Corporate Report: October 12

California firm selling HT Systems' PatientSecure
Tampa-based HT Systems LLC agreed to a partnership with CentraMed Inc., a California provider of health care analytics and consulting services. Under the new agreement, CentraMed will resell HT System's PatientSecure biometric identification service.

PatientSecure is a biometric patient identification management system that uses palm-vein biometric sensors to link patients to their unique medical records.

PatientSecure is being used by more than 160 hospitals and hundreds of affiliated clinics and physicians' practices. More than 5 million patients are currently enrolled in the program.

CentraMed's health care analytics products allow hospitals, physicians and payers to look at clinical and financial data across that particular health business.

Tampa chamber names winners of Small Business of the Year
Adcock Financial Group, Pegasus TransTech and Hunter Warfield were the recipients of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's 2012 Small Business of the Year Awards.

Kevin Hourigan, president and CEO of Bayshore Solutions, was also recognized with the Outstanding Leader award.

The financial firm Adcock Financial Group was recognized in the five- to 20-employee category; and Pegasus TransTech, the transportation technology company, won for the 21- to 50-employee range. The 130-person debt collection firm Hunter Warfield won the award in the 51- to 250-employee class.

Pasco commissioners approve two for tax refund program
The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners has approved two new companies as qualified applicants for Florida's Qualified Target Industry tax refund program.

The larger of the two, 1Brick LLC, says it expects to create a minimum of 200 new jobs with an average annual salary exceeding 115% of the county's current average wages. The company is a virtual insurance agency and financial consulting firm. Unlike many other virtual agencies, which tend to focus on local accounts within a 10-mile radius, 1Brick can operate in multiple states.

The company says it plans to hire 50 people initially to support its new Pasco location.

At the same time, the commissioners approved a proposal for Warren, Mich.-based manufacturer J.T.D. Enterprises. The woman-owned company, which makes tubular assemblies used in golf ball accessories, flagpoles and defense technologies, says it would create 10 new jobs in Florida with an average annual salary exceeding 115% of Pasco County's current average wages.

“We vacation in the Tampa Bay area every year,” Deni Nihra, president of J.T.D. Enterprises, says in a press release. “We are near the beach, close to our customers, and can wear flip flops year round. I can't think of a better place to locate our business. We met with other counties, but Pasco EDC went above and beyond to make us feel welcome in Pasco County and answer every question we had about the area.”

Suncoast Schools credit union opens West Tampa branch
Tampa-based Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union has opened its 51st branch at 3300 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa.

Employees of public and private schools, parents of children in public school and employees of select groups are eligible to join.

The credit union also plans to open another branch in 2012, in the town of Chiefland in Levy County.

With assets of more than $5 billion, Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union in the state of Florida and the 14th largest in the United States. It currently has more than 500,000 members in 15 Florida counties.

BB&T promotes Broward exec to head Sarasota County business
BB&T has promoted Iwan Mohamed to senior vice president and area executive for Sarasota County.

Mohamed, who joined the bank in 2009, is based in the bank's 1800 Second St., Sarasota office. Most recently, he served as a business services officer for BB&T in Broward County.

Solar manufacturer offers rebate to SolarTek Systems buyers
Tampa's SolarTek Systems USA Inc. has secured $2 million in funding for a rebate program from Rosvik Power Systems Inc., its solar equipment supplier. The rebate is only available for solar electric systems purchased from SolarTek and installed in Florida.

To qualify, new systems and must be installed before Dec. 31. The rebate will equate to $2 per watt generated up to a total of $30,000 per installation.

The rebate is in addition to the federal tax credit, utility rebate programs, grants and finance programs.

SkinSmart Dermatology founder expert in O Magazine column
Dr. Elizabeth Callahan, the founder and medical director of SkinSmart Dermatology in Sarasota, is the featured skincare expert in Oprah's current O Magazine “Ask Val” column.

Callahan discussed the causes and treatment for dark circles.

Callahan founded SkinSmart Dermatology in 2005.

GFI Software buys smart phone software from U.K. firm
GFI Software of Clearwater is purchasing a cloud-based multiplatform mobile device management system from U.K.-based VizualMobile Ltd.

VizualMobile utilizes cloud technology to help small to medium-sized businesses secure, track and report on their mobile device assets.

The technology, which currently supports Android, iOS and Blackberry devices, will continue to be developed by GFI and integrated into two of its major product platforms: GFI MAX RemoteManagement for Managed Service Providers and GFI Cloud for IT administrators. The new technology is expected to be available in GFI MAX later this year and in GFI Cloud in 2013.

GFI Software provides Web and mail security, archiving and fax, networking and security software and IT solutions for small to medium-sized businesses.

Moffitt Cancer Center named to Working Mother's top 100
Tampa-based Moffitt Cancer Center has been named one of the 2012 Working Mother 100 Best Companies. This is the fifth year in a row that Working Mother magazine has included Moffitt on its list.

Moffitt offers employees a number of family-related benefits, such as backup child and elder care and diversity scholarships. The company's parental leave program offers employees an additional four weeks of paid leave and job protection beyond the 12 weeks provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Nicole Maker, a two-time cancer survivor and registered nurse in Moffitt's Thoracic Oncology Program, is Moffitt's “Working Mom of the Year 2012.” Maker began her career at Moffitt in 2005 in the Medical Records department. Utilizing Moffitt's education-assistance program, she earned an Associate of Science degree and is finishing her Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Pavese Law Firm partner receives professionalism award
Diane Jensen, a partner in the Fort Myers-based Pavese Law Firm, was recognized with the Alexander L. Paskay Professionalism Award at the annual meeting of the Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Professional Association.

The award honors Jensen for being highly effective in presenting before the bankruptcy court. She was selected based upon her reputation for preparation, civility, courtesy to opposing counsel, courtroom demeanor, ethics and professionalism.

The award was created in honor of the late Judge Alexander L. Paskay for his outstanding contributions to the legal profession.

Biolife's WoundSeal now sold over the counter
Sarasota-based Biolife LLC's topical powder that stops bleeding, WoundSeal, is available for the first time over-the-counter.

Used for years in hospitals like The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the introduction of the product to retail stores coincides with the federal government's Million Hearts Campaign. The campaign's goal is to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years. The launch of WoundSeal can assist the campaign by helping patients stay compliant with their life-saving blood thinning medications by reducing one of the most significant side effects, nuisance external bleeding.

Many patients stop taking blood thinning medications because minor wounds can bleed for hours or even days.

WoundSeal is available nationwide in the First Aid section at Walgreens and CVS stores, or online at WoundSeal.com.

FreightCenter growing demand to spur 20 new jobs before 2013
Trinity-based FreightCenter Inc. expects to hire another 20 employees before the end of the year because of surging shipping activity. Despite a downturn in the economy, FreightCenter has nearly doubled its employee count since 2011, creating more than 40 new positions.

Along with hiring qualified workers and using specialized technology to automate the shipping process, FreightCenter attributes its rapid growth to volume-based pricing, which it says allowed it to decrease labor and transportation costs for commercial and residential shippers.

FreightCenter Inc. is a third-party freight and logistics company.

Sloan's Ice Cream looking for Tampa franchisees
West Palm Beach-based Sloan's Ice Cream has announced plans to start franchising its business concept with an early focus on the Tampa market.

Company projections call for the first franchised Sloan's shops to be near completion in early 2013, with additional units opening throughout the year. The ice cream restaurant business is targeting a number of additional regions in Florida, as well as California, the Carolinas, Georgia, New York and New England.

Potential Sloan's franchise owners must have minimum liquid capital of $100,000 and a minimum net worth of $600,000. Franchisees will pay the company a royalty fee of 6% of gross sales weekly.
For more information visit sloansicecream.com/franchise.