New Stimulus Effort Should Focus on Small Business, Business Incubators, Economic Gardening, says Incubation Expert

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The next step in stimulating the national economy’s recovery from the worst recession since World War II should focus on small business, business incubators and economic gardening, said Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder and executive director of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program.

“Most of the net new jobs in the U.S. are created by a relatively small number of small businesses,” Dr. O’Neal said.

“A stimulus package that targets small companies and support programs such as qualified business incubators and economic gardening efforts, would likely generate a substantially higher return on investment than other efforts that target the nation’s economic recovery,” Dr. O’Neal said.

Dr. O’Neal said that while current stimulus programs have shored up the nation’s financial system, investment capital programs targeting small and expanding business that would generate growth and new jobs isn’t forthcoming.

“Something to stimulate investment in small business would be huge right now,” Dr. O’Neal said.
“Incubation programs and economic gardening is a good investment, but the well is dry right now for expansion capital. Many sound, promising new businesses are poised for growth and expansion, but they don’t have access to capital to fund that growth,” Dr. O’Neal explained.

“They’re successful but they’re stuck. We need something to free up the capital markets and get the investment capital flowing again,” he said.

Dr. O’Neal, who recently received the Regional Outstanding Resource Partner Award from the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, said successful incubation programs help entrepreneurs shape promising business concepts into thriving enterprises that create new jobs and new revenues.

“We know how to identify startup enterprises with the highest chances of success, and we know how to accelerate their growth as sustainable companies,” O’Neal said.

“There is a lack in investment capital, and that’s where stimulus efforts could help the most,” he concludes.

For more information about this release contact:

Dr. Tom O’Neal, Executive Director, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407 882-1120, oneal@mail.ucf.edu;

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

About the UCF Incubation Program:

Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 130 emerging companies (including nearly 80 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 1600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With six facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu/.

Kinetic Analysis Corporation Awarded Major Contract from Willis RE to Assess Hurricane Damages

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Kinetic Analysis Corporation (KAC), with offices in east Orlando, was recently awarded a major contract by Willis RE to provide real-time analysis of hurricane threats and damage on property assets in the U.S. and Caribbean.

Willis RE is one of the world's premier global reinsurance brokers with more than $12.2 billion in U.S. insurance premiums.

Chuck Watson, chief operating officer of Kinetic Analysis Corp., said his company’s real-time analysis will help Willis RE measure the financial impact of weather events accurately and immediately.

“KAC seamlessly integrates global data collection, advanced numerical modeling, statistical analysis and GIS technology to focus on a wide range of issues that concern government agencies and private sector investors,” Watson explained.

KAC incorporates a wide range of data resources, including remote sensing from orbital platforms developed by NASA and other agencies, automated weather stations, data from ships and aircraft, and economic and news reports, integrated in real time.

Kinetic Analysis Corporation’s clients include commercial weather services, catastrophic risk underwriters, national and state emergency management agencies, international development financing agencies and commodities traders.

Kinetic Analysis Corporation is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program with offices in the Central Florida Research Park and Silver Springs, Md. KAC is an industry partner with UCF through their work with Dr. Mark Johnson, a renowned professor of statistics.

Contacts:
Chuck Watson, Chief Operating Officer, Kinetic Analysis Corp. 912-398-9753; cwatson@kinanco.com;

Carol Ann Dykes, Site Manager, UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-882-0211, cdykes@mail.ucf.edu

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

About the UCF Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 130 emerging companies (including nearly 80 current clients) create over $500 million in annual revenue and more than 1600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With six facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.

Mattamy Homes Acquires 43 Home Sites at Durbin Crossing in South Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, the U.S. division of Canada’s largest home builder, recently acquired 43 new single-family home sites at Durbin Crossing, located in south Jacksonville off I-195 and Racetrack Road.

Dennis Ginder, division president for Mattamy Homes U.S. Group in Jacksonville, said Mattamy will start construction in December of five ready-to-move-in single-family homes ranging from 1,600 to 2,900 square feet of living space, priced from the $180s which are now available to purchase.

Mattamy Homes U.S. Group will also introduce its new Innovations Series of designer homes at Durbin Crossing, and will start construction in January of a model in the new series. The two-story home, with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths an oversized second-level loft in 2,715 square feet of living area, will be priced from the $230s, Ginder said.

For more information contact:
Kerry Soltis, Marketing Manager, Mattamy Homes U.S. Group-Jacksonville 904-279-9502
Dennis Ginder, Division President Mattamy Homes U.S. Group-Jacksonville 904-279-9500
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

About Mattamy Homes:
Mattamy Homes expanded into the U.S. in 2003 and has divisions in Jacksonville, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix and Minneapolis. The homebuilder is the largest and most active in Canada with annual revenues exceeding $1.3 billion. Visit www.mattamyhomes.com.

Longtime Area Property Broker Maury L. Carter, Sr. Inducted into University of Florida’s Real Estate Hall Of Fame

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Longtime Central Florida property broker Maury L. Carter Sr. was inducted into the University of Florida’s Real Estate Hall of Fame recently in recognition of his lifetime achievement in the real estate industry and contributions to the University of Florida’s Real Estate program. The award was presented by John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast.

Photo (Left to Right) Dr. Wayne Archer, professor MSRE program at UF, Maury L. Carter Sr., Halbert C. Smith, ret. professor UF Graduate School of Business, Dr. David Ling, professor MSRE program at UF.

For more information, contact:
John Crossman, CCIM, President, Crossman & Company, 407-581-6218, jcrossman@crossmanco.com;

Justin Greider, Senior Associate, Crossman & Company/ICSC Florida Next Generation Chair, 407-581- 6225; jgreider@crossmanco.com;

Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com.

About Crossman & Company:

Crossman & Company is one of the largest third-party retail leasing and management companies in the Southeast with over 16 million square feet under leasing and/or management. Founded in Orlando in 1990, Crossman & Company is a full service commercial real estate firm that advises its clients in leasing, management, development and investment sales of retail and office properties and serves clients including Publix Super Markets, Inc., Lake Nona, PREIT, and LaSalle Investment Management. Please visit http://www.crossmanco.com/, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.

Mattamy Homes U.S. Group to Start Construction of 11 new City Homes at Baldwin Park City Homes

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Mattamy Homes U.S. Group, the U.S. division of Canada’s largest home builder, will start construction of 11 new homes in December at City Homes at Baldwin Park located on Meeting Place in Baldwin Park off Corrine Drive and Bennett Road near downtown Orlando.

Steven Parker, president of Mattamy Homes U.S. Group (www.mattamyhomes.com), said the three-bedroom city homes will range in size from 2,003 square feet of living space to 2,283 square feet.

Three-story City Homes at Baldwin Park, in five distinctive floor plans, are priced from the mid-$200s.

For more information, contact:
Steve Parker, President Mattamy Homes U.S. Group 407-599-9994
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142

About Mattamy Homes U.S. Group:
Mattamy Homes www.mattamyhomes.com expanded into the U.S. in 2003 and is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla. with divisions in Orlando, Jacksonville Phoenix, Minneapolis and Charlotte. The homebuilder, the largest and most active in Canada with annual revenues exceeding $1.3 billion was ranked among the highest of all homebuilders in the greater Toronto and Ottawa areas in a nationwide customer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power Associates.