Press Releases

Orlando, FL – GrowFL provides access to resources, analysts and tools typically only available and affordable to Fortune 500 companies. These high powered assets, along with our nationally certified team of Economic Gardening specialists, help Florida second-stage companies grow to the next level of success. Some of our companies have recently been chosen to receive honors and awards for their leadership, product innovation and community outreach.

Advanced IT Concepts, Inc. (AITC) from Orlando, a leading provider of Information Technology Solutions and Services to the Federal Government, Civilian Agencies and Commercial customers, was selected as a 2013 “Top Business in the US” by DiversityBusiness.com. AITC was named a “Top 100 Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses” as part of the organization’s 13th annual business survey for outstanding entrepreneurial success and company growth.

AMWAT Moving Warehousing Storage from Tallahassee was honored with “Mover of the Year” award from Move for Hunger, a nationwide hunger relief organization that works with moving companies across the United States and Canada to collect non-perishable food items from customers during a move. The owners of AMWAT, Dean and Gloria Pugh, launched their “5 for 5” food drive program before they know about Move for Hunger. The program gave customers a 5% discount on their local move in exchange for 5 items of food.

Bit-Wizards from Fort Walton Beach was honored for the third consecutive year, adding six ADDY® awards to their shelves. Not only did they receive four Silver and two Gold, but the “Best of Show” (Interactive) was awarded for the MyDentity custom drum kit application developed for Mapex drums. Bit-Wizards is no stranger to winning awards for their design and marketing abilities having one two Silver in 2011 and three Silver in 2012. The ADDY® Awards are awarded locally and nationally by the American Advertising Federation organization.

The Commonwealth Institute South Florida’s 2013 Women-Led Business Survey Results honored two GrowFL clients on the list of the Top 50 Women-Led For-Profit Organizations in Florida. Number 14, Christine Franklin of Cherokee Enterprises, Inc. and Number 49, Susana Robledo of Cube Care Company, located in Miami Lakes, were chosen and ranked based on 2012 revenues and their leadership.

Congratulations to these GrowFL companies.

GrowFL receives programmatic support from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

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About GrowFL
GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support to second-stage companies for next level growth. By supporting companies with Strategic Research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring, GrowFL helps companies overcome obstacles to growth and leads them towards prosperity. Based on the philosophy of Economic Gardening – to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state – GrowFL is the program of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida and is a critical component to the state’s economic development strategy and Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. During the pilot program from 2009-2011, GrowFL helped more than 400 companies create 1,400 new jobs and had an annual economic impact of $510.4 million. At the beginning of 2013, that number has grown to nearly 700 companies supported by GrowFL. Website: growfl.com.

About Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Accepting Nominations and Applications for 2013

Orlando, FL – The Florida Companies to Watch awards program recognizes and honors growing second-stage companies, headquartered in Florida, that exhibit innovative business strategies and processes that are “worth watching”. Florida Companies to Watch, presented by GrowFL and the University of Central Florida in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation, is now accepting nominations and applications for its 3rd annual awards program event.

Fifty deserving companies will comprise the winning class of 2013 and join an esteemed group of 100 Florida alumni honored in 2011 and 2012. Winners will be given the rock star treatment on October 24, 2013 at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL.

“The Florida Companies to Watch awards program celebrates the success of companies that make a significant impact on our economy. In Florida, they account for 5 percent of the companies and nearly 30 percent of the jobs,” said Tom O’Neal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President for Research and Commercialization at UCF. “They are in a no man’s land – too big to be small and too small to be big. These companies make a difference and we’re happy to offer the recognition they deserve.”

“At Overgroup we are passionate about creating jobs people love and improving the lives of our clients and the communities we serve. We were very honored to participate in this amazing program and to be recognized as one of Florida’s 50 Companies to Watch for 2012! Receiving awards like this is an opportunity to showcase the talent of our incredible team and ultimately help us achieve our mission of being a leading innovator of billing and back-office software, through which we empower our clients to thrive and our end-users to become happier and more productive,” said Ross Overstreet, Founder and CEO of Overgroup, based out of Pensacola, Florida. Overgroup was also recognized in 2012 as one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.

Eligibility requirements for the award state that a company must be a privately held, commercial enterprise that is currently in a stage of growth and past the startup phase; must be headquartered in the state of Florida; and have between six and 99 full-time equivalent employees and between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue in the year 2012. Companies in all industries and from all areas of Florida are invited and encouraged to apply by visiting flctw.growfl.com/program-eligibility/.

Professionals who work with second-stage companies are encouraged to nominate a deserving business by May 10, 2013. All nominees and companies seeking to apply directly must submit their completed application no later than May 31, 2013.

Winners are selected by a panel of judges who represent areas of economic development, entrepreneurship, professional industry and small business. Judges look for evidence of steady and/or high growth in employment rates and revenue as well as those that demonstrate special strengths and traits including entrepreneurial leadership, product innovation, social and community responsibility and competitive business practices.

For more details on Florida Companies to Watch, visit flctw.growfl.com or email GrowFL@UCF.edu. Sponsorships for the 2013 event are still available by emailing Cindy Barson at Cindy.Barson@UCF.edu or calling 407.823.3642.

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About GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

About Edward Lowe Foundation
The Edward Lowe Foundation inspired the creation of the Companies to Watch program to celebrate second-stage entrepreneurs, their companies and the business community that supports them. Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a Michigan-based nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through recognition, education and research with a focus on second-stage companies – those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. The foundation also encourages economic gardening, an entrepreneur-centered strategy providing balance to the traditional approach of business recruitment. For more information, visit edwardlowe.org.

Orlando, FL – New research from the Edward Lowe Foundation (ELF) provides significant insight into how corporate scale has changed over the last decade. According to a recent study released by the Institute for Exceptional Growth Companies (IEGC) (February 13, 2013), from 2000 to 2010 large firms became fewer in number and much smaller. In contrast, the research shows that large firms were replaced by smaller, micro businesses that were about half the size from a decade earlier but experienced lower employment growth and had a lower survival rate.

However, the research does reveal a small proportion of US companies did expand employment and increase productive scale in a dramatic fashion. These firms are not necessarily “fast growing” companies in “hot” industries. Rather these are companies with slower and repeated growth that compete in all US industries and reside in almost all communities. “As firms grow more frequently, they acquire more scale, and as regions increase their number of sustained growth firms, they achieve higher employment growth,” states Gary Kunkle, author of the study and economist and research fellow at ELF’s IEGC.

These companies are the foundation for Florida’s Economic Gardening program and the work of GrowFL. Economic Gardening targets second-stage growth companies and provides resources to them that help companies achieve continued success. Second-stage companies have an ability to grow with continued support from GrowFL and can achieve repeated growth in the future. They are smaller firms with 10 to 99 employees and $1 to $50 million in revenue.

The economic landscape has changed and with it policies, resources and initiatives. Florida is leading the way with programs designed to support the entrepreneurial CEO who is experiencing success but wants to continue on an upward path. The University of Central Florida’s GrowFL program is the state-wide, certified Economic Gardening initiative for Florida. The mission of GrowFL is to provide strategies, resources and support to second-stage companies for next level growth.

Through strategic research and peer-to-peer mentoring, GrowFL works with successful, growth-oriented CEOs on awareness of processes and tools, available customers, marketing strategies and core strategies, GrowFL can and does improve the prosperity of Florida’s second-stage growth companies.

Since 2009, GrowFL has worked with more than 600 companies. These companies are creating jobs for Floridians. According to a 2011 economic impact analysis for the GrowFL pilot program, the companies assisted by GrowFL created more than 1,400 jobs and had an economic impact of more than $510 million.

GrowFL Executive Director and Associate Vice President of UCF Office of Research and Commercialization, Tom O’Neal, Ph.D. states that “In Florida, we have adopted the principle of Economic Gardening which supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem and works closely with second-stage growth CEOs to help them understand their core strategies and keep their company in growth mode. The whole notion of GrowFL is to bring in more revenue, hire more people and create more value added jobs to boost Florida’s economy. The goal is to create a prosperous Florida, not just a bigger Florida.”

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About GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

About Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

About the IEGC and the Edward Lowe Foundation
The IEGC was created by the Edward Lowe Foundation in 2011 through a three-year grant from the NASDAQ Educational Foundation. IEGC is creating new data sets and using existing date in innovative ways to track and better understand exceptional growth companies, their impact on community and economic development, and their relationship with equity funding sources. One of its key data resources is the National Establishment Time-Series (NETS), a unique longitudinal data set compiled by Oakland, Calif.-based Walls & Associates. Website: youreconomy.org/pages/iegc.lasso

Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneurial support organizations. The foundation focuses on second-stage companies – those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. For more information, visit edwardlowe.org.

Orlando, FL – The University of Central Florida’s GrowFL program provides learning opportunities year-round for second-stage CEOs. These opportunities are part of the overall GrowFL program which receives programmatic support from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Listed below are the upcoming opportunities in March 2013.

Monthly free webinars, presented by GrowFL, help second-stage companies’ work on issues possibly affecting their business.

March 6 – Setting the Terms: Evaluating a Term Sheet for Strategic Investment or Equity Financing
Speaker Terry Brennan, managing partner of the Brennan Legal Group PLLC, will focus on the following subjects:
   1.   Valuation considerations and impact of investment on the post-funding capital structure
   2.   Control issues in the business following the investment
   3.   Exit rights of the investors

In collaboration with statewide Entrepreneurial Support Organizations, provides a year-long series of CEO Forums. The CEO Forums provide new perspectives on management techniques through the eyes of established business owners who have grown their companies into a more advanced stage of business development. CEOs and other company executives discuss the issues and challenges that confront growing companies.

Upcoming dates:

Greater Pensacola Chamber
   When: Thursday, 3/7, 5:30-7:30 PM
   Where: Seville Quarter, Heritage Hall
   Speaker: Tad Ihns, CEO, Avalex Technologies

Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc.
   When: Wednesday, 3/13, 8-10 AM
   Where: Northwood Centre
   Speaker: Doug Dunlap, President, Syn-Tech Systems

Rollins College Center of Advanced Entrepreneurship
   When: Wednesday, 3/13, 6–8 PM
   Where: Women’s Club of Winter Park
   Speaker: Jeff Hoffman, Founder, Priceline.com

Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council (SFMSDC)
   When: Thursday, 3/14, 5:30-7 PM
   Where: Broward County Convention Center (part of the SFMSDC Business Expo)
   Speaker: Jose Mas, CEO, MasTec; Carmen Castillo, CEO, SDI International Corp.; David Hernandez, CEO, Liberty Power

Pasco Economic Development Council
   When: Tuesday, 3/19, 6-8 PM
   Where: Saint Leo University, Donald Tapia School of Business, Bldg. 33701
   Speaker: Jeff Vinik, Owner, Tampa Bay Lightning

JAX Chamber
   When: Thursday, 3/21, 4-5:30 PM
   Where: Jacksonville University, Davis College of Business
   Speaker: Paul Davis, Founder, Paul Davis Restoration

Each CEO Forum is free and open exclusively to second-stage growth companies CEOs and executives. This program is a series of more than twenty CEO Forums that will take place throughout Florida as part of the 2012-2013 GrowFL Statewide Initiative with special support provided by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. To learn more about these events and to be added to the invitation list, please contact growfl@ucf.edu.

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About GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

About Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Orlando, FL – GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, proudly announces that all Entrepreneurial Support Organization Partners across the state have achieved a Level 1 program certification from the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG).

Hosted by the Edward Lowe Foundation, NCEG delivers strategic research services and maintains national standards for state and regional economic gardening networks. Level 1 certification requires the organization to have a general interest in the local entrepreneurial movement and have publicly stated support for the “growth from within” rationale for economic development, also known as the economic gardening approach to serving second stage companies.

Congratulations to GrowFL’s Entrepreneurial Support Organizations:
JAX Chamber
Business Development Board of Palm Beach County
Pasco Economic Development Council
Greater Pensacola Chamber
Rollins College Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship
The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County
Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council
Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc.
Tampa Bay Innovation Center

GrowFL, the state’s designated Economic Gardening initiative, receives programmatic support from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. As the only Level 3 certified organization in Florida, GrowFL manages, with NCEG, certification of organizations in Economic Gardening. GrowFL provides strategic research to CEOs of second-stage companies by employing experts in market research, geographic information systems, search engine optimization and social media marketing.

“At GrowFL, we put the CEO in the center of everything we do. By providing strategic research, CEO Roundtables and CEO Forums to our clients, we offer a tremendous asset to the CEO that would typically come at a very high cost to them. Being certified at Level 3 provides the authenticity needed to work closely with CEOs and give them the confidence in us that is needed in order to truly support them in their growth,” says Tom O’Neal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President at UCF. “Working with the Statewide Entrepreneurial Support Organizations, now all at Level 1 certification, will benefit the CEOs doing business in those regions by bringing a new level of understanding to the concept of Economic Gardening.”

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GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Additional Second Stage Growth Companies Encouraged to Apply

Orlando, FL – GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, proudly announces that more than 500 clients have been accepted into its program since it began in 2009, with more than 100 joining the program in just the last 6 months.

GrowFL serves second-stage companies that are poised for growth in both revenue and jobs with its unique high-end strategic research and business resources. Started as a pilot in Florida, it has quickly grown as a statewide economic development resource to help build and strengthen Florida’s economy.

Outcomes from the program, to date, show that companies served by GrowFL produced more than 3,200 direct, indirect and induced jobs and an annual economic impact of $510M+. GrowFL clients have grown employment 10.9% faster than similar companies who have not participated in the program. Florida is one of the only states in the country that has adopted Economic Gardening as a statewide initiative, with GrowFL leading the charge.

Economic Gardening is a philosophy focused on second-stage companies. These companies have grown beyond the startup phase and need access to information and decision-making tools typically only available to larger companies. A team of highly trained and experienced analysts are deployed to function as an extension of the CEO’s team, providing information most often not affordable to a small business.

Funding for GrowFL comes from many sources. For example, GrowFL received funding from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to provide services throughout the state. Additionally, Economic Development Offices, Chambers of Commerce and local governments throughout Florida are supporting these great existing businesses in their own back yards.

There are still a number of openings in the program through March 2013. To apply for assistance and join the growing network of successful entrepreneurs, visit GrowFL.com.

“The pace at which an entrepreneur runs his or her business is breakneck speed. Typically, areas such as competitive analysis, market research, capital and labor referrals, geographic information systems, search engine optimization, network mapping, management team temperament and social media marketing are overlooked or financially out of reach to the CEO. Their focus should be revenue and job growth. GrowFL’s strategic research team provides all of these services and can get the CEO the information they need to prosper,” says Tom O’Neal, Executive Director GrowFL and Associate Vice President, UCF Office of Research and Commercialization.

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GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Orlando, FL – Winners of the 2012 Governor’s Innovators in Business awards were announced this week. These awards recognize outstanding contributions toward improving Florida’s economy and community investment. Award recipients are primarily judged on their economic development impact and high wage job growth.

GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, are pleased to congratulate their clients and those who are recent Florida Companies to Watch winners.

Flagship Solutions Group in Palm Beach County (CEO Mark A. Wyllie) received the Governor’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award, in the Mega Market category, for Florida start-up companies that have set a standard for entrepreneurship and creativity.

The Governor’s Innovators Under 40 Award was presented to several GrowFL clients and Florida Companies to Watch winners. New in 2012, this award recognizes Florida residents under 40 who own or lead a Florida company with annual revenue of $1 million or more and who have created at least 10 jobs since January 2011:

Datum Corporation, Sarasota County, CEO Tom Frost (current GrowFL client)
Voalté, Sarasota County, Chief Innovation Officer Trey Lauderdale (current GrowFL client)
Cybis Communications, Orange County, CEO Jeff Douglass (previous GrowFL client and 2012 Florida Companies to Watch winner)
Modernizing Medicine, Palm Beach County, CEO Daniel Cane (2012 Florida Companies to Watch winner)

Dale Coxwell, CEO of Coastal Steel in Brevard County is a current GrowFL client and 2012 Florida Companies to Watch winner. Mr. Coxwell participated as a judge in the awards program.

“Congratulations to these deserving companies and CEOs who are contributing to the economic ecosystem in Florida. They epitomize what is important to GrowFL – job growth and revenue growth. In addition to these critical measurements, these companies work closely with their communities and are impactful in ways that are more difficult to measure. We salute them and thank them for their contributions,” said Tom O’Neal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President at UCF.

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GrowFL
Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped more than 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Orlando, FL – At the November 13, 2012 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Seminole County, Florida, Resolution No. 2012-R-201 was presented on behalf of Florida Companies to Watch, an awards program presented by GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute at the University of Central Florida, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation, presented by SunTrust Banks and with special support from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Companies throughout the state of Florida were nominated by their peers or their local Economic Development Commissions or Chambers. Out of 425 applications, 50 companies were selected statewide to carry the honor of being named part of the Class of 2012 Florida Companies to Watch.

In Seminole County, Florida, 6 winners were selected based on the following criteria: A selected company must be a privately held, commercial enterprise that is currently in a stage of growth past the start-up phase and be headquartered in the state of Florida, employ between 6 and 99 employees, and have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue.

The 6 Seminole County companies selected as Class of 2012 Florida Companies to Watch are:
Advanced IT Concepts, Winter Springs
Avant Healthcare Professionals, Casselberry
Hernon Manufacturing, Sanford
Maple Street, Inc., Longwood
PHXX, LLC, Longwood
Talismark, Lake Mary

The resolution states that the “Board of County Commissioners of Seminole County, Florida join with the citizens of Seminole County and the business community in expressing its appreciation to the companies listed above, and to all other new and expanding businesses, for their contributions to the economic wellbeing of our area.”

Created by the Edward Lowe Foundation, with major sponsors that included GrowFL, the University of Central Florida and SunTrust Bank, Companies to Watch has become the exclusive program that honors Florida’s second-stage growth companies. All fifty winners in Florida were selected for their impressive employment rates and revenue growth, as well as their entrepreneurial leadership, product innovation, social and community responsibility and competitive business practices.

“Florida Companies to Watch takes a holistic approach, identifying companies across the state that represent Florida’s future,” says Tom O’Neal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President at the University of Central Florida. “It illustrates the economic potential of second-stage companies across the entire state. The event lauds the success of business leaders who have taken their operations to the ‘second-stage’ of growth and that hold the potential to continue to create jobs in their communities and industries. Being part of the Central Florida community, we are extremely pleased to honor 6 of these companies in our neighboring county. Congratulations to all of these worthy Seminole County companies.”

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About GrowFL: Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped over 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

About SunTrust Banks, Inc.: SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation’s largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of September 30, 2012, SunTrust had total assets of $173.2 billion and total deposits of $127.2 billion. Through its flagship subsidiary, SunTrust Bank, the Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves clients in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and investment banking services. SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com.

About the Edward Lowe Foundation: Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). The foundation focuses on second-stage companies—those that have moved beyond the start-up phase and seek significant, steady growth. For more information, visit EdwardLowe.org.

About Florida Department of Economic Opportunity: The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

The University of Central Florida’s GrowFL program, in collaboration with statewide Entrepreneurial Support Organizations, provides a year-long series of CEO Forums. The CEO Forums provide new perspectives on management techniques through the eyes of established business owners who have grown their companies into a more advanced stage of business development. CEOs and other company executives discuss the issues and challenges that confront growing companies.

Upcoming dates:

When: Thursday, 11/29, 4 – 5:30PM
Where: Davis College of Business, Jacksonville University, 2800 University Blvd North, Rooms 171/174
Speaker: Jonathon Spiller, former president and CEO, Armor Holdings

When: Tuesday, 12/11, 6 – 8PM
Where: Winter Park Plaza, 330 West Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park
Speaker: John Rivers, Chef and CEO, 4R Ventures, LLC

When: Tuesday, 12/11, 11AM – 1PM
Where: Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand, 200 East Gregory Street
Speaker: Randy Ramos, CEO, Global Business Solutions

When: Friday, 12/14, 8 – 10AM
Where: The University Club of Tampa, 201 N. Franklin Street, Suite 3800
Speaker: David Weiss, Software CEO

When: Tuesday, 12/18, 11AM – 1PM
Where: Broward College, Building 33/Room 1208
Speaker: Charles Garcia, CEO, Garcia Trujillo

Tom O’Neal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President at the University of Central Florida, says CEO Forums play a critical role in GrowFL’s effort to revitalize Florida’s economy and create jobs. “Economic Gardening, a way to accelerate the growth and development of promising second stage enterprises, ranks as one of the most effective ways to expand Florida-based ventures and create the jobs that will stimulate real economic growth.”

As Amjad Shamim, CEO of AAJ Technologies in Ft. Lauderdale states, “The Forums bring leading business leaders together in one place to provide guidance on how to maintain a successful business in today’s economic climate. They are also great networking opportunities that provide important exposure for many second stage companies.”

Each CEO Forum is free and open exclusively to second-stage growth companies CEOs and executives. This program is a series of more than twenty CEO Forums that will take place throughout Florida as part of the 2012-2013 GrowFL Statewide Initiative with special support provided by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. To learn more about these events and to be added to the invitation list, please contact growfl@ucf.edu.

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About GrowFL: Economic gardening is a philosophy that embraces strategies to grow existing businesses in a community, region or state and is the basis for the entrepreneurship programs at the Florida Economic Gardening Institute (GrowFL). Initially created in 2009 as a pilot program, GrowFL, at the University of Central Florida, is now a critical component to Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the state’s overall economic development strategy. GrowFL focuses its efforts on initiatives that strengthen the service offerings of entrepreneurial support organizations throughout Florida and by delivering critical research and strategy support to help second-stage growth entrepreneurs prosper. GrowFL has helped over 400 companies create more than 1,400 new jobs statewide since 2009. Website: growfl.com.

About Florida Department of Economic Opportunity: The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity combines the state’s economic, workforce and community development efforts. This new approach helps expedite economic development projects to fuel job creation in competitive communities. For more information, including valuable resources for employers and job seekers, please visit floridajobs.org.

Creates New Movement of Support for Top Performing Second-Stage Companies

Orlando, FL – Ranging in industries from information technology, software, healthcare and auto parts, fifty high-performing companies from across the State of Florida, were honored at the second annual Florida Companies to Watch celebration event on Friday, October 19 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL. Hosted by GrowFL at the University of Central Florida, in partnership with the Edward Lowe Foundation and sponsored by SunTrust Banks, Inc. and with special support provided by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the awards event attracted nearly 400 attendees in celebration of the impact these companies generate to our state.

Florida Companies to Watch is a unique awards program that honors second-stage growth companies for their impressive employment rates and revenue growth. These companies have a reputation for generating a large portion of new jobs and strengthening Florida’s economy.

The combined impact of the Class of 2012 Florida Companies to Watch is immense. In 2011 alone, the companies generated $355 million in total annual revenue, and held 1,576 full-time equivalent employee positions. The companies collectively created 350 net new jobs compared to the previous year. Between 2008 and the end of this year, these companies will have generated $1.4 billion in revenue and added 1,297 employees reflecting a 204 percent increase in revenue and 151 percent increase in jobs for the five-year period. In 2012 alone, that translates to a 35 percent annual revenue growth and 37 percent annual growth in employees. For a complete list of this year’s winners please visit the Florida Companies to Watch website. *Data compiled in August 2012.

Florida’s Governor Rick Scott provided the opening remarks via video. He congratulated the 50 up-and-coming “Companies to Watch” on their contributions to economic development and job creation, which are his priorities for the State of Florida. He celebrates their spirit of entrepreneurship, hard work, ingenuity and their important contribution of providing jobs for Florida’s families.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs welcomed the winning companies and event attendees to Orange County, reinforcing the importance of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. Mayor Jacobs has also had made tremendous progress and growth in yielding opportunities for Central Florida, while upholding the reputation that Orange County is not only the tourism capital of the world, but the world’s best destination to live, learn, work, play, and do business.

Among the featured speakers for the evening were Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of GrowFL at UCF and vice president of UCF’s Office of Research and Commercialization. O’Neal’s goal for producing the Florida Companies to Watch awards program is to celebrate a second-stage growth company’s transition from small to big, hoping the event will transform into a “movement”. Mark Lange, executive director of the Edward Lowe Foundation stated that “people frequently use the term ‘entrepreneur’ to refer to small businesses, but entrepreneurship encompasses a broad spectrum, and there’s a big difference between small-business entrepreneurs and growth-oriented entrepreneurs.”

Penny Lewandowski, the director of entrepreneurship at the Edward Lowe Foundation, explained the importance of telling a “compelling story”. She opened with the all-important “once upon a time” and showed how each of the 50 winning companies could turn their company’s story into something compelling because that is how they got to where they are today.

Richard Bendis a highly distinguished and successful entrepreneur, served as the keynote speaker. He is also the founder, president, and CEO of Innovation America, which is a globally Intermediary focused on accelerating growth of the entrepreneurial innovation economy in America.

The event was presented and sponsored by SunTrust Banks, Inc. David Fuller, chairman, president and CEO of SunTrust Bank, Central Florida congratulated the winners of this year’s class of Companies to Watch, recognizing that second-stage companies bring the possibility of growth and more jobs into our communities and the state.

Nominations and applications for Companies to Watch 2013 are being accepted now at florida.companiestowatch.org. Details about sponsorships are also available.

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