Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce
(Circa 1925)
~ 95
th
Year of Serving All Charlotte County
~
Offices in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda
BUSINESS ONLINE
(Please Forward to All Staff)
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~~~ Monday, March 9, 2020 ~~~
Sustaining Partners:
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Upcoming Chamber Events for ALL Members:
Tues., March 10,
9:00 a.m.,
Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce Radio Show,
WCCF News Radio, 100.9 FM, 1680 AM
Tues., March 10,
5:30 p.m.,
Ribbon Cutting,
C & F Movers
, 11503 SW County Road 769, Lake Suzy
Wed., March 11,
12-1 p.m.,
Networking & Noon
,
The Grill at 1951
, 1951 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, Call 941-627-222 for reservations.
Wed., March 18,
7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.,
Third Wednesday Coffee
,
Buffalo Wings & Rings,
1020 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte
Sponsor:
Buffalo Wings & Rings
Nonprofit:
Valerie's House
Program:
Charlotte County Economic Development
Fri., March 20,
1:05 pm,
Chamber Appreciation Game with the
Tampa Bay Rays,
Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte, $20, Mulit-chamber event, raysbaseball.com/chamberoffer
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Leadership Charlotte
The
Leadership Charlotte Class of 2020
is hosting a 5K Run/Fun Walk at Carmalita Park on April 11th … along with a Roaring 20's Speakeasy Event on June 13th. All funds raised will go towards re-building the press box at Carmalita Park and starting a grant for children to play youth sports in Charlotte County who could not otherwise afford to be involved. Please visit
leadershipcharlottefl.com
for event information and registration. Sponsorship opportunities are available as well.
Chamber Member Events
Spring Break Practice Sails at
Learn to Sail,
March 16th -18th, $115 for all three days or $40 per day, US Certified Sailing Instructors. Must have sailing experience, either in previous classes at Learn to Sail or another Sailing School - No Exceptions. 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., Ages 8-18,
Fishermen’s Village
annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Tuesday, March 17, 12 noon-9 pm. Live music featuring Paul Cottrell, Jim Garee, Mark Fitzpatrick, Eddie Dillon, Vladimir Gorodkin, Irish Step Dance by Kellyn Celtic Arts, and Lee County Pipes and Drums Parade/Performance. Free admission/free parking. Visit
www.fishville.com/events
for full details!
Register today for The 5th Annual Dart Cup Challenge sponsored by the PGI Cruising Club to benefit
The Homeless Coalition!
The Dart Cup Challenge will be held on Thursday, March 19
th
at 6:00 p.m. in Punta Gorda. Teams of four are $5 per person. There will be a chance auction and a 50/50 raffle at the event. All proceeds benefit the programs and services at The Homeless Coalition. For additional information contact and/or to register please email Larry at
PGILarry@centurylink.net
.
Educational Foundation Systems
- six-week, 18-hour S.A.T. program preparing students for the April ACT exam and May SAT exam at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce office in Port Charlotte. SAT/ACT workshop- Monday, March 23 at 6 p.m. Program starts Wednesday, March 25, 6-9 p.m. for six consecutive Wednesday nights. This program has been conducted for 24 years and will be our 49th Charlotte County program. Last fall, programs averaged 100 point rise on SAT and a three point rise on ACT. For more information-
efssat@embarqmail.com
or contact Edward F. Scott- 941-9161398.
K&K Hobby
will participate in the
Florida Planes, Trains & Cars Hobby Show & Swap Meet, Saturday April 4th, Charlotte County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit 165 tables of hobby related items and a try-before-you-buy crawler course inside. Enjoy hot food, prize entries (need not be present to win), and a working HO train layout. Adults- $7, children under 10- free. Vendor info- $10 a table, contact K&K Hobby Shop at 941-883-6931 or visit
https://www.facebook.com/kinharttrains/
Job Fair-
Charlotte Technical College
- Wednesday, April 8, 2020 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Hiring? Reserve your free space now! Email: Claudette Baines:
Claudette.baines@yourcharlotteschools.net
, phone 941-255-7500 ext. 280. Meet graduating adult students and members of the public looking for new opportunities. Offer your expertise to High School seniors as they practice job search skills. For CTC Information visit www.charlottetechcollege.net. Students achieve certification in over 20 industries, including Automotive, Building Construction, Baking & Pastry/Commercial Foods, Cosmetology, Computer Systems & Information, Digital Design, HVAC, Firefighting/EMT; Healthcare programs include Nursing, Patient Care Tech, Paramedic.
“Spring Fling……A Trip Around the World with Habitat” presented by
Charlotte County Habitat
and the
Farr Law Firm
. Join us for an evening of casino gaming, dinner, dancing, photo booth, raffles an
d a lot of fun as we explore habitat regions around the world.*
Saturday, April 18th, 6 pm at Twin Isles Country Club, 301 Madrid Blvd. Punta Gorda
$125 per person. Visit
charlottecountyhfh.org
for tickets or call 941-639-3162. All proceeds benefit Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity. *Credit Card Ba
r
available.
Charlotte Prep
will be having their annual event Saturday, April 18, 2020 at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. Tickets are $35. Charlotte prep is looking for ta
x deductible sponsorships and/or auction item donations or bottles of spirit. The event will have live and silent auctions, casino gambling, food and dancing. Jenn Hutchinson, 813-607-0782.
Goodwill SWFL
Golf Classic - where cart path could lead to Pebble Beach Golfers, hole sponsors and souvenir bag items are wanted for the 10th Annual Goodwill SWFL Golf Classic. Join us April 30. The for
mat is a four-person scramble. The $125 fee includes 18 holes of play, cart, lunch and contests. Hole-in-One Prize is a golf vacation to Pebble Beach to play and stay, valued at $7,500. Visit
www.goodwillswfl.org/golfclassic2020
for more information or to register.
Showcase your product/service at the many signature special events hosted at
Fishermen’s Village!
Thousands attend our events each month! Send an email with your inquiry to Kathy Burnam,
mkting@fishville.com
. The 8th Annual Key Lime and Tropical Fest is just around the corner on Saturday, May 9th! Now accepting vendor registration, especially those relating to this theme!
Please save the date for the
Animal Welfare League's
"Fairy Tail Endings." This fundraising event will be held from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. on October 17 at Kings Gate Golf and Country Club, 24000 Rampart Blvd. in Port Charlotte. Enjoy an evening of fine food, dancing, both silent and live auctions and help raise much needed funds for the animal at the Animal Welfare League. Sponsorship opportunities are available now. Call 941-625-6720 ext. 123 for more details.
Chamber Member News
BrightStar Care of Venice/ Port Charlotte
Wins Best of Home Care “Leader in Excellence”, “Provider of Choice” and “Employer of Choice”, awards from Home Care Pulse. It is the only company in Southwest Florida to win all three Best of Home Care distinctions for 4 years in a row (2017-2020) and only one of 37 nationwide. We are immensely grateful to our clients for trusting us and to our skilled and compassionate caregivers for always making our clients a priority, says Lisa Marie Swiatkowski, RN, and Jim Boone, BrightStar Care owners.
Are you looking for somewhere to volunteer?
C.A.R.E. (The Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies)
helps victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and violent crimes. We have outreach and awareness, answering the phones, hospital response team and two Re-Use stores
. Looking for compassionate, listening and caring individuals. For more information, please contact Julie Dennis at 941-639-5499 or
julie.dennis@carefl.org
, or go to
carefl.org/volunteer
for more information.
Become a volunteer mentor with the
Children’s Network of Southwest Florida
. Volunteers are needed who are caring, supportive, non-judgmental, and have 1 hour a week to meet with a local family to provide “familie
s helping families” style mentoring. Complete our online application at
childnetswfl.org
and take our Family Mentor Training online. Children’s Network office: 19621 C
ochran Blvd Unit 4 Port Charlotte, FL 33954. This a very rewarding volunteer opportunity ~ share your experience by mentoring a family ~ Lend-A-Hand Mentor a Family Today ~ Mentor Coordinator 941-613-3937 or
pmalik@cnswfl.org
for more information.
Are you thinking of buying someone a car for graduation? You should know that economy cars are often a bargain when it comes to maintenance costs. Even though the sticker price on Vehicle 1 might be the same as on Vehicle 2, different maintenance fees over even a few years can add to the total cost of ownership. Don’t burden your grad with a car that will cost a fortune to maintain! Check maintenance costs for various models on the
Complete Auto Repair
website,
mycompleteautorepair.com
.
Extended Stay America
will open its first hotel in Port Charlotte on March 16th. The property is conveniently located off the Kings Highway exit of I-75, at 24100 Beatrix Blvd. The hotel will have 120 suites with fully equipped kitchens (full-size refrigerators, microwave ovens and cook tops), free WiFi, “Grab and Go” breakfas
t and on-site guest laundry. At Extended Stay America, you will get all the amenities needed whether staying a day, a week or longer! Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce members receive 15% discount. Book now and save:
http://www.extendedstayamerica.com?CorpAccount=9930608
At
Friendly Floors
, we want you to love your floors for a long time. That’s why our team listens carefully to your needs, and recommends the best options. One of our favorites for high traffic areas is the new “Waterproof Hardwood” floor. Come see all our waterproof hardwood options at our showroom at 3785 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte. We offer financing as low as 0% for 12 months.
Did you know that
Gardiner & Sons Moving & Storage
helps new businesses get set up? Our short-term storage is handy when the room dividers arrive before the flooring. We’ll move those materials, store them until needed, and then deliver components in stages. We will unpack, and even set up cubicles and work areas. With all the details associated with a new office setup, let us absorb some of your burden. Remember, when quality counts, call Gardiner & Sons at 941-423-5311.
Guardian Ad Litem
advocates for abused, abandoned and neglected children in the 20th Judicial Circuit. Charlotte has 462 children in the welfare system, of that number 320 are appointed to t
he Guardian program. We are a volunteer driven organization. After the volunteer is trained, “party status” is received meaning pertinent records can be accessed to assist in advocating in court for the child’s needs. If you have a heart for children, ability to learn
and 12 hours per month to give, contact Rick Sloan, Recruiter at 941-467-4663 or
Rick.Sloan@gal.fl.gov
85% of people read reviews before they purchase. For a local business, having a portfolio of excellent reviews across all significant review sites creates a stream of customers that the Internet delivers for free. For businesses that make reviews a part of their customer service process, they can achieve prominence and gain even more business without having to spend on Internet marketing. If you want to understand how to make this happen for your business, contact Patti Guerzo, at
patti@guerzo.com
, at
Guerzo Business Consulting.
We all recently experienced what happens when someone passes suddenly and unexpectedly. Each day is a gift, and we can never predict what the future holds. Have you taken the steps to protect you and your family if something unexpected happens to you or your spouse? To get answers to all your estate planning questions and learn how to protect y
our family, contact Mark Martella, Esq. of
Icard Merrill
at 941-206-3700 or
mmartella@icardmerrill.com
to schedule a complimentary one hour, no obligation consultation, and learn how to be prepared for the unexpected.
For many people, the decision to remarry and combine households is fraught with all sorts of difficult questions. One of the toughest: Should we combine finances, too? These questions should be answered before a couple combines their assets. Once assets are combined, trying to separate them in the event of divorce can be complicated. If you want assistance creating a plan that will result in marital financial bliss, call Sue Craig, of
Independent Financial Coaching
, at (941) 916-5324.
Integrity
has been helping business owners for over 15 years and is proud to run a family-oriented business that takes time to understand client’s needs and provide services with a personal touch. At Integrity, we take on day-to-day employee management operations to allow business owners more time to concentrate on what they do best, grow their business! We do the things that you shouldn’t have to, so you can spend more time doing the things that you love. Learn more at
www.integrityel.com
or call us at 941-625-0623!
Kelting Inspections
offers residential inspections that provide a thorough overlook of the entire property you are wanting to purchase. With this inspection you receive a detailed report, complete with pictures. T
he goal of a residential inspection is to give you a clear understanding of what you are purchasing in your new home. Reach out to us today to learn more! Email:
office@keltinghomeinspections.com
; Facebook: Kelting Home Inspections; Website: keltinghomeinspections.com; Instagram: keltinghomeinspections; Phone: 941-655-8888.
Murdock Stones Etc.
is in its 25th year in business. To celebrate we are giving all Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce members $5 off per cubic yard on ANY of our bulk materials through the month of March. 590 Prineville St. in Port Charlotte (by the Sun Flea Market). 7621 Sawyer Circle (off Gasparilla Rd. …look for the World’s Largest Mailbox.).
www.murdockstonesetc.com
. 941-629-6651.
Do you require background checks on job applicants? If so, do you check SSNs, DOBs, prior addresses and, most importantly, 'federal' criminal records ... along with the state-based criminal records you check? Convictions for federal crimes are NOT included in state criminal records ... and embezzlement, forgery, money-laundering, credit card fraud, drug-trafficking, healthcare fraud, crimes against children, and many others are prosecuted at the federal level. BE SURE to check federal criminal records. For professional, FCRA compliant, employment and tenancy screening services, contact Doris Hebert-Ferrigno at
NRG Background Checks
. 941-488-8500; 800-531-6522;
nrginfo@atlantic.net
Please click
this link
for the Winter 2020
Punta Gorda History Beacon
- the newsletter of the
Punta Gorda History Center.
This issue includes our full plate of upcoming programs at the history center, provides an update on the Southern Southern, plus some history tidbits. Please share your comments on what you might want to see in future issues. The newsletter will be mailed by regular mail to those who have joined our membership. If you aren’t a member yet, and interested in joining, please find an application
here.
Suncoast Humane Society:
Dog - I’m Watson, an 8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix mal. I am full of spirit, on the go and can be stubborn at times. I weigh 19 lbs. Get the frisbee and the tennis balls ready!
https://www.petango.com/Adopt/Dog-Terrier-Jack-Russell-43850719
Cat- I’m Reba, a 9-month-old domestic shorthair mix female. Super friendly and loving, looking for a home to be my silly self. I was so excited to get my adoption picture taken I just couldn't sit still! If you’re looking for a cat with personality, I can't wait to meet you. https://www.petango.com/Adopt/Cat-Domestic-Shorthair-43905026
Redundant Backups. Why? Ransomware loves backups, especially ones attached to the device being backed up. Email filtering. Why? Ransomware loves targeting emails. Antivirus and an endpoint detection and response solution. Why? Antivirus solution alone is not enough. EDR solutions c
ollecting and storing large data volumes from endpoints and provide real-time host-based file level monitoring can help. How can I be 100% protected from ra
nsomware and cyber-attacks? Well, don’t connect to the internet! But if you must, call 941-426-3888 to implement the safest environment you possibly can. Nanci Ruhl,
The Computer People
When choosing the perfect mortgage plan, prioritizing needs and wants can lead in different directions. With 30 years in the business, Toby Lynn is a pro at helping your family, co-workers, or best buddy see advantages and disadvantages in options available. Specializing in happy, smooth, and on-time closings! Call today! Toby Lynn, Branch Manager,
The Mortgage Firm
, 941-356-6579 –
www.ThePerfectMortgageSolution.com
Payroll, Benefits, HR Support and Workers Comp, all in one easy package. Do What You Do, We’ll Do The Rest!
Worksite
makes life easier for business owners by handling all employee-related headaches, using a simple and transpar
ent system. PEO Brokers! Come work with the best and most broker-friendly PEO in Florida, with quick turnarounds, high commissions, and phenomenal customer service so you can spend all your time prospecting and less time unraveling PEO issues. Learn more at
WorksiteEmployee.com
or call us at 941-677-0110.
Your Complete Business IT. Online.
Zypha Corporation
is a national IT utility company that is on the cusp of a major expansion. At present we are operating in four states and have the ability to work in all 50 States, as well as anywhere within the world that has dependable internet access. We serve small and medium sized businesses and organizations including Federal/State agencies. These are exciting times so keep watching and see little Zypha grow. 941-204-1958,
zyphausa.com
Job Spot
The
Animal Welfare League
is currently looking for a part-time/full-time maintenance and groundskeeper. The job includes, but not limited to, mowing and weeding, maintenance needs of the shelter vehicles and lawn equipment, upkeep of the shelter buildings, pick-up monthly supplies from Walmart and donations. Also, installation of memorial bricks in walkway and hurricane prep of all outdoor equipment. Lifting up to 50 lbs is required. Stop by the shelter any day Tuesday through Sunday to fill out an application. We are located at 3519 Drance Street, Port Charlotte.
Your
"Help Wanted"
information could be here! Please submit 90 words or less to tashley@charlottecountychamber.org.
Just for Fun
Unfortunately, I was called into my manager’s office today because of a dress code violation.
She said, “I'm not sure what you were thinking, but you can’t wear pajamas for work.”
“Everyone else does,” I replied.
“That’s because they’re our patients,” she said.
SO unfair.
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Do you have exciting information about YOUR business? Send it to the Chamber and we'll share it with our other members! Email news about your business to Teri Ashley at tashley@charlottecountychamber.org. Please keep it to 90 words or fewer. We reserve the right to publish as well as edit any submissions. Business Online goes out weekly on Mondays … please email your news in paragraph form by noon of the preceding Friday. It's a free membership benefit!
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Teri Ashley, Executive Director
Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce
311 W. Retta Esplanade
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
(941) 639-2222
2702 Tamiami Trail
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
(941) 627-2222
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