Blast from the past

JUDY GREEN
In 2002, we asked who would dominate the real estate world: Michael Saunders, or Judy Green? The question lingers, but Green, who back then led 8,000 Florida associates as CEO of Coldwell Banker, has since built Premier Sotheby's International Realty into Florida's largest luxury real estate brokerage based on sales volume. Her realty company now stretches from Tampa to Marco Island.

PAT NEAL
In our inaugural year, we asked Pat Neal, president of Neal Communities: What do you know about impact fees? Without much surprise, Neal lamented many of the same worries about impact fees present today. Since then, Neal has expanded his homebuilding company, which now stretches from Tampa to Naples and does nearly $300 million in sales a year.

Sue Wise
In 1997, we reported how Sue Wise — although we called her Susanne back then — was building her home health care business by finding the right employees. Last year, Wise named her daughter Courtney Wise Snyder president of the company, but Sue remains active in the firm, which now has more than 575 employees in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Vern Buchanan
When we started, Vern Buchanan was buying car dealerships in Venice with his company, Buchanan Automotive Group. The company's Sarasota Ford dealership was also the top automotive group in the area, in terms of vehicle sales. Since then, Buchanan has become U.S. Rep. Buchanan, serving Florida's 16th congressional district since 2007.

ALEX MILLER
When we first featured medical supply distributor Mercedes Medical, Alex Miller was working at the company with her mother, Noelle Loft. Since then, not only has Miller grown the company to $33 million in 2015 revenue as its CEO, in the fall she also was elected to represent District 72 in the Florida House of Representatives.