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Gora/McGahey Architects (GMA) has completed design services for the expansion and build-out of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car facility at 4350 Fowler St. in Fort Myers for Enterprise Holdings.

The design includes the renovation of 9,100 square feet and the addition of a 2,250-square-foot area. The renovation and expansion will enhance the facility for use in car leases and sales, as well as other business operations such as training.  

Rick McCormack, AIA, of GMA is the architect in charge on the project and Ramon Acevedo is the project manager.

For the past 28 years, Gora/McGahey Architects (GMA) has been Southwest Florida’s leading architectural design firm. Earning recognition from the Florida Southwest American Institute of Architects, the Florida Home Builders Association and the Lee County Building Industry Association, the firm has provided award-winning architectural and interior design services for a broad range of clients in the public and private sectors, including several leading area developers. For more information, call 239-275-0225 or visit http://www.gora-mcgahey.com/.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K) is beginning work on a replacement school for Meadow Park Elementary School in Charlotte County.

The project was awarded to O-A-K through the request for proposal process and will utilize school bond funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The project will consist of the demolition of the existing school. The building will be replaced with a prototype used previously by the Charlotte County School District.  The new elementary school will contain ‘green’ and sustainable elements similar to three other district schools of a similar prototype design. The construction team – made up of the design firm, O-A-K and district staff – is working toward a U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Gold level certification. This type of certification requires specific building elements be utilized in the construction of the school.

The O-A-K team for this project is Tim Harkins as job site superintendent; Frank Mullins as project manager; and Frank Bell as general superintendent.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. O-A-K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has offices in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Its Charlotte County office is located at 1877 Manzana Avenue in Punta Gorda. Learn more about O-A-K at http://www.owen-ames-kimball.com/.

Lisa Sands, advisor and manager at VIP Realty, Commercial announces the appointment of Jack Liptak as advisor.

 “As a 30-year veteran of corporate America and a 15-year resident of Fort Myers with residential real estate sales experience, Jack has a lot to offer commercial clients at VIP,” said Sands. “We are thrilled about Jack’s decision to segue into commercial real estate services.”

As advisor, Liptak will be part of the full-service commercial real estate brokerage team at VIP Realty, Commercial, which provides real estate services for commercial land, office, retail and industrial properties.

“The opportunity to enter commercial real estate services is welcomed,” said Liptak. “I am committed to providing clients with unmatched expertise, loyalty and honesty, whether they are affluent businesses and individuals or a new client looking for their first commercial investment.”

A graduate of Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. with concentrations in finance and accounting, Liptak spent more than 30 years in corporate sale and management in the greater metropolitan areas of Boston, New York and Miami. He has lived in Fort Myers for 15 years and has four years of experience in residential real estate sales. During that time, he earned the Relocation Specialist Designation and was recognized with VIP Realty’s Top Producer, Top Sales and Top Listings awards. He has the distinction of membership in VIP Realty’s Executive Club.

In his personal time, Jack is a founding member and director of The Kiwanis Club of Gateway to the Islands. He performs volunteer work and community service through this organization and is a dedicated member of his church where he is actively involved in youth development and fundraising.

VIP Realty, Commercial provides a full range of real estate services for land, office, retail and industrial properties. Specialties include sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchanges, investments, retail and office site analysis, and market and financial feasibility studies. For more information about VIP Realty, Commercial, located at 13131 University Dr. in Fort Myers, call 239-489-3303 or visit http://www.vipcommercial.com/.

John Penna, 57, has suffered with colon cancer since the early 1990s. Most recently, John has developed a major bacterial infection caused by the extreme heat within his home. Despite his struggles, Penna maintained his construction business up until a few years ago. His health and mobility continued to worsen and the heat was contributing to his failing health.

The Penna family completed several repair jobs on the air conditioning unit over the past few years. However, two months ago when the unit went out again, the Penna family was in dire straits. With the recent loss of his job and rising medical bills, the Penna family could not afford the $2,000 in repairs needed to get the air conditioning going again. With John’s failing health, they could not afford to go without air conditioning either.

On July 9, volunteers sponsored by Builders Care, the charitable agency of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA), sent out a call for help to its BIA members. Almost immediately, a local community member stepped forward to offer a helping hand. Jim Glennon, president of Florida operations for Modern & Anderson Service for Home & Business, responded and in less than one week, the Penna residence had air conditioning. Modern & Anderson Service for Home & Business provided all of the labor and needed materials to make this happen.

“The residents of Southwest Florida have been very supportive of our company since 1965 so it’s the least we can do help give back,” said Jim Glennon of Modern & Anderson Service for Home & Business. “We are proud to be part of Lee County BIA and are grateful to be able to help whenever we can. Builders Cares helps us give back to our community, and we felt it was time to give back to them.”

“This is a great project for a man that served in the building industry for many years. It is great to see other companies looking out for others in our community,” said Heidi Taulman, executive director of Builders Care. “We are so thankful for the support of Modern & Anderson to be able to provide this service to a sick man in need.”

Builders Care is the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA). Its objective is to provide emergency repairs and construction services to elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged people who are unable to obtain home repairs through traditional means. Builder’s Care enlists the volunteer services of Lee BIA members and leverages grants and donated materials to provide construction and remodeling services to qualified homeowners throughout Lee County. Most recent top corporate sponsors include Armadillo Underground and Real Estate Investment Society. Builders Care is headquartered at the Lee BIA offices at 4210 Metro Parkway, Suite 100, Fort Myers FL 33916. Donations can be made online at http://www.leebuilderscare.org/, or to the Builders Care general fund at BB&T (formerly Colonial Bank) Page Field branch at 4959 South Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. More information is available by calling 239-938-0056.

For the fourth consecutive year, Stevens Construction has won Aurora Awards at the Southeast Builder’s Conference. The Aurora Awards honor the best in residential and commercial construction in a 12-state region. The company also was presented with a Grand Aurora Award, which recognizes the best project within an entire category.

In a ceremony held on July 24 in Orlando, Stevens Construction won an Aurora in the best healthcare division for the Surgery Center of Mount Dora. Located at 3710 Lake Center Drive, the project consisted of an 11,052-square-foot ambulatory surgery center featuring three operating rooms, a minor procedure room, pre- and post-operation beds and associate support services.

Stevens Construction also was awarded an Aurora Award within the best public works/environmental division for the Lee County EMS Hangar Facility. The 15,000-square-foot facility includes an aircraft hangar, offices and crew quarters for EMS flight operations. Located at Page Field Airport in Fort Myers, the hangar also features two apparatus bays for ground EMS vehicles. The project also won the distinguished Grand Aurora Award.

Entries were judged on design, quality of construction, unusual constraints, cost savings techniques and outstanding features.

Last year, the company took home an Aurora in the hospitality category for South Seas Island Resort Kid’s Pool and was also honored with the prestigious Grand Award within the hospitality category for the Captiva resort project.

Surgery Center of Mount Dora is the second Aurora Award that Stevens Construction has won within the healthcare category. In 2008, the company was presented with an Aurora for St. Mark’s Surgery Center.

In 2007, Stevens Construction won its first Aurora for the Lagoon Pools and Clubhouse at the Pointe, a project to restore the waterfront resort after damage from Hurricane Charley.

With offices in Maitland and Fort Myers, Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals. Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control and warranty service. The company builds commercial, healthcare and hospitality facilities. For information, visit www.stevensconstructioninc.com or call 239-936-9006.

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida will induct Dr. William Figlesthaler, managing partner/shareholder at Specialists in Urology, and Len Zaiser III, president, CEO and founder of Structure Medical, into the 2010 Business Hall of Fame, Collier County, at a dinner and awards ceremony Oct. 27 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. The prestigious award recognizes prominent business leaders who are outstanding entrepreneurs and serve as role models for youth through their professional accomplishments and commitment to the community.

Figlesthaler and Zaiser will join a distinguished group of individuals who have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame since it was founded in 1987.

Figlesthaler started the small Naples urology group Specialists in Urology in 1997. Over the past 13 years, the practice has grown considerably to include 15 physicians, more than 250 employees and seven full service facilities from Fort Myers to Marco Island. The focus has been expanded to include surgery centers, radiation oncology centers and a clinical pathology lab. Currently, the practice provides Southwest Florida patients with the most advanced state-of-the-art technology and treatments for urological and other types of cancers. Specialists in Urology has an extensive clinical research department that participates in 15 to 20 clinical trials at any given time, which allows the practice to offer international cutting-edge treatments to patients even before they are available to the general population.

Supporting employees, through an exceptional benefits program, and giving back to the community are priorities for Figelsthaler. The Specialists in Urology team participates in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and supports organizations that help those suffering from abuse and breast cancer. The company is also a major sponsor of the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County. For seven years running, Specialists in Urology has provided free prostate cancer screenings with thousands of free exams and blood tests in Lee and Collier counties. They also lead the local chapters of both “Us Too International” and “Man to Man,” which are national prostate cancer educational and support groups.

Zaiser is a lifelong entrepreneur who has founded many companies within the medical device and aerospace industries and holds multiple patents for his inventions. He has been recognized for his unique engineering talent and creative ability using state-of-the-art precision machine tools and equipment. Currently, he is founder, president and CEO of Structure Medical LLC, a leading manufacturer of medical implant products that are used by orthopedic surgeons to treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use these medical devices to treat trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, tumor and congenital conditions.

Zaiser founded the Naples-based company in 2004 and established a second facility in Mooresville, N.C. two years later. The company was quickly recognized and rewarded with significant market share due to its unique design and manufacturing ability, and today it is a top one-percent supplier to global industry leaders. Zaiser is also a philanthropist, giving back to the community through organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, Naples High School Academic Booster Club and The Community School of Naples.

Many Collier County students involved with Junior Achievement will attend the Hall of Fame event, where they can interact with local professionals and practice their etiquette skills. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the event are now available. Proceeds benefit local Junior Achievement programs. For event tickets and sponsorship information, call the Junior Achievement office at 239-225-2590.

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, Inc. provides in-school and after-school programs for students in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties that focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Today, 126 individual area operations reach four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. If you would like to become a part of this thriving agency, contact the local office at 239-225-2590 or visit http://www.jaswfl.org/ on the Web.

Builders Care, the nonprofit arm of the Lee Building Industry Association, has completed another extreme home makeover in Fort Myers.

The recipient of the most recent extreme home makeover is Junior Florence, a 78-year-old man living in a small home off Edison Avenue. His 50-year-old, wood-framed home had an aging roof, rotting floors and no air conditioning. There were also no grab bars in the bathroom for stability. With help from a partnership through the State Housing Initiatives Program, hosted by the City of Fort Myers, and Builders Care building partners, the home received renovation services totaling more than $45,000, complete with the addition of air conditioning, new roof, floors, paint, kitchen, bathroom, fixtures and more.

“We are so fortunate to have such a giving community and volunteers always willing to help change someone’s life,” said Heidi Taulman, Builders Care executive director.

Local subcontractors contributing labor and material for the latest project include: Abash Enterprises, A-Rite Glass, Cabinets Plus, Cape Coral Plumbing, Cornerstone Construction, D.E. Moff Construction, D. Peck Roofing, Hide-Away Storage, JTE Electric, Mark’s Dumpsters, Murphy’s Handyman Services, Nilles Design, Gulfcoast Engineering, Raymond Building Supply, Sherwin Williams, Sunset Air, T&M Portable Restrooms, Totally Detailed Services and Renovations, TPI Aluminum, Universal Engineering, Wayne Wiles Floor Coverings and Westcoast Insulation.

Builders Care is the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee BIA. Its objective is to provide

emergency repairs and construction services to elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged people who are unable to obtain home repairs through traditional means. Builders Care enlists the volunteer services of Lee BIA members and leverages grants and donated materials to provide construction and remodeling services to qualified homeowners throughout Lee County. Donations can be made to the Builders Care general fund at any Colonial Bank. For more information, call 239-938-0056 or visit http://www.leebuilderscare.org/.

The American Red Cross, Lee County Chapter honored Paul Sands, former senior advisor at VIP Realty, Commercial, with a Humanitarian Award at the organization’s annual luncheon on June 15.

The award, which was presented to VIP Realty, Commercial in memory of Paul Sands, was accepted by Sands’ successor and his former partner in life and business, Lisa Sands, as well as VIP Realty, Commercial advisors Kim Hudak and Mark Morris. The award recognizes Sands for serving as an inspiration to others and exemplifying the spirit of humanitarianism.  

“Paul cared about the community and was an avid supporter of organizations such as American Red Cross throughout his life,” said Lisa Sands, advisor and manager at VIP Realty, Commercial. “I was honored to accept this award on his behalf and know he would have been honored too.”

Sands passed away on April 14 after a year long battle with cancer, during which time he assisted the American Red Cross in finding a new business location and negotiating a lease. The American Red Cross moved into the new location at 7051 Cypress Terrace, Suite 110 on June 21.

 VIP Realty, Commercial provides a full range of real estate services for land, office, retail and industrial properties. Specialties include sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchanges, investments, retail and office site analysis, and market and financial feasibility studies. For more information about VIP Realty, Commercial, located at 13131 University Dr. in Fort Myers, call 239-489-3303 or visit http://www.vipcommercial.com/.

Mike Garland and JP Pencil, superintendents for Stevens Construction Inc., have earned their Healthcare Construction Certificate (HCC) from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association.

The HCC program involves completing coursework and programs directly related to construction and renovation projects within the healthcare environment. Program curriculum includes risk management assessment, quality control, medical gas systems, life-safety code, infectious control planning and implementation. The certification demonstrates their understanding and knowledge of the latest compliance issues in healthcare construction and the expectations of owners, staff and patients.

Garland joined Stevens Construction in 2004 and has completed numerous projects for the Florida Hospital, including a 36-bed addition and a 50,000-square-foot medical office building and surgery center, both located on the Sebring campus.

A Stevens Construction superintendent since 2005, Pencil’s project experience includes South Seas Island Resort Kid’s Pool Complex, Florida Heart Associates Cath Lab renovation and the Builders Care Tanksley project, which earned him the Hearts and Hammers Award from the Lee BIA in 2009.

With offices in Fort Myers and Maitland, Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting, and consulting services to clients and design professionals. Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control, and warranty service. The company builds health care, commercial, public and hospitality facilities. For information, visit http://www.stevensconstructioninc.com or call 239-936-9006.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K) assistant project manager Abel Natali has earned his state of Florida general contractor license.

Natali graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and business administration from the University of Florida. He joined O-A-K in 2006 as a job site superintendent on the $80 million Marco Marriott Resort and Spa renovation. Abel was promoted to assistant project manager in 2007 and continues to work in that capacity at O-A-K’s Punta Gorda office. He is a LEED^® accredited professional through the United States Green Building Council and was a part of the team assisting Charlotte County Public Schools with LEED certification of the first elementary school in Florida, the first Silver-level certified elementary school in Florida, and the first LEED for Schools Silver-level certified elementary school in the Southeastern United States.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. O-A-K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has offices in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Its Charlotte County office is located at 1877 Manzana Avenue in Punta Gorda. Learn more about O-A-K at http://www.owen-ames-kimball.com/.