SRQ DAILY Jun 29, 2015
Monday Business Edition
"A lot of products are going back and forth, and people in the manufacturing industry want to expand their portfolio of clients here."
Retail remains king when it comes to employing the most people in Sarasota County, according to the 2015 Community Report Card released earlier this year by SCOPE.
As the relationship between the United States and some Latin American nations improves, Jorge Chacón, founder of International Jorolco Ventures, hopes opportunities for business in Southwest Florida arise. The Sarasota businessman right now is organizing a trade mission to Colombia, optimistic that improvements in industry and tourism there could mean a chance for trade and profits here.
“The face of that country has changed in many ways,” Chacón said. Enough so that the U.S. government last year signed a new trade agreement, and more businesses are working with American companies again. “A lot of products are going back and forth, and people in the manufacturing industry want to expand their portfolio of clients here.”
Jorolco and its subsidiary International Business Alliance will lead a trade mission scheduled July 5 through 15. Chacón hopes to turn the event into an annual sojourn. For this first trip, he wants to find around 30 business leaders in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The trip will include visits to capitol city Bogotá, industrial hub Medellín, coffee-rich Pereira and tourism hotbed Cartagena de Indias. Chacón says now is an important time for improved relations with Colombia, as improvements to Port Manatee have improved shipping avenues tremendously, and when a widening of the Panama Canal is completed next year, even more of Colombia will be easily accessible by boat. Already, new maga-tanker routes have been announced.
And Chacón also wants to make sure trade missions move both directions. The Pasaporte USA event (the name translates from Spanish to “Passport to the USA”) has been scheduled Oct. 3-11 in Sarasota, and he plans to bring leaders from Colombian chambers of commerce here to connect with manufacturers headquartered this side of the Gulf of Mexico.
Sarasota County Commission: The board meets Tuesday for a special meeting to consider a series of continued public hearings on planning and development issues, include a substantial deviation for the Sarasota Interstate Park of Commerce and a rezone petition for land near Interstate-75 and University Parkway. The meeting begins at 3pm.
Bradenton City Council: The board meets Wednesday for a workshop with council members. The workshop is scheduled for 9am at the Bradenton Municipal Auditorium.
The Van Wezel Foundation announced the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the board are Maryann Armour, Herta Cuneo, Andrew Hall, Dave Maraman, Elaine McClure and Joel Schleicher. In addition, Shaun Merriman, former treasurer, has been appointed to the position of chairman, replacing past chair Mike Martella. Ali Bahaj will replace Merriman as treasurer. Merriman, a 30-year banking veteran, is president and CEO of Gateway Bank and has been involved with the Van Wezel Foundation board since January 2009. Ali Bahaj is a former CEO of Caterpillar Japan, a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and has been involved with the Van Wezel Foundation since June 2014.
Next-Mark, a full-service marketing, creative strategy and communications agency, announced its rebranded identity, including a new tagline, logo and website. The company’s new tagline is "Content to Conversation," which highlights the need for client companies to evolve beyond simple creation of content to having a meaningful and comprehensive conversation about its brands.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System launched the free app SMH Baby, designed to help guide women through their pregnancy and delivery. The app is available immediately for download from the App Store on iPhone/IOS devices and from Google Play for Android devices. After entering the baby’s due date and basic information, expectant moms (and dads) can enjoy weekly “milestones” that appear as different fruits (representing the size of the baby growing inside) and reminders, such as when to pick a pediatrician and register for childbirth preparation classes, as well as keep track of doctor’s appointments and other important dates. The app also includes useful tools women can use, including week-by-week education on the development of the baby, information and links to other resources and tools like the Kick Counter, Weight Tracker, Hospital Packing List and Contraction Timer.
Flora Oynick has been appointed as preschool director of the Forty Carrots Family Center. She joined Forty Carrots in January as a parenting educator and transitioned into the preschool director position in May when the outgoing preschool director, Rebecca Lockwood, moved into a preschool teacher position. Oynick brings over 30 years of early childhood education teaching and management to Forty Carrots, one of only three preschools in Sarasota accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She has a master’s degree in education and a bachelor's degree in education with a certification in early childhood. She is a former preschool director for Temple Beth Sholom Prechool.
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