{"id":36681,"date":"2023-10-02T15:32:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T19:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=36681"},"modified":"2023-10-02T15:32:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T19:32:44","slug":"polk-county-businesses-honored-with-success-in-business-awards-and-lakeland-commissioner-honored-for-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2023\/10\/02\/polk-county-businesses-honored-with-success-in-business-awards-and-lakeland-commissioner-honored-for-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Polk County Businesses Honored with Success in Business Awards and Lakeland Commissioner Honored for Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bank of Central Florida<\/a> and Gulf Coast Avionics have been setting themselves apart for years, and now they have been honored with the Central Florida Development Council\u2019s annual success in business awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Lakeland City Commissioner Stephanie Madden received the 2023 Chair\u2019s Award at the CFDC\u2019s annual banquet, held Sept. 28 at Haus 820 in Lakeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Harris Award<\/strong>
Bank of Central Florida won the George W. Harris Jr. Economic Development Award for Success in Large Business, which is given to companies with at least 100 employees. The award is named for George Harris, a former CFDC chairman and president of Citrus and Chemical Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Paul Noris started the Bank of Central Florida 16 years ago. Now, it is crossing the 100-employee threshold and has $1.03 billion in assets. This is all while continuing to focus on its customers and the business community as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its first 15 years, the bank has opened six offices; developed \u201cVision 2025,\u201d which outlines its path for the future; stayed true to its mission to support small businesses and small-business owners; rolled out new features for business-related banking; created educational materials centered on fraud prevention; and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other finalists were Amazon Air<\/a>, Southeastern University<\/a> and Lakeland Regional Health<\/a>. Last year, Tucker Paving<\/a> won the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Brantley Award<\/strong>
Gulf Coast Avionics won the Jim Brantley Economic Development Award \u2013 Success in Small Business. The award is named after Brantley, the first director of the agency now known as the CFDC. It is given to a business, institution or organization with fewer than 100 employees that champions growth, free enterprise, economic stability and community service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rick Garcia, owner of Gulf Coast Avionics, said he was surprised and humbled to win the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous honor to be considered the small business of the year. There is a lot of competition. To be thought of among so many others and to be picked, is an honor,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cI want to recognize our team. They\u2019ve done a great job, and that has allowed us to get this award.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garcia offered advice to other small business owners and those thinking about starting their own company. \u201cGet as involved as you can. I know you have a time commitment with your business, but serve the community and you will reap the rewards of success. Just invest a lot of time and give back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1984, he started Gulf Coast Avionics to sell, install, and repair aircraft electronics. Now, nearly 40 years later, he has 57 employees and is going strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other finalists were Center State Development<\/a>, Chastain-Skillman Inc.<\/a> and RLK Development<\/a>. Last year, SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate<\/a> won the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoth companies showcase pride in Polk County through their support of economic development and their commitment to the community,\u201d said CFDC President & CEO Sean Malott. \u201cWe are thrilled to announce them as the winners and honor the other six finalists. All are representative of the many successful companies that call Polk County home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Year in Review<\/strong>
During the meeting, Malott updated the audience on the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs we continue to lead the state and the nation in growth, attracting and retaining quality jobs for Polk citizens remains a critical building block for increasing economic prosperity,\u201d he said. \u201cThe presence of high-skill, high-wage opportunities grew in Polk County this past year as the county welcomed a variety of industries from manufacturing and aviation to the New Energy Sector and Hydrogen Production, totaling nearly $400 million in capital investment. The county also saw a 13% increase in new businesses to the area. The CFDC is committed to promoting Polk as Florida\u2019s best place for business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maggie Mariucci, outgoing chair of the CFDC board and assistant vice president of University Relations at Florida Polytechnic University<\/a>, discussed \u201cthe project\u201d she\u2019s been working on since joining Florida Poly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mariucci shared about the collective partnership that continues to be showcased through the  Central Florida Innovation District (CFID)<\/a> (CFID) She said. \u201cThe game-changer here, without question, is the partnership with the Williams Company. Their commitment to the Innovation District and to being at the table for these discussions and planning has been transformational in our efforts to ensure high-tech development throughout the area surrounding Florida Poly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malott said Mariucci was the perfect person to lead the CFDC board during the past year. \u201cMaggie\u2019s knowledge, commitment and passion for economic development are second to none. She excelled in her role. We are thrilled she will continue to be part of the leadership team for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chair\u2019s Award<\/strong>
The CFDC\u2019s board chair awards one honoree whose work is improving Polk County\u2019s economic prosperity. The honoree is presented with one of the agency\u2019s most prestigious awards. This year, Mariucci presented it to Commissioner Stephanie Madden.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cYou\u2019ve heard me talk tonight about our efforts to create the Innovation District five years ago and the subsequent efforts of so many to keep it moving forward. Stephanie was an early adopter of the CFID concept and a staunch advocate for the vision,\u201d Mariucci said. \u201cShe is one of the strongest proponents for the research park, for innovation, for progress, for clean energy solutions, for partnerships and collaboration as a whole, and basically for making tomorrow a better place for all of us here in Polk County. She continues to leverage her role as an elected official to advance the initiatives she believes in, and her passion for her work, her dedication to our economic growth and her commitment to making a vision come to life is unwavering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mariucci called Madden \u201ca leader who embodies innovative thinking, challenges the status quo, is a convener of creative minds, and a believer in big visions,\u201d Guest Speaker Seth Blackwell, representing the Williams Company, was the keynote speaker. A certified professional landman with extensive knowledge and experience in all facets of land development, he is part of the Corporate Strategic Development team for the Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB), where he focuses on project origination within the New Energy Ventures business unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to joining the Williams Company<\/a>, Blackwell added more than $500 million in asset value as Executive Vice President of Land & Business Development for Lilis Energy & Ruckus Energy. He also worked for Occidental Petroleum, where he gained exposure to multiple oil and gas basins throughout the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHearing about the high-impact opportunities available through new energy projects, especially those grounded in innovation, is exciting for all of us,\u201d Mariucci said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malott thanked Blackwell for speaking to attendees. \u201cWe appreciate Seth and his willingness to spend time talking about the possibilities that exist right here in Polk County.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Changing of the Guard
<\/strong>Mariucci turned the chair over to Gene Conrad, who praised her for her work during her term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaggie has been the right leader for the CFDC at the right time,\u201d Conrad said. \u201cShe has helped re-energize opportunities available within the Innovation District, and we have been fortunate to have her leadership. She is well known throughout the county and is committed to building Polk\u2019s economic prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also discussed the county\u2019s biggest challenge before outlining his goals for the upcoming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a county, we need to remain committed to making our infrastructure a priority, especially transportation,\u201d Conrad said. \u201cWe are uniquely well-positioned to attract large, high-skill, higher-wage opportunities, but to remain competitive, we have to commit and continue to invest in our infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bank of Central Florida and Gulf Coast Avionics have been setting themselves apart for years, and now they have been honored with the Central Florida Development Council\u2019s annual success in business… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":71799,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[6188],"class_list":["post-36681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news","tag-polk-county-businesses-honored-with-success-in-business-awards-and-lakeland-commissioner-honored-for-innovation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}