Entrepreneur Plans To Bring 90 New Jobs To Manatee

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Entrepreneurship
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January 11, 2011

"Look younger and live longer" is the philosophy behind the company It Works Global Inc.  CEO Mark Pentecost started It Works in March, 2001. A teacher by trade, Pentecost was looking for a business opportunity that would get him out from behind his desk. He says starting It Works Global gave him the financial freedom he was looking for. Pentecost recently made the decision to relocate the company's corporate headquarters from Grand Rapids, MI to Manatee County, and plans to create jobs. According to Pentecost, the warm weather and gulf beaches of the Tampa Bay area were the biggest draw to Manatee County. It Works Global is a direct sales company, that offers innovative products, including nutritional supplements, as well as a line of luxury skincare products. The company is known for its Ultimate Body Applicator™ product, which is an all-natural, detoxifying body wrap that tones and tightens. While Pentecost has not finalized a lease for the new headquarters, he plans to renovate and operate out of the Stoneybrook Golf Club facility in Sarasota. "Being on the golf course, we are able to recognize our distributors, give them a break, and have some fun," Pentecost says. "At It Works, we work hard, but we also play hard." When the new corporate office does open, which Pentecost expects to happen later this month, he says he will be hiring 20-30 people right away. "We will be hiring a creative team, social media experts, customer service, and management positions from the get go," Pentecost says. "We project to hire 90 people over the next three years." Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Mark Pentecost, It Works Global, Inc.

Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center Targets Lung Cancer
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Health
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January 11, 2011

Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa is participating in a study that may be able to target lung cancer in a far more effective manner.Moffitt is one of 14 medical sites participating in a national study that offers advanced lung cancer patients screening of their tumors for genetic mutations. "For many years we have known that cancer is caused by mutated genes," says  says Dr. Eric Haura, director of the Lung Comprehensive Research Center and program leader of Experimental Therapeutics. "But only in the last five years have we identified genes that not only are mutated but also are key drivers of lung cancer growth and survival. Most importantly, drugs exist that can turn off the function of these abnormal gene products (mutated proteins). So now we can match patients to drugs that have high likelihood of success."The Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium Protocol is a federally funded study coordinated by researchers at the University of Colorado. Dr. Haura is the principal investigator of the study at Moffitt. Dr. Haura says that, despite some drug resistance, by identifying patients with the mutations and directing them to either established FDA compounds that are predicted to work or enrolling them in clinical trials for agents that are predicted to work,  patients will be able to benefit from a more personalized treatment that more effectively targets their particular cells that are causing their illness."This is the next step for the lung program's goals of personalized cancer therapy," Haura says.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Dr. Eric Haura, Moffitt Cancer Center

Career Expo For Veterans Coming to Tampa
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Innovation News
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January 11, 2011

Are you a veteran either transitioning out of the service, have been out of the service for some time with civilian work experience, or a spouse/family member of a veteran looking for work? If so, then you may want to check out the Opportunity Expo, hosted by RecruitMilitary, on Thursday, Jan. 20, in Tampa. RecruitMilitary is a military-to-civilian recruiting firm, which helps vets find work. The event is exclusively for veterans and their families. Robert Walker, director of events & national accounts for RecruitMilitary, says that the organization has hosted similar events in Tampa before, and has had up to approximately 500 job-seekers attend in the past. According to Walker 29 companies have already signed up to be in attendance, and he expects another seven to 10 to sign up between now and the event. "Job candidates can get a full list of the companies by preregistering for the event," Walker says. "Job-seekers do not have to preregister for the event, but they can get more details and a full list of the organizations attending by doing so." The companies that have already registered to attend include AutoNation, BayCare Health, the CIA, Gerdau Ameristeel, Goodman Manufacturing, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Progressive Insurance Corporation, Prudential Insurance Company, USAA and the Transportation Security Administration, among others. For jobseekers planning to attend the event, Walker has the following advice. "Bring at least 20 copies of your resume, dress to impress, and be prepared to interview," Walker says. "We have had clients interview candidates at the event, and some candidates have even received contingent offers on the spot." The Opportunity Expo will take place at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts located at 1010 North W.C. Macinnes Place in Tampa, on Thursday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Writer: Kimberly PattersonSource: Robert Walker, RecruitMilitary

Sarasota’s New College: Top Value For Students
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Buzz
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January 11, 2011

Sarasota's New College of Florida recently earned high praise for its affordability and accessibility.The February 2011 issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine highlights the top 100 public colleges in the U.S that offer the best value for students.New College, ranked at #11, was praised for its affordable tuition, small student-faculty ratio and competitive atmosphere.The University of South Florida also made the list at #55.Read the complete story.

Florida Medical Clinic Announces Zephyrhills Expansion For 2011
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Buzz
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January 11, 2011

Florida Medical Clinic Chief Executive Officer Joe Delatorre plans to expand the clinic's Zephyhills office in 2011 with a $5 million investment.The investment will allow the facility to quadruple the size of the surgery center, as well as expand its rheumatology department and urgent care center, according to The Tampa Tribune.Florida Medical Clinic also operates facilities in Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Carrollwood, Land O'Lakes and New Tampa.Read the complete story.

St. Joseph’s Leads Florida’s Hospitals Toward Sustainability
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Architecture
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January 11, 2011

St. Joseph's Hospital-North recently became Florida's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hospital.The Lutz facility covers 350,000 square feet and employs the use of sustainable features such as low-flow water fixtures, landscape maintained with 100 percent reclaimed water and individual controls for lighting and heating.Read the complete story.

Architectural Record Delves Into Construction Process Of New Dali Museum
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Architecture
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January 11, 2011

The construction process of the newly designed Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is covered in a recent article.Architectural Record features insight from the team behind the $29.8 million job -- global architecture firm HOK of St. Louis, Mo. and Tampa construction firm The Beck Group.Read the complete story.

Pinellas Tables Light Rail Discussion
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Development News
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January 11, 2011

In November 2010, voters in Hillsborough County elected not to support a referendum allowing a one-cent sales tax that would fund the building of a light rail system. Pinellas County listened and watched, as they themselves planned a similar referendum for 2011. In the wake of the Hillsborough vote, Pinellas has decided to wait until 2012 or 2013 to place a similar referendum on the ballot.Pinellas Commissioner Karen Seel serves as the chairman of a Pinellas' transportation task force and says much of the decision to table the Pinellas referendum was partially a result of what happened in Hillsborough."I think part of it was prompted by the Hillsborough vote," says Seel. "There was a definite feeling that this is not a good time economically to go forward with a sales tax. Analysis and polls done on our side of the bay show that while Pinellas residents are interested in light rail, they feel that now is just not a good time."Seel says a proposed light rail plan would connect Pinellas and Hillsborough counties along the Howard Frankland bridge, as well as a line that would run from downtown Clearwater, through the Gateway/Carillon area and continue south to downtown St. Petersburg.Seel says she hopes that voters will ultimately vote for light rail for the sake of the region. "There's a real recognition among our young people that light rail is needed," she says."How do you attract bright minds when they can go to Charlotte and other metropolitan areas that have light rail and vibrant places to live, work and play. Right now we're just not competitive with other markets.The young and the restless of Florida need light rail."Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Karen Seel, Pinellas County Commission

First Electric Car Dealership Opens In St. Pete
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Development News
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January 11, 2011

After selling cars for almost 40 years and keeping tabs on the car sales industry, Richard Nimphie decided to electrify his business for 2011. He opened an electric car lot at 2401 4th St. N. in St. Petersburg."For the past few years, every industry journal I read spoke of electric vehicles," says Nimphie. "This gives me the opportunity to get into an innovative end of the automobile business that will make a difference."Suncoast Electric Vehicles sells personal and electric vehicles, or EVs, that include the Wheego Whip for neighborhood drives, the Wheego LiFe for highway trips, two Vantage GreenVan models and two Vantage GreenTruck models. Nimphie says he believes he is the only dealer of all-electric cars and trucks in this part of the country."I've checked on the Internet, and to my knowledge we are the only dealer in Florida, or the Southeast that is dedicated to selling all electric automobiles and trucks."Because the cars are assembled in California and shipped to St. Petersburg, customers must reserve their car and wait for delivery. The dealership also will provide free charging to its customers at its solar-powered charging station. EVs take approximately eight hours to charge, and the highway car will run up to 70 miles per hour for the equivalent of 100 miles to the gallon. Each car at Suncoast Electric is sold with an adapter that allows cars to be charged from a 110-volt electric outlet.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Richard Nimphie, Suncoast Electric Vehicles

1-1-11 Ushers In Promising Projects for Tampa Bay
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Architecture
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January 11, 2011

Two high-profile projects are being celebrated on both sides of Tampa Bay on Jan. 11, 2011. Groundbreaking takes place on the University of South Florida's (USF) Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in Tampa, and the new and improved Dali Museum opens in St. Petersburg.The Beck Group, a national firm that handles development, planning, architecture and construction projects throughout the United States, is both architect and general contractor for the CAMLS. The 90,000-square-foot building planned for downtown Tampa will house the first-of-its-kind facility in the nation for medical training in simulated environments. The facility includes surgical training suites, one of which contains a da Vinci robot. A virtual hospital, research and innovation lab, offices and a fully equipped interactive auditorium are also part of the project. The facility is expected to open in December 2011.Beck also built the 66,400-square-foot Dalí Museum on St. Petersburg's waterfront. The new building's exterior construction features a geodesic glass design as well as 18-inch-thick concrete walls and slab roof that are expected to withstand hurricane-force winds and flood waters. The museum's interior centerpiece is a three-story, 56-foot high spiral staircase inside a Daliesque space shaped like an egg.The new Dali and the CAMLS are expected to draw visitors from around the world and help spur additional economic development for the Tampa Bay region."Both of these buildings are iconic projects for the Tampa Bay area," says Ben Bard, a Beck Group project manager. "Both offer a global draw in terms of visitors -- healthcare professionals and art lovers. It's awesome to be part of it."Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Mark House, The Beck Group 

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