Friday, April 23, 2021 United Economic Leadership Brought to you by | Business Development Board of Martin County

"It's nice to have that in-person contact and you get to meet them and shake their hand. I'm glad I came out. It was a great opportunity. I got some good leads and hopefully, it works out for me."--Scott Stringl, attendee of Stuart Job Fair, WPTV, April 16.

Speaking with the CEO Dan Capen: Customer service key to Stuart Jet Center winning international recognition

Dan Capen (left, next to his brothers Doug and Jeff Capen) is president of the Stuart Jet Center. Founded in 1978, the fixed based operator (FBO) at Witham Field specializes in servicing passengers and planes in the general-aviation industry. The Capen family is celebrating recently achieving high ratings for service in an international survey of FBOs around the world. Congratulations on the results of the survey. Can you tell us about the results and share your reaction to them? Thank you. Stuart Jet Center finished No. 2 overall for line service—which refers to how you treat customers and aircraft in the handling and fueling services. We were No. 4 for customer service and we finished among the top 5 percent overall. We’re very pleased. It’s a big honor to do so well, especially among so many top-notch competitors. But the credit goes to our entire team, which is fully committed to providing the highest caliber customer service possible.

How exhaustive is the survey itself? It’s conducted by Aviation International News, which is the leading publication in the industry. They survey the passengers of more than 4,500 FBOs around the world and determine the results based on the users’ reviews and ratings. They also factor in cumulative aspects from former surveys going back to 2014 so there’s an even fuller picture of the company instead of looking at a snapshot of just one year. How has the Stuart Jet Center performed in the survey in the past? We’ve competed well and steadily improved over the years. In 2019 and 2020, we ranked No. 1 for line service and No. 4 for customer service, and were in the top 10 for the world’s most improved FBOs. Speaking of improvements, what can you share with us about the recent capital investments you’ve made at the jet center? We’ve recently invested up to $5 million in additional space for offices and hangars—adding 36,000 square feet. That puts our total facility space at 460,000 square feet on an overall footprint of 54 acres. We’re in a service-based business—that includes fueling, storing and maintaining aircraft as well as ensuring our passengers travel safely and comfortably. We also updated our terminal, adding a new conference room, crew kitchen and pilot lounge. We’ve talked a lot about ratings. How would you rate the strength of the aviation industry in Martin County? We’re so fortunate to live in Martin County and have an asset like Witham Field. The businesses are able to cater to passengers and pilots while still working with the county in adhering to its noise-abatement measures. That balance has protected the community and the economic activity of the industry. There are some great aviation businesses here. Whether it’s in sponsoring Young Eagles, where local pilots offer free flights to kids interested in learning to fly, hosting tours and field trips for students and clubs, hosting Operation 300 for Gold Star Families, or supporting the youth programs at the Stuart Air Show, we often work together with our colleagues and even our competitors to share our passion for aviation with the public. It’s something we all appreciate, and fortunately, the community is appreciative as well.  Editor's note: Atlantic Aviation, the second FBO at Witham Field, was among the top rated FBOs by AIN in the Southeast Region.

What's happening at Witham: Dassault Aircraft Services upgrades connectivity system

STUART--Dassault Aircraft Services’ (DAS) satellite service station at the Stuart Jet Center at Witham Field recently completed its first installation of Honeywell’s Jetwave Ka-band connectivity system. The upgrade was made on a Falcon 7X. “Our main focus is to anticipate and provide the services and options that our customers need, including aftermarket upgrades that keep the Falcon fleet modernized,” said Remy St-Martin, DAS senior v-p and chief operating officer. “Our service centers have performed many of these upgrades for customers and we are happy to add the Stuart facility to the mix of locations offering this sought-after upgrade.”   DAS has retrofitted a number of Falcons with the Jetwave satcom system, which comes installed on new Falcons and offers a “significant improvement” in data transmission speeds compared with older technology systems such as SwiftBroadband, according to Dassault Aviation's maintenance arm.   Other DAS facilities are located in St. Louis; Teterboro, New Jersey; and Van Nuys, California.

Ready to work for yourself? BDB's 'Side Hustle to Main Gig' can help get you there

For all the entrepreneurs rising early and working late to develop their inventions, innovations and startup businesses while still pulling a full-time day job, hope is on the horizon. Teaming with Martin County, the City of Stuart, NAACP of Martin County, Indian River State College and the Small Business Development Center, the BDBMC is unveiling an entrepreneurial initiative called "Side Hustle to Main Gig." Running Tuesday evenings, May 11 through June 15 at the 10th Street Community Center, 724 S.E. 10th Street, Stuart, this exciting new 6-week course empowers individuals with the tools, tips and tactics to strengthen their skills and market know how, positioning them to trade the work they have to do for what they want to do. The series features local business experts and includes, among others, topics such as: 6 Steps to Success Lean Biz Planning Magnetic Marketing Side Hustle Financial Basics Cost is $25. Only 35 slots are available. Call James Carroll at 772.221.1380 to reserve your spot.

Register

Robust turnout for Stuart Job Fair

More than 175 people took part in the Stuart Job Fair, which featured more than 24 local employers including Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, Martin County, City of Stuart, Martin County School District, Triumph, Armellini Transportation, Hog Technologies, Shearwater Marine/Shearwater Boat Works, Walmart, RennTech, AEgen Construction, Chipotle and more. "We here at HOG are so grateful for the opportunity to participate at the Stuart job fair. As a result, we were able to fill one of our CNC Machinist/Programmer positions and we have two more job candidates in the pipeline for other great employment opportunities too," stated Maria Lopez, HOG Human Resources Manager following the conclusion of the Job Fair.

Put teens to work this summer without picking up the tab

Small business owners: Would you take on paid teen interns this summer if you didn't have to fund their paid internship? This could be the opportunity you--and more importantly, a local teen who's determined to learn, earn and position themselves for future success--have been looking for. CareerSource Research Coast is funding the Summer of Success 2021 project, an employer hosting opportunity for Martin County. Private, nonprofit and public companies are invited to participate. Created to provide "meaningful internship opportunities," the program funds internships for Martin County youth ages 16-19 from June 12 through July 9. Young people first attend the Youth Employment Success Solutions (YESS) training prior to placement and are matched according to career interests and geographical location. For more, email Teri Graul or visit online.

Register for Summer of Success

The Business Development Board of Martin County is currently looking for the following professional to join its team to help with key operations and new activities around our Hubs of Excellence Marketing + Branding Strategy: Administrative Assistant – Full-Time Apply by Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 5:00 p.m. with letter of interest and resume to Joan K. Goodrich, Executive Director, joan@bdbmc.org

Numbers to Know - Latest Unemployment March 2021

3.4 percent Martin County 4.8 percent St. Lucie County 4.4 percent Indian River County

BDBMC available to help businesses

A Stronger Economy is Everyone's Business.

The Business Development Board of Martin County, a public-private partnership for economic development is proudly funded and supported by the Martin County Board of County Commissioners, City of Stuart, American Stairparts, Bank of America, FPL, Indian River State College, Council of Chambers, Economic Council, key industry leaders and regional organizations. The BDBMC helps business owners, entrepreneurs and executives to start, grow, stay, invest and create in Martin County, Florida. To learn more, visit www.bdbmc.org or call 772.221.1380.