bay biz magazine- october to december

October 2012

148 POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE: What You Need to Know Before You Vote

10 FEATURE: Growing an Aviation and Aerospace Empire in Northwest Florida

16 TRENDS: Cash Mobs: What are They and How Can They

Help Your Business

14 EDUCATION: Food Service Contracts Bring More Resources and Fresh Meal Selections

18 Bay Young Professionals to Know

20 DEFENSE INTEL: Navy Reduces Costs by Refurbishing Deep-Dive Rigs

23 workforce connection

October - December 2012 | BAY BIZ 3

34

20

1024 THE BIZ LIST

27 OUT & ABOUT

28 BEST PRACTICES FOR BUSINESS: Customer Liability

29 Bay County Tourism Development Council Reports Record-Breaking Bed Tax Collections

30 ECONOMIC PROFILE: EDA Insights

32 NEW MEMBERS

33 MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

34 FSU-PC Exceeds 2009 Enrollment Goal: Looks Toward the Future

36 CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR

Whats Inside

16

PUBLISHERCarol Roberts

EXECUTIVE EDITORBrittany Lewis

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

DESIGNBellhouse Publishing

COVERBanqueting House in Whitehall, London

Aerospace Alliance

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBrittany Lewis, Angela Segers, Elizabeth Smith, U.S. Navy,

Chartwells School Dining Services, Aerospace Alliance, Associated Press

FSU-PC

Carol RobertsBrittany LewisPat HolleyKaren TuckerAudene Chung

Maria GoodwinJennifer ConoleyKristi KirklandDan BroadstreetFSU-PC Gail Robbins

4 BAY BIZ | October - December 2012

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Bay Biz Magazinec/o Bay County Chamber of Commerce

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

Panama City, Florida 32402

850.785.5206

[email protected]

Online: www.panamacity.org

facebook.com/baychamberfl

twitter.com/bachamberfl

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.

I can’t believe it’s fall (Indian Summer) already! I know we are

all ready for a break from the heat and especially the rain.

Fall is planning and budgeting time for most all of us as we

chart our course for 2013. Keep in mind all of the opportunities

to promote your business via advertising in this publication, our

website (panamacity.org), sponsorships of our various events, etc

as you plan your budget.

Speaking of planning, the Chamber has started its process to

develop our 2013 Business Plan. New Board of Director members

have been selected and the transition to our new Chairman of

the Board, Bill Fenimore, has begun. Be sure to mark your calendar

for January 25th for the Annual Dinner and passing of the gavel

from 2012 Chairman Al McCambry to Bill. This event will serve

as the “kick off” the Bay County Chamber of Commerce’s 100th

Anniversary. You will certainly want to be there!

Probably the hottest topic right now is our elections. We

strongly encourage you to get out and vote! We ask that you

take a long hard look at each candidate and vote for those who

work toward a business-friendly environment. In addition, before

the November ballot (you will have many constitutional

amendments to voice your opinion on). In this issue you will find

a story that is meant to inform you on each of the eleven, yes,

I said eleven amendments. Share the story with your employees,

friends and family so that they are better informed at the polls.

We were honored to have been invited to participate in the

event on August 13th in Destin with most all Northwest Florida

Chamber Executives to welcome not only Governor Rick Scott,

but also Governor Perry from Texas to the beautiful Florida

panhandle. The gathering was also attended by elected officials,

law enforcement, economic developers and TDC directors.

Recently, as your representative at the Bay County Emergency

Operations Center, I participated in a training session on new

state-of-the-art software that will be utilized during a disaster.

Many of you may not know but your Bay County Chamber,

Panama City Beach Chamber and your Tourist Development

Council have a place at the table with EOC officials before,

during and after a disaster to insure that the business community

and our organizations can quickly send the message that Bay

County is “Open For Business” after any crisis.

We were fortunate to have one of only five listening sessions

held in the state for the FDOT Freight Mobility and Trade Plan

on August 17th. Manufacturers, port representatives, State

Representatives Patronis, Ray and Broxson, Florida Chamber

officials, trucking representatives and Bay Line Railroad

representatives gave input on issues effecting their constituents

and businesses to assist in the development of a long range plan.

Kudos to Wayne Stubbs, Executive Director, Port Panama City,

for bringing this meeting to Bay County!

Over the past few months, I also enjoyed visiting several grand

openings around Bay County, including the new Sonny’s Bar BQ

in Lynn Haven. The founder of the restaurant chain, Sonny

Tillman, was there to greet us. I along with Chamber employees

and members enjoyed talking with him and even took the picture

you see above. We look forward to welcoming more businesses

into the Bay County Chamber in the coming months!

President’s Message


President and CEO


Political Profile:

written by Pat Holley, Governmental Affairs - Bay County Chamber

Many voters are unaware or confused about these amendments.In an effort to educate and inform the voters, this article will listthe amendments and offer a short explanation about theircontent. This is a broad attempt at helping to ease the confusingverbiage, and perhaps make it easier to cast your vote on theseamendments.

It should be noted that it takes a 60% favorable vote of allthose voting to pass one of these proposed amendments and legalissues could ensue following the elections.

#1 Health Care Services

This amendment is in response to the federal government’shealth care legislation. Essentially the amendment says that no law“compel”, directly or indirectly any Floridian/employer to purchase,obtain or provide health care coverage. This would allow aperson/employer to purchase services directly from a health careprovider. There is the possibility that although this might pass, theU.S. Constitution Supremacy Clause could override it.

#2 Veterans Disabled Due to Combat Injury; Homestead Property Tax

Exemption

This amendment seeks to expand the availability of theproperty discount on homestead taxes of veterans who becomedisabled as a result of combat injury, even if not Florida resident attime of enlistment.

#3 State Government Revenue Limitation

This amendment would limit how much revenue the statewould be allowed to keep. Sometimes called the “smart cap”proposal, state revenues would be capped based on populationgrowth and inflation, rather than the current limitation based onpersonal income growth. Any funds above the cap would be heldin reserve or returned to the taxpayer.

#4 Property Tax Limitations; Property Value Decline; Reduction for

Non-Homestead

Assessment Increases; Delay of Scheduled RepealThis amendment proposes to prohibit increases in assessed value

of homestead and specified non-homestead property if property’svalue decreases. The proposal would give first time homebuyersan additional exemption phased out over five years and it wouldallow the Legislature to repeal the “recapture’ rule. This proposalwould most likely reduce revenues to counties and localgovernments.

#5 State Courts

Amendment 5 proposes to address reforms to Florida’s courtsystem structure and functions. It would revise provisions relatingto the repeal of court rules, limit re-adoption of repeal courtrules, allows Senate to confirm Supreme Court Justices and givesthe House the right to all investigative materials dealing withjudicial impeachments.

Not only is 2012 a presidential election year, voters in Florida are

being asked to vote on eleven proposed constitutional amendments

Proposed Constitutional Amendmentson Ballotin November


#6 Prohibition on Public Funding of Abortions; Construction of

Abortion Rights

This amendment would prohibit public dollars from fundingabortions. This would prohibit the state constitution from beinginterpreted to create broader rights than those in the U.S.Constitution. It would also overturn all court decisions thatrely on privacy rights in the Florida Constitution.

#7 Pulled from the ballot.

#8 Religious Freedom

Essentially this amendment would repeal currentprohibition of state funds, directly or indirectly, for religiousinstitutions. It would allow for state education vouchers toprivate schools.

#9 Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouse of

Military Veteran or First Responder

This amendment would allow the Legislature to provide advalorem homestead property tax relief to the spouse of amilitary veteran or first responders who died from servicerelated causes.

#10 Tangible Personal Property Exemption

This increases the exemption amounts with regard to advalorem taxes of tangible personal property from $25,000 to$50,000. The proposal also permits the legislature toauthorize counties and local municipalities to provide furthertangible property tax exemptions by local ordinance subjectto general law. This could in some counties with largebusinesses have adverse effects on revenues collected fromtangible personal property taxes.

#11 Additional Homestead Exemption; Low-Income Seniors Who

Maintain Long-Term Residency Equal to Assessed Value

The amendment would allow local governments to grantan additional homestead tax exemption (property value lessthan $250,000) to an owner who has resided on their propertyfor at least 25 years, is atleast age 65 and has a low householdincome as defined by law.

#12 Appointment of Student Body President to Board ofGovernors of the State University System

Replaces the president of the Florida Student Associationwith the chair of the council of state-university student-bodypresidents as the student member of State Board of Governorsof the State University System and requires the board toorganize such a council.

For a more in-depth look at these amendments you may go tothe Florida Secretary of State web-site: election.dos.state.fl.usand click on Constitutional Amendments.


The Southeast U.S. is gaining more attention these days for its

activity in the aviation and aerospace industries and economic

development leaders in Bay County. Northwest Florida and the

State of Florida are diligently working to develop the country’s

next aviation and aerospace cluster. Announcements like the one

made in Mobile, Al. on July 2nd help showcase our region to the

aviation industry.

Airbus, an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, producing

nearly half of the world’s jet airliners, announced plans to open a

new assembly facility in Mobile to produce the A320 aircraft. The

new $600 million manufacturing plant will begin production in

2015 and will produce between 40 and 50 aircraft annually

beginning in 2018. Construction includes seven buildings totaling

more than two million square feet on 116 acres at the Brookley

Aeroplex, a former military facility. This will be the company’s first

production site in the U.S.

Growing an Aviation &Aerospace EmpireBay Countyofficialsworking toattract aviationand aerospacecompanies tothe region.

This major announcement in the aviation community generated

headlines around the world and allowed Northwest Florida to

capitalize on that momentum during the Farnborough International

Air Show, held July 9-13, 2012 near London. A delegation of more

than 100 Floridians, and led by Gov. Rick Scott including the Bay

Economic Development Alliance’s Neal Wade, traveled to Europe

to attend the air show.

The bi-annual trade show draws top-level executives from

nearly every major aerospace company for a week of conferences,

business meetings and socializing. Over 120,000 people attend the

event each year, including 70 delegations from 44 countries and

more than 1,400 exhibitors. During the air show, Florida’s

delegation of leaders had numerous one-on-one appointments

with c-level executives of the aviation/aerospace industries. The

attendees felt very optimistic about the meetings and

conversations throughout the week and hope to continue to stay

on the top-of-the-mind through continuous marketing efforts.

By Jennifer Conoley

pictured: Neal Wade, Executive Director, Bay EDA

“Promoting Florida on this international scale enabled us to

establish new overseas business alliances, secure new investment

and strengthen ties to corporate leaders, companies and

government entities that are important to the state,” said Florida

Commerce Secretary Gray Swoope, who heads the state’s lead

economic development organization, Enterprise Florida, which

coordinated the mission. “It was a great opportunity to

demonstrate Florida’s competitive advantages in the UK, which is

a global market we target for economic development.”

The air show kicked-off with a VIP reception where more than

500 attendees, many of which were top Airbus suppliers that are

expected to locate near the new plant, gathered at the Banqueting

Hall, in the historic royal palace in London (pictured on front cover).

The reception was hosted by the Aerospace Alliance, an

organization made up of business leaders, economic development

professionals and government officials, of which Neal Wade is the

chairman.

Working with the Aerospace Alliance is one of Bay EDA’s

outreach efforts. The Alliance is made up of four states: Florida,

Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. It works to establish the

Southeast region as a world-class aerospace and aviation corridor.

The common goal is simple - to promote the region’s assets and

excellence in the aerospace industry. The success of the four-

state alliance and the region will ultimately have a positive,

trickle-down effect on the Bay EDA’s local efforts.

“It is noteworthy the number of supplier jobs that usually result

in the location of such a large facility like Airbus,” said Neal Wade,

executive director of the Bay EDA. “With our greenfield sites at the

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and Venture

Crossings, it makes Bay County much more attractive to Airbus

suppliers as well as other aviation operations.”

Virtually all of the United States’ leading

aviation companies, including Airbus’s rival

Boeing, have a major presence in the Gulf

Coast area, as do many international

companies. Many of these companies are

already located in Northwest Florida. In fact,

most defense contractors have some sort

of existing presence in Bay County.

Because the western end of Northwest

Florida is located less than an hour from

Mobile, the new Airbus plant will allow

many existing Northwest Florida companies

to expand their supplier businesses, as well

as expand and diversify their customer base

to include commercial aviation, in addition to

military and defense contracts. Perhaps more

importantly, many additional U.S. and

international companies will need to open

new facilities in the Gulf Coast region to

serve Airbus Northwest Florida offers many outstanding

opportunities for these companies.

The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport also has

greenfield sites, both inside-the-fence and outside-the-fence, with

runway access or the potential for runway access, which is an

attractive feature to many aviation companies. Because Bay County

is at the heart of seven military bases with an estimated 7,700

people separating from the bases each year, military retirees,

often younger than civilian retirees, exit with an impressive resume

and are equipped to fill high-skill occupations in the aviation,

aerospace and defense industries.

Northwest Florida and Bay County, in particular, are ready and

able to capitalize on the good news for Mobile. Bay County has

been preparing to access opportunities such as these since the

concept of expanding the airport to accommodate a 10,000 foot

runway. Now is the time for Bay County to reap the benefit of its

years of planning and groundwork.


About the Cover

The Banqueting House in Whitehall, London, a royal palace,

originally was the property of the Archbishops of York. It was used

to provide entertainment for Charles I, and was later the scene of

his execution. Two canvasses adorn the ceiling measuring 28x20 ft

and two others 40x10 ft. They were painted by Sir Peter Paul

Rubens and installed in the hall in 1636. The three main canvasses

depict The Union of the Crowns, The Apotheosis of James I and

The Peaceful Reign of James I.

education:Karen Lee Tucker, Public Relations SpecialistAudene Chung, Vice President of ChartwellsSchool Dining Bay District Schools

Superintendent Bill Husfelt has said many times, “We are in the

education business, and with looming and continuing budget

challenges, we need to keep the focus on our primary

responsibility - educating our youth.”

The School Board and Superintendent have been forced to

make many tough choices over the past four years, just for fiscal

survival. Fortunately for our community, the tough choices paid

off. As the shortfalls kept coming, the consideration of privatizing

ancillary services became one more way to address budget issues.

Chartwells, contracted for food services, is bound by its contract

to return to the school district a profit of at least $750,000, but

the return could be much higher. While food service is under new

management, control of the program still remains with Bay

District Schools.

Change is difficult for many people, especially when it affects

their livelihood. School district leaders have been attentive to

making decisions that make the transition to Chartwells as

painless as possible for employees. At the same time, they must

serve the public trust with sound stewardship.

“The Chartwells proposal was the most attractive to the

selection committee and to me, mainly because it contained a

commitment to take care of our employees,” Husfelt said. The

company made good on its promise. The school board also

approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to pay out all

accumulated sick leave (within state guidelines) to food service

employees who left the school district. Employees with five or

fewer years until retirement were given the option to remain on

the school district payroll.

The decision to contract with Chartwells is timely since the

new USDA requirements for school meals must be implemented

this year. The broad changes have already been analyzed by the

Chartwells staff and they have trained all food service

employees on a completely new set of rules.

“Contracting with a company with

vast resources and expertise in the food

service industry allows us to focus our

resources even more on our most

valuable asset – our students.” Husfelt

said.

Chartwells School Dining Services is

excited to join Bay District Schools,

bringing employee and community

support, along with its K-12 school food service expertise.

Chartwells is an experienced food service leader dedicated to

promoting healthy lifestyles by serving nutritional meals, educating

students, training associates and involving parents and the

community – all while making school food service programs more

enticing, healthy and efficient.

“We always work hard to provide the best service to our schools

so our associates, students,and local communities can be

successful,” said Chartwells Vice President Genie Caroselli. “Since

the start of our partnership, we have been working closely with

Bay District Schools to make sure our team is strong and the

transition to Chartwells is seamless.”

Chartwells understands the importance of the Superintendent’s

desire to retain its staff members. Food service associates serve

local children throughout their school years, are a friendly face at

lunch time, and are important members of the Bay District family.

“Keeping our students happy starts with our associates – they

are the face of the food service program because they interact

with students every day,” said Julio Narvaez, Chartwells Food

Service Director. “We have worked hard to ensure we could retain

all Bay District employees at their current pay rates and hours, and

give them the opportunity to continue working at their schools.”

Chartwells will offer extensive training resources to all

associates on topics such as food safety, sanitation, nutrition

trends, customer service and culinary techniques. In addition,

associates have access to competitive benefits, a variety of

development and education opportunities, mentoring groups, and

recognition programs to help associates grow and thrive.

“We are proud to become a part of Bay District Schools and

look forward to working with the district’s food service associates.

The talents and experience of these associates, as well as their

familiarity with the schools and students, is a great benefit to this

new Chartwells program.”



Flash Mobs: You’ve

probably seen them on

the news or online. One person

starts dancing and then other people, usually standing around,

follow suit. Bay County joined this trend when the Northwest

Florida Beaches International Airport had a flash mob break out

during its grand opening. While that trend has become somewhat

of a normal occurrence, another “mob” is taking center stage

across the country.

Angela Segers with the Downtown Improvement Board says “A

cash mob is similar to a “flash mob”. A group of people (friends

and strangers) come together, in mass, to spend their money at a

locally-owned store to give the business a bit of an economic

boost”. The National Trust for Historic Preservation says the first

mob appears to have been held in Buffalo, New York over a year

ago. The movement started as a way to help local businesses in

a slow economy.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, a cash mob could

be just the thing to help boost a local business. Segers recently

helped a downtown business using this method. “Cash mobs

benefit local businesses because they receive an influx of cash,

Trends: cash Mobs:

gain new customers and get reacquainted with old customers”, said

Segers. Around twenty shoppers attended Segers’ cash mob event

the Downtown Improvement Board held in August. Segers says

they plan to start holding the mobs monthly, with a special one

in December during their “Dickens of a Christmas” event.

Want to organize a cash mob of your own to celebrate buying

local? Here are some tips from www.cashmobs.wordpress.com:

� Spend $20

� Meet three new people

� Have fun

Segers also offers several tips to planning a successful cash mob;

she says it should be announced over a social networking site, such

as Facebook or Twitter, up to a week in advance. Planning on short

notice will keep it spontaneous and the mob will have a better

turnout. The business that the cash mob visits needs to be a local

business and the more diverse the better. If the store has something

for everyone, the business will benefit and everyone can walk away

with a new treasure. Make sure a local restaurant is nearby and

encourage the group to go for a meal or drinks after. A cash mob is

simple to organize, but a great way to help your favorite local

business. Help support Bay County by buying local!

written by Brittany Lewis

What are they and how canthey help your business

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

Colin McMichen, is an attorney with the law

firm of Manuel & Thompson and moved to Bay County after

graduating from law school in 2008. At Manuel & Thompson, Colin

represents individuals in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama in the

areas of personal injury, insurance disputes, commercial litigation,

and construction litigation.

His interest in the law was sparked while working for a law firm

as an undergraduate student. After graduating from Auburn

University, he attended law school at Florida State University. While

at law school, he met his wife Nicole, who is also a Panama City

attorney.

Since arriving in Bay County, Colin has been an active member of

the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and enjoys attending

Chamber events to meet new people and see familiar faces. He is

also a member of the Kiwanis Club, St. Andrews Bay Inn of Court,

and is an executive officer with the Bay County Bar Association. He

was recently appointed as co-chairman of the First Saturday Legal

Clinic, which provides free legal services to low income individuals.


Heather Radke Rich, is a Buyer/Planner

at Ingersoll Rand - Trane Company, Born and raised in Panama City,

Florida, Heather graduated from Mosley High School in 1999. She

attended Gulf Coast Community College and the University of

West Florida, graduating with a degree in International Studies

focused in Supply Chain Management and Logistics and a minor in

Marketing. Upon graduation Heather has worked at The Bays

Medical Society, The Irwin Brown Company as a Customs Broker

at the Port of Panama City, and is currently working at Trane as

Buyer/Planner where she is responsible for materials management.

Heather spends much of her spare time volunteering in the

community. She serves as a board member at the Humane Society

of Bay County. With three dogs at home, the organization is

something that is near and dear to her heart. During her tenure on

the board of directors, one of the key concepts that she has

implemented is a pet food program for the elderly in partnership

with the Meals-On-Wheels program. In the surplus program, bags

of dog and cat food are provided to help the fixed-income elderly

keep their beloved pets at home despite their economic hardships.

Also, Heather’s passion for helping children started at a young

age when she volunteered at Southport Elementary. Having both

parents as teachers in the public school system taught her the

value of helping others. This now shows through her involvement

as a member of the Panama City Kiwanis Club, an organization

dedicated to helping children and their charities. Heather was

recently a Brownie leader for a local Girl Scout Troop, “Being a Girl

Scout when I was young and then having an opportunity to mentor

the girls now was incredibly rewarding” she said.

Heather enjoys being part of the Bay Young Professionals

because of the opportunity to see Bay County from a new

perspective through the site visits. Additionally, the relationships

she has built with other Bay Young Professionals and Chamber

Members has been rewarding both personally and professionally.

Panama City’s Navy laboratory conducted validation dives July

2012 with the Navy’s MK 16 MOD 1 Underwater Breathing

Apparatus’ (UBA) that will extend its service life into the next

decade. The MK 16 is a world-class unique diving rig capable of

extreme depths in open sea water.

According to Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division

(NSWC PCD) Diving and Life Support Functional Area Manager Wes

Hughson, upgrade refurbishments like these were made possible

because Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) program

managers had the foresight to establish a Diving and Life Support

Depot (DLSD) at Panama City in 2009.

NSWC PCD is a field activity for NAVSEA, the largest single

business activity in the Navy and one of the largest business

establishments in the federal government. The program managers

Hughson referenced are responsible for specialized military diver

programs.

“The validation dives were done to verify the integrity of the

diving rig’s electronic circuitry upgrades,” Hughson said, adding that

with the Navy having centralized the depot at NSWC PCD,

significant savings had been made.

20 BAY BIZ | April - June 2012

“For example, from June 2011 through June 2012, the repair and

cleaning improvements achieved were equivalent to approximately

two and one quarter Man Year’s worth of savings for the U.S.

Navy,” Hughson said, noting that measuring recent employees’

performance in comparison to the previous year showed that

centralizing the depot in Panama City to have been a wise choice

indeed.

NSWC PCD Commanding Officer Capt. Scott Pratt explained

the diving rig’s mission and safety requirements are what make this

upgrade a significant accomplishment.

“Particularly its mission’s safety requirements,” Pratt said. “When

we’re putting a diver at depth, there is absolutely no room for

mechanical or electrical failures in the rig’s architecture. And to

date, the Navy’s tradeoff analysis has not found any manufacturer

able to replicate the MK 16 MOD 1 UBA as safely as our depot can,

Nor has industry been able to demonstrate the cost savings we’re

achieving.”

Project Engineer Terry Adams said this upgrade marked the

completion of two and a half years of development, testing and

fabrication of the new electronic control suite for the UBA.

defense intel:Navy Reduces Costs while RefurbishingDeep-Dive Rigswritten by: Dan Broadstreet, NSWC PCD Public Affairs

“This electronic upgrade will allow continued use

of this UBA for an additional 10 years,” Adams said.

“Not only does this provide a service life extension,

but it also ensures sufficient spares to fabricate

additional UBA platforms. Had this program not been

successful, the Navy would have been forced to

outsource for an alternate UBA at great expense in

time and dollars to the U.S. government.”

According to Hughson, by establishing NSWC PCD

as the current MK 16 and Viper Depot several

economic savings are realized by co-locating

engineering, acquisition and depot-level functions

together.

“NAVSEA’s organizational analysis determined that

co-locating a depot with its associated in-service

engineering activities would capitalize on in-house

expertise, streamline business processes and ensure

the MK 16 UBA diving rig had expert maintenance

support,” Hughson said.

“For example, having these functional facilities

centralized empowers NSWC PCD with the ability to

rebuild or repair a depot item, which prevents us from

having to purchase a new item. Also, locating the

depot with NSWC PCD’s inventory minimizes expenses

with the logistics delay when materials are located

elsewhere, Hughson said.

Pratt added by partnering with neighboring tenant

command, Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU), the

depot is able to achieve cost avoidances as well.

“Our Diving and Life Support Depot’s partnership

with NEDU adds to our ability to repair and oxygen

clean items in one central location. This helps us avoid

sending parts off base for cleaning, reducing logistics

delay time and man hours spent,” Pratt said.

“This type of direct Fleet support shortens the

repair and cleaning process to less than two weeks,

which significantly increases Fleet readiness and

system availability,” Hughson added, “a significant

saving to the taxpayer.” �



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By: Maria Goodwin

Over the next year, the GulfCoast Workforce Board is slated toplace 160 individuals into new jobsas the result of the On the JobTraining (OJT) program. Funded bya federal grant, the program isdesigned to help the unemployedgain skills in a new field whileworking to offset the costs oftraining new employees for localbusinesses.

The program is open toindividuals in Bay, Gulf or Franklin counties that are unemployedand receiving unemployment compensation benefits or haveexhausted their unemployment benefits. As part of the program,jobseekers will be placed into a job where they are able to earn

Kim Bodine, Executive Director

– Gulf Coast Workforce Board

Workforce Connectiona livable wage while being retrained for a new career. It’s a greatopportunity for those who are out of work to “learn while theyearn”.

Local businesses ready to hire may be eligible to participate inthe OJT program and save their business thousands of dollars.Through the program, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board willrecruit and prescreen eligible applicants based on the specificneeds of the employer and then refer those qualified. Once aneligible participant is hired, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board willreimburse the employer for 50% to 90% of the trainees’ wagesduring the OJT period which averages 12 weeks. The program isset up to be simple with most of the paperwork handled by theWorkforce Center. Furthermore, the program is designed to behassle-free by providing prompt payments to employers andpersonalized assistance throughout the entire process.

The Workforce Center’s OJT program is a limited time offer andcertain restrictions do apply. For more information, please contactthe Workforce Center at 850-873-4340 ext. 108.

Potential Savings for Employers at $14 per hour

Employer’s Staff Size Reimbursable Percentage 12 Weeks Savings

Up to 25 90% ($12.60) $6,04826-99 75% ($10.50) $5,040100+ 50% ($7.00) $3,360

Biz lisTThe

If you are a member of the Bay County Chamberand would like to submit your business news tobe published, email a press release and logo orphoto to [email protected].

CHAMBER MEMBERS SHARE THEIR BUSINESS NEWS

Local Artist Todd Allen Heren-deen's song "My Name Is Amer-

ica" is getting more and more

national attention. January 6th

the song hit the #1 spot on the

Indie World Country

Chart. Todd has been honored

to have been asked to perform

the song at many military func-

tions such as, including the Cen-

tennial Celebration for Marine

Aviation in Orange Beach, AL.

Todd has been invited to per-

form the patriotic anthem at

the Statue of Liberty on Octo-

ber 28 of this year in New York

for the 126th Anniversary.

On Friday, June 22nd, Person-nel Resources celebrated 25

years in business at Landmark

Park Stokes Activity Barn.

Dothan Mayor, Mike Schmitz

and President of Dothan Cham-

ber of Commerce, Matt Parker,

presented the company with a

key to the city and proclaimed

June 22nd as Personnel Re-

sources day. Personnel Re-

sources currently serves 220

clients over Alabama, Florida,

Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and

Minnesota. Over the past

twenty five years Personnel Re-

sources has provided employ-

ment for over 75,000 people.

Mr. Ed Stewart was named the

12th Naval Surface Warfare

Center Panama City Division

(NSWC PCD) Technical Director

and promoted to Senior Execu-

tive Service (SES) corps effective

Aug. 12, 2012. Stewart served as

a NSWC Senior Scientific Tech-

nical Manager (SSTM) at NSWC

Headquarters in Washington,

D.C. Stewart possesses a Bach-

elor of Science Degree in Elec-

trical Engineering and a Masters

Degree in Business Administra-

tion from Old Dominion Univer-

sity.

Naval Surface Warfare Center

Panama City Division (NSWC

PCD) scientist Dr. Harold R.Suiter has been named the 2011

Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scien-

tist and Engineer of the Year

Award recipient in a letter signed

by the Assistant Secretary of

the Navy for Research Develop-

ment and Acquisition on June

29, 2012.

Suiter, a native of Hillsboro,

Ohio, is an optics expert in

NSWC PCD's Intelligent Sensing

and Irregular Warfare Branch

and was one of four award re-

cipients from the Naval Sea

Systems Command (NAVSEA).

Gulf Coast Medical Center, an

affiliate of HCA, announces the

appointment of Carlton Ulmerto the position of Chief Execu-

tive Officer, effective August 1,

2012. Ulmer brings 16 years of

healthcare administration expe-

rience to the role, most re-

cently serving for six years as

Chief Operating Officer at Red-

mond Regional Medical Center

in Rome, GA. His prior experi-

ence includes serving as COO at

Parkridge Medical Center in

Chattanooga, TN, and in-service

line administrator roles at Tu-

lane University Hospital and

Clinic in New Orleans, LA.

Gulf Coast Medical Center’s

Rod Whiting has taken a new

position with Hospital Corpora-

tion of America (HCA) and will

work with the company’s four

Panhandle hospitals: Gulf Coast

Medical Center, Fort Walton

Beach Medical Center, Twin

Cities Hospital, and West Florida

Hospital. In his new role, Whit-

ing will work with employers to

help them identify and manage

employee’s risk for preventable

diseases. Whiting previously

served as Marketing Director of

Gulf Coast Medical Center. He

is a native of Pensacola and a

graduate of the University of

West Florida.


The Bay County Tourist Devel-

opment Council (TDC) has an-

nounced that three staff

members have received top

honors in their respective fields.

Richard Sanders, Vice President

of Sports Marketing, was

awarded the Sports Leadership

Award by Florida Sports, a divi-

sion of Enterprise Florida, Inc.

Bay County TDC’s Vice Presi-

dent of Marketing, Susan Estler,was named to the Advertising

and Internet Committee of

VISIT FLORIDA, the official

tourism marketing corporation

for the State of Florida. In the

coming year, she will work with

fellow members to guide the

messaging of the destination,

particularly Northwest Florida.

Jason Pence has worked for

Hearst Media and the LocalEdge

for several years now here in

Panama City. Through his in-

volvement in the Bay County

Chamber, Jason increased his

digital advertising accounts in

the area to the point he was

noticed by his company. Hearst

Media provides the opportunity

for local business to partner

with them and gain leads for a

great ROI. Jason was able to

help many businesses gain

these needed leads. Doing so,

Jason was recently promoted to

Digital Sales Manager for the

Bay Co. area.

The Rotary Club of Panama

City, aka Downtown Rotary, be-

stowed The Paul Harris Fellow

Award on Joseph K. Tannehill,Sr. on August 1st at its weekly

meeting held at St. Andrew Bay

Yacht Club. The award was one

of special appreciation by the

Club and was a surprise to Mr.

Tannehill. He was recognized

for his outstanding community

service and for the ways in

which his life exemplifies the

humanitarian and educational

objectives of The Rotary Foun-

dation.

After an extremely successful

year serving as Marketing and

Research Coordinator, DanaBrown was selected for the

2012 Forty for the Future

(Travel’s Leading Talent) award

by the Southeast Tourism Soci-

ety (STS), a non-profit organiza-

tion dedicated to the promotion

and development of tourism

throughout the region. Brown

was selected as demonstrating

exceptional leadership qualities

and contributing to a significant

future for the travel and

tourism industry in the United

States.

Congressman Steve Souther-

land named Jonathan Hayes as

his Chief of Staff. Hayes previ-

ously served as Campaign Man-

ager for the Congressman

during the 2012 election. Hayes

was then promoted to District

Director and now Chief of Staff.

Hayes says he will be based in

the district but will travel

to/from D.C. as needed. Hayes

has a B.S. Degree in Business Ad-

ministration with a minor in Po-

litical Science.

Harrison Sale McCloy is proud

to announce that Andrew B.Levy has joined the firm as a

Partner to expand its Business

and Commercial Law and

Wealth Preservation practice.

Mr. Levy brings significant prac-

tical commercial experience

and serves as legal counsel for

a number of businesses that op-

erate in the Panhandle and na-

tionwide, including among

others, Crown Imports, LLC, the

third largest beer company in

the US.

Wine Spectator, the ultimate

guide to all things “wine” re-

cently released their 2012 list

of award winners. Captain An-derson’s restaurant has earned

the coveted Wine Spectator’s

2012 Award of Excellence. Capt.

Anderson’s, a Panama City

Beach tradition since 1967, has

earned many awards through-

out the years for their progres-

sive wine list featuring some of

the best wines from all over

the world, and now the remark-

able and historic Capt. Ander-

son’s Cellar Selection is

presented to guests in a sleek,

new interactive format… on an

iPad.


children and 6 grandchildren.

She currently serves on the

Central Panhandle Red Cross

Advisory Board and is involved in

numerous community activities.

Cove School 75th Anniversary

Attention all Cove School

Alumni! The 75th birthday of

the Cove School building will

be held October 14th. Do you

have a photo to share? Contact

Amy Moody at

[email protected] or call

850.832.5582. Plans are to fea-

ture decade recognition for all

alumni, a "History Trail" guide-

book for the grounds, and the

unveiling of the newest Paul

Brent creation: The Cove

School portrait (available for

purchase on the website:

www.holynativityschool.com).

Do you have photos to share or

questions to ask? Please con-

tact Amy Moody

[email protected] or (850)832-

5582.

St. Joe Company announces the

promotion of Jorge Gonzalez to

Senior Vice President, Develop-

ment. Mr. Gonzalez is responsi-

ble for entitlements, business

development and public rela-

tions/affairs for the Company,

with an emphasis on the Port of

Port St. Joe. Prior to joining St.

Joe in 2002, Mr. Gonzalez was

a consultant in private practice.

He holds undergraduate and

graduate degrees from the

Florida State University (FSU). He

serves on the boards of numer-

ous charitable and economic-

development organizations.

Innovations FCU is pleased to

announce that Jeremy Hintonhas recently joined our team as

Chief Financial Officer. Prior to

joining the Innovations’ team,

Mr. Hinton was the Controller

for CORE Credit Union in States-

boro, Georgia. He earned his

Master’s Degree in Business Ad-

ministration from Georgia

Southern University and a Bach-

elor’s Degree in Business Man-

agement from Kennesaw State

University. Mr. Hinton is a CPA

and has been active in the credit

union industry for several years,

serving as a Board Member for

the Coastal Empire Credit

Union Chapter, as a Member of

Georgia Corporate FCU’s Focus

Group, and was a Member of

Southwest Corporate’s Advi-

sory Council.

August 1, 2012 Nerium Interna-

tional promoted Dawn Flemingto National Marketing Director.

Ms. Fleming will be responsible

for helping lead the company’s

global expansion. Dawn has

been instrumental in expanding

the company’s regional growth

since its launch in September

2011. She was a top producer

and recipient of numerous

awards and popular sales trainer

at her previous company where

she trained and mentored thou-

sands of entrepreneurs. Ms.

Fleming is a former business and

corporate attorney with a

strong background in Interna-

tional Business Transactions.

Gayle McLemore has been with

SunTrust for 34 years and was

recently promoted to City Pres-

ident. She began her career with

Commercial Bank in 1978 which

became SunTrust Bank in 1988.

In 1992 she took on the role of

Branch Manager and was later

promoted to Area Manager in

2006 over Bay, Walton and

Jackson counties. Gayle at-

tended Gulf Coast College

with a degree in business. Gayle

and her husband Larry are na-

tives of Panama City and have 3

The Panama City DowntownImprovement Board recently

attended the Florida Festivals

and Events Association (FFEA)

Conference in Delray Beach,

Florida and were thrilled to win

(10) Gold, (1) Silver and (1)

Bronze medal awards in 12 dif-

ferent categories and in 2 differ-

ent budget categories. The

Florida Festivals and Events As-

sociation (FFEA) is a statewide

organization whose members

are promoters and facilitators

of festivals and events

throughout the State of

Florida.

Ron Sharpe, Director of Re-

source Development for United

Way of Northwest Florida, was

selected by the Center on

Budget and Policy Priorities to

attend a two-day Tax Credit

Seminar September 19th and

20th in Washington D.C. This

seminar will provide insight on

how to recruit and raise com-

munity awareness regarding

Earned Income Tax Credit and

the Volunteer Income Tax As-

sistance Program.United Way of

Northwest Florida has been in-

volved in the Volunteer Income

Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

for the past four years. VITA is

an IRS sanctioned program that

trains volunteers to prepare

simple tax returns for individu-

als and families with a low-to-

moderate income.26 BAY BIZ | October - December 2012


out&about

1.

5.

1. Bay County Chamber Ambassadors

at the Grand Opening of Lifeguard

Ambulance Service.

2. Bay County Commissioners

Bill Dozier, Mike Thomas and George

Gainer along with Gulf County

Commissioners Bill Williams and

Warren Yeager at Congressman

Southerland’s RESTORE Act Press

Conference.

3. Junior Leadership Bay Steering

Committee meeting with Bay District

School officials.

4. Bay Young Professionals take a tour

of the Bay County Emergency

Operations Management Center.

5. Ambassadors Janice Hanks,

Philomena Martrain, Bill Masker

and Renee Stanley at July Business

After Hours at the St. Andrews

Bay Yacht Club.

6. Neal Wade, Dan Rowe, Governor

Rick Scott, Carol Roberts and

Beth Oltman in Destin at Governor

Scott “Meet and Greet”.

7. Representative Jimmy Patronis,

State Representative Lake Ray,

and Tem Fontaine at the Freight

Mobility and Trade Plan listening

session at the Bay County Library.

out&about

2012

3.

4.

2.

6. 7.

best Practices for business

What this means to you is it is almost impossible to be in

business and not collect or hold personally identifying information;

Social Security numbers, names and addresses, credit card numbers,

or other account numbers about your clients, employees,

students, business partners, or patients. What we as business

owners need to understand is that acting like an ostrich about our

responsibility will not make it go away. If this information falls into

the wrong hands, it could put these individuals at risk for identity

theft.

As a responsible business owner, what steps should you take

and what agency do you contact if personal information is

compromised? Although the answers vary from case to case, the

following guidance from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's

consumer protection agency, can help you make smart, sound

decisions. We also recommend you check federal and state laws

or regulations for any specific requirements for your business.

Notifying Law Enforcement

As soon as you know the compromise has the potential to

result in harm to a person or business, call your local police

department immediately. Report your situation in detail and the

potential risk for identity theft. The sooner law enforcement learns

about the theft, the more effective they can be. Account hack and

theft happen to the best of us. Having documentation of your

early report will help with your business liability as well as

minimizing the damages. If your local police are not familiar with

investigating information compromises, contact the local office of

the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service. For incidents involving mail theft,

written by Kristi Kirkland, Answer Marketing, Inc.

contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. These numbers can be

found in the blue pages of your telephone directory, by contacting

your local Chamber of Commerce or an online search engine for

the number of the nearest office.

Notifying Affected Businesses

This is not an easy task to do and a level of comfort will be

compromised, but acting on the information as soon as it is

discovered will minimize the possible damages. Information

compromises can have an impact on more than just your business;

it can reach as far as the banks or credit issuers. If account access

information like credit card or bank account numbers has been

stolen from you, but you do not maintain the accounts, notify the

institution that does so that it can monitor the accounts for

fraudulent activity. If you collect or store personal information on

behalf of other businesses, notify them of any information

compromise, as well.

If names and Social Security numbers have been stolen, you can

contact the major credit bureaus for additional information or

advice. If the compromise may involve a large group of people,

advise the credit bureaus if you are recommending that people

request fraud alerts for their files. Your notice to the credit bureaus

can facilitate customer assistance.

Take Early Action

All consumer credit sources agree taking action early by having

an 'Information Defense Company' do an analysis on your

technology, processes, and storage of sensitive information is the


Today’s modern retail market sees less and less cash and a lot more debit, check, and credit cards. Reward miles, ATM

withdrawal fees, and simple convenience are all driving people to pay more often with a swipe and less often with cash.

Customer Liability

first step, as well as looking into getting liability coverage. Most

insurance companies provide tips to help protect you from being

compromised when they are covering you for liability. In today's

era of ever growing technology, trying to protect yourself with

a blanket of protection over your company is difficult. Ignoring

the situation is where the degree of liability will overwhelm you,

so setting up safeguards acting in a defensive capacity instead of

after the fact will reduce your liability and go a long way towards

giving business owners and your clients' peace of mind.


Bay County Tourist Development Council Reports Record-Breaking

bed tax collectionsContinuing a record-breaking 16-month period of increases

in bed tax collections, the Bay County Tourist

Development Council (TDC) has had its most successful

month ever in July 2012. With collections topping $3 million,

the record surpassed July 2011 by 1.6 percent, July 2010 by

50 percent and the previous record set in July 2007 by 30

percent.

Previous months, May and June, were extremely

successful as well, yielding 20 and 25 percent increases

respectively. Year-to-date collections have additionally

increased 12.5 percent over the previous fiscal year and have

led to a larger budget for 2013, rising from $8 million in

2012 to $12 million in the upcoming year.

Plans for the 2013 fiscal year include improving Aaron

Bessant Park with a 5,000-square-foot permanent stage,

additional parking and restrooms and three new soccer

fields. These improvements are scheduled to be completed

at the end of the year and will be a draw for travelers and

sports visitors.

TDC executives believe that continually expanding the

offerings of events, activities and attractions in Bay County

– and the venues in which they can be enjoyed – will be key

in maintaining the growth in tourism.

For more information on the Bay County Tourist

Development Council marketing efforts, or upcoming

events, please visit www.visitpanamacitybeach.com

economic profile

The EDA’s role in the community is the

recruitment and retention of high-skill,

high-wage jobs while creating a diverse

economy. Industries that we generally

focus on are those that bring wealth

into a community by exporting their

goods and services to customers out-

side the local market and those that do

not rely on the local economy for in-

come. Their primary markets are outside

of the community and they can locate

anywhere their labor, business costs

and supplier network is available and

competitive.

One of the EDA’s most important mar-

keting tools is its website. Launched in

July, the EDA’s brand new website,

www.BayEDA.com, showcases all of the

insiGHtsinside Bay County’s

Economic Development

Efforts

Bay 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 Jul 12 $612,141,932 $343,501,998 $20,959,556 Jun 12 $474,616,129 $274,914,116 $17,088,398 May 12 $494,849,601 $262,527,620 $16,046,737

Jul 11 $716,688,753 $324,837,520 $19,840,582 Jun 11 $466,898,537 $255,867,478 $15,954,575 May 11 $464,862,550 $259,178,812 $15,969,570

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

Aug 12 92,163 84,888 7,275 7.9% Jul 12 93,014 85,365 7,649 8.2% Jun 12 92,530 85,070 7,460 8.1%

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

real estate salesEXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE REALTOR SALES MEDIUM PRICE

Aug 12 211 $137,950 18,669 $147,000 Jul 12 180 $158,400 17,420 $148,000 Jun 12 193 $164,450 18,800 $151,000

Aug 11 123 $147,900 16,206 $137,500 Jul 11 107 $139,100 15,517 $136,500 Jun 11 123 $133,900 17,597 $138,000

EXISTING CONDOMINIUMS

Aug 12 98 $191,000 8,767 $102,980 Jul 12 90 $179,500 7,779 $102,000 Jun 12 114 $200,000 9,202 $110,000

Aug 11 67 $162,000 7,098 $91,100 Jul 11 62 $168,600 6,619 $90,900 Jun 11 81 $138,900 7,922 $94,100

bay county building permits RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL Aug 12 29 4 Jul 12 23 2 Jun 12 12 2

Aug 11 11 2 Jul 11 7 4 Jun 11 12 8


economic development assets in Bay

County. One of the exciting new fea-

tures of the website is the Sites & Build-

ings database. Now, realtors, brokers,

owners and any other interested party

may submit a property to the website

allowing site selection consultants and

company executives to search existing

inventory in Bay County. If you have a

commercial space that you would like

to submit to us, visit bayeda.com, click

on the “Site Selection” tab and go to

“Submit a Site”. The EDA is marketing this

new tool across the country to site

consultants and companies with poten-

tial expansion plans and will build upon

it to keep it fresh and current.

The EDA welcomes your feedback on

the site. If you have any suggestions,

please contact them at 850.215.3365.

They hope you will visit it often for the

latest economic development news and

data in Bay County.

october - December 2012

bay county bed tax collections PANAMA CITY BEACH MEXICO BEACH Jul 12 $3,009,385.67 $69,832.22 Jul 11 $2,962,268.09 $91,260.55 % Change 1.59% -23.48%

Jun 12 $2,737,780.66 $81,818.22 Jun 11 $2,283,400.92 $68,049.69 % Change 19.90% 20.23%

May 12 $1,408,512.00 $40,053.32 May 11 $1,127,248.59 $31,337.85 % Change 24.95% 27.81%

northwest florida beaches international airport passenger traffic TOTAL PASSENGERS COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Jul 12 94,157 1,236 Jun 12 95,590 1,463 May 12 87,398 1,294

Jul 11 87,545 1,306 Jun 11 83,626 1,348 May 11 83,523 1,429


national, state & local unemployment rate - January 1990 -august 2012

newf o r o c t o b e r - d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2

{Academy of Eye Care

(850) 769-1404

(850) 769-0748

[email protected]

826 Harrison Ave.

Panama City,FL32401

Taco Bell 23rd St.(850) 763-1555

[email protected]

4020 W. 23rd St.

Panama City,FL32405

Glass Doctor(850) 785-4527

(850) 785-4118

[email protected]

1503-A Gulf Ave.

Panama City,FL32405

Granite Plus LLC(850) 236-6363

[email protected]

17801 Ashley Dr.

Panama City Beach,FL32417

The Willis Conservatory of Ballet(850) 236-1555

[email protected]

7702 McElvey Rd.


Pirate Cruise(850) 234-7400

[email protected]

5325 N. Lagoon Dr.


The NeuroPain Center(850) 215-7093

(850) 215-7096

[email protected]

1931 MLK Blvd.

Panama City,FL32405

Adams Business Solutions(850) 319-4205

[email protected]

6429 Zinnia St.

Panama City,FL32404

Precision Tune(850) 767-0444

(850) 767-9994

[email protected]

1214 Airport Rd.

Panama CIty,FL32401

American Business Technologies(850) 270-3311

[email protected]

731 Airport Rd., Ste G

Panama City,FL32405

Super China Buffet(850) 785-6688

(850) 785-8811

232 S. Tyndall Pkwy.

Panama City,FL32404

Bob Evans Restaurant(850) 914-8527

(850) 914-8529

[email protected]

1000 E. 23rd St.

Panama City,FL32405

Blue Heron Fine Gifts(850) 588-8008

(850) 588-8122

[email protected]

11260 PCB Parkway, Ste 104


Mainstreet Broadband(470) 213-1919

[email protected]

4106 Sunrise Trail

Chipley,FL32428

DeTect, Inc(850) 763-7200

[email protected]

1902 Wilson Ave.

Panama City,FL32405

Whataburger(850) 228-7635

[email protected]

2401 S. Hwy 77

Lynn Haven,FL32444

May's Mini Mart & More(850) 557-0723

[email protected]

14340 Hwy 231

Youngstown,FL32466

Omega Technologies LLC(850) 272-0943

[email protected]

1399 Millsprings Rd.

Grand Ridge,FL32442

Answer Marketing Inc.(850) 215-7667

(850) 215-8889

[email protected]

1104 Magnolia Ave.

Panama City,FL32401

4PSA(850) 250-1118

[email protected]

3001 W. 10th St., Unit 610

Panama City,FL32401

Taco Bell Lynn Haven

(850) 271-5877

(850) 265-0544

[email protected]

2005 S. Hwy 77

Lynn Haven,FL32444

Victory LandscapingMr. Patrick Garner

(850) 774-6739

[email protected]

7305 Claudia Way

Panama City,FL32404

Mexico Beach Marina/[email protected]

PO Box 13117

Mexico Beach,FL32410

Bodiford Realty, Inc.(850) 769-4571

(850) 873-6078

[email protected]

PO Box 15105

Panama City,FL32406

Your Car Connection

(850) 914-0809

[email protected]

1503 St. Andrews Blvd.

Panama City,FL32405

The Old Broads and The Frog

(850) 319-3608

[email protected]

9601 Bearfoot Blvd.

Panama City,FL32404

Defense Contract

Development

(810) 966-8987

[email protected]

PO Box 160128

Port Huron,MI48061

Steven Walters Training

(850) 570-5188

[email protected]

17113 Guava Ave.


J Michael's 390

(850) 215-4355

[email protected]

3931 Highway 390

Panama City,FL32405

Legal Shield/Go Small Biz.com

(908) 246-8938

(850) 230-4351

[email protected]

6527 Sunset Ave.


Rum Runners

(850) 233-0404

[email protected]

15801 LC Hilton Jr. Dr.


The Hearing Shoppe(850) 387-0119

[email protected]

24 W. 8th St.

Panama City,FL32401

Members.



Onyx - 5 YearsAppleman & Trucks Law Offices

Davita PC Dialysis/Coastal Kidney Center

Henkle Law Firm

Mad Hatter Automotive Center

Panama City POPS Orchestra

Value Place

Viamedia

Wiregrass Warehouse

Ruby - 10 YearsCK Secrets

Elliott Brothers Paint & Body Inc.

Wells Printing Co.

WilsonMiller Stantec

Recognizing renewing members fortheir dedication at 5 year intervalsfor October-December 2012

MemberanniversariesMoney Mizer Pawn & Jewelers

(850) 215-3800

[email protected]

2424 W. 23rd St.

Panama City,FL32405

Project Style

(850) 588-7771

[email protected]

12115 PCB Parkway


Workout Anytime PCB

(850) 708-1247

[email protected]

12117 PCB Parkway


Prompt-Pro Carpet Care

(850) 747-3643

[email protected]

1703 Louise Ave.

Panama City,FL32401

Total Merchant Services

(850) 215-7001

[email protected]

7231 Market St.

Panama City,FL32404

Pinnacle Hammock Square

(850) 481-0620

(850) 481-0624

[email protected]

2206 Hammock Square Dr.

Lynn Haven,FL32444

Fusion Fitness Center

(850) 248-3800

[email protected]

3203 Minnesota Ave.

Panama City,FL32404

At Home Comforts Pet Sitting

(850) 774-3840

[email protected]

PO Box 15055

Panama City,FL32406

Standard Service Company LLC

(850) 625-2115

[email protected]

2812 W. 23rd St., Ste B

Panama City,FL32405

Opal - 15 YearsBankTrust

Bay, Franklin, Gulf Healthy Start

Coalition Inc.

Del-Jen

El Governor Motel

LocalEdge

Thompson Tractor Co.

Emerald - 20 YearsB & S Liquors, Inc.

Silver - 25 YearsFirst Baptist Church

Gold- 50 YearsBarron & Redding, P.A. (55 Years)

In 2009 the Florida State University Panama City Blue Ribbon

Committee established a target enrollment growth goal for the

campus of 1,400 students by fall 2012. Final enrollment numbers

for the fall 2012 semester confirmed that the target goal had

been exceeded with a total of 1,417 students. This represents the

fourth consecutive year that enrollment at FSU Panama City

continued on an upward trend, increasing by 11.4% from the same

time in 2011. Fall enrollment at FSU Panama City has increased by

44.6% since fall 2008 when headcount was 980.

Increased interest in online degree programs in Social Work,

Computer Science, Public Safety and Security and Event

Management contributed to the enrollment increase. Computer

Science programs have experienced explosive growth since fall

2011, posting an 86.4% increase in one year. The Computer Science

B.S. program is one of only a small number of online programs in

the nation that is ABET accredited. ABET, Inc. is the nation’s leading

accrediting organization for college and university programs in

applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. An online

Computer Science B.A. degree is also available.

On June 8, 2012, Florida State University’s Board of Trustees

approved a limited four-year academic plan for FSU Panama City.

The new academic plan allows the Panama City campus to offer a

limited range of general education and lower-level courses that

are focused on and support the upper-level degree majors offered

at FSU Panama City. This historic decision will allow admission of

the first class of freshman students at FSU Panama City in fall

2013.

The move to a four-year plan for FSU Panama City will

Florida State University Panama City Exceeds 2009 Enrollment Growth GoalGrowth Continues with FSU Board of Trustees Approval of 4-year Academic Plan for the Campus.

written by Gail Robbins



maximize use of facilities and resources readily available at the

campus. The new Holley Academic Center and other facilities

completed at FSU Panama City in 2009 can accommodate future

enrollment growth of an additional 1,000 to 1,200 students. It

also positions the campus to better assist in meeting critical state

and regional workforce needs, particularly in the science,

technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The courses will afford greater opportunity for students to

begin and complete their Florida State University degrees at FSU

Panama City, impacting the economic viability of the region.

According to projections from

the Florida Department of

Economic Opportunity, more

than 905 jobs will be needed

each year throughout 2019

requiring at least a

baccalaureate degree.

Florida State University

Panama City is a full-service

branch campus and also the

home of Florida State

University’s newest academic college, the College of Applied

Studies. In the 2013 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s

“America’s Best Colleges”, Florida State University was ranked #42

among public “national” universities. FSU was ranked #14 in Forbes

2012 Top 100 Best Buy Colleges. When measuring value, factors

such as academic quality, admission rates, retention and the

institution’s four-year graduation rate are considered. All of the

24 degree programs at FSU Panama City provide students the same

nationally recognized degree offered by the main campus in

Tallahassee.

Free Employment Services for Businesses

For more information call (850) 872-4340 or visit www.workforcecenter.org

Post Job Openings Recruit & Screen Candidates Access Current Labor Market Data

An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. TTY 1-800-955-8771 or 771.

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first fridayFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking: 7:30 a.m./Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by: Workforce CenterProgram: HolidayFor more information [email protected]

business after HoursFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)5:30-7 p.m.Sponsored by: The Eye Center, Panhandle EducatorsFederal Credit Union, AL.ComFor more information [email protected]

calendarBay County Chamber of Commerce Events{

new Members 411 breakfastChamber Boardroom (235 West 5th Street)8:30-9:30 a.m. Free for new members or those new to a members organizationRSVP to [email protected] or 215.3753

first fridayFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking: 7:30 a.m./ Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by: Lifeguard Ambulance ServiceProgram: Meet the Candidates Free event for Bay County Chamber members and Chamber invited guests

Healthcare reform: What You need to Know nowFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Registration: 9:00 a.m./ Program 9:15 a.m.Sponsored by: The Clemons CompanyFor more information [email protected]

business after HoursVisual Arts Center (19 East 4th Street) 5:30 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.Sponsored by: Acentria and the Visual Arts CenterContact [email protected] for more information

non-Profit sustainability summitFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Time: TBDSponsored by: Doral Bank and FSU-PCFor more information [email protected]

Getting the Grant from research to thank YouBay County Chamber (235 W. 5th Street)Registration 9 a.m. / Program 9:15 a.m.-4 p.m. (lunch included)For more information [email protected]

november2

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16

first fridayFSU-PC Holley Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking: 7:30 a.m./Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by: Life ManagementProgram: TBD For more information contact [email protected]

bay Young Professionals social Paint Your art out Visual Arts Center (19 East 4th Street)5:00-8:00 p.m.For more information contact [email protected]

Mac Golf tournamentPelican Point Golf Course- Tyndall Air Force Base 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.For more information [email protected]

5

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december

2

october

for a detailed listing of chamber and community events visit

www.panamacity.orgdates, times and locations subject to change.

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bay biz magazine- october to december

Documents

catering team

express catering

bay county chamber ofcommerce

ess exprering ffering

biz list27

chamber member

panama city

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