Brad Stager

Real Estate Lives Helps People Reinvent Themselves, Rebuild Careers

Real estate is one aspect of the Tampa Bay region's economy that has been especially hard-hit during the current economic downturn. Jobs that were once filled by people who were all but assured of earning enough money to support their families and maybe a few dreams have become job descriptions on the resumes of the now-unemployed professionals who once sold houses, arranged mortgages and put together deals during the past economic boom time. One group working hard to ensure that people who lost jobs in the real estate industry have access to information and opportunities that can help them rebuild their careers is Real Estate Lives. Unemployed workers who become involved in the organization can participate in networking events, find out about training opportunities and discover available jobs, many of which are listed exclusively with Real Estate Lives. Tampa lawyer Ron Weaver and some of his friends and colleagues started the nonprofit group toward the end of 2008 to help real estate professionals who had lost jobs and were at risk of losing even more. Community organizations, schools and real estate industry groups also pitched in by making resources available to help with the endeavor. It's an effort that's starting to pay off as the economy slowly comes back to life."We've had an increase in activity in the last four or five weeks where two or three people a day are finding work." Weaver says. He cautions however, that while there are some bright spots, the industry still has a long way to go before it recovers sufficiently to where his organization may no longer be needed. It's a sentiment that Weaver spells out clearly on the Real Estate Lives website: "There will be but one way to measure our success and that's when all of our REbounders are back at work and we close our doors. Then we'll know we were a success." You can find out more about Real Estate Lives by visiting its website at www.realestatelives.org.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Ron Weaver, Real Estate Lives

U.S. Foodservice Seeks Salespeople, Drivers In Tampa Bay Region, Hiring

Dining outside the home in the Tampa Bay region offers a lot of choices as far as cuisine and location. Whether it's Thai food in a strip mall family restaurant, meat-and-potatoes at a stand-alone chain eatery or institutional fare at a hospital or school, someone has to transport the food from market to table and that's what the professionals who work for U.S. Foodservice, Inc. do for their customers. Three of the national food supply company's 60 distribution centers are in Tampa, Lakeland and Clearwater. Marilisa Henderson, a recruiter at the Tampa office, says fulfilling the appetites of Tampa Bay region gourmands requires hiring people who can select the best food products, fulfill and manage sales orders and deliver the goods. "We have an ongoing need for salespeople and drivers," she told an audience of job seekers during a networking event at Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance. Henderson says she also sometimes has openings for IT professionals and people who can provide financial analysis reports. If there's a corporate creed that employees of U.S. Foodservice work by, it would probably be "go beyond the plate." Company spokesperson Christina Koliopoulos cites that as a commitment to communities as well as customers. "We do much more than deliver the groceries and each of our employees plays a critical role in protecting the safety of the food supply," she says. "We are also pasionate about giving back to our community. For example, the Tampa division was recently awarded recognition by Feeding America of Tampa Bay for its dedicated support in the fight to end hunger in West Central Florida."Writer: Brad StagerSource: Christina Koliopoulos, U.S. Foodservice, Inc.

Sarasota Landscaping Company Grows With Sustainability, Adds Jobs

Tammy Kovar's path to becoming a sustainable landscape industry entrepreneur began in the laboratories of Monsanto, where she worked as a biologist. She left one of the world's largest producers of agricultural products with a better understanding of how the biology of agriculture works. That has enabled her to fulfill the verdant and lush landscape dreams of golf courses, planned communities, businesses and homeowners with an environmentally friendly approach. The key has been to make landscaping allies out of naturally occurring soil bacteria. She likens it to the benefits people derive from eating yogurt. "This is a pro-biotic for the soil," she says of the bacteria. "There are companies that ferment and grow them and then we're able to get them mixed in ratios we like." Kovar eventually wants to develop and market her own product line of biological landscaping products. The result is not one, but two successful businesses based in Sarasota, Biological Tree Services which is a full-service landscaping company, and Sustainable Landscape Supply, which offers a range of environmentally friendly horticultural and landscaping solutions. Kovar's approach to working with nature in the urban Florida environment has yielded success and that means opportunities for people who want to join what she calls her "green team" and work toward a goal of sustainability. She anticipates hiring people who can help her develop and market products, sell services, manage operations (especially people familiar with golf courses), arborists and agricultural chemists. Besides people who can work close to the ground, Kovar also cites a need for Internet marketing, web and graphic design professionals. She encourages like-minded people with backgrounds in these areas to submit resumes. "We're all about the future and how to make this a better place," she says. "Everybody at my company has that same passion and together I think we're going to make a huge impact in Florida, the United States and the world."Writer: Brad StagerSource: Tammy Kovar, Biological Tree Services

Federal Grant Funds USF Move To Electronic Medical Records, 100 Jobs

It is often said that one benefit of using digital documentation in place of paper is the saving of trees. Now a $6 million federal grant awarded to the University of South Florida to fund a project called PaperFree Florida, is touted as having the potential to save lives as well as create jobs. The grant is expected to fund more than 100 jobs, with most of them being what USF Health CEO Stephen Klasko refers to as "electronic health care ambassadors." People filling these jobs will help physicians in a 20-county area transition to an electronic system of prescribing drugs and maintaining medical records. USF Health has set up a PaperFree Florida website which provides information about the project. The jobs will be phased in, says Project Director Dr. Jay Wolfson. "These jobs will be the result of recruitment, training and placement of qualified individuals over a four-year period," Wolfson says. PaperFree Florida expects to hire its first electronic health ambassadors by June. People who are hired will then undergo training, which should take between 60 and 90 days. The initial funding for the jobs is substantial, but as a grant the dollars allocated are finite. However, Wolfson sees a long-term need for electronic health ambassadors in the rapidly changing healthcare industry. "This is a very cool project designed to create a new component of the health workforce, e-health ambassadors, who will play a permanent role facilitating the meaningful use of health information at the community level in order to improve quality, safety, access to appropriate care and reduce costs," he says. The federal grant is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Susanna Martinez Tarokh, USF Health

Leader Tech Of Tampa Takes Static Out Of Life, Offers More Jobs

If you've ever wondered why an airline flight crew is adamant about passengers turning off cell phones and other digital devices during certain portions of a flight, here is the answer: EMI - or electromagnetic interference. This happens when electromagnetic energy from one source, such as a cell phone, interferes with the operation of a nearby device, such as an airplane's fuel gauge or its flight control system, which may be susceptible to dysfunction by a passenger's urgent call to inform someone, "Hey, I'm taking off now." Electronic systems and devices are an omnipresent part of our world and are routinely susceptible to EMI. Fortunately, there are companies such as Leader Tech, a Tampa-based subsidiary of HEICO Corp. Leader Tech manufactures solutions for commercial and government customers who need to incorporate EMI protection into their products and services. This is an industry that needs engineers, supervisors and skilled technicians, such as tool and die makers, who understand terms like conductive elastomers, ferrites and BeCu fingerstock gaskets. Laura Anderson is the human resources manager at Leader Tech and she is on a quest to find and hire such employees. Throw in a requirement to respect tight tolerances and it can be a formidable search for the right job candidate. "Because it's such a niche industry it's kind of hard to fill those positions," she says. Anderson adds that it can take months to fill some positions. Qualifications for many of the jobs include experience in mechanical engineering, quality assurance and tool and die setup. While the business of Leader Tech is technology, Anderson characterizes the working environment as personable. "Leader Tech is a very family-oriented company," she says. Benefits offered by Leader Tech include medical, dental life and disability insurance as well as a 401K plan and paid vacation time.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Laura Anderson, Leader Tech, Inc.

Palm Harbor Company Looks For Pros to Help Others Find Work, Adds Jobs

Geographic Solutions, Inc. is a Palm Harbor company that has found a place in a competitive industry by providing software solutions to employment and workforce development agencies throughout the United States, including the Employ Florida Marketplace job search portal. If someone is looking for a job or if a company is searching for viable candidates, there's a good chance that a Geographic Solutions, Inc. product is part of the process. There's also a good chance that software professionals looking for their next employment opportunity just may find it at Geographic Solutions. The company has hired more than three dozen workers with skills as diverse as programming, project management and marketing in the past year and continues to have jobs to fill. "We normally run anywhere from two to three openings up to as many as 10-12 openings because of growth," says Michael Crosslin, who is the company's corporate recruiter. Geographic Solutions provides its employees with a variety of benefits such as fully paid medical insurance, company-paid life insurance, paid vacation time and holidays. There are also company sports teams employees can join and the ever-popular casual dress code. But the big attraction may be the workplace atmosphere. "Every day is different and challenging," says Crosslin. "It's still an entrepreneural spirit, client-driven environment where if people have a passion for what they do, it's a good match." Geographic Solutions has 125 employees, with the majority of them working at its Palm Harbor headquarters and a small group that serves clients on the West Coast and Hawaii out of an office in Salinas, Calif.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Michael Crosslin, Geographic Solutions

Home-Tech Air Conditioning Adds Jobs, Plans Sarasota Expansion

Glide Interactive Of Sarasota Adds Jobs To Develop Websites, Social Media

As consumers and businesses increasingly refer to the resources of the Internet to find information and transact business, the need for companies with well-trained, creative staffs to create websites and provide digital services is growing. One Sarasota company providing those services is Glide Interactive, Inc. It provides web development, graphic design and Internet marketing services to its customers. According to the company's website, Glide Interactive's revenue rose 33 percent from January 2009 to January 2010. Because its list of clients is growing, so is Glide Interactive's staff. The company is looking to fill openings for an experienced PHP developer and Internet marketing specialist and to add more positions later. "People across the country are finding our website and word of mouth is spreading, so we are in a rapid growth phase and are looking to add another five employees by the end of the year," says CEO and President Heath Jordan, who founded the company in 2002. Besides technical skills and experience using them, Heath says, "we are looking for passionate people that have the ability to innovate and the social skills to get along well with a variety of different clients and co-workers." Heath adds that his company is growing because it works hard to help its customers thrive as well. "Success in any business comes from creating winning solutions for clients that helps them achieve their goals," he says. Writer: Brad Stager Source: Heath Jordan, Glide Interactive

Vology Data In Oldsmar Plans To Add 30 New Jobs To Sales Team

Keeping a business operating means among other things, maximizing value and minimizing costs. One company that tries to do that for buyers of networking and telecommunications systems is Vology Data Systems, located in Oldsmar. Vology, which recently changed its name from Network Liquidators, sells new and pre-owned networking and telecommunications systems to businesses, service providers and the public sector. Its inventory consists of products made by Cisco, Extreme, Avaya/Nortel, HP and Kemp Technologies among others. With $50 million in inventory and customers in 80 countries, Vology is increasing the size of its sales team, by hiring 30 additional people. Vology currently has about 110 employees. Courtney Lawton has the title of "leads management assistant" at Vology. She helps generate leads for the sales staff, which works entirely on a commission basis. She's also a member of Vology's sales recruiting team. "We're looking to expand," she says, adding "it's inside sales so it's hitting the phones." Cold calling for a paycheck can sound like a tough way to earn a living, but Lawton says the rewards are there. "You can make six figures. Our top sales person makes half-a-million a year." According to its website, Vology is a 2009 and 2010 recipient of the Tampa Bay Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" award. One reason may be the relaxed dress code. "You can wear anything you want," says Lawton, who adds that some of the top sales producers prefer flip-flops over wingtips. Writer: Brad StagerSource: Courtney Lawton, Vology Data Systems

Sarasota Company Gives Entrepreneurs Chance To Clean Up

Cleanliness is one established means to health and comfort, and, in the case of Cleaning Butlers of Sarasota, it's also a possible means to wealth. Or at least a steady income. Lynne Dowd started Cleaning Butlers of Sarasota last May after working for another cleaning company. Cleaning Butlers serves a variety of clients including medical offices, factories, auto dealerships and day care centers as well as homes in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Business has been good enough that Cleaning Butlers is offering opportunities to other people who want to clean up financially by becoming a franchise owner. Dowd emphasizes that prospective franchisees need to commit more than money to the endeavor. "We're looking for someone who wants to grow a business and be their own boss, is self-motivated and customer-service oriented. If someone is just looking for a job, that's not really what we're looking for," she says. Cleaning Butlers of Sarasota provides customers options that ensure not only satisfaction that their spaces are clean and tidy, but also environmentally friendly if they wish. "We offer the clients a choice, as to whether they'd like us to use the green chemicals, sustainable chemicals or use the regular chemicals," she says. Cleaning Butlers uses four-stage HEPA vacuum cleaners to minimize dust and color-coded cleaning equipment to avoid cross-contamination between different types of surfaces and environments. Franchise fees are based on annual gross revenue and a minimum down payment of $800 plus equipment costs can enable someone to begin building their business. Cleaning Butlers' website lists unit franchise fees ranging from $2,500 to $42,000. They provide business, cleaning and safety training as well as accounting and administrative support.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Lynne Dowd, Cleaning Butlers of Sarasota