Business briefs from Broward Alliance

Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO to Headline Alliance Annual Meeting

Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., will be the keynote speaker at the Alliance’s Annual Meeting and Dinner on October 14, 2010.  The theme of this year’s meeting will be “What’s the Buzz about Broward?”  This year’s annual meeting is being transformed into an exciting evening event that will bring together hundreds of Broward County and South Florida business, community and governmental leaders.  The meeting will take place at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa at 2301 S.E. 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.  It will begin with registration, a silent auction and reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by the dinner and program beginning at 7:30 p.m.  During this annual meeting, we will be unveiling our new look and providing an update on progress being made in the local economy, particularly in the areas of job creation and retention.  And we have other surprises and announcements in store!  Please go to www.gflalliance.org/annualmeeting to register.

BullGuard Establishes Americas Headquarters in Fort Lauderdale

BullGuard, specialists in user-friendly computer and mobile security solutions for consumers and small office users, has announced its expansion into the United States and Latin America, establishing its lead office in Fort Lauderdale.  Consumer electronics industry veteran Morten Steen-Jørgensen will serve as CEO of BullGuard Americas and lead the company in building its reseller program to serve local markets and meet growing customer demand for easy-to-use Internet security solutions. Steen-Jørgensen will remain Chairman of the Board, BullGuard, Ltd.

BullGuard’s all-in-one Internet security suite provides antivirus, antispyware, spamfilter and is the first Internet security product developed for gamers to increase performance.

“By expanding into the Americas, we can better respond to the region’s growing demand for user-friendly Internet security solutions,” said Søren Ravn, CEO at BullGuard.  “Consumers are much too busy to spend hours installing complicated software – that’s why simplicity is essential.  We expect to do in the Americas what we did in England, where we have grown our reseller base 100 percent each year since we started there in 2004.”

Saveology Adds 175 Jobs

Fort Lauderdale-based Saveology and its affiliate, SupportSquad, have grown their South Florida workforce from about 375 employees in January to 550.  The company has also added a 10,000 square foot space to its existing 30,000 square foot campus.

Saveology.com is a website that allows consumers to compare prices for telephone services, Internet access, insurance and more, similar to Travelocity or Expedia.  Customers can just visit Saveology’s website, but many purchases come from those who first visit the website, then call to speak to a sales representative, according to the company.

Enrollment in GrowFL Economic Gardening Program Passes 100 Companies Mark

Two companies admitted to the Florida Economic Gardening Institute’s GrowFL technical assistance program have pushed the statewide initiative past the 100 companies mark as the Institute works to help second-stage growth companies create employment through sophisticated business tools.

Broward County companies are among the latest second-stage companies to be accepted into the program that offers free intensive analysis from GrowFL’s team of business analysts.  “These businesses demonstrate the unique qualities of growth-oriented companies,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, executive director of the Florida Economic Gardening Institute and associate vice president for the University of Central Florida’s Office of Research and Commercialization, “and they represent those most likely to grow Florida’s economy.  By giving them advanced market research tools, our GrowFL Economic Gardening team can prepare these companies to grow to the next level.”

“My company has faced growth challenges as it expanded its offerings and we experienced new surges of business in the technology realm,” said Michael Medipor, CEO of Enterprise Resource Technologies Group (ERT) in Fort Lauderdale, which provides clients with technology solutions designed to help simplify processes, boost efficiency and increase profitability.  “We believe that GrowFL will help ERT Group continue to expand our capabilities in helping more clients outperform their competitors.”

GrowFL supports the growth of Florida businesses by providing a free suite of economic gardening support services, as well as unique access to market research and technology.  In addition to creating new jobs, companies that have participated in the program have reported other anecdotal benefits to their companies’ bottom lines.

The Florida Economic Gardening Institute was created by the 2009 Florida Legislature as the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program to stimulate investment in Florida’s economy by providing technical assistance for expanding businesses in the state.  Qualified companies must be engaged in the following sectors to receive no-cost technical assistance: manufacturing; finance and insurance services; wholesale trade; information industries; professional, scientific and technical services; management services; and administrative and support services.  For additional information, please go to www.GrowFL.com or call the Alliance at

Florida Opportunity Fund Seeks Applications for Clean Energy Investment Program

The Clean Energy Investment Program, launched by the Florida Opportunity Fund with an initial $36 million in funding, is now accepting applications for investment opportunities that advance the adoption of renewable energy and energy-efficiency technology across the state.

Interested participants should visit the program’s website at www.floridaopportunityfund.com to access the application and additional program details.

The Florida Opportunity Fund was established by Enterprise Florida and is managed by Florida First Partners (FFP), a joint venture between MILCOM Venture Partners (MVP) and the Credit Suisse Customized Fund Investment Group (CFIG).  MVP, a leading Florida fund manager and venture capital firm, has invested in companies in the power, energy, communications, software and materials science sectors.  CFIG is the leading primary private equity fund-of-funds investment group of global banking giant Credit Suisse. CFIG also manages in-state private equity investment programs in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New York and Oregon.

The Florida Opportunity Fund’s Clean Energy Investment Program areas of investment will include facility and equipment improvement with energy efficient products and materials; acquisition or demonstration of renewable energy products for use in operations; and process improvement of existing production, manufacturing, assembly or distribution of operations to reduce consumption or increase the efficient use of energy in processes.

Education & Workforce Development

Broward County Public School District Receives $1 Million Teaching American History Grant

Shellie Gory, Social Studies Curriculum Specialist, K-5, in the Broward County Public School District’s Core Curriculum Department, is the author of a $1 million Teaching American History (TAH) professional grant that has been awarded to the District by the U.S. Department of Education.

Through the grant, 50 elementary school teachers, including six lead teachers, will receive training in American history content from: college professors; the Bill of Rights Institute; the Document Based Questions project; and the Teachers’ Curriculum Institute in Social Studies Alive.  They will also travel to St. Augustine and the states of Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York to tour historical sites and museums, attend workshops and create lessons for their students.

The 50 teachers will participate in Lesson Study and Professional Learning Communities and create lessons that will be posted on the Broward Enterprise Education Portal (BEEP), a resource for teaching and learning, and the TAH website.  The teachers will also receive a variety of American history resources and classroom libraries based on the American history theme.  The $1 million grant is the 5th TAH grant the core curriculum department has received in the past nine years.

U.S. Department of Energy Designates FAU’s Center for Ocean Energy Technology as a New National Marine Renewable Energy Center

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has designated the Center for Ocean Energy Technology (COET) at Florida Atlantic University as a national center for ocean energy research and development.  The new Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) at FAU joins centers in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii that also work to advance the operational readiness of ocean energy technologies.  DOE will fund the SNMREC to undertake research and development of technologies capable of generating renewable energy from ocean currents and ocean thermal energy.

“This is a very proud day for our University, our state and the nation,” said FAU President Mary Jane Saunders.  “This prestigious, national designation of our Center for Ocean Energy Technology is a testimony to the expertise of our researchers and staff and their commitment to provide a viable source of clean, renewable energy for Florida citizens and beyond.”

The SNMREC will collaborate with industry partners to investigate, refine, fabricate and test promising next-generation water power technologies to harness the ocean’s vast energy potential.  The Center’s researchers have already begun this work by deploying ocean current observation systems, establishing research on environmental baselines to determine the level of potential effects, and initiating the fabrication of support structures for ocean energy devices.  The Center ultimately will perform full-scale field testing of prototype devices, an important step toward the successful development of innovative new ocean energy systems.  As a public institution of higher education, FAU will also promote public awareness of ocean energy research and development, and develop curricula for the education of a workforce for this new industry.

Business Briefs and Alliance Member News
(Alliance members in bold)

BankAtlantic has announced that it ranked highest in customer satisfaction in Florida according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

Broward Health Broward General Medical Center has been granted a Certificate of Need by the Agency for Health Care Administration for continuation of its adult liver transplantation program.

Peak 10 has announced October 6, 2010 as the date of its Open House and Oktoberfest gathering to celebrate the success of Peak 10 and its clients.  Local business and community representatives are invited to attend and tour the facility, meet some of South Florida’s technology experts, enjoy great food and beverages and meet Stefan Pittinger, Vice President and General Manager, and his South Florida team.  The event will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Peak 10, 5301 NW 33rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.  To RSVP, please click here.

SFN Group, Inc. has opened a new national recruiting center in Fort Lauderdale.  The center provides clients with access to a national candidate database, dedicated teams of recruiters, national account management, a certified network of affiliate vendors and executive oversight, along with the local relationships necessary to understand the unique business dynamics of each marketplace.  The newly opened Fort Lauderdale location is part of SFN Group’s national network of recruiting centers, which includes facilities in Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Ill., and St. Louis, Mo.

The South Florida Business Journal will once again honor the area’s top attorneys and accounting specialists through its annual Key Partners Awards this November.  The award program recognizes South Florida’s top attorneys and accountants, based on demonstrated success over the past year to 18 months.  The Journal is looking for attorneys and accountants who, by reputation and results, are the best in their field, providing the highest quality of service to their clients and, at the same time, exhibiting the highest levels of professionalism and ethics.  The nominations deadline is Monday, Sept. 10.  To submit a nomination, please visit http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/nomination/5751.

The City of Tamarac’s Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded two statewide awards by the Florida Recreation and Park Association, a statewide non-profit organization representing local government parks and recreation interests in the State of Florida.

Upcoming Economic Development Meetings, Missions & Events

Enterprise Florida Events:

AFRICANDO 2010
September 1, 2010
Miami
Event Type: International Trade and Investment
Industry Sector: Information Technology

Medical Fair Asia
September 17-19, 2010
Suntec City, Singapore
Event Type: International Trade and Investment
Industry Sector: Life Sciences

Spotlight on Innovation at
September 21, 2010
Cambridge, MA
Event Type: Convention/Trade Show
Industry Sector: Various

Florida Energy Systems Consortium 2010 Summit
September 28-29, 2010
Orlando
Event Type: Convention/Trade Show
Industry Sector: Clean Energy

China Hi-Tech Fair
November 16-21, 2010
Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, China
Event Type:  International Trade Fair
Industry Sector:  Various

Arab Health 2011 – The Middle East’s #1 Trade Show
January 24-27, 2011
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Event Type: International Trade and Investment
Industry Sector: Life Sciences

Enterprise Florida (EFI) conducts or participates in an extensive schedule of export marketing missions and exhibitions worldwide. These trade events are open to all businesses registered in Florida.  For more information and to see more event listings, please go to http://eflorida.com/Events.aspx.

Other Events:

2010 Import/Export Workshops
Presented by the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development and Becker & Poliakoff
September 14, October 14 and November 16
Location:  Port Everglades Administration Building, 1850 Eller Drive, Room 301, Fort Lauderdale
For more information and to register, please click here.

Phase I SBIR/SSTR Proposal Preparation Workshop
September 16, 2010    8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location:  Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Student Union-Senate Chambers, Boca Raton
For more information, please click here.

Regional Small Business Conference and Expo
(The City of Hollywood has partnered with the cities of Dania Beach, Miramar and Pembroke Pines, business organizations and other agencies to host the First Annual Regional Small Business Conference and Expo to help businesses access capital and other resources to sustain and grow their enterprises.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010     9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Hillcrest Golf & Country Club, 4600 Hillcrest Drive, Hollywood
For more information or to register, please go to https://www.hollywoodfl.org/sp/SmallBusiness_Expo/sbexpo.htm

SFMA 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting
September 27, 2010    1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location:  Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, Golf & Convention Center, 11775 Heron Bay Boulevard, Coral Springs
For more information and to register, please click here.

Future of Florida Forum (Presented by The Florida Chamber Foundation)
October 11-12, 2010
Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort, Orlando
For more information, please go to www.FloridaChamber.com/Forum.

Enterprise Development Corp. of South Florida’s 13th Annual Emerging Technology Business Showcase
Friday, November 12, 2010
Location:  Hilton Hotel, Deerfield Beach
For more information and to register, please go to http://www.edc-tech.org/.

Alliance Calendar of Events

Entrepreneur Council Meeting (by invitation only)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010     8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location:  Met Life, 5900 N. Andrews Avenue, 8th  Floor, Fort Lauderdale
For more information, please contact Kathleen Weekes at or at .

Partner Council Meeting (by invitation only)
Thursday, September 9, 2010     8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: City of Tamarac, Tamarac Recreation Center – Mango Room, 7501 N. University Drive
For more information, please contact Helen Kulp at or at .

Corporate Council Meeting (by invitation only)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010     8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Peak 10 South Florida, 5301 N.W. 33rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
For more information, please contact Helen Kulp at or at .

Leadership Council Meeting (by invitation only)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010      8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location:  Becker & Poliakoff, 3111 Stirling Road, Fort Lauderdale
For more information, please contact Liz Taschereau at or at .

Governor Council Meeting (by invitation only)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010     8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location:  TBA
For more information, please contact Liz Taschereau at or at .

Alliance Annual Meeting and Dinner
Thursday, October 14, 2010
6:00 p.m.  Registration, Silent Auction and Reception
7:30 p.m.  Program and Dinner
Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa, 2301 S.E. 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale
To become a sponsor, please contact Liz Taschereau at or at .
For more information or to register, please click here.
Calendar subject to change without notice.  Please visit www.gflalliance.org for the most current calendar of events and meetings and for more information regarding The Alliance.

Follow The Alliance on these websites: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

Related posts:

1. New CEO of Fort Lauderdale/Broward Economic Development Alliance
2. Broward Alliance unanimously opposes Amendment 4
3. Broward Alliance Finalizing Study Mission to Charlotte, NC
4. Broward Chamber expo great networking event for business owners
5. Broward officials outline Recover Act grants, local stimulus spending

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