Women-owned and operated businesses are thriving in Florida, Tampa Bay and our piece of Paradise, the Gulf Beaches.
Florida has an estimated 616,200 women-owned firms, employing 484,700 and attributing to roughly $80,986,500 according to the fifth annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. Released earlier this year, it was commissioned by American Express OPEN, and analyzes the 1997, 2002, and 2007 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s quinquennial business census, the Survey of Business Owners.
Similar to previous annual reports released this time last year, the unique analysis, reported by industry, revenue and employment size at the national and state levels, shares a new and nuanced investigation into the growth trends among the 9.4 million women-owned enterprises over the past 18 years.
Nationally, the number of women-owned businesses has increased 74% since 1997.
Florida is ranked 12th (82.4%) in growth of number of firms over the past 18 years and 35th (67.8%) in growth of firm revenue between 1997 and 2015. New to the 2015 report is analysis ranking of states (and top metro areas) by their growth in the number of women-owned businesses since the recession.
Our own Tampa/St. Petersburg is ranked 24th with 22% in post-recession growth (2007-2015) vs. pre-recession (2002-2007). The Tampa Bay area had 54,473 women-owned firms in 2002, growing 52.2% to an estimated 82,900 in 2015. Employment increased over that span 39.8% from 60,301 to 84,300, while sales were up 47.5% to an estimated $12.475 million from $8.458 million in 2002.
Highlighted in this issue as a representative sample of many local and successful women-owned and/or operated businesses are Robin Sollie, Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO; Melissa Vaughan, FAST of Florida, Owner/President; Doreen Moore, Travel Resort Services, President: Angela Pless, Water & Fire Restoration Company, President; and Nancy Markoe, Nancy Markoe Gallery, Owner.
Melissa Vaughan
Melissa’s parents came to Pinellas County from Ohio in the early 60’s and she was their Florida baby. She graduated from Seminole High School and attended St. Petersburg College. Eddie Vaughan, her late husband, founded FAST of Florida in 1972. He had been a maintenance man at his Treasure Island apartment complex and realized he was providing similar service as larger firms with Service Agreements. Condo construction was beginning to boom, and he thought owners would appreciate a local, more personalized level of service.
Shortly after Melissa met Eddie in the early 80’s, he asked her to come in to make customer calls. They were married in 1986 and she’s been involved with the firm ever since. “When Eddie passed away in 2005,” she recalls for Paradise News, “I had the choice of selling or taking leadership of FAST. I knew intimately the difficulties of leading a service team that had grown to 35 from seven when I started work here.”
“Our core business model was Service Agreements, monitored and insured by the State Office of Insurance Regulation. If we were to close our doors tomorrow, our customers would receive back a portion of their premium; 25% reserves are held in CD’s by the state, unlike Maintenance Agreements that most HVAC firms sell. It’s the most comprehensive in Pinellas County. We initially covered AC equipment and household appliances, later expanding into plumbing and electrical services. We have grown to 49 employees over the last nine years. Despite the recession and 2010 oil spill, we continued to expand with such new services as a small light commercial division, sewer pipe lining and ductless AC equipment.”
“We support the Humane Society of Pinellas, monetarily and with service, repairs and equipment, as we have many employees with rescue dogs and cats, near and dear to both Eddie and myself. We also provide free services to Benedict Haven, a home for mentally disabled men and more recently became involved with Goals for a Cause, my husband’s Over 50 Hockey leagues charity.”
FAST was the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber’s “Woman-Owned Business of the Year“ 2014 and one of the 10 finalists in the Medium Size Business category of the Bright House Regional Awards earlier this year.
“In the future,” Melissa concludes, “I would like to partner with or add solar and alternative energy services as they complement our current services. Our real secret to growth and sustainability is by living our motto, Growing by Giving Great Service both to our customers and our employees.’’
Robin Sollie
Born in Philadelphia, Robin moved to Florida in 1978. After graduating from St. Petersburg’s oldest high school, she got her BS in Information Systems from USF. She was heavily recruited by high profile tech firms and worked with Oracle Corporation, Arthur Anderson and CMGi, among others.
She notes for Paradise News, “As a strong type A personality and a people person, the tech field became boring very quickly, and then the tech bubble burst. My entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and the SBA approved my business plan to open award-winning Tranquilly Day Spa in downtown St. Petersburg. We grew this business from five employees to 25 and when I sold in 2007, it had annual revenues in excess of $1 million.”
In 2008, the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce was looking for a new leader, and through Robin’s philanthropic work in the community she was referred to the Board to apply. Since January 2008 she has been the CEO of the Chamber and continues her non-profit volunteer work in the communities she serves. In 2012 she was named “Professional of the Year” by the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals and the TBBCoC was named the “Chamber of the Year.” Since then the Chamber has added four communications awards to their portfolio.
“When I came to the Chamber,” Robin continues, “we had about 300 members and now have 780. We had one permanent staffer and now we have five full-time and two part-time. Roxanne Anderson went from part-time to full time membership director. Key additions include Doug Izzo, government affairs and advocacy
director; sales representative Linda Bray; and Julianne Wilhelm, membership and events support. A.J. McCallister and Elsie Soto are our two part-time Welcome Center hosts at John’s Pass.”
“Among the new initiatives I’m most proud of is our member engagement and retention, which is now between 85% and 87%, and our advocacy and government affairs involvement. This current year’s most significant is our Institute for Leadership Program, with 22 currently enrolled. It is headed by the 2014 graduating class, which will follow every year.”
“Looking ahead, my priorities continue to develop ways to engage members to get an ROI – Return On Involvement! It’s also important for me that members are getting connected to the resources they need both inside and outside the Chamber.
Finally, we will continue to make sure the community is aware of this Chamber’s active work. If we have an engaged community, then we’re doing our job!”
Robin lives in St. Pete Beach with her husband Kevin and their two dogs, Rocky and Carinia.
Angela Pless
“I opened The Water and Fire Restoration Company (TWAFRC) in 2010,” Angela recalls for Paradise News. “I wanted to give my three sons, Drew 28, Josh 25 and Sean 22, something that would allow them to grow and that would potentially outlive their parents. Their father was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and passed away in 2013. Drew is now working with me as Operations Manager.”
Angela successfully owned two other non-related businesses but has a very strong background in the restoration industry. As a sales rep for Interlink Supply, she sold the chemicals and equipment for the industry. To enhance her position, she studied and became certified in each area. She then farmed herself out to the “best of the best” in each state, allowing her to become proficient with using products, equipment and supplies in the field.
She continues, “While this catapulted my sales I was still fighting for respect in a field dominated by men. I began using my marketing background to get to the next level, helping customers develop marketing plans for their business and working with those who needed my skills.”
“This strategy allowed me to move to the very top of my field in sales. While I was very successful in sales, it occurred to me I was making six figures while those I was helping to market were making seven figures.” “This led me to open TWAFRC. We’ve grown tremendously since 2010 with growing pains and our share of struggles, but now are a solid family of restorers that takes great pride and enjoyment in helping all size businesses in their time of need.”
The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce awarded TWAFRC “Medium Size Business of the Year” in 2014. Angela has been a Chamber Ambassador for six years and is on the Board. She’s been active with Suncoast Hospice including four years as chair of its Relay for Life, as well as MADD and Habitat for Humanity. Most recently she’s become active on the Board of the Claybaker D.U.S.T.O.F.F Foundation (CDF), dedicated to supporting projects that provide military veterans assistance during times of hardship and need.
Angela is currently President of the Indoor Air Quality Council for Florida. “This requires me to teach both mold assessment and mold remediation for the State,” she notes. “Partly as a result, currently 80% of our business is mold-related.
As we move forward into 2016 we will expand and open an additional full-blown mold business with classes for other contractors and a place where those who live in single-family dwellings can come for products and advice on how to properly handle their own mold issues. We will still offer mold assessment and remediation for hire, offer products and equipment to other contractors and eventually offer a full-blown Lab for testing purposes.”
Doreen Moore
A first generation Pinellas County native, Doreen was born in St. Pete and graduated from Northeast High, then St. Pete Junior College. She was a paralegal for law firms in St. Pete and Belleair Bluffs in real estate law.
Doreen tells Paradise News, “While at SPJC and as part of my degree I took the real estate licensing course and subsequently activated my license. After getting my broker’s license, my partner and I opened Total Realty Services in 1986, the first of our TRS group of firms. We handled estate sales, annual rentals and condominium management.”
“After a few years we recognized the opportunity for short term vacation rentals as there was very little competition. We also hired more hospitality people and established Travel Resort Services, which is our primary Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber member, now representing owners of accommodations from Dunedin to St. Pete Beach. Our third company, Total Residential Services came with the need for maintaining and improving our properties, now providing services to all our properties for repairs, housekeeping and maintenance.”
“As a member of the original Madeira Beach Chamber, one of three on the lower Gulf Beaches, I helped form what was then the Gulf Beaches Chamber, with St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island. By 1999 we needed better ‘branding’ and decided that Tampa Bay Beaches more accurately described our membership, now encompassing members north to Clearwater Beach.”
Doreen is currently chair of the Chamber Community Advocacy Committee, formerly Government, and is the longest-serving Board member. She was a city of Madeira Beach commissioner 2000-2004; served two terms on the Tourist Development Council for Pinellas County in conjunction with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater 2004 – 2012; and a member of the Pinellas County Economic Development Council.
Looking ahead, Doreen says, “I see our businesses expanding greatly with the strong tourism growth experienced by Pinellas County and the state of Florida. This incudes our new TRS concierge services, including an array of services to more
personally serve our guests. We are continuing our development of hospitality and resort management in the Tampa Bay Beaches and on the east coast of Florida where we are operating a hotel resort in Hallandale Beach. Our success in working with online travel companies and travel wholesalers is the future for our U.S. travelers as well as European and emerging South American markets.”
Nancy Markoe
This past June, Nancy, owner of Nancy Markoe Fine American Crafts Gallery in Pass-A-Grille, announced that after 30 years, she would close her retail store. The last day was July 12th – end of an era!
“It’s been an amazing run after a total leap of faith,” she tells Paradise News. “For me, it is just ‘time’ – it just came upon me and so here it is! This has been a 24/7, 365-day endeavor in order to carry out a standard of excellence, both in the work we represented and running an intelligent, warm retail experience.”
“It was serendipitous that I arrived here. I was living and had my pottery studio in St. Augustine. Most of the juried shows I was presenting my work at were on the West Coast, so I decided to move closer to my clientele. Searching for a place to live, I took a wrong turn and ended up in Pass-A-Grille. In 1985, I purchased the building.”
“At first the Gallery featured my own work and 14 Artisans I knew from the show circuit. Craft shows come and go in Florida over a weekend. I wanted to make the Gallery a place that had the excitement and spontaneity of an outdoor art show, but one that was a permanent brick and mortar store. I took out a national trademark to reflect that idea, ‘where the art show never ends.’ ® My principles have been: To bring the best American Crafts to the gallery by purchasing outright from the best Artisans in the country…To educate our customers about the works, so they understood the quality, good design and value of pieces….To be a ’hands on’ owner and to provide the best personal customer service. Over the years, we grew to represent 500 American Artisans.”
“There have been many highlights over the years. Number one is definitely the shopping spree by President Clinton in 1993. Another was the Niche Award as the Top Retailer of American Crafts in the country, and we were in the Top 10 for many years. Giving back has always been in my nature. With the unique experience of being both a producing artist for over a decade and a gallery owner, I was asked to join the faculty of the non-profit Arts Business Institute.
For 10 years, I lectured at workshops around the country and mentored hundreds of artisans, which was so gratifying. I received a Lifetime Achievement Award for my 10 years on the faculty and as Chairman of the Board. Here at home, it was such an honor to have the City of St. Pete Beach name March 2nd as ‘Nancy Markoe Day.’”
On St. Pete Beach, Nancy was elected and served as Commissioner of District 4, was Chair of the Planning Committee and was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award. The Gallery earned numerous beautification awards.
“I am now officially retired, but will move on to new true life adventures,” Nancy says. “My home will still be in Pass-A-Grille; no reason to leave ‘Paradise!’
I have lived through some amazing times and I would like to write about some of the things I experienced and lessons I learned. And, I hear there is a beach out to the west of the Gallery and the Gulf of Mexico,I think I’ll go see for myself!”
Story by STEVE TRAIMAN Photos by BOB SCHLESINGER