UCF Business Incubation Program Wins International Award

ORLANDO, Fla. – The National Business Incubation Association based in Athens, Ohio named the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program the 2013 Incubator Network of the Year today during NBIA’s International Conference on Business Incubation in Boston. “This is the first year for this new award category,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the UCF Business Incubation Program. “We are extremely pleased to be honored with this prestigious award.” The UCF Business Incubation Program is a university-driven community partnership that includes nine business incubators in Central Florida. Its mission is to provide early-stage companies with the tools, training and infrastructure to create financially stable, high-growth enterprises that lead to positive economic impact within local communities. Business incubation programs like those in the UCF network catalyze the process of starting and growing companies by providing entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools they need to make their ventures successful. NBIA estimates that in 2011 alone, North American incubators assisted about 49,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for nearly 200,000 workers and generated annual revenue of almost $15 billion. Approximately 7,000 business incubators operate worldwide. The National Business Incubation Association is the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Each year, the NBIA Incubation Awards honor the business incubation programs, graduates and client companies that exemplify the best of the industry.

Bellagio Custom Homes’ Luxury Model Scores Hat Trick in Flagler Parade of Homes

PALM COAST – Three-year-old Bellagio Custom Homes is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the luxury homebuilding industry, as the family-owned company’s well-appointed Florenza II luxury model received three top honors at the 2013 Flagler Parade of Homes. Bellagio, which is a sister company of SeaGate Homes – brought home trophies for the first-place Realtor's Choice Award in the $320,000 and above category, a Grand Award in the $345,000-$375,000 range, and the Top Score Award for the best home in the parade, according to Robert Gazzoli, president of the Palm Coast-based company. But, kudos aren’t anything new for the 3,490-square-foot Florenza II model, which is situated on a half-acre lakefront lot with a breathtaking pool and spa at 212 Willow Oak Way in the Wild Oaks estate neighborhood of Grand Haven. The four-bedroom, four-bath model received two top awards – the Grand Award and Realtor’s Choice Award – at last year’s parade. Not a bad showing for two consecutive years from one of the area’s newest homebuilders. “I think it says a lot about our designs and workmanship that the $742,000 model sold last year while it was being built,” Gazzoli said. “We are currently doing a lease-back on it and are in the planning stages of a new model in Ocean Hammock.” Gazzoli, who also serves as president of SeaGate Homes – Flagler County’s largest homebuilder – said the decision to create a separate luxury homebuilding company is proving to have been a wise one. Throughout SeaGate’s 19 years in business, Gazzoli said the company has had numerous requests for larger, custom homes. “We decided to start a new company because there were just so many differences that it didn’t make sense to try and be everything to everyone,” he said. “Bellagio – which has a variety of plans to choose from – also offers in-house architectural drafting and employs a licensed Interior Designer to assist customers in making color selections and is building a new Design Studio complete with over 2,000 sq. ft. of display space for customers coordinate their interior appointments.” The growing company, which Gazzoli said has plans to start more inventory homes in Ocean Hammock and Palm Coast Plantation, has several contracted homes under construction in Grand Haven, the Tidelands, Ocean Hammock, Palm Coast Plantation and Hammock Dunes. For more information about the Florenza II or other Bellagio properties, please call 386-246-6175 or visit www.BellagioHomesFL.com. About Bellagio Homes: Bellagio Custom Homes is a leading custom homebuilder specializing in the construction of unique luxury residences throughout Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia Counties.

Harmony Welcomes New 15,000 Sq Ft Town Square Marketplace

HARMONY, Fla. – To help fulfill the requests of local residents and community members, Harmony Development Company is pleased to announce the opening of a brand new Town Square Marketplace, located at the main entrance into the Town of Harmony on SR 192. Brock Nicholas of Harmony Development Company said a grand opening celebration is planned for April 26 when final inspections will be cleared and all tenants will have occupied their suites. Plans call for all new businesses--retail establishments and restaurants--to open in stages within a period of approximately 45 days beginning March 1, according to Nicholas. Evolution Nail & Spa, ProHealth Family Physicians, D’Oro Pizzeria, and Town Square Market grocery store are currently open. They will be joined by a slate of other businesses including The Vineyard Wine Bar which will open by mid-April just in time for the official grand opening event. Paul P. Partyka, managing partner at NAI Realvest who handles marketing and leasing for Harmony Development, recently negotiated leases that will bring two more major tenants to Town Square Marketplace in April. Livin the Dream Cuisine, Inc. d/b/a Nature’s Table restaurant leased 2,199 square feet and Advantage Golf Cars leased 1,007 square feet to open a quick service center and showroom featuring golf carts for sale, rent or lease. Partyka said Harmony’s Town Square Marketplace is the 10th location in Florida for Advantage Golf Cars which services all types of golf carts. “Now that Phase 1 is complete, we will poll tenants for the next few months to verify customer traffic and ensure these shops are well supported by residents. Once we see demand is stable in Phase 1, our focus will shift to delivery of Phase 2, the next 9,500 square feet,” Nicholas said. “We are thrilled to be a participating in commercial growth in East Osceola County… these retail services will be a fantastic amenity for Harmony and nearby neighborhoods, and should take a little pressure off household expenses by cutting transportation costs for basic services.” Harmony Development Company required that new businesses were family-oriented, created a sense of neighborhood and were in line with the community’s overall objectives. Located at 7250 to 7274 Harmony Square Drive South, the first phase occupies about 15,000 square feet of space and is divided up as follows: • Harmony Town Square Market, 6,203 square feet (anchor tenant) • The Vineyard Wine Bar, 2,204 square feet • Nature’s Table, 2,199 square feet • ProHealth Family Physicians, 1,361 square feet • Evolution Nails and Spa, 1,260 square feet • D’Oro Pizzeria, 860 square feet • Advantage Golf Cars, 1007 square feet Evolution Nails and Spa opened on March 1st. The spa includes a variety of services including manicures, pedicures, and a waxing salon. The hours are Monday-Saturday from 9:30AM-7:00PM and Sunday, 12:00PM-5:00PM. 407-891-1804. ProHealth Family Physicians, which has been a thriving business in St. Cloud, is now open in Harmony and accepting new patients. For general information or to schedule an appointment, call 407-892-0009. http://www.prohealthfp.com/ For more information on Harmony’s Town Square Marketplace, visit: http://www.harmonyfl.com/Amenities/town-square-market-place About Harmony: A town that captures the beauty of Old Florida while offering a strong cultural foundation, reflected in the porches that line our quiet, safe and charming streets, Harmony is an environmentally intelligent community certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition, with Energy Star®-certified homes, and surrounded by walkable parks, great schools, and 7,700 acres of Central Florida nature preserves. More than merely a planned community, shaped with purpose from the start, Harmony is a town consciously designed to offer beauty and amenities, in balance with nature. Community tours are available daily. For more information on the town of Harmony, visit www.harmonyfl.com or call 407-891-8358.

Pulte Homes to host Camden Lakes Preferred Buyer Seminar

NAPLES, Fla. --- Pulte Homes will host a Camden Lakes Preferred Buyer seminar Saturday June 8 at the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the South Florida Division of Pulte Homes, said the 1 p.m. seminar is open to realtors, brokers and interested home buyers and admission is free. “We have been inundated with requests for information about Camden Lakes,” Mairn said, adding “Space is limited and we recommend making a reservation early.” Located off Livingston Road west of I-75 one mile north of Immokalee Road, Camden Lakes will be the newest Pulte Homes community in the Naples area when it opens later this year. “The Camden Lakes Preferred Buyer Seminar will offer all the details on presales, pricing, our home site reservation process, floor plan designs, community features and a neighborhood site map,” Mairn said. “It’s the first chance prospective home buyers and realtors will have to learn how to be the first to own a home in this premier location, Mairn added. Space in the Camden Lakes Preferred Buyer Seminar will be limited. RSVP and reservation is necessary to attend, Mairn said. To reserve a spot call 866-283-2585 or email jenna.kowalczyk@pultegroup.com.

Lennar to host Grand Opening to showcase new model homes at Wilson Preserve in Riverview

TAMPA, Fla. — Lennar will host a Grand Opening Saturday, April 20 to showcase its new Monte Carlo model home at Wilson Preserve, the master-planned community located south of Gibsonton Drive off U.S. 301 in Riverview. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the Monte Carlo model home offers four bedrooms and three baths in 3,210 square feet of living space with a three-car garage. Metheny said the Southern Hospitality themed Grand Opening event, from 12-3 p.m., will feature refreshments with a deep south menu and tours of a model home and ready-to-move-in homes at Wilson Preserve. “The Monte Carlo model home is from our Estate Homes collection,” Metheny said. “The Monte Carlo at Wilson Preserve is priced from $279,990.” Lennar plans to build 62 Manor Homes at Wilson Preserve with 10 distinctive designs priced from the mid-$100s and ranging in size from the single-story, 1,353 square foot St. Moritz to the two-story Montego with five bedrooms in 2,719 square feet. Eighteen move-in ready Manor Homes are open now at Wilson Preserve. Lennar is building 66 Estate homes at Wilson Preserve that range in size from the three-bedroom Columbus model with 1,677 square feet of living space to the five-bedroom Independence NextGen® model home with 3,357 square feet of living space and three and one-half baths. Lennar’s NextGen Homes feature a private “home within a home” for multi-generational families with two private entrances and two separate living areas under a single roof. All new homes at Wilson Preserve feature Lennar’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: a wide range of special features from granite kitchen countertops, wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances to crown molding and tile in high traffic living areas. For directions and more information, visit www.LennarTampa.com or call 888-536-6272.

Lennar Homes opens four bedroom Alexandria model home at Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres in Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Lennar Homes recently opened the four-bedroom, three-bath Alexandria model home at Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres, Lennar’s gated family community located off Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers. Matt Devereaux, vice president of sales and marketing for Lennar Homes in southwest Florida, said the Alexandria model home is priced from $193,990 and totals 1,904 square feet of living space, plus a two car garage. Lennar plans to build some 50 one and two-story homes at Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres from its Executive collection of new home designs priced from $162,990 to $267,990. New Executive Series homes at Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres range from 1,667 square feet of living area to 3,231 square feet. All Lennar Executive Homes at Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres come with the homebuilder’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: extras such as granite kitchen countertops, wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, crown molding and tile are all included in one Lennar Homes price. Olympia Pointe in Lehigh Acres features a community swimming pool, spa, elegant 4,000 square foot clubhouse with lake views and catering kitchen, a fitness facility, and children’s playground. Visit www.lennar.com.

ALTR Supports Local Susan G. Komen Group by Creating Pink Button Covers for Breast Cancer Awareness

ORLANDO, Fla. – ALTR, an Orlando startup that creates trendy button covers, is an official sponsor of the Central Florida affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and is producing “Pink for the Cure” button covers to help create awareness of the disease. Alexandra Gramatikas, co-founder of the internet-based company, initially began by creating decorative gold and orange button covers with University of Central Florida and University of Florida logos. Currently ALTR button covers can also be purchased in Winter Park at Siegel’s Clothing and Gray’s Bookstore. Now, she’s ready to produce bright pink “button covers for a cause” and to revolutionize how to raise awareness for breast cancer by integrating it into everyday apparel, rather than only one month out of the year. Gramatikas is asking for support from the community in the form of crowdfunding, which uses the internet to pool money for anything from political campaigns and civic projects to scientific research and disaster relief. “We’ve turned to crowdfunding to help us manage the manufacturing of our newest button cover,” Gramatikas said. “For every box of six small or four large button covers that is pre-ordered, ALTR will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen. This will not only help us reach a different market, it will help us manage our manufacturing efficiently.” “We’re allowing people to pre-order covers at a discounted price of $10 during the crowdfunding period, then we will manufacture them and sell them at the full price of $12,” Gramatikas explained. The button covers are made of ABS plastic and slide onto existing buttons on most shirts, blouses and blazers. They are machine washable and also can be slipped onto shoes, hats, handbags and other items. “I think they’ll be great for hospitals and clinics to give out to staff, patients and especially to those getting a mammogram, and for runners who want to show their support in races and marathons.” Gramatikas said she hopes the crowdfunding effort – which runs through May 4 – will generate enough money so that ALTR can make a substantial donation to the Breast Cancer Awareness cause by the annual observance in October. To learn more about ALTR’s efforts, visit www.madetoaltr.com or the ALTR web page on RocketHub, a crowdfunding website, at http://rkthb.co/12737. ALTR is a client company of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program – Orlando.

Local Law Firm Will Help Sponsor American Cancer Society’s Annual Port Orange Relay for Life

PORT ORANGE – The Port Orange-based law firm of Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell, with offices in Palm Coast, once again is helping to sponsor the American Cancer Society’s 2013 Relay for Life April 20-21 at the Port Orange Pavilion, 5501 S. Williamson Blvd. The fundraising event – which begins at noon Saturday and continues through 6 a.m. Sunday – involves more than four million people in over 20 countries each year. Included in the 18-hour relay will be a luminaria or candlelight ceremony, a survivor’s lap and a fight-back ceremony, according to local American Cancer Society spokeswoman, Leslie Castillo. “This is a family-friendly event where members of teams camp out and take turns walking around the track to raise funds and cancer awareness,” she said. A variety of food, games and activities will be provided during the overnight event. Relay cancer survivors celebrate what they've overcome in the Survivors Lap; those who are fighting, have fought back or have been lost to cancer are honored during the Luminaria Ceremony; and relay participants get inspired and take action against the disease in the Fight Back Ceremony. Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell, an event sponsor since 2008, will have more than 15 employees participating in a variety of ways, according to Kim Bouck, a partner in the personal-injury firm. “We’re especially pleased to be a part of this event, as nearly all of us have been touched by cancer in some way,” Bouck said. Bouck said the firm helped raise more than $3,500 last year and she hopes they will surpass that amount this year. She added that individuals without a group are invited to walk with the Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell team. For more information, contact Castillo at 386-274-3274, ext. 5851 or leslie.castillo@cancer.org, or visit www.rueziffra.com/2013-relay-for-life-port-orange. About Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell: Founded by John D. Rue and Allan L. Ziffra, the personal-injury law firm of Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell has served the Central Florida community for more than 25 years. The firm’s commitment to its profession and its clients has earned it a reputation as one of the top personal-injury law firms in Central Florida. Known for handling everything from automobile and motorcycle accidents to medical malpractice, wrongful death, and social security and disability cases, Rue, Ziffra & Caldwell has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients and their families. With a staff of nine attorneys, the firm maintains offices in Port Orange, DeLand and Palm Coast. For more information, visit www.rueziffra.com.