Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Data Transfer Solutions Earns Three News Contracts

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Data Transfer Solutions, LLC (DTS), based in Downtown Avalon Park, recently earned three new contracts in Tallahassee, Miami and Springfield, Mo.

A. M. “Trey” Fragala III, AICP, PMP, chief operating officer at DTS, said Ozark Transportation Organization in Springfield, Mo. recently awarded DTS a contract valued at $24,100 to develop a web-based system that will allow agency members to produce searchable maps, enter project information, update and track status reports to the Ozark Transportation Organization database.

The Survey and Mapping Office at the Florida Dept. of Transportation’s Central Office in Tallahassee awarded a contract to DTS valued at approximately $35,000 to re-engineer its Aerial Photograph Look-up System (APLUS) from the current ARC Internet Map Server (ArcIMS) application to ArcGIS using FDOT’s Enterprise GIS framework.

Fragala said the work will make FDOT’s substantial database much more functional and easy to use.

DTS earned a third contract as part of the Kimley-Horn and Associates team serving the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

DTS is designing, developing and implementing components of an interactive transportation planning tool that will display 2010 census data, American Community Survey data, national transit data and transportation modeling results, Fragala explained.

DTS provides asset management, geographic information systems, transportation planning, web design, database applications, and video and multimedia production services to local governments and regional and state agencies throughout the U.S.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Complete Design Work for New Seasons 52 Restaurant in Oakbrook, Ill

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, recently completed design work to build a new Seasons 52 restaurant facility in Oakbrook, Ill.

Jed Downs, president of Cuhaci & Peterson, said the 10,000 square foot Seasons 52 facility is now under construction and slated for completion sometime this Spring.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners Awarded Contract to Design Renovation of Ale House Restaurant in Daytona Beach

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, was recently awarded a contract to design renovations for an 8,700 square foot Ale House restaurant facility on International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona Beach.

Jed Downs, president of Cuhaci & Peterson, said the renovation construction, which includes the addition of a patio, is scheduled for completion this spring.

UCF Business Incubation Program Names Peggy Allen Assistant to Director Gordon Hogan

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program has promoted Peggy Allen to assistant to the director of the UCF Business Incubator Program.

Allen, who joined the UCF Business Incubation Program in Sanford nearly two years ago as program assistant, has more than six years of experience in business administration and business development, Gordon Hogan, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said.

As assistant to Hogan, Allen will play a key role in administering activities of the UCF Business Incubation Progam’s ten sites throughout Central Florida and will be based at the UCF Business Incubation Program’s headquarters in Central Florida Research Park in east Orlando.

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 125 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, 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. The UCFBIP will open its 10th incubator in Apopka in Spring 2012. Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook, on www.facebook.com/ucf4bip.

Integrity Home Loan of Central Florida promotes Craig Cimring to Branch Manager of Downtown Orlando facility

ORLANDO, Fla. – Integrity Home Loan of Central Florida, Inc., which provides residential mortgage financing through seven branch offices throughout Central Florida, has promoted Craig Cimring to branch manager of the firm’s new Downtown Orlando location on E. Pine Street.

Matthew Malloy, president, said Cimring joined Integrity Home Loan three years ago as an experienced loan officer. Cimring is a graduate of Florida State University.

Malloy said Integrity Home Loan plans to open new offices on SR 434 in Longwood and E. Colonial Drive in East Orlando within the next 90 days.

Real Estate Consultant Rachel Wein of WeinPlus Discusses How to do More with Less

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. --- Rachel Elias Wein, founder and principal of WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services in St. Petersburg, recently presented to retail property developers and real estate professionals at the 2012 ICSC North Florida Idea Exchange on how to do more with less in a recovering economy.

The formula works, Wein said, and can turn marginally profitable projects into income-generating super stars.

Her message: streamline the development process and focus on generating revenues.

“If 25 percent of your team’s time is spent reporting, processing, logging and routing work in progress, that reduces your ability to add value, costs you 25 percent of their salary plus overhead and makes them less likely to compete at a high level,” Wein said.

“If your focus on construction cost results in too much time dedicated to complex bidding procedures, you can substantially delay completion of a project,” Wein told the group.

The key is to measure and incentivize for the right results.

“You’ve got to measure savings from bidding against the rents you lose because of the delay brought on by the bidding period,” Wein said. “When you find that the cost overages you save are outweighed by the lost rent revenues, then you need to adjust or eliminate your bidding process,” she said.

Wein told the group that the new economy means property owners and landlords must play a partnering role with retail tenants.

“You’ve got to help them succeed if you want to succeed,” Wein emphasized.

Dave Brewer Constructors sees big increase in luxury home remodeling, additions

SANFORD, Fla. --- Dave Brewer Constructors, the remodeling division of Dave Brewer, Inc., which ranks as one of the region’s most active builders of luxury homes priced at more than $1 million, is seeing a big increase in luxury home remodeling projects.

Matt Trask, vice president at Dave Brewer, Inc., said the firm’s remodeling division currently has 10 projects in the planning stage. Last year, Dave Brewer Constructors completed 12 major remodeling projects, Trask said.

“We project our remodeling division will see an increase of about 40 percent this year,” Trask said.

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty sells $500,000 Windermere luxury home in five days, 12 days more to close

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Among the many indicators that the real estate market is recovering in Central Florida, this one is bound to leave some sellers breathless. Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty in Orlando recently sold a $500,000 luxury home in Windermere in five days. For cash!

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty said Realtor Associate Bruce Elliott, ABR, CIPS, CSP, e-Pro, GRI, SFR, TRC, PHP listed the 6425 Cartmel Drive home in Lake Butler Sound in Windermere for sale at $525,000 on Jan. 13.

Associate Erin Wanner brought a buyer – a professional athlete – to the table with a contract five days later. The all-cash transaction closed on Jan. 31.

“We were all very excited,” Soderstrom said. “In this market and price range, that’s a definite record for the shortest listing, and both buyer and seller are delighted,” Soderstrom said.

About Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty
Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty is affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, the largest luxury real estate brand in the world. Stirling Sotheby’s exclusive services include luxury residential, new homes, new home communities, commercial and investment properties, in addition to supporting builders, developers, lenders, and asset managers. The company operates two performance zones which serve all of Central Florida. Visit www.StirlingSIR.com.

Meritage Homes Appoints Two New Sales Associates

ORLANDO, Fla. – Meritage Homes has named two new sales associates, Brian Kittle, vice president of sales for Meritage Homes in the Orlando reported.

The two new sales associates are Ali Paymayesh and Matthew Oesch.

Kittle say Paymayesh with seven years of experience real estate and new home sales will be working out of the homebuilder’s community of Winter Springs Village off Tuskawilla Rd.

Oesch will assist new homebuyers at the Oaks at Grande Lakes located off Plant Street in Winter Garden

First Green Bank in Mount Dora enlists a new Green ally next door — Mellow Mushroom Pizza restaurant announces development

MOUNT DORA, Fla. --- First Green Bank, which hosted more than 750 visitors at its official “Grand Green Opening” of its new award-winning headquarters facility in Mount Dora recently, has recruited its first “green” ally — a Mellow Mushroom Pizza Restaurant, which plans to open next door to the bank on U.S. 441

Kenneth LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer at First Green Bank, said he and his brother Michael plan to start construction of Lake County’s first Mellow Mushroom Pizza restaurant as early as this summer.

LaRoe, a partner in the franchise, said plans call for a new one-story 5,000 square foot building that will meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standards for energy efficiency and environmental quality. The restaurant will feature a 1,100 square foot deck in the rear of the building.

First Green Bank has submitted for a designated a LEED Platinum facility — only the second privately constructed building in Florida to achieve that standard.

If all goes according to plan, First Green Bank’s new “Green” neighbor could be open within 12 months.