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SRQ DAILY Feb 9, 2015

Monday Business Edition

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Monday Business Edition

"More folks in the Mid-Atlantic states are coming down to see spring training and enjoying what Sarasota has to offer."

- David Rovine, Orioles-Sarasota
 

[Sports]  Grapefruit League Spring Training

More than 1.45 million spring training baseball tickets were sold by the 15 Major League Baseball teams training in Florida in 2014. That compares to 1.66 million tickets to the 15 teams training in Arizona with the Cactus League. 

[Sports]  Riverwalk Festival Makes Waves
Shane Donglasan

Mild breezes, clear skies and the cool, calm waters of the Manatee River welcomed festival-goers to the inaugural Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta. Billed as the largest public event in the history of Manatee County, the regatta drew in thousands of spectators and participants to a spectacular array of family-friendly shows and activities. The festival emerged through Bradenton’s sister-city relationship with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which hosts the world-famous Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta, the country’s largest inland regatta and top venue on the powerboat racing circuit.

The morning started with a Falcon 5K race, a kids fishing tournament hosted by the DeSoto Historical Society, and Xpogo, an action sport involving riding and performing tricks on specially designed “extreme” pogo sticks. Xpogo athletes and Bradenton natives Ryan O'Malley amd Nick Ryan were excited to be performing before their home crowd.

By noon, more than 30,000 people had gathered on the Green Bridge for the highlight event, the Powerboat Superleague races. Formula Two powerboat drivers raced along a mile-long loop course with half-mile straightaways and hairpin turns on the Manatee River, a balancing act between flying and being on the water. The small boats unleash full-bore exhilaration accelerating from zero to 100 in under 6 second and powering through turns at top speed. Organizers made sure extra precaution was made to protect the wildlife that call the river home and monitored the area for any signs of manatees and dolphins.

The day continued with a K-9 Crew Frisbee dogs show, a BMX Chris Clark Stunt Show and food offerings from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Manatee County Arts Center's Art Gallery Row. The iconic Jefferson Starship headlined the concert stage at the festival. According to organizer Michael Dongilli, an estimated 100,000 attended the festival by the time the band performed in the late afternoon.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” said longtime Manatee County resident Josh Scheible. “ [This festival] is a great opportunity to highlight what Bradenton really has to offer.”  

[Sports]  Orioles Look Toward Spring Training
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

The first pitch won’t be thrown until March, but in so many ways spring training has arrived in Southwest Florida. The Baltimore Orioles have officially unloaded equipment and started a series of baseball events expected to draw thousands to Sarasota this year. “The excitement about Sarasota continues to grow,” said David Rovine, vice president of Orioles-Sarasota. “More folks in the Mid-Atlantic states are coming down to see spring training and enjoying what Sarasota has to offer.”

The Orioles saw record spring training ticket sales in 2014, with 89,449 tickets sold over 12 games at Ed Smith Stadium (The Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton sold 91,046 tickets over 12 games at McKechnie Field). That was before the Orioles had a 96-66 regular season, winning their first American League title since 1997. Rovine said an event just held in Baltimore seeking to excite fans about spring training drew incredible interest in this year’s Florida events. And Dream Week, an event held earlier this month for fans who want to experience the professional training regimen themselves, generated $900,000 in economic impact for Sarasota, according to Rovine. The Orioles last week had a lunch with The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and promised renewed commitment to promoting the region. “I think the Orioles continue to demonstrate themselves as a great business and civic partner to this area,” Rovine said. 

The first Orioles spring training game will be March 3 against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. The first home game at Ed Smith Stadium will be March 4 against the Tigers again. The tentative season schedule shows 16 home games for the Orioles this year. 

[Rebranding]  Tim Hearon, Rewired.Solutions
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Since launching Boomerswork.us, founder Tim Hearon has helped connect everyone from retirees seeking professional part-time work to ex-executives seeking to fill interim posts to companies with specific needs for a skilled workforce. Now the company has been rebranded to Rewired.Solutions. We spoke with Hearon about the change.

Why did you decide to rebrand the company? For some, saying we were just serving Boomers was pigeon-holing. Some employers were reticent to get engaged. So the new brand is trendier, and its easier to get into markets. 

What meaning should be drawn from the new brand? We validated this market exists and now we are trying to take it to the next level. We were looking for something that did not narrow down to one generation specifically. Looking for flexible work solutions is not generation-specific. It’s anyone looking for a quality of life balance. Everyone needs to look at flex work alternatives. It’s about being rewired, not retired. We try and rewire a flexible work situation and rewire who employers are looking at in this new hiring paradigm. 

Rewired.Solutions

[Exec Moves]  Realize Bradenton Appoints Board Members

Realize Bradenton announced the addition of three new members to its 13-member board of directors. Elected to three-year board positions with Realize Bradenton were: Ann Breitinger, an attorney at Blalock Walters; Kay Wight, a former executive at American Express Travel Related Services; and Chris Timol, regional director of sales for Paychex. The board of directors takes action on critical issues and opportunities from a mission-based perspective to continue building vibrancy in downtown Bradenton. 

Realize Bradenton

[Roadwatch]  Paving Begins on Old Bradenton Road

As the Old Bradenton Road improvement project nears completion, crews will begin milling and paving the road from University Parkway to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way today. A flag person will direct traffic, but drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes for the next week.Milling and paving the 1.5 mile stretch of Old Bradenton Road will be done in three consecutive segments from north to south:University Parkway to 47th Street;47th Street to Myrtle Street; and Myrtle Street to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. The contractor plans to complete the entire corridor by the end of the week. 

[Synergy]  Sarasota Chamber Hires KCI

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce hired KCI Financial Services, a local third-party administration firm and Chamber trustee, to administer the IRS Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan.  These valuable employee benefit plans are expected to save both employers and employees payroll taxes on qualified medical, dental, vision and child care expenses that are eligible for pre-tax treatment by the IRS.  

KCI Financial Services

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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