Daytona Beach Business Incubator Goes from “Innovation to Realization” in Less than Nine Months

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- A community partnership was officially forged recently (July 27) as representatives from Volusia County and the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program cut the ribbon on the new 8,000-square-foot business incubator at the Daytona Beach International Airport.

More than 200 people – including representatives of federal, state, county and city government, airport officials as well as UCF and other universities and school officials from Volusia – gathered outside of 601 Innovation Way to hear county and UCF spokesmen talk about the $1.4 million renovation that turned part of the airport’s international terminal building into the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program – Daytona Beach International Airport.

“This is a special day for all of us,” said Rick Karl, the airport’s director of aviation and economic resources, who thanked the county for “having the guts to take this project on.”

Some in the crowd commented on the great location of the incubator, while others speculated that the location should help attract venture capitalists.

Gordon Hogan, director said the UCF Business Incubation Program currently serves 108 client companies and provides a wide range of services in a campus-like environment, including affordable office space, as well as access to a receptionist, a site manager, business mentors, educational classes and necessary business equipment. The centers also have off-site clients, who utilize all of the services except actual office space.

The Daytona Beach incubator – which will be led by Site Manager Doris Garzon-Bernal, former manager at Daytona State College’s Small Business Development center – eventually can house up to 20 start-up companies in a supportive environment designed to accelerate growth and create local employment opportunities.

The first tenant in the center is Mel Hall, the founder of I-RED LLC [Innovation Research Engineering and Development], an alternative energy company that is developing wind turbine technology that could provide low-cost sustainable electrical power similar to that used on Mag-lev trains.

Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director and founder of the UCFBIP, referred to the incubator – UCF’s ninth Central Florida location in the 12-year-old program – as a long-term investment that can only be successful with community support.

“This is a partnership and it will be a partnership forever,” Dr. O’Neal said, adding that Volusia County Council Chairman Frank Bruno played a large role in making the project a reality. “A lot of people were involved in this, but Frank was instrumental in getting this thing going.”

In a nutshell, Bruno said the incubator simply means “jobs” to Volusia County.

“There’s a lot of talent coming out of our colleges and universities,” Bruno said. “This allows them to bring their ideas here, to the incubator, where they can grow and create even more jobs.”

Business incubation has shown to be the most cost-effective way of generating new economy development and job growth in the local community.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 160 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $800 million in annual revenue and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business 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, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu.