Centex Opens Two New Model Homes at Cypress Falls at the Woodlands in North Port near Sarasota

North Port, Fla. --- Centex recently opened two new model homes at Cypress Falls at the Woodlands, the active adult community located on Arugula Drive in North Port off Panacea and Toledo Blade Blvds. just south of I-75. Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for Centex in the Southwest Florida region, said both new model homes are professionally decorated and open to the public daily for tours. The single-story Seagrove model home, priced from $144,990, is one of two Garden Villa floor plans Centex now offers at Cypress Falls at the Woodlands. Centex has designed the smaller, smarter Seagrove model home with two bedrooms, two baths and a flex room in 1,448 square feet of open living space that feels more like a luxury villa. From the covered entry, a foyer leads to a dramatic kitchen that serves a well-sized café and gathering room opening onto a covered lanai. Altogether the family space totals more than 500 square feet of open area perfect for family gatherings or entertaining. The new single-story Everglades model, also priced from $144,990, offers two bedrooms and two baths in 1,363 square feet with even more open family space---a dining room and great room served by the kitchen and opening onto the covered lanai. “The Everglades is one of three Paired Villa floor plans we are offering at Cypress Falls at the Woodlands,” Mairn said. “These new model homes are designed to provide maximum living space in an efficient, economical package that ranks with the best in the southwest Florida area,” Mairn said. Cypress Falls at the Woodlands features a community clubhouse with state-of-the-art fitness center, a ballroom and meeting rooms, a heated resort-style swimming pool, a resistance pool, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, and a private putting green.

IROC Tactical’s Adjustable Firearm Accessory Generating Big News in Military, Law Enforcement Media

Winter Springs, Fla. --- A simple, easy-to-use accessory developed by IROC Tactical is making big news in military and law enforcement media. Sergie Albino, president and chief executive officer of IROC Tactical, said the firearms accessories manufacturer started out with a single aim: to enhance the shooting experience for tactical and recreational communities. “IROC stands for Increase Reliability on Combat,” Albino said. “We set out to design an accessory that would make weapons platforms safer, more accurate and easier to use,” he said. Albino and freelance writer Sean Bell recently authored a technical article for law enforcement specialists entitled “Concussive Force: The Silent Variable in Hearing Loss.” The article got feature treatment in Law Enforcement Technology Magazine and was repurposed at Officer.com, the web site for professional law enforcement personnel. The story focuses on a hidden danger for shooting enthusiasts---hearing loss through bone conduction---and ways IROC’s popular muzzle device reduces dangerous concussive force. A study from the Department of Otolaryngology at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taiwan shows that even with double ear protection, about 75 percent of shooting enthusiasts are likely to experience hearing loss. IROC Tactical engaged a former University of Central Florida Audiology Professor, Dr. Melissa Riess, an expert audiologist for the Central Florida Office of Veterans Affairs as the company’s audiologist. IROC Tactical was also featured recently when participants at the 2014 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa ranked the IROC Tactical Muzzle Device one of the “10 Hot New Products” showcased at the conference. Albino said the IROC Tactical MD was ranked “Third Hottest” by SOFIC participants. IROC Tactical is a client company of the University of Central Florida Business Incubator in Winter Springs. For more details, specifications, videos, shooters reports and online ordering, visit iroctactical.com/or facebook.com/IrocMuzzleBrake.

USPTA Names Plantation Bay Pro Dave Brown Tennis Pro of the Year

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. --- The United States Professional Tennis Assn. (USPTA) has named Plantation Bay Golf and Country Club Director of Tennis Dave Brown “Tennis Pro of the Year” for 2014. Maria Tuohy, general manager at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club, said Brown is one of the most energetic pros she has ever worked with. Tournament director for the USPTA Champion of Champions, program director for “Tennis Xpress" and president of the Greater Volusia Tennis League, Brown is a master professional who competes regularly in USPTA and USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments. Brown is ranked nationally by the USPTA for his singles play. Brown and his son Aaron are ranked nationally by the USTA in father-son doubles. More than 300 attended the joint USPTA‒USTA conventions over the weekend at Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie.

HOLD-THYSSEN REAL ESTATE EXPANDING BROKER PROGRAM

WINTER PARK, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen Inc., a real estate services firm based in Winter Park, is expanding its broker program. Anthony Fisher, vice president of Hold-Thyssen, said the firm recently hired one new broker and plans to hire several more in the near future. Fisher said the firm recently spent more than 50,000 renovating and expanding its offices on New York Avenue in Winter Park. The firm plans to spend another $100,000 on infrastructure and software.

MARKETING STRATEGY FIRM JOINS UCF INCUBATOR IN KISSIMMEE

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Reach, a marketing strategy firm was recently accepted into the UCF Business Incubation Program in Kissimmee. “Reach is very excited for the opportunity to move into the UCF Incubator and be amongst other companies that collectively create a wide economic impact for Central Florida. We are honored to have been chosen by the partnership university to grow and nurture that impact,” said Kelly Trace, chief strategist at Reach. Reach provides inbound marketing for clients, a holistic, data-driven approach to marketing that attracts individuals to your brand and converts them into lasting customers. In six months, the company has grown to include 15 clients, including two large restaurant chains. Reach is a marketing strategy firm utilizing HubSpot's Marketing Automation Software that helps create brands people love by transforming how organizations attract, engage and delight customers while providing an environment that fosters great culture and a professional experience our employees love.

Rhodes+Brito Architects complete design of renovation to WKMG Local 6 Television’s News Room / offices on John Young Parkway in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Rhodes+Brito Architects in Orlando has recently completed the design for renovations to WKMG Local 6 Television’s news room / offices on John Young Parkway. Ruffin Rhodes, co-founder and partner at Rhodes+Brito, said the design will create an energetic and open news room on the first floor where editors, producers, reporters, and production staff work to report the news. The space and materials were designed to facilitate collaboration, having the main area open to daylight and views and with offices towards the interior having glass panels and doors. On the second floor the theme of creating an energetic and collaborative work environment continues in the business and sales office areas. Features on the second floor include conference rooms tailored to accommodate either business meetings or a black box viewing room experience for client presentations. Offices and the staff lounge/training room on this floor are designed with glass panels and doors to improve natural lighting and foster a collaborative environment. The approximately 26,500 square feet being renovated within this 55,000 square foot news facility will include updated, eco-friendly technologies such as LED lighting and many flat panel displays used to keep a finger on the pulse of the constant flow of information received by the television station. Construction will begin in June.

Park Square Homes celebrates 30th anniversary in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Park Square Homes is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Central Florida area. Vishaal Gupta, president, said Park Square Homes has built more than 7,500 homes in the region since they began operations. “We’re proud to still be a family-owned business that builds each home around the company’s core value of always doing what is right for the customer,” said Gupta. Park Square Homes is active in 13 communities in Central Florida, with a new community — Rosemont Woods — opening soon at Providence Golf and Country Club in Davenport south of Orlando. Rosemont Woods will offer 57 home sites with homes with three to six bedrooms ranging from the $300s to $900,000, Gupta said. This summer Park Square Homes will be opening Bella Vida Resort in Kissimmee with 98 home sites for vacation homes priced from the $300s.

Hendricks-Berkadia Closes on 148 Units in Panama City for $4,810,000

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. / ORLANDO, Fla / PANAMA CITY, Fla. --- Hendricks-Berkadia, one of the nation’s largest and most active multifamily investment banking and research companies, recently negotiated the sale of Pine Terrace, a 148-unit apartment community located in Panama City for $4,810,000. David Oakley, partner, and Royce Emerson, senior vice president, in Hendricks-Berkadia’s Alabama office and Southeast partners Cole Whitaker, Hal Warren, and Jason Stanton in Hendricks-Berkadia Florida offices, negotiated the sale of Pine Terrace representing the seller, ABACO Partners, LLC. Built in 1983, Pine Terrace is a garden-style, one-story community situated on approximately 9.58 acres of land with a density of 15.45 units per acre and an average unit size of 603 square feet. The 11 buildings house a total of 93,000 rental square feet offering a well-balanced unit mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 288 to 864 square feet in size. The buyer was Pine Terrace Investors LLC, based out of New York.

Hold-Thyssen Negotiates two new leases for professional office space totaling 2,705 square feet in Trinity, Fla.

TAMPA, Fla. --- Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a commercial property firm based in Winter Park, with offices in Tampa, recently negotiated two new leases for professional office space in Trinity in Pasco County. Richard J. Fisher, vice president / investor services in Hold-Thyssen’s Tampa office, said Transaction Specialist Carol Kinnard negotiated both transactions. Kinnard represented Landlord Trinity Medical Holdings, Inc. in a five-year lease to Commoncents Wealth Advisors, LLC for 1,605 square feet in Trinity Medical and Professional Center, 8820 Belagio Drive. Previously Kinnard represented the same landlord in leases with two other long-term tenants in adjacent suites, and all three transactions represent a total of 4,605 square feet in less than one year at the professional center. At Hunting Creek Pointe, 3610 Galileo Drive in Trinity, Kinnard represented Tenant JGI Insurance Group, LLC in an office lease agreement for 1,100 square feet in Suite 102. The landlord is Sunfield Homes, Inc. The site selection process allowed Tenant JGI Insurance to understand market rates and terms, narrowing the choice to two top locations.

Orlando’s SightPlan Appoints New Members to Board of Advisors

ORLANDO, Fla. – Alice Tanchel, Francis Chow and Will Gorman have been appointed to the board of advisors for SightPlan, an Orlando-based software company focused on modernizing multifamily resident service and asset management with its approach to managing work orders, solving resident issues and enhancing asset value. Tanchel, managing director at Trammell Crow Residential; Chow, chief strategy officer at Renter’s Voice and Ellis Partners; and Gorman, chief architect at Pentaho, are all respected experts in their fields who bring distinct value to SightPlan, according to Joseph Westlake, co-founder of the company. Westlake said Tanchel’s familiarity with multifamily operations and property development will provide insight as the company expands its footprint. Chow brings financial expertise and platform building to help measure resident loyalty, and Gorman’s technical background makes him an incredible resource to SightPlan’s development and product teams. The three join two other advisory board members: Nyla Westlake, president of asset management for Trammel Crow Residential, and Stephanie Brown, former vice president at Riverstone Residential. SightPlan is a member of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program.