Author: Site Staff

Hands-On Entrepreneur George Koikos’ American dream was realized by pleasing customers and maintaining quality By Tori Gibbs Originally published in the June/July 2010 issue of 850 Magazine George Koikos greets visitors with a warm smile and a cold handshake. The…

If all goes to plan, Panama City’s old airport eventually will become the city’s first master-planned community, complete with homes and commercial space, hiking trails, a school and a marina. The new owners, the St. Andrew Bay Land Company, have…

Talking technology is music to David Goldflies’ ears. In fact, for the rock ’n’ roll musician turned CYber SYtes CEO, music and interactive technology are inextricably linked. “I never separate the disciplines,” Goldflies says. “Whether I’m working with a band…

Tourism Industry Prepares for Worst, Hopes for Best Northwest Florida’s largest industry unites to protect its greatest natural resource and its future By Zandra Wolfgram Originally published in the June/July 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine More than 80 million…

An increasing number of businesses have moved from just having someone store their backup data tapes to using the Internet to download their records to a server located at another site. Businesses that want to have a constant presence on…

Economic Visionary By Linda Kleindienst Originally published in the Apr/May 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine The St. Joe Company has positioned itself as a dominant force in planning the future growth of Northwest Florida. In a rare one-on-one interview,…

It’s Business and It’s Personal Looking to build their customer bases, area businesses are discovering that social networking isn’t just for teenagers anymore By Lilly Rockwell Originally published in the Apr/May 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine In the midst…

One of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding any new employee deals with whether to compensate him or her hourly — or put that person on salary. It’s not as cut-and-dried as you might think, and a little knowledge…

Seven miles north of Interstate 10 in the Northwest Florida town of Marianna sits a stocky, 330,000-square-foot building — big enough to fit five football fields — humming with the effort of producing 43,200 bottles of water per hour. The…

Elam Stoltzfus has a small business. Actually, right now, it’s just him. He adds staff when he gets into the production phase of his work. His office — and his equipment — occupy a separate building on his Blountstown property.…

Jay Pearlman never imagined he would be living on St. George Island, let alone working as the director of financial services for Franklin County Schools. A native of Long Island, N.Y., he graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree…

Visitors to the industrial office building might confuse the comfortable waiting room for a doctor’s office, with its chairs, magazines and receptionist window. But if the double helix sculpture in front of the building didn’t give it away, this is…

He cracks wise with the same affability and witty charm as his Trapper John McIntyre character on the 1970s “M*A*S*H” television series. But Wayne Rogers, the Princeton graduate, has morphed, from a successful actor into a keen financial maven and…

Dr. Charlotte Maguire gives a whole new meaning to the notion of “golden years.” At 90, after a brilliant career in medicine and government, she’s still in love with learning — and still inspiring others to learn. “A pioneer for…

It wasn’t easy for Clair Pease to get her first serious construction job. She had pleaded and argued for more than a year for a chance to join a framing crew, to no avail. The boss didn’t believe a woman…

The secret to Paul Brent’s art empire is talent, tenacity and … tiny steps. The affable, 64-year-old Panama City artist and entrepreneur says his journey of a million prints began with a single step of the kaizen kind — the…

Bottom Line: Taking a Bite Out of Taxes Your 2009 tax returns are now in the mail, unless you’ve filed an extension. Think you can rest on your laurels? Hardly. Taxes don’t file themselves, and procrastination almost always costs money.…

Taste Maker Bourbon’s popularity in the 1970s meant wine was an untapped sales niche for Chan Cox, who decided to take full advantage. Today, he is the go-to guru for all things wine in Northwest Florida, with five retail stores…

Doctor, Lawyer, Leader For 15 years, Florida Sen. Durell Peaden has drawn upon his experiences as a small-town physician to help shape statewide policy on health care By Christine Jordan Sexton Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850…

Poised for Growth The major economic center for Okaloosa County, Crestview anticipates a new population boom By Lilly Rockwell Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   Civil engineer Jim Weeks is standing near a conference…

Miracle Worker Chuck Colvert has transformed Weems Hospital in his three years at the helm By Lee Gordon Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   In 2006, Apalachicola’s Weems Hospital was at a crossroads. It…

Rough Seas in Panacea Angelo & Son’s Seafood Restaurant fought its way back from a devastating hurricane, but the Wakulla County landmark now faces a new threat from a sputtering economy By Bruce Ritchie Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010…

Taking Flight Already an economic powerhouse in the Pensacola region, the National Naval Aviation Museum will attract thousands of new visitors with its forthcoming National Flight Academy By Jennifer Ewing Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business…

Music Maker Music store president Tony Leonard goes e-commerce in the midst of a changing industry By Daniel Mutter Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   Since the early 1960s, Playground Music has been providing…

Big-Business Printers T-Formation finds a perfect fit in Midway By Daniel Mutter Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   Deafening motors scream as the giant, 18-armed metallic monster presses down new colors onto tightly stretched…

Swett Equity Wheelchair-bound inventor finds a way to help others with mobility impairments enjoy the beach By Zandra Wolfgram Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   When John Swett couldn’t find a beach-friendly wheelchair to…

Helping Ideas Take Flight Bay County Small Business Incubator gives small start-ups a boost By Tony Bridges Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   Two years ago, Joe and Sandy Paffoon had almost more work…

Banking on Tallahassee Prime Meridian Bank may be the new kid on the banking block, but CEO Sammie Dixon is determined to succeed through tenacity and an emphasis on customer service By Lilly Rockwell Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010…

It’s one of the most emotionally loaded words in business and politics today — outsourcing. But if you’re a small-business owner with a growing clientele, a small profit margin and few employees, outsourcing functions not essential to your core mission…

Human resource departments across North Florida and the country are becoming acquainted with a term called “presenteeism.” It’s absenteeism’s cousin, and it’s proving to be even more costly — and contagious. The Epidemic of Presenteeism Encouraging employees — whether by…

Masters of the Message Public policy is their game, winning votes to pass (or kill) legislation is their aim By Linda Kleindienst Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of 850 Business Magazine   They’re hired guns, put on the…

Proponents are mixing a potent sales pitch that combines petro-dollars, patriotism and the prospect of thousands of new jobs in a struggling economy. But they also must combat the state’s $50 billion tourism industry, environmentalists and the U.S. Defense Department,…

Battling for Business Florida’s major business lobbies prepare for the Legislative Session By Gary Fineout   In 2009, Florida’s unemployment rate zoomed past 11 percent and Florida’s businesses were hit hard by the recession. So when lawmakers kick off the…

Don Shula, now 80, quit coaching after the 1995 season, but during his 32 years on the NFL sidelines he learned many lessons that helped him successfully transition into a business career. A Conversation with Don Shula   He holds…