Five from Brevard on 2013 Companies to Watch List Winners in statewide program include businesses nominated by EDC Brevard County, Fla. (October 7, 2013) - The Economic Development Commission of Floridas Space Coast is pleased to congratulate five Space Coast companies who were winners of the 2013 Florida Companies to Watch competition. Mainstream Engineering Corp. of Rockledge and Melbourne -based Refrigerated Express LLC won after being nominated by the EDC. Other winners included Alpha-Omega Training and Compliance and LRM Industries Inc., both in Rockledge, and CERTON of Melbourne. With the help of the Economic Development Commission and our hard-working employees, we attained this recognition through many years of building our company. Our clients now recognize that our technology-oriented, innovative solutions have allowed us to change and improve the way rank-and-file trucking is done, said Pat Barker, president of Refrigerated Express LLC. Were pleased to be able to offer good jobs to the citizens of Brevard County and look forward to utilizing our new, cutting-edge Melbourne terminal to continue our growth trajectory. Technology is also at the heart of LRM Industries success. LRM is proud to be recognized as a 2013 Florida Company to Watch, said Rick Cochrane, president and CEO. As a high-technology, large plastic parts manufacturer whose products are shipped around the world, we are delighted every time we talk about our business being launched right here in Brevard County. Dr. Robert P. Scaringe, president and founder of Mainstream Engineering Corp., said it is an honor to be included on the 2013 Companies to Watch list. We are very proud of the advanced energy savings technical contributions we make to the nations economy, and of the high-tech manufacturing jobs we continue to create in Brevard County, he said. By working together to foster technical training and economic development, we can continue to build the clean high-tech manufacturing base in Florida. As the third largest state in the union, we need to continue to promote improvements in technical education and economic development. The Brevard companies joined 45 others from across Florida in being named Companies to Watch. They will be celebrated at a special dinner October 24 at Hard Rock Live in Orlando. Florida Companies to Watch is an awards program in its third year that celebrates privately held, second-stage companies headquartered in the state. To be eligible, applicants must employ between 6 and 99 full-time equivalent employees and have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue or working capital in place. Awardees are selected for demonstrating the intent and capacity to grow based on employee or sales growth, exceptional entrepreneurial leadership, sustainable competitive advantage, outstanding corporate culture, inspired community giving and other notable strengths. Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Floridas Space Coast, said the EDC is proud to help recognize these important companies and has long been involved with the Florida Economic Gardening Institute/GrowFL program at the University of Central Florida, which presents Companies to Watch. These winners and other second-stage companies are an important part of the Space Coast economy as they benefit from and help foster the healthy entrepreneurial spirit that has been a part of our community since the early days of the space program, Weatherman said. We look forward to their continued growth and success. Florida Companies to Watch is unique because of its focus on second-stage companies and the wide-ranging industries they represent. The impact of these companies on Floridas economy is immense, and this years honorees are examples of such companies in the state. From 2007-2009, Floridas resident companies averaged more than 110,000 second-stage establishments, according to YourEconomy.org, an online resource of the Edward Lowe Foundation, which created Companies to Watch. Those second-stage companies employed nearly 2.5 million workers. We built Companies to Watch on the belief that an energized entrepreneurial culture must exist for second-stage companies to thrive, said Penny Lewandowski, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Direction at the Edward Lowe Foundation. Now in its third year, Florida Companies to Watch enables a wide variety of organizations to champion second-stage companies to participate, most notably by nominating them for the award. The partnership of these organizations and the stellar list of winning companies results in strengthening overall community support for second-stagers. Combined, the Florida Companies to Watch winners from 2009 through 2013 are projected to generate $1.6 billion in revenue, reflecting a 194 percent increase in revenue and a 148 percent increase in jobs for that five-year period. Florida Companies to Watch spotlights businesses that represent the future of Floridas economy, noted Tom ONeal, Executive Director of GrowFL and Associate Vice President at the University of Central Florida. It celebrates these companies and recognizes the powerful impact these successful second-stage companies are making on the states economy, he said. Being selected for the Florida Companies to Watch awards program provides growing businesses the credibility and recognition that distinguish them among their peers.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 00:59:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015