Four Lake County companies were among the first round of 2018 “Florida Companies to Watch” finalists, recently announced by GrowFL. They include Firehawk Helicopters; Intellisteel Group, LLC; United Efficiency Software Group and Vac-Tron Equipment.
The awards honor 50 select second-stage companies throughout the state for developing products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities and broadening new industries. Chosen from a candidate pool of 134 businesses, the finalists collectively represented $518 million in annual revenue and employ 2,743 full-time workers.
“Lake County has a strong manufacturing base producing a wide variety of products,” said Brandon Matulka, executive director of Lake County’s Agency for Economic Prosperity. “The county works diligently to support and help grow these companies, and it’s exciting to see them recognized at the state level.”
Developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation, “Florida Companies To Watch” is a distinguished awards program specifically designed to seek out second-stage businesses from a wide range of industries representing all areas of the state, not just those in major metropolitan areas. The effort recognizes the different approach needed to successfully grow and scale a business and celebrates those working to achieve that goal.
The winners will be announced in mid-September. The 2018 honorees will be celebrated at the awards ceremony Feb. 9 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.
“We applaud these first-round finalists who have shown how they stand out in their regions as innovative business leaders, going to the next level to grow their companies,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director.
GrowFL is a statewide economic development organization certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation. Learn more at www.GrowFL.com.
Lake County’s Agency for Economic Prosperity provides assistance and manages services for both the businesses of Lake County and Lake County visitors. Its mission is to aggressively retain, attract and grow jobs in Lake County – in partnership with others – while protecting and improving Lake County’s quality of life and unique character. For more information, visit www.businessinlakefl.com or call (352) 742-3918.
