Innovation + Job News

"Blurring The Lines of Architecture,'' a conference expected to again attract architects from across to the nation to Sarasota in April, is designed to demonstrate how designers successfully mix architecture with other industries.

The Sarasota Design Conference, presented by the American Institute of Architects Florida Gulfcoast Chapter, will be held at the Sarasota Hyatt Regency April 22-25.

The conference, held every two years (biannually), has been in Sarasota for approximately 20 years. It attracts architects and other building designers interested in blending art and architecture.

"We try to find designers who are up and coming to present," says Jedd W. Heap, project manager with Carlson Studio and member of the conference planning committee. "We've had big names present as well though, like Eric Owen Moss and Peter Eisenman who are star architects."

Speakers for this year's event include Peter Gluck, an architect and contractor; Ned Kahn, an artist who also practices architecture; and international Designer David Kahle.

The conference theme each year is designed to draw thinking "outside of the box," Heap says. "What these guys are doing is not your traditional format."

One of the new features for this year's conference is the Sarasota Architectural Tour. The open trolley tour will take participants through some of the Sarasota School of Architecture's iconic buildings, including historic architecture and some more contemporary designs.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Jedd W. Heap, Carlson Studioread on…

Legoland, the children's fantasy park replacing Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, is starting to hire professional staff and is expected to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the region by the end of 2011.

Spokesperson Julie Estrada says jobs currently being filled include: public relations representative, director of sales and marketing, and systems administrator.

The interactive theme park, geared toward families with children between the ages of 2 and 12, will operate year-round and will offer a full day of activity for those who visit more than 50 rides, shows and attractions.

Merlin Entertainments also operates Legoland California (launched in 1999), and was recently voted the nation's best children's theme park for the sixth year in a row by Amusement Today.

Merlin is also Europe's number one visitor attraction operator and the second largest in the world with Legoland Billund in Denmark and Legoland Windsor near London. A Legoland under development in Malaysia is slated to open in 2012.

The Cypress Gardens location was selected because renovating the pre-existing theme park space will allow the park to be developed and ready to go in less than two years.

Polk County will provide Merlin with $5 million in incentives over a 10-year period, which includes funding for job creation and marketing support.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Julie Estrada, Legolandread on…

Socius Marketing, a company that provides organic search engine optimization and search-friendly web design and development, is seeking staff writers, outside sales associates, web maintenance professionals and web designers/developers.

Launched in 2006 and headquartered in Tampa, the firm was started by Bob Ford, chief operating officer, and Chris Behan, president, while working out of their dining rooms. It has since grown to 20 full-time employees housed in a building on Rocky Point Drive.

Socius is the Latin word for "partner" and Socius has served as a sales partner to their clientele. Through SEO, Socius Marketing assists clients with marketing their products and services through the client's company-owned website. Ford says they enable their clients to change their philosophy on how they view their website.

Clients are encouraged to treat their website like their sales department, and hold it to quotas and expectations, the same way a sales person has quotas and expectations. Through targeted focus and research of the market, Socius determines what consumers are looking for on the Internet, how they're looking for the product or service and assists their client in converting the traffic into sales leads.

In this challenging economy, Socius has thrived and Ford says, "I think what has really helped us here versus a lot of other businesses in this economy, is that we can bring some degree of hope to a business. We can help them capture a consumer segment that in the past they may have not focused on."

In addition to Tampa, Socius has a sales force in Atlanta, however, as an SEO firm, much of their business is done virtually and they support customers across the country.

"A lot of our customers have gone from being local to national to almost international now," says Ford.

Socius has been adding new clients monthly, and with that comes growth of their own in-house talent and the currently open positions.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Bob Ford, Socius Marketing
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It could be decades before people colonize the moon, if it happens at all. But a $1.16 million grant awarded in January by NASA will give visitors at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) the chance to find out what it could be like one day to live on the Earth's junior astronomical partner.

The grant, one of nine awarded nationwide through NASA's Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums, will enable MOSI to create an interactive exhibit called Mission LEAP (Lunar Expedition for Astronaut Pioneers).

Christopher Stapleton of Orlando-based Simiosys Real World Laboratory will partner with MOSI and industry experts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, says MOSI's Cathy Crowder.

"They're going to be working with us to create a whole atmosphere, showing what life would be like and what you would need to live on the moon," Crowder says.

As the project develops in the coming months, MOSI will receive ongoing feedback from several sources, including Girls Scouts from West Central Florida, students from Stewart Middle School, MOSI's Kids in Charge! advisory board and museum visitors.

Crowder says the exhibit will become a permanent fixture at MOSI. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Writer: Carter Gaddis
Source: Cathy Crowder, MOSI read on…

Fluitec International, an Atlanta-based manufacturing company established in 1995, has set up shop in St. Petersburg.

Focusing on the power generation market, Fluitec develops patented and patent-pending products to assist with the efficiency of industrial lubricants.

"We manufacture testing equipment that's used in the petrochemical world, specifically lubricants," says Brian Thompson, executive vice president of operations.

Fluitec technology is used in more than 25 countries across five continents. The company also has offices in Dayton, OH and in Summit, NJ. Their application of contamination control technologies extends fluid life and monitors the best time to change the fluid which results in a positive environmental impact.

In coming months, Thompson says, Fluitec will be hiring an executive assistant, field service manager, laboratory technicians and additional administrative personnel. Plans call for the office to grow to include 15 people.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Brian Thompson, Fluitec International
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The Next American Vanguard is an annual conference devoted to enlightening, inspiring and connecting the next generation of urban leaders.

Hosted by Next American City, a national quarterly magazine about making cities better, Next American Vanguard attracts leaders from across the country.

"What's interesting about the Next American Vanguard conference is that attendees are all in their mid-to-late 20s to 30s," says Adam Fritz of Urban Charrette in Tampa, who attended the 2009 conference in Washington D.C. "It was kind of refreshing to know that there are people all around the country trying to make each of their cities exciting and unique, and really trying to attract and retain their talent."

Applications are being accepted for the 2010 conference through March 31. This year's two-day event will be May 26 and 27 in Philadelphia. Applicants must be 35 years or younger, have demonstrated leadership capabilities in their work or other activities, live in the United States or actively engage in American urban issues from abroad, and be a subscriber to the Next American City publication.

"Participants in the Next American Vanguard conference can expect to learn from a geographically and thematically diverse set of top-notch peers, to learn from experts and be inspired to bring back new ideas to their hometowns," says Diana Lind, editor-in-chief/publisher of Next American City.


Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Adam Fritz, Urban Charrette; Diana Lind, Next American City
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The largest education, training and medical simulation community in the world will gather at the Marriott Waterside in Tampa on March 2-4 for METI's annual HPSN (Human Patient Simulation Network) conference.

The event was founded in 1997 by 24 nursing and health science educators from 11 Florida community colleges and technical schools. In its 13th year, HPSN has become an internationally recognized event attracting more than 2,000 simulation enthusiasts from medical schools, universities, hospitals and the military.

Based in Sarasota and founded in 1996 by five employees, METI (Medical Education Technologies, Inc.) develops learning tools including, human patient simulators, surgical simulators, exam trainers and integration platforms. The pioneering company has since grown to include more than 200 employees and their products provide medical students and practitioners a learning platform that will allow them to practice their skills without harming actual patients.

METI is the creator of the well-recognized robot known as iStan. "Stan" made his acting debut last year on the hit television show Grey's Anatomy. iStan was developed along with the U.S. Army and realistically moves, breathes, lives and dies.

The HSPN conference is free and open to anyone interested in medical simulation and education, including but not limited to, nurses, physicians, healthcare executives, paramedics and military personnel.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Nicole Perez, METIread on…

A new lumbar disc replacement system, called the XL TDR, was used for the first time in February at Tampa General Hospital on a 43-year-old, female patient. The device uses a minimally invasive lateral (side) approach to the spine and is designed to restore height and replicate the motion characteristics of an intact healthy disc.

XL TDR is a metallic prosthetic joint or total disc replacement that takes the place of a degenerative intervertebral disc. The first-time surgery on a patient in Florida was performed by Dr. Juan Uribe, neurosurgeon with USF Health and Tampa General.

"The minimally invasive extreme lateral total disc replacement is a great alternative for the management of select patients with degenerative disc disease," Uribe says.

Compared to traditional posterior (back) or anterior (front) approaches, this innovative and lateral technique provides the least amount of tissue disruption to the muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and abdominal organs.

The XL TDR will be evaluated in a clinical trial that includes 200 patients across an estimated 15 clinical investigation sites. The full enrollment timeframe is approximately between 12 and 18 months.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Dr. Juan Uribe, Tampa General


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Manatee County's Exactech, an orthopedic manufacturing company that specializes in designing and making implant devices, related surgical instruments and biologic services to hospitals and physicians across the country, is adding jobs.

The company, based in Gainesville, opened offices in Manatee County in 2008 and started production there in 2009.

Over the next five years, Exactech expects to add 29 jobs, with five jobs being filled in 2010.

The job opportunities at Exactech will be available because the company plans to bring more previously out-sourced manufacturing in-house, says John Pelc, vice president of operations at Exactech.

"We produce joint replacement implants and associated surgical instrumentation, and the Manatee County operation focuses specifically on the production of surgical instrumentation that's used in total joint replacement surgery," says Priscilla Bennett, director of public relations. "We'll be hiring for manufacturing positions this year and expect to grow in subsequent years."

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Priscilla Bennett, Exactech


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Fans of Dale Chihuly will be pleased to know that plans to bring the permanent collection of Chihuly to St. Petersburg were solidified in February. The Chihuly Collection, presented by the Morean Arts Center, will be housed at 400 Beach Drive and the exhibit will open over the 4th of July weekend.

"We are very excited and proud to bring the art of Dale Chihuly to the Tampa Bay region," says Katee Tully, executive director of the Morean Arts Center.

It is expected that the Chihuly Collection's presence in St. Petersburg will have a positive impact on our region, from enriching the arts community to promoting economic development. With the Chihuly Collection, art enthusiasts from across the country are likely to visit the gallery the same way people from around the country stop in to see the Dali Museum.

The Chihuly exhibit will be in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg's tourist area, which includes the Museum of Fine Arts, the new Dali Museum, several restaurants and the Renaissance Vinoy.

The building adjacent to the Morean Arts Center's main facility on Central Avenue will be used for a Glass Studio and Hot Shop that will be established by late spring. The building was formerly used for Morean's clay program, which has since moved to the Historic Train Station to allow for additional expansion.

Paul Carder, director of marketing/communications and advancement, says that the Glass Studio and Hot Shop will provide hands-on workshops and educational programs.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Katee Tully, Paul Carder, Morean Arts Center

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Waste Pro Inc. will hold a dedication ceremony for its new solar-powered waste management building on Feb. 25 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 7921 E. 15th St. in Bradenton.

With corporate headquarters in Longwood, the dedication ceremony in Bradenton celebrates Waste Pro's "blue sky, green earth" philosophy and way of doing business.

Waste Pro was one of the first in the solid waste industry to use hybrid waste hauling trucks, and the first in Florida to have a solar-powered building, says Keith Banasiak, regional vice president.

Waste Pro partnered with EcoTechnologies of Sarasota to assist with the implementation of the solar panel boxes that stick to the roof surface. The system is so sensitive to light that it's designed to produce with low light, like that from a full moon. Covering 5,000 square feet of roof area, the solar power plant will provide 120 kw hours of electricity per day and unconsumed energy will be sent back to the utility grid for credit.

"We look at other things," says Banasiak. ''We don't just pick up the garbage, pay the bills and go home. Where the economics make sense or it just makes sense to do the right thing, we're doing that."

In addition to the hybrid trucks and solar panels, Waste Pro is completing its green building certification from Sarasota County. Working with Ecotechnologies, Waste Pro plans to review all of its locations to determine if there is an option to incorporate the solar panels in other markets.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Keith Banasiak, Waste Pro
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The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice is bringing Dan Pallotta, social entrepreneur and nonprofit innovator, to Sarasota to speak as part of its Better Together series: Freeing Charity to Change Our Community.

The author of Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, Pallotta will discuss the most valuable questions that donors can ask to ensure that their dollars are being used in a way that enables nonprofit organizations to reach their goals.

He'll also discuss ways that tools of capitalism can be leveraged for nonprofit organizations.

"Dan Pallotta has a very unconventional way of looking at the business of nonprofits,'' says Greg Luberecki, director of marketing and communications for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. "He stresses the need to look at the impact that charities have in their work."

Here's an example Pallotta uses to demonstrate his point:
Imagine two soup kitchens. Soup kitchen A tells you it spends 90 cents of every donated dollar directly on its services. Soup kitchen B, you learn, spends 70 cents. You want to help feed the hungry, so you have a pretty easy decision about which soup kitchen deserves your donation, right? Not so fast, counters Pallotta.

We are trained to give to A, but when you visit, you see that soup kitchen A is serving rancid soup in a rundown facility and soup kitchen B is serving hearty nutritious soup in a state of the art facility. Now you will want to give to soup kitchen B, but you never would have known that if the only question you are asking is "What percentage of my donation is going to the cause?"

"I think we've all been trained to look at nonprofits in a certain way and donors want to be effective with their charitable giving," says Luberecki. "Pallotta is suggesting that we take a new view of how we can really help nonprofits reach their full potential."

The Better Together series luncheon will be held on Friday, February 26, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Tickets are $35 and reservations must be made in advance.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Greg Luberecki, Gulf Coast Community Foundation
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The USF College of Arts and Sciences will host the first Phi Beta Kappa Faculty Lecture Series beginning Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at MOSI's IMAX Theater.

A roster of thought leaders from a variety of industries will participate in the lecture series that was designed in partnership by USF faculty members of Phi Beta Kappa, the Mayor of Tampa's Office and USF's Provost office. The goal is to expand the liberal arts and sciences to University of South Florida students, faculty and staff, along with Tampa Bay community members.

"We created this series as a joint project of USF faculty and the City of Tampa aimed at raising the level of intellectual discourse in our community," says Eric Eisenberg, dean of USF's College of Arts and Sciences. "We will do so by inviting nationally and internationally known thought leaders to visit us and create opportunities for interaction between these visionary individuals and our best and brightest citizens."

The 2010 series will begin with Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and best-selling author of The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet. Tyson is also the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, visiting research scientist and lecturer at Princeton University and co-host of the NSF-funded pilot program, Star Talk, a radio show that merges celebrity guests with informative science talk.

Segments of the Phi Beta Kappa Faculty Lecture Series will be held off campus to encourage more community engagement and participation. Upcoming speakers in the series include:

March 17: Tom Gjelten, award-winning NPR intelligence and national security reporter. At Tampa Bay History Center, TECO room at 6:30 p.m.

April 15: George Ritzer, leading social theorist and cultural commentator from the University of Maryland. At Traditions Hall at USF's Gibbons Alumni Center at 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 13: Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Parting the Waters: American in the King Years, 1954-1963.'' At Jaeb Theater at the Straz Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m.

Sept. 23: Eric Foner, American historian and faculty member in the Department of History at Columbia. At Oval Theater of USF's Marshall Student Center at 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 13: Julianne Malveaux, economist and writer. At Atrium of the Tampa Museum of Art at 7 p.m.

Nov. 30: Martha Nussbaum, American philosopher, author and essayist. At Traditions Hall at USF's Gibbons Alumni Center.

All lectures are free and open to the public. RSVPs are not required.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Eric Eisenberg, USF
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The Pinellas County Extension is offering a program focused on finance. The program aims to help individuals gain a better understanding of how to establish and meet financial goals.

The Focus on Finance program is a three-part series that begins on Wednesday, March 10. from 6 to 8 p.m. Subsequent course dates are March 17 and 24.

Pinellas County Extension Specialist Karen Saley will lead the workshop. Each session will address new topics relevant to assisting individuals who would like to gain greater confidence in managing their finances.

Upon completion of the program, participants are eligible to receive free, one-on-one counseling from a member of the Financial Planners Association of Tampa Bay.

To register for the Focus on Finance workshop, click here. Interested participants may also call 727-582-2100.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Pinellas County Extension

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Oliphant Financial LLC, a debt buyer and software provider to the debt sales industry, received incentive grants from Manatee County and will add up to 100-150 jobs in 2010.

Oliphant's grant is for $133,000 that will be paid out over five years, and the grant agreement specifies that the company will add 133 new employees during that time for a total of 160 employees.

The company has seen positive growth over the years, and in December 2009, Oliphant moved its 30 employees from their downtown Sarasota location to a 20,000-square-feet building in Lakewood Ranch.

"Our new location will allow us to accommodate our growth plans," say Tom Noble, chief operating officer of Oliphant Financial. "We expect to add 100 to 150 employees in the next year as we bring more of the previously out-sourced debt-collection functions in house."

The current economic climate has helped Oliphant's business as they buy debt from various lenders and then handle the collection from borrowers. In addition, they have developed a debt buying and software application that they sell to other firms.

To learn more about employment opportunities at Oliphant Financial, LLC, click here.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Tom Noble, Oliphant Financial
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