Hitting Our Stride

I have always felt that from a business standpoint the new year really doesn’t begin to take shape until February. In January, coworkers are just coming back from the holiday breaks and business initiatives are being reviewed and possibly tweaked. It’s not until February that business starts to hit its stride.

Let our February issue get you into the swing of the new year. The issue includes our Economic Backbone section on cardiac care, which is timely since February is American Heart Month. You’ll read how the rate of heart disease deaths — after years of decline — is rising again among middle-aged Floridians. You will also find information on the relationship between income and heart disease, heart attack symptoms, the top transplant centers in Florida and the number of Florida heart transplants to date. There’s also a piece on a community-wide health improvement initiative in Naples known as a Blue Zone.

Our cover story looks at how some in the Millennial generation, which has been known for its affinity for urban areas, are now moving to the suburbs, what the trend means for Florida developers and how they are moving to attract young home buyers.

The feature hit home with me as my oldest son and his fiancee, both Millennials, just bought their first home — in the suburbs. As with the couples featured in our cover stories, high on my son and his fiancee’s list of must-haves was a yard for their dog, a good school system, proximity to work, restaurants and stores, walking paths and a safe environment.

Our feature on fast-growing companies in Florida looks at six unique and fast-growing companies, starting with Modernizing Medicine, which was started by Dan Cane in 2010 and now has 760 employees and revenue of more than $144 million.

Other companies featured include a holster maker, a metal supplier and a manufacturer of stevia products.

Most of the companies are less than 10 years old. They have three-year growth rates (2016-18) ranging from 65% to 4,234%, with 2018 revenue between $2.3 million and $144.9 million and workforces ranging from nine to Modernizing Medicine’s 760.

Read about how these entrepreneurs got their start, grew their businesses to where they are today and what their outlooks for business are. There are sure to be some insights that you can apply to your own business.

I hope that your year is off to a great start, with lots of energy and excitement among your staff. Here’s hoping we all have much success in 2020.

— David Denor, Publisher
[ddenor@floridatrend.com]

See other stories from Florida Trend's February issue.

Get Florida Trend's February magazine – print or digital. Select from these options:

* offer valid for new subscribers only

Tags: Publisher's column