Pulte Homes to host Grand Opening March 23 to showcase Catalina model town home at Provence Bay in Vero Beach

Vero Beach, Fla. --- Pulte Homes will host a grand opening Saturday, March 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. to showcase the Catalina model town home at Provence Bay, located on Normandie Way overlooking the Indian River Aquatic Reserve off Indian River Blvd., south of 17th Street in Vero Beach. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the South Florida Division of Pulte, said admission free and the visitors will enjoy live music and refreshments at the event located in the Catalina model. The Catalina model, priced from $150,000, offers three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths in 1,836 square feet of living space. Special features include an optional den, optional second owner’s suite and an upstairs laundry area. Marin said visitors will also be invited to tour two move-in ready town homes at Provence Bay – the Avalon floor plan with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths in 1,312 square feet of living space priced from $119,999, and the Biscayne, priced from $126,000 offering 1,469 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects awarded contract to design Leslie’s Poolmart Stores

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, were recently awarded contracts to design two Leslie’s Poolmart stores. Both stores are larger than usual, with approximately 7,000 square feet each. Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, said one of the stores is in Casselberry and the other one is in Savannah, Ga.

University of Central Florida Business Incubator at Daytona Beach International Airport to Host Business Plan Boot Camp

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Phaedra Lee, a client of the Volusia County--University of Central Florida Business Incubator at Daytona Beach International Airport was excited when she learned from Incubator Site Manager Connie Bernal of the three-day Business Plan Boot Camp the incubator is presenting March 19-21. And, her excitement grew when she heard who would be speaking. As the co-owner of Fusion Fitness Designs – a fitness and strength-training equipment manufacturer – Lee has a special interest in lectures by Dr. Brent Fulton, a sports medicine doctor, and his father, Dr. Michael Fulton, an orthopedic surgeon. "We're really excited to be a part of the boot camp and about working with Dr. Fulton, as he has a lot of experience in our industry," said Lee. "Connie has done a great job of bringing well-qualified people together to help us get our business plans even more solidified," she added. The Fultons will talk about how the mind and body work together to heal patients, as they host part of the Boot Camp at their Green Acres Habitat for Human Growth and Performance center in Daytona Beach. “We are so fortunate to have the Fultons help us present and host this event,” said Bernal. “These doctors have been in Volusia County for 35 years and they are experts in helping people achieve success through a clear mind and a healthy body. We can’t thank them enough for their generosity.” Nancy Fulton, office administrator of Medical Exercise Associates at the Green Acres campus, said the boot camp is something her husband, Michael, and sons, Brent and Chris, have been looking to do for a while at their 40-acre facility. “When Connie mentioned that she was going to do this, we said immediately that we wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “My son, Brent, was in special ops when he got out of the Naval Academy and he’s always been interested in having a boot camp here for all ages. So, this will just jump start our plans.” Fulton said two employees will get “down and dirty” as they act as tough drill instructors and put the business clients through the paces, including a run through their wooded property. Afterward, participants will be attending the daily lectures, where they’ll learn about goal setting, teambuilding, working together and making good business decisions. Bernal said the boot camp is designed to “get tough on business” by helping the clients complete their business plans in three days. “It’s a time for them to work on their business, not in their business.” The boot camp, which will include breakfast and business plan software, will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The first day’s topic will be “From the Battlefield to the Business Plan” followed by “Marketing and Sales Strategies” on day two, and “Is Franchising Right for Your Business?” on the final day. “We’ve invited several speakers who are at the top of their respective fields,” Bernal said. “That’s because we want our entrepreneurs to learn from the best, so they can become the best.” In addition to talks the two doctors will give for incubator clients, four additional speakers will hold sessions that are open to the public. They are: Michael Waldrop is a U.S. Army Captain and combat wounded veteran who founded Blue Cord Design and Construction – a service/disabled veteran-owned small business – after he returned home from Afghanistan. He will talk about the importance of business discipline and dealing with adversity. Eric Shulman, founder of Sandler Training in Altamonte Springs, will coach attendees on why sales people fail, and how to fix it. Shulman began working in a family retail business at the age of 13 and started his own direct-marketing firm when he was 29. He opened the training center in 2003 and now coaches more than 100 professional salespeople each week. Derek D. Hudson, a certified business analyst and procurement specialist at UCF, will talk about market diversity and how to determine a target market. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Hudson has managed multiple small business units and worked as a strategic communications and public relations consultant to several government agencies. Marshall Reddy, president of Jacksonville-based Franchise Network, will ask attendees if franchising is right for their business, and explain some common misconceptions of franchising. With more than 22 years of business ownership, and sales, marketing and consulting experience, Reddy has helped thousands of entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality. The boot camp sessions are designed for the center’s current 12 clients, but, Bernal said the individual talks by the speakers will be free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations can be made by contacting Arlene Wilson Arlene.wilson@ucf.edu or at 386/872-3100. The incubator – a partnership between UCF, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council – is designed to help start-up companies as well as established businesses. The businesses who rent space at the Daytona Beach International Airport location receive assistance in the form of mentoring and coaching; educational programs; marketing and public relations; access to seminars; networking with peers; inexpensive office space with shared reception, conference rooms, office equipment and support services; as well as paid memberships in a number of organizations.

Pulte Homes Grand Opening to Showcase Three Professionally Decorated Model Homes at Bridgetown in Fort Myers

Fort Myers, Fla. -- Pulte Homes will host a grand opening from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, to showcase three professionally decorated model homes at Bridgetown, located off Treeline Avenue between Daniels Parkway and Colonial Blvd. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the South Florida Division of Pulte Group, said admission to the event is free and visitors will enjoy live music and refreshments in the homebuilder’s new Bridgetown Sales Center at 10889 Rutherford Rd., Fort Myers, FL 33913. The two-story Evanston II model, priced from $374,490 with four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths in 3,532 square feet, features a first-floor owner’s suite with a huge walk-in closet and an upstairs game room that can serve as a fifth bedroom. The two-story Vernon II Loft , base-priced from $305,490, offers four bedrooms and three baths in 2,629 square feet of living space with a first-floor owner’s suite, a den and a loft. The Bedford II model is a single-story attached villa with 1,554 square feet of living space that offers two bedrooms and two baths along with a den, which can serve as an optional third bedroom, and an island kitchen.

Pastry Chef and Editing Specialist Joins Staff of Venice-based Omega3 Innovations

VENICE, FL. – Carol Urofsky an award-winning pastry chef with a secondary career in proofreading, recently joined Omega3 Innovations as Product Manager. Urofsky – who has worked as an editor and proofreader in Florida and New Hampshire – also has held positions as pastry chef, and culinary classroom instructor in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Munich, Germany. She owned her own retail pastry and confection business for several years in Rhode Island, according to Dr. Anne-Marie Chalmers, co-founder of the Venice-based bio-tech company that creates heart-healthy, fish oil- and soluble oat fiber-based cookies and chocolates. We are very happy to have Carol join us,” Chalmers said. “She brings to us a wealth of experience in baking and marketing. Urofsky graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Temple University in Philadelphia, and has an associate’s degree in occupational science/baking and pastry from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I. In her spare time she enjoys running and is also involved with competitive swimming. In her new position at Omega3 Innovations, she will be responsible for production of several new products like the Omega Heaven™ and Omega Passion™, Chalmers said.

Dicapta Earns Schedule 738-II Contract from U.S. General Services Administration

Winter Springs, Fla. -- Dicapta, a U.S. leading provider of Spanish-language captioning and video descriptions for educational media for blind and hearing-impaired students, was recently awarded a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule 738-II Contract for Language Services, to provide compliant closed-captioning of digital video to federal agencies. Maria Diaz, president and chief executive officer of Dicapta, said the GSA Schedule 738-II contract significantly broadens the market of government customers Dicapta can serve. “Dicapta already provides captioning and video descriptions to federal, state and local government agencies that purchase services outside the GSA Schedule 738-II protocol,” Diaz said. “Now that we are a registered GSA vendor, we can serve government customers for whom the GSA Schedule 738-II contract simplifies the procurement process,” Diaz explained. Diaz appointed Elizabeth Jaramillo, Marketing Communications Manager at Dicapta, as liaison between Dicapta and its GSA Schedule 738-II clients. “Dicapta, a certified minority business since 2009, has an established track record providing high quality, complete and accurate media accessibility at competitive rates, both through the GSA schedule as well as to our clients in the private sector,” Jaramillo said. Captioning of digital video content is required of many agencies to meet federal mandates for media accessibility by blind and hearing-impaired persons. Federal Communications Commission regulations and the recent 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act requires broadcasters to caption much of their fare as well, Jaramillo said. Dicapta also provides real-time captioning in Spanish. Dicapta’s clients include Harpo Productions/The Oprah Winfrey Show, PBS, Univision, V-me, HITN, and MGM Latino. Dicapta also provides services for the Library of Congress and the United States Department of Education. “Complete and accurate closed captions are requirements for thousands of video publishers, who must satisfy state and federal mandates for content accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing audiences,” Diaz said. “Producers also incorporate captions to make videos searchable, and to improve viewer comprehension. Captioned text reinforces learning and allows text search for easy back-reference and review, an important training benefit for companies serving multilingual customers. Caption files also provide a ready source for foreign language translation,” Diaz said. For more information about Dicapta’s services both in the commercial sector as well as through the GSA contract, please contact Elizabeth Jaramillo at 407-389-0712 or at ejaramillo@dicapta.com. Dicapta is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program located at 1511 E. S.R. 434 in Winter Springs.

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects awarded contracts to design retail space at Mills Park Center in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park was recently awarded a contract to design the retail section of the Mills Park Center at Mills and Virginia Avenues in Orlando. Lonnie Peterson, chairman of Cuhaci & Peterson, said the retail section of the Mills Park project totals 40,000 square feet including an 18,000 square foot Fresh Market grocery store.

Lennar Opens New Phase at Concord Station in Land O'Lakes with 107 Home Sites

TAMPA, Fla. – Lennar’s Central Florida division has opened Phase 3 at Concord Station on SR 54 two miles east of Suncoast Parkway in Land O’Lakes in Pasco County. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida division, said 107 homesites are available in the new phase for single family homes, including Lennar’s new NextGen® homes, ranging from 1,900 square feet of living space to 3,800 square feet and priced from the low $200s. Lennar’s new NextGen® floor plans offer a home within a home--a complete separate living suite with eat-in kitchenette, living room, bedroom with walk-in closet, private bath and private entrance to accommodate multi-generational families. Metheny said all new Lennar built homes at Concord Station come with Lennar’s “Everything’s Included” pledge: a wide range of appliances, special features and add-ons at one “everything’s included” price. Lennar’s Central Florida division builds single family homes, town homes, active adult homes and new NextGen® homes in five Tampa Bay area communities including parts of Pasco County. For more information, visit www.Lennar.com or call 888-317-7489 and visit the Welcome Home Center Monday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Lennar to Unveil New North Pointe Community near Lake Nona before Summer, to complete First Model Home in mid-April

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Lennar’s Central Florida Division, which builds town homes, single-family homes, vacation homes, active adult homes and the new NextGen® homes for multi-generational families in 22 Orlando-area communities, plans to open North Pointe, its newest community off Boggy Creek Rd. near Lake Nona in May. Mark Metheny, president of Lennar’s Central Florida Division, said the home builder will soon start construction of the first model home at North Pointe. Lennar will complete the four-bedroom, 2,267 square foot Kennedy model home at North Pointe in mid-April, Metheny said. The Kennedy model design will also have three baths and a three-car garage. Lennar plans to build single-family homes with from four to seven bedrooms including Lennar’s NextGen® homes that range in size from 2,200 square feet of living space to 4,000 square feet on 60' and 80' homesites at North Pointe. Lennar’s NextGen® homes are designed to accommodate families that may include elderly grandparents or adult children with their own children, Metheny said. “NextGen homes feature a home within a home to give both generations privacy and autonomy,” Metheny explained. Visit www.Lennar.com.

LAW FIRM GETS BACK TO ITS ROOTS BY SPONSORING MOTORCYCLE RIDERS IN DAYTONA BEACH COMPETITION

DAYTONA BEACH – You’ve probably heard the Rue, Ziffra and Caldwell name on television, radio and by word of mouth throughout Central Florida, and know that it’s synonymous with motorcycles. And, if you attend next week’s races at the Daytona Beach International Speedway, you can even see the popular name splashed across two motorcycles the firm is sponsoring. It’s just a way for the firm to “get back to its roots,” according to founder John D. Rue, a motorcycle aficionado who was recognized in the early ‘80s as “the motorcycle attorney” not only because he represented motorcycle riders in accident cases, but because he also rode motorcycles. “Back then, I was developing a motorcycle community here,” he said. “I felt that bikers had a bad image and by promoting racing as a sport it became a family thing. It was more of a safety issue then, and I just wanted people to know that motorcycle riders had the right to be on the road, too.” Next week – during the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson – the Port Orange-based personal-injury firm will sponsor the #77 bike driven by 19-year-old Eric Stump of OPR Level 10 Racing in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series on March 15. The following day they will sponsor the #37 bike driven by 49-year-old John Ashmead of Peter Brady Racing and OPR Level 10 Racing in the 72nd Daytona 200 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike races. Rue, who created John D. Rue Racing in the ‘80s, said the firm was so involved in motorcycle racing back then that he and a few others went to Japan to race some experimental bikes named Suzukis. “We actually brought Suzukis back to Daytona Beach for racing,” he said. One rider who accompanied Rue to Japan was Paul Schwemmer, who later was sponsored by the firm for more than a dozen years when he raced in the Daytona 200 in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The two eventually drifted apart after Rue became interested in racing cars in New Smyrna Beach. “We reconnected a few years ago,” Rue said. “Paul called me, we talked about the old days and he said he was getting back into racing with his OPR Level 10 Racing team.” Rue said he and the firm’s other partners decided to sponsor Schwimmer’s company once again to see if either up-and-coming Eric Stump from New Jersey or John Ashmead, a Palm City resident who won the Daytona 200 in 1989 and will celebrate his 30th Daytona 200 start this year, will bring home the biggest trophy. Schwemmer said working with John Rue again has been “like old home week.” “It’s great to have John back with us, especially for the 110th anniversary of Harley-Davidson,” he said. “We’re all just tickled to death to have him back on board with us and because of that, and our talented riders, we have good expectations this year.” Rue agrees and says he’s looking forward to seeing Schwemmer’s team do well. “It will be very nostalgic for me to go back and watch the motorcycle races again,” he said, adding that both riders are very well qualified. “We mainly want to give Paul’s team – a local racing company – another chance to compete, and to continue promoting motorcycle safety through the racing industry; a group of people who are very generous and very loyal.”