Business Briefs
SW Fla. Enterprise Foundation names board of directors
The Southwest Florida Enterprise Foundation, Inc. announces the election of its Board of Directors. Chairman Kenneth O’Donnell, Senior Vice President and Consumer Marketing Executive, Bank of America; Vice Chairman Jerry Hemmer, Financial Advisor, Alliance Financial Group; Treasurer Melinda Pensinger, CPA, Tuscan & Company; and Secretary Tom Scott, Director of the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center.
The Southwest Florida Enterprise Foundation identifies grants and other sources of funding for the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center, a Division of the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. As a business incubator, it provides assistance and support to local start-up and early stage businesses. The Southwest Florida Enterprise Center is located in a new 40,000 SF foot facility located at 3903 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., just two miles east of I-75. It includes 2,000 SF of leasable office space and 30,000 SF of leasable light industrial/warehouse space, together with training and conference facilities. For more information, visit: www.swflenterprisecenter.com or contact Tom Scott at 321-7086.
Sadler joins Fafco Solar Energy
Southwest Florida solar solutions company, Fafco Solar Energy, has added Lathaniel Sadler to their team of technicians.
Originally from Thomasville, GA, he was known as “Tater.” But, he considers himself a true Floridian, having lived here now for many years. He’s a dedicated and hard-working individual, previously working as a welder. He helped build the Bass Pro Shop at Gulf Coast Center.
He will help Fafco install solar photovoltaic systems, solar pool heaters, and solar water heaters. Solar photovoltaic technology converts sunlight into electricity. There is no air pollution or waste when sunlight is converted into energy and doesn’t require liquid or gaseous fuel to be transported or combusted. It’s a reliable source of energy that provides many benefits to the environment while saving the consumer lots of money. For more information about how photovoltaic technology can help you, please visit: www.fafcosolar.com.
Fafco Solar Energy provides solar energy products to the Southwest Florida region, helping their customers save the environment while saving money. Fafco helps people rely less on fossil fuel by using more renewable energy sources like the sun.
The Fafco Solar Team is a wonderful blend of talent and dedication. They are committed to giving professional customer service. Fafco Solar is the oldest and most trusted name in Southwest Florida. With over 116 years of pooled solar experience, the Fafco Solar Team is committed to reducing your use of fossil fuel to zero. Customers of Fafco Solar can benefit from a 30 percent tax credit. To find out more, call Fafco Solar at 574-1500 or visit: www.fafcosolar.com.
ABC Supply’s Solution Center redesign creates selection destination
The ABC Supply Co. Inc. Solution Center at 17195 Jean St. in Fort Myers, a major supplier of roofing, siding, windows and other select exterior building products for area contractors, has recently been redesigned. It is now a premier destination for product information and selection for contractors and their clients.
The reconfigured Solution Center features an innovative use of a specially designed “wing panel” system that literally puts information at customers’ fingertips. Visitors can quickly understand key features and benefits and make comparisons among different product lines and different manufacturers’ offerings.
The Solution Center also incorporates a storage system that organizes product sample boards so contractors can quickly find and take with them the samples they need to assist their customers with product selection outside the Solution Center.
ABC Supply stores nationwide are being updated with this new design as part of the company’s commitment to providing world-class service, explained store manager Coe Steele.
It also is an educational resource for contractors, helping keep them up-to-date on the latest new products.
Steele emphasized that the new store design does not change ABC Supply’s basic mission, which focuses exclusively on serving professional contractors. The store will not cater to do-it-yourselfers and will continue to carry the hard-to-find specialty tools and supplies contractors need.
ABC Supply is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the United States and one of the nation’s largest distributors of siding, windows and other select exterior building products. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Beloit, Wis., ABC Supply operates more than 360 branches and other facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Grand opening of second Parkway Subs, Salads & Catering in Cape
The new Deli restaurant is located at 1480 Pine Island Road in the Cape Central Business Plaza, directly across the street from Mel’s Diner. We are a true northern Deli. All our New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago customers come and enjoy a little taste of home. We have the biggest menu and deliver breakfast, lunch and dinner to businesses and homes. Just call 424-8040. We have great prices for the volume of food and full dine-in seating available. Come and experience for yourself.
We also do elaborate catering and all menus are personally written by the owner. You will not be disappointed.
Bank of Florida announces public offering
Bank of Florida Corp. (Nasdaq: BOFL) has announced that it has commenced an offering to sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. Raymond James & Associates Inc. is acting as the lead book-running manager for the offering. Sandler O’Neill & Partners L.P., Allen & Company LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. The company intends to grant the underwriters an option to purchase additional shares equal to 15 percent of the numbers of shares offered to the public.
The company expects to use approximately $71 million of the net proceeds from the offering to capitalize its subsidiary banks pursuant to regulatory agreements regarding projected capital levels as of Dec. 31. In addition, the company expects to use a portion of the net proceeds of the offering to redeem any shares of its outstanding Series B Preferred Stock that are not converted by the holders according to its terms.
A registration statement relating to shares of the company’s common stock to be sold in the offering has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. The registration statement also covers shares of the company’s common stock issuable upon conversion of shares of its Series B Preferred Stock that are not redeemed for cash as described above. None of the shares of common stock covered by the registration statement may be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. The registration statement on Form S-1 may be accessed through the SEC’s Web site at: www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from Raymond James & Associates Inc. at 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 or by telephone at (727) 567-2400.
Rice named ‘Super Lawyer’
J. Jeffrey Rice, Managing Attorney for the local law firm of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice and Purtz PA, was, once again, named “Super Lawyer” by nationally respected ‘Law & Politics’ magazine and will be included as such in their Corporate Counsel Edition in the area of Business Litigation.
Only 5% of attorneys nationwide are given this honor in an annual selection by a blue ribbon panel, which searches for outstanding lawyers by reviewing databases, on-line sources, national and local periodicals and trade journals. The panel also contacts many law firms in the search for qualified candidates. Ultimately, each candidate’s standing is checked with The Florida Bar.
Each candidate is evaluated by peer recognition and professional achievements including: Verdicts and settlements; Transactions; Representative clients; Experience; Honors and awards; Special licenses and certifications; Pro bono and community service and more.
This year has been a very good one for attorney Rice as he has also been recognized for other honors including most recently being appointed to the Grievance Committee for United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Division and being selected to be included in the 2010 edition of ‘The Best Lawyers in America’ publication.