Hold-Thyssen negotiates 13 Leases in Jupiter totaling over 16,700 Rentable Square Feet

JUPITER / WINTER PARK, Fla. -- Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a commercial property firm based in Winter Park, recently negotiated 10 leases in Jupiter for office/warehouse/flex space at Pennock Business Center and three renewal and expansion leases of retail space at Maplewood Plaza representing the Miami-based landlord GECMC 2005.

At Pennock Business Center 711 Commerce Way in Jupiter, Hold-Thyssen Leasing Agent Therese Taylor teamed up with Dan Sefjack of Business Real Estate Inc. in Jupiter to complete seven new lease agreements for office/warehouse/flex suites totaling 5,658 rentable square feet, and three lease renewals totaling 4,386 square feet.

At Maplewood Plaza, 401 Maplewood Drive, Taylor negotiated three retail lease agreements:  Brush Strokes and More by Jackie added 1,700 square feet to the 1,700 square feet they already occupied and signed a renewal with the expansion for three years; Hometown Cleaners signed a five-year lease renewal for its 1,700 square feet and Luxury Maids who occupies 1,630 square feet at Maplewood Plaza signed a three-year lease renewal.   

Hold-Thyssen, Inc. provides commercial property and leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide.  The 40-year old firm’s current portfolio includes more that 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

Broker at NAI Realvest Honored by Central Fla. Commercial Assn. of Realtors for Community Service Helping the Homeless

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Veronica Malolos, a broker at NAI Realvest in the Osceola County area was recently honored with the Central Florida Commercial Assn of Realtors 2014 Community Service Award.

Robin Webb, managing director at NAI Realvest, said Malolos received the prestigious award from CFCAR for her advocacy and work with the homeless families and children in Osceola County.

Most recently Malolos spearheaded several “crockpot drives” for the transitional homeless in the region, enabling children and families to eat healthy while they’re balancing family responsibilities, multiple jobs and lack of kitchen implements.

Malolos, an established leader in Osceola County, is currently an Osceola County Planning Board Commissioner and vice chair of the county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. She is also a trustee for the county’s Education Foundation Charter School Board.

She is an alumnus of “Leadership Osceola,” a past president of the Osceola County Assn. of Realtors and is the 2014 District 12 vice president for the state association, “Florida Realtors.”

NAI Realvest Negotiates $1.3 Million Sale of Carder Road Office/Warehouse Building

ORLANDO, Fla. --- NAI Realvest recently negotiated the $1,300,000 sale of an 18,600 square foot office/warehouse building at 5701 Carder Rd. in Orlando to a statewide homebuilding contractor.

Tom R. Kelley II, CCIM, a principal in the firm negotiated the sale to a user owner representing the local seller, Miller Real Property Holdings, LLC.

ODC Construction, LLC purchased building and its 5.9 acre site. The building which is located off US 441 includes 3,000 square feet of office space seven private offices and the majority of the property’s acreage is paved with fencing and lighting.

Lee Zerivitz of City Commercial represented the buyer ODC Construction which provides foundation, masonry and framing services to production and custom homebuilders.

Ryland Homes unveils single-story floor plan at The Landing at Poplar Grove

Charleston, S.C. --- Ryland Homes has unveiled a new single-story floor plan at The Landing at Poplar Grove, located just 12 miles from downtown Charleston. Gayle Jinks, vice president of sales and marketing for Ryland in the Charleston area, said the single-story Kiawah floor plan offers three bedrooms and two baths in 2,316 square feet of living space with a formal dining room and a den priced from $369,000. Options include a study, a fourth bedroom, a third bath, and a bonus room. The Landing at Poplar Grove is one of the area’s most popular new home communities, Jinks said. “Many visitors have inquired about a single-story floor plan and that’s why we designed the Kiawah,” Jinks added. Jinks said three, four, five and six-bedroom homes at The Landing at Poplar Grove range in size from 2,160 square feet of living space to 3,200 square feet priced from $348,000 to the low $400s. Several of these have master down bedrooms for added convenience. Residents of Poplar Grove can take advantage of deep water boating access and boat storage, miles of walking trails, an equestrian center with boarding opportunities, and owner's club dubbed “The Boathouse” that residents can reserve for parties or events. The amenity complex will have a salt-water swimming pool and fitness center. Poplar Grove is only minutes to West Ashley, Johns Island, downtown Charleston, and I-526. From downtown Charleston, travel south on Hwy 17. Turn right onto Davison Road and drive 1.8 miles. Look for signs for The Landing at Poplar Grove and turn right on Bulow Landing. Model home will be on your right. Visit www.ryland.com or call 843-852-5557 for a tour.

New Optical Tracking System developed by Vision Engineering for UCF being considered for deployment on the International Space Station

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Vision Engineering Solutions, LLC recently completed development of a powerful new Optical Tracking System that cuts costs in half and precisely monitors satellites, missiles, drones and a wide range of projectiles. Ed Logue, chief executive officer of Vision Engineering, said the device was developed for the UCF CREOL College of Optics and Photonics. Dr. Ronald Phillips, chief scientist at the Townes Institute of Science and Technology Experimentation Facility at UCF, said the instrument was funded by a grant from the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program in the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research. Phillips called the Vision Engineering instrument “spectacular.” “We could not be more pleased with their product,” Dr. Phillips said. Logue said Vision Engineering’s Optical Tracking System can be manufactured more quickly, and costs less than half of what government agencies pay for competitive instruments. The system consists of a tracking gimbal, optics (telescopes), sensors, a remote control station, a generator (for remote site operations), and an enclosed trailer that houses the entire system for transportability. Vision Engineering’s Optical Tracking Device accurately tracks moving objects and projectiles with both optics and specialized sensors, including infrared, and collects metric data and images for scientific and engineering analysis. Vision’s founders have had a mutually beneficial relationship with UCF for over 20 years. They have collaborated on numerous projects that took basic and applied research through to prototypes and fielded systems. “Our latest partnership has enabled us to design, build and test an entirely new product that will open up commercial markets for us,” stated Logue. “The Optical Tracking System has many potential uses, including Department of Defense test ranges for missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, commercial space operations, telecommunications and NASA, which is considering deployment aboard the International Space Station.” Vision Engineering is a client company of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program located at Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

HyCarb, Inc’s Graphene Matrix Electrodes Promise Batteries That Last Five Times Longer, Charge Five Times Faster

ORLANDO, Fla., --- A technology breakthrough by researchers at HyCarb, Inc., incorporates graphene nanotechnology to make next generation batteries last five times longer and charge five times faster. HyCarb’s Chief Executive Officer, Sigrid Cottrell, said her company developed a battery anode made from graphene nanoparticles. “Within a battery, almost all of the electrical charge is stored in the negative electrode called the anode,” Cottrell explained. “When electrons flow from the anode to the cathode, they can power everything from cell phones to automobiles,” she said. With more surface area within the anode, batteries will charge faster and hold their charge longer, Cottrell explained. Tests with HyCarb’s new graphene matrix produced startling results. Nanoparticles that form HyCarb’s graphene anodes group themselves around molecular channels---microspheres. Within the microspheres, the nano particles form nano flowers---clusters shaped like flowers that create huge amounts of surface area. “The high surface area and the even dispersion of a catalyst material across HyCarb’s structured graphene electrodes are the keys that will make batteries safer, longer-lasting and quicker to charge,” Cottrell said. Andrew Heath, President of HyCarb, said a chemical manufacturer is producing a new ionic electrolyte that won’t catch fire if the battery is overcharged, or charged too quickly. “The result will be batteries that last longer, charge faster and are safer to have,” Heath explained. To get to the manufacturing stage, HyCarb researchers must first develop prototypes, and that requires funding. Heath said HyCarb is launching a crowd-funding campaign to afford their first prototypes to seek funding for commercialization of the product. “We want to get HyCarb’s battery technology to the marketplace as quickly as possible, so that everyone can benefit,” Heath said. HyCarb, Inc. is a client company of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program at the Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

Berkadia Negotiates $4,075,000 sale of Newly Refurbished Element 26 Apartment Community on Birmingham’s South Side

Birmingham, Ala. --- Berkadia, one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, recently negotiated the $4,075,000 sale of the recently remodeled 66-unit Element 26 apartment community on 14th Ave. and 17th St. on Birmingham’s south side. Joshua Jacobs, investment sales advisor for Berkadia, negotiated the transaction representing the seller, Highland Ridge LLC of Birmingham. Element 26 LLC, a Birmingham investment group, acquired the property, which was 100 percent leased at the time of the sale. Jacobs said Highland Ridge renovated all interiors and exteriors at Element 26 and repositioned and rebranded the property, resulting in a sale price of $61,742 per unit. Arbour Valley will remain as the property manager, Jacobs added. “We continue to see pent-up demand for renovated units in this market, which is certainly encouraging for those considering value-add opportunities.” Element 26 consists of units averaging just under 650 square feet that rent at an average of $1.11 per square foot. Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation, is a leading provider of capital solutions and investment sales advisory and research services for multifamily and commercial properties.

Ryland Homes, USAA Federal Savings Bank Offers Veterans up to $4,000 Towards Closing Costs with Mortgage

Charleston / Myrtle Beach, S.C. --- Ryland Homes offers military families and veterans up to $4,000 towards closing costs or upgrades when purchasing a Ryland home through the USAA Federal Savings Bank or RMC Mortgage. Founded in 1922, USAA is a financial services company that offers insurance, banking and lending services to more than 10.2 million services members or veterans. Don McDonough, division president of Ryland Homes in the Charleston and Myrtle Beach regions, said Ryland has always offered incentives to veterans and services personnel who finance their homes through RMC Mortgage, a Ryland affiliate. The partnership with USAA and the USAA Federal Savings Bank extends Ryland’s offer to thousands of active and veteran personnel who rely on USAA for a wide range of banking and insurance services. “We are proud that so many military veterans and their families choose Ryland Homes and we’re happy to help them with mortgage services through USAA Federal Savings Bank or RMC Mortgage,” McDonough said. Ryland Homes builds single-family homes in more than 20 communities in the Charleston-Myrtle Beach area.

Berkadia Southeast opens office in Chattanooga, Names New VP / Managing Broker

Chattanooga, Tenn./Orlando, Fla. - Berkadia, which ranks as one of the nation’s leading brokers of multi-family properties and development sites and one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, has opened its 90th U.S. office in Chattanooga, Tenn. Berkadia Southeast Partner Cole Whitaker, based in Orlando, said the new 2,500 square foot Chattanooga office will serve apartment owners and investors in the Chattanooga, Knoxville, Murfreesboro and southern Kentucky market areas. At the same time Berkadia named Marcus Lyons Vice President of Investment Sales and Managing Broker in Tennessee, Whitaker said. Lyons is the former owner and CEO of Lyons Group, Inc., which marketed and brokered multi-family and investment real estate assets throughout Tennessee. Previously Berkadia Partner David Oakley who head’s the firm’s Birmingham, Ala. office, represented Berkadia for brokerage in the Tennessee market, Whitaker said. Lyons has participated in sales and brokerage of properties valued at more than $75 Million during his career with both Hendricks & Partners and Berkadia. Lyons attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College of Business. Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation, is an industry leading commercial real estate company providing comprehensive capital solutions and investment sales advisory and research services for multifamily and commercial properties. Berkadia is amongst the largest, highest rated and most respected primary, master and special servicers in the industry.

DEL WEBB PONTE VEDRA RESIDENT TO SWIM FIVE MILES FOR JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Ponte Vedra, Fla. – When former college president Dr. Tim Lightfield turned 35 he swam five miles in a New Jersey university pool to celebrate the milestone. On May 24 – 35 years later – he will attempt the feat once again; but this time for a very different reason. “I’ll be turning 70 this month,” said the Chicago native who moved to the gated Del Webb Ponte Vedra community six months ago with his wife, Deborah Lightfield. “Because my nine-year-old grandson Jack has diabetes, I’m doing this swim as a fundraiser for the North Florida Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.” Jack Lotz, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of three, is a very mature 9-year-old, his grandfather said. “He’s very active and he loves playing sports, especially baseball and basketball,” he said. “He also does extremely well at school and manages his tests, diet and medications with amazing courage.” Jack, who will be at home with his parents in Reston, Va., during his grandfather’s swim – made a sign that Lightfield said will be displayed at the pool to motivate him. “It says ‘Go Poppa; I love You!’ ” Lyndsey Patterson, marketing director for PulteGroup North Florida Division, said she wasn’t surprised when Lightfield made plans for the fundraiser. “The Lightfields are the ideal Del Webb residents,” she said. “In six short months, they’ve fit right into the active lifestyle that Del Webb Ponte Vedra offers its residents.” Living in North Carolina when they discovered Del Webb Ponte Vedra, Tim Lightfield said they knew they wanted to live in an active-adult community. “We did a lot of scouting around and found this was the best place in Florida with all of its amenities.” He said they were drawn to the master-planned community because of its convenient location and natural beauty along the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as the plethora of activities like aerobics, gardening, golf, bicycling and pickle ball and the 37,800 square-foot clubhouse with its abundance of clubs and other groups. “We’re between St. Augustine and Jacksonville and only three miles from the beach,” he said. “Our house is on water and we love to enjoy nature and the pond.” Dubbed the “5-Mile @ 70 Swim for Diabetes,” Lightfield’s swim should take about three hours starting at noon in the Del Webb Ponte Vedra 25-yard indoor pool. Swimming freestyle in the six-lane Olympic-style pool, he plans to swim 360 laps. His wife will keep track of each completed mile with a thermometer-type chart. Swimming four times a week, Lightfield has gradually increased his distance from one to more than three and one half miles in preparation for the swim. He said he plans to carb load before with oatmeal and pasta, and will take breaks at the end of the second, third and fourth miles with energy foods and warm showers. To kick start the May 24 fundraiser, the Del Webb Ponte Vedra Men’s Club contributed $500, Lightfield said, adding that he and his wife will match every dollar donated to the JDRF. “You can pledge $5 a mile, five cents a lap or make a direct gift to JDRF with a check or through their website at www2.jdrf.org/goto/swimforjack,” he said. “Or, you can just come by to cheer me on.” Lightfield, whose actual birthday is May 21, said he plans to spend his 70th at a place he hasn’t been for 35 years. “We’re going to Disney World!”

Nano Discovery to Showcase Newly Developed Early Cancer Test at TechConnect World Innovation Conference

Orlando, Fla. --- UCF researchers who discovered how to use gold nanoparticles to create an accurate, inexpensive early cancer test have been invited to showcase their invention at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference June 14-17 in Washington, D.C. Dr. Qun Huo, associate professor in the NanoScience Technology Center at the University of Central Florida and CEO of Nano Discovery, Inc., announced recently that her team of researchers had developed a gold nanoparticle-enabled test that can detect the body’s autoimmune activities in fighting off cancer. Dr. Huo’s test, which uses a single drop of blood and about $1 worth of gold nanoparticles and other biochemicals, is significantly more accurate than the Protein-Specific Antigen (PSA) test currently used by doctors today for prostate cancer detection. Dr. Huo’s UCF team discovered that tumor-fighting autoantibodies quickly attach to the surface of gold nanoparticles, where they can be detected quickly and unerringly with specialized equipment. While the UCF team’s new test doesn’t identify which type of cancer induces those autoantibodies, Dr. Huo believes the test could become a universal screening test to tell doctors that cancer is present and point to further tests to find and locate any tumors. TechConnect World is a global showcase of the latest innovations from industrial, government and academic laboratories. Participants include innovators, funding agencies, national and federal labs, international research organizations, universities, tech transfer offices and investment and corporate partners. TechConnect World combines the 2015 SBIR/STTR National Conference, the 2015 National Innovation Summit and Showcase, and Nanotech2015---the world’s largest nanotechnology event---into one conference, Dr. Huo explained. Only 15 percent of submissions to TechConnect are selected for presentations, Dr. Huo said. The conference is organized to help emerging technologies find the funding and technical support to commercialize quickly and effectively. “This is a great honor that may lead to further research and widespread adoption of our new process,” Dr. Huo explained. Nano Discovery, Inc. is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program located at Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

Palermo Vista Townhome Development in Longwood Wins Major International Design Award

Longwood, Fla. -- Palermo Vista, an intimate community of luxury townhomes with an eye-catching Italian villas theme located on Longwood Hills Road, won a major international award at the 2015 Logix ICF Awards held recently in Ontario. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, the firm that’s marketing the 16-unit multi-family development, said Palermo Vista won “Best in Design” and was recognized by the annual Logix ICF awards as the “Most Outstanding Multi-Family Project.” The Palermo Vista building design is not only infused with Italian countryside influences, but its exterior walls, partition walls and even the swimming pool are all constructed with Logix Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) – super-insulated, steel reinforced solid poured concrete walls that provide exceptional energy efficiency and structural peace of mind during hurricane season. The Logix Awards annually recognize creative and ground-breaking projects built with their product all across North America, Soderstrom said. The two-story Palermo Vista villas were also designed to LEED Platinum standards and is a top-tier Energy Star project. Priced from the mid-$300s, each villa offers 3,269 square feet of living area with three bedrooms, three full baths and a half-bath, a family room, large second-floor verandah patio and a den or optional fourth bedroom. “This is such a prestigious award and a tremendous honor,” Soderstrom said. “With half of the villa homes still available, we are excited about this testimonial of the premium product Palermo Vista offers.” The community’s furnished model is open daily. In addition there is a product design area in Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Heathrow Marketing Center located at 115 International Parkway in nearby Lake Mary.

New Luxury Coach Homes at Bonita National Golf & Country Club Priced from the $270s with Golf, Water Views

Bonita Springs, Fla. --- Lennar Homes is nearing completion of new Coach Homes priced from the $270s overlooking the 12th and 13th fairways of the Gordon Lewis-designed championship golf course at Bonita National Golf and Country Club. David Meyers, director of sales and marketing for Lennar Homes in Southwest Florida, said every new Coach Home will feature golf and water views. Two three-bedroom floor plans are available, Meyers said, each with two full baths and a two-car attached garage. The Florence, with 1,741 square feet of living space, was designed as a split floor plan for master suite privacy. The open space design links the living room, dining room and lanai with a breakfast nook and gourmet kitchen to create a family living area that totals more than 750 square feet---ample space for social gatherings and family events. The Verona floor plan, with 2,110 square feet of living space, separates the luxurious master suite with his-and-her walk-in closets and a spa-like bath from the two bedrooms for family or guests. The Verona’s open space plan with living room, dining room, breakfast nook, island kitchen and lanai creates a masterful family living area that totals almost 1,000 square feet for social occasions. “I don’t know where you could find more value close to this price range anywhere in the Bonita Bay area,” Meyers said. All new homes at Bonita National Golf & Country Club come with Lennar’s Everything’s Included® pledge with upgraded appliances, finishes and touches included in one Lennar price. Homebuyers at the community are entitled to a free social membership in the country club. Bonita National Golf and Country Club is located east of Interstate 75 at the end of Bonita Beach Road East in Bonita Springs.

Berkadia negotiates $51,000+ per unit price in sale of 94-unit TimberChase Apartments in Birmingham’s Homewood area

Birmingham, Ala. --- Berkadia, one of the nation’s largest and most active multi-family investment sales companies, recently negotiated the sale of the 94-unit Timberchase Apartments in Birmingham’s Homewood area for $4,825,000, or $51,329 per unit. Josh Jacobs, investment sales advisor at Berkadia, along with David Oakley, partner in the firm, negotiated the transaction representing the California-based seller TimberChase Alabama Apartments, LLC. RJJ TimberChase, LLC based in Alabama, acquired the property, which sits nestled between Homewood and Southside and in close proximity to major arterial roadways and economic demand drivers. Jacobs said Arlington Properties will remain as the property’s on-site management firm. Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation, is an industry leading commercial real estate company providing comprehensive capital solutions and investment sales advisory and research services for multifamily and commercial properties.

RSS Logistics and Vision Engineering now U.S. Navy Prime Contractors

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Two technology companies located in Central Florida Research Park have earned admission to a very exclusive club---as prime contractors in the U.S. Navy’s Seaport-E program, a highly secure online community of U.S. businesses qualified to service U.S. Navy and Marine Corps programs. RSS Logistics and Vision Engineering, both client companies of the UCF Business Incubation Program, were recently notified they rank among the 2,400 U.S. businesses permitted to bid on an estimated $5.3 billion in annual Seaport-E contracts. Seaport-E organizes the supply of professional services for 22 functional defense areas that range from engineering to modeling and simulation to supplies, provisioning and training. For RSS Logistics, which focuses on Integrated Product Support, Systems Engineering, Test and Evaluation and Manufacturing services, Seaport-E significantly expands the company’s market scope. RSS Logistics already has more than 15 years of experience providing defense industry services. RSS partnered with three large defense contractors and another incubator client – H2 IT Solutions – in their proposal. H2 IT will combine their software design and logistics expertise with that of RSS to provide a more comprehensive solution to a number of Navy and Marine Corps needs. Last year, as a subcontractor to another company, RSS Logistics provided Integrated Logistics Support to modify the Italian Navy’s AV-8B Harrier II Trainer and Simulator. Vision Engineering provides engineering services in optics and photonics for aerospace applications. Vision is already doing work for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. Seaport-E provides the opportunity to be a prime contractor on additional work for Dahlgren as well as other Naval commands. Since opening an operations facility at Kennedy Space Center in 2012, Vision Engineering has grown from seven to 17 specialized technology workers. “RSS Logistics and Vision Engineering are two examples that illustrate the benefits of programs to support the growth of startup enterprises,” said Gordon Hogan, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program. “Both companies have made remarkable strides in their fields, and the benefits that accrue to Central Florida in terms of well-paid technology jobs are enormous,” Hogan said.

Winter Springs-Based Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Company Adds New Channel Partner Developer to Corporate Staff

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – Spectrum Dynamix Inc. has hired David Fonseca as senior vice president of channel development. Fonseca – who has been in the barcode/RFID item-tracking industry since the mid-1980s – previously partnered with pioneering companies such as Telxon, Symbol Technologies and Metrologic, all of which now are part of other major companies like Google and Honeywell. In his new role, Fonseca – a channel sales executive with more than 30 years of national and international business-to-business experience – will be charged with recruiting other companies to become partners with Spectrum Dynamix, the developer of SpectraSure™, a chemically-based security additive that makes it impossible to counterfeit a marked product. The co-branding relationship between Spectrum Dynamix and channel partner businesses will help legitimate manufacturers retain some of the more than $750 billion that is lost to counterfeiters annually, explained Russell Case, chief executive officer of Spectrum Dynamix. Spectrum Dynamix is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program located in Winter Springs

UCF Researchers Discover Accurate Early Cancer Test that uses $1 worth of Gold Nanoparticles

ORLANDO, Fla. --- A University of Central Florida research team and local startup company are developing a new and improved way to detect cancer early with a screening test that uses a drop of blood, about $1 worth of gold nanoparticles, and produces results in just minutes. Dr. Qun Huo, associate professor in the NanoScience Technology Center at the University of Central Florida and CEO of Nano Discovery, Inc. reported her team’s findings last month in the online edition of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a publication of the American Chemical Society for research results demonstrating how newly-discovered materials and interfacial processes can be developed and used for specific applications Dr. Huo said the UCF team’s test could lead the way to a universal screening test for early cancer detection and risk assessment. In two Defense Department studies at the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, the UCF team focused on prostate cancer, a relatively common disease with well known characteristics. The best Protein-Specific Antigen Test (PAT) for prostate cancer is far from accurate, often leading to unnecessary and expensive biopsies. “Most studies today are attempting to identify tumor-specific antigens and detect antibodies specific to them," Dr. Huo explained. The UCF team discovered that tumor-fighting autoantibodies quickly attach to the surface of molecule-size gold nanoparticles, where they can be detected quickly and unerringly with specialized equipment. While the UCF team’s new test doesn’t identify which type of cancer induces those autoantibodies, Dr. Huo believes the test could become a universal “gold standard” test to tell doctors that cancer is present and point to further tests to find and locate any tumors. That means the earliest possible cancer detection, when treatment costs are lowest, patient stress is the least, and results most effective. A simple, easy, low-cost test to accurately detect cancer at its earliest stage could offer enormous benefits worldwide, Dr. Huo reasons. Nano Discovery, Inc. is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program located at Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

Sundog Software Renders Genesis Creation Story on Computer Screens with Awesome Realism

ORLANDO, Fla. --- In the beginning, Genesis tells us, God created the earth and the heavens, and the earth was covered with water. Sundog Software at the UCF Business Incubator is recreating those elements---the oceans and the heavens---with startling realism for computer screens used in the gaming industry and military and commercial training simulators. For the past two years Sundog has ranked as the industry leader for its realistic depiction of ocean waves and currents. The software is used by gaming developers and simulation designers to train maritime professionals onshore. Sundog recently released SilverLining 4, its most advanced software suite, which depicts a realistic sky. Any sky. Operators can create stratus and overcast cloud layers with three dimensional depth, and a physically rigorous simulation of how light scatters within thick cloud formations. “SilverLining’s new stratus clouds are so realistic you’ll even see effects like fogbows, glories, and anti-solar points, and it just falls naturally out of the math behind it all,” says Frank Kane, founder of Sundog Software. SilverLining 4 achieves these effects by rigorously simulating the scattering of light within clouds using the best model available: Mie scattering, which is simulated down to 0.1 degree resolution at multiple wavelengths. By taking advantage of the capabilities of modern graphics cards, this level of detail can be applied to cloud layers 200 kilometers across, while still running at over 60 frames per second. “It’s all about creating an immersive virtual environment,” Kane said. “In an outdoor scene, an overcast sky might make up half of the image. If it doesn’t look real, your brain will pick up on that and we don’t want that to happen in flight training and simulation where the reduced visibility associated with these clouds is a big deal,” he explained. SilverLining 4 is available for licensing today at http://www.sundog-soft.com/. Free trial versions and demos are also offered for evaluation purposes. Sundog Software is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program located at Central Florida Research Park in East Orange County.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Agents Log Sales totaling $6.65 Million in less than 30 Days in East Volusia

PORT ORANGE, Fla. --- The Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty team of Associates Debbie Keilin and Rachel McGrath at the firm’s Spruce Creek Fly-In Marketing Center had a remarkable 30-day period between March and April. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of the firm, said from March 5 through April 1, Keilin and McGrath had seven transactions totaling $6,650,000, all located in the Ormond Beach, Port Orange and Spruce Creek Fly-In areas. Keilin and McGrath were both listing and selling agents on the most significant sale of a Spruce Creek Fly-In hangar residence that was completely remodeled and sold for $2,000,000. “This significant sale was based on the size of the hangar – over 5,000 square feet with two hydro-swing doors situated on two taxiways,” said Keilin and McGrath. “The market is truly rebounding, not only in the Spruce Creek Fly-In, but all over Volusia County. The inventory of Volusia County homes that were stagnant are finally selling.”

CEO of AceApplications Shares His Inspirational Story to Encourage Students to “Dream Big and Work Hard”

Orlando, Fla. -- Courtney Powell, president and CEO of AceApplications, an Orlando software development and IT consulting firm, had to make his own toys growing up in Jamaica because his family couldn’t afford to buy any. But he didn’t let that stop him from achieving his dreams of going to college and becoming a successful businessman. Powell recently shared his story with students at Liberty Middle School’s Digital Festival commemorating Black History month. Powell graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in electrical engineering and earned his MBA from Rollins College. He worked as a software engineer for Lockheed Martin and Director of Technology for CNL Financial Group before starting AceApplications. Drawing from his life as a child growing up in Jamaica, Powell explained that it’s not about how you start, but how well you finish. He impressed upon the students to dream big, and to work hard to achieve their goals. Powell serves on the City of Orlando’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, and shared with the students how Dr. King didn’t let earning a “C” in speech class stop him from being one of the world’s greatest orators. Liberty Spanish Teacher Alexandra Moa said Powell’s speech “really motivated our students, parents and staff. It helped them realize the value of college and career dreams and that obstacles can be overcome.” Powell regularly gives of his time and experience to inspire children to “dream big”. He is a key sponsor of Collegiate Pathways programs such as Tech Sassy Girlz. In 2010, in partnership with the Orlando Magic and Kia Motors, Bright House Networks and Hunt Construction, AceApplications provided the technical expertise to put a state-of-the-art computer lab in Nap Ford Community School in Orlando. AceApplications delivers software applications and projects for businesses and agencies. Local clients include Orlando International Airport, Central Florida Expressway Authority, Central Florida Research Park and OCPS schools. The company is a client of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.

NAI Realvest Earns “Top 10” CoStar Power Broker Awards for Commercial Real Estate Sales, Leasing and Industrial Broker for 2014

ORLANDO, Fla. --- NAI Realvest, one of Central Florida’s most active commercial property leasing, sales and management companies, recently was ranked among the top 10 commercial real estate firms in the Orlando area by CoStar Group, Inc. Michael Heidrich, a principal at NAI Realvest, was named one of the Top 10 CoStar Power Brokers in the region for Industrial Property Leasing in 2014. NAI Realvest earned two more spots on CoStar 2014 Top Ten Power Broker list in Orlando – in both the Leasing and Sales categories – according to Managing Director Robin Webb. CoStar Group, the nation’s leading real estate information company, ranks real estate companies based on transaction volume and dollar value. Recipients of the 2014 CoStar Power Broker™ Awards are recognized as professionals who perform at the highest levels in commercial real estate brokerage CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP) is the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces.