Bob Gernert

Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Blog 2010-09-02 14:47:33

Floridians will make a very important decision when voting on Amendment 4 this November. The issue deals with an amendment that would mandate that changes to local comprehensive plans would be decided by the voters. A “mini-version” of the concept was adopted by St. Pete Beach and you may find it interesting to hear what [...]

Come Celebrate the Chamber’s Centennial Annual Meeting!

Join us on Tuesday evening, September 28 as we celebrate the Centennial Annual Meeting of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. It will be a special evening of entertainment, awards, reflection, recognition, installation of officers and a look to the our second century!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 – Nora Mayo Hall
6:30 p.m. Reception – 7:15 [...]

High Speed Rail = Opportunity for Polk Businesses …

BARTOW, Fla. (August 27, 2010) – The Central Florida Development Council is encouraging all small and minority-owned business in Polk County interested in working with the Florida High Speed Rail project to attend a meeting hosted by the Florida Rail Enterprise division of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 from [...]

Chamber Showcase at Green Works Expo this Thursday!

Join your business associates and friends and visit dozens of booths promoting environmentally green products and services for a sustainable Winter Haven at Thursday’s Green Works Expo. Presenting Sponsor is Central Florida Gas with support from QuickBeam Energy. Enjoy refreshments from Red Lobster and Publix and the music of Hunter Smith on guitar. Chuck Roberts [...]

CenterState Bank Acquires all Deposits of Two Banks

Community National Bank At Bartow, Bartow, Florida, and Independent National Bank, Ocala, Florida, were closed Friday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which then appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver for the two banks. To protect depositors, the FDIC entered into purchase and assumption agreements with CenterState Bank of [...]

Why We Live in the Chain of Lakes City …

Sunset on Lake Shipp as photographed from the Lulu/Shipp canal on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes – August 18, 2010

Photo by Nick Gernert

LEGOLAND® Florida Selects PCL as Design-Builder

Winter Haven, FL (Aug. 5, 2010) – LEGOLAND Florida has chosen PCL Construction Services, Inc. (PCL) as the builders for Florida’s newest family theme park. LEGOLAND® Florida opens in fall 2011 and will be a 145-acre interactive theme park dedicated to families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. With more [...]

LEGOLAND Florida Names General Manager

GENERAL MANAGER ANNOUNCED FOR LEGOLAND® FLORIDA
Merlin Entertainments today announced Adrian Jones has been appointed as General Manager for the planned new LEGOLAND Florida theme park scheduled to open in Autumn 2011. His duties beginning immediately.
Jones has had a long career within Merlin, most recently as Divisional Director of Midway Attractions in the Western United [...]

“LEGOLAND® Florida Host City Forum” July 20th

The Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce will conduct a “LEGOLAND® Florida Host City Forum” for our members on Tuesday, July 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Chamber’s Coleman Auditorium. We have seating for 60. City, County and Polk Tourism representatives will  participate.
Topics for discussion will include:
- How can Winter Haven become the best [...]

Kids, Families and LEGOS Make Great Open House …

LEGOLAND Florida made a stunning preview debut to crowds of families with children as the colorful bricks were on display as both models … and  more importantly, playthings. Throngs of interested area residents jammed the landmark Orange Dome to view actual models of the park, complex LEGO models that will grace the park and help [...]

Big FUN at Thursday’s LEGOLAND Open House … Details:

LEGOLAND officials have released more details of Thursday night’s open house …
WHAT: On Thursday, July 8, 2010 LEGOLAND® Florida is hosting a community open house to meet with area residents about Central Florida’s newest theme park. This open house-style event is intended to acquaint local residents with LEGOLAND Florida and how it will [...]

LEGOLAND Florida Open House July 8th – Orange Dome

The Winter Haven community and other interested citizens will get their first look at plans for LEGOLAND® Florida on Thursday, July 8 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Orange Dome on Cypress Gardens Boulevard. John Ussher, General Manager for LEGOLAND® Development notes, “This is just a friendly get together to tell people a little bit about [...]

LEGOLAND® Florida Marketing Team Takes Shape …

Winter Haven, FL (July 1, 2010) –The bricks are falling into place at LEGOLAND® Florida as the first three members of the marketing team begin to market the first LEGOLAND Park on the east coast here in Winter Haven. Director of Sales and Marketing Kim Isemann, Manager of Sales Todd Andrus and Public Relations Representative [...]

Chamber Board Supports Transit Referendum

Citing continued transit service in Polk County as a business, employment and economic issue, the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have unanimously approved a resolution of support urging voters to approve a charter county transportation surtax of one-half percent (1/2 percent) to be considered on our November 2, 2010 ballot. You can [...]

DocuLex Awarded 5-Star Rating for Content Mgt Software

Winter Haven, FL June 28, 2010 DocuLex (www.doculex.com), creator of document and content management software, has received industry analyst Buyers Lab’s top 5-Star rating for the company’s flagship offering, DocuLex Archive Studio. To review the Buyers Lab report, visit http://www.doculex.com/releases.htm.
The software helps organizations achieve greater efficiency, comply with regulations such as HIPAA and, most importantly, [...]

Legislative Insight from Leadership/Govt Affairs Luncheon

Representative Baxter Troutmann and Representative John Wood spoke to Leadership Winter Haven alumni and the Chamber Government and Legislative Affairs committee at their combined June meeting. State Farm recorded and edited video of the legislators re…

Hester is Offered Haven Police Chief Position

WINTER HAVEN – City Manager Dale Smith announced today that a conditional offer of employment has been made to Gary Hester to serve as the City’s next Police Chief. It is anticipated background checks will be completed and Hester will begin work with the City of Winter Haven August, 16, 2010. His salary will be [...]

Merlin Entertainments May Have Major New Stakeholder …

Reuters news service is reporting that private equity firm CVC is in talks to purchase a 30 percent stake in Merlin Entertainments (now planning to open LEGOLAND® Florida here in Winter Haven).
According to Reuters, “The deal would value Merlin Entertainments at approximately 2.5 billion pounds ($3.71 billion), one of the sources said, with CVC Capital [...]

Florida Sports Hall of Fame Opens at Lake Myrtle

The Florida Sports Hall of Fame opened in ribbon cutting ceremonies this morning and now shares quarters with Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing at their new Lake Myrtle complex. The Hall of Fame houses memorabilia from some of Florida’s most famous sports stars from the past four decades. Upon walking into the museum, [...]

Miller and Parker Dance Their Way To The Top

Friday evening the Polk Education Foundation “tripped the light fantastic” as it unveiled a fabulous new scholarship fundraising event entitled Stepping Out for Education. The event featured five well known Polk County business leaders that voluntarily took ten hours of ballroom dancing instruction and then danced themselves into the hearts and wallets of more than [...]

Hospital Gala Will ROCK with Little River Band!

One of the most popular rock groups of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Australia’s Little River Band will provide the featured entertainment at the annual Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Gala on November 4 at Nora Mayo Hall. The group achieved world-wide fame for hits such as ‘Reminiscing,’ ‘Lady,’ ‘Lonesome Loser,’ ‘Cool Change,’ and ‘Help is [...]

Five Finalists Vie for Haven Police Chief …

The Police Chief Application Review Committee met today (June 11) to choose the top five applicants for Winter Haven Chief of Police. Those on the shortlist were chosen from a field of 15 qualified applicants. Names of the top five finalists will be forwarded to City Manager for review and interviews. In alphabetical order, those [...]

Florida Chamber 2010 Legislative Report Card …

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has released the 2010 Legislative Report Card, an online tool that grades legislators based on their support of pro-job and pro-business issues during the legislative session. Calculated annually based on legislators’ voting records on the issues outlined in the Florida Chamber’s 2010 Florida Business Agenda, the Legislative Report Card also [...]

Chamber to Present Green Works Expo August 26

The Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that we will present our first ever “Green Works Expo” showcasing environmentally friendly businesses and products.  The event will take place on August 26 and feature afternoon hours for the general public and evening hours for the Chamber’s monthly Networking Showcase.
The Expo is being organized [...]

Lasater Flowers in Top 5% of Teleflora Nationwide

WINTER HAVEN, FL (June 8, 2010): Lasater Flowers & Gifts was recently named a member of Teleflora’s National Account Program, an elite incentive and loyalty program created exclusively for Teleflora’s top member florists in America. Teleflora, the world’s leading flower delivery service offering only hand-arranged and hand-delivered floral arrangements, created the program as a way [...]

Fire Station #1 Stands Watch from New Complex …

The morning belonged to Winter Haven’s finest firefighters as the City dedicated the new $5 million Fire Station #1 at the intersection of Avenue G and Third Street SW. The 22,000 sq. ft. facility is in the process of seeking certifications as a Gold “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) building. A Gold certified [...]

Sundown – A Great New Dining Option …

The Sundown Southern Eatery officially opened its doors to a welcoming public on Monday, May 10, 2010. The totally renovated restaurant is bright and the decor is decidedly upscale and contemporary with three private dining areas in addition to the lounge area (pictured left) and the two main dining rooms.
The grand opening follows a weekend [...]

Charter Commission Wants Your Input …

The Polk County Charter Review Commission will hold a public hearing this Wednesday, May 12 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Winter Haven City Hall Auditorium. A variety of Charter Amendments are under consideration from adding more County Commission seats to adopting a Code of Ethics for elected officials.
No Charter Amendments have been officially proposed. [...]

Leadership 30 Graduates. Hazelwood is Distinguished Alumni

Leadership Winter Haven Class 30 held graduation ceremonies last evening at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club.  Class Chair Keira Lennox conducted the evening with assistance from Chamber Foundation Chairman Steve Warner. The evening’s festivities were capped with the presentation of the 2010 Leadership Winter Haven Distinguished Alumni Award to Hap Hazelwood, LWH Class 7. [...]

USF Polytechnic Blue Sky East Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, May 6 was a busy day for USF Polytechnic University as it held ribbon cutting ceremonies for both Blue Sky East and Blue Sky West business accelerator facilities. Blue Sky East festivities were held in Lakeland. Pictured above, dignitaries at the Blue Sky West celebration prepare to launch the business accelerator located in the [...]

Kirkland Launches Central Florida Media Group

Nelson Kirkland, former publisher of the News Chief in Winter Haven, has announced the launch of Central Florida Media Group. The new company will focus on niche community publishing throughout the region.
The new company’s first publication will be Polk Ag News and will launch in the summer of 2010. Agriculture has a significant impact on local communities [...]

Photos from LEGOLAND California Visit …

Winter Haven Chamber and City officials visited LEGOLAND California on April 8 and 9, 2010. The group spent five hours touring the park with General Manager Peter Ronchetti and CFO Brian Shaw. Information concerning the visit was presented at the City Commission’s April 26 meeting. The slide presentation below is a pictorial review of the [...]

Amendment 4 – Business Community Says No!

The Chamber conducted a short member survey on April 21 asking the following two questions:
1. Are you aware of the proposed Amendment 4 (sometimes referred to as the Hometown Democracy amendment) that will be on the ballot this fall as an amendment to the Florida Constitution?
Yes – 69%            No – 31%
2. If you answered yes [...]

Golfing Moment at Friday’s Tournament …

If you’re a golfer you’ll find something new and entertaining at this Friday’s Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament. Golf Entertainer and celebrity impersonator, Brad Denton will be on hand prior to the shotgun start. In addition to demonstrating skill with a 6′ club and other trick shots.  He’ll also take on the persona of such favorites [...]

What We Can Expect from Legoland Florida …

City of Winter Haven and Winter Haven Chamber representatives visited Carlsbad and Legoland California April 8 and 9. The group met with Carlsbad Chamber and City officials on Thursday and enjoyed a five-hour Legoland visit on Friday. Since many local folks aren’t quite sure what to expect … here are a few observations:
Expect a park [...]

Former Haven Resident Wins Pulitzer

Kathleen Parker, a columnist for The Washington Post who lives in Camden and Washington, D.C., has won a 2010 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, it was announced Monday afternoon.
Parker, whose work appears in The Ledger and more than 400 other newspapers, is known for her witty columns on political and moral issues. Parker was one of [...]

Maddux Notes Polk’s Momentum …

Other than reporting that Cypress Gardens is in Winter Park (!?) the March/April Issue of Tampa’s Maddux Report contains a Polk County Corporate Report that touts projects far and wide. In the Winter Haven area, mention was made of the CSX Intermodal Rail Terminal, LEGOLAND Florida, The East Polk Committee of 100, Winter Haven’s high [...]

Chain of Lakes Levels Looking Up!

The recent rains — well before the usual rainy season — have had a marked  and positive impact on the levelof our Chain of Lakes. According to Roger Griffiths of the Lake Region Lakes Management District (often called the Canal Commission) the level of the Chain is 129.70 (feet above sea level) and on March [...]

Winter Haven Loses an Institution – Nick Christy

Legendary Winter Haven Restaurateur Nicholas “Nick” Christy, 91, died on Monday, March 22. Christy came to Winter Haven in the early 1950s and purchased what was then called the Sundown Restaurant. He brought his own special flair and Greek influence to a menu that made the establishment one of the most famous and popular in [...]

How and Why Disney Chose Central Florida …

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 15 as the Chamber presents a special breakfast program with new insights as to how and why Disney chose Central Florida.
45 years ago this June, Walt Disney made the landmark decision to build his new Disney World project in Central Florida. A recently published book gives the fullest account [...]

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