Spill proof

Paul and Barb Garfold started noticing the impact of the BP oil spill just before Memorial Day, much earlier than many other Fort Myers Beach businesses.

Credit the Garfolds' investment in technology and their experience as executives for Fortune 500 companies. Paul Garfold is currently a senior vice president at Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial and Barb Garfold is a former steel-company marketing executive.

The Garfolds own and manage Lahaina Island Accommodations in Fort Myers Beach, assisting homeowners rent165 condos and single-family homes with just four employees. To do that efficiently, they've invested tens of thousands of dollars in technology that tells them nearly everything about their customers. The couple acquired the business in 2005 from Larry Kiker, now the mayor of Fort Myers Beach.