Corporate report

Lazydays RV sites featured on Big Time RV show
Lazydays RV's Tampa and Tucson, Ariz.-based properties will serve as the setting for “Big Time RV,” a TV show on the Travel Channel produced by Half Yard Productions, the same company that created “Say Yes to the Dress” and “The Last Alaskans.”

Shows have already started airing and feature a variety of customers shopping for RVs. The TV shows' second season will feature thirteen episodes.

“'Big Time RV' is great for the entire RV community, exposing viewers to all the fun and excitement of the RV lifestyle,” John Lebbad, chief marketing officer at Lazydays, says in a press release. “The program also gives our expert sales and service teams, along with our loyal customers, the chance to showcase the stellar Lazydays experience to the Travel Channel audience.”

Tampa's Meadow Burke hires new manufacturing director
Jeff Dawley has joined Tampa-based Meadow Burke's senior leadership as the director of manufacturing. Meadow Burke is a manufacturer and distributor of products for the concrete construction industry. Dawley will be responsible for developing strategic initiatives and managing the activities and resources of the company's manufacturing operations.

He comes to Meadow Burke with more than 25 years of experience in multi-site manufacturing businesses, of which 14 of those years were in the concrete-accessories industry. Dawley previously held several management roles with Cooper Industries and, most recently, was a vice president for manufacturing and executive officer for Dayton Superior.

Heritage Insurance, Casualty approved to offer policies in North Carolina
Clearwater-based Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. (symbol: HRTG; recent price: $19.13), announced its subsidiary, Heritage Property & Casualty Co., was approved to write property and casualty insurance in North Carolina by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. This is the second state in which the insurance firm is an admitted carrier.

“The license in North Carolina marks the beginning of our multistate expansion,” Bruce Lucas, Heritage chairman and CEO, says in a press release. “We believe North Carolina presents a great opportunity for future growth, and we look forward to building market share in the state.”

Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance has submitted applications to provide insurance in South Carolina, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The company is also in varying stages of discussion with other state insurance regulatory agencies.

Winter Haven real estate brokerage approved for drones by FAA
Crosby & Associates, a real estate brokerage in Winter Haven, received an exemption from Federal Aviation Administration allowing it to use drones for commercial purposes. Sales associate Caleb McDow applied for a Section 333 exemption to the FAA rules using earlier exemptions as models, and 88 days later, the application for the exception was approved.

The brokerage plans to use the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to promote 80% to 90% of its listings. It expects to fly the drones weekly over the firm's property listings.

“UAS allow us to get the whole picture of a 3,000- to 4,000-acre tract of land in [a] two- or three-minute video and run low shots of the property,” Ben Crosby, the broker and owner, says in a press release. “If you want someone to sit in their home and see a large tract of land, the drone gives them a video that's like sitting on a tractor and traveling through the property.”
McDow, who spent nine years flying F/A-18s for the U.S. Navy, and another experienced pilot will fly the drones.

Aerospace company president joins Morphogenesis board
David Bergmann, founder and president of the Peachtree City, Ga.-based aerospace and defense firm NAECO LLC, was named to the board of directors of Tampa-based Morphogenesis Inc.

Bergmann has executive and leadership experience with global brands such as Siemens, Johnston Industries and Milliken & Co. He also taught computer science and mathematics at the University of South Carolina and mathematics at the University of Florida.

Krexconsulting founder named H.R. Consultant of the Year
Kelley Rexroad, founder and principal consultant of Odessa-based krexconsulting, was named the Human Resources Consultant of the Year by HR Tampa, Suncoast HR and Sarasota Manatee Human Resources Association, the Tampa Tribune and Monster.com.

The Tampa Bay HR Person of the Year Award was developed to celebrate the human resources industry and to recognize outstanding achievement.

Medical Center of Trinity clearing building portion
Medical Center of Trinity plans to demolish about 300,000 square feet of unused space in an older building on its west campus. The hospital says the age of the unused portion of the building makes renovations cost prohibitive, and clearing the space offers the hospital the opportunity to create a new development there in the future.

The most recent addition to the building, constructed in 1999, that houses its behavioral health program will remain unaffected.

The cost of the demolition is projected to be $1.5 million and will start in late August or early September. The entire project will take from five to seven months to complete.

Medical Center of Trinity is a 236-bed hospital at 9330 State Road 54, Trinity.

Visit Sarasota County hires new director of sports
Visit Sarasota County has hired Robert Wells as its new director of sports. Wells most recently worked for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau for a total of three years as sports marketing manager and later was promoted to senior sports marketing manager.

As director of sports at Visit Sarasota County, he will manage the sports tourism strategy and goals along with recruiting sporting events to the county and expanding and creating new events to benefit the economy.