Author

Kimberly Patterson

Kimberly Patterson is a writer and native Floridian, born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Communication, where she found her passion -- writing. When not glued to a laptop, she can be found around town with her two young children exploring the Bay area, and experiencing the region from their point of view. 

Kimberly Patterson's Latest Articles

Resource One To Relocate To Sarasota, Add 16+ Jobs
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Economic Development
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December 14, 2010

Resource One, which manufactures and distributes environmentally friendly cleaning products, plans to relocate to Sarasota County in 2011 and bring jobs to the community. The manufacturer has been in business since 1975, and currently has offices in Largo and Ocala. "We were drawn to Sarasota because of the incentives the county offers companies, the pro-business climate and environmentally conscious citizenry," President Duncan Yull says. "The relocation will allow us to upgrade our manufacturing and distribution facility, which will enable the company to expand its manufacturing capabilities, create new environmentally friendly products, and increase productivity and efficiency."Resource One has plans to add 36 jobs over the next five years. Yull says the office in Sarasota will have 16 positions in 2011, with some of those positions being filled by current employees from Pinellas, and the majority of them being filled by new hires. Yull explains what he looks for in a potential employee. "Somebody who has a passion to take care of the customer and is environmentally conscious," Yull says. "We need employees who work hard to take care of the needs of our customers, and also feel that by providing environmentally conscious products and services; we are providing healthier work places, schools and healthcare facilities." Resource One does not have a physical address in Sarasota yet, however, a future location is being scouted, and Yull plans to open the new office in March 2011. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Duncan Yull, Resource One

Competition At USF To Find Future Programmers
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Education
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December 14, 2010

Bypassing traditional applications and interview processes, SiteWit, an online marketing company with offices in Tampa is hosting a competition in December to find potential employees.Ricardo Lasa, CEO of SiteWit explains what the company does. "SiteWit is a leader in online marketing optimization and predictive analytics," Lasa says. "Our thousands of customers use our platform to manage and optimize online campaigns on Google AdWords and Bing."SiteWit is working with the University of South Florida to find programmers to staff its development group. Participants must be students from the MIS and Computer Science/Computer Information System programs at USF and must sign up through the Co-Op program at the university.The winning team will work at SiteWit in a co-op capacity for the spring and fall 2011 semesters. The winners will be paid $15 per hour for both semesters, in addition to having the opportunity to be hired for full-time positions after graduation.Lasa explains the idea behind teams as opposed to an individual model for the competition. "We believe that by paring two programmers and having them compete, the contestants will help bubble up the best talent from the program," Lasa says. "The logic behind it is that if you are going to need somebody else to win the programming competition, you are going to select the best possible team mate. If you are good, your teammate will be also. Therefore, the students will help us identify the best talent."SiteWit has been in business since 2007 and this is the first year for the competition. "The Programming Competition is new, but we plan on having the competition at least once a year," Lasay says.Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Ricardo Lasa, SiteWit

Sarasota Guitar Company Continues To Grow, Hire
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Entrepreneurship
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December 7, 2010

The Sarasota Guitar Company has been growing continuously since it started in June 2009. Scott Cook and his wife, both unemployed at the time, started selling guitars in a 10 feet by 10 feet booth at a flea market. By December that same year, they opened a store on Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. The inspiration for the store came from Cook's son who started playing guitar. "I told my son that if he kept practicing I would buy him a better guitar," Cook says. "When we went to a store to sell his old guitar and purchase a new one, I was surprised by the amount of people who were interested in buying them. From that point on, I started buying more guitars and selling them." In addition to selling guitars at the store in Sarasota, Cook's company also uses the Internet to sell his wares. Since opening the Sarasota Guitar Company, Cook has hired 10 employees. "We hired 3 people to work in the store, we have 2 people working in a separate location on our Internet business, and then we have 5 guitar instructors," Cook says. "We plan to hire at least 3 more people in the next year." Cook says his company has been successful because they offer fair prices and have marketed themselves well, however he says offering excellent customer service sets his company apart from other retailers. "I think customer service has been lost in retail over the last couple of years," Cook says. "We offer our customers a 125% price guarantee, have a 30-day money back guarantee, and offer a one-year upgrade policy. We always take care of our customers." Sarasota Guitar Company store is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Cook is very optimistic about the upcoming year, and hopes to open another store location soon. Writer: Kimberly Patterson Source: Scott Cook, Sarasota Guitar Company

Quarles & Brady: New Law Firm Hires 20 In Tampa
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Economic Development
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December 7, 2010

There's a new law firm in Tampa.Quarles & Brady, a national firm based in Milwaukee, is seeking qualified attorneys for its new law office in downtown Tampa. The firm has offices in several cities including Chicago, Madison, WI and Phoenix. Kimberly Leach Johnson, managing partner of the Tampa office, explains why the 118-year-old firm decided to open an office here. "Though we are a Midwest firm, we had many clients in Tampa who we couldn't service because we weren't here," Johnson says. Since Quarles & Brady opened in Tampa, 11 attorneys have been hired, with plans to add an additional nine. "We are looking for attorneys in fields such as real estate, healthcare and IP (intellectual property)," Johnson says. "We need attorneys who can help our clients in Tampa, and help our clients nationwide." Quarles & Brady has also set up a program to give back to the community. "We have a program called 'Quarles Care' at our firm," Johnson says. "At our open house in Tampa, we displayed a poster that all attendees were encouraged to sign. For every person who signed their name, we gave $10 to three different charities. "We gave to a homeless shelter, the Blossom School for the Deaf, and to the Florida Aquarium for its children's educational programs." The Tampa office is in the Bank of America building at 101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 3400. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Kimberly Leach Johnson, Quarles & Brady

Career Fair In St. Petersburg Dedicated to Veterans
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Economic Development
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December 7, 2010

WorkNet Pinellas will host a career fair for veterans on December 8 in St. Petersburg. The event will be from noon to 4 p.m. with the first hour dedicated to veterans only. The fair opens to the general public at 1 p.m. Haley Loeun, lead business services recruiter for WorkNet Pinellas, says the largely state-funded organization wants to help jobless veterans find work. "WorkNet has always had a deep commitment to our veterans and has veteran employment representatives on staff that work exclusively with the members of the armed forces," Loeun says. "Many employers are looking specifically for candidates who have served during the war, as these candidates often possess the highly desired security clearances, and have the skills and personal qualities that are in demand in the current market." Loeun gives the following advice to job seekers who plan on attending: "Use your time at the event to network and meet with representatives of the various companies. This is a great opportunity to learn more about their open positions and application processes as well as gain valuable insight into the culture of the company." She also advises attendees to wear professional dress, communicate effectively and make eye contact. "Ask for the recruiter's business card and discuss how and when you should follow up with the employer," Loeun says. Participating employers at the job fair include Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, Eckerd Youth Alternatives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, pTEC and Tech Data. The job fair will be held at the Pinellas Technical Education Center located at 901 34th St. S. in St. Petersburg. Worknet Pinellas is part of Workforce Florida. Writer: Kimberly Patterson Source: Haley Loeun, WorkNet Pinellas

Recruiter To Fill 60+ Tech Jobs, Sees Uptick In Hiring
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Health
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November 30, 2010

CEO and IT job recruiter Fritz Eichelberger says his company, Hotspaces.net, currently is recruiting for 60+ job openings that he is trying to fill for various clients. The Hotspaces.net website has been up since 1999, and Eichelberger, who recruited throughout the recession, says he sees signs of life again in the marketplace.The four major industry sectors that Eichelberger targets for recruiting employees: technology, interactive marketing, sales and healthcare compliance. While most of his clients are in the Tampa Bay region, he says he is expanding in the Orlando region as well. In November, Eichelberger hosted the "Pure and Shameless Technology Networking Social'' at Blue Martini on Bay Street at International Plaza. About 250 attended. "The attendance for this event was a bit higher than the last one I did in June," Eichelberger says. He holds similar networking events three to five times a year at various locations. "I draw people to my events from Sarasota, Wesley Chapel and North Pinellas, so I try to make the locations equally convenient for everyone."Eichelberger says those who have been unemployed for some time should not get discouraged. "Half of the people I placed this year have been unemployed for over six months or even one year," Eichelberger says. "In my experience, there isn't any discrimination where companies are telling me, I don't want someone who has been unemployed for some 'time'." Although things are looking more promising for the unemployed, Eichelberger advises jobseekers to do what is needed to stand out."Own your accomplishments and put them on your resume," Eichelberger says. "Your accomplishments will set you apart from competitors in the marketplace."Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Fritz Eichelberger, Hotspaces.net

Bluewater Media To Add 10 Jobs In 2011
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Technology & Innovation
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November 30, 2010

Bluewater Media, a Clearwater-based multimedia company serving the Tampa Bay region, plans to hire 10 more employees in the next year. The company, formed in 2000, has experienced steady growth since 2006, says Bluewater Media CEO Andy Latimer, adding that the company's growth has caused moves from Tampa to St. Petersburg and now to Clearwater. "We went from 300 square feet of office space to 33,000 square feet in three years," Latimer says. Bluewater Media currently has 20 fulltime employees, and Latimer says the company plans to grow by 50 percent in the next year. It also contracts freelancers as needed for various projects. Latimer attributes Bluewater Media's success to a key strategic decision to focus on digital media. "We were the first production company in Florida to be a 100 percent tapeless house and have tapeless remote production," Latimer says. "With an investment in technology from Panasonic, we were able to live in a tapeless world, which reduced the overall expenses capturing the content."   Another force that Latimer attributes to the company's success is his personnel. "We are a very entrepreneurial business," Latimer says, that rewards employees regardless of their place in the company. "We offer commission on sales for every employee in the company," Latimer says. "For example, if a receptionist brings in a job, she gets a commission. This enables the employee to generate their own income and their own opportunities." Writer: Kimberly Patterson Source: Andy Latimer, Bluewater Media

Bradenton Tech Firm Adds 2 Jobs, Cites Service As Key To Growth
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Technology & Innovation
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November 30, 2010

United Systems Computer Group, a managed service IT provider, located in downtown Bradenton, started in 2004 with just two employees, now has 10, and is on track for continued growth in the next year. United Systems offers a complete range of IT products, and support to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company serves a 50-mile radius from its headquarters, reaching as far south as Port Charlotte, north to Tampa, and east into DeSoto County. David Spires, COO of United Systems, says the company has plans to hire in the next year."We will be hiring for an additional field tech, and a helpdesk or internal remote support role as well," Spires says. Potential employees, he says, must have certain traits and skills."We look for a level of professionalism," Spires says. "People don't care about how much you know, until they know how much you care. We look for a candidate who can communicate well with our customers."Spires explains that it is that level of customer service that has brought United Systems so much success over the past seven years. "We take a proactive stance when it comes to communication with our customers," Spires says. "Being available separates us from our competitors. We have created systems and procedures to have staff available to answer calls and concerns when they come in as opposed to leaving message after message. We have been responsive to our clients and that has helped with our client retention rate."Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: David Spires, United Systems Computer Group

JPMorgan Chase To Hire 3 At Clearwater Branch
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General
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November 30, 2010

At a Clearwater shopping center, just steps away from Publix and Office Depot, construction is underway on a new bank branch near the intersection of Gulf to Bay Boulevard (S.R. 60) and Belcher Road. The bank that is moving in: JPMorgan Chase. While an official date has not been announced for its opening, Chase has already begun its search for employees for the new banking center. Daisy Cabrera, who handles Chase's media relations for Florida, says the company will be filling three positions at the new branch in Clearwater. "We are currently hiring three tellers, one full-time and two part-time," Cabrera says. She goes on to explain what employees can expect from the bank as an employer. "JPMorgan Chase is proud to sponsor a range of programs and services that benefit our employees, help them improve their skills and grow in their career," Cabrera says. In an industry, such as the financial sector, which has been hit so hard by the economic downturn, many banks in the state have shut their doors over the past few years. So how has Chase been able to succeed in Florida during this difficult and challenging economic time? For Chase, it comes down to understanding what customers want and finding the right location. "Knowing that the top reason why people choose a bank is its locations, we continue to build and expand our footprint of almost 250 branches and 1,100 ATMs in Florida," Cabrera says. Writer: Kimberly Patterson Source: Daisy Cabrera, JPMorgan Chase

Whitney Builds South Tampa Branch, Adds 5 Bankers
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General
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November 9, 2010

Whitney National Bank, headquartered in New Orleans, recently announced that a new banking center in south Tampa will offer at least five new jobs with plans to grow with the market. The branch will be located at 2121 South Dale Mabry Highway, and when completed will be Whitney's 18th full service location in the Tampa Bay region. Other full service centers can be found from New Port Richey to Sarasota. The structure will be 3,250 square feet, will feature two drive-through banking lanes, as well as a 24-hour a day drive-up ATM. The center will offer customers personal and business banking services, including lending, as well as wealth and investment management services. Michael Nicolosi, senior VP regional retail/business banking manager for Whitney Bank, say the company will be hiring for specific roles. New positions being added include "an experienced branch manager that is skilled in both consumer and business banking supported by an assistant branch manager, customer service banker and a teller," Nicolosi says. "Because of the needs of this particular market, we also plan to have a mortgage originator on site. The south Tampa branch will additionally be supported by a business banker, wealth banker and commercial bankers that are located at our nearby regional corporate headquarters in the Westshore district." Nicolosi describes what the company is looking for in potential employees: "Whitney Bank is a bank that prides itself on being large enough to offer the products and services typically found in the larger financial institutions; but with the personal service of a local community bank. For that reason, we are looking for experienced bankers actively involved in the south Tampa market committed to providing a very high level of personal service to our customers." The new banking center is scheduled to open in December 2010. Writer: Kimberly Patterson Source: Michael Nicolosi, Whitney Bank

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