrepreneurs? “Stay true to what you believe in,” she said. “Go after your dreams even when others do not see it. Ensure to have a plan, evaluate its effectiveness, and consistently modify the plan to improve. Never settle and always strive to help others and do the right thing. Daily commitment provides huge results.” Before opening the doors to Purely You Spa, Naples’ premier certified organic spa, in March 2010, Naples native Jennifer Linguidi spent a decade in the hospitality industry. Her decision to start an organic day spa was primarily fueled by a health scare and the toll it took on her body and mind. “I was working at two hotels and studying at Florida Gulf Coast University all at the same time,” she said. “I was getting very little sleep, I had a poor diet and I was completely stressed out. All of that was a recipe for disaster. I ended up getting a tumor in my left leg called Fibromatosis. The tumor was growing fast so they removed part of three muscles in my leg. Three months later, the tumor came back and I did chemotherapy. After seven months of the chemo,

it gave me acne, which is how I initially became interested in skin care.” Linguidi cleared her skin and health and, along the way, started helping other people as well. Initially it was for fun, but after realizing the potential to turn her passion into a business, she became a certified skincare specialist, body wrapper, full specialist, health coach and achieved other certifications along the way. BY JENNIFER The demand for the services grew LINGUIDI past skincare and that is when she Guest Columnist found a new space. “That’s when I decided to go bigger,” she said. “I found a new space and established a vision for what I wanted it to look like. I wanted to make an impact in the lives of others and do something that I love and am super passionate about.” Purely You Spa offers customized and result oriented treatments that include: advanced facial and skin resurfacing services, body treatments, waxing, health coaching and

massage services for ladies and gentlemen. What sets them apart are the products they use, their philosophy of being organic, the level of expertise of their specialists, and their innovative technology. “We have added dermalinfusion, 3-in-1 resurfacing skincare technology, and Bemer Technology, that stimulates circulation throughout the body,” she said. “We haven’t formally announced it yet, but we’re adding a component of virtual reality to our relaxation services and are developing some new meditation programs.” For Jennifer, the joy comes from helping people experience life changing spa services that help with anti-aging, reducing stress and improving overall well-being. Looking ahead, the focus will be on continuing to build the spa’s annual membership program which is provides member savings, exclusive events and customized experience(s) to achieved desired results. Learn more about Purely You Spa, call (239) 331-8266, visit www.PurelyYouSpa.com or contact Jennifer Alvarez Linguidi at (239) 233-9633.

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OCTOBER 2019

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

‘Change would do you good’ always the right tune Sheryl Crow’s song “A Change Would Do You Good” came to mind when I thought about what to write in the Entreprenuer edition. Why? As an entrepreneur, I’ve made a number of changes between “then” and “now.” Most people hold 10 jobs before the age of 40, (I had five); and younger workers will hold 12 to 15 jobs in their lifetime, predicts Forrester Research. I believe serial entrepreneurs have often leveraged their past education, work and personal life to move to the “next best thing.” That gave me reason to ponder what led me to my current career. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to learn “how” and “why” things are done the way they are to be able to either do it myself or teach others. In high school and college, I learned French, then German. As a language student, you aren’t perfect and you make mistakes. Same with an entrepreneur; starting out nothing is perfect and you make plenty of mistakes. The key is to keep improving, don’t chase rabbits (stay focused) and practice the foundation of good core skills. My first larger entrepreneurial endeavor was a travel agency I purchased in 1991, at the height of the first Persian Gulf War. No one was traveling, and I was able to get the agency for a song and a dance. So I had to put my Marketing hat on (my college minor) to build this business from the ground up. While I had extensively traveled Europe and the USA, and had a business and government background (legislative staff in the Michigan House of Representatives); it was imperative to quickly assess the situation before the purchase and devise a plan to cash ﬂow

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the business. I identified who the potential customers were and how to contact them. The fax machine blasts and travel promo ﬂyers were key to mass distribution of the latest fares and rates. Then we honed in on a few suppliers and maxed our business with them to receive the best treatment and commissions. In three years, we built the BY RICK business from $30,000 in annual PERRY sales to $2.7 million. Guest Columnist I was doing this part-time with three agents and a bookkeeper, while holding down a job that spun off of my time in the Michigan House of Reps. My day job was as the executive director of a state association for vocational educators and administrators. My background as an exchange student in Wiesloch, Germany put me in contact with their former mayor. He knew of my government work and interest in international education and asked me to head up a new non-profit he was starting. We wrote and held seminars on cross-cultural training for German and American executives on how to do business abroad; and also on how to do business in China. My friend was promoted to become Minister of Economics of one of the German state governments; and shortly thereafter appointed me as the North American Representative of Economic Development for the USA and Canada for the State of Brandenburg, Germany. My office helped small and medium-sized companies with their international supply chain, export,

TRADE PAGE 1 support tools to local and global firms, assisting them with production, distribution and related activities, including development of innovative supply chain solutions. The mission of the International Trade Hub at Port Manatee is to be the leading platform for global trade in Southwest Florida. The Trade Hub works to assist participating companies in capitalizing upon the hundreds of commercial connections established during the multiple business-tobusiness events. “Lee County is excited to welcome these international businesses and to be a part of this great opportunity. We look

EDISON PAGE 1 Business Appraiser, Certified Equipment & Machinery Appraiser and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. Michael has a BBA and MBA from the University of Iowa with a concentration in finance and entrepreneurship. Niehaus joined Edison in August 2018. Steven has over 30 years business experience in a cross-section of industries. He is a member of the IBBA

relocation and assisted them with state and federal tax incentives. After this appointment ended, I teamed up with him and others to help automotive and technology companies do business in China for three years before moving to Florida. If you are open to change, it can bring you to some interesting places. Southwest Florida is a place to reinvent yourself with a new career, and I started a digital marketing company in 2006. This was before the iPhone. The technology and pace of the digital industry has been breathtaking in the past 12 years (Training!) Then about a year ago, I learned that the U.S. Congress passed the PATH Act to ease and expand business tax incentives to small and medium-sized business, and that most business owners knew nothing about this. Wow, a niche. Change will do you good. After hearing that local tax CPAs generally don’t do this, it seemed like a logical fit with my background. So my wife, Debbie, and I independently joined forces as business advisors (Your Strategy Partners) with a group of tax incentive CPAs associated with American Business Incentive Services. The change “did us good” and we plan to end the last decade of our career pulling both of our backgrounds together to educate and help small and medium-sized business owners get the federal and state tax incentives they deserve. Rick Perry has helped over 300 companies with business and economic development in the USA and abroad and helped qualify businesses for over $2 million in federal incentives. He is a partner with Your Strategy Partners and TransAtlantic, based in Bonita Springs. Contact him at rick@yourstrategypartners.com.

forward to promoting and expanding our diverse economy here in Lee County,” said Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass, County Commission liaison to the Horizon Council. John Talmage, director of the Lee County Economic Development Office, also is enthusiastic. “We are supportive of the initiatives of the International Trade Hub at Port Manatee as an invaluable catalyst for introducing companies from throughout the world to the businessfriendly environment of Southwest Florida and in helping our region’s entrepreneurs make the most of productive global links,” Talmage said. The August outreach events built upon momentum gained through numerous vis-

its to Port Manatee by high-level government and trade officials of such diverse nations as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland and Spain. Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deep water seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, with ten 40-footdraft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The port generates more than $2.3 billion in annual economic impact for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs, without levying advalorem taxes.

and the Business Brokers of Florida. He earned his BBA in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky and his MBA from Arizona State University. Niehaus earned the BBF Million Dollar Seller Award in 2018. Valaitis manages the Tampa office for Edison Business Advisors. He is a Certified Business Intermediary and member of IBBA and Business Brokers of Florida. He has more than 24 years of experience building, managing and leading high-quality professional services firms

with expertise in risk consulting, strategy, due diligence, commercial lending, marketing, business development and P&L leadership. Phillip Reda joins Edison Business Advisors as the manager of their Youngstown, Ohio office. Reda has over 25 years of ownership and transaction experience in the restaurant/bar industry. Edison Business Advisors has plans for additional office openings throughout the Midwest and Eastern seaboard States in 2020 and beyond.

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Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Telephone numbers may be reached via the Florida Relay Service at 711. An equal opportunity employer/program. A proud partner of the American job center network.

OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 7

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Can you take pressure of property ownership?

EHC expands with Fort Myers headquarters

EHC, a construction company that provides preconstruction, earthwork and infrastructure services, announced development is underway on a new headquarters campus in Fort Myers. The site construction company is moving its headquarters from Naples. The six-acre campus will include the EHC corporate office, maintenance and repair facilities, equipment storage yard, water management facilities and additional property to triple the size of the operation when needed. “After 29 years in business and 26 years in the current facility, we decided it was time to centralize and expand,” said EHC, President and Owner Jeff Hunt. “The decision was not taken lightly. Since 2016, we’ve been searching for the right location and the right opportunity for our team and clients.” EHC began to pursue a new headquarters campus as the company was outgrowing the existing facility. Centralization of the headquarters in Southwest Florida was also essential to EHC’s growing market from project and client locations to where staff members live. EHC found a property on the southeast corner of Canal and VanBuren streets in Fort Myers. EHC will be providing all the site work on the project including clearing, fill, utilities, pavement, curbs, sidewalks, fencing, storage yard, landscape and irrigation. The main headquarters building will have 8,000 square feet of office space and 6,000 square feet for a repair shop. Built of pre-engineered and fabricated metal with concrete ﬂoors and walls, the building will feature executive and staff offices, multiple conference rooms, employee training facilitates, six heavy equipment repair bays, and the shop office. The corporate office component is two ﬂoors.

The pressure of investing is very real. You put your money down and maybe you get a loan. You dream of turning that investment into a handsome return over some period of time. Dreams are what drive us. We all know that most large fortunes are made by investing in real estate. Even people who start a business or get big salaries as top level corporate managers eventually turn to real estate to invest that money and increase their fortune. A wise man I met in the early 1980s who had amassed a fortune of over $100 million from real estate investment gave me some sage advice. He said, “If you pay fair market value for real estate then you paid too much.” His point is obvious. You must purchase property with some room for gain immediately. If you do that, then you can usually get out of the investment quicker and make money. There is about a 15% cost to acquire a property and to dispose of it. Those costs include commissions, taxes, recording fees, surveys, loan costs (points and application fees), appraisal, inspection fees and professional fees, etc. if you have no room to maneuver and some event makes it necessary that you liquidate that investment, then you may end up losing money. This is not good! Events are what cause the pressure. If you are young and reaching hard to get something going and it fails quickly, your family will never let you forget it. It could also make you shy about the second foray into this world. Additionally, if you have a loan and expecting tenants to cover your “nut” and they move out and reletting takes time, you better have enough money in your pocket to cover the costs until your cash ﬂow re-

Randy Krise, CCIM, is the broker/owner of Krise Commercial Group in Fort Myers. Contact him at (239) 633-8672 or randy@krisecg.com.

B R O KE R S ~ A N A L Y S T S ~ A D V I S O R S ~ C O N S U L TA N T S

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turns. If not, this investment could go sour quickly. Do not be so anxious to invest in anything that you can’t cover problems and have to file bankruptcy at an early age (hopefully you never have to file). If you are ready to take the pressure of buying and managing an investment, make sure you know what you are doing. Get a seasoned professional with a real BY RANDY track record to advise you. I have KRISE trouble using a stockbroker who Guest Columnist owns no stock. Similarly, I think a real estate broker ought to have felt the pressure of ownership to be a qualified advisor. It is one thing to talk theory, it is another thing to have lived it. Experience is the best teacher. I believe I have seen just about every problem that you can encounter. Lawsuits, fires, shootings, lost revenue, tenant bankruptcy, code enforcement, zoning, destroyed property, abandoned buildings and abandoned property, evictions, uncollectable judgments and wasted legal fees, just to name a few things. Will pressure from these types of events beat you? Get an advisor that has lived it and you’re a phone call away from some solid advice. Do it on your own and cry later.

PROFESSIONAL REALTY CONSULTANTS OFFICE: (239) 573-5318 CELL: (239) 851-2090

The statements and figures presented herein, while not guaranteed are secured from sources we believe authoritative. Subject to prior sale, withdrawal and price change without notice.

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Page 8

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

Innovation

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OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 9

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Duck Donuts continues to expand with Fort Myers store

Duck Donuts held a grand opening of its first franchise location in Fort Myers, the fourth store in Florida. Owned by Wallace and Samantha Nelms, owners of the popular Estero location, the store is located on Daniels Parkway. “Fort Myers is such a dynamic and growing city that we felt it would be a great place to expand our growing donut business,” said Wallace Nelms. “We are excited about partnering with community charities and schools, and of course, delivering warm, delicious and made-to-order donuts.” The 1,750-square-foot retail store reﬂects the

For more business news, visit www.swﬂoridabusinesstoday.com

franchise’s redesigned beach theme and familyfriendly atmosphere with indoor seating. In addition to donuts, the Fort Myers location also serves Duck Donuts’ signature coffee blends—Riptide Roast, Light House Blend, and Sunset Pier Decaf, tea, espresso, donut breakfast sandwiches, donut sundaes, select retail items and more. The Fort Myers store will be joining Duck Donuts’ national effort in raising funds for Gabe’s Che-

Using SBA to prepare for future I thought I would kick off the last quarter of 2019 by summarizing what the Small Business Administration can do for your small business, especially if you are getting pushback or even a loan decline from your lending institution. The SBA in conjunction with a bank can provide financing for anything a small business needs including real estate purchases, business acquisitions, partner buyouts, business expansions, working capital, equipment, inventory and even start-ups. In order to qualify you must own and operate or be purchasing a small business. The SBA cannot be used for investment property purchases. So why use SBA? The SBA provides a loan guarantee to the bank lending you the funds, which allows the bank to take on more risk than they would in a conventional commercial loan. This translates into three major benefits to the small business owner. The ability to hoard cash, maximize cash flow and keep control of their business in their hands. This is done thru lower down payments (sometimes as low as 10%), longer payment terms (sometimes as long as 25 years), limited or no prepayment penalties, no balloon payments, no loan covenants, no call features and the ability to finance a project that has some major risks associated with it. Some of these risks include a change in ownership, a loan that is cash flowed using projections rather than historical cash flow, a short-fall in collateral, a single purpose property such as hotel or marina, a lack of direct industry experience, and/ or a business in a high risk industry. The timing on an SBA loan typically ranges from 30-90 days depending on the type and complexity of the transaction, your ability to provide timely information and documentation, and most importantly the

level of experience of your SBA lender. I’ve been in this industry for 18 years and I love talking shop so feel free to give me a call if you would like to discuss a project in 2019. A really great use of the SBA is doing a BY TOM post-startup restrucMAIALE ture of your busiGuest Columnist ness. I would say after being in business three to five years is the time to consider doing this. Recently I assisted a manufacturing company to refinance $2 million in equipment loans and purchase $3 million in real estate they currently lease. When they started the business five years ago they had to use quick and expensive forms of financing in order to start-up quickly to take advantage of a huge money making opportunity. Now that they have stabilized, I was able to restructure their debt and allow them to purchase the real estate they lease. The result increased their cash flow by $50,000 per month or $600,000 per year. This cash flow increase will allow them to grow without having to borrower from banks or vendors going forward. For this and other success stories please visit my website at www.sbaworks.com. Tom Maiale, First Federal Bank SBA Lending Vice President and Business Development Officer, is an 18-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 tmaiale@cbcnationalbank.com or call (239) 288-9966.

We Care About SWFL Commercial Realtors With dedicated space for informa�on: • On our website with a Commercial Real Estate sec�on & directory • In our quarterly Commercial RE Market pullout in both the print & digital versions of SWFBT • With zoned and full-run inserts • With guest column opportuni�es • With digital marke�ng op�ons

SWFBT SellS!

mo Duck Program. Running through Sept. 30, customers can help alleviate fear and anxiety in children undergoing cancer treatment by purchasing a $1 paper Ribbon Icon, which will be proudly displayed in stores throughout the campaign. To show appreciation, supporters will receive a “Buy One, Get One Free Donut” coupon offer. Funds raised at the Fort Myers location will benefit pediatric cancer patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital. The Quack Gives Back program promotes partnering with community groups to raise awareness and funds for their causes.

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Page 10

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Choose the right commercial professional for you THERESA BLAUCH-MITCHELL, CCIM

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

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 2019 CCIM SWFL President Ron Struthers for details at rstruthers@ccim.net Ron says: “This ad got me listings. It works!”

Lee, Collier, Charlotte & Sarasota Counties

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.

SWFL CCIM Past President, Florida CCIM Membership Chair, CCIM International Committee. Hablo Español.

SPERRY COMMERCIAL GLOBAL AFFILIATES

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

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

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

LEE & ASSOCIATES

INTEGRITY

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MEASUREMENT

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DAVE WALLACE, CCIM, SIOR Collier County

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

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.

• • • •

OFFICE INDUSTRIAL SALES & LEASES INVESTMENT

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 dealmaking 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.

INVESTMENT RETAIL OFFICE INDUSTRIAL

239-265-2628 theresa@ccim.net www.sperrycga.com

CREDIBILITY

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.

• • • •

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

PETER WEST, CCIM, SEC Venice, North Port & the entire Gulf Coast A Realtor since 1984, Peter has worked in all facets of real estate. Currently he operates four brokerage offices in FL & MA. He is licensed in FL, MA, NY & VT

BISHOP WEST REAL ESTATE, LLC 413-822-2571 pwest@ccim.net www.bishopwestfl.com

• • • •

MULTI-FAMILY INDUSTRIAL LAND SYNDICATIONS

BEV LARSON, CCIM Lee, Collier & Charlotte 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

OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 11

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Choose the right commercial professional for you RON WELEBNY, CCIM

CARLOS ACOSTA, 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

MARYANN MIZE, CCIM 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

Puzzled over how to keep up with changes in Southwest Florida’s Business Market? The Missing Piece is in your hands...

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STEVE GANT, CCIM, MAI Charlotte, Desoto, Lee & Sarasota Counties

Steve is a Charlotte County native and commercial real estate expert with 21 years of experience. Local Knowledge. Expert Qualifications.

941-628-2625 steve@riverside-services.com www.riversiderealtyservices.com

• • • • •

What does having the CCIM designation mean to me? 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

Get a one year subscription for just $30. Call (239) 573-9732 or e-mail Publisher@swfloridabusinesstoday.com to order your subscription for Southwest Florida Business Today now!

RIVERSIDE REALTY SERVICES, LLC

Lee, Charlotte, Collier & Sarasota Counties

OFFICE RETAIL INDUSTRIAL LAND LEASING

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 the commercial realtor community, a growing segment of the CCIM Institute includes lenders and appraisers among designees. Commercial Realtors appreciate the benefits of referring business to and working with a lender that has a proven track record of core competencies demonstrated by the CCIM designation. From a knowledge perspective, I reaped the many benefits of the comprehensive CCIM education process. 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 professional. After adding CCIM to my name, I quickly came to 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.

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

• • • • •

CRES of SWFL 239-823-0115

cacosta@ccim.net www.cresswfl.com

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

CCIM

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

FRED KERMANI, CCIM, AIA

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!

RETAIL OFFICE INDUSTRIAL LAND INVESTMENT SALES & LEASING

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

CRE CONSULTANTS

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

• GAS STATIONS • RESTAURANTS

Page 12

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Choose the right commercial professional for you ERIC DEYOUNG, CCIM Charlotte & Sarasota Counties

Fort Myers, Estero, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs & Naples

Vice President of Commercial Lending with more than 12 years experience. Graduate of University of Florida, MBA at FGCU. Active volunteer and community leader.

Past Board Member and Treasurer of CIP. RE/MAX 100% Club Award Member in 2018. Over 10 years in commercial real estate. RE/MAX Commercial Top Producer in 2018.

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CHARLOTTE STATE BANK & TRUST

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HEATHER RIDEOUT, CCIM Charlotte & Lee Counties Heather comes to the commercial real estate world with over 20 years experience in small business consulting, as a successful small business owner and as a real estate investor.

KW COMMERCIAL PEACE RIVER PARTNERS

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CCIM

RANDY KRISE, CCIM Lee, Collier & Charlotte Counties Broker/owner of Krise Commercial Group and 2016 Florida CCIM Regional Vice President and Institute Board Member.

KRISE COMMERCIAL GROUP 239-633-8672 randy@krisecg.com www.krisecg.com

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SAVE THE DATE: 20th Annual Southwest Florida CCIM District 2020 Commercial Real Estate Outlook Conference

Mark your calendars! The Southwest Florida CCIM District announces the 20th Annual Southwest Florida Real Estate Outlook Conference on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 7:30 a.m. – noon at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, 5001 Coconut Road in Bonita Springs. This meeting is an ideal networking and educational opportunity for any individual or company that deals with or wants to learn more about Commercial Real Estate transactions. The SWFL Real Estate Outlook Conference features business leaders from the local community who will discuss where the economy and market is today, what the expectations are for 2020, and what business leaders need to prepare for in the future. The internationally acclaimed economist Elliot F. Eisenberg, Phd. is serving as the guest speaker for the event and there will also be panel discussion groups whose participants will share their views on the retail, industrial, residential, raw land, and office space segments of the local economy. This event is open to the public. Vendor and Sponsorship opportunities are currently available. Contact Bev Larson (239)281-1290 or bev1314@ aol.com for more information. This conference is ideal for any individual or company that is involved with commercial real estate transactions, including brokers, investors, buyers, sellers, bankers, lawyers, insurance agencies, and title insurance companies. The conference offers an occasion for attendees to network and discuss the upcoming year, while also offering an opportunity to gain an enriched understanding of the economy, especially in Southwest Florida. Those who attend the Conference also receive a booklet that contains valuable data about Commercial Real Estate transactions.

About Southwest Florida CCIM District

The Southwest Florida CCIM District is a chapter of the CCIM Institute, Commercial Real Estate’s Global Standard for Professional Development. The CCIM Institute was established in 1954 to give practitioners of Commercial Real Estate the valuable opportunity to further their business practices through focused education and networking opportunities. Today, with the addition of advanced technology resources, CCIM is the Global leader in Commercial and Investment Real Estate education and services. The Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation is recognized as the hallmark of professional competency. Belonging to CCIM means being part of an ethical and knowledgeable network that fosters lasting relationships based on mutual respect.

2020 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE IS ON! Join The CCIM Southwest Florida District for 2020 and get the rest of 2019 for FREE! Take advantage of these exclusive member opportunities: • Networking and Deal-Making Events • Member-Only Opportunities and Discounts • Member Technology Benefits and more... Call Theresa Blauch-Mitchell, CCIM at (239)265-2628 for more details.

RE/MAX REALTY GROUP 239-989-7077 pwittenauer@remax.net pwittenauer@engagerealestate.com

• • • • •

INDUSTRIAL VACANT LAND COMMERCIAL RETAIL INVESTMENT

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

DEBRA JOHNSON SHUEY, RPA, CP, CCIM Collier, Lee, Charlotte & Hendry Started in Commercial Real Estate in 1980. She is a Certified Paralegal. A Lee County resident since 1968, she has astute knowledge of the Southwest Florida market.

ROYAL SHELL REAL ESTATE

239-850-2811 debrajohnsonshuey@icloud.com www.debrajohnsonshuey.com

• • • • • •

RETAIL HOSPITALITY OFFICE INDUSTRIAL LAND LEASING

ARTEM NASHMAN, CCIM Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Tampa & Orlando Artem has been globally recognized by Commercial Investment Real Estate Magazine as one of the top 10 CCIMs under 30. 2019 Florida CCIM Chapter Southwest District Secretary.

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OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 13

COMMERCIAL RE MARKET A look at commercial real estate trends and topics in Southwest Florida

Architects use virtual reality for walkthroughs By Dan Summers Guest Columnist The days of putting a pen to paper and sketching out architectural plans are quickly fading into the past. And so, too, are the days of last-minute design changes precipitated by walkthroughs on the construction site as projects are being built. The future in architectural design is virtual reality. Advances in technology mean clients no longer have to use their imagination to envision their new homes, businesses or commercial developments. They literally just strap on a VR headset, grab the controller and our architectural designs come to life in realistic 3D. “This technology is being driven more by the video game industry than architecture, but it really is mindboggling to see how our industry has transformed as technology has improved,” said Kevin Williams, principal architect and vice president at BSSW. “Virtual reality allows clients to walk through their buildings before the foundation is ever poured. They can see where doors and windows will be positioned, how furniture and cabinetry will be arranged, and even how the character of a space might change as light enters at different times of the day.” The VR walkthrough is similar to popular video games in which the user navigates throughout rooms and buildings. In the past, a construction manager or property owner would have to wait at least until framing was erected before donning a hard hat for a walkthrough. Then, if that individual wanted to change the positioning of a doorway or shelving, for instance, it would be an added expense that also could derail the construction timeline. BSSW uses Autodesk’s Revit Architecture Building Information Modeling software to create its three-dimensional digital designs. A plug-in from Enscape then helps generate multi-dimensional renderings, which when viewed through an HTC Vive headset offer a truly immersive, interactive experience. “Our clients appreciate being able to get a sense of the space earlier in the project design phase,” said Bryan Lee, a BSSW partner, senior project manager and BIM manager. “In the past, the only way to truly experience all of the shapes, layouts, colors and perspectives was

to wait until a structure was built. VR puts you in the driver’s seat from the initial design phase.” One of BSSW’s first projects to incorporate VR technology is The School District of Lee County’s new “MMM” high school, which will be located at the corner of S.R. 82 and Griffin Drive in the Gateway community. BSSW used VR to showcase the school’s new black box theater, a multipurpose room with a ﬂat ﬂoor and nondescript walls. On paper, it looks like a typical room, but VR showcased the room’s various configurations, which can accommodate meetings, seminars, plays, concerts, religious services, community events and more. This black box theater is the same concept that was implemented at Bonita Springs High School, which opened in August 2018. BSSW also incorporated VR into its work at Moorings Park, a premier senior living community in Naples. Sales associates were able to host virtual showings with potential residents who wanted to get a look and feel for their new homes before making a deposit. That allowed buyers to customize every aspect of their future residence, and even select a unit that would have the best view, which VR allowed them to see in advance. “BSSW has been a valuable partner to Moorings Park and has been of great assistance,” said Steve Brinkert, vice president of sales and marketing for the project. “VR can be a wonderful tool that helps prospects fully visualize what their space, views and even their lifestyle will be.” BSSW has incorporated VR technology into the client review process for government facilities, commercial buildings, residential units and other types of facilities. “We’ve been using BIM for more than a decade, so creating 3D perspectives is nothing new for our team,” Williams said. “The ability to then incorporate those designs into VR is a true gamechanger that saves both time and money. The intersection of experience and technology is providing a powerful benefit to our clients.”

Bonita Springs opens The Hub

The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an Open House celebration at The Hub, a new space to work, meet and connect. This café-style meeting area located inside the Chamber’s building offers free coffee, fast WiFi and ﬂexible seating. It also has two semi-private office suites available for small group reservations, and the DMA Community Room available for large board meetings, workshops, seminars and more. Coffee is sponsored by Right Turn Coffee.

It’s Your Future. Own It.

Dan Summers is principal architect and president at BSSW Architects, a full-service architectural ﬁrm founded in 1980 with oﬃces in Fort Myers and Naples. Contact him (239) 278-3838 or visit BSSWarchitects.com

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY Â®

OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 15

Three tips to help show up in Google’s 3-pack

By Andreas Dolleschal Guest Columnist

For more business news, visit www.swﬂoridabusinesstoday.com

The change from Google’s 7-pack to a reduced 3-pack has had a major impact on local SEO. Many businesses struggled to get featured when there were seven spots available. Now getting into the top three can seem like rocket science. The good news is that this goal is not impossible. However, it does take time, skills and knowledge to get it done. Being seen by local consumers just as they’re searching for your type of product or service is the most targeted type of marketing known today. But getting there can be tricky unless you really know what you’re doing. To help you get started down the right path, here are three helpful tips: 1. Get more citations When it comes to ranking your local listing, one thing Google pays close attention to is how often a company is mentioned in other sources. In other words, it looks for “citations” to validate your business. A citation is a mention of your business name along with another piece of business information anywhere on the web—with OR without a link

back to your website. The additional information could be your phone number, website URL or physical address—combined or individual. In order to count as a citation, the information must be an exact match to the information on your Google My Business listing. Citations help prove to the search engines that you are a real company; therefore, the more of them you have from quality sources, the better your local listing rankings will be. 2. Add photos to your listings It’s no secret that consumers love photos. The more high quality images you have on your Google local listing profile, the more appealing it will be to potential customers. This goes farther than Google; Yelp has even published advice on how to optimize your business listings, claiming photos make a massive difference. It even goes as far as to say according to research from Review Trackers, consumers spent 2.5 times more of their time on listings that featured photos.

3. Get as many reviews as you can Reviews are an important part of getting noticed online these days. Consumers love writing reviews about businesses and they also like reading them. Google has taken note of this. It wants to promote the best local businesses and what better way to determine who those businesses are than through positive user reviews? If you want to increase your rankings, encourage your customers to leave reviews whenever you can. Getting your business to show up on Google’s 3-pack is a lot more challenging than it was with the 7-pack; obviously, because there are less spots. The tips above will help, but you will need to continually keep up with local search changes and ensure all of your company’s information is listed correctly and updated going forward. Not only that, but make sure you make smart use of categories and strategic keyword placement within your profile to give it strength. Andreas Dolleschal is president and CEO of Smargasy, Inc. Contact him at (239) 214-8592 or a.dolleschal@smargasy.com.

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Simplifying medical records to operate better with the cloud

Submitted By: Julie Ferreira

Headquartered in Naples, Scribe Technology Solutions is simplifying the medical records industry with its cloudbased platform, which offers ﬂexibility, control and productivity to healthcare providers. Scribe’s mission of simplifying healthcare through innovative technologies evolved from Naples entrepreneur Mark D. Boyce’s past success in the management of organizations large and small. Boyce founded Scribe with the understanding that healthcare’s growing amount of collected data needed a solution for effective handling, along with

the ability to use all this data in a positive way. Scribe utilizes this data by incorporating specialized technology to develop tools to help healthcare providers spend less time doing data entry and paperwork; to have a clearer understanding of their financial well-being; and to spend more face-to-face interactions with their patients. Providers see an increase in productivity, profitability, and improved patient care, and are enabled to focus on what matters most – patient care. Scribe has the unique ability to offer tailored solutions that are designed for each medical practice and their workﬂows. It offers ﬂexibility that can accommodate all practice sizes and specialties.

ScribeMobile is the company’s marquee solution. The mobile app (for both Android and iOS platforms) gives providers the ability to complete documentation from anywhere and at any time. With Boyce the recent addition of LiveScribe to ScribeMobile, providers now have even more freedom from their computer keyboards as they connect to virtual scribes who complete the patient encounter in real time without the intrusion (and expense) of physically being

in the exam room. As Scribe has grown and evolved, Boyce spends much time working with potential partners and investors, exploring new opportunities where Scribe could expand with its unique tools, solutions, and employee skills could be utilized in new areas or types of businesses. He also stays involved in occasional technical problem solving, including programming for “fun” and remains the strategic product manager driving the product and technical vision for the company. For more information visit Scribe.com or 8805 N. Tamiami Trail #319, Naples.

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Page 16

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT

Gary Trippe looks back at 25 years of Blue Chip Special to SWFBT

Established in 1990 by MassMutual Insurance, the Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award will celebrate a significant milestone with its 25th anniversary in Southwest Florida. Ahead of the November award ceremony, Gary Trippe spoke about a quarter century of celebrating business leaders.

Q: What inspired Oswald Trippe and Company to begin coordinating the award here in 1994? A: The Blue Chip Community Business Award grew out of the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative. This initiative was a partnership between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Nations Business and Connecticut Mutual Insurance Company, which was later acquired by MassMutual Insurance. Shortly after Oswald Trippe and Company began coordinating the program in Lee and Collier counties, the national program was discontinued. OTC was inspired to rename and restructure the program to create a signature event locally that would recognize and honor small businesses who overcame adversity to achieve success. Further, we saw this as an opportunity for other businesses to learn from the stories of successful solutions employed by other businesses impacted by challenges. Q: Today, Scott Gregory, vice president and Business Insurance Agent, spearheads the annual coordination of the Blue Chip Award with the assistance of your daughter, Stacey T. Mercado. However, during your time at the helm, what was your primary role in coordinating the award? A: Yes, Scott has been coordinating the award for many years with a lot of help from Stacey. They’re a great team as they both strongly support the award’s mission. Previously, my role with the award was to participate in establishing the criteria and requirements that nominees must meet in order to apply for the Blue Chip Award. In addition, I served as that of a visionary in driving the marketing of and awareness for the award in conjunction with local agencies. Also, as a way to achieve strong credibility for the award, we decided to extend invitations to all of the local chambers of commerce, business publications,

Q: The restructuring of the award was a notable change. Can you provide any additional insight into how Blue Chip has changed and evolved since its conception in SWFL? A: The most significant and positive change was evolving into a local award with locally-based criteria. Throughout the years, we were able to create and develop a meaningful program that would reward businesses for sharing their stories about overcoming challenges to ultimately achieve success. In an effort to level the playing field for all applicants, we began offering complimentary narrative drafting and editing assistance. Each year, it seems as though event Blue Chip Community Business Award winners from attendance grows and the award, overall, has become previous years include: Gulf Coast Printing Services much more visible and well known in our community. in 2001, top left; Fireservice, Inc. in 1994, top center; JRL Ventures Marine Concepts in 2010, top Q: Throughout the years, you’ve likely heard nuright; and NGALA Wildlife Preserves in 2018, above. merous, compelling business stories about overcoming adversity and achieving success. What have been as well as the local colleges and universities to be- some of the most memorable? come endorsers of the annual program. Lastly, I was A: It’s difficult to select the most memorable, in charge of selecting a panel of independent judges as they have all been very special, personal, relatwho would review applications, choose finalists and able, inspiring and admirable. Over the years, busidetermine a winner. Today, I’m still active in the nesses/business owners have been willing to share award’s coordination and I look forward to attending with us and the community their compelling stories the ceremony each year. about struggles that came in the form of financial loss, health issues and illness, death, catastrophic events Q: The national program was restructured in like hurricanes and fires, embezzlement by a trusted 2001. What did the restructure entail and how did Os- employee, family obstacles such as divorce, etc. I sinwald Trippe and Company implement it? cerely admire the strength and perseverance of all the A: In 2001, the restructure of the award entailed applicants who have come forward with their stories drafting the criteria, acquiring and engaging endors- throughout the years. ers, collaborating with a marketing firm for publicity, selecting respected business and community leaders Q: The Blue Chip Award provides a great opporto serve on the panel of independent judges, and creat- tunity to showcase local businesses and entrepreneurs ing an award that could be prominently and proudly in Southwest Florida. In your personal opinion, why displayed by the businesses who became finalists and do you think the award is so valuable to our commuwinners. During the restructure, we also had to es- nity? tablish a relationship with various speakers bureaus A: There are numerous awards in the community that had experience working with nationally recog- that recognize small business, but none of them focus nized public speakers who had a compelling story of solely on overcoming adversity to achieve success. overcoming adversity to share. The final step of the Being able to tell and share a story that might exrestructure was to compile everything into a specific pose vulnerability, struggle or even private personal business plan with a budget, ultimately becoming a BLUE CHIP See page 18 part of the marketing plan for OTC.

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OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 17

SALUTE TO ENTREPRENEURS

Investing in employees is best thing for growing your business As entrepreneurs and business owners, we become that question is just a higher salary, accustomed to multitasking quickly. We’ve worn or but today’s workforce understands continue to wear the many hats of running a business: it’s not always about the salary. If sales, marketing, operations, human resources and evyou’re unable to afford to pay your erything in between. When you’re wearing all the hats, best-performing employees top you are running your business. But are you growing grade salary, what else can you ofyour business? fer? You must think beyond the payOne of the most important lessons I’ve learned as check and think harder about what an entrepreneur and business owner is that you have to your employees are looking for. learn to delegate. It can be hard to let go of the reigns We’ve introduced several soft that you’ve held close for so long, but if you can find benefits for our employees over the BY HARRY an employee you trust, in order for you to grow your CASIMIR years, such as the ability to work business, you’ll need to hand some responsibilities over. remote a couple of days per week, Guest Columnist At Atilus, our longest-term employee has been on the ability to take time for education staff for around seven years. Our second longest-term and learning, and so on. In fact, each of our employees employee has been on staff for around four years. It’s has a goal each year to attend a conference or workshop been a huge part of our success to do what we can to related to his/her field. We also strongly encourage our keep those trusted, long-standing employees around. team to take time each week to find online webinars and How do you do that? Some may say the answer to workshops so that they can keep up in their field and

most importantly, feel confident that we, as a company, are investing in them. One of the easiest ways to hold onto your top performing employees is to just make sure they’re happy. There may be some needs you can’t meet. However, if you can create a pleasant, fun, encouraging and productive work environment, you’re likely to keep the employees you can delegate some of your most pressing items to. And once you’re able to delegate to an employee you trust and an employee who is happy, you can focus more on growing your business. Harry Casimir is the CEO of Atilus, a web design and digital marketing company. Harry founded Atilus in 2005 and holds a Bachelor’s in CIS from Florida Gulf Coast University and an MBA from Norwich University. Contact him at (239) 362-1271 or contact@atilus.com. Learn more at www.atilus.com.

Gap Analysis: Opportunities for business growth A practical way to determine managerial strategy is to apply the gap analysis approach to strategic planning. This approach asks the following questions: Where are we today in terms of strategic planning? Where are we going? Where do we want to go? How are we going to get there? A planning gap exists between the momentum of the organization—where it’s going and what it’s potential is—and where it wants to go. It is imperative that a company defines its mission broadly. Since changes in the environment (political, social, economic and technological) are occurring at an accelerating rate, alert managers with broadgauge goals can certainly create new opportunities for their organizations. Conversely, myopic leaders who continue to do “what we have always done” will inevitably find themselves on the

losing end and unable to adjust to the changing demands of the market. In order to create and capture opportunities that avail themselves in the market, creative action must be taken to close the so-called BY PATRICK planning gap. MONTANA If we are a Guest Columnist $200-million company today in terms of sales and we did nothing more than continue to stay in our current line of business, our momentum might carry us to be a $220 million company in five years. On the other hand, we could be a $500-million company in five years if we realize our potential by taking certain steps

in provisional planning to fill the so-called planning gap. How do we fill this planning gap? There are four ways: • Improve our current operations • Develop new products or services • Develop new markets • Diversify The gap between momentum and potential can be filled by improving current operations, developing new products and markets and diversifying. The Montana AIMS Group will conduct a half-day workshop from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce. The purpose is to assist businessmen in developing a strategic plan. It’ll be done in conjunction with a talk on ways to improve your health and wealth. For more information, e-mail patmontana17@ gmail.com or handelcraig@yahoo.com.

Small business class starts Oct. 7 in Naples

Individuals who are thinking about starting their own business but need some mentoring are invited to apply to the Goodwill Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise Institute, scheduled for Oct. 7 – Nov. 14. The MicroEnterprise Institute is a six-week training program to help emerging entrepreneurs start new ventures and grow small businesses. Graduates complete a comprehensive training course and prepare a solid feasibility plan, working with mentors who are successful businesspeople. Classes are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday and Thursday evenings at the United Way in Naples. The course ends Nov.14 with a graduation ceremony.

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Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

BLUE CHIP PAGE 16 matters is part of the healing process for a business. The Blue Chip Community Business Award provides an opportunity for business owners to share their stories before an audience consisting of fellow business professionals and community leaders. In some cases, it can be painful for entrepreneurs to open up and speak their truth and we respect that it may take some time after overcoming adversity to be willing to talk about it publicly.

Q:What is your vision for the Blue Chip Award going forward? A: Going forward, the vision for the Blue Chip Community Business Award is a shared vision with McGriff Insurance Services, managed locally by Gray Davis, Agency executive and senior vice president. Together, we envision that the award will continue to recognize small, local businesses who have experienced hardship but went on to be successful. After all, this takes extreme determination and devotion. We also hope that through the award we can maximize and enhance the educational and networking component by providing a foundation for businesses to share with and learn

FORUM PAGE 1 There will be a panel of three experts speaking about security and what that means to families and to businesses. Experts from both the physical and cyber security worlds will share their knowledge and per-

from others. Overall, the goal is to continue to encourage our local business owners and leaders to be the very best they can be.

Q: As a former entrepreneur yourself, do you have any words of advice or insight to offer to local business owners and professionals who may be facing adversity? A: First, assess your situation with another person who is not emotionally attached to your business. They can provide insight from a more objective perspective. Seek assistance from local resources such as FGCU or FSW. They can assist with developing a strategic plan for the survival of your company. Make a strong commitment to your plan and look for a financial institution that is willing to provide a bridge loan during your restructuring period. In addition, build a plan for transitioning from survival to success. Also, it can be very helpful to join a peer group comprised of entrepreneurs who share your same core values and business principles. They, too, can provide valuable advice and insight during a difficult time. The Nov. 6 event at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point is free to attend. Visit 2019BlueChipCommunityBusinessAward. eventbrite.com to register. spective on current issues. This event is open and free to the public. To register for the cyber security forum, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/ privacy-cyber-security-forumtickets-69297644119. Seating will be limited; early registration is suggested.

Building a Lasting Legacy Since we first opened our doors, we’ve reinvested in our communities one project at a time. From financial guidance and support to energetic volunteers and committed leaders, we’re committed to improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

As we join together with Busey Wealth Management this fall, and long after, experience the same level of service excellence you expect from the Investors’ Security Trust team.

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OCTOBER 2019

Handling conﬂict when things get heated up By Ross Gibbs Guest Columnist

Conflict and handling issues are an epidemic in many companies. I’ve always said that our best growth comes from conflict. Let me clarify; it must be healthy conflict. What does that look like? In EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), the time to engage in healthy conflict is when we create an environment to identify and bring our Issues List to our meetings. Bringing them is easier when you create a culture in your organization to start looking for the issues getting in the way. Yes, you heard me correctly. Companies that lean in on their issues will get there faster. Issues are all the obstacles, barriers, roadblocks and people upsetting you — even opportunities getting in the way of your vision, or quite frankly, the day-to-day operations. Now that you’ve identified the issues, you may be asking, “now what?” EOS has an issue-solving track called IDS (Identify, Discuss and Solve.) We first identify the issue in one sentence and don’t move to discuss it until everyone in the room understands the issue. Sometimes, we dig a little to get to the root issue. But once we’ve identified the root issue we can move to discuss. There are two rules on discussing, no tangents and no repeats. Anything else, we’re politicking. The person who brought the issue must be ready to hear it solve. Once they hear their solve, they raise their hand and say, “I am solved.” Then we move onto the next issue, and so forth. This sounds easy, right? Well, it’s not always easy because not everyone is open and honest or is willing to go to the danger. Sometimes, solving issues together can be downright in your face, and feels like a fire drill. When things get heated up, people react in different ways. Here’s a good way to frame this up and look at it from a healthy perspective. When things get heated, we must act from our best selves. This is especially true in a professional work environment. John Friel, Ph.D., said it best:

For more business news, visit www.swﬂoridabusinesstoday.com

“Just like a crucible in a laboratory, things get heated up. Crucibles can handle high levels of heat and that’s why they’re used in science. When people go about their lives, they’re on their own crucible and, quite frankly, responsible for it. There are two extremes outside of the crucible we want to avoid at all costs; the first is the perpetrator extreme. This is the bull in a china shop syndrome where we run over people and don’t listen and think we know all the answers. The second extreme is the victim extreme. This is where we blame others and shut down or don’t participate. A person can go from one extreme to another in one breath or sentence. It can happen very quickly. The goal is to stay in the crucible so as things get heated up, we act from or best selves without going to those extremes.” I teach the crucible model to teams that run over each other or don’t have a two-way environment. I tell people you’ll have more power when you’re in control of your emotions and you’ll build more vulnerability-based trust on your teams when you go into the danger without losing out on the extremes. You won’t be able to solve anything. Issues will continue to linger for days, weeks, months, quarters and years. We don’t want that. Once a decision has been made, we move forward as a company. The time to get heated is in IDS and not outside or after the meeting. Everyone needs to get it out. We may not all agree, but all need to be heard without losing ourselves. The best companies do it this way. They face their issues by bringing them to each other. Sorry, suggestion boxes don’t work. How are you addressing and solving your issues? Are you open and honest? Are you acting from your best self? Ross Gibbs is a certiﬁed EOS Implementer with over 15-years’ experience growing and building proﬁtable businesses. Contact him at rossgibbs@ heitraction.com.

Did you know ...

that SWFBT highlights:

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Breaking Business News B2B Events Calendar Photo Galleries Commercial Real Estate Directory Professionals who are “Going Places” ... and much more at

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OCTOBER 2019

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

Page 19

Bloopers can deﬁne company identity for years It was always the most anticipated event of the holiday party. Every year, the TV station I happened to be working for would play the blooper reel. In addition to the always-funny news mishaps, there were clips of the year’s in-studio guests who just weren’t ready for prime time. We’d all chuckle and then the next day get back to work. That was then. Nowadays when you appear on camera for any reason, your screw-up not only ends up on the station blooper reel to be played again and again - it lives online forever for the whole world to see. It remains there as a constant reminder that you weren’t prepared for your TV interview, YouTube or promotional video. In some cases, that one video, or onair slip-up, can define you and your company for years to come. And it often affects your bottom line. I remind my clients of that every time I conduct a media coaching session. What seems easy for your local TV anchor is not. It only looks easy. It’s the result of years of experience and more importantly, understanding the ‘performance’ TV. Yes, it is a performance. How you sit. How you stand. What you do with your hands and face, even the colors you wear make a difference. How many of us

GAMMON PAGE 1 Sunseeker Resort, Murdock Village, MetalCraft Marine and Amigo Pallets as they move forward in development. As well as generating numerous new opportunities like a new ﬂight school, a major MRO, a Cheney Brothers expansion and several others as the EDO office continues its mission to attract new jobs. Gammon was tapped for the director’s position after two rounds of a national search. Taking the reins of a successful economic development office is a momen-

watch a TV commercial, YouTube video or anyone on camera and ask, ‘what the heck was he or she thinking?’ You might be the best attorney in town, the best physician, the best of anything but if you don’t know how to convey that to the viewing audience all is lost. It reminds me of a guest I interviewed years ago on a major netBY FRANK work. His message was important. CIPOLLA He’s stature within his industry Guest Columnist was well established. But his outfit looked like he picked it out on his way out the door. Nothing he said during that interview mattered. Nothing. You simply could not keep you eyes off his mismatched shirt, swirling tie and carnival barker jacket. While we’re on the subject let’s talk about colors. Light blue conveys trust to the viewer. Check out your favorite cable news station next time. How many politicians are wearing light blue ties or light blue blouses? This doesn’t happen by accident.

tous challenge, requiring balancing and actuating the agendas of five commissioners “I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the unsolicited signs of support I’ve gotten for Mr. Gammon to be made permanent in Gammon that position,” Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch said. Commissioner Christopher Constance added, “We’ve seen Mr. Gammon perform for six months now. I haven’t seen a diminution in the effort or in the

For more business news, visit www.swﬂoridabusinesstoday.com Staying on message is also important. Again, look at those who do it well. How many speak in perfect sound bites and don’t wander away to tell unconnected stories? How many know how to deﬂect and redirect uncomfortable questions? Are they sitting up straight? Are their hands where the viewers can see them? Finally, let’s talk about your online video. I can’t tell you how many I have seen that are poorly lit with the subject way off mic, or worse yet, droning on and on and on. The average American has an attention span of 20-seconds. Why is your video eight minutes? Don’t end up being laughed at online for decades to come. Remember TV is a performance. The good news is, it is a skill that can be taught. Frank Cipolla has been a major market TV reporter and anchor for more than 40 years. He is the founder of guest placement and media coaching company Contacts Media based in Naples. He can be contacted at (908) 670-9500 or at contacts@contactsmedia.com.

profile of economic development. In fact, I think there’s been an improvement.” “He knows the importance of involvement with the business community, no matter what section that is. Promoting Dave is a proper step,” said Commissioner Bill Truex. Commissioner Joe Tiseo aid, “Dave has shown me he can step up to the plate, pick up these projects and try to keep things moving.” Charlotte County’s Chamber of Commerce was heard from, as well. Executive Director Julie Mathis said, “I’m a big believer in promoting from within. I like that Dave is involved with

my members and my board. I know we’ll be able to work with him.” Prior to joining Charlotte County EDO, Gammon spent the majority of his career sourcing investment opportunities in markets throughout the country. A Denver native, he now lives in downtown Punta Gorda with his wife, Susan, and is a graduate of Arizona State University. “I am appreciative of the opportunity afforded me by the Board and look forward to working with the talented group that make up the EDO office along with the local business community in making things happen,” Gammon said.

South Cape: Fishtale Grill is Fresh & Fun

Fishtale Grill is located on the hottest street in South Cape, thanks to a $13 million streetscape beautification project. Owner Kerry Krieg says she’s loves seeing South Cape grow into a walkable destination where people can dine, go out for drinks and enjoy live music. The restaurant’s seafood market provides fresh fish to over 250 restaurants in the area. “We’re really excited for the growth,” says Krieg. “We started as a little lunch spot and evolved into a fullblown restaurant with seafood that’s beautiful for the eye as well as the palette. Over the years, we’ve grown from 20 employees to 70. It’s been a pretty amazing ride.” Fishtale Grill • 1229 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral • (239) 257-3167 • fishtalegrill.com

(239) 574-0444 (833) CAPEEDO ecodev@capecoral.net bizcapecoral.com

Page 20

Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY ®

OCTOBER 2019

Beyond Fast is viewing all your businesses from anywhere. There are basic video monitoring services;'. and then there are intelligent systems that go beyond the usual. Comcast Business SmartOffice™ video monitoring features HD cameras that automatically upload captured footage to the cloud. Most importantly, it comes with a mobile app that allows you to monitor your entire business from wherever you are, whenever you wish. It's time to go beyond low-res video to images so sharp and so accessible, they can help protect your business.

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