Winners' Circle

>>In booming Southwest Florida, businesses in every industry sector-from service and retail to technology and manufacturing-are thriving. Among the local commercial success stories are businesses that not only continue to build revenues and add to their employee rosters, but also provide a helping hand and a boost to their communities, economically and otherwise.

Each year, the governor's office recognizes these leading companies statewide during Industry Appreciation Week. In September it was once again the business community's time to shine as the 22nd annual program celebrated innovation, entrepreneurship and great business sense. In Lee and Collier counties, awards were given in separate ceremonies to those most deserving of recognition. (Winners were not announced before this story was written.)

But what does it take to nab one of those coveted glass or bronze statuettes? The economic leaders and past winners who judge the nominees say they look for leadership, innovation and creativity-however many Southwest Florida businesses go above and beyond those expectations.

In 2004, Mr. Shower Door won Collier County's Entrepreneurship Award for its innovative marketing and unique glass products, but vice president Bill Daubmann credits its Excellence in Industry win to the company's extensive community involvement and work with public schools. WilsonMiller won the Innovation Award for a large business for helping to steer rapid growth in Collier County and protect its natural resources. In Lee County, the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa took the Excellence in Tourism award for its continual contributions to the Lee County tourism industry; an expansion, slated to be finished next year, will open up 235 Gulf-front accommodations. And Pall Aeropower Corporation, a national company that provides products for biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and the aerospace market, took the Excellence in Manufacturing award for its work in Fort Myers and its cutting-edge approach to cell manufacturing.

Executives from these companies know the secrets to being a regional leader in business. Here's their advice for future nominees.

What does it take to be successful in your industry?

>>Bill Daubmann, senior vice president, Mr. Shower Door:

You need to be customer-oriented with the best products and the best installers. You need to have knowledgeable showroom help and you need to return phone calls when you say you're going to.

>>Alan Reynolds, CEO, WilsonMiller Inc.:

Integrity in all facets of business and personal interactions; a well-conceived and clearly articulated strategic plan to enable the entire organization to focus on its mission and vision and collectively make decisions that will realize your goals; and a culture of open-mindedness, innovation and willingness to change in order to respond to rapidly evolving markets.

>>Brij Misra, regional vice president and general manager, Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa:

Those that succeed in the hospitality industry do so by understanding and identifying their customer, providing the services and amenities that meet their needs, focusing on consistently delivering superior service and keeping a close eye on the trends that are shaping the future.

>>Chip Howison, vice president of manufacturing, Pall Aeropower Corporation:

You have to provide solutions for your customers that will allow them to reduce their overall cost. Your products must offer the customer a technical advantage with excellent quality at the best possible price and a lead-time that supports their overall business.

What challenges does your business face?

>>Misra:

The greatest challenge of any business is to stay competitive and innovative by being able to keep up with evolving customer demands and the latest trends impacting your industry, and being fluid enough to adapt and change as needed via the introduction of new services, staff training, operations, etc.

>>Reynolds:

The recruitment of well-qualified staff to keep pace with our rapid growth, particularly in the engineering and technical disciplines.

>>Daubmann:

Getting licensing from other counties to expand our business has been a challenge. Also, finding suitable property to build regional offices as well as educating the public to what frameless shower doors are. But that goes for any business; every business has to educate the public about what you're trying to sell them.

What does it take on a regional level to improve your business?

>>Daubmann:

Proper locations of our satellite stores are important. We are opening our third location in Sarasota, but we have to get the proper location and licensing. We already have quality people to run it. With good help, you can grow regionally.

>>Reynolds:

Greater access to training and education was identified as a key desire of our staff. As a result, we created WilsonMiller University with customized programs that are oriented to all facets of our business and the needs of our staff. We hired a full-time professional development coordinator for this effort and are investing significant time and resources to make it a model program in our industry.

>>Misra:

Relationships are extremely important. We have worked very hard to build and grow relationships with a multitude of constituents and partners-from local civic and community organizations and groups, to trade association chapters that feed our group business, to airlines that provide service into our market, to the travel agent community that helps sell our resort to their customers.

What strengths and weaknesses of the regional economy affect business?

>>Howison:

One of the strengths of the regional economy is the abundance of available resources in the community for potential hourly employees. However, a lack of available professional and engineering personnel at the local level sometimes requires the Fort Myers plant to recruit outside the local community and the state of Florida to find this critical resource.

>>Misra:

There are a number of strengths to doing business in the Southwest Florida region. Increased air service into the market has made us more easily accessible, which has helped grow inbound leisure guests as well as groups. The terrific efforts of the local VCB (Visitor and Convention Bureau) to market the destination, and pleasant weather, are helping to drive business year-round. On the downside, last year's hurricanes and the early storm season this summer have certainly had a negative effect on local/regional economies throughout the state and on Florida tourism as a whole.

>>Daubmann:

The cost of housing is coming to the point where the craftsman worker can't afford to live here. We have a very wealthy clientele, but the cost of housing makes it difficult for startup families to live [in Southwest Florida], and that makes it difficult to get more help. A lot of the jobs here are more executive-type jobs; tradespeople generally live in Lehigh Acres and commute. The strength of the region is the affluence of the people living here who want quality products. The great weather means that more affluent people want to live here and that caters exactly to the type of product that we want to sell.

What sets you apart from other businesses in your industry?

>>Daubmann:

We are a specialty store, even though we have a glass license. We chose only to specialize in shower doors, and that is what sets us apart from other glass businesses. We have the biggest variety of hardware and the biggest variety of glass. Also, most glass shops don't advertise; we market directly to the consumer. We also position our stores on a highly visible road, whereas other glass businesses are mostly in industrial areas. It's unusual for most trades to pay bigger dollars and higher rent.

>>Reynolds:

We were the first engineering/surveying firm in the region to aggressively pursue the diversification of our professional service to include planning, design and ecological disciplines and treat these as equals. We began this process more than 20 years ago. More than one-third of our total revenues now come from such services. Therefore, we place a greater emphasis on multidisciplinary thinking about problem solving, and can offer our clients a more complete and well-integrated suite of services. We were also the first to embark upon a goal of becoming a statewide firm with national presence, which has greatly enhanced our growth rate and access to new talent and new markets. We now generate more revenues from projects outside of Southwest Florida than we do within.

>>Howison:

Pall Corporation is the global leader in the filtration, separation and purification business. We are a material science company that offers the customer a product to enhance their overall operation in seven different markets. One R&D project alone can be used across many markets the Pall Corporation currently serves in its wide range of products and services. In the world of operations, the Pall Corporation has embraced lean-manufacturing/six-sigma tools to reduce cost and improve quality while reducing inventory and lead-time for each product. While these are not new to the industry, it takes a commitment at the top to fully embrace these concepts to significantly change how to design or manufacture a product.

What's your advice for others with their sights set on "Excellence in Industry?"

>>Misra:

Know your customer, and deliver superior service and value to that customer on a consistent basis. Also remember the importance of being a good corporate citizen in the community, which represents an important constituency for business and your employees.

>>Reynolds:

Identify those special qualities, strengths and core values that are unique to your company, make sure that all of your employees understand and embrace them, and then use this foundation to build toward your future vision.