FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2002
Media
Contact
:
Pamela Cox
Economic
Development Office
(239) 338-3161
pcox@leegov.com
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (September
20, 2002)—Innovation, leadership and community involvement are the hallmark of
local companies recognized during the 2002 Industry Appreciation Week Luncheon
on Friday, September 20 at Harborside Convention Center in downtown Fort Myers.
From more than fifty nominations, five companies were selected to receive
this prestigious award sponsored by the Horizon Council, Lee County’s Economic
Development Advisory Board.
“Industry
Appreciation is an opportunity for Lee County’s business community to
celebrate the success of innovative local businesses that are leaders in their
industry, and in Southwest Florida,” said Janet Watermeir, Executive Director
of the Lee County Economic Development Office.
More
than 800 people attended the event honoring this year’s Industry Appreciation
Honorees: Apollo Information
Services, Inc.; Aubuchon Homes; FindWhat.com; SunStream Hotels and Resorts; and
WCI Communities.
In
addition, the Horizon Council presented a special recognition to the Southwest
Regional Manufacturers Association and Lee County Industrial Development
Authority
for
their collaborative effort in producing an interactive CD promoting careers in
manufacturing. The goal of the CD is to educate young people about opportunities
for careers in the manufacturing industry and help set them on the path to job
success following high school.
One
of many new businesses to call Lee County home, Apollo Information Services is a
symbol of success and workplace innovation.
Serving a unique niche in the healthcare industry, employees at Apollo
process the billing for professional services in Emergency Departments
nationwide. Last year, Apollo
processed more than $200 million in emergency room bills and customer service
representatives averaged some 1,000 calls per day from patients and insurance
companies. Originally headquartered
in a 7,000 square foot office, the company tripled its office space in 2001 and
success is driving a second expansion in just a little over one year. Averaging
a remarkable 34% growth rate in manpower each year, Apollo Information Services
bears the mark of successful management, empowered employees and a commitment to
customer service and quality. Employees are the cornerstone of Apollo’s
success and enjoy flexible work schedules, tuition reimbursement, annual bonuses
and the benefits of an in-house “University” serving up job specific
classes, English as a Second Language and various IT courses.
Apollo employees are active participants in the community, earning the
distinction of running the “Best First Time United Way Campaign” in 2001,
along with participating in the Wake-Up America Food Bank, American Red Cross
and Lee Memorial Health System Blood drive.
Innovation
and integrity are stamped on every custom luxury home built by Aubuchon Homes.
What began as a small
family-owned business in 1992, has grown to include a portfolio of more than 130
custom homes in Cape Coral and Lee County.
Today, Aubuchon Homes encompasses a full-service, one-stop shop to serve
all the luxury homebuyers’ needs. The
company has won 23 industry awards for building excellence, including three
consecutive Superior Home Awards. In 1998, Aubuchon Homes was awarded the first
ever CCCIA “Builder of the Year Award”.
In 1999 they were named the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral’s
“Small Business of the Year”and in 2001 were named the “Best Builder” by
the Cape Coral Breeze. Aubuchon
Homes recognizes the value of its employees and prides itself on offering
competitive salaries and benefits. The
company actively encourages employees to become involved in the community, and
supports their efforts through their “Business-Related Networking Program”
and by providing financial support and in-kind resources.
A key outreach project for Aubuchon Homes has been the annual Holiday
House project benefiting the Children’s Science Center and TLC Children’s
Complex. Through their efforts,
$51,000 has been raised over three years for these two organizations.
FindWhat.com
is all about energy, excitement and emerging as an industry leader.
What began as a small start-up, with a few computers, a vision, a lot of
sweat and a solid business model, erupted at the tail-end of the dot.com craze
as a successful high-tech story. FindWhat.com
was conceived as a new search engine offering better solutions both to web
"surfers" and to advertisers seeking to be found among the increasing
clutter on the web. Their success
lies in their strategy to position FindWhat.com as a lean-mean-search machine,
without the clutter of redundant information, wasted space and meaningless
features. The results speak for
themselves: Ten quarters of
sequential revenue growth, workforce growth from 13 to 80 employees in three
years, (with an estimated130 by year-end 2002) and increased office space
requirements that have jumped from 8,500 square feet in 2001 to 33,000 square
feet in 2002. Understanding that
technology is only as good as the people behind it, FindWhat.com strives to
recruit the very best employees, then provide them with the latest training and
tools necessary to stay on top of their industry.
The employees of FindWhat.com are actively involved in the community and
donate their time and money to a variety of local charities including the
American Heart Association, YMCA, Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Caloosa
Catch-Release Program.
A
major presence on Fort Myers Beach, properties in the Sunstream Hotels and
Resorts family include: DiamondHead
All Suite Beach Resort, GullWing Beach Resort, Pointe Estero Beach Resort, Santa
Maria Harbor Resort, the GrandView Resort and the Holiday Inn.
Rapid growth and success in the hospitality industry over the past few
years, can be directly tied to Sunstream’s commitment to employees and
customers. In 2001, Sunstream
embraced a new company vision, commitment to organizational values and launched
its “FIRST in Hospitality” campaign. (FIRST
stands for: Friendly, Innovative, Reliable, Sincere, Team-Oriented)
Employees are a key factor in Sunstream’s success, supported by a
culture that recognizes and rewards outstanding efforts, provides training and
tools necessary to do the job right and encourages all employees to participate
in the success of the organization. Employees
are encouraged to become actively involved in community service.
Sunstream employees currently serve in leadership positions on various
civic and charitable boards, contribute time and donations to the Ronald
McDonald House, donate teddy bears during the Holiday Season to Lee County
Sherriff’s “Hug A Bear” program and participate in three blood drives a
year with the Edison Regional Blood Center.
The Company supports employee efforts through cash donations, in-kind
donations of room nights and recognition for community involvement.
A
premiere Southwest Florida company for more than 50 years, WCI made national
headlines earlier this year when the company met with remarkable success in its
initial public offering on Wall Street. With corporate headquarters in Lee
County and employing some 1500 employees, WCI is known for building unique,
amenity-rich master-planned
communities for affluent homebuyers. Excellence
and customer service are the hallmark of WCI’s management philosophy.
From providing the best work environment possible for employees, to
insuring every home built is stamped with quality, WCI’s leadership is clearly
seen in its unwavering commitment to customers, employees and the community.
Employees benefit from a robust organizational development and education
philosophy that provides a supportive, learning environment, teamed with
competitive salaries and benefits. Employee
surveys and an employee suggestion program, keep a pulse on how well the company
is doing from an employee perspective. WCI’s
commitment to the community is well known.
The company and its employees gave generously of their time and money
last year, volunteering some 600 hours with local charities and donating more
than $130,000 in cash contributions. Managers
throughout WCI actively serve on various professional and civic organizations,
giving generously of their time and expertise to help Lee County sustain the
outstanding lifestyle we all enjoy.
The
Horizon Council is a public-private group that works toward improving the
business environment in Lee County, retaining and encouraging the expansion of
existing businesses, and attracting new and diversified employment to the area.
The Industry Appreciation Week Luncheon is one of the Horizon Council’s
major events each year.