HQ | Tallahassee

[poonther]

Well I guess you're right then. Those are the only Zimmerman's I knew, so I ASSumed (as you like to spell it ) it was the original Z's.

[Florida]

Surely there has to be a benefit in having such a list available.... wouldn't you all say???

[Beukeboom]

I think they were bought out? You tell me please b/c I'm not sure due to the fact they all have the same last name?????

Zimmerman buys Zimmerman

Ah yes Homes and Land. That's a good one and you got me to thinking about their old location out on CCSW. That is where Municipal Code Corporation is located. They make all the Code Book of Ordinance for the different cities and municipalities.

Municipal Code Corp

[thetoolman]

The State of Florida is headquartered here...

Seriously, though, now that Bagel Bagel has 7 locations, I would qualify them for this list. Maybe Capital Health Plan? MGT of America has 4 locations and over 100 employees. Does Booth Properties count? Not sure if they have properties outside of Tally.

Also, just about every statewide association is here, and meets the other criteria that you mention. Where do they fall?

[Florida]

The State of Florida is headquartered here...

Seriously, though, now that Bagel Bagel has 7 locations, I would qualify them for this list. Maybe Capital Health Plan? MGT of America has 4 locations and over 100 employees. Does Booth Properties count? Not sure if they have properties outside of Tally.

Also, just about every statewide association is here, and meets the other criteria that you mention. Where do they fall?

[Go Gators]

You tell me... should Associations go on the list? If so, should law firms go in also? As far as Capital Health Plan, Banks, and so forth, I'm torn. I want to say leave them off the list because when recruiting, does it matter that our local medical facilities are home owned? Tell me... I'm not the expert.

[Florida]

What's your rationale behind it??? just for the record.

[Go Gators]

^ Will explain later. GG has a tee time in a few hours!

[celebrated]

The Tallahassee Economic Development Council lists a nice breakdown of number of employees for private sector/non-retail businesses located in Tallahassee:

http://www.taledc.com/majemployers.php

I am quite amazed at how many people the Civic Center employs. Do they even break even financially with that many employees?

[Florida]

Zimmerman Adds Fla. Anti-Smoking Biz

January 09, 2008

NEW YORK The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Fla., said it has been awarded the Florida Tobacco Prevention account, a new initiative, following a review.

The contract is valued at $17 million, for one year and the objective of the anti-smoking program is to educate Florida residents and business owners about the negative effects of tobacco.

The dangers of smoking, smokeless tobacco and second-hand smoke will all be stressed in the upcoming effort, which will break in Q1. Online and offline media are in the mix, as are social-networking efforts, public relations, live events and promotions, the agency said.

"Like it or not, smoking affects every person that lives and breathes in the state of Florida," said Curtis Zimmerman, agency president. "We don't advocate preaching to smokers-they don't want to hear it-but we will make a connection between smokers and the affects of smoking, and let the outcome make the greatest impact."

The marketing campaign from the Omnicom Group-owned shop is scheduled to launch during the Super Bowl in key Florida media markets.

Source: ADWEEK

[Florida]

Five insurance firms receive Louisiana incentive grants

Tallahassee Firm Among those Chosen

Associated Press - January 11, 2008 4:44 PM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Governor Kathleen Blanco and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon handed out grants today (Friday) to property insurance companies that received a total of $29 million from a state program aimed at getting more insurers to write policies in south Louisiana.

The incentive program, approved by the Legislature last year, offers matching money to insurers who agree to take over policies now written by the state-backed Louisiana Citizens Insurance Corporation.

Supporters of the program say it can lower property insurance rates by luring more companies to Louisiana and increasing competition.

Five companies received the grants. Donelon's office will accept a second round of applications starting February 4th for the remaining $71 million.

Only established firms, with a net worth of $25 million or more, are eligible.

The applicants that received grants today, and the dollar value of their grants are:

1. Occidental Fire and Casualty of North Carolina, of Raleigh, $10 million.

2. Southern Fidelity, of Tallahassee, Florida, $7 million.

3. ASI Lloyds, of St. Petersburg, Florida, $5 million.

4. Imperial Fire and Casualty, of Opelousas, $5 million.

5. Companion Property and Casualty Insurance, of Columbia, South Carolina, $2 million.

Southern Fidelity and ASI are new to the Louisiana market.

[Florida]

General Dynamics Awarded $349 Million for Abrams Tank-Related Work

WEBWIRE

[Florida]

Homes & Land founder Jerry Lundquist dies

Jerry Lundquist, the Tallahassee businessman who founded the Homes & Land magazine that grew into a nationwide publishing enterprise serving thousands of communities, died Saturday in Sandestin. He was 68.

[Florida]

IJ Company plans to consolidate Florida and Georgia operations

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) - Institutional Jobbers, Inc. has announced it will relocate and consolidate its Tallahassee, Florida operation with its Valdosta plant.

Known as the IJ Company, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based food distribution company hopes to complete the merger of the two operations in Valdosta by April 1.

A company statement says all 54 employees in Tallahassee have been offered jobs in Valdosta.

The company says there are 91 Valdosta employees.

Barry Houghtalen, a senior vice president with the company, says the change will allow IJ's Southern Region operations to continue to grow.

IJ Company ranks among the top 10 largest broad-line food service distributors in the country.

Source: WAAYTV.com

[Florida]

A new company has a Fantastic and Exciting Method of Recycling for Maintenance Departments

Clear graphics promote usage and discourage contamination.

Business offices have an alternative to expensive plastic extrusion recycle containers. These new cardboard recycle boxes cost a fraction of their plastic counterparts. Cardboard boxes are 1/10th the cost of plastic recycle containers. In addition, they have better graphics which deter contamination and stimulate participation. With such a discrepancy in price, it doesn't matter if they have to be replaced

more often than their plastic counterparts. The finances still favor their use.

For example, a plastic recycle container costs about $150. A comparable cardboard recycle box with much better graphics costs $7.87. If you keep the cardboard boxes inside a building, protected with liners, they will last from 6 months to a year. So even if you have to replace it a year later, now you have spent $15.74. This still beats the cost of plastic by a long shot! And the keeptidy.com boxes have much better graphics which prevent contamination. And in the end, cardboard boxes can be recycled whereas the plastic containers go to the landfill.

And for the first time, they come in Spanish and English for south Florida and Mexican border markets.

Manufactured by PRIDE Enterprises of Florida, this manufacturing arm of the State of Florida corrections system is making recycling easier and less expensive.

Keeptidy.com is a national outlet for PRIDE Enterprises. The offices are located in Tallahassee, Florida.

Source: PR-inside

[poonther]

IJ Company plans to consolidate Florida and Georgia operations

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) - Institutional Jobbers, Inc. has announced it will relocate and consolidate its Tallahassee, Florida operation with its Valdosta plant.

Known as the IJ Company, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based food distribution company hopes to complete the merger of the two operations in Valdosta by April 1.

A company statement says all 54 employees in Tallahassee have been offered jobs in Valdosta.

The company says there are 91 Valdosta employees.

Barry Houghtalen, a senior vice president with the company, says the change will allow IJ's Southern Region operations to continue to grow.

IJ Company ranks among the top 10 largest broad-line food service distributors in the country.

Source: WAAYTV.com

[Florida]

Seems stories of Valdosta and Thomasville job growth hit harder in the media than Tallahassee's. Perhaps Tallahassee isn't doing as good a job at broadcasting our job creations. Last week we announced 300 new jobs at GT Technologies, job growth continues at Turbocor, and within Tallahassee's medical and financial sectors as well. I think the community needs a true Business Magazine solely dedicated to business reporting on a regular basis, not monthly, quarterly, but weekly or daily.

[poonther]

^I'm sure you are right. However Tally should be pulling in 2.5 as many jobs as VLD and over 5 times as many as T'ville since we are that much bigger than them. VLD always does a good job of getting the word out about job growth and new development in their community.

I think we may too, but I can't tell b/c when they publish a story in the Democrat, all I seem to see is the "haters and wackos" in the comment sections to the right. Thank goodness they are moving that to the bottom of the page. Thanks for the info FL!

[Florida]

County considers relocation effort for biotech firm

Economic development officials are seeking financial support from Leon County to help relocate a California company's biotechnology research operation to Tallahassee.

Cypress Systems Inc. would bring 18 jobs with the move. Its Excell Biotechnology Research Center would be involved in studies on Selenium in the prevention of cancer. The Leon County Commission will be asked at its meeting today to join with the Economic Development Council and the city in a partnership to help develop a 10,000-square-foot building estimated to cost $1.8 million.

The EDC is seeking input from the city and county on possibly providing matching funds for the relocation effort and will be presenting an overview of the project at the meeting.

[Florida]

Cypress Systems Inc. Website

[Florida]

MAINLINE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

BPO Management Services and Mainline Information Systems Partner to Deliver Full Service IT Outsourcing

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BPO Management Services, Inc., "BPOMS" (OTC Bulletin Board: BPOM) a leading full-service business process outsourcing company focused on serving middle-market enterprises, today announced that its ITO Services division is partnering with Mainline Information Systems, Tallahassee, FL, an IBM Premier Business Partner and global provider of IT and business solutions with more than 400 employees, to provide managed hosting and co-location services, delivering complete datacenter solutions.

By partnering together, BPOMS and Mainline can deliver flexible, customized disaster recovery, managed hosting and co-location hosting

solutions for mainframes, open systems, AS/400 iSeries and mid-range servers. "We are pleased to be partnering with Mainline," said BPOMS chairman and founder Patrick Dolan. "By partnering with Mainline," he added, "BPOMS can now offer its services to a broad new group of clients throughout North America." "This partnership," Dolan said, "is a great example of how service providers can come together and provide high value solutions to middle-market enterprises."

[poonther]

As I'm sure you've read EDC unveils new marketing plan.

I'm glad to read they are taking a regional approach to this and including Wakulla and Gadsden counties as well as Leon. Now if they'd just understand that the metro includes Jefferson too and at least mention them.

Part of their new marketing approach is their redesigned website now called:

bepartofoursecret

Maybe if they didn't hide the website so far away in the COT site (much like the airport site) we wouldn't be such a secret.

I found it interesting that Branching Banking and Trust (BB&T) and here I thought it stood for Bubba Bank and Trust, employs over 400 folks in the area. I'm curious, w/such a small presence here visually, how are they doing that?

Also what is ACS? They are the second largest private employer in the region w/1200 employees.

[Go Gators]

I believe ACS is an IT type firm. If that is the same ACS Im thinking of.

And I know BB&T acquired Landrum-Yaeger & Associates (Insurance) and Regional Financial Corp, so that may have boosted there numbers.

[capoFamiglia]

Also what is ACS? They are the second largest private employer in the region w/1200 employees.

[poonther]

Here's more about the economic stimulus package proposed by COT from WCTV:

The Tallahassee City Commission unveiled a plan to stimulate economic growth by becoming more business friendly.

The two part plan waives environmental permit extension fees for permits dated any time after January 1st, 2007.

The plan will also pre-permit ten development sites around the city... which will allow developers to quickly start building without having to wait for permits.

"So that if someone comes in to our community and says I would like to develop a business that employs 30 people, all that they need to do is turn in their building department application and actually get their permit, build their building and the are open," says Robert Herman, Tallahassee Growth Management Director.

"We have sped up the process. We've contemplated needs. We looked at environmental permitting. We have sites that are ready to be developed," adds Beth Kirkland who is with Tallahassee/Leon County Economic Development.

The extension on environmental permits will cover three years from the date they were issued or until December 31, 2010... whichever is later.

I'd love to see a list of the 10 pre-permit development sites. If anyone finds out this info, please share it.