Friday, July 3, 2009

UCF Business Incubation Program Identifies More Than 1,600 Area Jobs it helped to create with Earnings of More than $70 Million


UCF Business Incubation Program Identifies More Than 1,600 Area Jobs it helped to create with Earnings of More than $70 Million


ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program, which currently supports nearly 70 startup companies at five Central Florida incubation sites in downtown Orlando, east Orlando, Winter Springs and the UCF campus, reports its efforts have helped to generate more than 1,600 new jobs in the Central Florida region with combined earnings of more than $70 million.


Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder and executive director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said that’s just a start. “Currently, client companies of the UCF Business Incubation Program employ 340 professionals,” O’Neal said.


Thirty-one Central Florida companies that have graduated from the program currently employ 490 individuals, O’Neal added.


The net effect of that job growth creates almost the same number of “ripple” jobs to support these new businesses, O’Neal said.


Orlando-based Real Estate Research Consultants, Inc. conducted a study of the economic impact of the UCF Business Incubation Program job growth in the region, O’Neal said, and used an industry standard calculation known as RIMS II multipliers to determine the number of “ripple” jobs created.


The UCF Business Incubation Program’s area economic impact goes beyond job growth, O’Neal explained.


“The job growth we helped to create here will generate as much as $14 million in new ad valorem revenues over the next 20 years in Orange County alone,” O’Neal said. In Seminole County, new ad valorem revenues resulting from the UCF Business Incubation Program are estimated at almost $4 million.


In addition, Orange and Seminole County schools will collect more than $28 million from the new job growth, O’Neal said.


The UCF Business Incubation Program, which initially focused on emerging technology companies, has expanded to include startup businesses of almost every stripe except retail and lifestyle.


“Most startup companies can benefit from a successful incubation program, but not all,” O’Neal said. “We aren’t equipped to adequately serve consumer product retail or lifestyle companies because the dynamics of those businesses don’t fit well in an incubator environment,” he said.


The award-winning UCF Business Incubation Program, which opened its doors 10 years ago, now ranks as one of the most successful incubation programs in the U.S.


For more information, contact:

Tom O’Neal. Ph.D, UCF Associate Vice President for Research and Commercialization and Incubation Program Executive Director, 407-882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu


Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 Lvershelco@aol.com


About the UCF Incubation Program:

Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Incubation Program has helped more than 100 emerging companies (including nearly 70 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 900 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With five facilities across the metro Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between UCF, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/.

Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant & Café Sends 10 Staff Members on Educational Tour of Napa Valley Wineries

Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant & Café Sends 10 Staff Members on Educational Tour of Napa Valley Wineries

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant and Café in downtown Winter Park recently sent 10 staff members on educational tours of Napa Valley wineries in California.

Ron Diaz, general manager at Park Plaza Gardens, said the Napa Valley trip was a reward to the staff in a wine sales competition reflecting their performance, and the tours are an important part of Park Plaza Gardens’ service.





Left to right: Ron Diaz, Chris Yeomans, Jamie Lutz, Tyler Brown and Vincent Stolic.



“We pride ourselves in offering our patrons one of the area’s most distinguished wine cellars and highly knowledgeable wine service,” Diaz said. “Our staff is always being trained in the art of selling wine and food pairing.”


Some 10 wineries in the Napa Valley area were visited. Silver Oak, Markham, Rombauer, Honig, Opus One, Miner in Napa; Korbel and Arrowood in Sonoma; Langtry in Middletown, and Stonestreet in Alexander Valley.

“We want our servers and staff members to know their way around the finest wines and the best way to teach them is at the wineries,” he said.

Diaz said the trip included VIP treatment at each winery and full tours focused on the process of wine making plus a small course on wine varietals. A two-day stop over in San Francisco for sightseeing and fine dining was also a highlight of the winning trip, Diaz said.

Park Plaza’s staff participating in the tour were servers JJ Dalton, Chelsea Grasso, Jamie Lutz, Jason McNamara, Vinny Santuci, John Stoner and Chris Yeomans; Guy Cowie, bartender; Food runner Ben Sunners and new manager Daniel McGaughey.




Bottom to top, left to right: Jamie Lutz, Ron Diaz, Chris Yeomans, John Stoner, and Vincent Stolic.

For more information, contacts:

Park Plaza Gardens, 407-645-2475, http://www.parkplazagardens.com/

Ron Schwartz, Principal, Park Plaza Gardens, 407-342-3648

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142