Bay Biz Magazine - October-December 2011

October 2011

168 POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE: “Florida More Business Friendly”

10 FEATURE: “Economic Development Partnerships Put Bay County on the map”

12 EDUCATION: “Flying High at Haney Technical Center with FAA Certified Training”

15 Small Business of the Quarter

16 TRENDS: “Vendor Managed Inventory”

18 Bay Young Professionals to Know

20 “ARA ReadiJet alternative Fuel Technology”

October-December 2011 | BAY BIZ 3

20

810

1224 THE BIZ LIST

28 ECONOMIC PROFILE: EDA Insights

30 Local Products with a Global Reach

32 NEW MEMBERS

33 MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

34 CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR

38 OUT & ABOUT

Bay Biz Magazine

c/o Bay County Chamber of Commerce

235 W. 5th Street - P.O. Box 1850

Panama City, Florida 32401

Phone: 850.785.5206

Email: [email protected]

Online: www.panamacity.org

Facebook: Bay County Chamber

Twitter: @baychamberfl

The Bay Biz is published quarterly by the Bay County Chamber ofCommerce. P.O. Box 1850, Panama City, FL 32402. 850.785.5206

POSTMASTER send address changes to Bay County Chamber, P.O. Box1850, Panama City, FL 32402 or email [email protected].

The Bay Biz welcomes story ideas from its readers. Email [email protected]. Each Chamber Member receives one copy. Torequest additional copies please contact [email protected] orcall 850.215.3755.

PUBLISHERCarol Roberts

EXECUTIVE EDITORCrystal Shuller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

DESIGNBellhouse Publishing

COVERCover Design by Crystal Shuller

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSMeredith Geddings, Jacqui Barker, Carol Roberts,

Crystal Shuller, Jill McKinzie, Florida’s Great Northwest

ADVERTISINGKevin Bell

1.800.264.4958 - [email protected]

Jennifer ConoleyJudith DealPat HolleyAlisa Kinsaul

Valerie LovettCrystal ShullerElizabeth SmithCarol Roberts

4 BAY BIZ | October - December 2011

As we are officially in Indian summer, we have to pause and

reflect on the incredible year we have had as well as exciting news

for Bay County!

DOT officials announced that the funding for the completion

of four-laning Hwy 79 to I-10 may become available through a

creative financing program. This incredible news affects future

development of the NWFL

Beaches International Airport

and provides an additional

northern evacuation route.

This issue has been on the

Chamber’s Legislative Agenda

for many years.

Our number one industry,

tourism, has broken records

and generated a great deal of

bed tax collections that will

be utilized to attract future travelers to our community who in

turn, stimulate our local economy. Our airport, which held its one-

year anniversary in May, is also a shining star among the successes

of the summer.

The Bay County Economic Development Alliance announced a

new job generating company - Redpine Healthcare Technologies.

This announcement was made possible by our Bay County

Commission, who stepped up to the plate to offer a competitive

incentive package. Read more about Redpine and the partnership

in this issue of the Bay Biz.

To mark this news, we’ve chosen to recognize our economic

development and the diversity of existing industries in our region.

Bay County has a stronger than average manufacturing base, so

we found it important to highlight this segment of our economy.

They provide our area with many high wage jobs.

You can read about some of our unique manufacturers, including

a company transforming algae into biofuel for jet engines, as well

as articles on workforce training programs, a manufacturing

industry trend, and what state government is doing to make Florida

more business friendly.

At publication time, for the first time ever, the Florida

Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) is meeting in

Northwest Florida and bringing hundreds of Chamber execs and

their staffs from all over the state to our region.

In addition, we at the Chamber have started our transition for

the new year with an annual board retreat scheduled to develop

the 2012 Business Plan, a slate of six new board members selected

and plans for next year’s Legislative Agenda are underway. It’s

been a wonderful summer and we are looking forward to a great

fall and winter season. Remember, get involved and help make Bay

County a better place to LIVE, WORK and PLAY!

Carol Roberts, Bay County Chamber President / CEO

{ The Bay County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) is

pleased to partner with the Bay County Chamber on this special

edition of the Bay Biz, highlighting our local economic

development efforts and the assets that make Bay County a great

place to locate or expand a business. The EDA’s role in the

community is to focus on creating a globally competitive

environment where businesses can thrive and assisting companies

with quality jobs in expanding or locating to Bay County.

Many times, the activities economic development organizations

focus on can be confused with other business recruitment efforts,

such as community development and local business development.

However, the EDA focuses on the recruitment and retention of

high-skill, high-wage diversified industry. Diversified industry

generally means companies that bring wealth into a community by

exporting their goods and services to customers outside the local

market, and those that do not rely on the local economy for

income. Their primary markets are outside of the community and

they can locate anywhere their labor, business costs and supplier

network is available and competitive.

The EDA operates as a public/private partnership and is

comprised of Bay County, the cities of Callaway, Lynn Haven and

Panama City, NWFL Beaches International Airport, Port Panama

City, the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, the Panama City

Beach Chamber of Commerce,

the Gulf Coast Workforce

Board, two major economic

development investors – Gulf

Power and The St. Joe Company

and over 20 private businesses.

All of our investors share the

EDA’s mission and are

committed to working together

for economic prosperity.

We work closely with our

regional partner, Florida’s Great Northwest, which represents 16

counties in northwest Florida, as well as the State’s economic

development organization, Enterprise Florida. Together, we help

keep Bay County and Florida a competitive place to do business.

We are excited to showcase the diverse industries and economic

assets located in Bay County in this quarter’s edition. If you have

additional questions about the EDA and how we operate, don’t

hesitate to contact us at 215.9965 or visit www.BayEDA.com.

Janet Watermeier, EDA Executive Director


President’s Message

{

EDA Working To Build A Stronger Bay County

Political Perspective:Making Florida More Business Friendly

The 2011 Florida legislative session was adjourned in the early morning hours of

May 7th. The focus of this year’s session was to put Floridians back to work, reduce

government regulations and cut spending. Enacting legislation and repealing non-

essential regulations will help the state to become more pro-business. According

to Representative Marti Coley, “the Florida House definitely focused on creating a

business friendly environment.” The legislature passed bills that put numerous

incentives in place to help local communities attract new industries.

The Bay County Chamber’s 2011 Legislative Agenda had been encouraging our

legislators to consolidate/eliminate/streamline state departments to design a more

efficient and modernized permitting process. Success in this area became a reality.

By eliminating the Department of Community Affairs, local governments are now

Written by: Pat Holley, Bay County Chamber Governmental Affairs

able to determine what growth is best for their

communities and it adds a certain amount of

predictability for businesses considering expansion.

The state is creating a more efficient and business

friendly method to create jobs by streamlining the

entire economic development process. It will

reduce the time allowed for the state to approve

economic development incentives, thus moving

the process along in a more cost-effective and

proficient manner. Allan Bense, Chairman of the

Florida Chamber of Commerce, is encouraged by

Legislative Session


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these changes. He says that “new incentives to help local

communities to attract new industries will help us bring in

additional diversified industries to Bay County.”

Small businesses were provided a much needed tax break this

past session. An increase in corporate income tax exemptions

from $5,000 to $25,000 will benefit nearly half of the small

businesses in the state. There were 1,100 regulations that

impacted small business that were eliminated or repealed,

according to a report from Senator Don Gaetz.

The high unemployment rates for the past several years have

had a negative effect on all businesses. This year, lawmakers

passed legislation that would tie the state’s unemployment rate

and the maximum number of weeks workers can draw benefits

from 26 weeks to 23 weeks. Thus a savings for businesses.

Legislation sponsored by Senator Gaetz and supported by

Representatives Coley and Patronis ensures that three fourths of

all BP oil fines and settlement monies paid to the state will go to

the coastal counties of northwest Florida. Mr. Bense praised them

and said, “Hats off to them, this is going to be extremely helpful

to the economy in our area.”

Although many legislators believe that this was a successful

and very pro-business session, most agree that there is much to

be done in the 2012 session. The new session begins early next

year, in January, due to the overwhelming task of redistricting.

Representative Patronis says that it will be the number one issue

in the next session but “the business community will have the

best seat at the table.”The passage of unemployment

compensation reform is another

positive for the business community.

A brand new airport. A deep water port. Four lanes to the

Interstate from U.S. 231 and State 79. And let’s not forget, the

World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.

As leaders in some communities furrow their brows at the

struggling economy and uncertain future, Bay County finds itself

uniquely in a position rife with opportunity.

The Bay County Commission’s springtime creation of an

economic incentive program, aimed at bringing new businesses and

jobs to the area, illustrates turning talk into triumph. “We had to

do something, and being proactive was the right thing to do,” Bay

County Commission Chairman Bill Dozier said. “Bay County has so

much to offer, but there were many companies that wouldn’t

even look at us because we didn’t have any kind of incentive

package in place.”

The move paid off.

Redpine Healthcare Technologies, a Spokane, Washington-based

company, announced in July plans to move its headquarters – and

ultimately some 400 jobs – to Bay County, thanks to a $350,000

incentive package offered as part of the Bay County Economic

Economic DevelopmentPartnerships Put Bay County on The Map

Partnership program between the county and the Economic

Development Alliance (EDA).

“Without the local incentive package, we wouldn’t have landed

Redpine,” Bay County EDA Chairman Glen McDonald said, noting

that the company was initially focused on other communities with

similar incentives before ultimately choosing to come here.

“The local incentive package will put us on the map

competitively with every other community in the United States,”

McDonald said. “It’s a milestone for job creation and sends a

message to the rest of the country that we are serious about

industry and jobs coming to Bay County.”

Local business people have lauded the move. Bay County

Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Carol Roberts said the

program has been a long time coming.

“For years the private sector has tried to carry the bulk of the

load to bring new jobs to our community,” Roberts said. “This one

incentive, packaged with state incentives, has already proved itself

with Redpine. Public/private partnerships have proven time and

again, to be more successful than trying to go it alone”.


“Anything the county can do to partner with area businesses

that can attract industry to our area and improve the overall

economy is a good idea,” said Gulf Coast Medical Center’s

President & CEO, Brian Baumgardner. “I truly think it’s great, and

it’s a relatively modest program that is fiscally responsible on the

part of the commission but still enough to attract businesses.”

The program partners Bay County and the EDA in offering

performance-based incentive packages to businesses on a case-

by-case basis, as long as they fall within target industries, including

aviation, aerospace, defense and national security, information

technology, manufacturing and transportation and logistics

companies.

For consideration, an applicant must create a minimum of 150

new, full-time equivalent, permanent jobs paying an average wage

of at least 115 percent of the Bay County average annual wage

of $32,626.

Another component of the program is that a benefitting

company’s share of sales or revenues of products or services

derived from out of the region must exceed 50 percent.

“In my opinion, the best thing government can do for business

is to get out of the way,” Dozier said. “It’s not our desire to make

it more difficult for our already established local companies to

grow. It’s our desire to help our local economy grow.”

“The companies targeted for the program can generally locate

anywhere there is a qualified workforce and connectivity to their

customers,” said EDA Executive Director, Janet Watermeier.

McDonald said, “Infrastructure such as the port and new

airport also make the area attractive. Two of the EDA’s top three

projects at the moment are airport related, with one related to

maintenance and repair operations and the other an aviation

training center.”

While negotiations for the plans are generally not public, any

funding approved by the County Commission will be vetted

publicly beforehand. Qualified companies can be awarded

anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per job created, but the amount

of the award is totally at the discretion of the Bay County

Commission.

“We strive to be good stewards of the people’s money,” Dozier

said. “We take that seriously, and we’re looking for businesses that

are a good fit for Bay County.”

For Redpine President Shad Wheeler, Bay County represents

more than a good financial fit for his company; it’s a good place

to raise a family. “It’s a small town,” he said, “and that’s where I

come from. It still has a lot of the same ideals and the same

feeling of community. That was a big thing for us.” Bay County’s

incentive package was comprable to other areas’ – such as Odessa,

Tx. – by a slim margin. “But look at where I get to live,” Wheeler

said. “Bay County kind of had the upper hand in that one.”


The Redpine Revolution

Redpine offers chiropractic care providers a

complete practice management system and

comprehensive medical billing services to its

customers that ensures doctors are paid quickly,

simplifies the billing and collection process and

satisfies the rapidly changing legal and security

requirements of the new healthcare legislation. The

company is the developer and sole provider of

ChiroCollector, a cloud-based chiropractic practice

management and electronic medical record system.

The company was founded in 2006 as ProVolve

Solutions and strives to meet rapidly changing

customer demands as regulations and complex billing

requirements continue to change. Redpine currently

serves over 200 clients nationwide and continues to

grow its client-base at a consistent pace.

“We are very excited about moving to Panama City

and the positive impact it will have on both our

company and our customers,” said Shad Wheeler,

president of Redpine. “Bay County offers a

tremendous workforce that we believe will play a key

role in supporting our continued growth and our

mission to allow doctors to do what they do best –

take care of their patients. We take care of the rest.”

Visit www.redpineservices.com for more information.

education:

Test engine on stand for new

PowerPlant program

Hiding in plain sight are the best kept secrets in Bay

County…career and technical training programs at Haney Technical

Center. Thousands of people drive past this campus every day

and have no idea what this center has to offer.

Located on the corner of Highway 77 and Baldwin Road,

industry experts are training students for in-demand careers at

Haney Technical Center in a variety of fields.

Haney offers high quality training in the areas of architecture

and construction, digital design, business management and

administration, communication, cosmetology, computer systems

technology, massage therapy, licensed practical nursing, applied

welding technology, transportation (including auto collision repair

and refinishing, auto service technology, aviation A&P mechanics

and marine service technology) and adult general education. Many

Written by: Judith Deal Harris, Resource and Testing Coordinator

FLYING HIGH AT HANEY TECHNICAL CENTER WITHFAA CERTIFIED TRAINING

of these highly skilled trainings lead to high wage pay in the

workforce.

In addition to these career/technical programs, Haney Technical

Center is now able to offer training in the aviation/aerospace

industry through its Aviation Academy. The Aviation Academy’s

program is Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) approved to offer the

Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) trainings. Students completing the

program will be eligible to sit for the FAA written, oral and

practical exams that lead to A&P mechanic licenses. Students

obtaining the aforementioned licenses are qualified to work on all

commercial, as well as private, airplanes and helicopters.

The program takes approximately 2 years to complete. The

first course is General Aviation, and is composed of 480 hours.

The Airframe course is 960 hours, as is the Powerplant course.

Bobby Mack and Jared Holloway work together to

research the components of the cockpit controls.


Frank Stephens, Director of the Aviation Academy stated, “When

you compare the $7,500 cost of our program to the $30,000

to $40,000 cost of comparable A&P programs throughout the

country, you can see what a fantastic opportunity is available

to future airplane mechanics right here in Panama City!.”

With the opening of the new Northwest Florida Beaches

International Airport in May 2010, Haney Technical Center’s

administration and instructors recognized the future need for a

trained workforce in the aviation industry. Thus, a strong

partnership with the Gulf Coast Workforce Board (GCWB) was

formed in pursuit of obtaining an FAA certified A&P program at

Haney. With the monetary assistance of the GCWB in providing

textbooks, tools, equipment and financial assistance to qualified

applicants, our General and Airframe courses were certified in the

spring of 2009 and our first General classes opened with a total

of 22 students. Enrollment in each successive class has seen an

increase.

The Aviation Academy received its final FAA certification for

the Powerplant course in July 2011, and plans to open its first

Powerplant class in late October of 2011. That class will finish in

August 2012 and Bay County should have approximately 40

newly certified A & P mechanics in the job market. “With the

average wage of A&P mechanics in the northwest Florida area

being $26.03* per hour, our program is a wise choice for a

successful career in the aviation field!” stated Michael

Heptinstall, Director of Haney Technical Center.

Now the secret’s out – Haney Technical Center is a great

source for career and technical training that lead to high wage

jobs. So the next time you are driving past the campus, stop in

and talk to a counselor about which program might be best for

you.

*US Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2010

Above: Airframe instructor Dennis Harper explains parts of the

cockpit to students Bobby Mack, Tangnyang Maran, Bryan Prince,

and Jason Blackwood.

Custom Technical Services (CTS) has been in business in Bay

County for over 2 years. Locally owned and operated, CTS installs

and services CCTV systems, door access, fire and security alarm

systems as well as offering monitoring services. Their mission is

to bring together alarm professionals that care about protecting

our community to provide quality customer service and to bring

back the face to face personal care.

CTS believes in giving back to their community. They proudly

support the local community by using the services of local

businesses. They also enjoy supporting many community events

as well as being active members of several local organizations and

giving back to various children’s facilities and local churches.

Congratulations to Custom Technical Services for being

selected as the Small Business Institute’s Small Business of the

Quarter.

Small Business of the Quarter

Does your business have fewer than 35 employees and are you

a member of the Bay County Chamber? If so, your business may

be eligible for Small Business of the Quarter. The SBI is currently

accepting applications. Businesses that are selected receive

publicity in the Bay Biz, recognition on the Chamber’s website,

www.panamacity.org, recognition at First Friday and a sign for your

business recognizing you as the Small Business of the Quarter. For

more information or an application, please contact Elizabeth at

215-3761 or [email protected].

Custom Technical Services (CTS)

Member NCUA

769-3306pefcu.org

YOU can be aMEMBER

LIVE or WORK in Bay County?

PANHANDLE EDUCATORSfederal credit union

Trends: VMI

Example of a Vendor Managed

Inventory Warehouse

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is a streamlined approach to

inventory management and order fulfillment that supersedes the

traditional ordering process. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers,

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and product users look-

ing to improve the process between product development and the

end customer use VMI for a cost effective way to do business.

The concept is that a manufacturer receives electronic data

(usually via software or the Internet) on the distributor’s sales and

stock levels. The manufacturer can view every item that the dis-

tributor carries as well as true point of sale data. The manufac-

turer is responsible for creating and maintaining the inventory plan,

generating the order and keeping ownership of the inventory. Be-

fore VMI, the quantity of the products ordered was unknown, but

using VMI, a manufacturer can see the potential need for an item

before it is ordered.

Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and

services and a brand of ingersoil Rand, utilizes the VMI system at

its Lynn Haven facility. The Lynn Haven manufacturing plant has

taken advantage of this process for the last four years by part-

nering with its suppliers of raw material. The raw material suppliers

receive forecasts from Trane, and this is the basis for the stock

levels that are maintained at third party warehouses. Replenish-

ment of the inventory is made automatically by the supplier when

Trane pulls material from the warehouse into its facility for pro-

duction.

Some of the benefits utilizing a VMI system include:

� Reductions in on-hand inventory

� Additional space in the factory for manufacturing product

� Fewer material shortages

� Improved communication for replenishment to suppliers

� Labor cost reduction due to third party warehouse management of inventory

� Improved order processing speed

� Lower out of stock rates

� Reduction in distributor ordering error and visibility of stock levels

Vendor Managed Inventory:A practical and affordable way to improve fill rates,turns and sales

“Using this system helps Trane reduce floor space for material

and creates additional space in the manufacturing areas for pro-

ducing customer orders,” said Marilyn Huntsucker, procurement

manager with Trane. “The off-site inventory helps us be more re-

sponsive to our customers’ needs and to unexpected changes in

demand. We now have a competitive edge by ensuring we can pro-

vide products quicker than our competitors.”

This process can work for other industries and businesses that

rely on quick delivery and part availability and need assistance in

managing volatility in customer requirements.

It is important to note that this process requires true partner-

ships between suppliers and the business,” said Huntsucker. “It is a

working relationship based on communication, procedural disci-

plines and reliance on each other. If implemented and executed

correctly, VMI is an efficient system for all parties involved.”

Getting started with a VMI process involves several very im-

portant steps, the most important of which is having your senior

management make a firm commitment to this new process and

communicated it throughout the organization., including employee

and distributor acceptance are also critical. Other steps depend

on the specific VMI program your company chooses to use.

A company can do a simple search on the web for Vendor Man-

agement Inventory and find resources with more information in-

cluding program options and software companies. Many industry

professionals have consolidated sources online to help companies

realize the benefits of VMI. VMI can remove complexity, risk and

cost from electronic trading and deliver visibility, control and

value to your business operations.


Many young professionals are enthusiastic about area business and communityopportunities and are ready to get involved as new leaders. Bay YoungProfessionals (BYP) was formed by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce tospecifically address the needs of this target age group, 21-41, to enrich ourcommunity by uniting, developing and retaining our future leaders.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Bay Young Professionals (BYP) group,contact Elizabeth Smith at 850.215.3761 or [email protected].

Bay Young Professionals

Jennifer Conoley has spent the last five years

in Panama City, but is no stranger to the area, growing up in Port St. Joe,

FL. In 2005, she graduated summa cum laude from Florida State

University’s College of Communication where she was also recognized

as the Outstanding Public Relations Student of the Year. She recently

earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), a designation held by

more than 5,000 professionals nationally, signifying a high professional

level of experience, competence and ethical standards.

Jennifer joined the Bay County Economic Development Alliance

(EDA) in 2009 as the communications and marketing director. She

manages the EDA’s integrated marketing strategies designed to promote

Bay County as an ideal business location. She assists in the efforts of

helping businesses locate or expand in Bay County and enhancing the

overall business climate.

Not only is she active in Bay Young Professionals, but she is also active

in other parts of the community. She is the secretary of the Panama

City Chapter of the American Advertising Federation, co-chair of

accreditation and certification of the Northwest Florida Coast Chapter

of the Florida Public Relations Association, a member of the Panama

City Beach Chamber’s HYPE young professionals group and a member

of the Bay County Chamber’s public relations committee. She is also a

2008 Leadership Bay graduate. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys spending

time outdoors, whether it’s playing golf, fishing, scalloping, running or

spending time on the beach. She has been married to her high school

sweetheart, Kevin Conoley, for five years and has one furry child, a

beagle named Cotton.

Teresa King was born and raised in Mobile,

Alabama and graduated from McGill Toolen High School in 1993. She

attended the Auburn University, graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor

of Public Relations and then moved to Panama City in 1999.

Since 2007, Teresa became Assistant Site Coordinator for Gryphon

Technologies. Her duties include human resources, security, travel,

purchasing and office manager. Gryphon Technologies is a premier

engineering and technical services firm providing support to national

security and coalition forces. Gryphon provides Defense clients with

the systems analysis, integration, and program management skills

necessary to manage the development and operations of their

mission critical systems. Gryphon Technologies is CMMI Level 3 rated

and has consistently been named one of the 50 fastest growing

technology companies.

Teresa has been a part of BYP for several years. She says, “BYP is a

great committee to meet young business professionals in the area

with the same goals and aspirations. I have met so many great and

wonderful business people that I now call friends.”

In addition to participating in Bay Young Professionals, Teresa is a

member of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs

Committee, Public Relations Committee, Alumni of Leadership Bay,

past chair of Junior Leadership Bay, Junior Service League, Emerald

Coast Business Women and Make a Wish Volunteer. Teresa enjoys

gardening and spending time with friends and family.


ARA has extensively renovated their

downtown Panama City laboratories -

pictured- ARA scientist, Robert Girvin

ARA’s ReadiJet AlternativeFuel Technology

ARA’s alternative fuel effort began in 2006

in response to a U.S. military requirement for

technologies that could convert renewable oils

to jet fuel. To answer this challenge, ARA

Principal Engineer Lixiong Li, conceived an idea

of using high temperature water to create

biocrude. This hydrothermal process mimics

nature’s processes that convert biomass to

petroleum crude. Although nature’s processes

take millions of years to produce petroleum

crude, it takes just a few minutes for the ARA’s

Catalytic Hydrothermolysis (CH) process to

produce high quality biocrude. A U.S. patent

on the CH technology was granted to ARA in

2010. The technology has advanced to mature

pilot systems that have demonstrated the

conversion of oils from plants and algae into

renewable, aromatic drop-in fuels that are being

trademarked ReadiJet™ and ReadiDiesel.™

“The cost-efficient CH process uses water

to reduce hydrogen consumption, catalyst

consumption, and carbon footprint compared

to other alternative fuel conversion processes,”

said Ed Coppola, ARA Principal Engineer. “These

fuels do not require blending with petroleum

and are ready to use in jet and diesel engines

designed to operate on petroleum-based fuels,”

said Coppola. “The initial goal of our team is to

implement the first commercial scale system

using this technology.”

“This initiative is not only huge for our

company’s growth, but it also has the potential

to make Florida a leader in fulfilling the military

and civilian markets’ requirements for

alternative fuels and to revitalize farming in

Florida,” said Chuck Red, ARA North Florida

Division Manager.

Thanks to a solid partnership with the first farmer’s co-op for energy crops in Florida

and a global commercialization partner, ARA’s North Florida Division is taking its

revolutionary, low-cost, drop-in biofuels processing technology to the next level.

Takes off.

Part of the impetus that led ARA to

press forward with their advanced biofuel

initiative was the U.S. Air Force’s mandate

to have half of their jet fuel derived from

alternative sources by 2016 and the U.S.

Navy’s mandate to have half of their

energy from alternative sources by 2020.

“The current driving factors for both the

Department of Defense and civilian

markets are finding a solution that is

environmentally superior to petroleum

and also comparable to the cost of

petroleum,” said Red. In addition, the

source of the oil used to create the fuel

must be renewable, from a non-food

crop, and from crops that are ready to be

grown, harvested, and processed.

Coppola identified the first feedstock-

farming cooperative in Florida, the USCJO

CO-OP, which is increasing the acreage of

planted energy crops by thousands of

acres. USCJO and the Florida Feedstock

Growers Association grow two winter

crops of Camelina each year. “Our farm

plan will show how feedstock crop

rotation during the dormant, off season

can increase farmer revenue and reduce

risk through crop diversity,” said Bill

Vasden, President of the USCJO. “It is

widely accepted that biofuel production

should not compete with the global food

supply chain, and our plan does not,”

Vasden added.

Since beginning the alternative fuel

initiative with initial investments by the Air

Force, ARA has had multiple technology

breakthroughs that have caught the

attention of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, the U.S. Navy, several oil

companies and international airline

ARA - Chuck Red briefing US Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack,

on ARA’s next generation alternative fuels at the Paris Air Show 2011


companies. Executives from FedEx, American Airlines, and United

Airlines and the Navy’s Director of Operational Energy traveled

to ARA’s Research and Development facility in Panama City this

summer to discuss ARA’s technology and the overall

commercialization initiative. In addition, ARA was one of eleven

companies selected by British Airways and Rolls Royce to submit

jet fuel samples for analysis as part of the FAA’s Continuous

Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) program. The ARA

ReadiJet™ fuel was down-selected for further testing by Rolls-

Royce because “...results indicate that this fuel may be suitable as

a drop-in fuel” and it “...definitely warrants further, more detailed

investigation.”

One of the most recent exciting developments is the addition

of Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) to the team. CLG has the

expertise and experience needed to help rapidly scale up and

commercialize the CH technology. “CLG is a world leader in

hydrotreating technology and will provide expertise to ensure that

renewable fuels produced in the commercial plant will meet

quality specifications and be competitively priced,” said Coppola.

CLG will provide engineering services, and start-up assistance for

the first commercial CH conversion system.

CLG’s Managing Director, Leon DeBruyn, commented on the

ARA-CLG link-up. “With the combination of ARA’s CH Technology

and CLG’s ISOTREATING technology, we can truly produce fuels

that meet the highest quality standards that can be used both as

‘drop in’ fuels by our customers or blended into regional fuel

pools without the quality issues associated with other

technologies,” he said. “We’re also excited that our technologies

work just as well with all other plant oils, which will provide long

lasting value for our customers by giving them flexibility to

process what is available in the market.”

For more information on this initiative, go to:

www.readifuels.com or www.ara.com/fuels.

“The current driving factors for both the Department of Defense and civilianmarkets are finding a solution that is environmentally superior to petroleumand also comparable to the cost of petroleum,” said Red.

Biz lisTThe

If you are a member of the Bay County Chamberand would like to submit your business news forpublication, e-mail a press release and photo [email protected]

CHAMBER MEMBERS SHARE THEIR BUSINESS NEWS IN “THE BIZ LIST”.

U.S. Navy Capt. EverettScott Pratt relieved Capt.

Thomas Joseph Brovarone as

Commander, Naval Surface

Warfare Center Panama City Di-

vision (NSWC PCD) on Sept. 2,

2011.

Prior to assuming command,

Pratt was assigned to the Pro-

gram Executive Office – Inte-

grated Warfare Systems

(PEO-IWS) at headquarters in

Washington D.C. His additional

tours have included two assign-

ments to the staff of the Chief

of Naval Operations, first in the

Strategic Plans and Policy Divi-

sion of the Space, Information

Warfare, Command and Control

Directorate and in the Warfight-

ing Assessment Division of Di-

rector Navy Resources,

Requirements and Assessments.

Brovarone, who has served as

the Commander of Bay

County’s only Navy laboratory

since 2009, will transfer to

serve as the Commanding Offi-

cer at the Engineering Duty Of-

ficer School in Port Hueneme,

Calif.

Office of Defense Cooperation

Turkey, U.S. European Command,

Ankara, Turkey. He has also

served as the Military Assistant

Deputy Chief of Staff for

Strategic Plans and Programs,

Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Dean, who has served as the

Commander of 1st Air Force

since 2009, will take Joint

Forces Command in Naples,

Italy, where he will serve as the

Deputy Chief of Staff for Op-

erations.

Harrison Sale McCloy is

proud to announce that Ross

McCloy has become a Fellow

of the American College of Trial

Lawyers, one of the premier

legal associations in America.

The College is composed of the

best of the trial bar from the

United States and Canada. Fel-

lowship in the College is ex-

tended by invitation only after

careful investigation, to those

experienced trial lawyers who

have mastered the art of advo-

cacy and whose professional

careers have been marked by

the highest standards of ethical

conduct, professionalism, civility

and collegiality. Lawyers must

have a minimum of fifteen years

trial experience before they can

be considered for Fellowship.

U.S. Navy CDR. Anthony J.Anglin relieved CDR. Jessica M.

Pfefferkorn as 4th Commanding

Officer of Naval Support

Activity Panama City on June

30, 2011.


Anglin was the Current and

Future Operations Officer, Navy

Region Southwest, San Diego,

CA. Anglin enlisted in the Navy

in 1982, and in 1990, Cmdr.

Anglin graduated from the

Naval Academy with a

Bachelors in General Science

and was commissioned an

Ensign.

CDR. Anglin has a Master's

in Engineering Acoustics from

the Naval Postgraduate School

and a Master's of Business

Administration with a

subspecialty in Technology

Management from National

University.

Pfefferkorn, who has served

as the Commander of NSA

Panama City since 2008,

became the Chief of

Partnerships, Plans and Policy,

International Military Staff,

NATO Headquarters, Brussels,

Belgium.

Brig. General John K. Mc-Mullen relieved Brig. General

James S. Browne as Commander

of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyn-

dall Air Force Base on Septem-

ber 9th.


McMullen was the Commander

of the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Ele-

mendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He

also served as the Chief of Part-

nership Strategy Division at the

Pentagon in Washington, D. C.

Browne, who has served as

the Commander of the 325th

Fighter Wing since 2009, be-

came the Director of Opera-

tions at Air Force Global Strike

Command, Barksdale AFB, La.

Lt. General Stanley Clarke IIIrelieved Maj. General Dean as

Commander of 1st Air Force at

Tyndall Air Force Base on Au-

gust 31, 2011.


Clarke was the Senior Defense

Official and Defense Attaché,


CHAMBER MEMBERS SHARE THEIR BUSINESS NEWS IN “THE BIZ LIST”.

continued on page 26

Membership in the College can-

not exceed one percent of the

total lawyer population of any

state or province.

The Better Business BureauServing NWFL recently elected

Fran Crumpton, Gulf Coast

Trade Exchange, to serve as

treasurer for the Better Business

Bureau Board of Directors. For-

mer treasurer, David DelGallo,

Advanced Construction Serv-

ices, was elected to the vice

chair position.

The BBB Board of Directors

also welcomed two new board

members: Carroll Scarborough,

Pen Air Federal Credit Union and

Mindy Shirley, Gulf Power Com-

pany.

For additional information

about BBB’s programs and serv-

ices, visit bbb.org, call

850.429.0002 or 800.729.9226.

The American AdvertisingFederation of Panama City held

their annual dinner meeting on

June 28th, which included the in-

duction of the 2011-2012 offi-

cers and Board of Directors:

Pamela Kidwell, President; Ron

Sharpe; Vice-President; Shannon

Cromer, Treasurer; Jennifer

Conoley, Secretary; Kristie

Canaday, Rae Cotton, Tanya

Deal, Patty Freund, Laura Herter,

Andrew Levy, Jennifer Reale,

Crystal Shuller, and Kathy

Welsh. Two $1,000 scholarship

check presentations were also

given to Gulf Coast State Col-

The Panama City DowntownImprovement Board recently

won “Runner-Up” awards in two

different categories at the

Florida Festivals and Events As-

sociation Conference. The

awards were for “Outstanding

Special Event Website” for the

“Art-Tique” event and “Out-

standing Promotional Poster” for

the “St. Andrews Bay Salt Works

Raid”.

Leslie Lugo, a Naval Surface

Warfare Center Panama City Di-

vision (NSWC PCD) engineer,

was recently awarded for her

engineering work as the deputy

project engineer for the Un-

manned Influence Sweep Sys-

tem (UISS) at NSWC PCD, at

the 2011 Hispanic Engineer Na-

tional Achievement Awards

Conference Military Luminary.

HENAAC is a non-profit organi-

zation that seeks to identify,

honor, and document contribu-

tions made to science, technol-

ogy, engineering, and math by

Hispanic-Americans.

lege and Florida State Univer-

sity-Panama City along with a

donation of $325.00 presented

to the Children’s Advocacy

Center.

Jennifer Conoley, Director of

Communications and Marketing

for the Bay County Economic

Development Alliance (EDA),

recently earned a professional

accreditation in public relations,

and received the designation of

Accredited in Public Relations

(APR). Conoley now joins more

than 5,000 professionals na-

tionally that represent an elite

group of highly skilled public re-

lations professionals committed

to practicing with exemplary

ethical standards. She is the

first professional to receive this

designation in Bay County.

Gulf Coast State College’sDepartment of Continuing Edu-cation announced their new

status as an Approved Provider

of the International Import-Ex-

port Institute (IIEI)’s Certified

Exporter® program. This 64-

hour program is ideal for individ-

uals seeking to begin a career in

international trade.

The class will meet for one

day of instruction each week

for eight weeks. The instructors

are industry experts working in

the areas of international trade,

logistics, finance and law.

The Association of Commu-

nity College Trustees (ACCT)

has named Karen Durden as the

recipient of the 2011 Southern

Regional Trustee Leadership

Award. Durden is one of five re-

gional winners who will be hon-

ored at the ACCT Annual

Community College Leadership

Congress that will take place in

October 2011. At the confer-

ence, one of the five regional

winners will be given the presti-

gious M. Dale Ensign Trustee

Leadership Award. Durden was

appointed to the Gulf Coast

State College District Board of

Trustees in 2001.

Covenant Hospice was re-

cently named one of Florida’s

Best Companies To Work For by

Florida Trend and endorsed by

the HR Florida State Council.

One-hundred companies were

recognized in small, medium and

large company categories.

Covenant Hospice ranked 27th

out of 100, in the large com-

pany category, the only com-

pany in NWFL named in this

category.


The Florida Council for Be-

havioral Healthcare (FCBH) has

named Ned Ailes as treasurer of

their Board of Directors. Ailes, a

licensed marriage and family

therapist, is the Chief Executive

Officer of Life Management

Center of Northwest Florida.

FCBH is the advocacy arm of

the Florida Council for Commu-

nity Mental Health, a statewide,

non-profit, trade organization

representing more than 60

community behavioral health

centers across Florida.

Oaseas Resorts, a resort and

hotel management company

based in Panama City Beach,

Fla., announces the appoint-

ment of Derek Tarries as Direc-

tor of Association

Management. Tarries has nearly

30 years of property manage-

Awareness Month. Each em-

ployee decorated a pink bra

that was submitted into a con-

test held by the American Can-

cer Society to raise awareness

and funds, which Bay Radiol-

ogy’s employee Marion Hamil-

ton won 1st place.

Catholic Charities of NWFL,

United Way and Florida Dept. of

Children and Families serve as

the lead agency for BayCounty’s Circle® Campaign,

which partners with volunteers

and community leaders using

community resources and

human ingenuity to assist fami-

lies in moving out of poverty.

This initiative will not duplicate

existing support services but

work to complement their

goals. Circles®’ aim is to edu-

cate, train, prepare and place

participating families and individ-

uals on a successful track to-

ward self-reliance with

sustainability. For more informa-

tion call (850) 763-0475.

The Tommy Hamm Sr. Can-

cer Center is pleased to wel-

come Andrew M. Weber, M.D.to their practice as the third

Hematologist Oncologist. Dr.

Weber completed his Hematol-

ogy and Medical Oncology fel-

lowships at Drexel/Hahnemann

University in Philadelphia, PA,

where he also served as Chief

Fellow. His Internal Medicine

residency and Chief Resident

year were completed at Crozer

Chester Medical Center, and

obtained his MD at Temple Uni-

versity School of Medicine. He

is board certified in Internal

Medicine, and board eligible in

both Hematology and Medical

Oncology.

The Women’s Imaging Cen-ter at Bay Radiology teamed up

to support the American Can-

cer Society – Breast Cancer

ment experience and holds des-

ignations from the Community

Association, the State of

Florida, the American Resort

Development Association and

the Educational Institute of

American Hotel & Motel Asso-

ciation.

Gulf Coast Medical Centerhas become the first hospital in

Florida to join the UAB Cancer

Care Network. The Network

provides a program to support

community-based oncology

services, by offering broader ac-

cess to clinical trials, continuing

medical education for oncolo-

gists and nurses, and access to

the latest education about ad-

vancements in treatments and

detection of cancer in the local

community. Pictured above: Dr.

Edward Partridge, Dir., UAB Com-

prehensive Cancer Center; Jean

Thompkins, Dir., Gulf Coast

Medical Center Case Manage-

ment; Brian Baumgardner, CEO,

Gulf Coast Medical Center.

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continued from page 25

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economic profile

Although our economy’s foundation

has been built around tourism,

hospitality and construction, it is fairly

diverse in other sectors like defense,

manufacturing and professional services

as you see in the Bay County

Employment chart below. We have a

collection of economic development

assets much stronger than typically

found in communities of this size – an

expanding regional port, a new growing

international airport, freight rail

connectivity, career and technical

education opportunities, a talented

workforce of 282,000 within a 60-mile

radius, a strong military presence and an

exceptional quality of life.

Bay County has also seen some

significant job creation activity in the

last few months. Local defense

INSIGHTSinside Bay County’s Economic

Development EffortsBay County Population: 168,852 Median Age: 40Labor Force: 89,030 Average Wage: $32,626Households: 74,585 Household Income: $47,505Per Capita Income: $29,357

de

mo

gra

ph

ics

BAY COUNTY FLORIDA

{

bay county sales tax collections GROSS SALES TAXABLE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS July 11 $716,688,753 $324,837,520 $19,840,582 June 11 $466,898,537 $255,867,478 $15,954,575 May 11 $464,862,550 $259,178,812 $15,969,570

July 10 $565,179,438 $292,087,979 $17,997,002 June 10 $477,559,158 $244,309,094 $15,065,918 May 10 $446,894,226 $244,809,864 $14,894,574

current labor statistics for bay county LABOR FORCE EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED RATE

Aug 11 92,326 83,533 8,793 9.5% July 11 83,091 84,289 8,802 9.5% June 11 93,814 84,919 8,895 9.5%

Aug 10 90,757 81,325 9,432 10.4% July 10 92,432 82,717 9,715 10.5% June 10 93,565 84,209 9,356 10.0%

real estate salesEXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE REALTOR SALES MEDIUM PRICE

Aug 11 123 $147,900 16,206 $137,500 July 11 107 $139,100 15,517 $136,500 June 11 123 $133,900 17,597 $138,000 Aug 10 86 $148,000 13,997 $134,000 July 10 86 $176,700 13,589 $138,000 June 10 104 $160,000 18,038 $143,400

EXISTING CONDOMINIUMS

Aug 11 67 $162,000 7,098 $91,100 July 11 62 $168,600 6,619 $90,900 June 11 81 $138,900 7,922 $94,100 Aug 10 50 $165,000 5,706 $81,600 July 10 50 $172,000 5,557 $87,200 June 10 68 $173,300 6,916 $95,000

bay county building permits RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL Aug 11 12 1 July 11 6 5 June 11 34 5 Aug 10 10 8 July 10 12 5 June 10 9 3


contractor ITT is expanding by 30

employees at an average annual wage

of $49,500, over 150 percent of Bay

County ’s average annual wage, at The

St. Joe Company’s VentureCrossings in

West Bay.

Redpine Healthcare Technologies, a

corporate headquarters and software

development operation relocated,

located on the 4th floor of the

Hancock Bank Center on West 23rd

Street in Panama City in September.

This formally-based, company is

projected to hire over 100 employees

within the first year of operations and

grow to 410 employees by the end of

2015 at an average annual wage of

$49,155, 150 percent of Bay County’s

average annual wage.

Bay County has the high potential for

economic growth provided it puts in

place the tools to help make it

competitive. By leveraging our

resources and improving and growing

our assets, we will be able to further

diversify our industry base, creating a

more competitive business environment

in which companies can locate and

expand.

bay county bed tax collections PANAMA CITY BEACH MEXICO BEACH July 11 $2,966,961.49 $86,567.15 July 10 $1,967,020.33 $70,486.43 % Change 50.84% 22.81%

June 11 $2,283,706.72 $67,743.89 June 10 $1,884,269.21 $64,817.81 % Change 21.20% 4.51%

May 11 $1,127,340.30 $31,246.14 May 10 $1,075,882.69 $33,212.60 % Change 4.78% -5.92%

northwest florida beaches international airport passenger traffic TOTAL PASSENGERS COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS July 11 87,545 1,306 June 11 83,626 1,348 May 11 83,523 1,429 July 10 83,168 1,417 June 10 83,181 1,182 May 10 43,698 1,060

Bay County Unemployment Rate: January 1990 - August 2011


october - December 2011

Digitrax, Inc. - www.digitrax.com

AJ & Zana Ireland - owners

24 Employees

Digitrax designs, manufactures and markets a high tech

electronic control system for model railroads. They

build most of their products here in Bay County, then

ship them to dealers and distributors for sale to model

railroad hobbyists all around the world.

We were told for years that we need to diversify our economy in Bay County to not

be solely dependent on our tourism and the military. Our community has come a

long way in that quest. For a lifetime, the only manufacturing industry in Bay County

was our paper mill, RockTenn, which continues to be a major player. We do have many

other manufacturers i.e.; American Standard, Berg Pipe, Wellstream, Arizona Chemical,

Oceaneering, Eastern Shipbuilding, numerous defense contractors and many others

who contribute greatly to our local economy through job creation. Now we have

built that segment of our local economy and have some very unique products being

produced in our community. The six identified below operate quietly in our area and

many of our citizens do not know they even exist. They are also direct results of our

community’s economic development efforts from many years past to recent years.

Local Products with a Global Reach

Mercury Marine - www.mercurymarine.com

Bill Nesslar - Facility & Testing Manager

12 Employees

A division of Brunswick Corporation, Mercury Marine is

the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine

propulsion engines and products. The company’s

Panama City PD&E facility provides engineering and

testing services in the validation and qualification of its

product development programs in a saltwater

environment. 30 BAY BIZ | October - December 2011

MERRICK Industries, Inc. - www.merrick-inc.com

Joe Tannehill, Jr. - President & CEO, Richard Millett –

VP Engineering & Scott Perry – VP Facilities

165 Employees

Merrick, a division of Tannehill International Industries

Inc., serves industrial customers worldwide by

engineering and manufacturing custom-designed

industrial weighing and environmental systems.

MERRICK was created in 1908 by inventing the first

dynamic weighing scale - weighing material continuously

as it is carried on a conveyor belt. Today, MERRICK’s

state-of-the-art technology is used across many

industries including power, cement, mining, steel, paper,

foods, chemicals, building materials, and

water/wastewater treatment.

JENSEN USA, Inc. - www.jensen-group.com

Simon Nield, President

150 employees in North America, 110 in Panama City

A division of The JENSEN Group which is traded on the

Euronext stock exchange in Brussels, is a worldwide

leader in the manufacturing of heavy duty laundry

equipment here in Panama City, which is then shipped

worldwide.

The Natural Light, Inc. - www.thenaturallight.com

Harvey and JoAnn Hollingsworth, owners

28 employees

The Natural Light, relocated to Bay County in 1987, is

a high fashion wholesale manufacturer and designer of

table and floor lamps, as well as original framed art

for the home. Their customers include exclusive hotel

properties, interior designers and better stores across

the United States.

DeTect, Inc. - www.detect-inc.com

Gary W. Andrews, General Manager & CEO

65 employees

DeTect, Inc. specializes in remote sensing technologies

and systems for aviation birdstrike avoidance,

meteorology, security surveillance and environmental

survey supporting projects and facilities worldwide. The

company is a U.S. corporation headquartered in Panama

City, Florida with divisional offices in Colorado, Virginia

(DC area), Canada and India. The company is the world

leader in development, deployment and support of the

systems, having supplied them to the U.S. Air Force

(USAF) and the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA).


Newf o r J u l y , A u g u s t , S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

{Access Recovery Solutions LLC

277 Forest Park Circle

Panama City, FL 32405

850-522-1516

BrightStar

3003 S. Hwy 77, Ste. C

Lynn Haven, FL 32444

850-628-7458

Coffee News of Panama City

2914 D Harrison Ave.


850-774-8474

Colt Simmons

P.O. Box 935


850-215-6045

David Scott Jewelry

1146 Harrison Ave.


850-763-0729

Dreams2Reality, LLC

2203 Beck Ave., F14


920-850-3438

FL Dept. of Children & Fami-

lies

500 West 11th St.


850-872-7648

Goodwill Career Development

Center

3207 East 4th St.


850-522-3900

Gulf Coast Women’s Services

2202 State Ave., Ste. 207


850-784-2645

Janet Gladis, LMT

2300 West 11th St.


850-625-9086

MedSouth Clinic

509 East 23rd St.


850-215-8999

My Thai Asian Bistro

301 Cherry St.


850-784-0120

New Image Promotional

Products

1137 Harrison Ave., Ste. 3


850-872-1076

Nova Technologies

429 S. Tyndall Pkwy., Ste. S


850-914-0002

Paramount Heating

& Cooling, LLC

1 Blue Crab Lane

Panama City Beach, FL 32413

850-588-8172

Prepaid Legal Services

868 West St.


850-284-0155

Quizno’s

1000 East 23rd St., Ste. A-4


850-522-4022

Sacred Heart Hospital

on the Gulf

3801 US Highway 98

Port St. Joe, FL 32456

850-229-5601

Target Marketing

541 Buttermilk Pike, Ste. 100

Crescent Springs, KY 41017

800-933-3909

Tethy’s International

306 Harrison Ave., #151


850-639-6869

Timmins Consulting LLC

2910 Kerry Forest Pkwy.,

D4-368

Tallahassee, FL 32309

850-832-1763

Dr. William B. Turner

1617 Billings Avenue


850-215-4642

Vision Payment Solutions

1211 Venetian Way


850-896-0156

W.B. Riggins Tallow Co.

4474 Camp Coleman Rd.

Trussville, AL 35173

205-655-3612

Wild Birds Unlimited

2455 MLK Jr. Blvd.


850-640-1354

Wyndham Resorts

14700 Front Beach Rd.

Panama City Beach, FL 32413

850-636-8227

ZoomQa LLC

1501 Mulberry Ave., Suite 1


850-215-9725

Members.


Onyx - 5 YearsAir Gas Co.Baskerville-Donovan, Inc.Counts Real Estate Group, Inc.Firehouse SubsHilton Garden InnPanama City Living Magazine

Ruby - 10 YearsClassic RestorationCoastal Extracorporeal TechnologyD. Stephen Foster, CPA, PALandmark Holiday Beach ResortNorthrop Grumman Corp.Plumb Better, Inc.Skinner Tax Consulting, Inc.

Opal - 15 YearsBishop Lifting Products, Inc.Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated

Covenant HospiceEarly Education and Care, Inc.EB Pipe CoatingEdward Jones InvestmentsHealthSouthHeritage Bible ChurchMonica L. Cothran, PAPanama City MallPanama Country ClubPMI Employee LeasingRubber & Specialties, Inc.

Emerald - 20 YearsEye Center of North FloridaHoliday Inn SelectLewis Metals, Inc.

Silver - 25 YearsFlorida Offshore, Inc.KLW Enterprises, Inc.M & W Auto Sales, Inc.Paul Brent Gallery

Pearl - 30 YearsAmerican Red CrossGlidden ProfessionalGulf Coast ManagementKarr, Ellis & CompanyMoonspinner Condo Association

Sapphire - 45 YearsKolmetz Construction, Inc.

Gold - 50 YearsJim Clark Realty

Diamond - 60 YearsVan Horn Transfer & Storage

MemberAnniversariesRecognizing renewing members for their dedication at 5 year intervals


for July, August, September 2011

First FridayNetworking: 7:30 a.m. / Program: 8:00 a.m.

FSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Dr.)

Sponsored by: Comcast

Speaker: Sec. Prasad FL Dept. of Transportation

Free event for Bay County Chamber members

and invited guests

Small Business Quarterly Breakfast SeminarBreakfast & Networking: 7:30 a.m. /

Program: 8:00 a.m.

Chamber Boardroom

Program: TBD

RSVP to [email protected] or

215.3761

Bay Young Professionals Luncheon - No Cost 11:30 a.m.

Hancock Bank (1022 W. 23rd st.)

Guest Speaker: Gary Bliss, Florida State University


215.3761 by November 8th

2nd Annual Non-Profit/Festival of the Trees - Business After Hours5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Marina Civic Center (8 Harrison Ave.)

Human Service Non-Profit Chamber members are

invited to display during a preview of

the PC Rescue Mission’s “Festival of the Trees”.

Contact [email protected] or 215.3757 for

info.

Calendar Bay County Chamber of Commerce Events{

First FridayFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Dr.)Networking: 7:30 a.m. / Program: 8:00 a.m.

Sponsored by: Bay Medical CenterSpeaker: Sec. Lawson, FL Dept. of Business & Professional RegulationFree event for Bay County Chamber members and invited guests

New Member 411 Breakfast8:30 a.m.Chamber BoardroomFree for Chamber membersRSVP to [email protected] or 215.3753

Small Business Institute8:30 a.m.Chamber BoardroomProgram: Retirement Planning for Small BusinessRSVP to [email protected] or 215.3761

Spooktacular Business After Hours5:30 - 7:00 p.m.Hosted by: BYP & The JayceesPCMI (200 E. Beach Drive)

Bay Young Professionals Tour2:30 - 4:00 p.m.Bay Medical Center (615 N. Bonita Ave.)RSVP to [email protected] or 215.3761 by October 12th

Non-Profit Sustainability SummitRegistration & Dinner: 5:00 p.m. / Program: 6 - 8:45 p.m.FSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Dr.)Sponsored by: Doral Bank & FSU-Panama City$50 - Chamber members / $60 - non-membersRSVP to [email protected] or 215.3761 by October 14th

7

11

12

18

November

10

29

October

For a detailed listing of Chamber

and community events visit

www.panamacity.org

4

9

14

Dates, times and locations subject to change.


13

First FridayNetworking: 7:30 a.m. / Program: 8:00 a.m.

FSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Dr.)

Sponsored by: Workforce Center

Holiday Program

Free event for Bay County Chamber members

and invited guests

Bay Young Professionals Social5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Visual Arts Center (19 E. 4th St.)

Experience “Paint Your Art Out” with your Bay

Young Professional peers

Cost: $25 per person

Limited seating, RSVP by December 1st to

[email protected] or 215.3761

New Member 411 Breakfast8:30 a.m.

Chamber Boardroom

Free for Chamber members

RSVP to [email protected] or 215.3753

Small Business Institute8:30 a.m.

Chamber Boardroom

Program: TBD


215.3761

Business After Hours5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Sponsored by: The Eye Center of North Florida

and Comcast

Free to Chamber members and invited guests

contact [email protected] or 215.3757

for date & location.

December2

5

6

14

TBD

SAVE THE DATE

October 24, 2011

FSU-PC Holley Center

Workforce

Education

Summit

Find out how you can help

prepare students with 21st century

skills!

Presented by:


DON’T BE BLUE THIS CHRISTMAS......book your holiday entertainment today!

Gulf Talent Services offers an array of talent for both corporate and

private events.BandsDJ’S

KaraokeComedians

Christmas Sing-A-Long Performers

850-747-0903WWW.GULFTALENTSERVICES.COM

FL License– TA-625


out&about

1.

5.

2.

4.

6.

1. Local Media Representatives at Media Appreciation Luncheon

2. Bay Young Professionals network during the July social at TGI Fridays

3. Jason Keortge from CyberSytes presents at Marketing Seminar

4. Laura Herter & Shannon Cromer at the Visual Arts Center - Business After Hours

5. Janet Watermeier, Joey Ginn, Bo Rivard, Allan Bense, Al McCambry & James Johnson at September First Friday 6. Trish Wheeler & Colin McMichen at Knology - Business After Hours

7. Senator Bill Nelson Round Table

out&about

20113.

7.

out&about

Accounting • Auditing • PayrollTax Compliance • Business Advisors

(850) 763-9635

2589 JENKS AVENUE • PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA

Documents

Bay Biz Magazine - October-December 2011