Release Date:    May 11, 2005

 

 

 

Co-located with the Heartland One Stop Center in Sebring, the SBDC in Florida’s Heartland will serve Highlands, Hardee and De Soto Counties. Bringing excellent skills to the SBDC business analyst position, Robert K. Raymond owned his own business for ten years and currently owns and operates, with his wife, a travel franchise.  Prior to his entrepreneurial days, Robert served EDS for 20 years.  This new office is supported by the SBDC at USF, South Florida Community College, Highland County Board of County Commissioners, Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative and the Heartland Workforce Board.

 

The Volusia County Regional PTAC is officially opened for business. Frank Germonto, the procurement specialist, has over 30 years experience in government contracting with both the government and prime contractors. This broad contracting knowledge positions Frank well to work with and assist Florida firms. The statewide procurement program is a specialized program under the FSBDCN and funded by the Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency, to provide free counseling to Florida firms, large and small, profit or non-profit, who want to do business with the government—local, state or federal. The Volusia regional PTAC funds are provided through an agreement between the statewide PTAC program and the Volusia County Department of Economic Development. Frank will assist firms in Volusia, Flagler, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Osceola and Sumter counties, splitting his time between the Daytona office at the Advanced Technology Center and an office at the Lake Sumter Community College in Clermont.

 

Active in economic development and accountable for specific metrics, the economic impact of the FSBDCN has both depth and breadth. The two new counselors will assist in the mission of helping to create and expand small business from Pensacola and Jacksonville in the north to Miami and the Keys to the south.