Daytona Beach Business Incubator Celebrates One Year of Growing Businesses

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The one-year anniversary of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program’s Daytona Beach site will be celebrated July 27 with the announcement of Entrepreneur of the Year, speeches by area dignitaries, and tours of the 9,600-square-foot facility at the Daytona Beach International Airport.

The celebration – scheduled from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 601 Innovation Way and sponsored in part by Cobb Cole Attorneys at Law and SunTrust Bank – is going to promote the importance of entrepreneurship for the community, said Connie Bernal, site manager for the Daytona Beach UCF Business Incubator.

“This one-year anniversary and Entrepreneur of the Year event is an occasion to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Volusia County,” said Bernal.

Featured speakers will be Frank Bruno, chairman of the Volusia County Council; Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director and founder of the UCFBIP, Rick Karl, director of Volusia County’s Aviation and Economic Resources; Gordon Hogan, director of the UCFBIP, and Bernal.

“We are very pleased with the progress that has been made at the Daytona Beach Incubator in one year. This shows what can be accomplished when an effective partnership is formed,” Hogan said.

Highlights of the anniversary observance will include the announcement of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the inauguration of the entrepreneur’s wall and the website launch of an incubator client, www.Best3Bids.com , a company that provides bids for construction projects. Refreshments – including a cake for O’Neal, incubator program founder, who will celebrate his birthday on the date – will be served.

The event is open to the public. Please RSVP to Arlene Wilson at Arlene.wilson@ucf.edu or call 386-872-3100 by July 20.

The Daytona Beach Incubator – UCF’s 9th Central Florida location – is a partnership between UCF, Volusia County and the Florida High-Tech Corridor Council. In its 13th year, the program offers a supportive environment designed to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit, accelerate business growth and create local employment opportunities.

UCF’s overall incubation program provides a wide range of services in campus-like environments, 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 use all of the services except actual office space.

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 134 current clients) create over $363 million in annual total economic output and more than 3,120 new jobs (taking direct and indirect and induced impact into account) with an average salary of $59,000. With ten facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development among the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Apopka, 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 about the Program and its clients and graduates, please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook, on www.facebook.com/ucf4bip.