Two move-in ready homes by Ashton Woods Homes nearly complete, to open for viewing in fall

TAMPA, Fla. --- Ashton Woods Homes will have two ready-to-move-in luxury homes ready for viewing this fall at Grand Hampton in New Tampa, located on Dunham Station Drive off County Line Road just west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Michael Roche, vice president of sales and marketing at Ashton Woods Homes, said both homes offer 2,822 square feet of space, four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, two car garage priced at $279,990. Grand Hampton features a community clubhouse with multi-use aquatic center, tennis and basketball courts, extensive conservation areas, a park and lakes. Ashton Woods Homes, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation’s largest private homebuilding companies with operations in growth communities in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Killeen, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, Raleigh and Tampa. For more information, visit http://www.ashtonwoods.com .

UCF Business Incubation Program Celebrates 13th Anniversary

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is celebrating its 13th anniversary in October. The job-generating program now has three Orlando facilities at the UCF campus, in Central Florida Research Park and on SR 50 near downtown, and seven more in St. Cloud, Kissimmee, Sanford, Winter Springs, Leesburg, Daytona Beach and Apopka. Dr. Tom O’Neal, who founded the program and has guided it to prominence as one of the most active university-based business incubation programs in the U.S., said each incubation facility is a partnership that pairs the university with counties and local municipalities to support local startup businesses that demonstrate strong potential for success. Dr. O’Neal said a series of city-county partnerships as rank as the most critical elements of the UCF Business Incubation Program. Other partnerships with organizations such as the Florida High Tech Corridor and local professional service providers make the program a model other regions try to emulate. “City and county governments have a vested interest in generating local economic growth and business incubation programs have shown to be one of the most cost-effective economic development efforts a city or county can undertake,” Dr. O’Neal said. Since its launch in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has generated more than 3,000 home-grown jobs. Recently, Dr. O’Neal has been working on an Angel Investor Network to provide early stage funding for promising startup companies. “Talent and capital are the two biggest needs in the economic development arena,” Dr. O’Neal said. “We have talent. Our Angel Investor Network was created to link talented entrepreneurs with investors who can help turn good ideas into successful ventures that in turn create good jobs locally,” O’Neal said. About the UCF Business Incubation Program Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 300 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 $60,000. 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.

Cuhaci & Peterson Completes Design Work on The Fresh Market at The Falls, south of Miami and gets contact for another in Pensacola

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, completed design work on “The Fresh Market” store at The Falls retail center in the Pinecrest community off U.S. 1 south of Miami. James E. Downs, president of the Baldwin Park architectural firm, said construction is complete on the 18,000 square foot facility and it opened in early September at the south Dade County shopping center. At the same time, Downs said, the architectural firm has been awarded a contract to design another new facility for “The Fresh Market” in Pensacola. That Pensacola store will also offer 18,000 square feet of upscale grocery shopping space.

NAI Realvest Negotiates Lease with Buffet Village at 10,800 square foot former Whistle Junction restaurant in Titusville

MAITLAND, Fla. - NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for the 10,800 square foot former Whistle Junction restaurant at 3125 Columbia Blvd. in Titusville. Paul P. Partyka, managing partner at NAI Realvest, along with principals Matt Cichocki and Kevin O’Connor, negotiated the transaction representing the landlord, SBI Leasing of Titusville. The new tenant is Buffet Village of St. Cloud, and is also a client of Partyka. The Titusville location is the Chinese buffet restaurant group’s fourth restaurant to open in Florida and fifth overall, Partyka said.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Names Three to Staff Positions

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, Engineers, Planners based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, has appointed two new project architects and one construction administrator. Amy Phillips, marketing manager at Cuhaci & Peterson, said Gevel Marrero has been hired as project architect. He has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston and has over 17 years of experience with architectural design. Chris Doig, project architect attending the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor in Computer Information and has more than 15 years of experience in architecture. Phillips said Tim Bass, was named construction administrator. He received his Bachelor of Science in Construction from Ohio State University and has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry.

MERITAGE HOMES NAMES CONNIE COLLIER SALES ASSOCIATE IN ORLANDO REGION

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Meritage Homes has appointed Connie Collier as sales associate for the Orlando region. Brian Kittle, vice president of sales for Meritage Homes, said Collier has more than 12 years of sales experience in the residential real estate industry. Collier will be assisting homebuyers at Meritage Homes communities in the central Florida area. Meritage Homes builds new homes in 15 communities throughout the Orlando region with from two to eight bedrooms priced from the low $100s to the high $700s.

NAI Realvest Completes Sale of 4.3 Acre Church Site in West Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. -- NAI Realvest recently negotiated the sale of a 4.3 acre church site at 5355 Long Rd. in Orlando for $180,000. Paul P. Partyka, managing partner at NAI Realvest, brokered the transaction representing the seller, International Church of the Four Square based in Los Angeles, and the buyer Open Door Primitive Baptist Church which is currently on Silver Star Road in Orlando. Open Door Primitive Baptist is expanding and will be constructing a new building on the site for new church facilities for their congregation, according to Partyka. About NAI Realvest NAI Realvest, covering all of central Florida, is a fully integrated commercial real estate operating company specializing in brokerage, development, investment, leasing and management, consulting and research services in the U.S. and worldwide. NAI Global is an international commercial real estate network with over 350 offices spanning the globe. Since 1978, clients have built businesses on the power of NAI Global’s expanding network. Extensive services include multi-site acquisitions and dispositions, sublease, tenant representation, lease administration and audit, investment services, due diligence and related consulting and advisory services. To learn more, visit www.NAIRealvest.com.

University Club of Orlando to Host Cocktails for a Cause in January to Benefit Coastal Conservation Association

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University Club of Orlando will host a Cocktails for a Cause reception Thursday, Jan. 24, in hopes of beating their 2012 record of raising $7,500 for the Central Florida Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), an organization of saltwater anglers and conservation activists in 17 states with 30 Florida chapters. Justin Wright, general manager of the University Club of Orlando, said the Fifth Annual CCA Cocktails for a Cause event is an important one for the club. “CCA has held Cocktails for the Cause events at the University Club of Orlando for the past four years and we’ve established a tradition among the group of influential men and women who are thoroughly committed to the conservation of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public,” Wright said. The University Club’s Cocktail for a Cause events have helped raise more than $200,000 over the past five years to benefit a wide range of civic, community, educational and charitable organizations. Wright emphasized Cocktails for a Cause events give organizations the opportunity to raise money while having fun. All tips are donated back to the organizations. “Some organizations have raised as much as $5,000 in a single evening,” Wright added.

NAI Realvest completes new office lease agreement for an East Orlando law firm’s second location at La Vina Marketplace at Lake Nona

MAITLAND, Fla. --- NAI Realvest recently negotiated a lease agreement with a law firm expanding into its second location at La Vina Marketplace 9161 Narcoossee Rd., Lake Nona in southeast Orlando. Senior Associate Mary Frances West, CCIM brokered the transaction representing the landlord Ripley’s International LLC. The new tenant, Englert, Leite & Martin, PL – expanding from their Avalon Park location – has leased Suite B-210 with 1,467 square feet on the second floor of La Vina Marketplace. There is now only one second floor office suite with 1,610 square feet available at the La Vina Marketplace, according to West who leads the leasing team at the office-retail center. About NAI Realvest NAI Realvest, serving all of central Florida, is a fully integrated commercial real estate operating company specializing in brokerage, development, investment, leasing and management, consulting and research services in the U.S. and worldwide. NAI Global is an international commercial real estate network with over 350 offices spanning the globe. Since 1978, clients have built businesses on the power of NAI Global’s expanding network. Extensive services include multi-site acquisitions and dispositions, sublease, tenant representation, lease administration and audit, investment services, due diligence and related consulting and advisory services. To learn more, visit www.nairealvest.com

Omega3 Innovations’ Heart-Healthy Cookies and Chocolate Blur The Line Between Food and Medicine

VENICE, Fla. – Munch on a cookie to ward off diabetes and obesity? Enjoy a decadent-tasting chocolate to improve memory and reduce stress? While the ideas may sound outrageous to most dietitians, the physicians who founded Omega3 Innovations insist it is the future of our health. “Only by creating products that outperform junk food in both taste and practicality, can we change people’s diets,” says Dr. Bo Martinsen, co-founder of the “healthy cookie company.” The challenge for the staff at Venice-based Omega3 Innovations has been learning how to combine the two most recommended nutrients – fresh fish oil and beta-glucan oat soluble fiber – into tasty and clinically-effective super foods. Now, after years of research and experimentation, the biotech company has found the solution. “With our patented formulation, we were able to stabilize the oil to prevent it from separating and going rancid during the manufacturing process,” Martinsen says. He says that high doses of “super-fresh fish oil” from Norway are combined with other nutritious ingredients to produce the Omega Cookie, a heart-healthy and tasty cookie, as well as the Omega Passion, a healthy, yet delectable, frozen chocolate confection. The company also offers Omega Cure, a liquid fish oil with no taste or smell. Omega3 Innovations’ cookies and chocolates contain up to a prescription-sized dose of omega-3 (4g EPA/DHA), as well as 750 mg of cholesterol-reducing soluble oat fiber, two ingredients that have been top-performers in fighting heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes in thousands of studies, according to Martinsen. Pilot studies done by Omega3 Innovations, along with customer reports, indicate that the products can make a significant clinical difference. Venice resident Valerie Smith says her improved check-ups are proof. “After eating one to two Omega Cookies a day for three months, my doctor took me off of both my diabetes and cholesterol-lowering medication,” she says. Another Omega3 Innovations customer says that since he began taking daily doses of Omega Cure two years ago, his triglyceride levels dropped from 1800 to 80 to the astonishment of his doctor. The company’s patented technology also allows for the addition of anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients without compromising taste and nutritional value, or succumbing to adding preservatives and sweeteners, according to Dr. Anne-Marie Chalmers√, who co-founded the company with her husband. “Offering products in different sizes, flavors and presentations gives Omega3 Innovations the ability to satisfy most customers’ desires and needs for healthy nutrients,” she says. Martinsen agrees, saying their products “bridge the gap between food and medicine.” “We’re moving into the future where new breakfast foods, snacks and desserts truly can become a bridge to better health.” About Omega3 Innovations: Founded by Bo Martinsen, M.D., and Anne-Marie Chalmers√, M.D. – two physicians who have worked with omega-3 fish oil for more than 16 years – the company offers several varieties of Omega Cookies, Omega Passion chocolates, as well as Omega Cure supplements. Each cookie contains seven capsules worth of omega-3 fish oil, five grams of fiber, 200% of the daily value of vitamin D and 35% of calcium. The company was an innovation winner at the 2010 annual Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County’s Hall of Fame awards and was nominated in this year’s young business category. Omega3 Innovations is the first to create a bakery product that contains an effective dose of omega-3 fish oil. Omega3 Innovations is also in the process of developing a line of hospital food products and treats suitable for cafes and fast food restaurants. For more information, visit www.omega3innovations.com.