Twenty-two area businesses earned a spot on the 2010 Inc.500/5000 list, which lists companies according to percentage revenue growth from 2006 through 2009.

The 2010 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2006 to 2009. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006. Additionally, they had to be based in the United States, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2009. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2006 is $80,000; the minimum for 2009 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. The top 10 percent of companies on the list constitute the Inc. 500, now in its 29th year.

Area companies (all in Jacksonville, unless otherwise noted) making the list include, by Inc.’s ranking:

182—A. Harold and Associates; 1,564% growth;

214—SNS Logistics; 1,382% growth;

375—Ocenture, 799% growth;

833—Brightway Insurance, 364%;

1734—iVenture Solutions, 160%;

1810—Health Designs (Ponte Vedra Beach), 152%;

2371—Jacksonville Beach Pediatric Care Center (Jacksonville Beach), 105%;

2439—CTI Resource Management Services,100%;

2475—N.P. Construction of North Florida, 98%;

2706—Reichard Staffing, 85%;

3023—Meridian Technologies, 69%;

3049—ACTS, 68%;

3131—Sawgrass Asset Management, 64%;

3659—Latitude Software, 44%;

3790—Hire Methods, 40%;

4333—Pet Doctors of America, 23%;

4357—Malone AirCharter, 22%;

4610—Truevance Management, 15%;

4652—Breaking Ground Contracting, 14%;

4840—Educational Tools, 8%;

4885—Body Central, 5%;

4962—ASAP Towing & Storage, 2%.

According to Inc., the companies on its top 5,000 list posted an aggregate revenue of $321.6 billion in 2009, up more than 50% from the previous year. The top five industries by total revenue are Business Products & Services ($84.7 billion), Health ($48.3 billion), Consumer Products & Services ($26.4 billion), Retail ($22.3 billion), and Government Services ($15.1 billion).

An audience limited to 75 entrepreneurs and principals of small to medium-sized software businesses as well as

David Allen

independent consultants met on Amelia Island at the Ritz Carlton, Aug. 4-6, to attend BizConf, a summit and networking event for leaders of web design and development.

Hosted by Hashrocket, a Web design consultancy company headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, BizConf was created in 2009 as a way to address the business education of technologists by Hashrocket CEO and founder Obie Fernandez.

Fernandez, an expert on Web design and development technology, opened the conference and give a workshop on Master Service Agreement (MSA) and Statement of Work (SOW) contracts.  Other keynote speakers were David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, and Jonathan Seigel of ELC Technologies.

Allen, recognized by Forbes magazines as one of the top 5 business coaches in the United States,  addressed on the audience on the topic of his book, and later gave a workshop on applying his theories. Seigel spoke on embracing the “F” Word (failure)—using it to find success.

This year the conference opened its doors to local sponsorships, which included BTG and Jacksonville Cornerstone. Other sponsors were Hashrocket, ELC Technologies, Engine Yard, Heroku, HARVEST, New Relic, Workbeast, Pipeline Deals, Pivotal Labs, PeepCode, Blue Box Group, Forward Internet Group, and Lithespeed,BizConf is in the planning stages for next year’s conference, which is schedule for the fall of 2011. To reserve a spot as a participant or a sponsor, e-mail Mare@hashrocket.com.

(photo by Adam Lowe)

Al Bagocius, CEO of the A & I Consulting Group in Jacksonville, was recently a guest on The Customer Experience Show, a radio show broadcast from Toronto, Ontario. He offered audience strategies and advice on using his customer-centric approach, which included talking about the two most important things customers want and finding your passions within your product line to better serve customers.

To hear the program, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/customerexperienceshow/2010/07/19/episode-18–al-bagocious.

Paul Davis Restoration, Inc. a national franchise company provider of fire, water and mold damage restoration services for residential and commercial properties, will launch a national, advertising campaign on The Weather Channel and weather.com starting this month. The ads will feature Paul Davis’ “Call Paul!” campaign to promote the organization’s 24/7 emergency cleanup, restoration and repair services.

The company will use The Weather Channel’s proprietary technology to serve TV commercials that contain creative “tags” on the front and back ends of the TV spots that reflect real time weather conditions and helps the viewer locate the nearest Paul Davis franchise office.

According to Robinson, the company has committed to a multi-year schedule on The Weather Channel with support from the Paul Davis franchise network. “The nature of our business is the clean up, restoration and reconstruction of damage to residential and commercial structures due in many cases to weather-related disasters,” he said. “We feel The Weather Channel is the perfect media outlet to increase the visibility of the Paul Davis brand.”

The 2010 St. Johns River Summit, scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 at Jacksonville’s Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, is a celebration of one of North America’s great rivers.  The two-day event will bring together scientists, leaders, and concerned citizens to provide information about the river’s health, its economic potential, and what needs to be done to ensure that this American Heritage River can be enjoyed for generations to come.

JEA has just been added as the title sponsor for this two-day event, which is being organized by the St. Johns River Alliance.  Cost to attend (open to all) is $50. Registration includes meals and admission to all sessions. 

Panels featuring experts in every related field will provide the latest scientific, economic and ecological information about the St. Johns River.  The summit’s purpose is to inform decision makers and the public alike about the perils and potential the river faces in the next 20 years.  

Highlights of the summit will include:

• River Challenges:  Sea Level Rise, Numeric Nutrient Criteria, Springs, Proposed Dredging
• Locally Resourceful Tourism for a Sustainable River Economy
• New Science: What We Need to Know
• Water Conservation
• Lessons from Other American Heritage Rivers
• Historical, Cultural and Political Issues
• Special Funding Session:  State and Federal programs
• Congress of Local Governments

The first day of the Summit will feature a luncheon with an announcement of the Jim and Linda King Scholarship that assists students pursuing environmental and ecological study of the St. Johns River, information on the St. Johns River license plate, and the 2011 St. Johns River calendar.

To learn more about the 2010 St. Johns River Summit, visit www.stjohnsriversummit.com for registration, lodging and program details.

The Jacksonville Regional Chamber’s South Council will host an After Hours Networking Social on Sept. 22 at Deercreek Country Club.

Admissions is $10 (check or cash at the door). Light refreshments and two drink tickets are included with the admission.

A small no-kill shelter, a community car club, and a high-tech, eco-friendly auto collision repair facility are partnering to host the Inaugural Dings and Wings Car Show & Competition on Saturday, August 28 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The sponsoring organizations are Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville (an organizations of Mustang owners), Auto Body Speed Shop, and Animal Rescue Movement. Porsches, Mercedes, Lexus, Aston Martin, Mustangs, Volvos, and Volkswagen models will be on display. All profits will benefit the animal shelter.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UNF as well as the Procurement and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), also located at UNF, will offer several workshops in September & October.  The location is at the UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Dr., unless otherwise indicated. To register or for more information on any of the following workshops call 904-620-2476 or log on to www.sbdc.unf.edu.

• How to S-T-A-R-T-U-P Your Own Business. Sept. 30 and Oct. 19, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. $40 in advance or $50 day of workshop.

• Marketing 101. Sept. 14, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. $40 in advance; $50 day of workshop.

• Nonprofit Strategic Planning. Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. $50.         

• Business Plan Basics. Sept. 28, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. $40 in advance; $50 day of workshop.     

• Tax Facts. Oct. 28, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. $40 in advance; $50 day of workshop

PTAC is offering:

• Government Contracting 101. Sept. 1, Sept. 15, Oct. 13, Oct. 27. 11: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Marketing to Government. Sept. 2, 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. $40.

• Proposal and Bid Writing—Tips and Strategies. Sept. 16, 8:30 to 11 a.m. $40

• GSA: Is it Right for You? Oct. 7, 8:30 to 11 a.m. $40

• 8(a) Essentials. Oct. 21, 8:30 to 11 a.m. $40.

The Jacksonville Women’s Business Center will be hosting LaunchPad – Exploring Entrepreneurial Options on August 31at the Clay County Chamber of Commerce (1734 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL). The event will take place from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. LaunchPad will provide an opportunity to talk with a panel of entrepreneurs who have taken different paths to business ownership. Hear their stories, the lessons they learned, their successes, what worked, and what didn’t work so well. More information can be found at OpportunityJacksonville.com or by contacting Duffan Dickert at duffan.dickert@myjaxchamber.com.

Five women business owners will graduate from the ATHENAPowerLink program, Wednesday, August 25. One of only 27 nationwide, the Jacksonville ATHENAPowerLink program helps successful women-owned businesses reach the next level. Carefully matched with hand-picked advisors, ATHENAPowerLink participants learn to implement the best practices that will enable them to further develop their businesses, improve profitability, and create new jobs.

Those individuals completing the program’s requirements are:

• Lisa Davis, president/CEO, Analytic Partners, Inc.;
• Jan Korb, CEO, Broadbased Marketing Communications & Public Relations;
• Kathryn Murphy, president/CEO, KRM Resources LLC dba Comfort Keepers;
• Joanne Parks, founder/CEO, Parks’ Place Daycare & Learning Center; and
• Dana Stallings, president/CEO, Kilwin’s Chocolates, Fudge & Ice Cream.