Business Briefs 1-27-23
4th Annual Lee County Chili Challenge Saturday
The 4th Annual Lee County Chili Challenge, presented by Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz and Stu’s Motorcycles, will tickle the tastebuds Saturday, Jan. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stu’s Motorcycles, 14607 Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers.
The Lee County Chili Challenge brings together fire, EMS, police and military chili cookers to raise money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Injured Warriors Fund of Florida and Collier-Lee Honor Flight.
For a $10 donation, visitors get a chili testing kit to sample various chilis. Tickets for over $7,000 in prize drawings, beverages, and food are all available for a donation.
Beneficiaries of the event are:
n Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which honors the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Sillier, who died on Sept. 11, by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building custom smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. (t2t.org)
n The Injured Warriors Fund, which was created by the Marine Corps League Dept. of Florida to help warriors injured in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and areas of terrorism. (mcldof.org/injured-warriors-fund-of-florida)
n Collier-Lee Honor Flight transports veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.
At last year’s event, $10,653 was raised for the organizations. Fort Myers Fire Department won first place and the People’s Choice trophy.
Finalists announced for Industry Appreciation Awards 2022The Horizon Council, Horizon Foundation and Lee County Economic Development Office have announced finalists for the Industry Appreciation Awards 2022.
Following a rigorous evaluation process, 17 companies have been selected as finalists across six awards categories. Winners will be announced at the Industry Appreciation Awards ceremony on Feb. 10.
The Industry Appreciation Awards celebrate Lee County businesses that drive the local economy, employ our workforce and shape their industries.
Finalists are listed in alphabetical order and include the following businesses:
• Inclusion & Diversity Award: Cushman & Wakefield, Minaya Learning Solutions and Peyko Venue
• Technology Award: Inceptus, Mashgrape Technologies and Vectra Digital
• Innovator of the Year: C3 Investment Group and My Undercover Agent
• Manufacturer of the Year: Advanced Hurricane Technology, Inc., Aerox Aviation Systems and HF scientific
• Small Business of the Year: Apex Painting Group, RG Architects and Spiro & Associates Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations and Brand Architecture
• Large Business of the Year: Henderson, Franklin, Starnes, & Holt P.A., Seagate Development and Storm Smart Building Services
Nominations were accepted through July 15. Finalists and winners are selected by a panel of esteemed community and business leaders, including previous winners.
The Industry Appreciation Awards will be held Friday, Feb. 10, at Caloosa Sound Convention Center, 1375 Monroe St., in Fort Myers. Networking begins at 10 a.m., and the lunch and awards program runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, please visit IndustryAppreciationAwards.com.
Southwest Florida International Airport December trafficDuring December, 862,368 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. This was a decrease of 21 percent compared to December 2021. The airport finished 2022 with a record-breaking 10,343,802 passengers, which was a 0.2 percent increase compared to the previous record set in 2021.
The traffic leader in December was Delta with 183,675 passengers. Rounding out the top five airlines were Southwest (134,249), United (131,995), American (124,589) and JetBlue (96,584).
Southwest Florida International Airport had 7,800 aircraft operations, a decrease of 27 percent compared to December 2021. Page Field saw 15,958 operations, which was a 22 percent increase compared to December 2021. Page Field annual operations finished at a record-breaking 170,634, an increase of 22 percent more than 2021.
Southwest Florida International Airport served more than 10.3 million passengers in 2022 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. For more information, visit flylcpa.com or facebook.com/flyRSW
Club Champion Fitting Studio now open in Fort MyersCustom golf club fitter Club Champion recently announced the opening of its new fitting studio, located in the Shops At Village Walk Shopping Center at 7925 Dani Drive, Suite 110, Fort Myers. The store is open and accepting fitting appointments. This is Club Champion’s 13th location in the state of Florida and fourth since the beginning of 2022.
Club Champion fits, sells and builds custom golf clubs using brands like Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Titleist, Cobra, Fujikura, Golf Pride and many more. The company delivers a tour-level fitting that produces longer, more accurate shots with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate for golfers of any ability level.
The new studio features two indoor hitting bays with TrackMan launch monitors for analyzing performance, a SAM PuttLab system to find the perfect putter, and a build shop for repairing and assembling golf clubs by hand. The roughly 3,000 square foot space also includes a demo matrix to display the head and shaft options that make up their 65,000 hittable combinations.
The studio is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found at www.clubchampion.com or by calling (888) 340-7820.
White joins Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz
Attorney Robert V. White has joined Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, a 60-year-old Southwest Florida personal injury law firm. He specializes in motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death and property damage claims, and previously served as an insurance defense attorney for nearly 10 years.
White grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alabama. He received his law degree from Mississippi College. He started his law career in Destin and Pensacola, where his father lives and is licensed to practice in Florida and Alabama. He originally thought he would be a sportswriter but decided to pursue a career in law. He moved to Fort Myers in 2015.
Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., has been a personal injury firm representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others in Southwest Florida clients since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and their areas of practice include hurricane insurance claims for homeowners and businesses, personal injury and accidents, trip, slip and fall, premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, wills, and estate planning and administration. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, attorneys can be reached by calling 239-500-HURT or visiting JusticeStartsNow.com.
Jennifer’s Fashion Forward Friday benefits Eva’s Closet and Foundation
Jennifer’s women’s boutique celebrates 40 years in business by giving back to local charities at “Fashion Forward Friday” events. Eva’s Closet and Foundation will receive 5% of all sales on Friday, Feb. 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shoppers will enjoy champagne and cupcakes and receive 15% off all tops.
Jennifer’s will also collect shampoo, laundry detergent and diapers for Eva’s Closet and Foundation.
The mission of Eva’s Closet and Foundation is to assist people in need, regardless of situation or circumstance, without judgment. Eva’s Closet serves more than 1,500 individuals each month suffering from homelessness, poverty, and other risk factors in Southwest Florida. ECF provides necessities to clients at no cost, including, but not limited to, clothing, shoes, hygiene items, baby supplies, food, household supplies, and school supplies, with grace, honor, and respect. After Hurricane Irma, Eva’s Closet & Foundation provided disaster relief assistance to several hundred families in Southwest Florida.
Jennifer Williams opened her Fort Myers boutique in November 1983. Her unique and timeless sense of style and personalized service has created a loyal following. Jennifer’s is located at 13251 McGregor Boulevard in The Design Center and is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Call 239-481-8582, text 239-223-8512, or visit Jennifer’s online at jennifersfortmyers.com or on Facebook or Instagram.
Gulf Coast Business Bank, Florida SBDC at FGCU to hold program
Gulf Coast Business Bank and Florida’s SBDC at FGCU are co-hosting “An Event to Help You Make Your Capital Work for You in 2023” from 4:30 to 6:30, Thursday, Feb. 9, at 12205 Metro Parkway, Fort Myers 33966.
Topics include Business Continuation, Capital Access and Data & Business Intelligence.
There will be food trucks, live music from local duo Bad Habit, door prizes and more!
Florida SBDC at FGCU consultants will also be on hand.