Business Briefs
Roofing by HOMEPLUS Inc.
celebrating 10 years in SW Florida
Cape Coral-based Roofing by HOMEPLUS Inc. has started a year-long celebration in anticipation of its 10th year in business, and is holding company activities to celebrate the anniversary as the year goes on. Roofing by HOMEPLUS offers re-roofing, replacement services and repairs of all types of roofs for residences and small commercial businesses in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.
Owner and president Robert H. “Bobby” Rinko Jr. reports steady sales and growth since he took ownership of the company in 2008. Rinko, a Cape Coral High School graduate, served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman for four years prior to taking the reigns of Roofing by HOMEPLUS.
Rinko credits his company’s strongest-in-the-industry labor warranty for much of his referral business. The warranty mirrors the manufacturers’ new lifetime warranties, and covers the installation of any products installed on a home for a lifetime. Roofing by HOMEPLUS warranties the installation for as long as the client owns the home, and if the residence is sold, arrangements can be made to transfer the warranty to the new owner.
Contact Roofing by HOMEPLUS at call (239) 540-4550. Online at www.homeplusinc.com.
Kimley-Horn & Associates
opens office in Fort Myers
Kimley-Horn & Associates, one of the country’s premier design consulting firms, now has an office at 1412 Jackson St., in Fort Myers. It provides a wide range of infrastructure services to government and private developer clients, including roadways and bridges, airports, transit, development planning, environmental services and more.
For additional information, call 239-332-1421.
Registration now open
for Sept. 18 Industry Appreciation Awards
The Lee County Economic Develop-ment Office and the Horizon Council are now accepting reservations for the 2015 Industry Appreciation Awards. The event honors local businesses during the Industry Appreciation Week luncheon ceremony on Friday, Sept. 18, at 11:45 a.m., at the Harborside Event Center in the downtown Fort Myers River District. Tickets are $50 per person and registration is available online at www.horizonevent-site.com/.
This year, the Horizon Council will honor businesses in four new categories:
– The LocalLee Grown Business Award will be awarded to a company that was founded in Lee County and is distinguished by its operational excellence and commitment to the vibrance of Southwest Florida’s business climate;
– The Business Citizenship Award honors a company whose financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs have helped create a better quality of life in Lee County;
– The Emerging Business Leader Award will be awarded to a relative newcomer to Lee County that is experiencing marked growth while introducing inventive products, services or business practices;
– The Industry Luminary Award honors a company that helps shape its industry locally, nationally or even globally.
Presented by the Horizon Council, an advisory group to the Lee County Board of Commissioners and the Lee County Economic Development Office, Industry Appreciation Week is a statewide event designed to create public awareness about how industry boosts the state’s economy.
The Horizon Council is a public-private board established in 1991 to advise the Lee County Board of Commissioners on economic development issues. The council has more than 80 members representing five cities; chambers of commerce; economic development and trade organizations; community, business, and education organizations; along with various officers and at-large members.
The Lee County Economic Development Office works to attract new and diversified businesses to the area, and improve the overall business environment in Lee County. Services include Site Selection Assistance, Demographic and Statistical Information, Business Assistance, Financial Assistance, Employee Training and Recruitment and Community Tours.
For additional information, visit www.leecountybusiness.com or call 239-338-3161.
Shoeless Joe’s named official home
of the Ohio State Alumni Club of Southwest Florida
Shoeless Joe’s Sports Caf at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers, was named the official home of the Ohio State University Alumni Club of Southwest Florida, where the Southwest Florida Buckeyes will host a kick-off party Saturday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. to celebrate the start of college football season.
The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Southwest Florida is one of more than 200 official alumni clubs throughout the world. With more than 1,000 Buckeyes currently living in Southwest Florida, the local club’s goal is to bring together Buckeyes living in, as well as visiting, Southwest Florida through community service projects, its annual meeting and weekly football game watch parties. The club raises money for its scholarship fund to benefit local high-school students who wish to attend Ohio State, while its members also inform prospective OSU students of the opportunities that the university offers through local college fairs at area high schools.
For more information about the Ohio State Alumni Club of Southwest Florida and its upcoming events at Shoeless Joe’s, visit www.alumnigroups.osu.edu/swfl/.
Named after Chicago White Sox Player Joe Jackson, Shoeless Joe’s Sports Caf is a local sports bar in Fort Myers with nearly 40 big-screen, high-definition TVs, a private party space, causal dining favorites and daily entertainment, including poker night on Mondays, trivia night on Tuesdays, live music on Thursdays and Fridays, and karaoke night on Saturdays.
For more information about Shoeless Joe’s or to view the restaurant’s full menu, visit www.shoeless-joes.com.
Sponsorships available
for 2015 PR University
The Florida Public Relations Association Southwest Florida Chapter is asking for sponsors for the 2015 PR University, an annual full-day professional seminar that will be held Thursday, Oct. 8 ,from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers. PRU will bring speakers from across the state and nation to examine trends in the changing market and the fusion of new media with traditional communication elements. The chapter will also be celebrating its 30th birthday at the conference.
There are several opportunities for companies to become sponsors at this year’s PRU: Bronze Sponsor – $250;
Silver Sponsor – $450; Gold Sponsor – $750; and Presenting Sponsor – $1,000
The theme of the 2015 event is “Thirty Years of Slicing the PR-RPIE,” referring to PR professionals’ use of the RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) model. Attendees will have the opportunity to brush up on their RPIE basics, as experts share real-world case studies of how they have used the model to roll out efficient and successful campaigns. This year’s conference promises to be more interactive than ever, and attendees are sure to gain powerful new ideas and perspectives to apply to their own projects. Stay tuned for the line-up of exciting speakers.
For more information visit www.fpraswfl.org or contact McKenzie Cassidy at McKenzie.Cassidy@fsw.edu. If you’re interested in sponsoring PRU, contact Sarah Nadal at sarahnadal@shellpoint.org.
Alta Resources hires 264 people
following recent job fair
Alta Resources’ Job Fair attracted 538 applicants July 25, and 264 people left the event with new jobs with many others still in the hiring process.
The job fair launched the Wisconsin-based customer-management business-process outsourcing company’s efforts to hire more than 1,000 additional employees by October in Fort Myers. New employees will serve health-insurance clients that support the Affordable Care Act’s annual enrollment period.
Both full- and part-time positions are available in customer service and inbound sales. The sales positions offer licensing opportunities. Bilingual English-Spanish speakers particularly are needed. Ideal candidates have customer-focused personalities, strong communication skills, basic computer knowledge and the drive to deliver consistently excellent service.
Alta Resources’ Fort Myers campus is on Gateway Boulevard, just east of I-75 and north of Daniels Parkway. Job seekers may apply online at JoinAlta.com, and learn more about Alta Resources’ dynamic, team-based culture and the range of opportunities.
Spiro & Associates earns Excel Awards
from state builders association
Spiro & Associates Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations won nine Excel Awards presented in Orlando at the 2015 Southeast Building Conference, the largest building industry trade show in the Southeastern United States, affiliated with the Florida Home Builders Association and the National Home Builders Association. Among the awards was Marketing Director of the Year for agency founder and CEO Christopher T. Spiro.
Excel Awards honor advertising professionals and others who make major contributions to the residential home building and commercial construction industry through superior, innovative and creative sales and marketing. The awards program is open to entrants from the 12-state region and the Eastern Caribbean.
The awards were presented at the Rosen Centre Hotel to the agency for its work on behalf of:
– Action Automatic Door & Gate in Fort Myers and Naples Best Consumer Promotion for an Associate
– GreyHawk Landing in Bradenton Best Realtor Promotion for a Developer
– Gulfshore Homes in Bonita Springs Best Overall Advertising & Marketing Campaign for a Builder
– Koogler Homes in Cape Coral Best Specialty Event for a Builder
– Lyons Housing in Fort Myers Best Realtor Promotion for a Builder
– Medallion Signature Home in Sarasota Best Logo Design for a Builder
– Neal Communities in Sarasota Best Consumer Promotion for a Builder
– Neal Signature Homes in Sarasota Best Brochure for a Builder
Spiro & Associates is one of Southwest Florida’s largest marketing, advertising and public relations firms. The company serves local, regional and national clients in the fields of land development, construction, automotive, tourism, retail, real estate, law, business and residential services, the arts, government, medicine and property management.
Visit online at www.spiroandassociates.com or call (239) 481-5511.
RSW wins 2015 Outstanding
Commercial Service Airport of the Year Award
The Florida Department of Transportation honored the Lee County Port Authority with the 2015 Outstanding Commercial Service Airport of the Year Award for Southwest Florida International Airport. The airport was presented this top award at the Florida Airports Council Annual Conference in Boca Raton. This is the fifth time RSW has received this prestigious honor.
The FDOT Aviation Office awards the Commercial Service Airport of the Year annually to one of 19 commercial service airports in the state of Florida. To be considered, the airport must demonstrate exceptional safety and security standards and have superior achievement in all aspects of management and customer service. Airports must successfully manage financial resources, have adequate and current master plans and knowledge of and compliance with state and federal rules and regulations.
Southwest Florida International Airport served more than 7.9 million passengers in 2014 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction.
For more information, visit www.flylcpa.com or Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/flyRSW.
Stewart receives
2015 Affiliates Award
The law firm of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., has announced that Nickie Stewart, a paralegal in the Commercial Litigation Division, received at NALA’s 40th annual national convention, the 2015 Affiliates Award for “outstanding contribution and dedication to the advancement of the paralegal profession through volunteer service to NALA affiliated associations.”
Stewart is an active member of the Gulf Coast Paralegal Association in Southwest Florida.
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., is one of the largest law firms between Tampa and Miami. A full-service firm, Henderson Franklin has over 55 attorneys practicing in the areas of business and tax planning, estate planning, family law, commercial and civil litigation, immigration law, workers’ compensation, employment law, real estate, and land use and environmental law. One of the state’s oldest firms, Henderson Franklin was founded in Fort Myers in 1924 and operates offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, and on Sanibel Island.
For more information on Henderson Franklin, visit www.henlaw.com.
Ramos-Williams joins
Social Media Marketing Panel
CONRIC PR & Marketing recently announced that CEO Connie Ramos-Williams will be a panelist at the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce 2nd Annual Business Building Symposium Thursday, Aug. 20, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa. She will explain the principles and cost-effective techniques that earn social media a prominent place in companies’ toolbox for success.
She and other panelists will also answer questions business owners may have about social media such as how much time and money should a company invest in social media each month, and what platforms should every business have and why.
In its second year, this all-day event will feature experts and resources to help take a business’ performance and profitability to the next level. Attendees will choose from three different breakout tracks from these areas of interest: customer relations, business growth and social media marketing.
A panel discussion will be presented in each track as well as two breakout sessions with a guest speaker in each session. Panel discussions include: “What Businesses Can Learn from Non-Profit Success,” “Operationally Managing During Business Growth” and “Social Media Best Practices.”
Registration is open now for the Business Building Symposium. The price is $179 per attendee and you can register at www.FortMyers.org. For more information on this event or to receive more information on how your company can be involved please contact Nicole Stefanick at Nicole@fortmyers.org or call 239-332-2930 x211.
CONRIC was voted among the top three PR and Advertising agencies in Southwest Florida for the past three years.
For more information on CONRIC PR & Marketing | Publishing, please call (239) 690-9840 or visit www.conricpr.com.
Ellis appointed to serve on
Florida Bar’s Grievance Committee
Leslea Ellis, CPA/CFF, CFE, owner of Leslea Ellis, LLC was recently appointed to serve on the Florida Bar’s Grievance Committee for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. Ellis is currently serving a 3-year term on the local grievance committee which is comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers. The committee is responsible for continuing the investigation of possible lawyer misconduct referred by Bar discipline attorneys.
Ellis is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) by the Florida State Board of Accountancy. She is Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) from the American Institute of CPAs and holds the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Leslea Ellis, LLC is a certified public accounting firm serving accounting and tax clients in the greater Southwest Florida area. Services include small business accounting, as well as individual and business tax preparation. In addition, the firm provides fraud examination and forensic accounting and litigation support for the entire state of Florida.
For additional information, please visit www.lesleaellis.com.
Pure Florida presents
Bark on the Ark Aug. 15
Pure Florida’s Fort Myers location is presenting Bark on the Ark Saturday, Aug. 15, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Guests will have the opportunity to bring their dogs aboard the M/V Edison Explorer for a sightseeing river cruise to Picnic Island, an island located between Sanibel and Pine Island that exhibits the natural beauty of Southwest Florida.
Passengers can enjoy a peaceful cruise along the Caloosahatchee River followed by a playful time on the island, socializing with man’s best friend. During the excursion, dogs and owners can run, swim and play catch while enjoying the sunshine, water, sand and fresh air.
Water, toys and dog treats are included for the canines. Human treats, such as soda, wine and beer will also be available for purchase.
The M/V Edison Explorer departs from The Marina at Edison Ford, located at 2360 W. First St. in Fort Myers.
Registration for the tour is $39 per human. Reservations are required as room is limited to 25 passengers and their pets. All dogs that can follow basic commands are welcome.
For additional information or to book your ticket, call 239-919-2965, email info@PureFortMyers.com or visit the website at www.PureFortMyers.com.