When LA Fitness decided to expand in Florida, it found that “all roads lead to Portofino Pools.” So, the fitness club chain approached the Jacksonville-based pool maintenance company about servicing its facilities. Portofino has since gradually taken on dozens of LA Fitness clubs across Florida.

Renowned for its service, Portofino is also known for its prominent owner. Jack Manilla is a thought leader within his industry, serving on influential association boards, elevating training standards, and advising some of the country’s preeminent companies on pool maintenance. “All my life experience is contributing to the industry raising the bar,” Manilla said.

As Manilla and other local business owners can attest, being a thought leader creates brand awareness, credibility, and opportunities that might not otherwise exist–like LA Fitness seeking out Portofino Pools. In another example, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line sent Manilla to the Asia-Pacific for five weeks so that he could train and certify the officers and crews of its ships on disinfection, operation, and maintenance of on-board pools. While at sea, his fourteen ports of call included destinations in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

Manilla had not solicited the opportunity. Rather, Royal Caribbean approached him after researching the pool maintenance industry. They asked if he would join a small, elite team to train its personnel throughout the world. “They said I had a good reputation,” Manilla recalled. Manilla’s reputation emanates largely from his training programs. After becoming a certified aquatic facility operator, he required his employees to do likewise. Then, he eventually became a certified instructor and launched Portofino University to train his technicians and others. He is now a sought-after speaker and instructor, traveling across the country to address pool maintenance. “That’s all I do. I know pools,” Manilla said.

The Florida Swimming Pool Association has even asked Manilla to author an 80-hour training course as part of its push to require servicers of residential pools to be licensed. “They’re really coming to me as the thought leader in the industry for education,” he said. Manilla has assumed increasingly influential industry positions, serving as a member of national, state, and local boards of directors, including for the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, APSP® Career Institute, and Florida Swimming Pool Association.

Local entrepreneur Haim Ariav has had a similar experience in the photography industry. As founder of Glossy Finish, a six-year-old Jacksonville Beach-based youth sports action photography company, Ariav has gradually become more prominent within his industry, since he first spoke at a national conference three years ago. He spoke to members of Sports Photographers Association of America about the lessons he had learned in creating an innovative business model centered on technology, a mobile photo lab, and an efficient sales and delivery process.  The SPAA invited him back to speak the next two years, as well. Then, based upon strong audience feedback, the Professional Photographers of America asked him to speak at one of the industry’s biggest events, its Imaging USA conference in Atlanta, this past January. “There are people out there who respect what we’re doing and appreciate us sharing information about it,” said Ariav, who is also on the SPAA’s steering committee.

Ariav’s reputation as an industry innovator has helped Glossy Finish land contracts to shoot photographs at some of the most prestigious youth sporting events, and enabled the company to gain experience working with the largest organizers of such competitions. “It helps us open doors and close opportunities,” Ariav said.

Jacksonville-based Seal Shield, LLC has leveraged the reputation that it established as a leading manufacturer of dishwasher-safe keyboards by expanding into other electronics, such as remote controls and smartphones. “People recognize that our mission is infection prevention,” CEO Bradley Whitchurch said. “Our technology makes a difference.”

Whitchurch credits the company’s position as an industry leader partially to lessons that he learned through his involvement in peer-to-peer mentoring groups such as Vistage International. “When you start a company, you have entrepreneurial spirit to go along, but you reach a place where you benefit from having best practices,” Whitchurch said. “As an entrepreneur, those solutions might not be immediately visible to you.”

Whitchurch recommends that entrepreneurs and aspiring thought leaders plug into peer groups so they can obtain more information from outside their companies. “You don’t have to come up with this stuff alone. You can stand on the shoulders of giants,” he said.

Brad Hams, founder and president of Ownership Thinking, an international consulting and training firm, recently invited Whitchurch to join a peer group comprised largely of CEOs from Fortune 1000 companies; or, perhaps viewed another way, a preeminent group of thought leaders. “The more outside information you can get, the more you can implement, and the more successful you are,” Whitechurch noted.

From Working Class to First Class

Born to a working-class family in a blue-collar steel town in Western Pennsylvania, Jack Manilla has thrived in a white-collar world; but not without getting some dirt and grease under his fingernails.

Told by a high school guidance counselor that he was destined to work in the mill because he was “not college material,” Manilla, instead, spent decades climbing the corporate ladder, leading high-performing sales teams and turning around divisions and companies. The reputation for first class service that Jacksonville-based Portofino Pools enjoys today flows largely from Manilla’s ability to combine his engineering acumen, management experience, and corporate training, with his willingness to do the dirty work that has to be done.

Manilla did not have any experience in building or servicing pools when he bought Al Jackson Pools, seventeen years ago. So, he dove in headfirst. With a single employee, a group of subcontractors, and his wife keeping the books, Manilla set about building pools just like Jackson had been doing since 1956. Two years later, an idea for an alternative business model hit him like a splash of cold water in the face.

In reviewing his financials, he was struck by how relatively little cash was left after building a pool for four to six months. He determined that he would fare better and get paid quicker for doing repairs and maintenance, like remodeling and resurfacing. He also noticed that while there were many pool contractors and builders listed in the Yellow Pages, only a handful of service companies were listed. According to Manilla, the pool cleaners were the lowest of the low in the industry’s view.

But soon, Manilla started knocking on doors, asking homeowners to allow him to service and maintain their pools. Trained as an engineer, he serviced the pools himself until he had 40 homes on a route. At that point, he would hire a technician, train the technician to work the route, and then Manilla would start knocking on doors again.

Portofino’s reputation for servicing residential pools eventually created commercial opportunities. About twelve years ago, the company started maintaining the “world-class pool water” at The Bolles School, and it continues to do so every day. Portofino now services the “crown jewels of northeast Florida pools,” Manilla said, including those at Jacksonville Country Day School, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, and The Lodge & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. Portofino also remodeled one of the oldest pools in Florida, at Flagler College.

Portofino’s motto is “We do the work. You enjoy the water.” For a blue-collar worker, Manilla has created substantial enjoyment.

Fighting the Good Fight

Right place. Right time. Wrong product.

Such were the origins of Seal Shield, LLC.

In 2005, a study by University of Arizona Professor Charles Gerba found that there were up to 400 times more bacteria on a computer keyboard than a toilet seat. This research generated strong demand for a washable keyboard that Bradley Whitchurch was selling for a manufacturer from the United Kingdom. “My phone started exploding with calls from hospitals that wanted this keyboard,” he said.

Unfortunately, the product did not work effectively, so its potential went largely unrealized. However, convinced by the demand, Whitchurch went on to create Jacksonville-based Seal Shield in 2006. When Seal Shield launched the first dishwasher-safe keyboard and mouse in 2007, it proved so popular among hospitals that the company expanded its line of waterproof electronics to include TV remotes, cell phones, and other advanced washable antimicrobial solutions.

“When we came out with the waterproof keyboard, we had to evangelize it,” said Whitchurch, CEO of Seal Shield. “Now, just about everyone is using it in some capacity.” A shift in hospitals’ approach to infection control has helped. In the US, 1 out of 20 hospital patients incurs an infection. At an average treatment cost of $57,000, hospitals have sought alternative infection prevention solutions, according to Seal Shield. At one time, hand-hygiene stations were the popular form of sanitation used, but hospitals have also come to address the threats of environmental contamination, such as bacteria-ridden keyboards. Seal Shield has expanded its products, as hospitals have sought new ways to prevent infections. “Anywhere there are hard-to-wash electronics that are exposed to contamination, we’re going to make a solution,” Whitchurch promised.

Right place. Right time. Right product.

Imitated But Never Duplicated

Not only is Haim Ariav a thought leader, he’s also a “disruptive thinker.” Increasingly associated with innovators, the latter term suits Ariav, if it applies to anyone. “People see we’ve definitely put the industry on its head,” he said. A pioneer in youth sports action photography, Ariav’s Jacksonville Beach-based Glossy Finish has introduced such concepts as the mobile photo lab and an application that allows customers to view and order pictures from their smartphones and tablets. Glossy Finish also quickly prints photos, posters, and similar memorabilia so that customers leave the fields with their order in hand.

“It’s more than printing on site. There’s a whole model around it,” Ariav said. For example, customers must place a deposit if they want a photographer to shoot pictures of their young athlete. This allows Ariav’s photographers to get the best shots possible and helps the company maintain an above average sales price. “I see others trying to replicate us, but there is a cost to entry,” Ariav said. “There is also a lot of process that money can’t buy.”

Glossy Finish has worked more than 350 events since Ariav launched it six years ago. He and his team have learned much from working some of the country’s biggest youth sporting events in that time, including regional tournaments and national championships. They have honed their methods for such vital tasks as tracking photos and processing orders, while shooting millions of images. Ariav insists, though, that he is just “trying to stay ahead of the curve.”

While Glossy Finish is as close to a market leader as any company in the highly fragmented youth sports action photography industry, it faces fierce competition from “weekend warriors.” No longer content with just team photos and posed portraits of their young athletes, parents armed with smartphones and digital cameras often shoot the action themselves, instead of hiring photographers. “I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what we can do to be different and unique,” Ariav said.

That’s a common trait for thought leaders and disruptive thinkers alike.

By Jim Molis

Jim is an contributing writer for Advantage Business Magazine. He can be contacted at jmolis@creatwoodpr.com

DesertMicro Builds Upon Recurring Revenue Model

By Jim Molis

Photos by Ken McCray

You may not be able to please all of the people all of the time, but DesertMicro, Inc. has learned to please more customers, more of the time. The Jacksonville-based provider of software for waste management, recycling, and logistics companies has expanded its customer base, and created recurring revenue by selling services based upon its clients’ needs and resources. A Microsoft Certified Partner, DesertMicro offers implementation, data conversion, on-site training, and technical support staff.

Established in 1997, DesertMicro initially wrote route accounting software that allowed businesses to track costs and activities associated with their commercial vehicles, such as trucks for landscaping, HVAC maintenance, and food delivery. Eventually, it developed a niche in serving large waste management and recycling companies across the United States. However, the company’s market was somewhat limited because its software sold for $50,000. “That cost was typically prohibitive for companies with less than 100 vehicles in the field,” President Barry Grahek said.

Seeking to expand its customer base by maintaining the functionality of its software, while lowering its price, DesertMicro took it to the cloud. It rewrote the software in 2005, in the nascent days of cloud computing, so that it could offer it as a web-based subscription model. Moving to the Software as a Service model (SaaS) allowed DesertMicro to sell access to its $50,000 enterprise resource planning solution for a monthly fee that smaller companies could afford. The monthly subscription allows customers to spread out the software’s cost, which can improve cash flow and budgeting. “The customer gained a much more reasonable entry cost, and we gained five to six times the customer marketplace that we had previously,” Grahek said.

DesertMicro now serves companies with five vehicles to more than 4,500 vehicles. Its software package, The Manager, provides comprehensive, integrated waste management and transportation logistics solutions, including for routing, processing, and GPS. Clients can use this software to better run their businesses by using individual modules or groups. For example, customers use DesertMicro’s software to optimize delivery routes, monitor vehicle performance, and identify inefficiencies, like if vehicles are left idling too long.

“Our customers can now choose the most economic module for them,” Grahek said. A smaller company that may not need to file paperwork with the Department of Transportation doesn’t pay for that service, while a larger customer that would benefit from software that facilitates compliance may pay more each month for that capability. Customers pay for only what they need and want, and grow into other modules.

According to Grahek, residual recurring revenue, generated by thousands of customers paying to use the company’s software modules, now accounts for more than 60 percent of DesertMicro’s sales. Overall, annual revenue has increased at an average of 18 percent for the past five years, with sales to existing customers averaging a 22 percent increase. “As customers buy more vehicles to put in the field, they need more software and users,” he added.

Grahek expects to maintain steady growth due to the gradual improvement in the economy. “As our customers scale up, we can scale up with them,” he said. And DesertMicro can scale up quickly, without adding employees in advance of growth, but capitalizing on the increased demand as it arises. “It has been a tremendous amount of growth to adapt to,” Grahek noted.

That may be most pleasing of all.

Customer Feedback

DesertMicro offers customers its Software as a Service (SaaS), as well as a traditional model for purchasing and maintaining software. The company works closely with customers on installation and training. Industries DesertMicro serves include waste management, hazardous waste, medical waste, paper and plastic recycling, oil and solvent recycling, concrete and construction, electronic and eWaste, propane and heating oil, and petroleum distribution. The following comments from customers are from DesertMicro’s website:

“For the past five years we have been happy with the performance of [DesertMicro’s] product and have recommended it to fellow haulers… Our customers love the online invoicing and bill pay option,” Ray Scott, Price Environmental Services.

“I feel more confident using RouteManager, and if my computer crashes, I know my data is backed up properly,” Stacy Engebretson, Engebretson & Sons Disposal.

Numbers Worth Watching

DesertMicro tracks the following closely:

• New-customer sign-ons
• Existing customers increasing their sign-ons
• Customer attrition

Fingers On The Pulse

Before it offered its Software as a Service (SaaS), DesertMicro could not tell how a customer was using its software, or even if a company stopped using it all together. For example, a company may have been sold and thus would not pay for more software. With SaaS, DesertMicro tracks usage so that it can proactively work with customers to adapt to their current needs. “Those metrics of the whole customer lifecycle are much more visible to us,” President Barry Grahek said.

If a company is paying for a service it is not using, DesertMicro will determine if the customer does not need the capability, or if they are not using it properly. If it’s the former, DesertMicro can make adjustments so the customer does not pay for unneeded services. If it’s the latter, it can train the customer to obtain full use of its software. Either way, the customer is less likely to stop subscribing all together. “We protect that revenue stream,” Grahek said. “If they’re not using it, it’s not likely that they will continue with that portion.”

DesertMicro strives to maximize utilization among customers by monitoring the modules that they are accessing. If, for example, its data shows that multiple customers are underutilizing a module, they may offer a free training webinar for user groups. If the underutilization is confined to a single company, it will help them determine their vision for the software, and identify training needs that will make them more effective. “The macro data guides our strategic vision, and the micro usage data guides our tactical decisions with that customer,” Grahek said. Helping customers use their software properly, so as to fulfill their needs, strengthens the relationship thereby creating recurring revenue.

How You Can Do It

DesertMicro still sells software in a traditional model, where a customer purchases and maintains all software, databases, hardware, and services onsite. But its subscription-based Software as a Service (SaaS) is increasingly popular.

Administered and hosted by DesertMicro, SaaS provides customers access to comprehensive and tightly integrated DesertMicro solutions–without the worries of technology and infrastructure maintenance, or hardware and software costs.

Customers have embraced the convenience and flexibility that SaaS offers. “We have simple, easy to use, almost self-taught route accounting software now,” President Barry Grahek said.

DesertMicro, in turn, has generated recurring revenue from monthly subscription fees. “The key to any service company or technology company is to transition into that residual revenue stream like we have,” Grahek said. Companies can do so by determining the lifetime value of their product or service and replacing it at that time, while continuing the residual. For example, companies can sell phone systems or copiers on a residual basis, updating the product at the end of its lifecycle. “They’ll get a closer, longer relationship with their customer because they have more contact with them over a longer period of time, and will generate more revenue in the process,” Grahek said.

“Though it might be easier for technology companies to create recurring revenue models due to the nature of their products and services, other types of businesses can do so, as well,” Grahek said. “Any company has an opportunity to create residual income just by looking at their longest customer relationships, understanding what those customers purchase from them, and turning that from individual purchases into continual monthly purchases and services. Doing so also helps customers budget because they have predictable costs,” Grahek added.

Grahek cautions companies who are considering converting to a monthly model to set realistic expectations. “A new customer may have lower profit margins at the beginning, but price it out so that, over a three to five year cycle, the gross margins achieve the target goals.” DesertMicro’s software has an average lifecycle of seven to eight years, so it works with customers to project their needs and deliver solutions that extend into another cycle, thereby extending its relationship and increasing its residual income.

Photos by Ken McCray

By Jim Molis

Jim Molis is a contributing writer for Advantage Business Magazine.

He can be contacted at jmolis@creatwoodpr.com

Istart creates tomorrows companies

By Jim Molis

Judges evaluated each Startup Weekend entry on the following criteria. Would you come out a winner if you applied them to your new product or existing business?

Business model: What will you sell and to whom? How will you profit? Develop your pricing structure and financial models early so that sales and profits move in tandem—preferably upwards.

Customer validation: Is your product actually selling or do you expect that it will sell? An investor in a startup wants to see that it’s working now.

Ability to execute: Do you and/or your team have the necessary skills, experience, and resources? Lots of participants brought ideas to Startup Weekend, but experts in such essential areas as sales, marketing, finance, and legal matters were harder to come by. Seek help where needed.

Putting Ideas Into Action

A good idea is not worth the paper upon which it is printed. Unless, what is printed is a detailed, executable business plan, replete with proof of concept, customer validation, revenue model, and financial projections. This is an important lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike, according to organizers of Jacksonville Startup Weekend 2013.

“Taking an idea from inception to concept to company is an arduous process, even with a relative abundance of technology and resources, and the support of talented professionals,” said Manjunath “MJ” Charmani, lead organizer for Jacksonville Startup Weekend, and founder of iStart Jax, a nonprofit

Photo by Austin Weaver

business accelerator for technology-based startups in northeast Florida. “Entrepreneurs must establish that markets exist for their products, and they can serve these markets efficiently and profitably. To do otherwise is to risk time and money.”

Startup Weekend, which was held January 25-27, at the University of North Florida, offered valuable tools to budding entrepreneurs and established business owners alike. Even a seasoned entrepreneur, working on his fifth company—but the first post-Internet—said that he learned much about what is needed to build a company during the event.

The weekend began on a Friday evening with 115 participants, 45 of whom pitched ideas for businesses to the larger group, which included marketers, software developers, and other support professionals. Then teams were assembled to pursue 18 of those ideas. Five ideas were chosen as winners by a panel of judges on Sunday evening. Prizes included ongoing professional support, and opportunities to pitch to investors at the Florida Venture Capital Conference, which was held January 31 through February 1, at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Winning entrepreneur, Karthik Kadirvel greatly advanced his idea during Startup Weekend, but in presenting to investors at the Venture Capital Conference, learned that his company still has much to do to secure funding.

“It was a good experience for us in that it taught us maybe not right now but maybe in the future,” said Kadirvel, product developer for Moojic, which he co-founded with his wife and two business partners in Mumbai, India. Moojic is developing an application that will allow individuals to use their smartphones and tablets to choose the music that plays in gathering spots like bars and coffee shops (think a modern day jukebox—to go). During Startup Weekend, Kadirvel’s team helped him to develop potential revenue streams, and to prove that customers would pay for the application by surveying shoppers at St. Johns Town Center.

“Established companies could benefit from using a similar means of developing and testing ideas, perhaps by holding their own mini-Startup Weekend for employees,” Kadirvel said. “All of the various elements are available. If you bring them together for two days, it might be a model for them to come up with innovative ideas.” Such bottom-up innovation from the grassroots of the company is not uncommon at technology giants like Google and Facebook.

Local entrepreneur and investor Myron Pincomb helped Startup Weekend teams advance their ideas as a coach. “Most of them thought they were farther along than they were,” he noted. Almost half of the teams that Pincomb worked with did not have financial projections before the weekend began. “The weekend made them put a business plan behind the idea,” he said.

As managing partner of The Pincomb Group, Pincomb urged companies to calculate financial projections, develop prototypes, and to seek

customer input at the onset, to see if there were markets for their product. “If you don’t involve the customer, you’re going to shoot yourself in the foot,” he said.

An associate at The Pincomb Group, Hunter Hayden, was a member of a Startup Weekend team. He surveyed shoppers at St. Johns Town Center and directors of fitness centers to validate demand for CardioBoost, a technology that would create competitive games within exercise classes.

Hayden is a former procurement and contract specialist who is now pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at UNF, while also assisting companies with finance and business development through The Pincomb Group. He stressed the importance of developing a business plan before launching a product or company. “It’s not a plan based on what you think is good. You need facts, you need studies, and you need statistical data to prove that your gut feeling is correct. Just because it seems like it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it is one,” Hayden said. Yet, entrepreneurs often hesitate to put ideas into writing, perhaps because they fear their plan won’t succeed. “But it’s much easier to get it right the first time,” Hayden said. “If your whole business is developed around a strategy, and you stick with that strategy, the likelihood of success is much greater.”

Particularly if you put that plan to paper.

Music For the Masses

Be the DJ, wherever you go. That’s the promise that Moojic offers.

Photo by Cathy Coates

Bars. Restaurants. Coffee shops. Wherever people gather, Moojic wants to be there to provide the soundtrack. Started by Melbourne, Florida entrepreneur, Karthik Kadirvel, his wife, and two business partners in Mumbai, India, the company is here to revolutionize the music experience at public locations.

The company is developing technology that will allow the owner of a location to upload songs to a customized tablet. Customers will then be able to choose songs they want to hear via an application on their smartphones.

Prior to winning Jacksonville Startup Weekend 2013, Moojic was mostly an idea. But the company has since been busy building upon its experience and implementing improvements offered by the team of volunteers that assisted Kadirvel.

“One of the greatest benefits of the weekend was proving that there would be demand for the technology,” Kadirvel said. Seventy shoppers were surveyed at St. Johns Town Center, and most said they would customize the music at a location if they could, and that they would specifically choose to go somewhere that they could do so. A local bar owner offered his business as a beta site when the technology is ready. “Businesses can use the application to build brand loyalty and draw customers during non-peak hours by offering specials,” Kadirvel said.

Startup Weekend also provided Kadirvel ideas for generating revenue, such as allowing users to pay to move their selections up in an establishment’s queue of songs, or to dedicate songs, or send gifts at locations. His team also received feedback on possible pricing.

Kadirvel expects to spend the next 3 to 4 months finishing product development and lining up beta customers. His goal is to launch Moojic at 10 to 15  “mom and pop” stores within six months, and then take it to small regional chains within 12 months.

Starting Up, Moving Ahead

World Cup… Summer Olympics… Global Entrepreneurship Congress… it all happens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Though it may lack the luster and prestige of its two more famous counterparts that are coming within the next few years, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress could be just as impactful in its own way, when it convenes in March. And Manjunath “MJ” Charmani, lead organizer for Jacksonville Startup Weekend and founder of iStart Jax, a nonprofit business accelerator for technology-based startups in Northeast Florida, will partake in what the GEC describes as “an inter-disciplinary gathering of startup champions from around the world.”

Charmani will join entrepreneurs, government officials, investors, researchers, thought leaders, and policy makers from across the world in working to bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human welfare. He plans to use the opportunity to develop relationships and access resources that will allow Northeast Florida to continue to feed the ecosystem with new energy.

While it’s true that Northeast Florida has come far as a breeder of companies and ideas, it still lacks the fertility of more established southern brethren, like Atlanta and Miami–much less the prodigiousness of entrepreneurial breeding grounds such as Silicon Valley.

* Startup Density of Florida is : 50 Startups per Million

* Startup Density of Georgia : 44 Startups per Million

* Startup Density of Texas: 36 Startups Per Million

Momentum is building locally though, and Jacksonville has now hosted two Startup Weekends. The five winners from each can participate in Startup Weekend NEXT, which will be held in the second quarter. The six-week program will provide advanced, hands-on training to help entrepreneurs further develop their companies.

Charmani’s iStart Jax is also helping teams accelerate through workshops on such topics as protecting intellectual property in development, and creating a fundable business plan. “Entrepreneurs need free resources and a little bit of a push off to get that first round of funding,” he noted.

Then they can work on taking the company to the next level, perhaps taking Northeast Florida along with them.

Serrano keeps on trucking

The JAX Chamber has approximately 3,000 members but only one overall Chamber Small Business Leader of the Year.

This year’s winner, Vanice Serrano of ASAP Towing and Storage Company, was chosen from among 10 finalists. The SBLY finalists were selected for the honor by the Chamber Councils, the Beaches Division and the Entrepreneurial Growth Division.

“We congratulate our 2013 Small Business Leader of the Year winners,” said John Bryan, director of the JAX Chamber Beaches Division and Councils. “They are exemplary leaders who have achieved great success in their respective fields and outstanding representatives of the Chamber’s membership.”

Serrano was named the overall winner at the JAX Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Jan. 24. Her success dates back much further.

Vanice Serrano and her partner started ASAP Towing with an investment of $20,000 in 1995.

The company started with three employees, a used 1988 Ford tow truck and a modular office unit with one desk. All were located on a leased five-acre parcel on 103rd Street that had previously belonged to a towing company.

Within two years, ASAP had hired two additional full-time employees, a dispatcher and title clerk. It was just the beginning.

Today, ASAP has 30 full-time and 2 part-time employees; a fleet of more than 30 tow trucks of various sizes; multiple operating divisions and five locations in Northeast Florida. Its mission statement: “We move anything anytime. We are everywhere!”

The same could be said for Serrano, the Jax Chamber’s 2013 Small Business Leader of the Year. She has built a thriving company by persevering through personal and professional challenges, and by selflessly supporting others through volunteer work and community involvement.

“I truly believe that to follow your heart and use your intuition will lead to long-term satisfaction in all of your matters,” Serrano wrote in her nomination, after citing a quote about the importance of doing so from the late Steve Jobs. “I love the challenges presented while being self employed, only to plunge on to harder ground during this difficult time.

“I find that leadership is a true quality which is inspired and shared among the team we have built at ASAP Towing. The diversification between ASAP Towing, ASAP Wheels and ASAP Heavy Haul have compensated and built the company in a stronger playing field than usual.

Our satisfaction at the end of the day is when customers have been safely transported to their destination along with their vehicle. Then they call us to thank us for a job well done.”

Serrano’s passion for customer service has keyed ASAP’s growth.

Born and raised on the Westside, she began honing her business skills even before she graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1983. She entered the workforce in 1982, during her junior year, with a job at Florida National bank downtown in the Armored Car division.

Serrano credits her first job for teaching her skills such as customer service, balancing credits and debits, handling thousands of deposits and challenging her with a lot of responsibilities.

She later to transferred into the bank’s branches, learning the teller position and cross-training as a customer service representative. The bank eventually merged with another financial institution, bringing on new goals and job demands.

“Having attained these customer service skills from banking strengthened me to gain the customer database for ASAP Towing and to build long-term, loyal working relationships, which have led to the growth and endurance of ASAP Towing,” Serrano wrote in her SBLY nomination.

In recalling ASAP’s beginnings, Serrano wrote that she and her partner were, “inspired by the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and to open a towing company even though we did not know how to use a tow truck.”

The fact that Serrano’s has succeeded in an industry dominated by men has not been lost on her peers.

“She has not just broken the stereotypical mold of a woman leader in the world of towing: she has melted it down and re-forged it into a shining new example of what leadership looks like in the 21st century,” wrote Janet Herrick, CEO of Onsite Environmental Consulting LLC and 2011 SBLY, in a letter of recommendation of Serrano.

Nor has Serrano’s ability to balance work and family gone unnoticed among those who know her best.

“I have seen her mature as she and her husband have grown their towing company from a small start-up business into one of the largest, best managed in Jacksonville, while raising a family, maintaining a household, and caring for her elderly father,” wrote J. Kevin Hargnett, CPA, in a letter of recommendation for Serrano.

“Vanice has been involved in all areas of their company, from inception through difficult times of growth and economic changes, and has consistently kept the company pointed in the direction of providing quality service and customer satisfaction.

“Her success is evidenced by the growth of the company in revenues, employees and respect within the community,” wrote Hargnett, who has known Serrano since they were in the Murray Hill Baptist Church youth group together more than 35 years ago.

Looking ahead, Serrano plans for ASAP Towing to increase its annual revenue by $450,000 in 2013, targeting more apartment complexes and commercial businesses at the Beaches and in St. Augustine. She also wants to increase Heavy Wrecker’s share of annual income to 25 percent from 2014, almost double its percentage at the end of 2012.

Lastly, she wants to expand ASAP Towing beyond Jacksonville, establishing locations across Florida — growing well beyond its modest Westside beginnings.

Innovation drives growth

ASAP Towing has been innovative in the towing business by addressing and changing the means by which it pays its drivers. The drivers use to be paid by salary/hourly and $10 per call after hours. The company changed to commission for several years and now prefers a flat rate per call to alleviate any favoritism from dispatch to driver.

ASAP Towing also has installed a program called Fleetnet in all of its trucks. The GPS device monitors speed and direction, is internet accessible and can be monitored from any computer. ASAP also has installed speed reduction devices to control gas consumption.

ASAP Towing uses the latest technology for telephone service in all of its locations, allowing authorized employees to answer and transfer calls from any office.

The company also is installing a new dispatch program which integrates with QuickBooks and will allow tracking of each driver’s daily calls and how money is collected. This may be billing, cash, check, or credit card, and the release of impound cars. This allows safe tracking reports for money to be safely deposited in the drop safes at each location and will be matched in daily deposits for the bank.

Serrano notes that ASAP is a top performer on the Jacksonville Sheriff Office’s Tow Owners List. JSO supervises ASAP’s TOL calls and the company operates at the top of the chart for towers.
ASAP’s performance has been in good standings with JSO over the past 16 years.

“We have responded to our customers’ needs in a professional manner by holding ourselves accountable and to the highest standard for the industry,” Serrano wrote in her nomination package.
She wrote that ASAP Towing is one of the only towing services which offer 24/7 roadside call assistance. “There are many nights where customers tell us they cannot reach their regular towing company,” she wrote. “Since we do shifts, there is a night dispatcher and driver on call every night of the week.”
ASAP Towing advertises its towing auctions to attract new buyers every month, and guarantees its paperwork can be exchanged for a title at the Tax Collector’s Office. The company requires all purchasers to put the title of the car purchased in their name to protect any previous owners or lien holders from future harm.

Leading and learning

When Serrano took the Marketing Matters offered through the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center in 2010, it marked the first time she had taken a class to further ASAP Towing’s business in Jacksonville. It would not be the last.

Serrano recalls that Marketing Matters had so many outstanding mentors and students that she felt a little intimidated at first. She was matched with a mentor from The Stellar Group. Through the program Serrano would gain insight into advertising, learn how important it is to having a marketing plan, the power of branding and how to set and achieve goals. Her mentor inspired her to grow to be the best in marketing in the towing industry.

Serrano went on to graduate from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s SBA’s E200 class in November 2012. She now understands the importance of having a three-year strategic plan, being able to budget a marketing plan, understanding and using the information on your bi-weekly financials to track positive growth, deciding which customers are the most valuable, and focusing on how to maintain them with the best customer service possible.

ASAP Towing has been a member of the Jax Chamber since 2005. Serrano is active in the West Council and looks forward to volunteering at community events. She had never been to The Players golf tournament until she began volunteering with the West Council. Now she looks forward to the event each year.
ASAP Towing also sponsors many community and charity events such as those for Make a Wish Foundation and Dreams Come True. The company also buys Christmas presents for the Boys Home, has provided bicycles to Camp Consequence and assists the First Coast Apartment Association with donating Christmas toys to the Children’s Home Society.

Statement of Merit:

I truly believe that to follow your heart and use your intuition will lead to long-term satisfaction in all of your matters. I love the challenges presented while being self employed, only to plunge on to harder ground during this difficult time.

I find that leadership is a true quality which is inspired and shared among the team we have built at ASAP Towing. The diversification between ASAP Towing, ASAP Wheels and ASAP Heavy Haul have compensated and built the company in a stronger playing field than usual.

Our satisfaction at the end of the day is when customers have been safely transported to their destination along with their vehicle. Then they call us to thank us for a job well done.

I am truly honored to be the West Council Small Business Leader of the Year 2013. I will represent them with the upmost strength, respect, and leadership qualities possible.

If chosen to be the Small Business Leader of the Year, I will be an advocate and a voice that will be heard on how the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce has truly embraced ASAP Towing. I will tell of all of the benefits offered to support the local businesses and the opportunity to grow in knowledge and in their own industry. The mentorship is amazing in the Jacksonville Chamber, which I am so proud to be part of.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to a prosperous year together.

Words she lives by

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important is to have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” — Steve Jobs

What others say

“I have always found Vanice to be conscientious and diligent in the operation and management of the Company, attempting to grow the business and maintain quality service. I believe that it is reasonable to continue to expect the Company to operate efficiently and grow.” — J. Kevin Hargnett, CPA

“Vanice is a woman of both grit and grace. She walks in a man’s world in her industry of towing, but she is very capable of holding her own, which she does through diplomacy and tact. Vanice will give it to you straight, but she will do so in a calm and professional manner.” — Janet Herrick, CEO, Onsite Environmental Consulting, LLC and 2011 Small Business Leader of the Year

“Any member can chow up to a breakfast or a lunch; do the self-intro speech and glad hand folks for an hour. However, Janice is the exception. While she can certainly represent her company accordingly, normally when we’re getting together for lunch she would’ve only gone to sleep a few hours earlier. As a great spousal team Vanice has the task of managing and dispatching through the night on the graveyard shift. What’s even more remarkable is where we can always count on her which is at our various volunteer events. For the past few years we’ve provided concession volunteers to The Players on Friday (one of the busiest days) and Vanice comes out bright and early to lend a hand; not to mention works harder than many.” — R. Patrick Heatherington, 2012 West Council President

“She is a highly dedicated professional who is conscientious, humble and honest. As a result, she has earned the respect of all who come in contact with her.” — Angela B. Corey, State Attorney, Fourth Judicial Circuit

“Vanice has the ability to hear the good and the bad of what is going on, and able to work with her team n a ‘hands on’ approach to correct any tribulations.” — Michael Gould, General Manager, St. Augustine Wrecker

“Vanice is a dedicated and committed business owner. She values integrity and putting her customers first. Being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, her success is evident by the longevity and growth of her business.” — Pixie Larizza, Past President, Women Business Owners of North Florida, 2011-2012

“Vanice is an intelligent woman who holds the towing industry to the highest standard and has earned the respect of fellow towers in Jacksonville.” — Doug Dixon, DeeWay Towing

By Jim Molis

Lightning might not strike twice. But fire sometimes does.

Just ask Myers-Seth Pump, Inc. CEO Teresa Myers and her team. The Jacksonville manufacturer and distributor of pumps and dewatering equipment was beset by two fires in two months—at one of its busiest times. Though painful to endure, the adversities strengthened a company built upon faith and commitment.

“We were a team before, but we really pulled together,” reflected accounting manager Melissa Gilbert.

The first fire, in early August, would close the manufacturing wing of MSP’s 40,000-square-foot building on Dignan Street for a week. But employees arrived early the following Monday ready to do whatever it took to keep running, according to Gilbert.

Whether pulling pump parts, cleaning soot from office furniture, or forwarding calls to their cell phones, employees pitched in wherever needed, regardless of their departments or titles. It was a natural reaction that had been forged through years of similar collaboration.

“We’re a company of solutions, not only for our customers, but for ourselves,” said service manager, Willie Threatts. “If we have an issue, we put our heads together, come up with a solution, and keep going.”

Preparing for adversity is a byproduct of MSP’s team-first approach to setting goals and tackling problems. Building trust in one another day-to-day emboldens the team of twelve to act decisively when challenged.

In recounting the fires, a month after the second broke out, Gilbert assured her boss that the team never doubted they would make it through the “bumps in the road.”

Gilbert told Myers, “You’ve never given us a reason not to trust you. You’re upfront and honest. Every crisis we’ve come across, you get us through it and we go on.”

The first fire was a crisis of unprecedented proportion. It was an early morning in August when an employee first smelled smoke. Gilbert called Myers at home, and the CEO told her to call the fire department immediately. Two fire trucks responded and ten firefighters spent an hour searching for signs of a fire—to no avail. Before they left, they suggested that MSP contact an electrician to see if they could find the source of the smoke smell.

MSP’s regular electrician could not get to the building right away, so the normally frugal Myers told Gilbert to call the electrician with the biggest ad in the telephone book and request that they arrive at once. “This is a time you don’t worry about money,” Myers said.

But the manufacturing wing was soon ablaze and the electrical fire would eventually cause more than $1 million in damage.

The fire knocked out water and electricity in the manufacturing wing, and phone service throughout the building. All calls were transferred to Gilbert’s cell phone for a week so that customers would not worry about MSP’s ability to fill orders. Myers worked from her truck with her cell phone and iPad, despite the sweltering summer heat.

In such a desperate state, Myers could have folded, but fought instead, emboldened by her team’s faith in her, as well as their desire for her to lead. Employees connected with her vulnerability as she literally watched her business go up in smoke.

Myers drew courage from her team’s collective response and their faith in her, particularly after the first fire. So she fought. “You have more of a chance to come out stronger and further ahead by fighting, than if you roll over,” she noted.

Just when business had returned to some normalcy, fire struck again on a Monday in early October. This time, a service truck inexplicably caught fire while parked in the rental department’s wing of the building.

Though the damage was not as extensive, the fire could have been demoralizing. The wing had just been cleaned and restored after smoke wafted through during the first fire. Yet MSP’s team simply cleaned up again and kept moving forward.

Appreciating the positives—such as that no one was injured in either fire—provided emotional boosts for the company. Myers knew that focusing on the damage and disruption wrought would only be discouraging.

“Proper perspective helps gives you strength and gets you moving again,” Myers said.

Myers holds the things that cannot be replaced dearest—like one’s name, character, and family and loved ones—and has encouraged her team to do likewise.

She also shares her faith in God with her team, and both Gilbert and Threatts acknowledge that this too helped them through the fires. The consistency with which Myers lives her life inside and outside of the office has imbued Gilbert with confidence in her own faith, as well as trust in her CEO’s leadership.

“She’s the same everywhere,” Gilbert said.

That sense of stability within the company was essential in overcoming the fires, and has since grown. “Whatever adversity we’re in, we’re all in it together,” Gilbert said.

Myers, for her part, focuses on the journey—not the destination. “It’s not for us to understand the why, just the how.”

Lessons in Adversity

When her company had to overcome two fires within two months, Myers-Seth, Inc. CEO, Teresa Myers, responded in the following ways:

• Focus on what you have left, not what is lost.
• Remember that without testing there’s no faith.
• Accept that the road to success is always under construction. Bumps are inevitable.
• Stay strong for one another.
• Find some way to keep busy. That’s the best medicine to avoid self-pity.

Leadership by Example

As a business owner, knowing that your team trusts you and that you trust them can be invaluable in surmounting challenges that your company might face.

Myers-Seth Pump, Inc. CEO, Teresa Myers, has cultivated a culture of mutual trust among employees by sharing her drive for continuous improvement and knowledge. She still hungers to learn, even after more than a dozen years of growing Myers-Seth Pump, and leading it through the recession.

“If you don’t invest in yourself, who’s going to invest in you?” asked Myers, who did not speak English or understand American culture when she immigrated to the United States from Vietnam decades ago.

A voracious reader, Myers devours books on leadership, moral principles, self-improvement, and other topics. “As a leader, you can’t limit yourself to one category,” she said.

Myers takes copious notes and shares them with employees. She also distributes books, and even gave accounting manager Melissa Gilbert a set of encyclopedias and her first iPad.

Service manager Willie Threatts will receive Myers’ second iPad when she gets her next, and he has asked her not to delete her books and notes.

In addition to feeding them knowledge, Myers also provides employees with food. She cooks up meals for employees in the large kitchen at MSP’s Dignan Street building, often using ingredients bought from a nearby farmer’s market.

“When you treat employees right they feel they have value in the company, and they look at the business the same way you look at it,” Myers said.

Well-fed and read, MSP’s employees help set the company’s goals.

“Whatever goals we set, we set together and we go in one direction,” Threatts said. “It’s easy to have faith in it because everyone’s a part of it.”

Employees work across departments and job lines to achieve their goals. Titles mean little.

“Wherever I’m needed, that’s what I’m doing,” Gilbert said.

Myers accepts that mistakes will happen, but expects employees to learn from them, so that they do not repeat their errors. She wants each employee to develop to his or her full potential.

“Learn to earn” is her motto and she trusts employees to keep up. She also knows that when they trust her, there is nothing they can’t do for her, even when disaster strikes.

When Disaster Strikes

Teresa Myers never thought that she would watch her business burn. Fortunately, Myers-Seth Pump was adequately insured.

As CEO, Myers had switched insurance agents less than a year before the August fire would cause more than $1 million in damages at MSP’s Dignan Street building. Her new agent had worked extensively with Myers to save the company money without sacrificing coverage.

In addition to property damage, MSP was covered for content replacement and lost income. “There are many components that make up their insurance needs,” said Kerri Henderson, MSP’s insurance agent.

An account executive at local agency JP Perry Insurance, Henderson had recommended some coverage that MSP did not previously have. She was in a meeting away from her office when the fire broke out at MSP on a Friday afternoon, but arrived quickly after her account manager notified her via email.

The account manager had immediately filed a claim after MSP had called, and Henderson called the claims adjuster while en route to the fire. She confirmed that the adjuster was coming from Tampa and would be on site early the following morning.

Upon arriving at MSP, Henderson contacted a board-up company to cover holes in the building’s roof to prevent further damage. She also helped MSP choose between two restoration companies, and notified the company that was not chosen.

MSP chose Paul Davis Restoration based upon previous experience and reputation. The company set about restoring MSP’s building early Saturday morning and finished a week later.

Henderson worked feverishly in between, coordinating with MSP, the insurance company, the claims adjuster, and the restoration company. “Someone has to keep that wheel moving and keep the spokes all together,” she said.

The MSP fire has been the largest claim that Henderson has handled, and she credits Myers and her team for maintaining a positive attitude and persevering through the process. “Sometimes great people do everything right, but still, bad things happen,” she said.

Myers-Seth Pump, Inc. CEO, Teresa Myers, recommends taking these three steps before, and if, a fire breaks out:

• Find the best insurance company. Seek expert advice on the coverage you may need, such as property and business interruption insurance.
• Find the best insurance agent. It helps to have a knowledgeable agent that communicates well.
• Check the reputation of a restoration company before hiring it to do repairs.

“Prepare for the ‘what if’ so that when the ‘what if’ happens, you don’t have to lose sleep over it,” Myers said. “It’s invaluable to your peace of mind.”

By Jim Molis

Jim Molis is a contributing writer for Advantage Business Magazine.

He can be contacted at jmolis@creatwoodpr.com

Photography by David McCormick

pviphotography@gmail.com

By Jim Molis

M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks is rolling. The Macclenny based company is cooking up a thriving business of customizing food trucks and trailers. They have capitalized upon the public’s insatiable appetite for mobile food, the steady online buzz, and the testimonies of satisfied customers – nearly tripling their annual revenue to $1 million within the last year.

Fed by reality television shows, social media, and a demand for increasingly creative trucks and food, the nation’s street vendor market has grown into a $1 billion industry. Total revenue has increased by an average of more than eight percent annually since 2007, and will continue to rise steadily during the next five years, according to IBISWorld research.

M&R typically builds three concession trucks or trailers per month, each at an average of $36,000. “We don’t see that slowing down in the near future. If anything, it’s picking up,” noted co-owner Richard Willis.

In an effort to keep up with their growth, M&R recently moved to a larger location. The flourishing company was backed by $500,000 in combined financing that they secured from 121 Financial Credit Union and the U.S. Small Business Administration, with assistance from Florida First Capital Finance Corporation. “These guys have a great thing going on and we wanted to work with them,” said David Marovich, business account officer at 121 Financial Credit Union.

While business is booming now, things weren’t always so great at M&R. The company built a reputation for quality over 15 years, but was beset by challenges at times. Bob Pierson acquired the company from its previous owners before the recession, when demand for trailers was strong because contractors needed trailers to keep up with the area’s construction boom. But M&R was not thriving. “It was taking care of itself, but doing just enough.” Pierson said.

Even after taking ownership, Pierson was not involved in day-to-day operations. A general contractor by trade, he focused on the home construction business instead. Then, about three years ago, a couple of local restaurants wanted to go mobile. With Willis’ computer drafting skills and Pierson’s construction experience, the M&R team drew up its first projects and set about completing them to their clients’ exacting standards.

They quickly saw a market emerging for BBQ smokers, and concession trucks and trailers. “I started scratching my head thinking there must be something to this,” said Pierson, who had owned several previous businesses.

Sensing an opportunity, Willis and Pierson began researching the mobile food industry and all of the building codes related to concession trucks and trailers. “Once we realized the potential, we started promoting it as best as we could,” Willis said.

In July 2010, Pierson quit the construction industry to focus entirely on M&R and the burgeoning food truck business. “Thank goodness the industry of mobile food was just coming on and becoming popular – and had a presence online,” he reflected. Willis used the company’s website and online videos to generate projects. Then, satisfied customers helped to spread the word.

A feeding frenzy ensued. According to Pierson, M&R did more business in January 2011, than it did in all of 2010. While savvy marketing and the surging popularity of food trucks have helped draw potential buyers, the quality of M&R’s work has been a base ingredient in the company’s recent success.

Once M&R knows what kind of vehicle a client wants converted, Willis drafts the project in precise detail so that the customer sees exactly what they will get before they buy. “There are not two trucks alike,” Pierson emphasized. He explained that every truck is customized to that client’s specifications.

Pierson ensures that each truck is properly balanced, that the onboard equipment works, and that the project meets the client’s expectations in every way possible. “For the customer to find one little problem bothers me to death,” he explained.

Customers attest to the quality of M&R’s work. In a testimonial on the company’s website, Patrick O’Grady, owner of Driftwood BBQ in Macclenny, wrote that he consulted with three different contractors prior to ordering a concession trailer. “None of them were able to give us a clear plan prior to construction. It was not only the professionalism of M&R’s proposal that got our attention, but also the genuine concern they held for our success.”

M&R’s customers vary. Owners might depend upon a single truck for their livelihood, or run a business with multiple trucks. They might renovate an old truck, or buy a new pickup truck and hook on a 32-foot trailer furnished with the latest equipment and amenities. “Someone has to be real serious to get into this business. It’s not a commodity,” Willis warned.

Still, the mobile food industry remains hot. In Northeast Florida, individuals and groups like Jax Truckies track the launches and movements of the area’s food trucks via popular social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. “It’s a trending industry – which is great for us – and we hope that it stays that way for a while,” Willis said.

M&R’s recent projects have included a truck that serves coffee and cheese biscuits, and Jacksonville’s first cupcake truck. “You have a wide variety of foods that people are getting involved in,” Willis noted.

Willis and Pierson say that they would never have guessed that M&R would become involved in the mobile food industry, but they are certainly glad it did. “Because our talents were fitting into that industry, we naturally evolved into that industry,” Willis said.

Pierson, for his part, enjoys meeting today’s construction challenges and looking ahead to tomorrow, knowing what projects he will be tackling with his team and how. “I love this business,” he said. “I want to do it every day.”

Opportunity Knocks

It started with a knock on Richard Willis’ door five years ago.

Bob Pierson wanted to buy a Macclenny home that Willis owned as rental property. Not only did Willis sell the house to Pierson, he eventually became business partners with him in what is now M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks, a fast-growing company that has capitalized on the skyrocketing popularity of food trucks.

When they first met, Pierson owned M&R Trailers, but was not involved in its operations. He was building homes instead. With online marketing skills and a background in computers, Willis agreed to help promote M&R – for free – with the understanding that if the company grew, he would become a co-owner with Pierson.

Originally, M&R was primarily making utility trailers. But in early 2010, after it helped a few local companies get started in the mobile food business, Willis began focusing M&R’s website and online videos on building concession trucks and trailers. “We happened to get involved with it at the right time and it has grown for us,” he said.

M&R has thrived, along with the $1 billion mobile food industry, largely because its owners have leveraged their core talents, with assistance from office manager Joe Gardner, who coordinates their work.  A computer engineer, Willis drafts detailed project plans and prepares proposals for prospective buyers. Pierson uses more than 40 years of construction experience to purchase materials and complete the projects, ensuring they meet building and health codes.

By the end of 2011, the company’s concession business had grown so large that Pierson could fulfill his promise to Willis. The newly formed M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks launched in January 2012. Each partner owns 50 percent.

The men are partners in practice as much as on paper. Pierson, 67, said that as a veteran business owner, he is more apt to be conservative when it comes to decision making, whereas the younger Willis tends to see more opportunities. In balancing each other, they often arrive “at the center,” Pierson said.

“I depend on him and I know he feels the same,” Pierson noted. “Without that, you can’t have a business.”

Recipe for Success

M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks has cooked up a hot business using the following recipe:

Mix:

1 – Seasoned business owner with construction experience

1 – High-potential business partner proficient in computer-aided design and online marketing

1 – SBA-backed loan from community credit union

Cook in pre-heated food-truck industry. Serve to customers across the country.

When is a 15-year-old company considered to be a startup?

When it is relaunching as a business partnership, seeking financing to support its expansion into an emerging market.

Bob Pierson had been the sole owner of M&R Trailers for several years, but he launched M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks as of January 1, 2012, with Richard Willis as a 50 percent owner. The new company was the culmination of an agreement that Willis and Pierson had made after they met in 2007. Willis had agreed to help Pierson promote his trailer business online for free, with the understanding that they would become co-owners if it took off; and it did, when the company began building concession trucks and trailers.

But when M&R wanted to buy a 12,000 square-foot warehouse in Macclenny, and convert it into its offices and manufacturing facility, it had difficulty acquiring financing. The bank that owned the property offered to sell it, but eventually declined to finance the sale because of problems with previous borrowers.

So, Kristen Tackett of Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, an economic development company, connected M&R with David Marovich of 121 Financial Credit Union in Jacksonville. “121 Financial really helped us,” Willis said.

Marovich would see firsthand how busy and cramped M&R’s facility on 103^rd Street in Jacksonville had become. “I could barely park my car there, they had so much business happening,” he remembers.

Still, as a newly formed company, M&R was technically a startup, and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan program, from which it was seeking financing, required that a business be operating for at least two years. Undeterred, Marovich dug deeper into the rapidly growing mobile food industry that M&R was serving, confirmed the quality and variety of food trucks that it was producing, and analyzed the effectiveness of the company’s online marketing.
M&R eventually secured $500,000 in combined financing, including a $250,000 loan from 121 Financial Credit Union, $175,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan program, and $75,000 in personal and business cash. It used the proceeds to acquire, renovate, and equip the Macclenny facility so that it could keep pace with the increasing demand for food trucks.

“The ability to finance startups is a real need here and in communities across the state,” said Tackett, a Florida First Capital vice president and loan officer for northeast Florida. “The 504 loan program presented the best financing solution for M&R because it offered them the maximum financing at the lowest cost for the longest term.”

Jim Molis is a contributing writer for Advantage Business Magazine.
He can be contacted at jmolis@creatwoodpr.com

Photography by David McCormick

pviphotography@gmail.com

Jim Bailey Shares Formula for Longevity

One hundred years is a long time to be in business, yet since 1912 The Daily Record has been bringing daily news and financial information to our fine city. We recently sat down with Jim Bailey, the caretaker for the last thirty seven years and grandson of the founder.

Publisher: Thanks for the conversation, Jim. Congratulations on your anniversary. 100 years in business is quite an accomplishment. You certainly are in select company. Not many get to this milestone.

Jim:  Yeah, I guess it is. You sure you want to write about this? People don’t really care, do they?

Publisher: If your story can help other business owners weather the storm and pass their business onto the next generation, then yes, they do care. 100 years is a big deal. However, we can always just wait until your 200^th year anniversary to tell your story, but I don’t think either of us have that kind of patience. (We share a laugh)

Jim: All right, let’s do it then.

Publisher: How did you come into this business?

Jim: I originally had no ambition to be in the publishing business. In fact, I didn’t work much in the business or knew much about it when I began in 1975.

I  had always wanted to be a lawyer and was attending Mercer when my father who was only 47 at the time had a heart attack. That created an enormous challenge and opportunity for me to come back to town and jump into the business. I literally walked in one day and didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what I was doing and that caused me to make some decisions.

I was about 23 years old, borrowed a ton of money and bought a bunch of equipment. We had a hill to climb ever month, but I just had to make it work with what we had. Sleeping in the office was not unusual, but I had a vision and it worked. We paid off debt and survived. In hindsight, it was the risk I needed to take at the time.

Dad recovered but had further surgery to face so as he reengaged, we both realized how much the industry had changed. Going from hot type to cold type was foreign to him. We ended up evaluating the business, he held the note and immediately I started another large payment. My dad went on to live a long and comfortable life and even shot his age (in golf) when he was 72. He passed away two years ago at age 85. He was an incredible friend and life mentor. Nothing made me more proud as when we used to walk together downtown and people would call us the “Bailey brothers.” He was a great guy and I never wanted to let him down.

Publisher: How has the business evolved?

Jim: In the early days, my grandfather would pull county records from City Hall and list every county record, every building permit, new electric service, every car sale and even marriage licenses. All of which was entered manually.

Long time business people tell me all the time that they got the paper every day because it told them who to call on.  We added news along the way and tried to cover general happenings, and really didn’t do a good enough job. That’s when we realized there was a niche for daily business news.

Through the evolution, there were never any home runs, just a lot of singles and doubles, and a lot of strike-outs and there is nothing wrong with that. We have had our competitors along the way that competed in this space. Business happens every day. As you know Brian, in this business, you are never content. You know you can always do better.

The Daily Record has evolved more in the last 25 years than it did the first 75.

Publisher: So what’s next?

Jim: We are always trying to figure out what people want. We are experimenting constantly.

Understanding how people consume their news is a full-time job. The smallest detail can’t go unnoticed. We experiment with the subject lines in our emails. We want to be first with news. It’s a very competitive business so aligning yourself with the right partners is critical.

Having our own press is a huge advantage. We can turn a story around quickly. We like having the big news to happen in the morning so we can have it printed and on the street in the afternoon. We can make this happen in two hours if we have to. But today we have to have it on line even faster.

This is a tough business. The staff here is deadline driven so to be daily, nothing can wait. We have to be as creative and precise as possible in a given period of time. I think that is how I learned and became comfortable multi tasking and making instant decisions and if not right, making them right. That’s how we as a team, have been able to produce over 27,000 continuous issues of the Daily Record.

Publisher: Now that you mention it, Jim, the daily newspaper industry has been decimated in recent years due to the Internet. Is your business model different?

Jim: I don’t think it is. The Internet now gives everyone a voice, some credible, some not. There are some great forums where discussions by many and the results of all of those opinions create some interesting results. I’m fascinated by some of the things said.

Our job is to figure out how to deliver accurate news in a timely manner. News that our reporter puts his name on and I’m willing to back up. We are always going to be paying professionals to seek out truths. The format for delivery will change, but the core model remains the same. Our challenge is how do we make money doing it?

Publisher: Are you implying all newspapers will eventually die?

Jim: No, just the way it is delivered. I like to think of AT&T or Cannon and the way they reinvented themselves. They didn’t go away, they adapted to fit the demand. Newspapers are part of the fabric of the community. It’s incredibly important. Also, when you look up a story electronically, you find what you are looking for, but think about all the other information you get in a newspaper. Let me give you an example. If you wanted to find out information on the Mayor’s budget, you can find just what you need online, but if that same story was in a newspaper it might be sandwiched between other articles that catch your eye. You may find that the JEA raised their rates or the bus route you rely on has been changed.

These may be things you had no intention of reading until you saw them in front of you.

(Added, but I think important to the answer)

Also Brian, keep in mind about 40% of those over 65, 30% Hispanics and 25% of African Americans still don’t have regular internet access. Although it’s changing, there is still a need.

Also, in this age of government transparency, people want more. Meetings of City Council and the Authorities are taxpayers business and should be open and accessible so you can attend or a reporter can share with you the action taken at such meeting.

Although having them on the internet is helpful, you would never want them only on the internet. In a newspaper, it is printed and you can see it and it becomes a permanent record.

We are at the point of electronic information overload. This political season might be a good example of that. My house was flooded with direct-mail pieces. You are inundated with emails, so print orders were up this political season.

With that being said, I am not naive. We push electronic news for readers who prefer that.

Publisher: Since you brought up the topic, will we see you pursue public office again? (Bailey ended a campaign to be mayor of Jacksonville in 2010)

Jim: I don’t know. There are lots of moving parts that would have to come together. I never wanted to be in politics and didn’t have much ambition to be something other than mayor. I ran because I knew it was a critical time for our city and we needed strong leadership from someone not looking for the next job. I had the business running smoothly and I thought I could transfer my leadership experience to public service. I also had the support from my wife and six daughters. Right now, I am absolutely engaged in Bailey Publishing but as I said the last time we visited, my 37 years of business experience might be of value to many small businesses or nonprofits if needed.

Publisher: You’ve been the captain of the ship for 37 plus years now. Still having fun?

Jim: I think fun is a choice. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. I think I could have fun with anything I do. Although there are huge demands on me, my wife is very supportive. Work, for me, is a hobby. I get frustrated now more than I used to mostly because I see people not realizing or being able to reach their full potential.

Publisher: Earlier you mentioned your civic work. Where does this passion for community activism come from?

I think it’s important. In this economy it’s important to take ownership of where you live. I can’t imagine living in a community that doesn’t celebrate their generosity. I think it originally started when I had kids. I wanted to set the example of being a great person. I wanted them to grow up thinking that this is how they were supposed to behave. I thought it would help them get engaged later on. I didn’t realize I do that much, but I guess I do.

Publisher: You are famous for your list. Let’s see it. (Friends and co-workers know that Jim has carried a to-do list is his pocket every day for nearly 40 years.)

Jim: Hahaha. Here it is. (Pulling out a folded paper wrinkled from carrying in a hip pocket). It never seems to get smaller. I re-prioritize every single night. It works for me. It’s how I keep the ball moving.

Publisher: It’s 3:30 p.m. now. How are you doing on today’s list?

Jim: Not great, I have been talking to you for an hour, but the day isn’t over yet!

Publisher: Tell me one thing people don’t know about you.

Jim: To de-stress from my day, I watch the Kardashians, or anything with Pawn or Swamp in it on TV. Before you think I’m a groupie, understand something, I’m a huge outdoors person and I think business all day. After most of my days, it is relaxing to watch something mindless.

Publisher: What?! I didn’t expect you to say that in a million years. I don’t think you are the target audience.

Jim: I know, it’s strange, but you will learn soon enough, with daughters, I’ll watch whatever they want me to. Now, I won’t miss an episode.

Vitals

Number of employees: 28

In business since: 1912

Lessons to last 100 years

• Everyone (employees) has value. You just need to find their strengths
• Don’t always look for the home runs. There is nothing wrong with singles and doubles
• Never stop experimenting
• Take pride in helping your team get better
• There should always be room in your organization for someone that gives 110%
• I’m not concerned with individual mistakes, I focus more on where my process broke down
• Part of the cost of doing business should be investing your time and resources back into your community
• Work hard, play hard
• Leaders provide solutions

SIDEBAR

6 pillars of character

Jim Bailey was recently selected to receive the Golden Rule Award presented by Character Counts. This award was created to honor members of our community who consistently live a life that personifies the Six Pillars of Character.

This is reserved for Individuals who contribute to our community in unique and meaningful ways which are consistently driven by trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship – the attributes it seeks to honor.

To see more or to attend the upcoming ceremony, click http://ccinjax.blogspot

Jacksonville Wealth Builders has found success in a turbulent housing market through turnkey rental properties for investors

By Wendy Bautista

While many have dubbed 2012 “The Year of the Landlord,” Alex Sifakis, Gregg Cohen and Adam Rigel of Jacksonville Wealth Builders (www.jacksonvillewealthbuilders.com) have been successful “landlords” for the past three years mostly in part because of their unique business model.

The foundation

Childhood friends Sifakis and Cohen always knew they wanted to start a business together, and in 2006 the time was right and they started their real estate company. Rigel joined the team three months later, and the trio has never looked back.

“Essentially, we were ‘flipping’ properties—buying properties to fix up and sell,” says Sifakis. “Then unfortunately in 2007, the real estate market crashed and those people that we were selling to weren’t buying anymore and we needed to figure out a new way to do things.”

They continued to buy property and renovate it, but decided to hold it for themselves as rental properties. That plan was working well until the credit market crashed in the latter 2007 and they couldn’t get refinancing anymore.

“It was about this time we began getting calls from clients enquiring if we could buy and renovate properties for them or if they found the property could we renovate and manage it for them,” says Rigel. “It was then we realized that there was a demand for what we were doing so why not provide that service to everyone and not just ourselves.”

From the ground up

“We figured if it was working for us, then it would work for others,” says Sifakis. This evolved into what their business model is today—turnkey rental properties.

“Every property will already have been purchased by our company, completely renovated and rented with a signed lease and a tenant in place,” says Rigel. “Then we sell it to an investor who is interested in owning a long-term rental property, but we continue to manage the property.”

Essentially, the client who purchases any of the hand-selected, single-family investment properties located in Jacksonville doesn’t have to do much but wait for Jacksonville Wealth Builders to send a check every month from the rental income.

To ensure the best return on investment for their clients and tenants, Jacksonville Wealth Builders only purchases properties in the four to six range on a scale of one to 10. These properties are usually in “blue collar” areas near good schools and amenities.

They also have an intense, rigorous screening process to find only the most extremely qualified tenants and investors alike. “While you can’t foresee all circumstances, it sure helps to try and get it right the first time,” says Cohen.

Making it work

One approach to making this all work is how they divvy up the work. “We all have distinct jobs and know what they are in regards to getting the work done,” says Sifakis, who is in charge of finding and buying properties.

Sifakis admits he finds out about many of the properties because of relationships he has built over the last six years. “Once you’ve closed more than 300 homes, you start to know people and they start to know you,” says Sifakis. “We often get calls from agents who are listing the properties for the banks just to let us know what is coming available.”

“Basically, we find stressed properties that we can buy for a really good deal and then turn it into a revenue-generating property,” says Cohen, who is on charge of sales and marketing. “But it’s not about just selling properties; it’s about building relationships, and we do that through networking, referrals, and on websites specifically geared toward rental investors, where we can have banner ads, marketing partnerships or sponsor newsletters and cross promotions—things more away from traditional advertising. Anytime we can be teaching, sponsoring, speaking, building credibility is optimal.

Rigel, who oversees renovations, property management, hiring of employees and contractors, and is the CFO, adds, “A large portion (70%) of our clients are investors from higher dollar areas, such as New York, California, and the D.C. area who cannot buy property in their area because it is so expensive. They take a look at Jacksonville, and it has three great investment factors: prices are low, rent is high, and the property is in Florida, which is a good area with growth potential and attractions.”

Adding to the mix

The other approach to making this all work is how and who they hire. “We believe so strongly about this team we’ve formed that hiring is such a crucial thing,” says Rigel. “You have to have a lot of trust when you give a ‘hat’ to somebody, so it better be the ‘right’ somebody.”

Cohen attributes their 100% customer satisfaction rating to the fact that they only bring on people who are going to be good fits—clients as well as employees. They have adopted the hiring practice of hiring on attitude and training for skills, and currently that applies to all 13 of their employees.

“I believe in hiring the right fit for the right environment,” says Rigel. “With us having such a large focus on customer service, you need the right employees with the right attitudes in those positions—you can always teach them about real estate. Hire the best and give them the tools they need to succeed, and you will succeed.”

“True customer service is something that seems to get overlooked in businesses today,” Sifakis adds. “Taking care of clients’ needs when they approach you is one thing, but to be proactive and build relationships with customers/clients is something entirely different.

“Customer service has proven in the past to be one of our best possible marketing strategies,” says Cohen. “People talk and it is amazing what word-of-mouth can do for a company.”

Looking ahead

“In the last few years, we realized there is a specific type of client we were looking for and many clients are not a good fit for us and we are not a good fit for them,” says Cohen. “The better we got at realizing who our ideal clients are, the better our business became—revenue increased, bottom line increased, but more importantly, our business has become so much more enjoyable and fun because we truly love our clients and our clients love us.”

Rigel adds, “Just because you have money and want to invest, doesn’t make us a good match. We realized that it was OK to let potential clients know if their goals weren’t in line with ours and if we were not going to be able to work with them.”

“That mindset shift happened a few years ago and it has made all the difference,” says Cohen. “We are always planning ways to make our clients successful and we know in long run that having the right clients will pay off.”

Sifakis adds, “There really aren’t any other companies doing what we are doing—where all we focus on is turnkey rental investments—and that laser focus enables us to better serve our clients.

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-222-8140.

:

Gross annual revenue

2006—$683,000

2007—$857,000

2008—$526,000

2009—$2,883,000

2010—$4,266,000

2011—$5,919,000

Business vitals

Owners: Alex Sifakis, Gregg Cohen and Adam Rigel

In business since: 2006

Projected growth: “We are going to continue to grow exactly what we’ve been doing, but with a reigned in focus to do one thing and be the very best at that one thing. We will always look for new opportunities, but they need to be the right opportunities and not be something to distract us from our ultimate goal. Basically, we need to get good at turning down great opportunities, but the opportunity has to make sense to the betterment of our company.

One thing we will do is to look at what some of the big institutions are doing. When one that normally does apartment complexes is looking into single family homes and sees the opportunity, we know we are on the right track and will be here awhile.

Our goal this year is to sell 168 houses with gross revenue of $15.3 million—and we are already a quarter of the way there—that would be more than 28% growth! This year, we are confident on buyers so we need to buy more inventory and may branch up from our usual four to six zone, but not in near future.

We’ve recently started in new construction and are currently building eight homes with another 17 to18 on the horizon. We also bought a lot of 21 brand new houses from a local builder that was foreclosed on and those new home rentals have been phenomenal investments for our clients.

How you can do it

“Having all of our business aspects—buying, selling, property management, rehab, renovations, etc.—under the same roof provides seamless communication and accountability. We have one phone number, and that is what all clients, vendors, tenants, etc. call. Most time problem solved before owners know.

If you see something not working, you have to be able to change on the fly and feel confident you can change on fly/ be ready for change. It’s a team effort and you are not by yourself. Oftentimes, the team can make better decisions than just one and it is usually for the betterment of the business.

Constantly focus on your cash flow. We meet every week to discuss cash flow and projecting out for the future. Include what’s coming in, what’s going out, and funding which project. Basically it is a real-time budget as things come in.

I can’t stress enough on not hiring from experiences, but hire for capabilities. You can teach the business side of things to anyone so it is best to hire for a personality fit and a culture fit. Bring someone in for their attributes, traits and personality. If you don’t enjoy hanging out with them every day, then it won’t work, try to hire someone better than you at one of your weaknesses. Don’t be intimidated and be happy that you are bringing in someone that contribute to the team and adds benefit.”

How Country Caterers BBQ’s expansion into government contracts and disaster relief has made them ‘more than just great barbecue’

By Wendy Bautista

From their 100 acres of land in Keystone Heights, Tom and Cathy Perryman, owners of Country Caterers BBQ (www.countrycaterersbbq.com), have turned a family restaurant into a turnkey event/catering company that expanded into disaster relief and government contracts feeding the troops.

Ice cream to catering

“Years ago, we bought a little ice cream shop and turned it into a restaurant called Tasty Cave,” says Tom. “When I did that, I also obtained a mentor who taught me about catering. I began shadowing and doing jobs with him, and eventually expanded the restaurant to include catering.”

The Perryman’s clearly and fondly remember their first catering job—it was for Clay Electric Cooperative, whom they still provide services for 35 years later. “That many years ago, there weren’t many caterers,” says Cathy. “We were somewhat of a novelty, which was great.”

They eventually sold the restaurant and went strictly to a catering business, but it wasn’t long before the needs and desires of their customers changed their business forever. “We went from ‘just food’ to acquiring our own equipment; tents, tables and chairs; and moonwalks and other amusement-type things because the customers wanted them,” says Cathy.

“When we first started, Cathy and I had a pick-up truck and a makeshift cooker,” says Tom. “Today, we have 20 rotisseries, 25 flat grills, 15 vans, tractor trailers, trailers, semis, and all this equipment, with some we built ourselves to make jobs easier and to suit our needs.”

Those needs include being able to prepare all of the food wherever they may be.  As no food items arepremade, they bring in all the cooking equipment needed for each event.

A catered affair

With a staff of  about 70, to include their children Teresa and Tom Jr. (Tommy) the Perryman’s achieve close to 1,200 parties a year, which averages to about 25 to 30 events a week and an average revenue of about $4 million a year.

While the hub of their business is barbeque, the scope of what they can do is much larger than most people think—and its pig logo may be the culprit. “While we are known for our gourmet barbeque ribs, pork, slaw, beans, and potato salad,” says Teresa, “Unless you know us, you don’t realize we can do a large variety of meals other than just BBQ like, meatloaf, spaghetti, seafood, gourmet foods, and the like.

“We can do the same events as the fancier hotels do downtown for upscale weddings, banquets, corporate picnics, corporate events and holiday parties—even with a pig as our mascot,” jokes Teresa.

Tom and Cathy also pride themselves on being able to offer turnkey events to customers. “If the customer just wants food, they can get just food. If they want to just rent tents, they can just rent tents,” says Cathy. “If they want it all, they can have it all—it really is all about what they want and/or need for their event.”

This turnkey mindset is also what helped them branch into aiding in disaster relief and obtaining government contracts.

Discovering new avenues

In 1990, during Desert Storm, they acquired their first government contract to feed the troops during amilitary exercise at Fort Stewart. “I remember that we had just bought a fax machine and were still learning how to use it, but we had to get the signed contract to them by midnight,” says Tom. “We faxed it over just before midnight and started feeding thousands of troops the next morning for the next three weeks, 24 hours a day.”

After successfully completing Fort Stewart, they started looking for other jobs that were similar in volume and began acquiring work with power companies such as JEA, Florida Power and Light, Sumter Electric Cooperative, and other commercial companies around Florida. It was then they realized that the training exercise resources could be used in hurricane disaster relief.

When the hurricanes hit in the early 2000s, they were ready to assist. “We would go in with these companies, set up, and be there to support the community and feed the linemen and the tree trimmers and the people that were there to bring the community back to life,” says Cathy.

It was after completing these events successfully that Tom and Cathy began to explore government contracts.

Good work if you can get it

Teresa, who was working in retail management at the time, was asked by her parents to come back and help work the government contracts. “Mom had just acquired a GSA (U.S. General Services Administration, www.gsa.gov) contract, but was just not sure what to do next and asked me to figure it out,” says Teresa. “I soon figured it out and we started winning contracts. Our first major contract was in Wyoming feeding soldiers from Nebraska, 24 hours a day for 30 days during a military training exercise.”

When they returned, they received a phone call from someone who found them through the GSA directory. He had a customer, who was looking to use a GSA contractor, but he was not on schedule, he said would you be interested in priming the contract under your GSA schedule and letting me supply you all the life support resources for the exercise. Of course, Teresa said, “Yes,” and their second major contract ended up lasting 56 days and served 150,000 meals.

“Life support resources include sleeping tents, shower and laundry trailers, toilets, fuel and water tankers, power generation, cots, dining facilities, tents, tables, chairs, lighting—all the items you need to set up what we call ‘base camp,’” says Teresa.

Knowing those same resources are used after an emergency as well, they took some of the contract money and reinvested it into the company. They purchased more life support resources for themselves so they can be the one vendor clients can call that has or can get all the resources—be turnkey.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to continue working for a year and a half in Ohio providing base camp resources,” continues Teresa.

Working the deal

Teresa has spent the last five years focusing on government contracting and post-disaster contracting. She admits to writing hundreds of bids—winning some, losing some, but learning the ins and outs of contracting in general as she went along.

Obtaining government and commercial work, especially when it comes to hurricane relief, takes time, with a lot of backend work. “You have to find the jobs, bid on them, hopefully win them, and then secure them,” says Teresa. “You have to do a lot of work prior to a hurricane because once it hits, you don’t have time to be doing all the details. All I have to do is pull the file and the plan is already laid out, which I can’t execute unless a hurricane hits.”

With many of the foundations laid, she is looking now at expanding. “I have made critical industry connections and am a more knowledgeable bidder now,” says Teresa. “We did a few small jobs to get the big jobs, and did some big jobs so we could go after the even bigger jobs.”

Country Caterers is currently pursuing a second GSA contract. The second contract will position them to be able to bid on more base camp exercises, giving the ability to provide operations, logistics and management support to the U.S. military on a larger scale.

They have also used their GSA contract at the city level to secure post-disaster contracts and other city work. Through the Federal Business Opportunity (FBO), they acquired a post-disaster FEMA contract. “If and/or when a hurricane hits, I come in right after the storm to support FEMA’s search and rescue team, setting up a smaller scale base camp,” says Teresa. “They will use me for various life support resources. It’s a great contract, but, unfortunately, there needs to be a hurricane to execute it.”

Re-energizing focus

Even though they are active in government contracts, they can’t—and won’t—forget about the local market. “We maintain a nice balance between our government work and our local market because it’s cyclical and you don’t know what next month holds,” says Tom. “We don’t focus on just one thing at a time; you can’t. You have to be able to do all the different types of jobs to sustain work 365 days a year—diversifying has been a key to our growth and continued success.”

Over the years they have noticed that their different lines of work “flip-flop.” “Some years the government work will generate 80% of our revenue and the corporate/local side will produce only 20%,” says Cathy. “And other years it flips, and the corporate/local side generates 80% and the government work generates 20%. We just fill in the months with what available to us.”

Teresa, being a numbers kind of a person, thinks it will flip flop again soon and is concentrating on re-energizing the local market. “Our core customers haven’t gone anywhere, they just haven’t been able to do as much as in the past,” says Teresa. “By ‘maintaining’ relationships with our customers through the good times and tough times, we hope to continue their support and commitment as in years past.”

It takes adaptability

“If the customer wants it, you need to be able to adapt and get what they need,” says Tommy. “There is no, ‘I can’t get that for you.’ Only, ‘Yes I can.’ That is one of the reasons why we are where we are today.”

“We may not always get it right, but we don’t fail,” says Tom. “There are times that we could’ve done better, but I haven’t met a company yet that’s perfect. We do make mistakes, but when we make them we admit them and work to correct them for the next time.”

“I can pretty much tell you the growth of the business is because of my parent’s original vision,” says Teresa. “That and my father’s motto of ‘Large or small—we cook them all!’ I am very proud of my parents’ accomplishments; they are my heroes.”

All of this together explains why Country Caterers BBQ has been such a longstanding premiere catering company in Jacksonville and is more than just great barbecue.

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-222-8140.

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Business vitals

Owner: Tom and Cathy Perryman

In business since: Late ’70s, incorporated Country Caterers BBQ in 1981

Projected growth: “We will definitely continue to do government contracting work, and will keep the emergency disaster relief contracts active—but you can’t call that part growth unless a hurricane strikes or you land a contract, unfortunately,” say Teresa. “We will also continue to grow our local customers, but the major vision is to have a facility in town to house our own events.

“We would like to own a 20-30 acre facility which contains a banquet space for 1,000 or more people, halls, grounds, etc. where we could do more than one event at a time and sustain all of our customer’s different needs. For our local business, that is the one element that customers need that we have not been able to provide for them. It would be the final episode of our turnkey event solution.”

How you can do it

“Buy and build your company, but constantly reinvest in your company,” says Tom.  “You might have to sacrifice for a few years, but you want to be smart about where you spend your money.”

“There will be times when you are going to fail in one way or another,” says Cathy. “It’s how you pick yourself up and move on that makes you successful because we haven’t always done it right. You have to meet the customer, follow through, do what you say you are going to do and if you still fail, then you correct it.”

“I wouldn’t say there was one thing that made us successful,” says Tom. “It really is the ability to never give up and to persevere. Look around; everything is an opportunity. It’s how you learn from those opportunities, do better, grow, and meet the ever changing demands. I guess it’s about having stamina.”

The growth-through-acquisition strategy of Krystal Klean and what you can learn

By Wendy Bautista

When Jeremy, Claire and Tony Morgan began Krystal Klean (www.KrystalKlean.com) window washing in 2001 with nothing but experience from growing up in the service industry, they never imagined it would become what it is today—a multifaceted company with two divisions which provide services on the exterior building envelope as well as services for corrosion control and coating for boats, cranes, buses, heavy equipment and large vehicles.

Getting started

“It was exciting in the early days when we would compete with each other to see who had the most success each day,” says Jeremy. “We would pass out close to 200 business cards and consider the day a success if we saw a 2.5% return.”

They were working out of Jeremy and Claire’s 800 square-foot home, sharing a car and a cell phone, with the front room acting as the office. “You couldn’t see one inch of wall space because we had notes, cards, charts and jobs all over the wall,” laughs Jeremy. “At that point, every cent we made went into the structure of the business so eventually it would be able to pay for our living.”

That persistence paid off, and within the first year they were able to, one by one, land 400 accounts, including companies such as Solantic, Sticky Fingers and Freebird Café.

Making strides

Shortly after their first year, the opportunity arose to buy a company. While Tony was cleaning windows at a Southside eye clinic, he was approached by a gentleman enquiring how much he was charging to clean windows. As Tony was explaining that he could get a price quote by calling the office, the gentleman was more interested in talking about selling his business.

“After looking into it, we brokered a deal and it worked,” says Tony. “It was just 14 accounts, but we retained them all.” With that, the acquisition of Busy Bee Window Cleaning was complete in 2002, and Krystal Klean has basically bought one company per year since then.

“As part of our buying strategy, we’ve developed a formula using a percentage of gross sales and it has worked very well for us,” says Jeremy. “Busy Bee would be the smallest company we’ve purchased and the largest would be 3,000 customers, resulting in significant gross revenue.”

Some other acquisitions include Hites, Klear View, Vision, and Hobbs Industries, in which 90% of the customers retained Krystal Klean as their service provider.

Handling the sale

“Many of the companies we’ve purchased have been, on average, in business for 25 years so properly handling the acquisition has taken some finesse,” says Jeremy.

“Handing over the reins is a challenging process for anyone, but especially a small business owner who has developed relationships with their customer base,” adds Tony. “The name of their business becomes a part of that individual so they have difficulty handing over their company without confidence that their customers will be treated in the same manner.”

“A few of the companies we have purchased have been distressed sales so walking out this process is challenging as we work our way through a maze of business issues mixed with personal drama,” continues Jeremy. “While helping someone through what might be considered a winter season in their life, you lose if it’s all business. If you can make it a portion of heart and a portion of business, however, you can make your way through the merger.”

Making the transition

The Morgans have achieved success by making the transition process a personal one. Their first step is requiring the seller to write an introduction letter which explains the transition, thanks the customer for their past years of service and introduces Krystal Klean as the new owners.

Then a meeting is scheduled with each customer in which the seller introduces the new owners in person. Krystal Klean then shows a presentation demonstrating their diverse value and service packages and begins discussions with the client on how they will honor the existing rates and presents opportunities for improving or adding services.

“Each company we’ve purchased has had five to 10 key clients which have been loyal for the life of that company.” says Jeremy. “Some have gone back 20 years and the only way we had an opportunity to serve them was through merging.”

“Key to making the merge a success is finding out what the previous company did to meet the clients’ needs, duplicating that process and then asking, ‘What can we do to make it better?’” adds Tony.

“Making that owner transition is huge,” says Jeremy. “There is buying the company and settling with the owner, and then there is transitioning with the customers on his list—and those are two completely different interactions, but they are crucial interactions.”

Moving assets

One thing in the transition that is essential is forwarding the seller’s phone lines to a Krystal Klean line. “From then on, there will be a steady stream of phone calls coming in to our office,” says Jeremy. “We make sure the phone is answered using the old company’s name as well as our name so the customer hears both names. It cuts down on hang-ups or people thinking they have the wrong number and increases continuity.”

Krystal Klean also transfers ownership of the previous company’s trade name and uses the name and logo in a joint advertisement for a six-month period. They gradually drop the previous company’s name—making the transition to Krystal Klean complete.

“In these transitions, it is amazing the intangible emotional attachment people have,” adds Tony. “After owning a business for 25 years or so, a business owner has thought through his logo, he has thought through what equipment he needed—all the things he gave a lot of thought and energy and emotion to to tie it in with him and the person he is, so using it for six months, gives a little bit of excitement and honor to the seller.”

“He gets to show and say he sold it to someone bigger and it provides so much more goodwill,” says Tony.

Not without its problems

“Mostly when we purchase a company we buy a customer list and the goodwill, which is the phone number and trade name,” says Tony. “One instance when we didn’t, someone else picked up the name, hired the old secretary, and started doing business under that trade name. In that case, we lost four key accounts—three of which we were able to acquire through organic growth.”

“There are lots of stories we can tell on different problems because buying a business isn’t a problem-free adventure—every single time it takes your breath away,” says Jeremy. “There is so much to learn and so much to experience each time. Tony, Claire and I sometimes just look at each other and say, ‘What did we do?’ but then the next month the phone rings and you do it again.”

“We’ve encountered challenges with each purchase,” adds Claire. “Each company has had problems which were not discovered until after the sale, but it all comes with good, and of course, some have been better than others.”

“We’ve made mistakes, but shouldered through them and recognized what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.” says Jeremy.

Adding services

They are quickly approaching 50 key customers, which produce roughly 80% of their income, and handle a master list of 10,000 customers—with 2,500 of them being recurring active customers and others on an “as needed” basis.

“We don’t discount the small the jobs,” adds Tony. “The amount of activity makes us highly visible and gets our name out there.”

In Oct. 2008, the Morgans expanded their services and added a second division, and just recently restructured. “Krystal Companies is the name of our company with Krystal Klean as a division,” says Claire.

“Krystal Klean is the building services division consisting mostly of work for the exterior envelope of the building, which includes window washing, pressure washing, painting, restoration, caulking, waterproofing, all and everything to do with the outside exterior façade of the building,” continues Jeremy. “Krystal Companies is the transportation services division, which is everything from boats to cranes to heavy equipment to cars to buses—anything in that arena.”

Gaining ground

In the first two weeks of operation, Krystal Companies landed a military contract for paint and body work on 30 vans with a two week deadline. “After that was accomplished well, it essentially turned our paint and body work division into a huge and successful business overnight,” says Jeremy. “And two years later, the military is 1/3 of our business.”

“We had an 11 boat contract with the U.S. Navy which lasted eight months and consisted of sand blasting, aluminum fabrication, five-step coating system, redoing the electronics, upholstery and many other items. This job led us into many exciting opportunities that have the potential to revolutionize our entire company,” adds Jeremy. “By demonstrating our ability to make it happen in a small way the doors have opened for much larger jobs.”

Taking on challenges

The Morgans are constantly finding ways to better describe what they do and admit they may have possibly gotten too diverse at times, “but we’re not afraid to take on challenges,” says Tony.

“We have Florida contractor’s licenses which increase our understanding of how our services relate to the other construction trades,” adds Jeremy. “We have an understanding of what it takes and how construction works so if a business approaches us to buy them, and it compliments or adds to what we do, we consider it.”

“Another industry challenge we face is working with heights. We have dedicated teams for all of the buildings above three stories. They are certified and trained with rope descension systems, swing stage scaffolding and manlifts,” adds Jeremy. “We maintain the most stringent safety policies due to our family and friends hanging from these ropes. With that in mind, the protection provided for our customers is of the highest quality.”

“We own the systems and the equipment that can access all exterior buildings of any height giving us the competitive advantage,” continues Jeremy.

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-222-8140.

Business vitals

Owner: Claire, Jeremy and Tony Morgan

In business since: 2001

Projected growth: “We have some fantastic key customers like Shands, JEA, St. Vincent’s, Bacardi, Anheuser Busch and RingPower, but our goal this year is to double our key customer count to 100,” says Jeremy.

How you can do it

“Window cleaning was always going to be just a stepping stone for us,” says Jeremy. “It wasn’t going to be the end goal, but because we were involved and active in it, it naturally grew—and grew larger than we ever expected.”

“It came from hard work, having a goal in mind and knowing that if we got out there and hustled the opportunities would come,” says Jeremy. “I always wondered what it would be like to have a million dollar company and once I reached that goal, I wondered what it would be like to have a multi-million dollar company. Once you achieve a set goal, ask yourself, ‘What goal am I chasing now?’ You have to set a goal to chase.”

“Success can be confining,” says Tony. “Understand what it means before you get into it. Knowing where you are going makes the road a lot easier to navigate. Project what the end result will be and make sure it is what you want.”

“You need to think long term and make sure you really want it. For some, they think they want to be a small business owner, but don’t look far enough out to see what it really means,” adds Tony.

“My father, Dennis Morgan, currently works for us in sales and quality control/papa and a quote you will often hear him say is ‘Pray as if it is up to God and work as if it is up to you.’’’

A day in the life

See Krystal Klean in action! Anchor Bruce Hamilton of News4Jax experiences one aspect of what Krystal Klean does on a daily basis at www.news4jax.com/news/Bruce-Window-Washing-2/-/475880/8583582/-/2sn5vnz/-/index.html.

Why Chad Perce was chosen as your 2012 Small Business Leader of the Year (SBLY)

By Wendy Bautista

Chad Perce, CEO and co-founder of iMethods (www.imethodsinc.com) and your Small Business Leader of the Year for 2012, began his business education before he could drive when he launched his first startup—a neighborhood lawn care empire in his hometown of Lake Mary. Even then, at the age of 15, he learned about the importance of delivering for the customer. “It was quickly apparent to me that the best way to earn and keep clients was to work hard and pay attention to the details,” says Perce.

Those early insights have served him well. Since founding iMethods’ original iteration, Medical Methods, in 2004, Perce and his business partner Clint Drawdy have grown the company from a clinical staffing firm with two full-time employees to an award-winning Information Technology (IT) recruiting and consulting corporation with a sizable staff and projected revenues of more than $10 million for 2012.

A push start

“I would love to say that iMethods was born out of a long and highly scientific market study, but it really grew out of a confluence of skills, experience and opportunity, given an extra push by a dare,” says Perce. “Clint and I had strong combined backgrounds in IT and recruiting and we’d dreamed of starting our own company since the late 1990s.”

Perce says iMethods might still be a dream if their wives didn’t challenge them to “put up or shut up” at a family barbecue, which was also about the time an existing client helped him identify a need for clinical staffing in the medical field.

Energized by the opportunity and the challenge, Drawdy and Perce started Medical Methods in January 2004, recruiting physical, occupational and speech therapists for national and local clients.

Based on their existing relationships with Baptist Health and Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, Medical Methods was ahead of the demand for contract therapy services, which put them on the leading edge of the market and well in front of their larger competition.

“Our good timing, positioning and newfound expertise in the medical therapy market allowed us to launch nationally with clients such as RehabCare, Heartland and Tenet,” says Perce. “We achieved annual revenues of $415,000 our first year with just two employees—myself and Clint—doing all the selling as well as operating and delivering for our clients. Three years later, that business reached its peak at $3.6 million in annual revenues.”

Making changes

As the market matured and competition pushed margin and supply down for contract therapy services, they diversified their footprint and transitioned away from the now-sluggish clinical skill sets business model to a faster, more agile model in technology.

“It was a wonderful chance to reconnect with old friends in the IT world and continue building our business,” says Perce. “We launched our new IT recruiting business, iMethods, in 2007, well aware that the shift in focus would slow our near-term growth, but believing it would be of great benefit down the road.”

Like many businesses, the recession was a big problem. Perce states that the recession may have affected them earlier than some because demand for recruiting services is an early indicator of economic health.

“The cherry on top of our recession sundae was the fact that we’d made a strategic decision to shift away from clinical staffing to IT services in response to competition and a changing marketplace,” says Perce. “We were in new territory, the economy was crashing around our ears, and the going got pretty tough for a while.”

But iMethods’ growth was noteworthy: revenues for the newer company grew from $1.5 million (2008) to $2.1 million (2009) to $2.8 million (2010). In the fall of 2010, they sold Medical Methods in order to focus exclusively on iMethods and develop the structure of the present corporation and map out the road ahead.

The right decision

For Perce and Drawdy, the decision to refocus on technical staffing was the right one. iMethods has been ranked in the “Inc. 500” (399)/”Inc. 5000” (3,790), placed sixth in the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Fast 50” in 2008, and was designated twice as one of the community’s  “Companies that Care” by Jacksonville Magazine.

Of the various recognitions, the value-driven Perce particularly cherishes the five “Best Places to Work” awards from Florida Trend and the Jacksonville Business Journal. “I am passionate about the culture of our company,” he says. “If our internal relationships are strong and we stick to our values, our external performance is better and our work is more fulfilling.

“We have diligently worked to create a culture that supports individual growth, healthy relationships and the highest good for all concerned, but we’re well aware that sometimes even the best intentions can erode in the face of the daily struggle to succeed.

“The fact that we’ve been able to preserve a sound culture while garnering positive results for our clients, employees and job candidates is a source of daily satisfaction.”

And with that, iMethods is now an award-winning, values-driven IT staffing and consulting company. Its premier healthcare IT consulting division pairs world-class experts with leading healthcare providers to provide customized consulting options. Its local IT recruiting division identifies and employs top technical professionals in specialties ranging from desktop and network engineering to .NET and application development.

Today, iMethods’ two divisions are expected to exceed $6 million for 2011.

Looking forward

iMethods has been blessed with tremendous growth, which Perce believes has stemmed from strategic thinking, visionary planning, innovative management, and unwavering adherence to their core values—with a healthy dose of outside wisdom and serendipitous timing thrown in.

“I have set and implemented strategies for its growth ever since its inception, successfully anticipating and responding to market trends in a way that has made iMethods nimble and profitable—even in the worst economic recession of our lifetime,” says Perce.

“While our path hasn’t always been easy, our constant commitment to lifting up our employees, recruits and the community has resulted in success beyond our fondest dreams. It has also allowed us to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and our community. We are truly on a mission!” Perce continues.

“This business was founded on faith, and Clint and I have adhered to our mission and values since day one. By matching skilled professionals with the needs of business, we create value for our clients, ourselves and our candidates, and we are proud and honored to have the opportunity of providing meaningful work for individuals and helping to grow the economy of this community we love.

“Although in different roles, Clint and I have worked together from the beginning,” says Perce, “and any recognition of my leadership is also recognition of his contributions. Our business partnership is a primary ingredient to our success.”

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-222-8140.

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Business vitals

Owner: Chad Perce and Clint Drawdy

In business since: 2004

Projected growth: “My role has been to set strategy and direction for both divisions in anticipation of—and response to—market trends; then successfully execute that strategy. I believe our growth has stemmed from strategic thinking and strong adherence to our core values, with a healthy dose of great advice and fortunate timing thrown in.

“By utilizing the expertise of a volunteer advisory board, playing to our strengths and planning at least two steps ahead for the future, iMethods has been on the leading edge of contract medical services and electronic medical records while meeting the ongoing need for high-quality IT recruiting.

“In the process, the company has grown from a clinical staffing firm with two full-time employees and first-year revenues of $415,000 to an award-winning IT recruiting and consulting corporation with a sizable staff and projected revenues of more than $10 million for 2012.

“Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) for the next three years is to exceed $20 million in revenues,” says Perce.

How you can do it

“My partner Clint Drawdy and I are quick to admit we don’t know everything about running a business. Fortunately, we know a number of people who collectively know everything we don’t—and five of them have generously agreed to serve on our volunteer advisory board,” says Perce.

The volunteer advisory board, which has met frequently since just before Perce and Drawdy formed the original company, provides wise counsel, holds them accountable for results, and is generally a blessing to them throughout the life of the business. With intellect, experience and expertise, they provide a sounding board for strategy; answer questions about banking, legal matters and operations; and perform a host of other valuable functions.

“They are anxious to help and have greatly shaped and influenced our business for the better,” states Perce. “Creating the board may have been the single best step we took in planning our business development!

“When we first formed Medical Methods, Clint and I were experts at sales and delivery, but encyclopedically ignorant on just about every other aspect of running a business,” says Perce. “The advisory board’s expertise and wise counsel has been critical to iMethods’ ability to transcend challenges.”

A book titled, “Now, Discover your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton ended up being another critical success element. Perce recalls how the message of the book—working to address your weaknesses wastes valuable time and energy and how you should play to your strengths instead—profoundly affected the way they viewed themselves and their workforce.

“When we altered some employees’ roles in accordance with this idea, they blossomed,” says Perce. “They gained greater satisfaction from their work and became more productive as well. We continue to apply the ‘strengths’ principle on many levels with excellent results. In fact, we apply it to our interview process, requiring promising candidates to complete a ‘strengths profile’ to confirm they’re the right match for a specific position.”

Perce and Drawdy also account iMethods’ survival, growth and subsequent success with their commitment to trying at least one or two new ideas each year. “Our wheels are always turning, especially when it comes to creating close or synergistic lines of service that could increase our footprint in the marketplace,” says Perce. “We operate on the theory that baiting multiple hooks increases your chance for a good catch, even in the rough economic waters we’ve all had to navigate over the past several years.”

Giving back

Because of iMethods’ focus on service, it’s not surprising that it has been active not just on behalf of its clients and employees, but to the larger community as well. Upon founding the business, Perce started an internal Mercy Ministry to support the employees and the community in times of need.

To date, that ministry has conducted numerous food and clothing drives and provided monetary support for individuals and families in crisis. The company has also supported numerous local charities, including the Boselli Foundation, The Sulzbacher Center, Make a wish Foundation, Heart for the Heartless and the MS Society.

Its major community focus, however, has been its association with Baptist Health Foundation, primarily through activities to benefit Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

“I am the founding and current chair of the One to Grow On Ultra Marathon, which raised more than $1.1 million to date, I served on the 2011 committee for The King of the Court Tennis Challenge, and we all participate annually in Wolfson’s Red Wagon Parade,” states Perce.

Along with the rest of the committee that conceived and implemented the Ultra Marathon, Perce made a three-year commitment (through 2013) to the race, with a goal of raising $1.5 million toward the purchase of a 3 Tesla MRI, a piece of equipment that will reduce the need for invasive exploratory procedures on children. This equipment will be installed in the new tower currently under construction at the hospital’s downtown campus.

“Learning the stories of children who have received care at Wolfson’s has been incredibly touching, and I am honored and proud to be associated with this incredible organization,” says Perce.

Another event connected with One to Grow On is Run 5 to Keep Kids Alive, a five-mile race that takes place during the overall event. iMethods is the title sponsor for the 2012 run and was the Internet Sponsor for the overall Ultra Marathon in 2011.

In the local business community, iMethods is a member of the Chamber’s Jacksonville IT Council (JITC) and is also active in multiple technology groups such as the Jacksonville Developers User Group (JAXDUG). Many of the JITC members are active in JAXDUG, which provides opportunities for developers to learn from each other through speakers, forums and mentoring, culminating in an annual educational intensive called “Code Camp.”

“We have supported this event in numerous ways over the years and enjoy the opportunity to share knowledge with our colleagues in the region,” says Perce.

Business planning

“For many years, we have followed Verne Harnish’s process for developing an annual One Page Plan for our business. As part of the Gazelles organization, Verne mentored us through a three-year entrepreneurial Master’s program hosted by MIT in Boston.

“While the plan is only one page, creating it is a complex exercise that helps solidify the company’s core values, purpose, and actions. The plan defines a one-year goal, a three-year target, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other valuable guideposts that keep us on track.

“Complementing the One Page Plan is our standard meeting rhythm, which follows the metrics outlined in the plan. Our teams have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings that focus on communication and progress toward our stated goals,” says Perce.

“While this may sound like over communication, quick and effective meetings with well-defined agendas have been critical to iMethods’ success and momentum.”

One of these 11 business leaders will be named the overall 2012 Chamber Small Business Leader of the Year Jan. 19. Stayed tuned to meet the winner!

“We congratulate our 2012 Small Business Leader of the Year winners,” said John Bryan, director of the Beaches Division and Chamber Councils. “They are exemplary leaders who have achieved great success in their respective fields and outstanding representatives of the Chamber’s membership.”

The 11 Northeast Florida business leaders were selected for the honor by the Chamber Councils, the Beaches Division and the Entrepreneurial Growth Division. One of these 11 business leaders will be named the overall 2012 Chamber Small Business Leader of the Year at the JAX Chamber’s Annual Meeting Jan. 19, 2012.

The 2012 Small Business Leader of the Year (SBLY) winners are:

Tara Yvette Forrest, Florida Imageworks and Promotions (www.floridaimageworks.com), Mandarin Council

Yvette is president of Forrest Florida Group Inc. dba Florida Imageworks & Promotions, a company that provides screen printing, embroidery, signs, printing, and promotional items from its manufacturing and retail location in Ponte Vedra. Yvette takes care of your apparel, promotional, sign, and marketing needs and is only limited by your imagination. She takes pride in branding your company in new, energetic, and creative ways.

Dr. Joanna Frantz, In Motion Physical Therapy (www.inmotionjax.com), Beaches Division

Joanna is owner of In Motion Physical Therapy, which provides physical therapy, massage therapy, post-surgical and cancer rehabilitation programs to the Jacksonville community. She works with local doctors to address the patient’s musculoskeletal diagnosis to correct their movement impairments. Along with medical services, she provides high-quality, injury specific rehabilitation equipment as appropriate for individual needs.

Ann Freeman, River City Security Services, Inc. (www.rivercitysecurity.com), Entrepreneurial Growth Division

Ann is president and CEO of River City Security Services, Inc., a woman-owned contract security guard and patrol agency providing armed and unarmed security services to customers in Jacksonville, Orlando and Ocala including non-profit organizations, select residential and special or seasonal security needs customers. She offers turn-key service for first-time security service buyers, with the majority of her customers being seasoned purchasers of contracted security solutions.

Sandy Knowles, Coordinated Benefits Group (www.jaxbenefits.com), North Council

Sandy is account executive at Coordinaed Benefits Group, Inc., an employee benefits and insurance solutions company that is small enough to care and know its clients, and big enough to serve its globally distributed employee population. Sandy researches and develops benefits packages for small to large businesses, implements and manages the company benefits, and provides human resource support, as well as claims and billing assistance.

Jennifer Marko, Bottle Snugglers (www.bottlesnugglers.com, Arlington Council

Jennifer is president of Marko Holdings, Inc. dba Bottle Snugglers, a plush animal designed to support a baby bottle at the proper feeding angle during baby’s feeding time, providing the feeder a free hand to tend to other tasks. She manufactures the patented baby bottle holders and sells them on her website and in stores, as well as on other retail websites in the United States and a few other countries.

Diana Otwell, Spectrum Signs and Graphics (www.spectrumsignsfl.com), South Council

Diana is president and owner of Spectrum Signs and Graphics, Inc., a full-service provider of signs and graphics products to local, regional and national companies. She provides quality sign manufacturing including wide-format digital printing, indoor and outdoor signs, ADA signs, trade show displays, channel lettering, custom banners, dimensional letters, engraved signs, menu boards, magnetics, illuminated signs, directories, routed and sandblasted signs, vehicle/fleet graphics and more.

Chad Perce, iMethods, LLC (www.imethodsinc.com), Jacksonville IT Council

Chad is CEO of iMethods, LLC, an award-winning, values-driven Information Technology (IT) staffing and consulting company serving both the healthcare industry and the broader business community. In the process, he also supports other businesses and entrepreneurs and provides meaningful opportunities for the skilled professionals he recruits. His highly personal, detail-oriented approach to client needs is rooted in his commitment to excellence and integrity.

Sandy Polletta, Edgewood Bakery (www.edgewoodbakery.com), West Council

Sandy is owner and vice president of Edgewood Bakery Inc., an award-winning, full-service bakery that has diversified its product line and structure to now include a breakfast and lunch café, full-service corporate and social catering, an on-premise banquet hall, an evening upscale bistro, outdoor courtyard dining and an online bakery with shipping for corporate or personal use. Her mission is to provide customers the best quality naked goods and food with the best customer service possible.

Ann Sabbag, Health Designs (www.healthdesigns.net), Jacksonville Health Council

Ann is founder and CEO of Health Designs, a company aimed at improving the health, well-being, and productivity of its clients’ employees. She helps companies improve employee health, contain health care costs and build a healthy and productive workplace by providing worksite health assessments, health screenings, and face-to-face health coaching that motivates participants toward positive lifestyle changes.

Kirsten Schneider, Dinners Direct (www.dinnersdirect.com), Professional Women’s Council

Kirsten is executive chef and owner of Dinners Direct, a delivery-only meal service that provides prepared, ready-to-cook meals. Customers order online from a monthly changing menu, and meals are packaged, labeled with cooking instructions, frozen and delivered to their home or office. Her mission is to help busy individuals and families put a nutritious meal on the table and reduce mealtime stress.

Jepp Walter, Marlin Technology (www.marlintech.us), Downtown Council

Jepp is owner of Marlin Technology, a technology based business supplying Information Technology services of many kinds, including but not limited to computer sales and support, PC help desk, network design and support, website design and hosting, telephone system sales and support, and data and telephone cabling. Jepp does this by helping customers understand their IT needs and desires and speaking to them in a language they can understand—not “techie.”

The power of youth in the workplace  

By Wendy Bautista

For the first time in American history, we are seeing four different generations working together in the workplace—with some demographers saying there are really five, depending on how the generations are defined.

With some traditionalists (those generally born between 1927 and 1945) remaining in the workforce and the Millennials (those generally born between 1981 and 2000) making their presence known, the workplace has never been more diverse.

“You need diversity and you need lots of it,” says Diana Peaks, executive director at Jacksonville University Center for Professional Studies and an adjunct business professor at Jacksonville University.

“You need cultural diversity, organizational diversity and you also need age diversity because every business works with people of all ages, and that diversity should provide you with a competitive advantage.”

Using that advantage

One company that uses age to its competitive advantage is 5ivecanons (www.5ivecanons.com). Adam Schaffer, Justin Dennis, and Michael Woeppel—all under the age of 30—together own and operate the Jacksonville Beach-based, full service advertising agency that focuses on consumer engagement.

“We like to say we fuse brands with culture,” says Schaffer, the creative director at 5ivecanons. “What that means is we develop immersive consumer experiences for our clients and their brands.”

While the diversity in this year-old company is not multi-generational, each member brings years of experience to the team from different areas and aspects of the industry.

“We knew each other before we started this company,” says Schaffer. “We’ve all been and worked in the industry for years, just in our separate roles—and we just brought all of those skills together to form 5ivecanons.”

Prior to each member’s work experience came years of schooling as well, with Schaffer attending undergraduate and graduate school to be a creative; Dennis, the digital strategist,  studying management information systems (computer science); and Woeppel, the executive producer, studying digital media art.

Breaking barriers

Even with years of experience behind each team member, they sometimes face apprehension from people in the workforce because of their age and youthful appearance. According to Peaks, this is not all that uncommon.

“There are some very intelligent young people out there and we need that, we need that to move forward, but it can be a barrier,” she says. “Where the younger workforce really should be judged on merit, some people, such as a traditionalist, may misjudge them based on their looks and question their experience and knowledge.”

5ivecanons has faced such apprehension head-on.

“One of the best questions we get asked is, ‘Who owns your company?’” says Dennis, with a laugh. “But I just take that with a grain of salt as there are some things we are still learning and I think we are getting smarter about.

“I do think it throws people off sometimes,” continues Dennis. “When we walk in, we will be immediately discounted because we’re not ‘senior’ or don’t have three offices in New York, Atlanta, and L.A. [yet].

“But what we offer is unique and we’re good at what we do,” continues Dennis. “I think people that see past our age and understand that we are experts in the things that we bring to them are the ones that work the best with us.”

“I’ve seen it happen a couple of times where we’ve gone to talk to a client and they are very standoffish when we first enter the room,” adds Woeppel, “But as Adam or Justin go into detail about Facebook or another channel the client doesn’t know very much about, you can see a change come over them. You can see their eyes light up because it clicks—they realize the potential and they realize that we know all the facets and ins and outs of all these mediums.”

The company’s approach

But none of this apprehension has slowed the three of them down. In their first year of business, they have gone from one to 15 clients, with clients such as Chick-fil-a, Community First Credit Union, Coggin Collision Center and Ethan Allen—and the list continues to grow as word spreads on their abilities. With most of their clients coming from referrals, they believe it is based on their five canons approach.

The idea behind 5ivecanons’s name and the basis of their business comes from ancient philosopher Cicero’s five canons of rhetoric. “Cicero used five canons when he spoke to a forum, and us being a digital agency, we also speak to a forum for our clients—we just use five different canons,” says Schaffer.

For every project they do, they use all of these five canons:

•Listening phase—they learn everything about their client’s audience;

•Strategy phase—they plan goals, timelines and milestones for their clients;

•Creative phase—they develop and produce all of the messaging and content;

•Distribution phase—they look at all the channels their client’s audiences are in; and

•Optimization phase—they try to improve everything they’ve done for every step along the way.

While the timing of each phase is different for each project, client and client’s needs, the phases are based on the scope of work in general. “The listening phase is generally our research phase and it can take some time—and that’s where we tend to see the gaps or areas where they could be benefitting from better systems,” says Dennis.

“We listen to the Internet in real time and then show our clients where their potential consumers are and networks they may want to be actively involved in or a contextual style they may want to use.”

“Many of our clients are somewhat technologically savvy and understand the channels and their audience,” adds Schaffer. “They are just looking for someone to improve where they are—and that’s where we come in. Part of our services is offering ways to brand your business to your audience through editorial plans and immersive Facebook applications.

“We develop something a little bit further than, ‘Here’s a post about what’s going on’ and in fact instruct them on when and what to post—such as separate messages, images, and videos, instead of saying, ‘Come on down for this great deal,’” says Schaffer.

“One thing you always want to do is create and present content that is going to engage people and really get them involved,” says Woeppel.

“We can then build data based on what people are clicking on and define not only a demographic but also a psychographic based on whether they watch more of your videos or click on your photos or answer polls,” says Dennis. “We can then make suggestions on technology that we think might be best.”

Woeppel adds, “And we also think of and consider these things as a whole and how they will all work together for the best result.”

Heart of it all

Knowing all of this helps 5ivecanons develop a strategy and the creative to match who they are addressing and from that they build a plan based on each concept. “We don’t put technology before concept so we don’t force anything into a technology,” says Schaffer. “We can then say, ‘This is the idea, here are the technologies that are best matched to that idea and what would you like to do?’ or sometimes it is, “This is what you should do and here are three ideas, which one do you like?”

Diversity for 5ivecanons also comes from how it utilizes crowdsourcing. The small core team is here, but they utilize an expansive network of 60 to 100 people that they work with—not just here in Jacksonville, but all over the world in places such as Dallas, New York, Mexico, Russia, and the Ukraine.

“What we like to do is reach out to people that we know are really, really good at what they do,” says Schaffer. “After the core team has gone through the listening and strategy phase of a project and are on to the creative phase, we will go to the network for something we need or need better—like a killer logo or someone that is an amazing developer for Facebook or Flash—and we get those people involved.

“It makes us a lot bigger, but keeps us still small,” says Schaffer. “And we get to pick the best to work with us—I don’t think we could ask for a better business model at this point!”

Keeping with the curve

With advances in technology happening every day, Schaffer, Dennis and Woeppel find themselves constantly searching for what is coming around the corner—but that doesn’t mean it will be right for their clients.

“We’ve seen ‘trying to be in front of the curve’ not necessarily work all the time,” says Dennis. “But staying right with the curve and knowing exactly where the audience is in relation to that technology curve is what’s important. We don’t bring technology to somebody unless we know there is going to be a use for it on the other end—it has to be  the right fit for their target audience.”

“We are always looking for new things,” says Woeppel. “But as Justin said, if we get too far ahead of the curve, it will go right over our client’s head and so it’s finding that fine balance.”

“I think it’s always a balance between what our client’s needs are and what their audience is,” says Schaffer. “We’re not a technology shop; we’re not inventing anything new; we’re just leveraging those tools for the right channel and for the right audience.”

Learning and challenging

“Technology changes every month and so we’re constantly being challenged,” says Schaffer. “But every day we challenge ourselves and each other, and we learn new things about business and about ways to communicate—and that’s why we love what we do.

“We are all very passionate and have goals and a vision,” continues Schaffer. “And because of that we’re going to challenge each other and we’re going to argue, but we turn that into a dialogue to make sure we have the best product for our clients.”

“I think with all of us being so passionate about the industry, we always end up producing an amazing product,” says Woeppel.

“I think we are hungry for it,” adds Schaffer. “We’re really passionate and each one of us bring something incredible to the table and these are some of the smartest guys I’ve ever met in my entire life—so it makes it easy for us to do this because we are so hungry for it.”

“And we are super competitive,” adds Dennis. “If a company looks down at us for our young age, we’ll challenge them to place us against another shop.”

“We like those challenges,” adds Schaffer. “If they are going to put us against another, maybe ‘older’ shop in town; we are going to bring our A-game. That’s what it boils down to—we’re in business here and we want to do great work, and being young we like challenges! Bring it on!”

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-536-2234.

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Utilizing the youth

5ivecanons’s clientele has climbed from one account to 15 in a year—with the list continuing to grow as word spreads of their abilities. To see what this “young gun” team can do and see some of the companies that are utilizing them, visit:

Chick-fil-a: http://www.5ivecanons.com/rhetoric/mobile/turn-consumers-into-the-advertising-message/
Community First: http://www.5ivecanons.com/rhetoric/mobile/community-first-credit-union/
Ethan Allen: http://www.5ivecanons.com/rhetoric/social-media/ethan-allen/

Business vitals

Owners: Adam Schaffer, Justin Dennis and Michael Woeppel

In business since: 2010

Projected growth: “I think our work speaks for itself,” says Schaffer. “We sent out an email to our network and it was just our reel of recent work and with that people saw the work and want to work with us. It wasn’t like we were trying necessarily to bring in business; they just saw the scope of what we are capable of and want to work with us.”

Dennis adds, “In the first year, we went from one to 15 clients and we are expecting to double our revenue this year—and then we’ll go from there and hopefully the trend will continue.”

“But I do see the most growth happening by way of mobile and social media—that is where we are just really booming,” says Schaffer.

Woeppel adds, “Yes, this year is the first year that mobiles outsold desktops.”

“In the United States, 53% of Americans are using a smart phone,” says Dennis. “Even though it’s still a very personal device and still has a personal sense, if we can get our clients on that very personal device, it’s almost an intimate connection, which is why I thinks it’s going to be a huge market.”

How you can do it

“Be as passionate and as hard working as you possibly can,” says Schaffer. “It’s a really tough economy right now and an even tougher industry, and I think just having skills or an education will not cut it—you have to be hungry, passionate, smart and dedicated to what you do. You have to be committed to the end result.”

Woeppel adds, “It’s being agile and reading and keeping up on trends and just keeping up with it all. You should always be searching, always looking for new things.”

Dennis adds, “I think our model is unique in crowdsourcing. The book ‘The World is Flat’ by Thomas Friedman explained that people who manage their channels the best and how they get their work done from a global perspective are going to be extremely successful.

“It’s no longer this 50-person shop in one place because you can reach different people around the world if  you embrace the idea that the world is flat and get savvy about how to use technology in your business, and even cut corners and save money.”

How AD&D Inc. successfully modified Cold War technology for the needs of today

By Wendy Bautista

With a motto stating, “Success measured by solutions,” you know Gary Donoher, president of Analysis, Design & Diagnostics Inc. (AD&D Inc., www.adndinc.com) sets his reputation on the line and expects to succeed—and he and his team work hard to make it happen.

“We measure our success by the solutions we bring to our customers,” says Donoher, whose customers include defense and commercial industries, such as the U.S. Navy, the oil and gas industry, and port authorities.

With these customers, come unique needs. Since AD&D is a solution-oriented company with a unique knowledge of undersea acoustics in complex marine environments, they make solutions happen by hiring only those with real world experience—with many employees being former Navy acousticians.

Days of yesteryear

“When we first started out in 1992 it was during the height of the Cold War,” says Donoher. “In those days, we basically supplied onsite support and provided mission reconstruction and data analysis—and during the height it was a good business to be in.”

Acoustics during the Cold War generally meant listening for enemy submarines and communications. “As the Cold War started winding down, however, we saw the writing on the wall and said we’ve got to be able to do other things.”

That was when he started looking into what else he could do. “One thing we’ve always done as a company for the Navy was act as an independent agent for them so companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, USSI and others would develop technology and the Navy would have us evaluate it,” says Donoher.

It was during those evaluations that they discovered they knew more about the Navy’s problems and probably had the solutions than the companies who were developing the technology. That was when they started moving into the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.

Getting innovative

Under the SBIR/STTR program, the Navy issues solicitations four times a year where it identifies a problem it has and then a company writes a response to that problem on how it can solve it. The Navy then evaluates all proposals, and based on your technological proposal, may give you a Phase I award.

According to SBIR, the objective of Phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed R/R&D efforts and to determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization prior to providing further Federal support in Phase II. SBIR Phase I awards normally do not exceed $150,000 total costs for 9 months.

The objective of Phase II is to continue the R/R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in Phase II. Only Phase I awardees are eligible for a Phase II award. SBIR Phase II awards normally do not exceed $1,000,000 total costs for two years.

The objective of Phase III, where appropriate, is for the small business to pursue commercialization objectives resulting from the Phase I/II R/R&D activities. The SBIR program does not fund Phase III. Phase III may involve follow-on non-SBIR funded R&D or production contracts for products, processes or services intended for use by the U.S. Government.

“If you go to Phase III, it could be up to a $25 million contract where you could now be on every platform out there,” says Donoher.

Finding a solution

“One of the biggest problems the Navy has faced in recent years was being accused of harming and killing whales and dolphins with its active SONAR during exercises,” says Donoher.

In fact, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) brought a lawsuit against the Navy in 2008 stating the active SONAR poses a deadly threat to whales and other marine mammals. The case went to the Supreme Court, which sided with the Navy—but as part of the settlement, the Navy agreed to do a better job about not harming the animals and to do the best it can to be aware of where they are. They want to be able to take action if they get too close and be able to turn SONAR off or to maneuver around. “If there are whales in front of them, they want to know how to avoid them,” says Donoher.

This opened up many opportunities for AD&D.

“We use an acoustic intercept system which accepts all acoustic noise,” says Mike Jackson, the COO of AD&D. “We kind of knew from the word ‘go’ that yeah you want a marine mammal detection mitigation system and there are things to do with that, but we all knew and understood from our backgrounds that the core of this was what we dealt with for years [in the Navy]. We just need to adapt it to whatever it needs to be adapted to—adding function to what already exists.”

From years of listening for enemies and such underwater, they also knew the sounds of a biological being. So what was of no importance in their Navy days has turned into their competitive advantage.

The successes

•MMDM: AD&D’s Marine Mammal Detection Mitigation (MMDM) program is an automated system that passively detects and automatically classifies marine mammal vocalizations prior to the activation of active sonar systems for the Navy.

“We’ve developed this technology from a Phase I through a Phase III STTR program, with Duke University Marine Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution working with us as support contractors,” says Donoher. “This system is on a couple of ships right now and has been at sea and tested and evaluated.”

According to Donoher, the Navy’s P-3 Orion community had a similar problem and AD&D responded to its solicitation with a multichannel system.

“When we first started, we used to classify by saying it’s a marine mammal or SONAR, but we can classify now to a certain species and say if it’s a sperm whale or a North Atlantic right whale,” says Donoher.

The system automatically classifies it, has it show up on a classification display with the points of where the signals were captured and allows the operator to play it back if necessary. “Because the Navy is now looking to reduce manpower levels, we are trying to automate this process 100% to where an operator doesn’t need to be involved,” says Donoher.

Under that same program, AD&D developed a sensor that gets anchored to the ocean bottom and floats about 6 feet to 8 feet off the ocean floor, where it can record data 24 hours a day, seven days a week on an SD card that is integrated into the acoustic modem.

“A file that has approximately 1.5 man years of data—2,772 hours—would take an acoustic analyst 1.5 years to get through, but with our processors with a much higher data rate we are able to get through that data in a short amount of time because of the automation,” says Donoher. “In a two hour file, we can process eight hours of data. We are currently modifying our technology to run at higher data rates.”

•MADPT PS: The Marine Assessment, Decision and Planning Tool for Protected Species (MADPT PS) is a software-based tool for use by environmental and operational mission planners to decrease interactions with protected marine species and assess impact prior to and after exercises.

“Any time the Navy does an active SONAR exercise or training they have to log all of their active SONAR missions and any mammal sightings,” says Donoher. “The sighting info is required any time they do any major exercise, but the sonar is required every day. When a Navy ship turns on its SONAR, they have to log every active emission and report it, and that goes into a central database.”

AD&D has developed two systems to help. One is the Automated-SONAR Positional ReportingSystem (A-SPORTS), which taps into the ship’s network and automatically extracts every time the SONAR pings as well as the latitude and longitude of the ship and all of the pertinent information required; and the other is the Automatic Logging Reporting System (ALRS), which is a handheld device for reporting sightings of marine mammals

Donoher is hopeful these systems will be next to go to Phase III.

Moving forward

“Our goal is to continue to improve that technology (spiral development) so as it goes on board the platforms or is developed, we continue to make improvements,” says Donoher.

“Eventually you come out of the ‘phase’ program, and that’s really the goal,” adds Jackson. “To get it to the point of where they say, ‘Yes, I need to get this in and get this into the budget and we’re going to get it into the program of record.’ Then it just becomes that it was an SBIR program and now it’s a program of record, and you stay in the spiral development for as long as they need to use it and need support for it.”

“We found out that it’s the hardest part,” says Donoher. “What we’ve seen in the past is some sponsors are remiss and slow about getting the funding in place, so we’re trying to get better at working with our program sponsors to start that transition process sooner in the phase process.”

Success is in the staff

Donoher says one of the things he always tried to do as a company was never be a “body shop.”

“We just haven’t gone after contract work just to get contract work because that can only last a couple of years and then all of a sudden you’re laying people off,” says Donoher. “When we bring people on, we want to be able to offer them long-term employment, good benefits, keep them around for a while, and have a good core group of folks. Not have the body shop mentality that a lot of companies out there seem to have.”

So how can a company with 10 people do so well? Be up to the challenges, says Donoher.

“The problem with being a small company is that contracting officers are  more likely to give a contract to a company like Lockheed Martin because if they fail they can say, ‘Well, I gave it to Lockheed—a well-known company in the industry,’” says Donoher. “But if they give it to us and we fail, they are going to get blamed and asked, ‘Why did you give it to that small company?’

“So one challenge is to really show that we can do the same type of work these big companies can,” says Donoher. “That’s a challenge we face every day—but we’re up to the challenge. We love it and are ready to take it on!”

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-536-2234.

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Business vitals

Owner: Gary Donoher

In business since: 1992

Projected growth: “We are going to continue to develop technology and try to work with integrators to get our technology into other platforms. Our technology has other applications that can be spun off for many other things.

“Anything that vocalizes, we can track. We are currently working to alter our acoustic detection and classification technology to fulfill an Air Force SBIR request for detecting and classifying desert animals. We have a proposal in to take our technology and modify it to their needs, and use our folks to process the data.

“We are also developing a handheld device for Navy divers that will alert them to the presence of ships or active SONARS and create situational awareness, and we just had a kickoff for a program with John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory working with the Navy’s unmanned undersea vehicles, which could basically replace the submarine fleet,” says Donoher.

“What they need is a lightweight navigation system to navigate those platforms because they can’t surface to get a GPS position and don’t know how fast they are going or if they are drifting. We are building a system that pings at a high frequency and we’re getting the reflections and measuring the vectors and then passing that information along to John Hopkins. They will then develop an algorithm that measures the drift of the vessel as it goes through the water and also measure its speed.

“I was also on phone with Fleet Forces Command and it wants 20 of our A-SPORTS handheld devices with some in Hawaii, San Diego, Jacksonville and Norfolk, and then they will issue them to the ships.

“Now our job will be to make modifications based on their requirements and to put together a training program. Every now and then we will have to show how to use the system and qualify people to use it.”

How you can do it

“It always takes perseverance and hard work,” says Donoher. “Because I had been in the field, I kind of understood a little bit about the contracting perspective but not very much because I worked primarily on the technical side. So I spent a lot of time learning how the system works and still do on a daily basis—it’s a learning process.”

“I’m not sure I can say we would be where we are today without doing the SBIR/STTR program,” says Jackson.

“Even though it has pretty clear-cut guidelines, it is still trial and error for some SBIR/STTR bids,” says Donoher.

“It takes a lot of patience and time,” says Jackson. “You also have to let some of these other people or program sponsors that may not know you or your work , get to know you. “

“Yes, it takes a lot of developing personal relationships and branding, and in the last two years I’ve spent more time in Washington, D.C. than I ever have,” says Donoher. “It is getting up there in front of folks and talking about and showing them our technology. Some say they can do it, but I take a laptop running our technology with me to show what we can do.”

Classroom Technology Solutions is doing more with less in the modern classroom.

By Wendy Bautista

What started with a 2-foot-by-2-foot square metal ceiling projector mount has turned into amultimillion dollar business that supports the K-12 classroom teacher’s need for technology. Classroom Technology Solutions Inc. (www.ctsed.com) not only fills that initial need, it builds upon it by finding and filling ongoing requests for more related products.

Working together

Business partners Walt Mischley and Cy Marshall have known each other for years, having crossed paths many times throughout their separate careers, but it wasn’t until August 2008 that they decided to work together.

Combined, Mischley and Marshall have more than 40 years of professional experience in both technical and teaching environments. Mischley, who was a teacher for several years after graduating from San Jose State with a master’s in history, mainly focuses on marketing and field operations, while Marshall, who has spent most of his career in technology including working for Bell South, the Air National Guard in its electronics program, and most recently for Gateway Computers, focuses on product development and the operational side of the business.

“While working at Gateway, I was part of a team that was developing what they call 21st century classroom technology products,” says Marshall. “I developed mounting products while I worked there and when Gateway got out of the commercial computer business and sold it off, I was able to keep the manufacturing relationships to those products.”

They were both working in real estate and joke that they were retired, but admit  they were not “really retired,” when Marshall started receiving phone calls from people wanting to know where they can get the mounting products. “That’s when Walt and I started talking about a little hobby to keep us occupied,” says Marshall.

That little hobby now occupies a lot of their time with 70-hour work weeks, working on weekends, a staff of 22 people, an ever-growing product line that can be found in the 48 contiguous states, and revenues of $2 million in its first year, $5 million in its second and projected revenue of $10 million this year—with north of $15 million, already accounted for, in existing contracts alone.

Mount up!

And to think it all started with a projector mounting product. The mount itself is a 2-foot-by-2-foot metal square plate that can accommodate an audio-visual projector and essentially take the place of a ceiling tile in the classroom. A safety wire made of aircraft cable attaches onto the plate and is then placed up and over part of the building structure, where a slip ring will lock it in place so it can’t come loose from the ceiling.

The plate is painted with an eco-painting process known as anodic electrode position. The plate passes through a number of baths, and then goes into a tank that has acrylic paint suspended in liquid. An electrical charge is applied to the plate and the paint adheres to it. After which it gets lifted out and placed into another tank to wash off any excess material—which go back into the painting process—and then the product gets dried.

“By design this process assures us that the entire plate gets covered—there are no missed spots,” says Mischley. “The underside, the crevices, everything is covered so there is no chance of rust or chipping paint. Especially when dealing with schools, we try to keep the ‘green’ in mind to support their concerns for the children’s well-being.”

Building a business

“What’s interesting is when we started, our original plan was to manufacture a couple of products and then get them distributed to resellers across the country,” says Marshall. “But we found that to be a lot more of a challenge than we had anticipated.”

When they didn’t get the traction they wanted, they decided to pick a market area and market direct. They made a list in a specific area, did an email blast with a flier and sent it out that morning. By the afternoon, orders were coming off the fax machine.

As they were answering the requests for mounts and dealing with more people, they started getting asked if they also sold the projectors that went on the mounts.

“At the time the answer was no, but we decided to look into it and found that maybe we should,” says Marshall. “Then as more time went by, our customers said they would also like it to be hooked up, so we looked into adding the wiring and found that that would also be beneficial.”

“The next biggest thing that happened was we started winning contracts,” says Mischley. “We went from buying a hundred products at a time to buying containers full. These are multimillion, multiyear contracts with major school districts in the Southeast.

Mischley says one of the most important aspects of the contracts was it made their vendors and suppliers take notice, which placed them on their radar screen as a company to watch—and it didn’t hurt that it helped with pricing.

“Our prices went from ‘single unit’ to ‘high volume,’ and the vendors started bringing us customers because obviously from buying a hundred of something to buying 4,000 of something, it changes things,” says Mischley.

The start of something new

“We don’t go out and find a product and take it to the school and try to convince them that they need it,” adds Mischley. “Customers drive our product line by letting us know what they want and or need.”

Marshall continues by saying, “The set of customers that we’ve developed will come to us and say, ‘This is what we are looking for and these are the projects we want to do, what is available and how can you help us?’ and we’ll bring them up to speed with what’s new or try to find solutions to what they need or want.”

From there they started adding or manufacturing other products such as projector screens, wireless tablets, document cameras, DVD players, anti-bullying software, Internet security, as well as a line of speakers that fit in the ceiling which are incorporated into the sound and audio visual systems in a classroom —all at the request of their clients.

“We’ve now taken the mount products and bundled them with other manufacturers’ product(s).  These bundled solutions provide greater value to our customers, give us a competitive edge and have allowed us to expand our business,” says Mischley.

“Essentially, what our clients were telling us was they would like to have a one-stop shop, and now we basically offer them a technological classroom in a box,” says Marshall.

Building from a box

“We design everything around ease of use, functionality and speed of install,” says Mischley. “With 95% of our business in that K-12 market, these elements are essential.” But in the beginning, the install speed was missing from the equation and was called to their attention by their customers and it needed to improve.

An average install, where the technician took all the equipment, tools, wires, and products with them to the field, opened packages, assembled the items, installed the units and then checked to ensure it was all working, would take more than two hours.

Since many of the technicians Marshall and Mischley hire have Audio Visual installation experience, they were not without ideas on how to better the system and devised a way of pre-assembling the ceiling mounts.

All products needed for an order are unpacked, checked, and attached to the mount; the items get wired according to what will be required; the safety support cables are attached; and the completed unit is placed and ready for delivery—taking that two hours that used to be in the classroom installation and putting it to better use at the shop getting all mounts ready.

The technician then takes the completed unit into the classroom for installation and can now install it in about 30 minutes. “For the most part, the technicians are doing on the spot trainings, which is included with all installations” says Mischley. “The training is very important because it alleviates a lot of the problems on the back end and gets the user acclimated to the new technology on the spot.”

The technician writes the room number on each box tag and brings the box back to the shop, where administration will cut each tag from the box and record the information, serial number and product information and provide it back to the school for its asset management program.

Finding and funding

“While school and teacher funding is going down, the lower technology budgets are a plus for us,” says Mischley. “When we source our products, we don’t look at price or for a brand-name product, we look for functionality and for something we can put a three-year warranty on for the life cycle it’s going to be in the classroom, and we offer that to the customer. We also make sure that many of our products are from here in the states so the schools can qualify to use federal funds for products Made In America.”

“We have a lot of companies calling us to sell their products and we will probably expand our product offerings,” says Marshall. “For now, all of the vendors we settled on really work closely with us, but where there are holes in our product line and we have requests, we will source those.”

“I remember when the ratio in a classroom was 42 students to 1 teacher, then it went down to 25:1, then as low as 16:1, which then became the norm,” says Mischley. “Well, it’s heading back the other way again because of teacher budgets being cut. So when we do a product search, we have to do something that allows that teacher to do more in the classroom with less. That’s what drives the whole thing.”

The changing classroom

“In today’s classrooms, you have varying levels of teacher skills,” says Marshall. “We need to make sure we have products that get all of these different teachers comfortable with technology because the dynamic in the classroom is changing.

“With technology, there really is no need for teachers to stand with their back to the class. They can take the wireless tablet and be walking around or standing in the back of the classroom while still having all the functionality and interaction to teach a lesson and operate the projector,” says Marshall.

“If we can get that teacher untethered from that ‘back to the students’ mentality and put that teacher out in the class where they can sit alongside the student and show them how to do something, it creates a better learning environment and keeps up with what students are accustomed to.

“The problem a lot of schools have is the students have more technology in their hip pocket than they do in the classroom,” says Marshall. “We want to change that.”

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-536-2234.

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Business vitals

Owner: Cy Marshall and Walt Mischley

In business since: August 2008

Projected growth: “One of the first things to grow, and is still growing, was our space,” says Marshall. “When we started out, we had a 3,000 square foot mini warehouse and we quickly outgrew that. We moved over here to 25,000 square feet in August of last year and spent about a month and a half to two months painting and moving in and we’ve been doing the rest of the renovations as we can and as time and money permits.”

“This facility was just a box warehouse that had been sitting empty for about three years, so we’ve had to put a little money into it,” says Marshall. Some of the renovations include a briefing center, a showroom, a training room, conference room, reception area and lobby, a sales area, a soundproof test product area, a product assembly area, a stage for presentations, and a secure area for high-value products.

Some other changes include a change in staff. They’ve recently expanded their sales force, are looking to develop a marketing team with a director of marketing, and brought a graphic artist and web staff in house—with plans to expand to an online shopping cart.

Another area they are looking at is digital signage and bulletin boards. “Schools are starting to show real interest so they can push out bulletins, announcements, and menus, and even have interactive kiosks where a parent can come in and see what is happening and get a lot of information and not disrupt or tie up a staff member,” says Marshall.

“Most of the markets we’ve done were through emails and calling people on the phone and we’ve been really successful at it, but you can only get so far,” says Marshall. “Our next level is to build out a nationwide field sales organization.”

“The sales side is going to grow, integration side is going to grow, and all segments of the business are going to grow,” adds Mischley. “Vision wise, I want the mount business to grow.

“We are able to focus on other parts of the business because the mounting products are very profitable. That small square up there has allowed us to do all of the other things,” continues Mischley. “The business is built around that 2-by-2 square mount and that is what keeps us going.”

How you can do it

“Don’t be afraid to fail—even if it’s more than once,” says Mischley, who then adds, “As the saying goes, ‘There is no successful person that hasn’t failed.’ You better get into something you know and know all of the dynamics of it, you have to be debt free because I don’t think you can drive a business by amassing a lot of debt, and you better understand tax codes. The federal government makes it difficult so you have to understand how they make it difficult—not so you can get around it, but so you can get through it.”

“It’s more than doing something you like,” says Marshall. “I don’t care how much you like it if there is not market for it, it won’t succeed. I see so many businesses start up and they are passionate about what they want to do, but it’s passionate to them or a close-knit group they associate with. If there isn’t a general market, perhaps reconsider.

“You’ve just got to be smart about it,” adds Marshall. “You’ve got to know what you’re going to do, like what you’re going to do, have a market for what you’re going to do, and then you can go for it.”

“Oh, you have to go for it! Even at the stage we’re at now, I still want to go for it. Go for more,” agrees Mischley.

Leigh Burdett set her tires in motion and built a sustainable tourism business with her bike tours.

By Wendy Bautista

While her company’s name often gets jumbled, Leigh Burdett’s vision for her e2ridebiketours (www.e2ride.com) doesn’t. “When I first came up with the name and logo, I wanted something recognizable that if and when e2ride bike tours (red “e” to ride bike tours) becomes something either nationwide or worldwide that when you saw the red e, you would know that that’s my bike tour and you could expect the same type of service and experience,” says Burdett.

“I wanted a symbol that was clean, big and bold, and could stand on its own, and I felt the red e eventually could. Right now I find that most people call me e2ride bike tours or ezride bike tours, and I just gently correct them,” she continues. The red e logo and company name represent how she runs her bike tours—when you show up, she has everything set and you are “ready to ride.”

“Often when we are on a tour, riders will be looking at the license plate signs on the bikes with the logo and all of a sudden I hear, ‘Oh, I get it now!” and I laugh knowing exactly what they are talking about. But once people get it, they never forget it!”

Getting inspired

For Burdett, it took losing her job in corporate America as a general sales manager to find her true calling. She found herself watching Oprah one afternoon when the book, “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle was being touted. Burdett says they were discussing how the book basically teaches you to lose your ego and fear and follow your passion, and if everybody in life followed what they were good at, the world would operate more smoothly, people would be happier, and it would be a better earth— therefore a new earth.

The words touched home for Burdett, who then read the book, and she began to wonder what she would want to do if she didn’t have any fear. “I started to look at the things I enjoy versus what I had at my old job because I could have gone to another company and gotten a job doing what I was doing,” says Burdett, “But my old office had no windows and I was practically in front of a computer all day.”

While she continued her analysis, she would hop on her bike and ride through her neighborhood, and it was then she realized she wanted to do something outdoors. “Even as a child I would be on a bike or was heading outside to do something; I was never an inside person,” she says.

On the right path

Still forming her idea, she continued to think of what else she liked to do. As a younger adult, she gave tours at the Anheuser Bush Brewery and remembered how much she loved meeting people from all over the world, hearing their stories, communicating with them, and sharing her stories. That’s when she asked herself, “What can I do that is outdoors and I can talk to people?”

“I had friends go on bike tours in France and on wine tours, and they all said what a great time they had,” says Burdett. “And I thought, ‘My goodness. There are places in our own community that are beautiful enough to create similar bike tours!’”

While she was contemplating the administrative element of creating week-long bike tours, the right idea came to her—why not daily bike tours?

Practice rides

Once she had her epiphany, she set her wheels in motion. She began gathering information,researching, and learning the history of the area and of each location she was considering, with much of the information coming from the communities’ preservation societies.

She then did test runs with friends and watched their reactions to the information she was putting out. “If it made them light up, I did more research on it; if they seemed uninterested, I took it off,” says Burdett. She wanted it to be like bike riding with a friend who just happens to know the history of the neighborhood. She didn’t want to bore people with a myriad of dates and history that will be “snoozey.”

“I then basically took that information and put it to a route that had not only safety as a factor, but a ‘fun feel’ factor as well.” During all of this planning, she realized she wanted to provide an opportunity for people to “step off the gerbil wheel of life,” as she calls it, and be able to throw on whatever is comfortable and show up, which meant supplying gear for every rider and getting it to the locations without having a storefront at each location.

Ready, set, ride

What she has is a fleet of 20, easy-to-ride Trek 7200 hybrid bicycles that can be adjusted for anysize and comfort and a trailer to haul 16 of them—wedged like a puzzle—with room for the other four in her truck, if needed. Each bike is outfitted with a computer to measure mileage and speed, a basket for personal belongings, and a red flashing tail light for inclement weather, and each rider is provided a biking helmet, ice cold water in an e2ride bike tour souvenir water bottle, and healthy snacks, along with Burdett’s history knowledge and preservation tips and facts.

“Riders can also bring their own bikes and gear and enjoy a $25 discount off the regular price. I built it that way to offer flexibly to my customers as well as my company,” says Burdett. “I have 20 bikes, but once I’m out of those 20 bikes I can’t take any more riders. By offering the opportunity for people to bring their own bike, I can have tours as large as possible, which I have had up to 82 people.”

e2ride bike tours has five tours to choose from—Riverside/Avondale, San Marco, Springfield, Beaches, and Old Mandarin—with each tour starting at a select location in the community (such as the Riverside Avondale Preservation Society for the Riverside tour). They each run about three hours and are 10 to 12 miles in length, but Burdett says it’s an easy ride that is set to the pace of the slowest rider with plenty of sightseeing stops.

“I’ve taken thousands of riders and nobody has had to stop,” she says. “Some riders are so proud of themselves for doing the distance that they have pictures taken next to the odometer to prove they did it!”

Pedals and preservation

One aspect of e2ride bike tours that came as an added bonus was Burdett, without really knowing it, created a sustainable tourism business. “While I operate in five neighborhoods, my business doesn’t alter the way a neighborhood looks—it works in harmony with the natural habitat. I do not have a physical structure or a business that may look out of place in these neighborhoods,” says Burdett.

Her business also works with a community to support the businesses within that community. For example, when a tour is over, riders can buy their food, visit the shops, and purchase souvenirs at different businesses in that community. “I am bringing people who wouldn’t necessarily be coming to San Marco or Springfield or Riverside into these pocket neighborhoods and helping the communities with their goal of being sustainable communities.

“I look at it as more than a business or more than a bike tour, I see it as a cog in the wheel of preservation and ecology,” says Burdett, who is an ambassador for the St. Johns Riverkeeper and a member of the Riverside Avondale Preservation Society, Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council, Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, and the Beaches Area Museum and Historical Society.

“I basically learn from these societies and then pass the information along on the tours, such as the health of the river and the world’s waterways and what makes a river-friendly yard. I am trying to be a business and a cog in a wheel that educates people in the importance of preservation, going green, being environmentally conscious, and having community engagement—all while having a good life and remembering to get off that gerbil wheel.

“I want people to know that this business is about fun and relaxation, but it is also about preservation and being green,” says Burdett. “Put what you are feeling and learning on the tour today in your life when you go back to your everyday life.”

Being greener

Burdett knows she, personally, is doing different little habits and she hopes that others are doing different little habits based on what she talks about on the tours. “I don’t think they are going home with every little fact, but I like to think they are going home with say three little things that they remember and those three little things are helping them to be a little greener, a little more into preservation and conservation, and a little more thoughtful with their actions,” says Burdett.

One of the biggest thrills for her is that fact that she’s made neighborhoods the biggest attraction in Jacksonville (as rated #1 on TripAdvisor). “And isn’t that what we really want to get back to? That off-the-gerbil-wheel, happy, and relaxed way of life?” asks Burdett.

“I love it because instead of being in an office without windows, I will either be with a group of people leading a tour or I will be going to other communities to learn their histories and setting set up bike routes. It’s an opportunity for me to be out and about and an opportunity to change the world and make an impact or footprint on the world in my small way.”

Wendy Bautista is the editor of Advantage Small Business Magazine. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-536-2234.

Business vitals

Owner: Leigh Burdett

In business since: September 2009

Projected growth: “Along with bike tours, I realized so many companies are looking to involve themselves with employee wellness or associate their branding with things that are green and about preservation, conservation, and community engagement, so one thing I am doing is talking to businesses about sponsorship opportunities.

On my tours I have heard many riders say, ‘If my wife saw these houses, she would want to buy a house here’ so another aspect I am looking into is real estate. I will talk to these companies and see if they want to sponsor so people can see the houses in the neighborhoods and communities by bike as part of what they offer as a service.

In some of my research, I discovered that business groups don’t want to book events in Jacksonville because there are not many activities right out the front door. So I have been working with hotels such as the Omni and Hyatt to book group tours. It’s a wonderful thing to have such a flexible business that I can offer this service and make people feel like they can walk right out the door and there’s the bike tour.

And of course, the more sponsorships and business deals I can make means there are more opportunities I have to grow e2ride bike tours—either growing this location or other franchises.

How you can do it

“It may sound a little simplistic, but start by reading ‘A New Earth’ and really get an understanding of putting that ego and fear on a shelf. Then ask yourself, ‘Is what I’m doing providing a service to others or is this just what I like to do?’ Then you have to be in a place where you have a passion for what you do and an enthusiasm that you’re never going to give up. Listen to what customers are saying, as they are offering good advice, and fine tune your business by what they were saying. When people come on the bike tours they say I was born to do this and I feel like I would not have found this without putting my fear and ego on a shelf and following my passion.”

Learn how The Broach School initiated a green movement

When you walk into Joseph Wood’s classroom at The Broach Schools of Jacksonville’s Westcampus, it’s far from the traditional setting.

Besides the typical desks and marker board, there are a number of plants sitting around the room, hanging from the ceiling, and sunning from the light coming through the windows.

But if you asked Wood where his students learned the most, he wouldn’t even mention the classroom. Instead, he would walk outside the building and around the corner to a greenhouse both he and his students built by hand.

Grant to grasp science

Wood originally started the greenhouse project from a grant designated by the University of Florida to give Broach School students a hands-on learning environment and an alternative approach to grasp science concepts.

“Teaching is not a script. We educate and treat students as unique people, so they can become successful in direct proportion to their potential,” he said. “In the greenhouse project, we are creating a living, breathing classroom where they can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste what they are learning.”

In addition to accomplishing these goals, however, students have discovered their talents through the greenhouse project.

“Being at The Broach School has allowed me to have a hands-on experience, especially on the greenhouse project,” said Austin Martin, a ninth-grade student at Broach West. “The school has allowed me to do what I’m good at.”

“The students have gotten really excited about it,” said Darrell Lewis, director of

Broach West. “They’re working harder in their other classes to get their work done, so they can spend time in the greenhouse.”

Turning into a movement

Because of the impact of the greenhouse project at Broach West, The Broach Schools ofJacksonville turned the program into a movement both at the organization’s other campuses and out in the community.

“What started as one teacher’s project has now become a primary focus of our entire school,” said Tommie Broach, the president and founder of The Broach Schools of Jacksonville. “As we move further into the 21st century, we’re seeking more ways to go green and be environmentally friendly.”

With the help of Home Depot, Broach South students and staff are taking the initial steps toward forming their own greenhouse project, while Broach Beach and Orange Park look to follow suit. And with assistance from the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s West Council, Broach West expanded its green efforts to the entire school grounds through an Earth Day beautification project.

Branching out

In addition, the Broach West students branched off campus at a solar cooking competition, where although they did not place, they became known as the only school to cook using vegetables they grew themselves. And they are helping beautify other gardens in the community and donating their fruits and vegetables to those in need.

The goal, according to Wood, is to teach the students education is about more than just yourself. It’s about helping others using your knowledge, and in this case, using your knowledge to help the environment.

The Broach Schools of Jacksonville are a group of small, non-profit private schools with five locations in the Jacksonville area. They specialize in helping students getting lost in overcrowded classrooms succeed at overcoming learning disabilities by providing them small classroom sizes and individualized attention from their teachers. It can be reached at 904-637-0300 or through www.broachschooljax.com.

The results of the nominations for Advantage Magazine’s Top 50 Small Business Influencers

We put it to you, the small business community, to come up with who you thought were the top 50 small business influencers in Jacksonville—and you exceeded our expectations.

After hundreds of nominations to sort through and multiple back-and-forth conversations between many, the list has been narrowed down to this Top 50 (in alphabetical order) and some honorable mentions that just couldn’t be eliminated.

Be sure to attend the Meet the Top 50 event on June 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Aloft at Tapestry Park and meet the “dream team” of influence makers that will open doors and help you make connections to push your business to reach new levels of success.

Bring your magazine along and check the box next to the influencer  to be sure you’ve met every one!

Tawnia Adams, Hancock Bank

Tawnia is a “must know” because she works diligently to help all of her business clients meet their financial goals and dreams. She is more knowledgeable about the inner workings of small business than most business owners and strives to assist each company to be the best they can be by offering financial solutions that make a difference in their financial world.

Al Bagocius, The A & I Consulting Group/Creative Packaging Solutions

Al is a “must know” because he is an inspiration to small business people learning how to be successful using social media. Al would admit he’s older than the average hipster trying to make a splash in the social media world, but that hasn’t stopped him from setting the pace for many in Jacksonville. He is all about the other person, and firmly believes that good deeds will be rewarded. He is a delight to work with,  a man of his word, and willing to freely share his social media knowledge to help others.

Richard T. Balog, CPA, Balog & Tamburri CPA

Richard is a “must know” because of his 25 years of experience as a CPA and his dedication to the success of small business. Not only is Rick associated with many networking groups and has many certifications, he constantly strives to bring the “best of the best” together in the business community and provide them top options to assist them with their business.

Sandra Bartow, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce

Sandra is a “must know” because she is a powerhouse of information and connections, both of which helps her run the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.

Pat Blanchard, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce

Pat is a “must know” because she is dedicated to the success of women entrepreneurs at every stage of their business development. She assists aspiring and existing small business owners gain access to education, capital, resources, and networks to help them become more successful. She spearheads and implements programs designed to deliver these benefits in support of women as they launch and grow their businesses.

Nancy Boyle, Small Business Resource Network (SBRN)

Nancy is a “must know” for her extensive involvement as director of the SBRN, where she provides a free resource and referral service for small business owners and coordinates activities for professional and agency members; and for the local, 30-minute, television interview show, “Speaking of Business,” devoted to discussing topics relevant to operating a small business, which she produces and hosts; and for being an adjunct professor teaching organizational behavior at the UNF Coggin College of Business.

Anna Brosche, Ennis Pellum & Associates

Anna is a “must know” because she is a person of action, and those actions are executed in a thorough, professional, and inclusive way. Anna’s ability to synthesize—groups of people, ideas, goals—to support the small business community is remarkable.

John Bryan, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce

John is a “must know” because he is one of the top networkers in Jacksonville and a “must know” with the Jacksonville Chamber. His knowledge of who, when, where, why and how to network is second to none. Plus, he is the nicest guy you will ever meet and a lot of fun to be around.

Ellen G. Bushnell, Bushnell & Company, PA

Ellen is a “must know” because she is a highly motivated CPA who always has the best interests of her clients on the top of her “to-do” list. She does not let her clients, no matter how big or small, feel like they are just a number. They are treated with respect, courtesy, and with the utmost importance to their needs while never losing the small business advantage.

Tresa Calfee, BROOKSLACAYO Advertising

Tresa is a “must know” because she really does know everybody and everybody knows her—mostly because, above all else, she works to help businesses succeed and shares her connections specifically to do so.

Camille Clement Gregg, Outside the Box Consulting

Camille is a “must know because she is a networking queen and the best referral source when you need to do business in the North Florida business community. She either knows everyone or knows how to get to everyone. She works diligently to connect businesses, forge great relationships, and promote businesses—even those who are not clients—all of which helps the small business community flourish.

Lynne Coggin, BNI Northeast Florida

Lynne is a “must know” because as executive director of BNI, she helps businesses expand their networks, build strong business relationships, and effectively communicate their goals for business and personal growth through networking and referrals.

Sheila Collins, Collins Capital

Sheila is a “must know” because in a period of extreme financial uncertainty, not only has the company she built survived, it has prospered as never before. She is also a pioneer that blazed a path through a historically male-dominated investment management industry so other women didn’t have to. She serves as a role model for women in our industry and never shies away from what she feels is her responsibility to encourage and promote diversity.

S. Roger Dominey, Financial Design Associates

Roger is a “must know” for all of the associations in which he is a part of, the successful salesperson he is, the outstanding leader that he has come to be, and the community service initiator that people are happy to work with. Within the company, he developed a team of specialists in the areas of investments, marketing, brokerage, annuities, long term care and disability, and life insurance, to help the small business owner—all at the needs of our clients.

Janice Donaldson, Small Business Development Center at UNF

Janice is a “must know” because as the regional director of the Small Business Development Center at UNF, she assists thousands of existing and potential business owners through individual counseling, facilitating SBDC workshops, and teaching entrepreneurial classes through the UNF Coggin College of Business. She is one of North Florida’s strongest supporters of small business and economic development, and is often found at meetings and events in support of SBDC clients and stakeholders.

Barbara English, English Solutions

Barbara is a “must know” because she helps small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses become city, state, and nationally certified and be positioned to win identified government contracts, which can be a very confusing, difficult, and challenging area for small business owners to navigate. Over the past three years, she has used her 36 years of government contracting experience to provide winning government contract insight to more than 600 small businesses in Jacksonville. Her one-on-one consulting has enabled small businesses in Jacksonville to be awarded $3.1 million in government contracts in the last 12 months. She is a winner who helps others to win!

Jen Errair, Admin 911

Jen is a “must know” because she truly dedicates herself to her clients in a very unique way. No matter the circumstances, no matter the work, she jumps in with both feet and frees her clients of the administrative headache of running a business.

Raul Espinosa, Fairness in Procurement Alliance (FPA)

Raul is a “must know” because he helped establish a procurement Think Tank at UNF and his peers in the Jacksonville business community voted him as a “Minority Champion” in 2010.

Jessica Evans, Regions Bank

Jessica is a “must know” because she can get lending done for people seeking to buy a business, expand, build, or buy equipment. She assists many clients capture the American Dream of business ownership. If it is something she is unable to do through the bank, she will suggest alternatives to them.

Deb Eveson, Allstate

Deb is a “must know” because she left a long career in financial services because she knew there was a need to serve at a personal level for those needing insurance and has become the go-to girl for all things insurance….honest, fair, supportive. She is a great example of leadership

Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, U.S. Small Business Administration

Wilfredo is a “must know” because of his diligent dedication to ensuring the small business community in North Florida has access to capital, technical, and management assistance to open a business or expand an existing one. In addition, he ensures that the issues affecting the small business community are heard at all levels of government. He is the number one advocate for the small business community in Jacksonville.

Eva Greenfield, Hometown Threads and Chair of the Chamber Councils

Eva is a “must know” because of her ability to help foster the success of business women in the Jacksonville community. As immediate past president of Professional Women’s Council, she also helps develop women leaders and enhance business relationships.

Cathy Hagan, Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Cathy is a “must know” because she is the heartbeat of the SBDC and has helped businesses in countless ways. She is always full of ideas, helps make connections to the right people if she can’t help, provides new opportunities, and gets the word out there about all the ways small businesses in Jacksonville can receive help and so much of it free. She is a tireless crusader for small business!

Brad Hollett, Accelerated Construction and ACT Architects

Brad is a “must know” because he has helped hundreds of Florida businesses connect with health care related work. He helps new business owners with special advice and referrals on everything from acquisition to construction to marketing and advertising and beyond. He is an amazing man and gives back to the community every day.

Keith Johnson, Keith E. Johnson CPA PA

Keith is a “must know” because he has a passion for the needs of small business owners and help them achieve their dream of success. He has been in practice since 1997 and has worked with organizations devoted to small business needs such as the Beaver St. Enterprise Center, UNF Small Business Development Center, and the Jacksonville Chamber Small Business Center for many years. He is also active in many professional, business, and social organizations.

Scott Keith, BB&T

Scott is a “must know” because as the regional president of BB&T, he has the influence internally at BB&T as well as in the community to make business happen! He can connect influential business people with just about anyone in Jacksonville.

Keith Kessler, Kessler Creative

Keith is a “must know” because he enjoys assisting other businesses reach their goals. Whether it’s a new business, mom-and-pop shop, or an established business looking to expand, he works with them one-on-one to ensure their expectation is his mission. He understands the pitfalls and obstacles one must face to be successful. He also understands that it never hurts to have a helping hand to lead in the right direction. In addition to working with small businesses, he also assists with non-profit organizations throughout Jacksonville.

Suzi Lemen, Dynamic Corporate Solutions Inc. (DCSI)

Suzi is a “must know” because she is a tireless proponent of small business development. She is a much requested speaker on small business, HR, and women’s business issues, and is an active member and past president or Women Business Owners of North Florida. She will begin her third year as the instructor for the e200 program which the SBA sponsors annually to help small businesses grow. She also sits on several committees including the Mayors Commission on the Status of Women.

Joe Lemire, eLYK Innovation

Joe is a “must know” because he helps business owners have a clear understanding of how their website can help them grow, as well as help design, develop and implement an internet strategy that will work for them.

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Lauren Little, Edible Arrangements

Lauren is a “must know” because she is influential and very involved in the Jacksonville community and devotes time out of her schedule to assist other business leaders and aspiring leaders. She is driven, inspirational, focused, and determined, as well as a veteran.

Michael Margolies, Littlebanc Advisors

Michael is a “must know” because he leverages his extensive expertise and deep professional relationships with many of Wall Street’s most influential professionals to enable Littlebanc’s clients to meet their funding and M&A goals. He and his team provide the best financial and strategic investment services to traditionally under-served growth companies. He believes in long-term relationships and focusing on each client’s individual needs and circumstances. Michael and his team deliver quality results quickly.

Daniel McCarthy, Lifestyles Realty Web

Daniel is a “must know” because even though he is still under the age of 30, he helped form Lifestyles Realty Web and lead it into a profitable small business during what is supposed to be a “down market” where other Real Estate companies were cutting cost and some even closing their doors. He is very active in the community with charities, has been named one of the 40 under 40 by Jacksonville Business Journal, and has formed alliances with other small business owners to help all involved.

Mike McCreary, Baymeadows Moving and Storage

Mike is a “must know” because he knows who is going where, with who, and why, but won’t say! His connections and business sense are undeniable, which is why he is also the Small Business Leader of the Year 2010-South Council.

Michele McManamon, Sandler Sales and Training

Michele is a “must know” because she trains some of Jacksonville’s finest to make them better. She helps many small business owners develop winning strategies to reach the level of success they desire. She is truly amazing!

Kevin Monahan, Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Kevin is a “must know” because he is a staple in the small business community in Jacksonville. He specializes in community economic development, small business development, and nonprofit technical assistance. As special projects director and certified business analyst at SBDC, he works with small business owners through individual meetings and seminars to help them start and/or grow their businesses. He is also responsible for all nonprofit curriculum, contracts, and technical assistance.

Candace Moody, WorkSource

Candace is a “must know” because she has helped countless business owners who have come to her for advice on everything from marketing to public relations to business strategy to hiring and objectives—mainly because she is so well connected.

Janice Newton, Flippin’ Good Cookies

Janice is a “must know” because her and Michael have done an incredible job to create an image for their cookies in business, personal, and charitable contributions. No house is complete without a Flippin’ Good Cookie within reach.

Linda Nottingham, SCORE

Linda is a “must know” because her personal experience as a small business owner and her strong desire to help, guide, educate, mentor, and support other small business owners and aspiring business start-ups, makes her a very effective business influencer. She has served as a coach for SCORE for 10 years, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Urban League, and currently serves as a consultant to the Business Advisory Counsel program on behalf of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center. During the last six years, she has mentored dozens of women business owners—many of whom have since received business awards and acknowledgements for their contributions to the community.

Diana Otwell, Spectrum Signs and Graphics Inc.

Diana is a “must know” because she is extremely helpful, produces signs that are tailored to each client’s needs and provides rewarding partnerships. Her service is second to none and she is truly an asset to our local community.

Kendall S. Park, Merrill Lynch

Kendall is a “must know” because he has worked with small- and medium-sized businesses for the past 17 years advising them on everything from retirement plans to cash management and commercial lending. He provides one point of contact for his business owners who can call him and get access to everything from capital markets to investment banking. He adds a lot of value to a business owner because of his years of experience and vast amount of knowledge in knowing what business owners need.

Jackie Perry, Beaver Street Enterprise Center (BSEC)

Jackie is a “must know” because she took the reins as executive director of BSEC and has never looked back. She is a tireless advocate for small businesses and has been honored several times for her drive and advocacy for small businesses. She also serves on other boards connected to small business development, including the Chamber’s GrowJAX initiative for second stage business growth. Jackie is a wonderful example of a small business influence.

Donna Reade, Car-Tech USA

Donna is a “must know” because she leads one of the few 100% women owned auto repair shops in Jacksonville. Her business is few and far between when it comes to the quality and reliability of the firm’s services and she has made sure that the customer is truly number one. Customers do not go unnoticed when they walk in the door and as soon as you walk in, you feel at ease. It is a true example of a client relationship.

Marshall Reddy, FranNet

Marshall is a “must know” because he has great expertise in small business with a specialization in franchising. He is a long-standing committee member of SBRN and was recently added to the Board of Directors for the Ponte Vedra Chamber. He is willing to do anything to advance the small business community and is extremely well networked.

Peter Reynolds, The Griggs Group, CPAs

Peter is a “must know” because he brings leadership, knowledge, and effective strategy to the complex financial matters of high net worth individuals and closely held businesses. His dual role as an accountant and firm managing partner has helped him provide clients with accounting and consulting services as well as insight into business planning, operation management, and oversight issues. He also volunteers his time and accounting expertise to help some of his favorite charities.

Elton Rivas, Zero Confines

Elton is a “must know” because he helped establish Downtown’s first co-working space and is instrumental in helping us promote Downtown as the creative, innovative and technological hub of Jacksonville.

Ann Sabbag, Health Designs

Ann is a “must know” because she is a pioneer in the health and wellness business with a proven record of success in the small business community. She has been a long-time supporter of women-owned businesses and has a strength for connecting people. She is a native to the Jacksonville area and truly believes in the city and the development of Jacksonville and being a positive influence in the business community.

Heather Sams, HAS Art Solutions, LLC

Heather is a “must know” because she knows and works with every small- to medium-size business. She is active in numbers of associations like CREW, the chamber, IFMA, and others. More significantly, she enjoys learning about a business and promoting its success by connecting other people to it.

Dr. Judith A.M. Smith, HandsOn Jacksonville

Judith is a “must know” because she is your “go-to” person to help position your business as a community transformer. She has led Volunteer Jacksonville for 16 years and successfully brought the organization through the brand evolution in 2008 to become HandsOn Jacksonville. She provides opportunities for people to bring solutions to critical community needs that affect health, literacy, the environment, homelessness, and the arts, and other impact areas by knowing how to mobilize volunteer resources and non-profit management. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious and she is one of those rare individuals whose passion will inspire you to do great things.

Patsy D. Underwood, Atlantic Laser Office Products

Patsy is a “must know” because she has been a role model for women business owners for at least 20 years. She was one of the founding members of the Women Business Owners (WBO) group, holding several leadership positions during her tenure, including president. Whatever her chosen project is, Patsy gives generously of her time and of her heart to make her business community a better place. She has served as a mentor to many small businesses, and has helped grow companies by providing the guidance and products they need to survive and thrive.

Vicky Zelen, Zelen Risk Solutions

Vicky is a “must know” because she is a no-nonsense, go-getter that will fight to get you the best deal for your insurance. She understands the needs of small business and will work day and night to provide service. She is also an excellent connector, matching a small business with others that can support them, and looks for business opportunities for her clients.

Honorable Mentions

Nancy Alvarez-Hernandez, SBA Jacksonville

Nancy is a “must know” because of her willingness to take the time to help, regardless of the everyday pressures of her day-to-day responsibilities. She is accessible, knowledgeable, and most importantly truly able to assist in the success of small business.

Michael J. Bernhardt, Academic Dermatology Consultants, P.A.

Michael is a “must know” because after having his own practice for over 25 years, he has grown his practice from a staff of 10 to a staff of over 40 employees in the past two years. He continues to provide excellence in patient care and is expanding to further meet his patients’needs.

Sandra Brooks,  BROOKSLACAYO Advertising

Sandra is a “must know” because she is a mentor to all, a connector, a brainstormer, and a pillar of the Jacksonville Business Community connecting “the giants” to the little guys.

Fraser Burns, Ocenture

Fraser is a “must know” because he is an advisor and friend to small business throughout Jacksonville. He invests in local businesses and is the founder of one of Jacksonville’s only Inc. 500 companies. Without a doubt, Fraser leads by example and is well known in our business community.

Ricky Caplin, HCI Group, Inc.

Ricky is a “must know” because he is a dynamic, young, and influential business person willing to help your organization grow and prosper. He has been very helpful and knowing him can only help a company grow.

Martin Cohen, SCORE

Martin is a “must know” because he undertook to develop small business support services in the St. Augustine area. This pioneering effort has been most successful and continues to positively impact small business development in the northern part of St. Johns County. He has extensive, practical business experience and possesses expertise in the marketing and advertising realms. Now that he is retired, he is leveraging his skills and experience to guide and mentor small businesses in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. He has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to conduct small business counseling on a regular, scheduled basis with effective ongoing support and mentoring.

Kimberly Deas, Tioli Marketing

Kimberly is a “must know” because she is well networked everywhere and knows exactly who to match with you to help increase sales and create strategic alliances. She loves helping small businesses succeed and goes out of her way to do so.

Jack Manilla, Portofino Pools

Jack is a “must know” because he is a very active leader in many organizations: business, professional, civic, and church. He is the president/owner of Portofino Pools and the founder of the Portofino Aquatic Technical Institute. He holds numerous certifications, speaks at and moderates conferences, and is a technical consultant for the first Go Green GeoThermal commercial pool heat/cool system in northeast Florida. In the spring of 2010, Jack was retained as a technical consultant/certified instructor for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Mayor John Peyton, City of Jacksonville

John is a “must know” because during his administration, he was a champion of small businesses. His leadership and support of the small business and minority business program has afforded companies to thrive. His unwavering interest in community outreach and genuine concern for the community was a positive for not only small businesses, but the city as a whole. He was always attentive and recognized those he worked with by name and projects.

John Ream, Connect Integrated Marketing

John is a “must know” because he provides clients access to extremely educated specialist in a consultancy role which promises lower execution cost vs. the full service agency. He’s also helped in the revitalization of Downtown Jacksonville through his commercial and residential real estate work, most notably along Bay Street where he turned an abandoned, deteriorated property into a thriving, state-of-the-art residential and retail space. John is passionate about what he does and he’s hard working, genuine, focused—he is everything you’d want in a small business leader.

Bud Sikes, Sikes & Stowe, Inc./Downtown Collision

Bud is a “must know” because he has successfully run this collision business with knowledge and wisdom, and is the best boss in the world according to his long-standing employee’s. 85 years in a family business.

Ladi Stepps, Brinmar Construction & Development Group LTD

Ladi is a “must know” because she helps create jobs in the Jacksonville community through city and private contracts. She is also the executive director of Operation Community Restore, Inc., a non-profit service agency whose mission is to keep homeless families together. She serves our Jacksonville community as a hero, role model, and business owner showing others that giving up is not a viable option.

Howard Stockdale, Jacksonville IT Services

Howard is a “must know” because of his integrity, straight forwardness, and his knowledge of the IT services business what a small business needs. His many years of business and IT experience helps him fine tune their business operations through smart technology integration and builds a solid foundation for growth and efficiency.

Tanya Waller, Computer Solutions

Tanya is a “must know” because she has assisted more than 2,000 businesses in Jacksonville and surrounding areas for over 15 years by directly lowering the total cost of ownership for their office environment by implementing proper procedures for their network. She is active with the Assoc. of Medical Office Experts, is the 2011 Small Business Leader for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce-South Council, and is a member of the Clay County Chamber, AIA, and various other networking groups.

Vingevity has found that friendship and success go hand in hand

Chad Munsey and Fraser Burns sit down with a bottle of wine at III Forks with our own Brian Barquilla to discuss their backgrounds, how they came together to form their new company Vingevity (www.vingevity.com), and the recent success they have found—all while remaining friends. Below is the Q&A session.

Brian Barquilla (BB): You guys are friends and each accomplished businessmen in your own right and decided to get together on this new venture. Tell us a little bit about yourselves.

Chad Munsey (CM): I was born and raised here in Jacksonville, but moved away to go to college. Shortly after college, I started bartending because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and that lead me into the restaurant industry.

After a few years of managing restaurants outside of Jacksonville, I moved back in 1996 and started managing Biscotti’s. I then went on to manage Bistro AIX and then opened The Grotto in 2001. It was the first, official true wine bar in town. I sold the business in 2007 and went to work for a big wine company in Santa Barbara, Calif.

When I was living in California and our corporate offices were relocated to Sonoma, I thought, “This is it. I’m going to be living in wine country—where for the last 14 to 15 years I’ve traveled to at least once a year. This is going to be heaven.” But quite frankly, there was just something missing.

Basically, it was the good friendships and sense of community that I have here. I spent a lifetime building those friendships and it’s difficult to be in a place that you think is your dream, but not have your friends to share it with.

I’ve always felt that Jacksonville was a great area to base a business and that it has a lot of things going for it.

BB: Now Fraser, you are quite the entrepreneur yourself, aren’t you?

Fraser Burns (FB): Well, I have lived vicariously through guys like Chad for most of my life as I am kind of the opposite of the restaurateur. My background comes from the pure business side of things.

I started my first company when I was 18 years old and, in 2000, started another company that I currently own and operate called Ocenture, which does wholesale private label development of products and services for Fortune 500 companies. I started branching out and doing some other things within the business world, such as I am an investor in the new Alhambra Dinner Theater, co-founder and chairman of a healthcare staffing firm, and a co-founder with Chad in our wine distribution company, Vingevity.

I’ve had a good opportunity to partner myself with intelligent people, knowledgeable people, and very passionate people like Chad to start businesses that allows me to earn a dollar with good friends and good opportunities. I’m a sheer entrepreneur at heart.

BB: How was the company conceptualized?

FB: That’s not a very easy question to answer; the idea really was forged over time. We are both passionate about many of the same things including wine. Chad’s knowledge in the wine industry and my background in building new businesses make for a great opportunity.

Basically, the way it all started was shortly after Chad returned from California we were introduced through a mutual friend and started to discuss a few possible ideas he had within the hospitality industry. Because of his past ownership in The Grotto, we were very conservative about competing with that particular company.

Our first conversation about a wine company was at my house over a glass of wine, I think it was a glass of Curran Grenache Blanc, it’s a great bottle.

CM: It was, yeah. It was brought to my attention by dear friends of mine—this husband and wife in California that are wine makers—that their wines weren’t available in Florida and they began telling me how they would love for me to represent their wines.

And over that glass of wine with Fraser, we started kicking around the idea of starting up a wine brokerage company. After doing some homework, I found that the large distributors weren’t really interested in these little, family-owned, small boutique wines.

FB: We decided that if we can’t get the ‘big boys’ interested in these brands that we feel bring value, quality, and opportunity for everyone here in Jacksonville as well as California and other communities around the world that we have family partnerships with, that we were just going to do it ourselves.

So we filed the required paperwork with the state, obtained a 7,500 square foot warehouse, filled it with wine, and took a leap of faith. We opened the doors for business and have been astounded by the support we’ve received.

BB: So tell me more about your new business.

FB: We have two segments of our business. One is our distribution company and second is our own wine brand where we produce a red and a white wine named Huguenot Cellars. On the distribution side, we partner with family-owned wineries from around the world to help them distribute their brands into Florida. Currently, we have about 70 brands, and that’s growing every day. The Jacksonville restaurant and fine wine shop community have been very supportive of our distribution philosophy; we really are doing things a little different on the distribution side.

CM: The other side of our business is our own Huguenot Cellars brand. We currently produce both a white and a red wine out of the central coast of California, more directly from the Santa Ynez Valley. Huguenot Cellars is a project that I was previously working on for some time and that we were able to push to completion because of our new partnership. It’s been a fun project. We are also working on a few more brands that will hit the market soon; our next project is called Esplanade, it’s going to be a Napa California wine with a little New Orleans attitude.

BB: Tell us a little bit about the infrastructure, such as the number of employees, trading area, whatever you feel comfortable with.

FB: I would prefer not to get into too much of our trade secrets, but I can tell you that our current trade area is the entire state of Florida. We currently distribute throughout Jacksonville to most, if not all, of the top restaurants, and we just opened up the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets. Our main goal is to expand throughout the state as soon as feasibly possible.

CM: We have coverage and the ability to ship throughout the state—and we have, down south and in other areas. Within the next long side of four months, we’re also going to have someone full time down in the Palm Beach and Del Ray area covering that south Florida market as well.

BB: What makes your business different from your competitors?

FB: Our model is a lot different than most distribution companies. Based on an extensive amount of industry evaluation, we feel the large distribution companies have lost their way in how they manage their supply chain. We are a hands-on organization, and we value our relationships with our clients. We do not treat them as just another number; we truly care about their businesses.

With all the industry consolidation happening right now, the distribution industry has become a check-the-box business. Typically a new, untrained representative shows up at the restaurant door and simply checks the box of your order without understanding how their brands may affect the overall wine list.

CM: We want to bring the romance back to what the wine industry was about—relationships and food and wine. We learn the restaurant’s menu so we can bring them the proper wines that work with their menu. We want to teach the staff and educate them so they can educate their guests and be able to make suggestions.

It seems that every time you talk to someone who’s been to wine country, they say, ‘There’s this little place I went to in … have you ever heard of them? I can never find that wine in Florida.’ Now we are the distributor that’s bringing you that little place you love so much. It’s treating our customer base, our accounts, and restaurants as partners. We want to partner with them to grow their business, which will in turn grow our business

FB: The industry as a whole has also gotten away from relationship building. We are bringing the old school model of relationship building back. Some other big differences between our competitors and Vingevity is that our entire supply chain uses climate control delivery to make sure our products are delivered at its very best. Our warehouse and delivery trucks are climate controlled, and that is a big deal when you are transporting such a delicate product.

We are also using technology to our advantage, our drivers and wine representatives use iPad’s to check inventory and communicate with the home office. We are adopting very new ideas in a very old industry that is slow to evolve. And as you know, a nibble and a well-run company will gain market share every time.

BB: Most emerging businesses have an ‘ah-ha’ moment when they realize they are on to something good and excitement is at its peak. Tell me about yours.

FB: I am not sure we’ve had our biggest ah-ha moment yet. We are just scratching the surface and have a tremendous amount of growth opportunities going forward. I guess you can say our first ah-ha moment, if you want to call it that, was when we finally decided to compete with the large distribution companies and not just be wine brokers. Being our own distribution company was the only way to go—we understood that very quickly and made it happen very fast.

CM: I was going to say another ah-ha moment or realization was the first day we went into the warehouse and it was ours. It was like, ‘All right, we’re doing this.’ But the full Aaaaa-haaa moment hasn’t happened yet—but it will. We’re in this for the long haul, no doubt.

BB: What has been your biggest surprise?

FB: I do not think anything has totally surprised us yet, but what we are very excited about is the warm reception we have received so far. Restaurants like III Forks, Bistro AIX, Orsay, Biscotti’s, and Vino’s have all been early adaptors of our brands, including our Huguenot Cellars brand. In fact, III Forks is serving Huguenot Cellars, Cuvee de Blanc, our white wine by the glass.

I can tell you that it feels great to see our products having great success in the market. Jeremy the Sommelier and Curtis one of the proprietors here at III Forks has really gotten behind our brands and has helped us a great deal. Let’s face it, wine just goes better with great food and good friends. We truly value our relationships with these great restaurants and look forward to future growth with them.

CM: I can tell you a really cool surprise is when you walk into a restaurant and you order your own wine. It’s one thing to order a wine that you represent, it’s a whole other thing when you sit down at a table and order your own wine.

Business vitals

Owner: Chad Munsey and Fraser Burns

In business since: 2010

Projected growth: The business will certainly look a lot different than it does now in three to five years. Short term, we are expanding into the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets and within the next 12 to 24 months, we plan on being in the South Florida market. As far as our three to five year plan, we would love to have full coverage throughout Florida and then we will look to expand into a few other states like Louisiana and South Carolina.

We also want to expand our brand management and import divisions. In the coming years, we know our Huguenot Cellars and Esplanade brands should become a staple in many Florida restaurants and fine wine shops. Our plans are to grow the company using solid business practices and just keep building relationships.

I know over time our business model will allow us to scale effectively and allow us to provide a superior service to all our clients.

How you can do it

Take a leap of faith, but put together a very solid portfolio, especially when entering a proven, long-term successful market. It also doesn’t hurt that one business partner owned the hottest wine bar in town for years and knows almost everyone, and the other has a proven track-record for starting up new businesses. At the end of the day it’s all about relationships.

The story behind the Huguenot Cellars brand

Chad Munsey: The first evidence of modern wine making was in 1564 on the bank of the St. Johns River by the French Huguenots. There is a longstanding history with the French Huguenots who fled France, landed here, and built Ft. Caroline—and this kind of stemmed the naming of the brand.

Talk about an ah-ha moment! I was reading a book on wine history on one of my many flights and that’s where I learned about the history. It’s just an amazing background story. Many of the wineries that we represent have great stories associated with them and I don’t know if there is any other better story.

The genesis of the wine was I wanted a white wine and a red wine that somebody could put on their table and regardless of whom in the group liked white or liked red, everybody at the table would find something about that wine they liked. I wanted it to be the kind of quintessential everyday wine.

One of the big things I used to tell people was to drink what you like, eat what you like, and it will all work out. I wanted this to be a wine that people just opened and it’s good.

Baymeadows Moving and Storage’s new channel partnership will help drive Mike McCreary and his crew forward

By Wendy Bautista

While he might have gotten into the moving business “kind of by accident,” the success Mike McCreary, owner of the family-owned and operated Baymeadows Moving and Storage (www.baymeadowsmovers.com), has found is no accident.

“I started out in 1974 as a truck driver, hauling just about anything, and after six years, I learned not to like it,” says McCreary. “I didn’t like being gone all the time, so I got into a sales position.” That sales position lead to a couple of different jobs in sales, but nothing related to the moving and storage industry, until he saw an ad in the paper.

“There was a sales company looking for a sales representative for a moving company and I thought I would give that a try,” says McCreary. “So I went to that address only to find I was at the wrong place! But it was another moving company and they hired me.”

Over the years, he worked for various movers and after too many unfulfilled promises about becoming a part owner, he decided to start his own company. In August 1996, McCreary bought the name Baymeadows Movers from the gentleman who owned it. He took that and all the years of work he’d done making contacts with people and businesses and let everyone know he was starting his own company. “And you know what?” asks McCreary. “They were right with me the whole time; I never lost a customer.”

Business booms

What started as one truck, three men, and a 10-foot by 20-foot storage unit quickly grew to two trucks, six men, and a 5,000 square foot space within the first year. Over the years, they have expanded to the current 15 trucks, a staff of about 50, and 36,000 square feet of warehouse space on 6.5 acres.

Most of that warehouse space is used to store household goods and commercial storage, such as office furniture, cubicles, etc., and all the items needed for packing (paper, boxes, blankets, etc.). They will not store chemicals, perishable items, steel, lumber, or freight.

It is not uncommon for McCreary’s crew to do 10 to 12 jobs a day, six days a week, sometimes even stacking jobs if the truck is capable and depending on what the logistics are of the moves.

“Military members’ household goods are a big percentage of what we do—about 40% to 50% of our business,” says McCreary. “We represent 15 different carriers for military work and move people to anywhere in the world they want that person to go. Sometimes, they will be gone for a couple of years and their stuff is still here.”

They also do a lot of work where trucks aren’t even involved, with many of their commercial jobs just needing equipment and manpower at a job site—but not just any old manpower. McCreary ensures all of his employees are clean cut, respectful, have manners, and are upstanding, ethical people with a great work ethic.

“I have a dress code and an employee manual that they all must follow,” says McCreary. “If I have rules about dress code and ethics that they are willing to follow, and encourage everybody that works for me to educate themselves and get training or go to trade school, then that’s the kind of people I want to hire—and I think I will get a better employee for it.”

Life mission

Whether it’s blanket wrapping something to ensure its safety, loading the trucks so you get your rugs first, or stacking some of your boxes in the garage so you have room in your home, McCreary has learned over the years it’s all the little things that you do that make a difference in life.

“I tell everybody that I want to be better today than I was yesterday,” says McCreary. “What can I do tomorrow that I should’ve done today or I didn’t do today, and how can I be better? I always want to do something just a little bit more.”

That little bit more he gives is what brings in the referrals and provides a competitive edge. While others were sitting on their wallets during the recession, he decided to spend money.

“I just did everything I could to promote my business, even changing the image of company by going to red, white, and blue lettering on the trucks—and now the trucks are so recognizable.”

Getting noticed

McCreary says he’s always been “incognito” and didn’t really want his competition knowing what he was doing, but sometimes it can pay off. North American Van Lines, one of largest moving companies in the world, has chosen Baymeadows Moving and Storage to represent them in northeast Florida—and he has a competitor to thank.

“They say one closed door is an open door for someone else, and I believe it,” says McCreary. “When the other North American agent that was here opted to close for whatever reason, the general manager from that competing company told them I’m the one they should look at. So essentially my competition is what got me this relationship.”

The relationship began with North American wanting to see was his financials. Once they saw his financials were decent, they then came down to meet the staff and see the facility and find out all they possibly could about the company.

While this relationship may be new, McCreary has competed against them for years, but says he never really paid any attention to them. “On a local level, you pay more attention to the local agent than the van lines itself, but after I went up to Fort Wayne, Ind., and met the CEO and each of the department heads, I felt really comfortable with their laid back, family approach to business.

Getting connected

Baymeadows Moving and Storage’s strength lies in the southeast, but their affiliation with North American Van Lines allows them to go anywhere in the world using their network of agents.

“The fact that they are represented in 200 countries and have 350 agents in the continental United States and Canada just adds to my network because anything coming or going within this city, whether I’m doing it or their doing it, they may need to use me,” says McCreary. “From here to somewhere else, or from somewhere else to here, they may need me.”

For the past 90 days, even before officially signing on with North American Van Lines, McCreary’s warehouse has been busy doing work for them. North American Van Lines has an 80-person call center that operate 24 hours a day, 364 days a year that he is now linked up to. When anybody needs a move in this zip code area, they make appointments for McCreary to go see who might be moving where.

“The nice thing about that is the lead is pretty qualified already,” says McCreary. “Getting the lead and having it qualified is 50% of the sale, so then it becomes a matter of the McCreary boys putting on the charm!”

McCreary is referring to the charm of him and his two sons, who also work at Baymeadows Moving and Storage. “I am trying to have my boys be the face of the company as someday I will hand them the keys.”

Moving forward

McCreary says they are in the learning process of how to adapt to their system because the way they do things is real in-depth and a little different from what they are used to, but it will net him half a million dollars to a million dollars just from the relationship.

“It’s not easy; in fact it’s complicated, but I’ve got smart people around here and we will figure it out. It will take about a year to get to where we want it, but North American Van Lines gives me the support I never had in the past,” says McCreary. “There are all these different people that are there to help you that I didn’t have with the former company we were with.”

Part of the support they are provided are laptop computers that allow McCreary’s sons to do in-home estimates by using a service that lets them to do inventory electronically. “It brings us out of the ice age and into a new world, and we can print the quote in residence or send it to e-mail. That is something new through driver services,” says McCreary.

Being better

“Their philosophy is perfect for me—they specialize in one thing and one thing only and that’s household goods relocation,” says McCreary. “This puts me over the top because I already do everything else, but I’ve been reluctant to do long distance because I never had the support they can give me, but our strengths are still in whatever we can do locally. And now this relationship pretty much puts us where we need to go.”

Wendy Bautista is editor of Advantage: The Resource for Small Business. She can be reached at Wendy@advantagebizmag.com or 904-536-2234.

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Business vitals

Owner: Mike McCreary

In business since: 1996

Projected growth: “We don’t know how big this new relationship is going to be, but I know that if things continue the way they have been, it will gross us a half a million dollars to a million dollars in revenue. I’m already in the position where I might have to hire more people.”

How you can do it

“I am not sure this could be done in just any community. But in this community, I found my place here and I’ve been able to be successful because of this community and the people that I’ve made contacts with over the years.”

Green efforts

Baymeadows Moving and Storage makes it a point to go green whenever possible. They have their own baler, recycle at their desks, and each warehouse has a recycling area.

After clients unpack, they make truck runs to get the opened, used boxes and paper for recycling. “Some may be reused for certain jobs and customers depending on the situation, but the paper and boxes that are damage are baled,” says McCreary. “Bales are anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds each.”

He says he has literally been paid thousands of dollars for recyclable materials, and most of the big movers in this city do it and see the value in it. They recycle paper and cardboard in the tens of thousands of pounds, with one of the largest pick-ups weighing in at 41,000 pounds.

He also has a container for metal recycling for things such as steel bedrails, old file cabinets, and bases of certain chairs.

“I try to do everything I possibly can,” says McCreary. “I even took out ads in the local newspaper about recycling stating, ‘Recycle Jacksonville. It’s the right thing to do! Sponsored by Baymeadows Moving and Storage.’ Whether it made a difference or not, who knows?

“You can’t find it all the time but you can certainly try,” says McCreary. “The recycling program is basically me because I feel guilty if I throw something into the dumpster that I know could possibly be reused somewhere or recycled.”

As movers, they get a lot of furniture that people don’t want any more. McCreary gives HabiJax or Angel Aid anything he thinks they can sell for a profit that goes to charity. He also helps the Kiwanis Club with their auction by donating a tractor trailer and a couple of big containers loaded with stuff that they can auction off to generate money to give to their charities.