Dec
12
Battle rages to save citrus groves
Filed Under Agriculture | Leave a Comment
‘Greening’ threatens fruit industry in SW Fla., state
By JOYCE SCHENK
Business Writer
Photos courtesy of UC Statewide IPM Program, Beth Grafton-Cardwell
Mongri Zekri and Mike Murphy are on the front lines of a war. The battlegrounds are the citrus groves of Southwest Florida.
But this conflict is not limited to the Sunshine State. The struggle is being waged worldwide.
The enemy, Huanglongbing, is better known as citrus greening. It is a devastating bacterial disease that reduces citrus production, destroys the economic value of the fruit and – eventually – kills the trees.
Zekri is a multi-county Citrus Extension agent, working with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).
Murphy is CEO of Cooperative Producers Inc., among the area’s largest citrus growers and part of the Florida Natural Orange Juice Co.
The two recently spoke about the spread of citrus greening across the state and the steps being taken to slow the disease’s progress.
Dec
12
Keeping criminals off your payroll
Filed Under Business Builders, Trends | Leave a Comment
Background check providers can prevent disaster
by SARA FITZPATRICK
Associate Editor
With unemployment in the region hovering precariously near 10 percent, it may seem like a buyer’s market for talent. However, hiring managers can’t afford to buy sight unseen and the margin for error is less forgiving in this economy. Hire the wrong person, and it can be disastrous.
Mama told you not to judge a book by its cover, and she was right. So how do you find a candidate who’s an ideal fit for your company?
Leave it to the experts.
Dec
12
Your own personal physician
Filed Under Health Care, Profiles, Trends | Leave a Comment
Concierge doctor combines service with medicine
by SARA FITZPATRICK
Associate Editor
Sure your doctor is board certified. Everybody knows the importance of that distinction. Yes, the office is proudly decorated with diplomas. But if waiting 45 minutes past the scheduled start of your appointment has you wondering why there is no diploma in customer service, you’re certainly not alone.
But you do have a choice.
Meet Dr. Wayne Burr, concierge physician.
He may sound like a doctor to the stars – and that suspicion may seem confirmed upon stepping into his waiting area. It looks and feels more like a nicely appointed living room. There’s a large screen TV, a varied assortment of (current!) magazines, and a friendly greeting from staff who offer a bottle of cold water while you wait. There’s even an executive room furnished with a fax machine.
However, chances are there won’t be much time to enjoy the amenities – appointments are typically scheduled with an hour’s window between.
But Burr’s not using a silver spoon as a tongue depressor. Revolutionary and counterintuitive as it may seem these days, he thinks service, convenience and quality care combine to make good medicine. More than that, it makes good sense.
Dec
12
Beyond the Bottom Line
Filed Under Business Builders, Vince Crew columns | Leave a Comment
The ‘wrong’ consultant can derail your business
by Vince Crew
Home school versus public school. Being an employer versus employee. Being a voter versus a politician.
Where’s the real power and control? Clearly it’s when you’re in a position to take the greatest responsibility for your future. In our world of polls, research and consultants, it’s hard to avoid a “know-it-all” trying to convince you to follow his or her way. The key to success is following your way.
Having been a confidential adviser and executive coach to owners, executives and leaders in a number of sectors for more than a decade, I’m often torn between a strong recommendation and being viewed as a “know-it-all.” The reality is: I do know a lot about a number of things, and have a great deal of expertise in the areas of strategic growth, leadership development, staffing and everyday ethics. However, I always tell my clients, “It’s your company and your decision.”
Dec
12
Workforce-related programs are growing in SW Fla
Filed Under Business Builders, Economic Development | Leave a Comment
SWFBT’s biannual roundup of educational opportunities for business
by BOB MASSEY
Editor
Florida Gulf Coast University President Wilson G. Bradshaw was paying attention when a survey indicated Southwest Florida is wanting for workforce education.
And now his school is doing something about it – by forging an alliance with Edison State College.
That’s just one major milestone to report as SWFBT presents its biannual survey of universities, colleges and technical schools – to determine what they’re offering of interest to the regional business community.
Dec
12
Retiring Conover muses over future of Lehigh Acres
Filed Under Economic Development, Profiles | Leave a Comment
By JESSICA HEHIR
Business Writer
Oliver Conover is planning to retire for the third time Dec. 31, 2008. The executive director of the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce has spent decades in the military, owned his own insurance agency, worked as an industrial fund raiser from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains and spent several years as the development director for the Southwest Florida Symphony.
Now, after 10 years with the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce, he reflects on the changes the area has witnessed under his watch – and what has disappointingly remained the same. He also looks ahead to what is in store for his successor come the dawn of the new year. Conover is, above all else, optimistic about the future of Lehigh Acres. Read more
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