Inside - Volusia/Flagler Business Report

Transcription

Focus on: LEGAL MATTERS, pages 8-14
February 28, 2011
Pictured: John Ferguson,
managing partner of Cobb
Cole in Daytona Beach.
Inside:
Pictured: Alex Spanos
of Spanos Imports
Focus on:
EXECUTIVE
LIFESTYLES
Period of
adjustment:
Area law firms adapt to tough
economy by shifting focus,
reducing overhead – Page 8
pages 15-22
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Daytona Beach, FL
Permit #150
2 February 28, 2011
Volusia/Flagler Business Report
0000919802
Support your Local Chamber
Daytona’s Only AUTHENTIC INDIAN CUISINE
Activities & Events
at your Local Chambers
Flagler Beach / Palm Coast
• Clay Oven
• Lunch Buffet
• Private Parties
• Catering
• Takeout
• Full Bar
386-760-4505 • 581 Beville Rd. Daytona Beach
www.bombaygrille.net
Ver-E-Safe
Solutions, LLC
SUPPLIES • EQUIPMENT
CONSULTING SERVICES
Dedicated to Improving
your Safety & Health
in the Workplace
3 Industry Dr. Suite 7
Palm Coast
386.446.1661
www.veresafe.com
Since 1975
BLUE WATER
POOL SUPPLY
POOL REMODELING
TILE • DECKS
RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL
LIC. & INS. CPC046980
386-761-1763
WHERE YOUR OUTDOOR
INSPIRATIONS BECOME REALITY!
Two Locations To Serve You
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Thursday, March 17th • Starts at 5:30 p.m.
Finn’s Beachside Pub
Members $5.00 / Future Members $10.00
386-437-3122 386-265-5981
www.verdego.com
Interested
in Running
on the
Chamber
Page?
Please Call
(386) 681-2500
3335 N. State St. (US 1)
Bunnell
5346 S. Ridgewood Ave.
Port Orange
Ormond Beach
NEW MEMBER RECEPTION
Wednesday, March 2nd • 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Welcome our newest
Ormond Chamber Members
165 W. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
BUSINESS SPARKLER
Wednesday, March 9th • 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tomoka Plaza - 767 S. Nova Rd., Ormond Beach
Steven Unatin is planning a fantastic event
for us!! Don’t miss out!
Daytona Beach / Holly Hill
AMBASSADOR MEETING
Tuesday, March 8th • 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Chamber Ambassadors Committee Meeting
If you enjoy meeting people, then you should consider joining the Chamber’s Ambassador Commitee.
We are a full-service marketing
company providing
social media expertise.
1 Florida Park Drive, Palm Coast
Monday-Friday • 8:00am-6:00pm
ph: 386-566-3466
cindydalecki.wordpress.com
The Holly Hill Chamber is hosting their MONTHLY AFTER HOURS at the Office Place 1609 Ridgewood Ave., Holly Hill
on Thursday, March 3rd from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m Admission includes refreshments, chances for door prize and endless networking
opportunities. The public is invited. Price for general public is $10.00 and only $5.00 for members. RSVP to 255-7311.
Port Orange
Thursday, March 17th • 5:00 p.m.
Debbie’s Health Foods III
3850 S. Nova Rd., Port Orange.
Members $5, Future Members $10
RSVP 386-761-1601
SOUP TO NUTS POWER LUNCH
Wednesday, March 30th • 12:00 p.m.
Street Smart Marketing for Your Business.
Speaker: Kim Ayers, SCORE, Riverside Pavilion
3431 Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange.
Brown bag lunch. RSVP 386-761-1601.
DeLand
1731 S. Ridgewood Ave., S. Daytona
www.bluewaterpoolsupplies.com
2010
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE — MARCH 5TH
Run, walk or jog...the choice is yours at the Fourth Annual “Run For Your Life” Run/Walk
presented by the Palm Coast Chamber of Commerce. This popular event will take place Saturday, March 5th at 8 a.m.
in Town Center’s Central Park. Race day registration begins at 6:45 a.m. and ends promptly at 7:45 a.m.
Tuesday, March 15
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
sponsored by: Good Samaritan Society
Florida Lutheran
450 North McDonald Avenue, DeLand
Members: FREE / Non-Members: $10
GET CONNECTED LUNCHEON
(Networking Event)
Tuesday, March 22nd • 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Victoria Gardens Clubhouse
1001 Garden Club Dr., DeLand
Members $10 Lunch or $2 Beverage.
Non-members $10 admission/$10 Lunch
or $2 Beverage only.
“Daytona’s Best Since 1992”
LET US MAKE YOUR EVENT FUN AND STRESS FREE!
WEDDINGS • CORPORATE • SCHOOLS
JIM
VICTORIA
JOHN
JOHNNY
10
TIME
WINNER
Master Of Ceremonies • Reception Coordinating
Professional, Quality Entertainment
386-788-2569 • www.misterDJ1.com
SE Volusia
Thursday, March 10th • 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Allphases Fence and Pavers
1300 W. Canal St.
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON
Wednesday, March 16th • 12:00 p.m.
Edgewater-NSB Elks Lodge
820 W. Park Ave., Edgewater, FL 32132
1422 Ridgewood Ave., Holly Hill
386.672.1267
February 28,2011 3
0000919985
COVER STORY: Period of adjustment: Area law firms
adapt to tough economy by shifting focus, reducing
overhead. Pictured: John Ferguson, managing partner
of Cobb Cole in Daytona Beach.
Focus on: LEGAL MATTERS, pages 8-14
February 28, 2011
Photo: David Massey. Cover design: John Klipfel
Pictured: John Ferguson, managing partner of Cobb Cole in
Daytona Beach.
Inside:
Focus on: EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLES, pages 15-22
Pictured:
Alex Spanos
Period of
adjustment:
Area law firms adapt to tough
economy by shifting focus,
reducing overhead – Page 8
of Spanos Imports
INSIDE:
Editor’s Notebook: Project Gator: How the community united to
successfully retain key employer ................................................................................................Page 4
Guest Commentary: “Courtroom within a classroom” lets high
school students learn about legal profession ........................................................................Page 4
Calendar of upcoming local business events ........................................................................Page 5
People on the Move ....................................................................................................................Pages 6, 7
Briefs ........................................................................................................................................................Page 18
Focus: Legal Matters
Period of adjustment: Many law firms adapt to tough economy
by shifting focus, reducing overhead ........................................................................................Page 8
Less-Limited Liability: State Supreme Court ruling increases risks
for single-member LLCs..................................................................................................................Page 9
Musical chairs: Number of attorneys switching or launching
firms on the rise ................................................................................................................................Page 13
List: Area’s largest law firms ........................................................................................................Page 10
Focus: Executive Lifestyles
Executive hobbies: Area execs pursue variety of leisure activities – when
they can find the time......................................................................................................................Page 15
Executive toys: Some downsizing discretionary spending, but demand
for luxury goods still strong..........................................................................................................Page 17
Working lunches: Choices abound for those seeking to combine
business with meals outside office ..........................................................................................Page 18
List: Area golf courses ....................................................................................................................Page 20
Connecting Business to Business
February 28, 2011
Copyright © 2011 Halifax Media Acquisition LLC
Mailing address:
Volusia/Flagler Business Report c/o Daytona Beach News-Journal
901 6th St., Daytona Beach, FL 32117
Phone: 386-681-2470
E-mail:
[email protected] for editorial submissions
[email protected] for advertising inquiries
Web site: www.vfbr.com
Editor: Clayton Park
Art Director: John Klipfel
Contributing writers: Tom Knox, Bob Koslow, Hilary Lehman, Valerie Whitney
Business Desk Clerk: Peggy Ellis
Photographers: Peter Bauer, Nigel Cook, Bob Koslow, David Massey, Sean McNeil
Advertising: Rebecca Zimmerman, specialty publications/special sections manager
Press releases, calendar items and letters to the editor should be e-mailed to [email protected]. People on the Move announcements should be limited to 50 words and accompanied by a photograph (head shot only; 300 dpi preferred). Calendar items
should be submitted 30 days in advance of the event.
Next issue:
The next edition of the Volusia/Flagler Business Report will be published March 21 and will feature
two focus sections: “Healthcare” and “Nonprofits.” The issue will also include lists of the area’s
largest hospitals, health care insurance providers and insurance agencies. For more information
regarding editorial content, call 386-681-2470. For advertising inquiries, call 386-681-2500.
PROUDLY HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA
William Henry creates bold works of functional art;
exquisite tools that combine beauty and brawn in equal
measure. Each piece is hand-crafted from the most
exotic and storied material in the world, meticulously
sculpted by master craftspeople in our Oregon studio.
We build pieces that enhance your life, everyday, from
the frontier to the bathroom.
Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:30 - 5:30
Thursday evening
by appointment only
Downtown
Daytona Beach
150 S. Beach St.
(386) 255-1468
www.tomcookjeweler.com
SUPERLATIVE FUNCTION DESERVES TO BE ELEVATED TO SUPERLATIVE ART
4 February 28, 2011
Opinions
Project Gator:
How the community united to successfully retain key employer
F
or an example of what can be
accomplished if a community works together for a common goal, look no further
than the successful effort this past fall by
local government and business leaders in
Volusia County to convince one of its larger
private-sector employers from bolting for
another state.
The mystery employer, given the codename “Project Gator” by the county’s Economic Development Division, was later revealed at the Daytona Regional Chamber of
Commerce’s annual dinner Feb. 3 to be none
other than Masco Contracting Services.
Masco, which has more than 360 workers in Daytona Beach, was honored as a recipient of the chamber’s Enterprise Award,
given to a company or industry that has
made “significant contributions to the quality, vitality and growth” of the community.
Phil Ehlinger, the county’s economic develoment director, told a gathering of area
business leaders and elected officials the
next morning about a massive behind-thescenes effort to keep the employer from relocating to Atlanta.
In a separate interview, he provided additional details about the county-led joint ef-
Clayton
Park
Editor’s Notebook
fort, which included participation by the
chamber, city of Daytona Beach and several
area business leaders.
While it is now widely known the mystery employer was Masco, Ehlinger still only
referred to the company by its codename.
He said his staff, upon learning in August
about the company’s plans to leave, immediately compiled a list of nine possible buildto-suit real estate options in Volusia County,
and then met with the company’s director of
real estate services to learn more about its
needs.
Ehlinger said his staff then formed an action team that included officials from the
city, the Daytona chamber, Team Volusia, the
CEO Business Alliance and the Center for
Business Excellence as well as the owners of
several potential development sites.
One of the unexpected hurdles Ehlinger
said his staff encountered was learning the
company had not been particularly involved
in the community, with most of the new executives it was hiring opting to purchase
homes outside of Volusia County.
“The company said one of the reasons
we want to leave is nobody wants to live in
Daytona Beach,” Ehlinger recalled. “We were
fighting a perception battle.”
Ehlinger said his staff responded by arranging a lunch meeting to introduce the
company’s senior managers to some of the
area’s business leaders. It also set about correcting the company’s misperceptions about
Volusia County by pointing out the area’s
many positive attributes.
In September, the county’s Economic
Development Division secured a commitement from Enterprise Florida for incentive
dollars from the Governor’s Closing Fund.
The county and Daytona Beach also agreed
to offer additional incentives. A “Table of
Truth” meeting hosted by ConsolidatedTomoka Land Co. was then held with representatives of the company and members of
the assembled public/private-sector action
team.
When it became apparent the incentive
package the county and city offered was
“better than Seminole County’s,” which the
company also was considering as a potential
relocation site, “but not as good as Atlanta’s,
we sharpened our pencils and increased
ours to a 10-year tax abatement,” he told the
gathering at the economic development
briefing. While the offer still didn’t quite
match the offer from Atlanta, what it showed
the company, he said, was “the community
really wanted them to stay.”
Ehlinger in his address at the quarterly
briefing said “Our goal now is to get them so
involved in the community that they’ll never
want to leave.”
He added the county is continuing
efforts to work to find sites locally that would
fit the company’s need to eventually
move into a 125,000-square-foot facility,
which would allow for expansion of its
operations.
Said Ehlinger: “If that’s an indication of
what can happen if we all pull together, our
county has a bright future.”
■
Clayton Park can be reached at [email protected] or at 386-681-2470.
“Courtroom within a classroom” lets high schoolers
learn about legal profession
T
he Academy of Law and Government at
Atlantic High School in Port Orange
was the first Academy within the
Volusia County School System to obtain
Gold Seal status. Gold Seal is a component of
the Florida Bright Futures scholarship
program that rewards students for academic
and technical achievements during
high school.
That ranking was achieved by the combined efforts of school principal Ron Pagano
and his academy staff, along with its outstanding students, and the academy’s advisory board. The Gold Seal ranking continues to
this day.
The academy began some 14 years ago.
The idea of a “courtroom within a classroom” became a reality when the renovations were occurring with the Volusia County Courthouse complex in DeLand. The
used courtroom items were donated by Vo-
Shawn L.
Briese
Guest Commentary
lusia County and installed in a classroom at
Atlantic High School.
The courtroom in a classroom was initiated by the Fifth District Court of Appeal
holding oral arguments. This court continues to hold such arguments at the school on
a yearly basis.
The courtroom in a classroom also
serves as the venue for guest speakers. They
have included then-Florida Supreme Court
Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis, then-Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist, attorneys from
the federal and state justice systems, law
enforcement officials, and many others.
These interactions between the academy
students and public and governmental service practitioners and those within the legal
system provide the academy students the
connection between their studies and the
real practical world.
The academy’s advisory board of 25
include academy staff and a current
academy student and an academy alumni.
The volunteer board also includes judges
and others within the judicial branch
of government, attorneys including
representatives of the state attorney and
public defender’s offices, law enforcement,
city officials, and local university criminal
justice educators and administrators.
The advisory board acts as an incubator
for ideas to keep the academy in the forefront
of interdisciplinary education and practical
learning within the public service and legal
sectors. It also acts as the students’ connection to job shadowing and internships.
Simply stated, the advisory board attempts to fill an identified need within the
academy.
The Academy of Law and Government
is a success because it provides
students the opportunity to study
and connect with those already within
the field, in the students’ exploration of
their potential life’s work. Success is the
student’s determination that their potential
career choice is not compatible or in the
reinforcement of their public service or legal
career choices.
■
Circuit Judge Shawn L. Briese is chairman of the Academy of Law and Government
Advisory Board at Atlantic High School in
Port Orange.
February 28,2011 5
Calendar Upcoming local business events
MARCH
$2 members, $10 nonmembers. Info: 386-734-4331.
Wednesday 9
Tuesday 1
FLAGLER COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Coffee and Conversation, 9 a.m., Blue restaurant
at the Topaz Hotel, 1224 S. Oceanshore Blvd., Flagler Beach.
Network with partners in tourism. Info: 386-437-0106.
DELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Government Affairs Committee, noon, Chamber conference room, 336 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand.
Brown bag lunch. Info: 386-734-4331.
Thursday 3
HOLLY HILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
business after hours, 5 p.m., Office Place, 1609 Ridgewood Ave., Holly Hill. Cost: $5 members, $10 nonmembers. Info: 386-255-7311.
SOUTHEAST VOLUSIA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE new member reception, 5:30 p.m.,
Chamber of Commerce, 310 Julia St., New Smyrna
Beach. Info: 386-824-2449.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CENTER Small Business Issues and Recommendation Forum, 9 a.m. to noon, Daytona State College, 1200
W. International Speedway Blvd., Bldg. 110, Room 112,
Daytona Beach. Info: 386-506-4723.
DELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE West Volusia Economic Development Commit-
tee, noon, John Knox Village, Orange City. Info: 386-7344331.
ORMOND BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Sparkler, 5 p.m., Tomoka Plaza, 767 S. Nova
Road, Ormond Beach. Info: 386-677-3454.
PORT ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Morning Mix and Mingle, 8 a.m., the Club at Sugar Mill Apartments, 3635 Caramel Ave., Port Orange. Cost:
$5 members, $10 future members. Info: 386-761-1601.
Monday 7
DELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Coffee with the Chamber, 8 a.m., Chamber
conference room, 336 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. Cost:
VOLUSIA MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION plant tour, 9 a.m., Boston Whaler, 100 Whaler
Way, Edgewater. Register by March 14. Info: 386-6730505.
COMMERCE general membership luncheon, noon,
Edgewater-New Smyrna Beach Elks Lodge, 820 W. Park
Ave., Edgewater. Info: 386-428-2449.
Thursday 17
PORT ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE business after hours, 5 p.m., Debbie’s Health
Thursday 10
Foods III, 3850 S. Nova Road, Port Orange. Cost: $5
members, $10 future members. Info: 386-761-1601.
phases Fence & Pavers, 1300 Canal St., New Smyrna
Beach. 386-824-2449.
Saturday 19
COMMERCE business after hours, 5 to 7 p.m., All-
Tuesday 15
Friday 4
Pavilion, 3431 Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange. Topic: “Creative Marketing” with a panel of marketing professionals.
Cost: Free for members, $10 future members. Info: 386761-1601.
DELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE business after hours, 5 p.m., Good Samaritan
Society Florida Lutheran, 450 N. McDonald Ave., DeLand.
Cost: Free for members, $10 nonmembers. Info: 386734-4331.
Wednesday 16
PORT ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Sunrise Business Forum, 7:45 a.m., Riverside
HALIFAX HISTORICAL MUSEUM Special
Entrepreneurs Lecture Series, 10 a.m., 252 S. Beach St.,
Daytona Beach. Speaker: J. Hyatt Brown, chairman,
Brown & Brown Insurance. Cost: $5 members, $6 nonmembers. Info: 386-255-6976.
Friday 25
COMMERCE Coffee with the President, 7:30 a.m.,
Chamber of Commerce, 310 Julia St., New Smyrna
Beach. Info: 386-428-2449.
PORT ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE “Passion for Fashion” lunch and fashion show,
11:30 a.m., Riverside Pavilion, 3431 Ridgewood Ave., Port
Orange. Sponsored by Belk and Florida Capital Bank
Mortgage. Cost: $20. Info: 386-761-1601.
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27
C E N T E R FO R CO M M U N I T Y &
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, certified pool
operators course, 8 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m., Daytona
State College, 1200 W. International Speedway
Blvd., Bldg. 110, Room 112, Daytona Beach. Course
designed to provide the knowledge to safely and
efficiently manage and operate swimming pools and
spas. Cost: $275, includes textbooks. Info: 386-506-3858
or email [email protected].
■
Tuesday 22
DELAND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Get Connected luncheon networking, 11:30
a.m., Victoria Gardens Club House, 1001 Garden Club
Drive, DeLand. Cost: $10 members, $20 nonmembers.
Info: 386-734-4331.
How to submit items:
E-mail notices of upcoming business events for possible inclusion in the Calendar at least 30 days in advance of the event to [email protected]. Events must
be held either in Volusia or Flagler counties and must
be of a business nature
0000918989
Frankie Avalon
GROUP RATES AVAILABLE • FREE PARKING
S’ Wonderful National Touring Broadway ..............Tuesday, 3/01/11
Zoso The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience ............Sunday, 3/06/11
In The Mood Big Band Orchestra............................Monday, 3/14/11
Stars of Jury’s Irish Cabaret....................................Sunday, 3/20/11
New Shanghai Circus All New Show ....................Thursday, 3/24/11
My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish
& I’m In Therapy Starring Steve Solomon ..............Sunday, 4/03/11
An Evening with Frankie Avalon ..........................Tuesday, 4/12/11
Chubby Checker & The Wildcats ........................Saturday, 5/21/11
Visit Us On
www.visitflagler.org
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowments of the Arts
5500 East Highway 100, Palm Coast (across from FC Airport)
TICKETS: 386.437.7547 | Toll Free: 1.866.FLAGLER
www.flaglerauditorium.org
No refunds or exchanges.
www.flaglerauditorium.org
An Investment in The Arts…Is An Investment In Your Community
6 February 28, 2011
People on the Move
Buckholt
Bradley
Stefanie Buckholt has joined Prosperity
Bank in Ormond Beach as an assistant vice
president and banking center manager. She
was most recently with Fifth Third Bank.
Susan Bradley, a broker with Collado Real
Estate in New Smyrna Beach, has been installed as the 2011 Governor of the Florida
State Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors.
Christina Thorpe has been named creative manager for the six Florida Hospitals in
Volusia and Flagler counties. She has more
than 10 years experience in graphic design.
Amanda Tew has joined SEE Coastal Me-
Thorpe
Abbott
Dye
dia and In-Room Concierge in Daytona Beach
as a sales representative. She previously
worked for Jacksonville Magazine, Florida
Times-Union and Flagler Times.
Arthur J. Hanes Jr., a retired circuit court
judge, has joined Daytona Beach mediation
firm Upchurch Watson White & Max. He will
be based in the firm’s Birmingham, Ala., office.
Amanda Perryman and Rob Sabin have
joined Costa Sunglasses in Daytona Beach.
Perryman has been named director of pro
and conservation programs. He will manage
the company’s collegiate marketing pro-
0000919868
Perry
McNerney
grams. Sabin has been named college community leader. Costa also has promoted
Brad Abbott to vice president of the
prescription sun lens division. He formerly
was national sales manager for the western
United States.
Lauren Dye has joined the staff of Florida
Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast as marketing
manager. She previously was marketing
coordinator at Florida Hospital Memorial
Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
James R. Perry has joined Thompson
Pump & Manufacturing Co. in Port Orange as
director of asset management.
Drago
Monahan
Dr. Seema Harichand-Herdt has joined
the Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer Center in Daytona
Beach, as a hematologist and medical oncologist. She most recently worked in the
department of hematology and oncology at
the Atlanta V.A. Medical center.
Michael J. Politis, senior partner at Politis
Law Firm, P.A., in Port Orange, has been
awarded the “AV” rating, the highest rating
from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Mark A. Matovina, a partner at Politis, has
been awarded the directory’s “BV” rating, the
highest rating for an attorney practicing less
0000917159 PDFA
DREGGORS, RIGSBY
& TEAL, P.A.
Certified Public Accountants
Registered Investment Advisor
Respected Professionals Serving Volusia &
Flagler Counties for over Fifty Years.
“
A Full Service
Accounting Firm with
Experience in Valuation,
Forensic Accounting
and Litigation Services
386.734.9441
www.drtcpa.com
Larry McDermott
joining our team.
As a longtime resident of this area
and his vast experience in banking,
he is particularly well-suited for
our team and will play a vital role
in our commitment to the
communities we serve”
Bruce Page
President and Chief Executive Officer
Open a New Business Account & You’ll Receive...
• $250 off closing cost on your first
business loan or line of credit
• First order of checks free up to $100
• No monthly service charge
on small business accounts.*
”
Call Robin C. Lennon, CPA
and Chairman of the VFALS
for questions in these areas
“We are excited about
* Limited time offer and minimum balances and/or
service fees may apply.
Member of the
Network
1290 Palm Coast Pkwy. NW • Palm Coast
386.447.1662
3rd Quarter 2010
www.intracoastalbank.net
Reed
February 28,2011 7
Janzen
Cashman
than 10 years.
The following real estate agents have
joined Adams Cameron & Co., Realtors: Dick
McNerney, Port Orange; Arnie Drago, Daytona Beach; Dulce Monahan, Ormond Beach;
Mike Reed, Daytona Beach; Stan Janzen, Ormond Beach; Carol Cashman, Daytona
Beach; Ann Lambert, Ormond Beach; David
Heald, Daytona Beach; Carole Palmer, Ponce
Inlet; Jane Gentile-Youd, Daytona Beach; and
Tressa Smith, Port Orange.
Tom Chambers has joined ICI Homes in
Daytona Beach as a purchasing agent. He
previously was a purchasing agent for Cen-
Lambert
Heald
tex Homes.
Karen Farrell has been elected president
of the Flagler County chapter of the Women’s
Council of Realtors. The other new officers
are: Diane Nieminen, president-elect; Carolyn
Hawkins, vice president, Membership; Vicki
Hall, secretary; and Linda Ponsiek, treasurer.
Dr. Kenice A. Morehouse, a chiropractic
physician with more than 24 years of experience, has joined Volusia Flagler YMCA in DeLand, as a nutritionist.
James L. Morris has been named vice
president, administration, for Americrown in
Daytona Beach. He has 30 years’ experience
Gentile-Youd
in retail and wholesale management of sporting goods and will oversee all administrative
and operational functions at Americrown.
Dr. John Walsh, a cardiac-thoracic surgeon, has joined Florida Hospital Flagler
HealthCare Partners. He has practiced in the
Palm Coast area for almost five years.
Smith
Walsh
Steve Mackall, an Osteen resident, has
been appointed as a shareholder at Orlandobased Resource Consulting Group, a financial
planning and investment advisory firm. He
joined the firm in 2001 and is involved with
the day-to-day management of clients’
accounts and portfolio rebalancing.
■
How to submit items:
The Business Report welcomes submissions of announcements about your company’s recent
new hires, staff promotions and industry and/or community awards. E-mail announcements and
photographs (individual headshots only; 300 dpi preferred) to [email protected]. People on the Move
announcements should include name and new title of the person, the company’s name, and the city
where that person works or will work. Please include the person’s previous company and title.
0000919957
0000919956 PDFA
Biggest Lies Your Neighbor Told You
About Insurance (Misconceptions about insurance,
Lie
Number
as told to you by your neighbor.)
You Say.....
One
“I have to rent a car
and I don’t know if I
should buy the rental
car company’s
insurance.”
Your Neighbor Says.....
" Are you crazy? My agent says the rental car
insurance is a big rip-off. Your car insurance will
cover you just fine.”
Steve Says.....
Yes, the rental car company’s insurance is very
expensive, but when you sign that rental car contract,
turn it over and look at their ﬁne print. You are
agreeing to pay for all kinds of things that your auto
insurance policy is NOT going to pay for.
Any agent can sell you a
policy. Call to find out
how we manage your
policies to reduce your
risk and costs.
Ormond:
Palmer
(386) 677-4787 • Palm Coast: (386) 446-3426
www.EastCoastInsurors.com
Hall
Steve
.9$& '%6 915$ 1 3%!!(((
+$
/
,)
4789 ,68%)*4&$#! 2&!6#1&-$
Ormond Beach (386) 677-4787 • Palm Coast (386) 446-3426
8 February 28, 2011
Focus: LEGAL MATTERS
Period of adjustment:
Many law firms adapt to tough economy by shifting focus, reducing overhead
By Clayton Park
Staff Writer
W
hen John Ferguson became managing
partner of Daytona Beach law firm
Cobb Cole in January last year, little did he
know he would face one of the most difficult
decisions of his career just a few months later.
In April and May, Cobb Cole, the VolusiaFlagler area’s largest law firm, underwent a
staff reduction that included the layoffs of
several support staff and the departure of five
attorneys, including three partners. One of
the five attorneys left the firm voluntarily.
“It was hard to let these people go,”
Ferguson said.
Fortunately, according to Ferguson, all
managed to “land on their feet,” including
former Cobb Cole partners Jonathan “Jake”
Kaney III and Michael P. Olivari, who formed
their own law firm, Kaney & Olivari, P.L., in
Ormond Beach.
Cobb Cole, which reduced the number
of attorneys it has on staff to 24, is far from
being alone in feeling the adverse
effects of the shaky
economy.
Several area
law firms contacted by the Business
Report have reported having to
trim staff positions
and/or
making
other changes, including restructuring
compensation
Chiumento
and shifting the
focus of their practice.
Michael Chiumento III, managing partner of Chiumento, Guntharp & Selis in Palm
Coast, reduced its attorneys in 2009 from
seven to three, and also laid off several support staff that same year.
While business for his firm had been in a
gradual decline the previous few years because of the downturn in the housing market, Chiumento said “the bottom dropped
out in March 2009,” which made it difficult
to continue avoiding layoffs.
“We saw not only did real estate dealings
come to a freeze, but also banking,” Chiumento said. “People didn’t want to spend on
estate planning or on other things that had
always gone on in this community.
“Divorces (even) basically came to a halt,
not because couples weren’t having troubles,
but because people couldn’t afford to
divorce,” he said.
Business for Chiumento’s firm is starting
to improve, thanks in part to its switch to a
new business model that includes focusing
more on areas of law still in strong demand
and changing its compensation structure to
one that is more results-oriented, as opposed
to offering high guaranteed base salaries,
he said.
The firm also recently changed its name
with the addition of partner Scott Selis at the
beginning of the year. Selis, who previously
had his own practice, is an attorney who specializes in elder law. He also is a former Ormond Beach city commissioner.
Jim Rose, a co-partner in the Daytona
Beach law firm Rice & Rose, said his firm has
adjusted its areas of practice to include
foreclosure defense and bankruptcy, while
cutting down staff in real estate and other
transactional work. The firm, which had five
attorneys a year ago, now has three.
“Law firms are
businesses like all
the others,” said
Rose. “When our
clients go through
difficult times, it
impacts the amount
of money they have
or want to spend
on various legal
matters.”
G re g S n e l l ,
Snell
managing partner
of Snell Legal in Ormond Beach, whose firm
now has two attorneys, down from four in
2009, said he actually has been busier than
ever in recent months, and has had to turn
away some work because of his overloaded
schedule. “In terms of dollars, we were about
the same in 2010 as we were in 2009,”
Snell said.
He said his firm has seen an increase in
clients seeking help in dealing with employment law matters, and from medical
practices either looking to merge with or
acquire another practice or to promote
physicians to part-owners.
Snell said his firm also has been doing a
lot of work for homeowner and condominium owner associations. “Many of them are in
Photo: David Massey
John Ferguson, managing parter at Cobb and Cole.
a tough situation because of foreclosures and
owners who otherwise are having financial
problems and aren’t paying assessments,”
he said.
“The bottom line for me is that no doubt
in a better economy we would have more
business, but we still have a pretty fair
amount of business because we were wellestablished coming into the recession and
had a lot of good solid clients who are still
with us,” Snell said.
Mark Zimmerman, managing partner of
the law firm James & Zimmerman, P.L., in
DeLand, said while business is down for attorneys whose practices were concentrated
on real estate transactions, “lawyers whose
practices concentrate on representing
people injured in accidents have not been
See FIRMS p. 12
February 28,2011 9
0000920320
PROTECTION,
Less-Limited Liability:
IT’S WHAT
State Supreme Court ruling increases risks
for single-member LLCs
By Valerie Whitney
Staff Writer
I
ndividuals who form a limited liability
corporation in the Sunshine State in which
they are the only member might want to
think twice following a Florida Supreme
Count ruling last June.
In a surprise to many in the legal
community, the state high court ruled last
summer that a debtor can be ordered to
surrender all “rights, title and interest” of a
single-member limited liability corporation
to satisfy a lien.
Whether the move will impact a
businessowner’s decision to organize in
Florida as opposed to some other state
remains to be seen.
Prior to the ruling, when a monetary
judgment was entered against a member of a
limited liability corporation, Florida law provided for a “charging order” that directed the
limited liability company to pay profits and
affect local businesses. “I don’t
think anyone was
expecting that ruling,” he said.
Ferguson said
he knows of a bill
that’s making its
way through the
state
Legislature
Rose
that would make a
charging order the sole and exclusive means
to satisfy a judgment from the judgment
debtor’s transferable interest in a limited liability company with more than one member.
The bill would further provide that a
charging order is not the exclusive remedy in
cases involving a limited liability company
with only one member. In cases involving a
single-member limited liability company, a
court may order other remedies if the creditor establishes that the judgment will not be
satisfied within a reasonable period of time.
WE DO.
Storm Protection
• Accordion • Bahama & Colonial
• Roll Downs • Force 12 • Storm Panels
Sun Protection
• 3M Window Film • Solar Shades
• Sunesta Shade Systems
• Seashell Awnings
“I don’t think anyone was expecting
that ruling.”
John Ferguson, managing partner of Cobb Cole
distributions to the judgment creditor.
In doing so, the creditor was paid
without disrupting management of the
limited liability company.
James Rose, a partner in the Daytona
Beach law firm, Rice & Rose, said the ruling
puts owners of single-member limited
liability corporations more at risk of having
their interest seized than what had
traditionally occurred.
“I know of several local folks that are concerned about the decision,” Rose said in a recent telephone interview.
Consumers who form single-member
limited liability corporations have done so in
many cases as a legal means to protect their
property from foreclosure, Rose said. “A lot
were used for property that didn’t generate
income,” he said.
John Ferguson, managing partner of
Daytona Beach law firm Cobb Cole, also
expressed concern over how the ruling could
The ruling that precipitated the
proposed change stems for a case filed in
2008 involving the Federal Trade Commission and the rights of Shaun Olmstead and
Julie Connell in certain single-members
limited liability companies.
The FTC sued Olmstead and Connell for
unfair or deceptive trade practices. Among
the assets frozen and placed in receivership
were several single-member limited liability
corporations.
To satisfy a $10 million judgment, the
federal government obtained an order
compelling Olmstead and Connell to
endorse and surrender all of their right,
title and interest in their limited
liability corporations.
■
Valerie Whitney can be reached at
[email protected] or at
386-681-2283.
Consider E.S.P. for your next building project.
With the ever changing building codes,
and continual advances in the shutter industry,
our knowledge and experience ensures you
the use of the latest technology, installed to the
highest standards.
Member: American Shutter Systems Assn.
International Hurricane Protection Assoc.
(386) 248-1631 • (877) 248-4700
1000 N. Nova Road • Daytona Beach • www.eddystormprotection.com
Fully Bonded • Lic. #CBC1250446
10 February 28, 2011
Largest Area Law Firms
Ranked by number of attorneys
Ranked
by number of attorneys
Law Firm
1
2
3
4
7
Top Local Executive
Address
150 Magnolia Ave., Daytona
Beach 32114
Smith, Hood, Loucks, Stout, Bigman &
Charles David Hood, Jr.,
444 Seabreeze Blvd., Suite 900,
Brock, P.A.,
Partner
Daytona Beach 32118
Allan L. Ziffra, Managing 632 Dunlawton Ave., Port Orange
Rue & Ziffra PA
Partner
32127
Brian D. Hill
444 Seabreeze Ave. Ste. 235,
Hill & Ponton PA
Carol J. Ponton
Daytona Beach 32118
595 W. Granada Blvd., Suite A,
Korey Sweet McKinnon Simpson & Vukelja
Robert Kit Korey
Ormond Beach 32174
John J. Upchurch, President/ 125 S. Palmetto Ave., Daytona
Upchurch, Watson, White, and Max
CEO
Beach 32114
1020
W.
International
Speedway
Doran Sims Wolfe Ansay & Kundid
Ted Doran, Managing Partner
Blvd., Daytona Beach 32114
1616 Concierge Boulevard, Suite
Hassell Moorhead & Carroll
F. Bradley Hassell, President
100, Daytona Beach 32117
J. Doyle Tumbleson
150 S. Palmetto Ave., Suite 300,
Kinsey, Vincent, Pyle, P. L.
S. LaRue Williams
Daytona Beach 32114
CobbCole
John P. Ferguson, President
Phone & Web site
(386) 255-8171
www.CobbCole.com
(386) 254-6875
www.daytonalaw.com
(386) 788-7700
www.rueziffra.com
(386) 257-2100
www.hillandponton.com
(386) 677-3431
www.ormondlegal.com
(386) 253-1560
uww-adr.com
(386) 253-1111
www.doranlaw.com
# of Attorneys
Year Est.
(386) 252-1561
www.kvplaw.com
24
1925
14
1988
9
1991
7
1981
7
1996
7B
1996
6
1982
6
1995
6
1946
(386) 238-1357
Areas of Specialty:
Diverse General Practice
Civil Litigation, Family Law,
Criminal Law, Real Estate.
Personal Injury, Worker's
Compensation, Social Security
Social Security Disability,
Veterans Disability
Real Estate, Wills and Probate,
Personal Injury
Mediation, Arbitration, Special
Magistrates
Family Law, Bankruptcy, Real
Estate, Local Government
Insurance Defense
10
Paul & Elkind PA
Harlan L. Paul, President
142 E. New York Ave., DeLand
32724
(386) 734-3020
www.paulandelkind.com
5
2002
11
Chiumento, Guntharp & Solis, P.A.
Michael D. Chiumento III,
Managing Partner
Laurence H. Bartlett
Kathleen L Crotty
Michael D. Crotty, Partners
David R. Damore, Managing
Partner
Aaron D. Delgado, Partner
145 City Place, Ste. 301, Palm
Coast 32164
(386) 445-8900
www.palmcoastlaw.com
4
1973
Civil Office Practice, Civil Trial
Practice, Construction Law
Personal Injury Litigation
Wrongful Death Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Real Estate, Estate Planning,
Personal Injury
1825 Business Park Blvd.,
Daytona Beach 32114
(386) 274-6395
www.cbklegal.com
4
1999
Estate Planning, Real Estate
Litigation
227 Seabreeze Blvd., Daytona
Beach 32118
(386) 255-1400
www.communitylawfirm.com
4
2008
Criminal, Worker's
Compensation, Personal Injury
Halifax Law Group C
K. Judith Lane, Managing
Partner
444 Seabreeze Blvd., Suite 910,
Daytona Beach 32118
(386) 492-4880
www.halifaxlawgroup.com
4D
2009
James & Zimmerman PL
Mark A. Zimmerman
431 E. New York Ave., DeLand
32724
523 North Halifax Ave., Daytona
Beach 32118
(386) 734-1200
www.jamesandzimmerman.com
(386) 734-3451
www.landispa.com
(386)255-1428
www.lawdaytona.com
4
1980
4F
1902
3
1975
Civil Litigation, Business
Ownership Disputes, Real
Estate, Intellectual Property
Worker's Compensation,
Criminal, Family Law
Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts,
Probate, Land Use, Litigation.
Construction Lien Law,
Eminent Domain, Business Law
647 S. Ridgewood Ave., Daytona
Beach 32114
(386) 253-9790
www.kstlaw.com
3
1991
Personal Injury, Wrongful
Death, Social Security
20 Airport Lane, Suite A, Palm
Coast 32164
(386) 437-5833
http://lwlandlaw.com
3
2009
213 Silver Beach Ave., Daytona
Beach 32118
(386) 254-2941
www.pappasrussell.com
3
1993
(386) 767-0911
http://hereforyou.net
(386) 257-1222
www.riceroselaw.com
(386) 253-7865
www.whitedlawfirm.com
3
1993
3
1983
3
1983
Crotty & Bartlett, P.A.
Damore, Delgado, Romanik & Rawlins
F.A. "Alex" Ford Jr., Managing
Partner
Senior
17 Heebner, Baggett, Upchurch, & Garthe, P.L. Peter B. Heebner,
Partner
Rick Kolodinsky
Kolodinsky Seitz & Tresher
William H. Seitz, Attorney
Frederick Tresher, Attorney
Jay Livingston
Livingston, Wolverton & Sword, P.A.
Jim Wolverton
Raven Sword
Landis Graham French PA E
Pappas, Russell & Rawnsley
Politis Law Firm
Rice & Rose
Whited Law Firm
George Pappas, Managing
Partner
Michael Politis, Managing
Partner
Paul E. Rice
James L. Rose, Partners
145 E. Rich Ave., DeLand 32724
730 Dunlawton Ave., Port Orange
32127
222 Seabreeze Blvd., Daytona
Beach 32118
630
N.
Wild
Olive Ave., Daytona
Fleming K. Whited, III, Owner
Beach 32118
Business Law, Bankruptcy,
Real Estate, Family Law,
Criminal Defense
Personal Injury, Criminal
Defense, Family Law, Civil
Litigation.
Personal Injury, Criminal
Defense, Immigration Law
Business Litigation, Real
Estate, Family Law
DUI, Criminal Defense
This list has been updated from the version in the 2011 Book of Lists. Only attorneys in the Volusia-Flagler area are counted. Only firms that responded to our survey are included. For
more information, contact the Business Report at [email protected].
B Volusia County only.
C Firm changed its name from Lane & Ertl on Dec. 1, 2010.
D Includes attorney who will be joining firm in March.
E Firm closed its Daytona Beach office on Dec. 31, 2010.
F Figure does not include two "of counsel" attorneys.
0000919539 PDFA
February 28,2011 11
0000919870
Required to
Publish an ad?
We can help!
We are your local experts on legal
advertising of all types, including:
Notices of Sale • Foreclosures • Notices of Action
Notices to Creditors • Bids • Meeting Notices
Notices of Public Hearing • Road Closures • Fictitious Names
Tax Deeds • Budget Reports & Reviews
Water Management Plans and More
Our Value to you:
• Professionalism
• Knowledgeable
• Tearsheets
• Affidavits included
• Notary
• Newspaper of record
• Archiving
• Website access for
The News-Journal &
Volusia Review Legal
floridapublicnotices.com
Call
to place your ad today!
Cynthia Maley
Kelley Meehan
(386) 681-2614
(386) 681-2322
[email protected] [email protected]
Publications:
Volusia & Flagler Counties:
The News-Journal, The Volusia Review / News-Tribune
FIRMS from p. 10
impacted by the economic turndown.”
“Likewise, once a lawsuit has been filed
due to unsuccessful pre-suit settlement negotiations, lawyers who defend these cases
on behalf of the insurance companies seem
to be keeping busy. However, the insurance
companies carefully scrutinize the amount
law. “We looked at our manpower to see who
was most qualified to service that need,” he said.
Ferguson said his firm has saved on
some of its operating expenses by shifting
much of its research to online sources, as
opposed to continuing to pay for costly
printed materials. The firm still maintains a
“Law firms are businesses like all
the others, when our clients go
through difficult times, it impacts the
amount of money they have or want
to spend on various legal matters.”
Jim Rose, co-partner, Rice & Rose law firm
of hours and the hourly charges submitted
by the defense attorneys,” he said.
Bankruptcy attorneys also have been
kept busy because of the tough economic
times, he said.
Rue & Ziffra, P.A., in Port Orange, is an
example of a personal injury law firm whose
business appears to be on the upswing. The
firm, which in 2009 opened a second office
in Orange City, on Feb. 15 announced the expansion of its Port Orange offices by moving
half of its 40-person staff into a 6,000square-foot office next door to its original office at 623 Dunlawton Ave. It now has nine
attorneys on staff, up from seven in late 2009.
Allan Ziffra, the firm’s president, said in a
news release his firm bought the former real
estate building for $600,000 late last year because his staff was “so crammed” into its existing 7,000-square-foot main office.
At Cobb Cole, Ferguson said his firm
responded to the challenging economic
times by reducing its operating expenses by
one-third the past two years and by shifting
more of its resources and staff to areas of
practice that were “underserved,” such as international law, regulatory issues and family
0000920091
physical law library, which comes in handy
when attorneys need to research older cases,
but it is no longer in use anywhere close to
the frequency it was when Ferguson,
43, clerked at Cobb Cole 18 years ago
while on summer break as a student in
law school.
One spending category Ferguson said
he’s proud Cobb Cole did not cut was its
charitable giving, which doubles as a form of
marketing for the firm. He added, however,
“we don’t give money unless one of our
attorneys is involved” as a volunteer with
the charity.
Ferguson said business has steadily
improved at Cobb Cole since the fourth
quarter of last year.
“We billed more hours in January than in
any month last year and November and
December of last year were both up over the
same months in the previous year,” he said,
calling it “a great sign.”
“We’re headed in the right direction,
which is wonderful.”
■
PHILPOTT LAW
Family Law • Criminal Defense
Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator
DUI • Drugs • Felonies/Misdemeanors • Divorce • Custody
Danny A. Philpott, Esq.
138 W. New York Ave., Ste. 1 • DeLand
386.873.2884 • www.philpott-law.com
February 28,2011 13
Musical chairs:
Number of attorneys switching or launching firms on the rise
Ertl & Kistemaker
By Clayton Park
Staff Writer
T
he game of musical chairs has picked up
the pace in recent years in the local legal
community, with several attorneys either
switching firms or leaving established firms
to start their own practice.
The following are just some of the many
changes in personnel among Volusia-Flagler
area law firms in the past year:
Kaney & Olivari
Attorneys Jonathan “Jake” Kaney III and
Michael P. Olivari, both former partners with
Daytona Beach law firm Cobb Cole, formed
their own practice, Kaney & Olivari, in
Ormond Beach in May 2010.
The firm is a general practice whose
areas of expertise include civil litigation,
probate and estate planning, and elder law.
Olivari is Kaney’s brother-in-law.
Kaney said the two are not partners in
the traditional sense for law firms. Instead,
they operate as a professional limited
liability corporation, he said.
Attorneys Michael P. Olivari, left, and Jonathan
“Jake” Kaney III of Kaney & Olivari
Business has been “great,” he said,
noting that the firm is coming up on its
one-year anniversary soon.
Kaney, who joined Cobb Cole straight
out of law school in September 1994,
acknowledged feeling some “sentimental
value” about leaving the firm where he
Attorneys Erum Kistemaker and Christene Ertl
of Ertl & Kistemaker Business Law Group
worked alongside his father, Jon Kaney,
uncle, Lester Kaney, and aunt, Elan Kaney,
but said for him it was definitely “time to go.”
Working for a big firm, he said, “was not
really my scene.”
Olivari was the estate planning attorney at
Cobb Cole for seven years before his departure.
0000919747
0000919833 PDFA
*%# -!' >% )%>>%+ @:?;>4 <,@&:! A:@.-,($8 7%@!!( 9%05>;!2(8 6;2--:/ <,>>;!/!(8 "!@51 =0>518 <:&;!--! 7!-,(!2 ,($ <:.! 3!,@$
:#%8$-87&" '%6# 7&5$!80$&8 ( ( (
1H 3HTH RBHTH 3BH% =$8 :TSR JHK@JHJ R$ F$''$3
=$8T "OSS@$%L 6$JO=P 3H*TH SR@'' BHTH (HH"@%D O''
=$8 BO5H M8@'R !OFHL !$8%JL !HK8TH2L
#&$$ *( '!"!% )"
U>9; )#!4Q>#<; >9;#<?
,IINA/GN-..G 7 C,.N-CAN+.AE
333L"ODH@%S80O%KHODH%K=LK$&
Attorneys Christene Ertl and Erum
Kistemaker launched their practice, Ertl &
Kistemaker Business Law Group on Nov. 1 in
Daytona Beach. Ertl previously was a
partner with Daytona Beach law firm Lane
& Ertl, where Kistemaker was an
“of counsel” attorney.
Ertl and Kistemaker are long-time
friends who met in law school at the
University of Miami over 10 years ago. The
two crossed paths again in 2004 at Snell Legal in Ormond Beach where Ertl was an attorney and Kistemaker did work on an independent contract basis before getting hired
as associate general counsel for ICI Homes.
Kistemaker said she and Ertl would often talk in those days about “wouldn’t it be
great to have our own, all-woman firm,”
where they could be career-driven, but also
able to balance their schedules to include
time to spend with their respective families.
At Ertl & Kistemaker, they have finally
been able to achieve that dream, thanks, in
part, to advances in technology, which enables them to do work from home as well as
in the office.
They said their vision for the firm is to
be a “21st Century law practice” that utilizes
the latest in technology and that can act as an
“outsourced in-house counsel” for their
clients. “We do everything an in-house
counsel would do for large businesses, but
for smaller businesses,” Kistemaker said.
Halifax Law Group
Attorney Judith Lane changed the name
of the practice she started in 2009 with Ertl
to Halifax Law Group on Dec. 1, following
Ertl’s departure last last year.
Lane is the managing partner for Halifax
Law, which has added two associate
attorneys in recent months and in March will
be adding a fourth.
Attorney Leanne Siegfried, previously an
associate with Cobb Cole, joined in April
2010. Bill MacQueen, previously a felony trial
attorney with the public defender’s office,
joined earlier this year. Joining next month
will be Stephanie Park, who most recently
was an appellate attorney with the public
defender’s office.
Siegfried handles commercial transactions, which include business formation,
mergers and acquisitions and corporate
counsel as part of Halifax Law’s small business in-house counsel program. MacQueen
will manage the firm’s complex commercial
and civil litigation cases, including matters
Lane
Solis
Sword
Vasilaros
involving employment law, and also will
handle criminal and family law cases. Park
will do appellate litigation, including complex trial strategy formation, intellectual
property litigation and “anywhere we need a
big mind,” Lane said.
“I want to develop a group of young 40something and 30-something lawyers that
are the best and the brightest,” Lane said.
“Our mission is to return confidence to our
legal profession as being part of the helping
professions in our community.”
partner, Michael Chiumento III announced.
Solis specializes in elder law. He also is a
former member of the Ormond Beach City
Commission.
With the addition of Solis, the firm now
has four attorneys, including Chiumento’s
father, Mike Chiumento, and Paul Guntharp.
The firm also has been advertising to
“expand its practice and practice areas
through either a merger or office sharing
arrangement with an existing practice or by
hiring a qualified associate” attorney.
Chiumento, Guntharp & Solis
Livingston, Wolverton & Sword
Palm Coast law firm Chiumento & Guntharp changed its name this past January to
Chiumento, Guntharp & Solis, with the addition of partner Scott Solis, who previously
had his own practice, the firm’s managing
0000920040
Attorney Raven Sword’s bid to land a seat
on the Flagler County School Board came up
short in November, but the experience produced something positive for the Palm Coast
resident nevertheless: a shorter commute.
“After I ran for the school board, I realized
there is a market for me to practice law in Palm
Coast,” said Sword, who resigned from Daytona
Beach law firm Rice & Rose in November to
join a firm closer to home, the firm now known
as Livingston, Wolverton & Sword P.A.
The firm, founded in 2009 by attorneys
Jay Livingston and Jim Wolverton, share an
office space with Enterprise Flagler, at 20
Airport Lane.
Sword brings impressive credentials to
her new firm. She was honored last year for
her pro bono work by winning the
President’s Service Award from the Florida
Bar Association.
Vasilaros Legal/Politis Law Firm
Attorney Steven Vasilaros, a former partner in the Port Orange law firm Vasilaros &
Politis, formed his own solo practice,
Vasilaros Legal, in Holly Hill in August, after
deciding to end his long-time partnership
with attorney Michael Politis. Vasilaros also
has a satellite office in DeLand, which is open
by appointment only.
Politis continues to run his practice on
Dunlawton Avenue, which has been renamed Politis Law Firm. The firm has
branch offices in Bunnell and Orange City.
He is joined by attorney Mark Matovina. ■
0000919804
Properly written
insurance
can cover
your legal fees...
interested?
Donna M. Lennon
Call me today to custom
design your unique protection.
CRM, CIC, AAI
Office (386) 734-0800
www.zurichna.com
Stick Your Nose Into Everybody Else’s Business
with the Volusia/Flagler Business Report
Keep up with Business to
Business news delivered
to your home for only
$29 a year
V
[email protected]
A
O L U S I
cting
Conne
/F
ss
Busine
R
L A G L E
to
ss
Busine
Distribution:
• Direct Mailed to over 7,800 Businesses with total
local sales of over $16 Billion.
• Over 1,000 Copies delivered with
The Volusia/Flagler Review.
• Over 1,000 Copies delivered with The News-Journal
to News-Journal Business Subscribers.
• Stack copies delivered throughout the market
to Chambers of Commerce, multiple government
locations, etc.
For more information or to start your
subscription call 386.681.2500
February 28,2011 15
Focus: EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLES
Executive hobbies:
Area execs pursue variety of leisure activities — when they can find the time
By Bob Koslow
Staff Writer
C
orporate success does not have to mean
the sacrifice of an enjoyable hobby
or passion.
Several area executives have managed to
have both.
“When I first became a lawyer, I put all
my capacity into becoming the best lawyer I
can be,” said Kelly Parsons Kwiatek, an attorney and partner with the Daytona Beach law
firm Cobb Cole. “But, you have to make time
for the things you want to do.”
Kwiatek is a singer. Other executives race
motorcycles, collect art or golf, the most tra-
International Speedway.
Both got into business after receiving
music degrees: White from Stetson University and Guthrie from Millikin University.
“I taught in the Volusia school system
and had a studio, but then we (husband Jack
White) started the business and my practice
fell off,” White said.
Guthrie was born into a musical family,
including a grandmother who played piano
at silent pictures. Growing up, he wanted to
play alto saxophone until seeing a marching
band and hearing the beat of the drums. After switching instruments, he became a
drummer in the basement garage band in
high school. He was set to attend graduate
“Music is important for me, it’s an
outlet, a way to express myself, be
creative. It makes me a complete and
well-rounded person. It’s a marriage
with law in that you have to have stage
presence and think on your feet.”
Kelly Parsons Kwiatek, an attorney and partner at Cobb Cole
ditional of business hobbies.
Kwiatek even received a music theater
degree from Syracuse University and did
some summer theatre work before her law
degree from Florida State University in 2004.
“I was just not ready for the gypsy
lifestyle so as graduation rolled around I still
had the thirst for learning. My dad was an
attorney and judge, so I went that way,”
she said.
About three years ago, the commercial
litigant rekindled the music bug by teaming
with Kelly White on piano to record a CD of
lullabies for a niece. The Trebled Gals were
then hired for some charity events and paying gigs at small local venues. The duo grew
into a trio after drummer John Guthrie heard
the pair perform and begged to sit in.
White is the broker and manager of Jack
White Land Company who also was elected
in November to the Daytona Beach City
Commission.
Guthrie is a vice president at Daytona
school to earn a master’s degree in music but
then decided instead to change career paths.
“I took a good hard look at myself and I
knew I was good because of the hard work,
but there were more naturally talented
drummers. I realized I did not want to do that
the rest of my life,” he said.
Guthrie started in sales and developed a
minor league baseball team before getting
the call six years ago from Daytona
International Speedway to work in
business development.
“Music helps in business because of the
need to perform before others and having to
practice, work hard and set goals to get to the
top,” he said.
He gave up playing drums in public for
20 years before deciding to start performing
with Kwiatek and White.
“I would play in the basement to some
song, but it’s just not the same as playing
with others,” Guthrie said,. “It’s therapy for
See HOBBIES p. 16
Photo: courtesy Kelly White
Real estate broker Kelly White, left, attorney Kelly Parsons Kwiatek, right, and Daytona International
Speedway vice president John Guthrie, sitting, team up from time to time to perform music together.
HOBBIES from p. 15
me. When you are clicking in a group, it’s incredible. You have to carve out time for that.”
Teaming with Kwiatek also forced White
to practice more often. She now plays piano
twice a week for Sunday worship services
at the Drive-In Christian Church in
Daytona Beach Shores.
“I cherish those times twice a week,” she
said. “It keeps me focused. It’s relaxing. Before music was frustrating in that it’s never
finished. You could always play it better or
differently. Now, I like those facts. It’s an
ongoing passion.”
White has stepped back from the trio
since being elected to the City Commission.
Kwiatek and Guthrie plan to continue
performing.
Kwiatek now is working with local professional musicians in addition to Guthrie, to
establish her sound mixing folk, jazz and
blues under a new stage name: Kelly Vee.
“Music is important for me,” said
Kwiatek. “It’s an outlet, a way to express myself, be creative. It makes me a complete and
well-rounded person. It’s a marriage with law
in that you have to have stage presence and
think on your feet.”
Brown & Brown Inc. Chairman J. Hyatt
Brown and his wife, Cici, share a mutual pas0000920132 PDFA
Photo: Sean McNeil
J. Hyatt and Cici Brown in their Ormond Beach home.
sion for collecting art.
“She is really the family curator,” Brown
said of his wife. “It something we share as
partners and can do this all our lives and
hand it down to our children and share it
with the community.”
The Browns sponsored and contributed
70 Florida scene paintings last year for an exhibit at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts
and Science. The show opened February in
Ocala.
“I’m a Florida Cracker, born and raised,
and I have an interest in Florida history,”
Brown said. “Most of the Florida paintings
are of things no longer there.”
B e s i d e F l o r i d a scenes painted in the
19th century, the couple’s 2,400-piece art collection also includes pieces from the Japanese Meiji era of 1867 to 1919 when that nation
was struggling between maintaining traditional values and new western influences.
African art also has a significant influence
for the Browns.
The couple have taken many trips to
Africa and their middle son, Kellim, is an
African art dealer in Brussels, Belgium.
Many of the items in their collection were
purchased on family trips and at auctions.
“I do have a busy business, so much of
the hobby is done on trips and the weekends.
You have to make time,” Brown said.
Golf has always been the businessperson’s hobby.
George Mirabal, the former longtime executive director of what is now the Daytona
Regional Chamber of Commerce who most
recently was interim CEO of the new Team
Volusia Economic Development Corp., is an
avid golfer who recalled the days when “a lot
of business was done on the golf course and
we were expected to play.”
“That has changed as business moves a
lot faster and there isn’t time (for many businesspeople) to play a
round of golf twice a
week,” he said.
Recruiting trips and
showing
business
prospects around Daytona Beach usually included a round of golf,
but that has slowed as
time constraints have
expanded, highlighted
Mirabal
by increased accessibility through pagers, then cellphones and now
smartphones, he said.
“I see players stepping off the green to
take a call or riding in the golf cart on the
cellphones,” Mirabal said.
Looking at semi-permanent retirement
now that he is wrapping up his role at Team
Volusia, Mirabal is refocusing on his golf
game with lessons so he “knows how to
swing the right way and not hurt my back,”
he said. “I haven’t played in four months due
to some back problems, but I like golf.”
Arthur Kowitz, owner of Arthur Kowitz
Realty in Holly Hill, has managed to mix a
lifestyle and hobby. He is often seen riding
his motorcycle about town and races a vintage bike he once raced professionally.
See HOBBIES p. 22
February 28,2011 17
Photo: courtesy Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley Davidson
Jim Gear, a sales manager at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson, with the 2011 Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide Ultra.
Executive toys:
Some “downsizing” discretionary spending, but desire for luxury goods still strong
By Tom Knox
Staff Writer
U
ncertainty over the economy has even
affected those who specialize in selling
big-ticket luxury goods.
While some who are more affluent continue to buy luxury boats, cars, motorcycles
and home entertainment systems, many
haved tempered their spending in recent
years, retailers say.
“It’s not like it used to be a couple years
ago,” said Charley Gonzalez, owner of
Stereotypes, an audio/visual store in Daytona
Beach. “Things have sort of calmed down.
They’re affected, but they still spend.”
Stereotypes sells and installs customized
high-end home entertainment systems,
some of which start in the $15,000 to $20,000
range.
For those who can afford to buy the latest in top-of-the-line equipment, Gonzalez
Photo: Sean McNeil
Stereotypes owner Charley Gonzalez demonstrates the touchscreen control panel in the home theater at his Port Orange home in this 2007 file photo.
said automation is the in-thing these days:
controlling everything in a house — including air-conditioning, stereo system and television — with a smartphone.
Smart phone-operated home entertainment systems can also allow users to see live
footage from their home’s surveillance video
setup. Whether the camera is outside the
home or inside, they can look at video
from their laptop or through an iPhone
application, Gonzalez said.
Dave Clair, a service administator at
Parker Boats in Daytona Beach, said his store
offers boats that cost up to $2 million. The
dealershop on Tomoka Farms Road has been
selling about four $1 million-dollar boats a
year, he said.
Some luxury boats Parker Boats offers
“have more items in them than houses,” such
as the Sea Ray 52 Sedan Bridge, which cost in
the high-hundreds of thousands, Clair said.
The Grady-White 360, also a popular seller,
starts in the $400,000 range, he said.
The pricetag for high-end boats can vary
depending on how many custom options a
buyer decides to add.
Some customers prefer to personalize
their boats, and they can spend a lot of
money in the course of doing it, Clair said.
See TOYS p. 21
0000919803
Let’s Get
Down To
Business...
Photo: David Massey
Mark McRoberts, financial advisor with Wells Fargo, left, talks business with Joe DePasqua, advisor with Steifel Nicolaus at Vince Carter's restaurant.
Upcoming Issue:
21
25
MARCH
FOCUS: Healthcare
FOCUS: Non-Profits
LIST: Hospitals / Healthcare Providers
Insurance Agencies
AD DEADLINES: 3/15/11
APRIL
FOCUS: Real Estate
(Buying/Selling/Leasing)
LIST: Furniture Companies
Interior Designers
AD DEADLINES: 4/12/11
V
O L U S I A
Connecting
/F
Business
L A G L E R
to
Business
For more information call
your sales representative direct or
Rebecca Zimmerman
386-681-2500
or email
rebecca.zimmerman@
news-jrnl.com
Working lunches:
Choices abound for those seeking to combine business with a meal outside the office
By Hilary Lehman
Staff Writer
N
ancy Hunter has worked at Hunter’s
Restaurant in downtown DeLand
long enough to see the one generation of
customers give way to the next.
However, she said, one thing hasn’t
changed in the 12 years she’s been at the
helm: businesspeople still take their work to
lunch with them.
She said she’s overheard countless business conversations at Hunter’s, and said it’s
always interesting to hear people talk shop.
“When it’s politics … that gets really
heated,” she said.
Businesspeople account for roughly 75
percent of her lunchtime crowd, said Hunter,
who added that the restaurant’s midday
clientele typically includes everyone from
local accountants to city and county
employees.
“It gives them a little social and business,
but not in the office. Just more relaxing,”
Hunter said.
In Volusia and Flagler counties, there are
a variety of country clubs and restaurants
where professionals can meet colleagues
and hash out business deals over a plate of
food, with many businesses making special
efforts to cater to them.
Photo: David Massey
From Left: Troy Baumgartner, Roger Baumgartner, Don Whalen, George Smith, and Malcom
Smith, have a business lunch at Hunter's Restaurant in DeLand
Hunter said she thinks businesspeople
enjoy Hunter’s chicken-and-dumplingtype meals.
“They can get a good home-cooked meal
with vegetables, and it’s pretty cheap,” she
said. “I think we’re probably the cheapest
in town.”
Nick Conte Jr., executive director of the
DeLand Area Chamber, said business
lunches are a big part of his workweek. He
said he averages about three lunches with
other professionals during the week.
“It’s part of DeLand lore to actually do
Hunter’s,” Conte said. “And it’s not uncommon to see a table of judges at one table, a
couple of county officials at another and a
bunch of other workers, right there.”
In contrast to the office, where he’s
constantly checking his e-mail or phone,
Conte said lunches offer a good, rare chance
to focus on personal interaction. It’s made
him think more creatively, he said.
“It’s the one place, if you’re being with
someone courteous, anyway, that you’re
unplugged,” he said. “We’re almost forced to
be face-to face with one another.”
There’s one downside to all those lunches, though — and it’s not business-related:
I have to go to the Y to stay
in some semblance of
shape,” Conte said with a
laugh.
Lea Stokes, owner of
Preferred Management
Services in Flagler Beach
Stokes
and 2011 board chairwoman of the Flagler County Chamber of
Commerce, said she enjoys taking lunch as a
chance to clear her head. Lunch is a better
setting than the office for many business
conversations, she said.
“It does get you out of your office, and
you’re in a more relaxed setting,” she said.
Lunch is a good place to meet with business contacts, she said, or to just get away
from the demands of her staff for an hour.
“I think that I can give somebody my undivided attention. I think that’s a big
deal,” Stokes said. “And it’s nice. You actually
get to eat.”
Kelli O’Reilly, owner of the Blue restaurant at the Topaz Hotel in Flagler Beach, said
her lunch business is about 30 percent power lunches. It’s a lower percentage because
most offices in Flagler aren’t close to her
restaurant.
“I think if you can leave the office and come
down to the beach, why not?” O’Reilly said.
She said she does have some office
groups come in once a week, and other
groups come in to do seminars or for pharmaceutical representative lunches. She tries
to accommodate business lunches by seating
February 28,2011 19
Photo: courtesy of Sunset Harbor Yacht Club
Julian Bisoc, general manager of Sunset Harbor Yacht Club.
them in the parlor area, which the restaurant
doesn’t normally do for lunch.
At Sunset Harbor Yacht Club in Daytona
Beach, General Manager Julian Bisoc said
many members go there to conduct business
over lunch during the week.
One of the perks to being a member of
the club, he said, is that they always have a
quiet place they can come during the week
and have work-related conversations.
“This is a good place for them to maybe
get away, especially if they need to be away
from a busy place,” Bisoc said.
Vince Carter’s Restaurant on LPGA
Boulevard in Daytona Beach is another popular site for businesspeople looking to get
out of the office on their break. Manager
Nathaniel Anthony said he thinks executives
enjoy the upscale eatery’s quiet ambience.
In fact, Vince Carter’s has made an effort
to cater to the business lunch crowd, which
can account for as many as 60 percent of its
lunchtime business, by offering a shorter
menu and entrees that are ready quickly.
“It allows businesspeople to come in,
have an affordable lunch, and be out in 15
minutes,” Anthony said.
Professionals aren’t tied to the physical
office anymore, he said.
“It’s the new business place,” Anthony
said of restaurants.
Mark Dunn, general manager of Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach, said he
estimates about 20 percent of lunches at the
club are members bringing clients in.
The country club has a small membership
that offers a different experience for clients than
other area restaurants, Dunn said.
With all the competition from restau-
rants in the Ormond Beach area, Dunn said
Oceanside, like the other eateries, are all
trying to attract the business lunch market.
“I think the business lunch has gotten
quicker over the years,” Dunn said.
“Businesspeople are looking for a little bit
quicker and more efficient experience.” ■
Hilary Lehman can be reached at
[email protected]
or
at
386-681-2240.
0000920027
MANAGED BY
BILLY CASPER GOLF
386.677.7117 • tomokaoaksgolfclub.com
DBNJ
Largest Area Golf Courses
Ranked by
yardsyards
Ranked
bytotaltotal
Golf Courses
Golf Professional/
Director of Golf
1
Plantation Bay-Club de Bonmont,
Prestwick, and Westlake
2
Hammock Beach Resort
3
LPGA International Golf Club
4
The Club at Pelican Bay
5
Daytona Beach Golf Club
John Powell, Director
of Golf
Carlton Grant, General
Manager
Kristen Robertson, Golf
Sales Manager
Shawn R McGuigan,
PGA Professional
John Cameron,
Director of Golf
6
Sugar Mill Country Club
Derek Morrison
9
10
11
12
Phone
300 Plantation Bay Drive, Ormond Beach 32174
(386) 437-4776
www.plantationbaygolf.com
(386) 246-5500
www.hammockbeach.com
(386) 274-5742
www.lpgainternational.com
(386) 756-0040
www.pelicanbaycc.com
(386) 671-3500
www.daytonabeachgc.com
(386) 426-5210
www.sugarmillcc.com
(386) 246-6710
www.hammockbeach.com
(386) 738-6000
www.victoriahillsgolf.com
(386) 447-4600
www.oceanhammock.com
(386) 254-3607
www.indigolakesgolf.com
(386) 676-9600
www.halifaxplantation.com
(386) 445-2327
www.hamptongolfclubs.com
(386) 446-6330
(386) 789-4911
(386) 756-6116
www.sprucecreekgolf.com
(386) 756-5449
www.cypressheadgolf.com
(386) 673-6000
www.playriverbendgolf.com
(386) 668-1705
www.debarycc.com
(386) 677-7117
www.tomokaoaks.com
200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast 32137
1000 Champions Drive, Daytona Beach 32124
350 Pelican Bay Drive, Daytona Beach 32119
600 Wilder Blvd., Daytona Beach 32114
150 Clubhouse Circle, New Smyrna Beach 32168
Course at Hammock Brad Hauer, Director of
7 The ConservatoryBeach
Golf
8
Address and Website
Matt Payne, General
Manager
The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Brad Hauer, Director of
Golf
Lawson Mitchell, GM/
Indigo Lakes Golf Club
Director of Golf
Jason Dowman, Golf
Halifax Plantation Golf Club
Professional
Chris Duquette, Head
Grand Haven Golf Club
Golf Professional
300 Conservatory Dr., Palm Coast 32137
Victoria Hills Golf Club
300 Spalding Way, DeLand 32724
105 16th Road, Palm Coast 32137
312 Indigo Drive, Daytona Beach 32114
3400 Halifax Clubhouse Drive, Ormond Beach 32174
500 Riverfront Drive, Palm Coast 32137
13
Matanzas Course at the Grand Club
Charles Bisignano
14
The Deltona Club
15
Spruce Creek Country Club
16
Golf Club at Cypress Head
17
River Bend Golf Club
18
DeBary Golf & Country Club
Artie Wilson, Director
of Golf
Mike Kelly, Head Golf
Professional
Michael Collins, GM/
Director of Golf
Ken Van Leuven, Head
Golf Professional
Jeff Valliere, Head Golf
Professional
19
Tomoka Oaks Golf & Country Club
Tom Craig
20 Tomoka Oaks Blvd., Ormond Beach 32174
20
Glen Abbey Golf Club
Sverker Mejstedt,
Manager
391 N. Pine Meadow Drive, DeBary 32713
(386) 668-4336
21
The Grand Club Pine Course
Andrew Dailidonis
400 Pine Lakes Pkwy, Palm Coast 32164
22
Oceanside Golf & Country Club
Chris Klinck, Head Golf
Professional
75 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach 32176
(386) 445-2905
(386) 677-7200
OCC1907.com
348 Lakeview Blvd., Palm Coast 32137
1120 Elkcam Blvd., Deltona 32725
1900 Country Club Drive, Port Orange 32128
6231 Palm Vista St., Port Orange 32128
730 Airport Road, Ormond Beach 32174
300 Plantation Club Drive, Debary 32713
Course Type
Total Yards
Private
17,101
Private
Semi-private
15,000
Semi-private
14,072
Semi-private
13,221
Public
12,567
Private
10,105
Private
7,902
Public
7,149
Semi-private
7,113
Semi-private
7,105
Semi-private
7,101
Private
7,073
Semi-private
6,929
Semi-private
6,907
Semi-private
6,841
Public
6,832
Public
6,821
Semi-private
6,776
Semi-private
6,745
Public
6,689
Semi-private
6,674
Private
6,567
For more information, contact the Business Report at [email protected].
Upcoming lists:
■ March 21 Hospitals
■ March 21 Health Plan Providers
■ March 21 Area’s Largest Insurance Agencies
For more information
call: 386-681-2470
February 28,2011 21
TOYS from p. 17
0000918375 PDFA
GOLF'S
NOBRAINER
Photo: courtesy Richey Cadillac Buick GMC
Larry Kelly, general manager of Ritchey Cadillac Buick GMC, with a 2011 Cadillax SRX.
“A lot of times we’ll buy them fairly
equipped, then install a lot of electronics,” he
said. “Things like touch screen or high definition with radar FLIR
night vision. It’s really
the wallet’s the limit.”
Clair said FLIR
high-tech
imaging
cameras come with
both night and infrared
Clair
vision and cost from
$10,000 to $22,000.
“It’s almost like watching the movie
‘Predator,’” he said.
At Spanos Imports on International
Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach, sales
for the sports and luxury car dealer have de-
Photo: courtesy Parker Boats
A Grady-White Canyon 366
creased 30 percent since 2008, co-owner
Alex Spanos said.
These days, “The sweet spot (for the
price of a car) is between $19,000 to $30,000,”
he said. “Before, we never had a $18,000 vehicle. Everything before was at $25,000 to
$55,000. Twenty-five was a starting point.”
Spanos said his store used to sell a
Maserati every two weeks and a Ferrari
every month. Sales for those cars doesn’t
happen as often anymore, but nice cars are
still being sold, he said. Now, though, instead
of a buying a BMW 7 Series, Spanos said his
store’s typical customer might opt for a less
pricey 5 Series model.
Larry Kelly, general manager of Ritchey
Cadillac Buick GMC on Nova Road in Daytona Beach, said the Cadillac Escalade, which
runs from $60,000 to $70,000, continues to
be popular seller at his dealership.
The SRX, Cadillac’s mid-size crossover
sports utility vehicle, which range in price
from $36,000 to $50,000, has been gaining in
popularity as of late.
Kelly said his dealership, too, has seen
the effects of consumers cutting back on discretionary spending. “I’ve seen people who
normally buy a $60,000 or $70,000 sedan
buying a $40,000 sedan,” he said.
Buick has had a bit of a rebirth as a nicer
car not just for grandparents anymore, and
some people are coming in to look at the
higher-end Buicks instead of other more
pricey luxury cars, Kelly said.
As far as executive toys go, the allure for
top-of-the-line motorcycles appears to be a
strong as ever.
“Here in Harley Land, (customers) are
buying the high-end Harley Touring Bikes
and factory custom Screamin’ Eagles,” said
Mike Watts, a sales manager at the Bruce
Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson dealership at Destination Daytona in Ormond
Beach.
The Screamin’ Eagles are Harley’s most
expensive, limited-edition motorcycles with
heated grips and chrome everywhere. They
cost $40,000 and up, while the Touring Bikes
are in the mid-$20,000s.
By contrast, a typical Harley costs
$17,000 to $18,000, Watts said.
Watts said high-end bikes have continued to sell well, even during the recession.
Instead, it has been sales of motorcycles
in “the middle to the low end” prices that
See TOYS p. 22
11ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
0
2
orlando
59
95
$
+tax
MUST USE
PROMO CODE
SPECIAL
(regular price $89.95)
DB59
OFFER EXPIRES 5/31/11
M E M B E R S H I P
2011
(386) 437-5866
ExecGolf.com
HOBBIES from p. 16
“Yes, I am obsessed,” he said.
Kowitz raced his Kawasaki 1000cc motorcycle professionally during the late 1970s
and early 1980s before retiring in 1982 to
focus on business and family. But, he still
kept busy with hobbies in his spare time.
“I like to build things, solve problems,
and I have a shop at home. I’m kind of a para
engineer,” he said. “Add that to the spice of
a motorcycle, the exhilaration and the
freedom. I couldn’t resist.”
So, in 2007, some old buddies talked
Kowitz into returning to racing vintage motorcycles. He refurbished the old Kawasaki
and won the 2008 Vintage SuperBike Heavy-
weight class of the American Historic Motorcycle Association.
“I have been a self-employed businessman for 41 years and blessed with a talented
staff that covers my back and allows me the
time,” Kowitz said. “Many of us believe that
we can’t give up control and it won’t get
done right if we don’t do it ourselves and
that’s wrong. If you put the right people in
the right position and give them the freedom, they’ll get the job done.”
■
Bob Koslow can be reached at
b o b. k o s l o w @ n e w s - j r n l . c o m o r a t
386-681-2285.
TOYS from p. 19
Photo: Bob Koslow
Arthur Kowitz, owner of Arthur Kowitz Realty, is a motorcycle enthusiast who races this black and
green vinrtage Kawasaki 1000 as a hobby.
0000919488 PDFA
have been most affected by the downturn, he
said. The reason: customers for bikes in that
price range are more likely to have credit
problems or to be young with little credit,
he said.
When it comes time to relax, many area
execs still head to the golf course.
Jeff Ryan, head golf professional at Palm
Harbor Golf Club in Palm Coast, said that
many golfers who visit the pro shop at his
course are looking to buy the latest equipment. If their game isn’t very good, they
think they can just buy a piece of high-tech
equipment to cure their play, he said.
The Orange Whip is a popular swing
trainer that costs about $115 and works on
flexibility and strength. It’s only been around
for a few years. The TaylorMade R11 driver is
standard among people who can afford the
$500, Ryan said.
At Halifax Plantation in Ormond Beach,
head golf pro Jason Dowman said the $1,000
Callaway Diablo is the preferred set of irons
for many of his customers.
“Calloway makes the best irons,” Dowman said. “They come up with something
new every year.”
■
Tom Knox can be reached at
[email protected] or at 386-681-2728.
Photo: David Massey
The Custom Club Fitting System, by Mizuno, at Palm Harbor Golf Club
in Palm Coast.
February 28,2011 23
Briefs
CEO Business Alliance
hires Sharples
Eton Partners, an executive search firm in
Atlanta to assist in the search for a new CEO.
Former Daytona State College President
Kent Sharples has a new job.
On Jan. 25, in a meeting with The NewsJournal’s editorial board, Sharples was introduced as president of the CEO Business
Alliance, a newly
formed group made up
of top executives from
several of Volusia
County’s most prominent businesses.
His assignment:
to be a full-time business recruiter who can
aggressively work to attract companies with
Sharples
50 to 300 employees to
the county.
The CEO Business Alliance, which
previously operated under the working title
“CEO Cabinet,” is made up of J. Hyatt Brown,
chairman of Brown & Brown Inc.; Bill McMunn,
CEO of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co.; Lesa
France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway
Corp.; her uncle, Jim France, vice chairman of
NASCAR; and Mark LaRose, CEO of Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center and Florida Hospital Oceanside.
Each alliance board member has agreed to
contribute $100,000 a year for the next three
years for the purpose of aiding efforts to recruit
employers to the county.
The alliance was created as a separate, but
complementary organization to the newly
formed public/private Team Volusia Economic
Development Corp. and the county’s Economic
Development Division.
Sharples, who ended an 11-year stint as president of Daytona State in November, was hailed by
the alliance’s members as an ideal person to serve
as its recruiter because of his experience in economic development and his extensive connections
throughout the country both with higher education
and business leaders.
“What a pleasure it is to be back, ” said
Sharples, who described the job as “a new
chapter in my life.”
FDIC closes Sunshine;
Premier takes reins
— Clayton Park
Daytona postmark ending
with merge
The U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution operations in Daytona Beach will be
merged with those at its much larger Mid-Florida center in Lake Mary, officials said Feb. 15.
The impact to the local community includes
the loss of about 100 jobs and the loss of the
Daytona Beach postmark on outgoing mail
— Bob Koslow
Photo: Sean McNeil
Arata "Al" Kabeshita speaks to a crowd gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the
new ARK Technologies plant in Daytona Beach.
Ground broken for ARK auto parts plant
The five-year-plus wait for ARK Technologies to break ground for its auto-parts manufacturing plant in Daytona Beach finally came
to an end Jan. 28.
“I appreciate the patience by the Volusia
County people,” said Arata “Al” Kabeshita,
chairman and founder of St. Charles, Ill.-based
ARK, as he addressed the small gathering of
local government officials and area business
leaders prior to the ground-breaking ceremony for his company’s Daytona Beach plant.
The 50,000-square-foot plant, which will
produce original-equipment manufacturer’s
parts for Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Ford and
Chrysler vehicles, is scheduled to open by Feb.
1, 2012, and initially will employ 25 to 40
workers, he said.
dropped in mailboxes.
Mayor Glenn Ritchey expressed disappointment when notified of the decision.
Joseph Breckenridge, a spokesman for the
Postal Service, said centralizing sorting operations into the larger Lake Mary facility will reduce costs by a projected $5.7 million a year.
The merger should be complete by July.
The decision is the result of a study
undertaken last July, which found that the
agency could reap savings by moving the
operation to Lake Mary. Postal officials said the
economic downturn and the continuing
diversion of hard-copy messages to the Internet
sparked the review.
Postal officials said the consolidation, limited to mail sorting operations, will not require
closing any Daytona area postal facility. Also,
the retail operations at the Daytona Beach plant
on Bill France Boulevard will continue. Local
first-class mail in the Daytona area will continue
to be delivered overnight.
The bulk of the mail handled by the plant is
business mail, according to Breckenridge. Most
businesses use a meter that says Daytona
Beach or have a pre-stamped permit that has
the city’s name on it.
— Valerie Whitney
The anticipated cost of the construction
project, including the $900,000 paid in
December 2005 to purchase the site on the
Mason Avenue extension from ConsolidatedTomoka Land Co., is $3.6 million. Counting the
cost of the equipment that will be installed at
the plant, the total cost for the project will be
more than $5 million.
After securing an economic incentive
package from the county and state and the
necessary permits for the project from the city,
Kabeshita said he put the construction project
on hold several years ago because of the onset
of the recession. He decided to finally proceed
with building the plant, thanks to a rebound in
the auto industry.
— Clayton Park
Consolidated chief retiring
After 10 years as
the head of Consolidated
Tomoka Land Co., Bill McMunn is stepping down as
president and CEO, he announced Feb. 10.
The retirement is
effective Dec. 31. However, he will remain with
the Daytona Beach
McMunn
headquartered company as a consultant through 2012 to assist the
transition to new management, he said.
“I hope that helps in a smooth transition, ”
McMunn said. “I had always planned to retire
between 65 and 66 and I’ll be there at the end
of the year. I am at the age where there are
other things I want to do.”
He plans to stay at his home in Ormond
Beach and tackle some civic projects as well as
help create jobs in the region as board chairman
and a member of the private CEO Business Alliance. He also plans to keep an eye on the company as the largest individual stockholder and
the 11th-largest overall, he said.
Consolidated’s board of directors has hired
Federal regulators on Feb. 11 closed
struggling Port Orange-based Sunshine State
Community Bank.
The bank’s five branches now operate under
the name “Sunshine State Bank, a division of
Premier America.”
FDIC officials said Sunshine customers will
be able to write checks and use bank cards
as usual. All Sunshine accounts will remain
FDIC-insured with Premier, which is based in
Miami.
Loan terms will not change, but Premier will
be reviewing interest rates, according to
the FDIC.
Sunshine, established in 2000, had about
$125.5 million in assets and $116.7 million in
deposits.
In December, Sunshine received the
lowest-possible rating of zero stars in the latest
report by Bauer Financial Inc. The bank,
which had already received zero stars in each of
the previous two quarters, lost $3.75 million
as of Sept. 30.
The bank was considered “significantly undercapitalized” under federal regulatory guidelines, with more than 19 percent of the bank’s
loans at least 90 days overdue in payments.
— Andrew Gant
Jet-dragster maker moving into
ERAU research park
Students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University will soon get firsthand experience
building jet dragsters as well as other research
projects as a motorsports company moves its
headquarters into Embry-Riddle’s new Research
and Technology Park.
Larsen Motorsports will be the first tenant
in the 90-acre park with hopes of making the
transition from Haines City to Daytona Beach by
summer.
The company will lease space in the old bus
facility on the west side of Clyde Morris
Boulevard and Aviation Center Parkway.
Embry-Riddle has had a relationship for
seven years with Larsen Motorsports, including
being a sponsor of jet-dragster driver Elaine
Larsen, who owns the company with her
husband, Chris. Embry-Riddle sponsors one of
her cars, which was designed by Embry-Riddle
students in Daytona Beach.
The new 10,000-square-foot-plus facility
will house 15 employees.
■
— Deborah Circelli
0000919863
DINARDO
NEAR OCEAN CENTER
DINARDO PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
AND REAL ESTATE
Fantastic
opportunity
w/17-unit
apartment complex w/generous parking.
Large parcel (.42 acres) has unlimited
potential. Several city grants available.
The owner is motivated. Only $598,000!
10 high & dry acres of beautiful woods
within city limits of Ormond Beach. More
contiguous land is available. Paved road, all
utilities in place, city water/sewer, zoned
R4. Great spot to build an ALF, church,
townhouse development or estate home.
Owner will consider a joint venture.
Chris DiNardo (386) 492-7837
Dinardorealestate.com
Mike McGuire
386-871-4901
Lauren Nasser
386-846-1739
Offering full Management Solutions to
meet your Commercial/Residential needs.
Receivership Services/Foreclosures.
WAREHOUSE
CONTEMPORARY PLAZA
661 Beville Road • South Daytona, FL 32119
Office & Retail Space Between US 1 &
Nova on south side of Beville
HOLLY HILL
2400 sq. ft. Zoned I-1, 2 offices,
2 baths, Overhead Dr.
Across from News-Journal.
Street Front, 3 phase.
CORPORATE OFFICE:
Frama Investment Corporation, Inc.
1518 State Avenue, Suite A • Holly Hill, FL 32117
Phone: 386-677-3741 • Fax: 386-677-8840
[email protected]
386-290-0494 • 386-677-8575
Fern Business Park
Knights of Columbus Bldg
FLAGLER BEACH A1A OFFICE/RETAIL
51 N. Old Kings Road
Palm Coast, Florida 32137
Restaurant/Food Service, Bar/Tavern,
Club, Church, etc.2.3 Acres, 10,272 sq. ft.
building, Fully equipped bar/lounge,
full kitchen and large banquet hall
with stage. $750,000
2462 sq. ft. free-standing building zoned
GC on busy A1A. Paved parking, ADA
compliant, former restaurant location
configured as high-end office space. 3 lots
plus littoral parcels. Owner wants offers.
$899.900.
Call Tim Kennelly, Jr.
386-503-9064 [email protected]
THE ORMOND RESERVE
PORT ORANGE
RIVIERA PLAZA OF HOLLY HILL
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
FOR OVER 30 YEARS
Call: 386-677-3741
or E-MAIL:[email protected]
for information
Retail/Office Space
1700-1702 Ridgewood Avenue
Holly Hill, FL
9 UNIT MULTI-FAMILY
5 houses & a quadraplex. Own 1/2 a city
block in South Daytona. Won’t last long at
$350,000.
Ted Cox
386-566-7509
RIVIERA INDUSTRIAL PLAZA II
1620 State Ave., Holly Hill
BRAND NEW BUILDING
Up to 14,000 sq. ft.
Can be divided.
For information call
Monticelli Investment
386-677-3741
Email [email protected]
Area’s Best Buys
BKC ORDERED SALE
One-acre parcel approved for 8-unit
multi-family development. Property is last
remaining asset in U. S. Bankruptcy Court
ordered liquidation (08-50120 RFH,
Middle District of Georgia). Property
conveys with prints & permit work files.
Price
reduced,
offers
encouraged.
$85,000.
Matthew Wilson
386-503-1254
Matthew Wilson
386-503-1254
HUB OF PORT ORANGE
BUSINESS DISTRICT
NOW’S THE TIME
Bank owned 5500 sq. ft. office location
with detached garage and service
building on large irregular shaped 1.5
acre lot with room for expansion.
Priced below assessed value - $389,000.
4488 SF at Oak Pointe Business Park
in Ormond. Superior bank owned
property with upgrades throughout.
Space includes 2400 SF office and
2400 SF of clear-span warehouse with
20 foot ceiling height. Priced to sell at
$345,000.
BUSINESS HEADQUARTERS
PLUS INCOME
PROFESSIONAL OFFICES
IN HEART OF ORMOND
PRIME COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE
MBA Business Center • US Highway 1 • Ormond Beach
Call Today
386-681-2512
Showcase
Your
Commercial
Property
Lease/Owner Financing Available
RETAIL / OFFICE
Great opportunity to own this 6 bay
35,000 SF office/warehouse in central
business district in Daytona. This bank
owned property is well maintained with
tenants in place. Easy truck access, fully
sprinkled, 3 phase power. Priced right at
$950,000.
— ALSO AVAILABLE —
Oak Centre Business Park
Warehouses Dock High &
Ground Level
Office Suites in
Port Orange
Light Industrial
Warehouses
and Office
Suites in
Ormond Beach
Free standing office location at 1221
SF and 2340 SF. Ideal for most any
professional services. New roof,
paint, park-like setting. Starting at
$109,900. Also available for lease.
570 Memorial Circle, Ste. 300
Ormond Beach, Florida 32174
Ormond Business Center
Call Jeanette Gagnon 386.299.7055
(386) 672-8530/office
CBCWorldwide.com

Inside - Volusia/Flagler Business Report

Transcription

Similar documents

Food brings Hope Partners with Atlantic High School 11.2015

You`re invited to the 3nd annual Weenie Roast

BROCHURE-ACQUALINA MIAMI

a Printable Version - Law Offices Of Richard Troutman

Daytona Beach Housing Authority 2014 FAHRO King of the Court

Litchfield Beach Access

Mrs. House and Mrs. Huba`s STEM Challenge Day

Chapter 154 - Nawcc154 Daytonabeach

Help Support Our Cause For Paws!

Weenie Roast - Cape Fear Sail and Power Squadron