Corporate report

CHARLOTEE-LEE-COLLIER
Storm Smart licenses first Florida distributor
Fort Myers-based storm protection products maker Storm Smart signed Storm Smart of Southeast Florida Inc. in West Palm Beach as its first Florida distributor.

Headed by Ken Rayner, Storm Smart of Southeast Florida sells, installs and services all residential and commercial products Storm Smart makes at its 60,000-square-foot Fort Myers plant.

Rayner was a customer on multiple earlier projects and says last year's severe weather led him to decide he should have Storm Smart's products available for people seeking more protection in 2017, according to a statement.

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG
Economic development agency names chief administration executive
Former banker and nonprofit executive Mark Segel was named senior vice president and chief administrative officer at the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.

Segel worked nearly two decades in banking and eight years in nonprofit management, according to a statement. He began his new role at the EDC Jan. 3.  

Segel will report to Craig Richard, CEO at the Tampa Hillsborough EDC, and work closely with the agency's senior management team. He will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight on the administration and revenue functions, the release states. He will also oversee investor development and engagement initiatives and special projects.

 Segel previously served as South Tampa market manager for Northstar Bank and spent 17 years in business development roles with Bank of America, Bank of Tampa and Fifth Third Bank. 

He also held several leadership posts in the Central Florida Jewish Federation system. Those include serving as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Pinellas and Pasco Counties; the Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish Foundation; and the Tampa Jewish Community Center and Federation.

Travel insurance firm up for customer service award
Helping people compare travel insurance policies earned St. Petersburg travel software company Squaremouth a place among finalists for the American Business Awards' Customer Service Department of the Year.

The award is in the Financial Services category, according to a statement. Squaremouth, developer of travel insurance comparison site squaremouth.com, opened a customer login portal in October.

Squaremouth says the portal combines creation of a customer profile with the technology needed to assist customers who need to use their insurance while traveling.

Squaremouth won the American Business Awards' Bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year in 2016 and the Silver in 2014.

SARASOTA-MANATEE
Regional pest service adds to executive, training ranks
Environmental Pest Service has added to its management team, with the naming of Brad Pitts as regional vice president of its Arrow Environmental Services brand and Steve Mock as manager of safety and compliance.

Pitts will lead all aspects of Arrow Environmental Services, a brand of EPS serving southwest and central Florida, according to a statement. This includes sales, service, branch manager direction, recruiting and team development.

Pitts has more than 30 years' experience in the pest control industry. Most recently he was part of a $165 million division for Orkin as a region vice president, the release states.

Mock will manage all safety directives and communications for EPS, which operates four brands in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Mock previously served as EPS's training specialist, overseeing safety and compliance for about 480 EPS employees. Before joining EPS Mock was a technical trainer for Comcast Cable.