| New GrowFL Companies |
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SolTec Electronics is a WOSB (Woman Owned Small Business) located on the Space Coast of Florida. Dawn Gluskin, the founder and CEO has spent over a decade in the semiconductor sector and is considered an expert in the distribution field. SolTec Electronics has received many accolades and awards for explosive and rapid business growth.
Designer Golf Company is the industry’s only fully integrated manufacturer of golf course products, furnishings and printed products. Unique in their process to create products based solely on customer needs, Designer Golf Company sells no off-the-shelf products, assuring the products you desire are truly unique to your course's needs.
Every child should have equal opportunity to an education, but unfortunately not all educational opportunities are equal. A+ Tutor U provides special after school tutoring opportunities to qualified students that attend schools that have been designated as Schools In Need of Improvement for three years.
Founded in 1987 by Owner/President Allen Baum, Boca Bearing imports and exports miniature bearings for a multitude of purposes, including robotics, prototyping, food and medical device manufacturing, radio-controlled hobbies and performance racing, according to Baum’s son Jason Flanzbaum, vice president of sales and marketing.
Click here to read more.
Entrust Administration Services Inc. is a Lake Mary retirement administration company that enables clients to make investment choices outside of the stock market.
Glen Mather, Entrust owner and president, said the assistance provided by the economic gardening institute is a “great resource” for his company of experienced IRA administrators.
Click here to read more.
(click a company name for more info)
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~Case Study~
Endorphin Corporation |
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Endorphin President Vince Smith knew
that by entering the consumer market, he had the potential to quadruple the size of his business. He also
quickly realized that he needed help with this new business model.
Vince explains that the process of launching a product in a new market was similar to starting an entirely
new business within his existing company. He first turned to Pinellas County Economic Development for
assistance, where he was introduced to the GrowFL program.
The Economic Gardening team provided Vince with detailed information on potential market
demographics, marketing strategy, market research and competitive analysis—all crucial research data
that his team could not have been able to compile in a short amount of time. Vince compared...
To read the rest of the article, please click here.
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~Daytona Beach News-Journal~
Tech assistance program 'grows' businesses |
(February 18, 2011) GrowFL, the state's first attempt at "economic gardening," helped create 418 direct jobs last year, including three light manufacturing positions here at Advanced Manufacturing & Power Systems.
"I'm impressed with the effort," said company owner Joe Scofield. "I filled out the paperwork and then nothing for two weeks and then I got a call on a Thursday for a conference call on Friday. They asked me what they could do and...
To read more about this article, please click here.
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Interested in joining CEO Rountables?
Have you ever had to make difficult decisions alone as the sole executive in a growing company without anyone to turn to for advice?
Through GrowFl your company can address the management challenges you’re facing with guidance from business owners like yourself…..a panel of peers who can act as each other’s board and offer inuput and advice that can be immediately implemented.
Click here for CEO Roundtable Brochure.
Space is limited.
For more information contact Steve Quello at squello@ceonexus.com
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Interested in becoming a GrowFL company?
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GrowFL Earns Official Certification |
Nationally Recognized Edward Lowe Foundation Accredits Florida Program
as First in the Country
Thanks to the specialized support its GrowFL program provides to growing second-stage companies throughout the state, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida has been designated as a Certified Economic Gardening Program by the National Center for Economic Gardening which is affiliated with the Edward Lowe Foundation.
The state-funded Florida Economic Gardening Institute is the first organization in the United States to receive certification in the center’s top-ranking Level 3, representing the highest engagement of economic gardening principles that is attainable.
To continue reading, click here.
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Governor Snyder of Michigan speaks of his plans and praise for economic gardening |
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Florida Companies To Watch |
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The statewide entrepreneurial community rolled out the red carpet for the Florida Companies to Watch during the inaugural gala on Thursday night by celebrating 50 second-stage entrepreneurs that are driving Florida's economic growth.
High tech companies lead the way with firms in biotech, digital media, software, health science and information systems represented.
Chosen from an applicant pool of more than 300 high-growth second-stage companies, or businesses that have grown past the start-up stage but not yet reached maturity, these 50 Companies to Watch represent $420 million in annual revenue and employ nearly 2,000 full-time employees. Winners came from 17 counties across the state and 20 different industries from manufacturing to engineering to medical services. Since 2009, the award winners created 510 new jobs.
To read more, click here.
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GrowFL Gets a New Look! |
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GrowFL launches new website!
www.GrowFL.com
The site boasts even more features than before, including testimonials from CEO participants around the state, downloads of support materials and published reports, an easy-to-view calendar and an education portal that explains how the economic gardening tools that GrowFL uses support growing businesses.
We encourage you to explore the new design and share the wealth of information that is now available with your members and partners.
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Free SBIR/STTR Webinars |
The Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL) is providing a series of free online webinars about SBIR/STTR funding opportunities.
Log on for six sessions to learn how research faculty, students, and technology entrepreneurs can access these government dollars for technology commercialization by working closely with small technology firms that are seeking universities and their research faculty as SBIR partners.
Over $2 billion in SBIR grants will be
awarded to innovative small and startup technology companies this year. Learn how your company can get governmental funding to expand your commercialization efforts.
Please register at www.growflsbirsttrwebinars2011.weebly.com
Webinar Schedule
SBIR Workshops
All online webinars run from 9 - 10:30 a.m. (EST)
Monday, March 21st
Phase II: The Phase II Commercialization Plan
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GrowFL Featured Forum |
CEO Nexus Forum
March 8, 2011 Forum
Hosted by Rollins College Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship in collaboration with CEO Nexus
Richard Licursi is the CEO and co-founder of Spectrum Bridge, the world's first on-line commodity exchange exclusively for the dynamic trading of wireless spectrum. Prior to Spectrum Bridge, Licursi was a co-founder, President and CEO of MeshNetworks Inc., which became recognized as the global leader in mobile mesh networking technology. Upon Motorola's acquisition of MeshNetworks in 2004, he held the position of Vice President and Director of Operations for the Mesh Product Group at Motorola.
For more information click here or to find out about other Rollins MBA events, contact Chrissy Garton at cegarton@rollins.edu or (407) 646-2426.
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Upcoming Events |
March 23, 2011
11th Annual Florida Tech/Harris Ethics & Leadership Conference
Brevard County’s premier business conference for the development of ethics and leadership.
Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place
For more information, click here for website or flier.
March 24, 2011
CEO Council of Tampa Bay R-Group Meeting
Grow Your Business and Multiply Your Resources through GrowFL.
Centre Club, 123 S. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL
For more information contact: Linda (Jennings) Nelson at
linda@growfl.com or (407) 882-0046
March 25-26, 2011
Kauffman FastTrac Growth Ventures Workshop
Bootcamp for GrowFL Program Participants
Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, 3 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL
For more information contact: Lynn Aitken
at lynn@growfl.com or (407) 823-6384
March 29 & 30, 2011
Vistage CEO Summit
featuring Herb Meyer
Former Special Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence and Vice Chairman of the CIA's National Intelligence Council
3/29: Crowne Plaza Tampa East, 10221 Priincess Palm Avenue, Tampa, FL
3/30: Hilton St. Petersburg, 333 1st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa Bay area GrowFL companies interested in attending contact Linda (Jennings) Nelson at linda@growfl.com or (407) 882-0046
March 31, 2011
Vistage CEO Summit
featuring Greta Shulz
President and CEO of ProActive Training and Consulting
Southwest Region GrowFL companies interested in attending contact Linda (Jennings) Nelson at linda@growfl.com or (407) 882-0046
April 8, 2011
Broward Alliance Economic Gardening Breakfast Forum
Discussion on the benefits of economic gardening for second stage growth companies.
Signature Grand, 6900 State Road 84, Davie, FL
For more information, click here or contact Kathleen Weekes
at (954) 627-0132 or kweekes@gflalliance.org.
April 19, 2011
Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce GrowFL Info Session
Learn more about the GrowFL Program that provides free tehcnical assistance to qualifying growth companies.
11:30am - 1:00pm
115 N. Calhoun St., Tallahassee, FL
For more information, click here or contact Kara Palmer Smith
at kpalmer@taledc.com to RSVP.
April 27, 2011
Osceola Entrepreneur Summit
Entrepreneurs from across District 15 will be showcasing their innovative technologies. Presenters will include a wide variety of start-up and early-stage companies representing a wide array of industry sectors.
8am-12pm: Workforce Central Florida, 1392 East Vine St., Kissimmee, FL
For more information, contact Pam Gillespie, Director of Community Relations
at (321) 632-1776.
May 19-20, 2011
National Economic Gardening Conference - Orlando, FL
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Hosted by the University of Central Florida
For more information, contact Linda (Jennings) Nelson,
at (407) 882-0046.
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Locate Your Regional GrowFL Representative |
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