Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Graphic Designer at Stirling Sotheby's International Realty Created Coloring Book for Marketing an International Feed the Future Innovation Project

Lake Mary, Fla. – Marielle Novak, senior graphic designer at Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty has given her expertise and time to an international project with a long term impact: Masfrijol which means: More Beans

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty, said Novak who has been with the firm for one year and directs graphic design for all of Stirling Sotheby’s global marketing projects, just completed illustration of a coloring book for the targeted young Spanish speaking Guatemalan families to help market the project’s effectiveness and goal of reaching 25,000 resource-poor households in 200 communities in the Guatemalan Highlands.  

Novak, a native of Guatemala who taught graphic design at the University of Guatemala, was recommended to Michigan State University’s Legume Innovation Lab which is directing and managing–by customized technologies and educational programs–the increased bean productivity by resource-poor smallholder farmers in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. 

Novak immersed herself in the Masfrijol project with the goal of assisting in the improvement of nutritional quality of family diets through increased consumption of beans in combination with other nutritious vegetable and animal-source foods.

Soderstrom said the Sotheby’s International network is the perfect marketing tool for “great causes like Marielle’s and we are excited to support her efforts.”
 

Phil Rawlins CEO / Founder of the Orlando City Soccer Team Recipient of the Prestigious International Rotary Award for Community Service – Presentation at Charity Golf Tournament this Month

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – The Rotary Club of Winter Springs with Rotary International, which ranks as one of the world’s great service organizations, has named Phil Rawlins, CEO and founder of MLS Orlando City Lions, recipient of its prestigious “Service Above Self” Award to be presented at the 31st Annual Winter Springs Rotary Charity Golf Classic at Tuscawilla Country Club Sept. 14.

“Every year Rotary International recognizes a central Florida person for superior community service by presenting the “Service Above Self” award,” said Paul P. Partyka of NAI Realvest, former Mayor of Winter Springs and Chair of the Winter Springs Rotary Golf Committee.

“This year’s recipient of this prestigious award – Phil Rawlins – was cited for his diligent efforts and success in bringing the MLS Orlando City Lions to Central Florida,” Partyka explained.

This year’s Rotary Charity Golf Tournament, which is sponsored by Tuskawilla Nursing & Rehabilitation center, is sure to attract a bigger crowd than usual with Rawlins as the honoree and playing in a foursome of Lions members, said Partyka. 

Golfers who register by 11 a.m. for the 12:30 shotgun start, 4-person scramble, will be eligible for an array of prizes, free beverages on the course, lunch and dinner.  Individual entry is $150 with a limit of 32 foursomes.

Numerous sponsorships are available and all net proceeds go to local charities.  For information, to register in advance for the tournament or  pledge a sponsorship, please email ppartyka@realvest.com or call 407-341-0805 (Partyka) 407-585-0217 (Gary Grund co-chair) or 321-230-3698 (Scott Whittmer, co-chair)

Orlando Rotary International District 6980 represents 48 Rotary Clubs with more than 2,100 members in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Sumter Counties.  

Virginia Simulation training company PVM opens Central Florida office

Orlando, Fla.  -- Performance Value Management, LLC (PVM) is the newest company to join the UCF Business Incubator’s Soft Landing program.

Onelia Codrington, the President and CEO of PVM, said the nine year-old Fairfax, Virginia-based company specializes in Management Consulting, IT, Cyber Security, Training and Strategic Planning. 

“UCF’s leading role in helping to develop the Central Florida region’s simulation training industry along with the Incubator’s Soft Landing program were a big draw for us,” Codrington stated.  

PVM LLC is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) program participant and a Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) company and currently employs more than 10 specialists.  The firm’s expertise includes continuous monitoring, forensic security and training Codrington added.

“The Soft Landing program offers companies from outside Florida or the U.S. an opportunity to establish a presence in Florida,  to take advantage of the incubation support network and bring jobs and economic activity here,” said Carol Ann Dykes site manager for the UCF Business Incubator in the Central Florida Research Park where PVM is a client.

Savage Race Obstacle Course Race Company Receives Back-to-Back Accolades

Ranked 266th Fastest-Growing Private Company in America by Inc. Magazine

ORLANDO, Fla. — Savage Race, a young Orlando-based obstacle course race company featuring the world’s best obstacles, has received dual honors by being named one of the fastest-growing private companies in America and one of the top 50 Florida companies to watch.

Inc. Magazine ranked Savage Race 266th in its September 2015 edition of 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America, and GrowFL – a statewide economic-development program – named Savage Race as one of Florida’s 50 Companies to Watch.

Founded by Sam Abbitt and Lloyd Parker in 2011, Savage Race is a business client of the University of Central Florida Business Incubator Program in Orlando. The company combines Abbitt’s master’s degrees in both business and construction with his interest in obstacle racing, fitness and endurance sports to provide challenging obstacle courses that test participants’ courage and teamwork. With 22 employees, the company hosts more than a dozen such events in the U.S. each year.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by both Inc. Magazine and GrowFL for our innovation and growth,” said Abbitt. “We’re pushing the boundaries of the obstacle course racing industry every day and the world-class team behind me at Savage Race is what makes that possible. We’ve quietly worked to establish ourselves as a leader in our industry, and to be recognized on both a national level and a local level within the span of just a few weeks is incredible. We’re proud to do what we do every day and are very excited about the future of Savage Race.”

A New York-based business magazine, Inc. annually publishes a list of the top 5,000 fastest-growing private U.S. companies based on growth and wealth. Orlando’s Savage Race had a whopping three-year growth rate of 1,709 percent and revenue of $3.8 million in 2014.

GrowFL on Wednesday, Sept. 2, identified Savage Race as a Florida second-stage company to watch. A second-stage company, which falls somewhere between a startup company and a large firm, is one that is “poised for growth.”  GrowFL’s nationally-certified experts assist second-stage growth companies by providing strategies, resources and support to help them reach the next level, while strengthening the local economy.

“Much like crossing a Savage Race finish line, there is a sense of pride and triumph to see Sam [Abbitt] and his team reach this point after overcoming some challenging obstacles,” said Michael Weiss, site manager of the UCF Business Incubator–Orlando. “We have really enjoyed working with the Savage Race team, and it is extremely rewarding to see their growth and success recognized on a local and national level.”

Flame Boss Introduces New BBQ Smoker Accessory with Internet Capability

Orlando, Fla.– Flame Boss™ an Orlando company that’s been manufacturing and selling remote controllers for BBQ smokers since late 2013, introduced a new “Flame Boss 200” earlier this summer that’s WiFi enabled. 

Michael Collins, President, said Flame Boss 200 comes with exactly the same kit sold with his Flame Boss 100—a smoker temperature probe, meat temperature probe, power adapter and blower—except inside the control module there’s a module that enables Internet connection.

Collins said sales of the Flame Boss 100 were good since starting last year, he sold them for $289 to pool and patio stores and through hundreds of authorized dealers reps of merchants as far away as Sweden and Australia.

But now, Collins explained that his Flame Boss 200 model, which allows you to control the BBQ smoker and its temperature from work or the golf course with a smart phone or iPad, has been selling for $349 at the rate of 8 or 9 to every one of the Flame Boss 100 packages sold.

June sales of the Flame Boss 200 topped the entire sales of models 1 and 100 for the entire year of 2014, Collins said.

Both Fame Boss 100 and Flame Boss 200 are sold at authorized hardware stores, pool and patio stores and outdoor kitchen stores nationwide in packages of two varieties – “Kamado” for a ceramic BBQ smoker and the other labeled “Universal” for all traditional style smokers.   Visit www.FlameBoss.com .

Flame Boss™ is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in Apopka.