Meritage Homes Promotes Daniel Fischer to Area Sales Manager

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Meritage Homes has promoted Daniel Fischer to area sales manager. Brian Kittle, division vice president for Meritage Homes, said Fischer is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and has been with Meritage Homes for more than four years. Fischer was formerly a sales associate. In his new role, Fischer will oversee the communities on the east side of Orlando. 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.

15th Annual Seniors Showcase Basketball Tournament Set for March 27-30 in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The 15th Annual Seniors Showcase Weekend Basketball Classic will be held at Amway Center in Orlando March 27-30. David D. Davis, Assistant Event Director, said the four-day event will feature the nation’s best high school basketball players. Davis said the Florida vs. Hardwood Classic, a basketball game that assembles the most recognizable high school basketball players in the state and nation for an NBA –style all star weekend experience. Although events for the players begin on Wednesday, March 27, the actual All-Star game will be played on Friday, March 29. Throughout the years, the All-Star games have provided opportunities for nearly one thousand players to receive academic and athletic scholarships.

Exit Realty of Daytona Beach Names New Broker Associate, New Sales Associate

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Exit Realty of Daytona Beach has appointed one new broker associate and one new sales associate. Aswin Suri, principal of Exit Realty of Daytona Beach, said he named Patrick Sullivan broker associate. Sullivan who received his Florida broker’s license in 1998, has 20 years of experience in real estate sales and has been consistently one of the top sales leaders in the area’s Board of Realtors. He is recognized as a sales specialist in new homes, investments, single-family developments and commercial property throughout the Daytona, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna and surrounding areas. Suri also named Cheryl Heller a sales associate. Heller, who holds a Masters Degree in Education from Ball State University in Indiana, began her real estate career in 2005 after a storied career of teaching high school in six different states, then working as a clinical social worker for the ACT Corporation in Volusia County. The expertise and professionalism Heller accumulated through the years has enabled her to easily help buyers and sellers of real estate on both sides of the Intracoastal. This year Exit Realty has sold condos, homes and commercial properties totaling over $40 million which is double what the firm sold its first year 2009, Suri said. Visit www.exitrealtyofdaytona.com.

Melken Solutions Approved as Vendor to Market Document Scanning for Health Care Providers Converting to Electronic Health Record Systems

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University of Central Florida Regional Extension Center (REC) in the College of Medicine has approved Melken Solutions in Orlando as a vendor to market document scanning to health care providers who are converting their medical files to electronic medical records in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia Counties. Melanie Wheeler, co-founder and partner at Melken Solutions, said the approval is a critical one for their business. Federal law requires all physicians to adopt Electronic Health Records by end of 2015. That means doctors and health care providers must digitize all of their existing documents and images. “That’s precisely what Melken Solutions does,” Wheeler explained. “We specialize in customer-focused scanning for doctors and health care providers,” she said. Approval by the UCF REC program means Melken Solutions will be exposed to a wide range of physician and health care groups in the seven-county region. The UCF College of Medicine was recently awarded a $7.8 million grant by the federal government to develop its Regional Extension Center (REC). “The REC aims to improve health care delivery by promoting widespread adoption and meaningful use of health information technology,” Wheeler said. “The REC will assist health care providers in the selection and adoption of adequate EHR solutions to improve patient care,” she added. Melken Solutions is a member of the UCF Business Incubation Program and located in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.

PulteGroup promotes Pierre de Amezola to General Sales Manager in Southeast Florida region

JUPITER, Fla. --- The South Florida division of PulteGroup, Inc. recently promoted Pierre de Amezola to general sales manager for the Palm Beach and Treasure Coast areas. With more than 15 years of experience in residential real estate sales, de Amezola joined PulteGroup as a sales consultant in January 2012. He spent 11 years with another national homebuilder where he served as vice president of sales in Tampa prior to working in Central Florida with Emerson International, a British-based development and management firm. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for PulteGroup’s South Florida division said de Amezola will be responsible for sales of new Pulte and DiVosta brand homes at communities from the Palm Beaches through the Treasure Coast up to Palm Bay including Oak Haven in Lake Worth; Castellina in Wellington, Sandpiper Cove and Windsor Park at Abacoa in Jupiter; Copperleaf in Palm City; Waterway Village and Provence Bay in Vero Beach; and Heron Bay at Waterstone in Palm Bay. A South Florida native, de Amezola graduated from St. Thomas University in Miami. He was an independent real estate broker in the South Florida area upon returning from Central Florida and just before joining PulteGroup’s South Florida division.

UCF Business Incubation Program Transfers Management Responsibilities of the Leesburg Business Incubator to Lake County Economic Development

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program, which has managed the Leesburg Business Incubator in downtown Leesburg since early 2010 with the help of City of Leesburg and Lake County, plans to turn over operation of the business support facility to the Economic Development Group of Lake County, which operates two additional Business Opportunity Centers. Gordon Hogan, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said the entrepreneurial community in Lake County will be better served with a more consistent offering at all three locations. Hogan said UCF will serve as a consultant and advisor if needed in the operation of the facility. The UCF Business Incubation Program operates business incubation facilities in Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Daytona Beach, Sanford, Winter Springs, Apopka, the Central Florida Research Park in east Orlando and on the UCF campus.

First Green Bank Sponsored Cyclist Wins Three Major Road Races

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Central Florida cyclist powerhouse Steve Perezluha, the Longwood native who ranks as one of America’s best young long-distance bicyclists, recently won three state championships. Kenneth LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer of First Green Bank in Mount Dora and Perezluha’s principal sponsor, said the young cyclist recently competed on Oct. 7 for the Florida State Time Trials Championship, a 24.8 mile race in Olustee, and won with a time of 52:09, beating his previous record by 1:04. LaRoe said the weekend of Oct. 27-28, Perezluha won two races in the Florida Road Race Championship in Clermont. Perezluha won the Men’s ages 19-23 category with a time of 2:20:37 and the Men’s Pro 1-2 with a time of 2:53:37 winning by almost 3 minutes.

Emerson International negotiates office lease agreements totaling over 6,740 square feet in Orlando and Altamonte

Altamonte Springs, Fla. --- Emerson International recently negotiated new office lease agreements totaling 6,743 square feet in Orlando and Altamonte Springs. Kenneth Koch, commercial portfolio director at Emerson International, negotiated a new lease agreement for 2,028 square feet of office space at Major Plaza I at 5728 Major Blvd. in Southwest Orlando off Kirkman Rd. near the I-Drive tourism corridor. The new tenant is Dynamic Marketing Solutions. Koch also negotiated a lease expansion and renewal for 4,715 square feet in Altamonte Lakeside Park, 283 Cranes Roost Blvd. in Altamonte Springs with tenant Apple One Employment Agency.

Fortress Construction Group Celebrates Busiest Year Ever, Eyes Expansion in 2013

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Fortress Construction Group, which opened its doors in 2007, reports its business grew by more than 100 percent this year and projects even more growth in 2013. Charles Ayers, president of Fortress Construction Group, Inc. said he launched Fortress with partner and longtime friend Dean Mannino when the Florida home building industry entered its downturn. The two have known each other since their days at the University of Florida’s Building Construction School. “It was the best thing that’s ever happened to either of us,” Ayers said. For the first few years the company focused on luxury home remodeling, additions and repair work. “We’ve always had work,” Ayers said. “We never really had a slow period,” he added. Charles’ son Chad, an experienced commercial builder, joined Fortress in 2011. “That paid off for us big time this year with numerous commercial jobs including interior build-outs, renovations, and our largest project of the year, a new medical facility for the Central Florida Pulmonary Group in Orlando,” Ayers said. That project, located at 326 North Mills Ave. included a 12,000 square foot two story state-of-the-art pulmonary clinic complete with research lab, pharmacy, CT and x-ray facilities, and a new administration building. The cost of the project is estimated at $1.5 million and the new facility is expected to open early next year. Other projects in 2012 include interior build-outs for a barber shop, beauty salon, pharmacy, and another doctor’s office, along with several residential contracts for room additions and kitchen and bath renovations plus construction of a new single family custom home. “We are optimistic that we’ll see continued growth through 2013,” Ayers said. “We have active contracts now and we plan to start construction on several projects in the coming weeks,” he said. Visit www.Fortressconstructiongroup.com

Avalon Park West to host “Movie Under The Stars” Featuring “The Polar Express ”Dec 14 at 7 p.m.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. --- Avalon Park West, the master planned community located 3.5 miles east of I-75 on SR 54 in Wesley Chapel, will once again host its “Movie Under the Stars”, Dec. 14 starting at 7 p.m. Stephanie Hodson, marketing director for Avalon Park West, said the feature film at Movie Under the Stars will be “The Polar Express” ‒ the famous story of a boy who boards the mysterious train that waits for him bound for the North Pole. The film will be shown outside the Avalon Park West Community Center and the public is invited to attend the free movie, Hodson said. “Bring your blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy the free popcorn too,” Hodson said. Local vendors will also be on hand to handle and sell refreshments. The Avalon Park West Community Center is located at 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive, Wesley Chapel, FL 33545. For information call 813-364-4918 or email Stephanie @avalonparkgroup.com.