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Entrepreneurs

    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Tampa Bay: RICHARD SANCHEZ

Richard Sanchez retired from Exxon but came back to start Advantica EyeCare. 'Our mission is saving sight. It's real simple.'

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Sarasota-Bradenton): Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy, founder of a Bradenton-based fence company with 12 offices in four states, spends most of his working days in constant motion, a cross between a hands-on problem solver and a big-picture visionary.He's been known to get in his truck and drive to a company facility in Charlotte, N.C. or suburban Nashville, Tenn. to handle a customer situation. But he's also been to known to come up with ideas that can turn into company revenue-boosters.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Sarasota-Bradenton): Art Lambert and Ron Simkins

The corporate atmosphere at LexJet, a Sarasota-based digital printing and software sales and marketing firm is anything but corporate. Employees wear flip-flops and T-shirts to work, flip Frisbees over cubicles and can be seen lounging on a couch near the lobby watching sports highlights on TV. But this isn't a case of employees waiting until the boss leaves to slack off.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): George Ghanem

George Ghanem's party palace is almost ready. By this summer, Ghanem's company will have moved into its new corporate headquarters in Fort Myers. The 60,000-square-foot, $8-million building will house the company's commercial laundry, a showroom and will have enough parking so that employees can load 10 delivery trucks at a time with tents, chairs and all the equipment for a party.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): Arthur Allen

In the early days, Arthur Allen built his business on his house. In 1981, Allen sold his first software company for $18 million. He retired to Naples at age 34 and bought an oceanfront house on Gulf Shore Boulevard.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): Tony Phelan

Restaurants are notorious for their short lives. In an economic downturn, their survival rates are even more dismal. Tony Phelan knows all about that, but he's not going to be one of the casualties this time around. Phelan owns a chain of seven seafood restaurants from Sarasota to Naples called Pinchers Crab Shack.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Lee-Collier): The Pena Sisters

The MTV Music Awards are later this month and you can be sure Erika Pena will be there to add to the bling.Pena is among a handful of jewelry designers invited to display her wares at an MTV Awards "gifting suite," where stars browse the offerings and take what they want as "gifts." There will be Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Jessica Alba and a gaggle of other glitterati you've probably never heard of. "They all pretty much go," Pena says.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Arnie Bellini

Arnie Bellini appeared to be set. He had his MBA and CPA and a solid job as an IT consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. But when the first personal computers came out, he had a vision: They would remake the way business was done. And, companies needed someone to maintain them and their networks.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Mihir Taneja

Mihir Taneja, 33, is chief executive officer with GeoPharma, a Largo pharmaceutical and health care products company. He started GeoPharma out of college, with five employees in 1995 in Brandon.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 15, 2008
TO WATCH (Tampa Bay): Bob Johnston

Bob Johnston's best decision as an entrepreneur is one he admits he would never recommend to his children.The decision: At 21, dropping out of college, marrying his wife and moving from Tallahassee to Tampa to help run a little fondue restaurant business called The Melting Pot in 1985.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Merchants of Hope

Providing death with dignity on the Gulf Coast is big business. It requires big-thinking executives.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Miles ahead

A decision to pump $1.5 million into a company with declining revenues during a deep industry downturn can test anyone's resolve. "My instinct was to build," says Roger Miles.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Precious and Private

In person or by mail, Suzanne Perry, a former cosmetics executive, sells jewelry to affluent clients, and she likes it that way.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Building New

Is this any time to start a construction company? Two Gulf Coast entrepreneurs are betting it is.

  • Entrepreneurs
    By
  • Business Observer Staff
  • May 9, 2008
Calendar of Events

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