Business Briefs
Mackenzie joins Conric PR & Marketing
Connie Ramos-Williams, president of Conric PR & Marketing | Publishing, has welcomed Laressa Mackenzie as marketing director of the Southwest Florida marketing and publishing firm. Mackenzie brings 12 years of experience in marketing and consultative sales. She will be handling client relationships and project management, including advertising campaigns, media buys, social media, event promotions and press releases.
Conric PR & Marketing | Publishing, a division of Conric Holdings LLC, is a full-service agency serving the Southwest Florida business and professional community. The company provides creative content and design in all areas of marketing, advertising and publishing. The firm currently serves clients in the banking, legal, medical, not-for-profit and other service industries.
For more information, visit www.ConricHoldings.com or call 239-690-9840.
Panicaro executive vice president of Encore National Bank
Nick Panicaro has joined Encore National Bank as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Educated at Cornell University, Panicaro has spent most of his career as a Southwest Florida bank executive. He was formerly the CFO, director and co-founder of Old Florida Bank, helping to grow the company to $350 million in assets in nine years.
Encore National Bank is an active lender focused on new loans and relationships, with over $100 million to lend and no legacy problem loans. The Bank provides secure online banking, personal banking, business banking and corporate banking.
Encore National Bank’s five convenient locations are located in South Naples at 3003 Tamiami Trail, N.; North Naples at 10600 Tamiami Trail, N., Fort Myers at 7920 Summerlin Lakes Dr.; Sun City Center at 1653 Sun City Center Plaza; and in Port Charlotte at 2120 Kings Highway.
For more information call 239-278-5505 in Fort Myers, 239-919-5888 in Naples, 1-813-634-8001 in Sun City Center, 941-258-3055 in Port Charlotte. For more information visit the www.encorenationalbank.com
Lee County Bar Association office relocated
Attorney Michael D. Randolph, president of the Lee County Bar Association, has announced the relocation of the LCBA office to 2077 First St., Suite 207, Fort Myers. The building is located at the juncture of First Street, Monroe Street and Bay Street in downtown Fort Myers. The new office is currently open for business. All other information remains the same, including the phone number and hours of operation. The mailing address is PO Box 1387, Fort Myers, FL 33902-1387.
The Lee County Bar Association, a 501c6 not-for-profit organization, has served the citizens and legal community of Lee County since 1949 and has a current membership of almost 800. LCBA hosts monthly business luncheons that are open to the community, with sponsorship opportunities available for businesses that would like to reach the legal community. LCBA also provides a Lawyer Referral Service to connect the public with qualified attorneys. To contact the Lawyer Referral Service, email LRS@LeeBar.org. For more information about the Lee County Bar Association, contact Nanci DuBois at (239) 334-0047 or visit www.leebar.org
Stevens Construction completes Somers Hospice House in Sebring
Stevens Construction Inc. has completed construction of a 33,636-square-foot, 16-bed hospice house for Good Shepherd Hospice. The facility is situated on six acres at 1110 Hammock Road in Sebring.
Designed to enhance patients’ quality of life, the Bud and Donna Somers Hospice House and Resource Center resembles old Florida-style architecture with metal standing seam roofing, deep front porches and native Florida landscaping. Each home-like private suite includes garden-view lanais, with all suites surrounding a centralized nursing station. Other features will include a children’s play area, chapel, kitchen and library.
The Stevens Construction team included superintendent Mike Garland and project administrator Terri Sobeck. Architecture Inc. provided the design services.
With offices in Maitland and Fort Myers, Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals.
For information, visit www.stevensconstructioninc.com or call 239-936-9006.
Edward Jones ranks No. 11 in Training Magazine’s ‘Training Top 125’
The financial-services firm Edward Jones once again has been named a top company for training, ranking No. 11 on Training magazine’s 2011 Training
Top 125 list, according to Edward Jones financial advisors in the Cape Coral area. Edward Jones has been recognized on the list for 11 years in a row, dating back to the debut of the Training Top 50 in 2001.
Edward Jones not only moved up the ranking dramatically – to No. 11 this year from No. 31 in 2010 – but also received special recognition for achieving one of the top scores in the evaluation and business-metric section of the firm’s application.
The 2011 rankings and special recognitions were announced at a Feb. 7 awards dinner during the magazine’s Training 2011 Conference and Expo in San Diego, Calif.
For more information about Edward Jones in the Cape Coral area, contact Matthew James King at 239-283-2582 or Terry Lyn Frith at 239-542-6629
Merritt joins Absolute Law
Attorney Michael Chionopoulos of Absolute Law has announced the hiring of Christina Merritt to the law firm. Merritt is a 2005 graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law and primarily practices in the area of Family Law, Mortgage Foreclosure Defense and Personal Injury.
Absolute Law provides legal services in the areas of civil litigation, contracts, copyright law, divorce, foreclosures, family law, harassment, incorporation, insurance claims, personal injury, probate, real estate title closings, veterans’ claims, and wills and trusts.
Absolute Law is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Lee County Bar Association, the Cape Coral Bar Association and the Oklahoma Bar Association.
For more information, please visit www.AbsoluteLaw.net or call 239-349-8010.
Local bank earns Bauer Financial’s top rating
Florida Shores Bank Southwest has earned a 5-Star or “superior” rating from Bauer Financial.
Florida Shores, which is based in Venice and has a branch office in Fort Myers, completed an $8 million capital campaign in December, earned over $1 million dollars in just its third full year of operation last year and hopes to continue and improve upon that trend in 2011.
Florida Shores Bank has been in operation since Nov. 26, 2007, and currently has $279 million in assets. For more information, or to speak with City Executive Dave Barbur, call 239-265-9050, or visit dbarbur@floridashoresbank.com or 12995 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 145 Fort Myers.
Fuccillo chosen for membership in 2010 Kia President’s Club
Billy Fuccillo, president of Fuccillo Automotive Group, has been chosen for membership by Kia Motors America Inc. in the prestigious 2010 Kia President’s Club. It is the second consecutive year he has received the honor. Out of more than 730 Kia dealers in the United States, only 15 achieved the sales and customer satisfaction requirements to be recognized as a President’s Club award winner.
At KMA’s National Dealer Meeting in October 2010, Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady was named the No. 1 volume dealer for achieving the highest sales volume annually in the nation and Fuccillo Kia of Clay was named as Kia’s No. 1 e-leads volume dealer for having the highest percentage of e-leads sold in the nation. Fuccillo was also a member of the 2009 Kia President’s Club.
Fuccillo Automotive Group has three Kia dealerships in New York State including Fuccillo Kia of Clay, Fuccillo Kia of Rochester in Greece, and Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady. Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral opened in Florida in January 2011.
Publix offering ‘Food for Sharing: Food is Love’ promotion
Publix Supermarkets in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties are again offering their “Food for Sharing: Food Is Love” promotion, with all food being donated to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. The promotion, currently under way, lasts until April 25.
The spring food drive provides a simple way for customers to participate. No bulky bags are assembled in the stores, loaded into carts, and heaped for food bank pick up. Instead, to participate, customers can simply add a donation at checkout and the food will be delivered in bulk to the food bank. The food will then be distributed to the 170 Harry Chapin Food Bank participating agencies at no cost.
The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and stores quality food for distribution to families in need through a network of more than 170 local nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties, who provide food to more than 30,000 people monthly.
Additional information about or to contribute financially to the Harry Chapin Food Bank, contact 239-334-7007 or go to harrychapinfoodbank.org.
Sponsors named for 2011 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame
Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida has announced title and gold sponsors for the 2011 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County. The title sponsor is BB&T-Oswald Trippe and Company, and the gold sponsors include: 21st Century Oncology, Edison National Bank, Edison State College, Gulf Coast Business Review, Hope HealthCare Services, Leading Edge Financial Group Inc., Lee Memorial Health System, Liberty Partners Group, McHale Caruso Scullion and Knox Certified Public Accountants and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.
The 2011 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County dinner and awards ceremony will take place April 20 at 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Estero. At the event, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida will induct Dr. Daniel Dosoretz, president and CEO of Radiation Therapy Services Inc./21st Century Oncology, and Tony Lapi, president and CEO of Rochester Resorts Inc./’Tween Waters Inn. The honor recognizes prominent business leaders for their professional accomplishments and commitment to the community.
To reserve tables or individual tickets or to become a sponsor, call the Junior Achievement office at 239-225-2590.
Encore National Bank is pleased to welcome Patrick K. Miller to their commercial lending team as Senior Vice President. Miller is a long-time Naples resident with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. “I am pleased to be a part of a community bank with money to lend,” says Miller of his new role.
Miller began his banking career in 1979 when he joined First National Bank of Florida after completing
a Bachelor of Arts at the University of South Florida. Since that time, Miller was also graduated from the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He also obtained a Foundations of Banking Diploma from the American Institute of Banking.
Before joining Encore National Bank, Miller was a Senior Vice President at Orion Bank, where he personally originated over $500 million in commercial loans and held the largest portfolio at that bank.
Miller has been responsible for asset quality management, development of strategic marketing plans and relationship management.
Miller’s client base includes developers and high-end builders. He specializes in business development and managing complex transactions such as construction, commercial, and real estate.
Edison State College to offer second series of small business workshops
After a successful introduction of the Edison State College business education Workshop Series, Edison State College is now offering a second series of small business workshops. These new workshops “Understanding Small Business” and “Basic Principles of Sound Management” will each have seven 90 minute sessions, each with a different topic.
“Understanding Small Business” is the theme of the Wednesday evening workshop series starting on April 27 at 6 p.m. Each of the 7 two-hour sessions focuses on the skills needed to compete in the marketplace. The workshop series “Basic Principles of Sound Management” will take place Saturday morning, starting April 30, at 9, a convenient time for working professionals.
The cost is $20 for each 7 session workshop series and participants can attend one, some or all of the sessions in each series.
Call 239-549-5615.
To celebrate Educator Appreciation Days (April 9 17), Barnes and Noble Fort Myers will host a discussion on Internet Safety and Cyberbulling with FGCU Professor Dr. Russell Sabella. The event will begin at 6 p.m., with a meet and greet, and the discussion will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to Mercedes Lawler at crm2711@bn.com.
Educators who shop at Barnes & Noble during Educator Appreciation Week will receive a 25 percent discount on personal and classroom purchases, a 10 percent discount on DVDs and music and other prizes, giveaways, delicious caf treats and beverages. Educators must present a valid Barnes & Noble Educators Discount Card to receive the discounts.
All events are free and open to the public.
Contact Mercedes Lawler – Community Relations Manager, at 239-437-0654 for additional information on this and other Barnes & Noble events.
Barnes & Noble is located at 13751 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers,
Brown joins commercial lending team at Encore National Bank
Encore National Bank has announced that Kenneth W. Brown has joined the commercial lending team as a senior vice president. Brown brings extensive experience in commercial lending in the Southwest Florida marketplace.
Brown has acquired a wealth of knowledge in small business lending, having previously managed the SBA Lending Department for the state of Florida for BankAtlantic, as well as the Small Business Lending Department for SunTrust of Southwest Florida. His expertise is in the 7a and 504 loan programs as well as conventional commercial lending.
Encore National Bank is an active lender focused on new loans and relationships, with over $100 million to lend, and no legacy problem loans. The bank provides secure online banking, personal banking, business banking and corporate banking. Encore National Bank’s five convenient locations are in South Naples at 3003 Tamiami Trail N., North Naples at 10600 Tamiami Trail N., Fort Myers at 7920 Summerlin Lakes Dr., Sun City Center at 1653 Sun City Center Plaza, and in Port Charlotte at 2120 Kings Highway. For more information call 239-278-5505 in Fort Myers, 239-919-5888 in Naples, 1-813-634-8001 in Sun City Center, 941-258-3055 in Port Charlotte. For more information, visit www.encorenationalbank.com