Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Melrose-Sovereign Companies Names Mandy Vallowe Vice President of Business Development and Marketing

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Melrose-Sovereign Companies has named Mandy Vallowe vice president of business development and marketing.

Jack Hanson, LCAM, co-founder and partner at Melrose-Sovereign Companies said Vallowe, who was educated in the U.K., has more than 17 years of experience in the multi-family housing industry. She was formerly the senior vice president of Network Multifamily, the largest provider of monitored alarms to the multifamily industry.

Melrose-Sovereign Companies manages residential communities and condominium associations throughout Florida.

New home sales in Lennar’s Active Adult Communities Approaching 2005 pace and its only summer

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Sales of new homes at Heritage Hills in Clermont and Heritage Isle in Viera are the best they have been since 2005, when the nation’s housing slowdown began.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said new home sales at Heritage Hills in Clermont and Heritage Isle in Viera have broken records all summer.”

“We haven’t seen this much activity since 2005,” Metheny said. “We’ve known that the active adult market would be the first to rebound the strongest and it appears that’s what’s happening now.”

The sales surge is particularly encouraging because of the season.

“Usually we see the most activity in the winter,” said Sara Nakamine, Active Adult marketing manager for Lennar in Central Florida.

“That’s when the majority of northern visitors come to Florida to look at retirement living,” she said.


Lennar Unveils New Model Home and offers more Floor Plans at Eiland Park in Zephyrhills

TAMPA, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division recently unveiled its new three- bedroom, two-bath St. Marten model villa home at Eiland Park, a gated community of new town homes and villa homes, located on Daliha Terrace in Zephyrhills off Massey Road west of U.S. 301 and north of S.R. 54.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the St. Marten model villa home offers 1,517 square feet of living space with a one-car garage priced from the $130s.

Two additional villa home plans are available at Eiland Park. The St. Vincent and St. Lucia. Both offer two bedrooms and two baths in 1,400 square feet with a one-car garage priced from the $100s.

Maintenance and landscaping are included at Eiland Park along with Lennar’s exclusive “Everything’s Included” package.

Eiland Park features a community pool with spa and cabana, volleyball court, playground and picnic areas with barbecue.

Innovation Research Engineering and Development opens offices at UCF Business Incubator -- Daytona Beach International Airport

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., --- Innovation Research Engineering and Development, Inc. (I-RED), which develops highly efficient vertical wind turbines for commercial applications recently opened its new offices at 601 Innovation Way in the University of Central Florida Business Incubator-Daytona Beach International Airport.

Mel Hall, chief executive officer and managing partner of I-RED – the first company to join UCF’s new Daytona incubator – said his firm unveiled a prototype of its patented vertical wind turbine during the UCF Business Incubator’s recent grand opening event (July 27).

I-RED is currently installing its first residential wind turbine at a luxury home in New Smyrna Beach, that has been registered for Platinum LEED Certification.

I-RED’s proprietary vertical turbine design can function efficiently at substantially lower average wind speeds than are required by conventional propeller turbines, Hall said.

Hall said I-RED also plans to open office/manufacturing facility in Edgewater by the end of this month (August).

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output 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. Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook.

Pasco County Manufacturer Selected to Receive Free Technical Assistance from State’s GrowFL Economic Gardening Program

ODESSA, Fla. – SmartScience Laboratories Inc., - a developer, manufacturer and marketer of over-the-counter drug products - recently was selected to participate in the state-funded GrowFL program, part of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

Founded in 1998 by President/CEO Gene C. Weitz, SmartScience Laboratories is an FDA registered pharmaceutical contract manufacturer of over-the-counter drugs and cosmetic products. The company also operates a marketing division which markets consumer products straight to consumers utilizing direct response marketing strategies.

“After qualifying and receiving the Economic Gardening Loan Fund, we have been participating in the CEO roundtables and in a number of additional GrowFL research functions,” Weitz said.

Created in 2009 by the Florida Legislature, the GrowFL program is based at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. When selecting businesses to participate, members of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute look for companies that have significant growth potential, according to Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute.

“SmartScience is ideal for the program as it has the potential for continued growth,” said Dr. O’Neal, who also is associate vice president for the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization.

O’Neal said GrowFL will support SmartScience through a number of free services, including access to market research and technology, strategy analysis, CEO roundtables and forums, database research and website optimization.

Weitz said his company currently has 12 employees, but is expected to be able to expand with the assistance provided by GrowFL.

“All of these items are helping us to continue growing our company and taking it to the next level,” he said.

About Smart Science Laboratories: Founded in 1998 by Gene C. Weitz, SmartScience Laboratories Inc. is primarily a contract manufacturer of over-the-counter drug products. The company’s facility is registered with the Federal Drug Administration and also sells consumer products, mainly health and beauty aids, directly to consumers. For more information about SmartScience Laboratories Inc., visit www.smartsciencelabs.com.

About the Florida Economic Gardening Institute: The Florida Economic Gardening Institute was created by the 2009 Florida Legislature as the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program to stimulate investment in Florida’s economy by providing technical assistance for expanding businesses in the state. Qualified companies must be engaged in the following sectors to receive no-cost technical assistance: Manufacturing; Finance & Insurance Services; Wholesale Trade; Information Industries; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Management Services; and, Administrative & Support Services. Additional information is available at www.GrowFL.com.