Monday – August 14, 2006

FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS TO OPEN AUGUST 18 – Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Communications, the nation’s seventh largest telecommunications company, will officially open the new Frontier Communications Center in DeLand Friday, August 18, at 9 a.m. More than $2 million in improvements have been made to the former Teletech facility in the Woodland Plaza on U.S. 17-92 since the company’s initial announcement. A public ribbon-cutting will begin operations for the center. More than 80 of the initial workforce of 487 have been hired. The public is invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Job applicants are encouraged to contact Frontier Communications Solutions at 386/736-1371.

RESERVATIONS STRONG FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM – Maryam Ghyabi, president of Ghyabi & Associates and chair of the Women in Business Symposium, has announced that reservations for the symposium lunch are selling at a record pace and most likely will sell out before this Friday’s event. The lunch will be at the Goddard Center on the DBCC Daytona Beach campus and will feature Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR board member, as the keynote speaker. Lunch attendance requires a $25 pre-registration by Tuesday and is limited to the first 140 registrants. For reservations please call Cynthia Gradolf at 386/506-4297.

TOWN HALL FEATURES LEADING WOMEN EXECUTIVES – An on-air town hall meeting Friday hosted by Marc Bernier of WNDB radio will be co-hosted by Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR board member, and Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Communications this Friday. The event will be August 18 at 3 p.m. in the Goddard Center on the DBCC Daytona Beach campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. The town hall meeting is part of a day-long networking opportunity for area women. Preceding the town hall broadcast, the symposium also will feature a series of interactive presentations on professional women's personal and business growth issues (insurance, banking and legal) by three well known area leaders/motivational speakers from 1 - 3 p.m. Reservations are required only for the symposium lunch. No registration is necessary to participate in the business sessions or the broadcast (see above).

NEW TECH COMPANY TO ENTER ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER – County economic development officials have announced that Actium Defense, LLC, a new business startup specializing in supplying spare parts to the U.S. Department of Defense, has been approved for space in the Entrepreneurial Center within the ATC on Williamson Boulevard, Daytona Beach. Actium, founded by Donald and Marianne Carlson, serves prime contractors. The group initially will outsource its manufacturing. The company also will provide consulting services to other companies wishing to sell to the U.S. Defense Department. The Entrepreneurial Center provides startup space to emerging hi-tech companies along with small business counseling. For additional information on the Entrepreneurial Center, please call Phil Ehlinger at 386/248-8048.

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE FAIR SCHEDULED FOR PORT ORANGE -- A free Business Assistance Fair will be held Wednesday, August 16, in the Community Room of the Port Orange/South Daytona Chamber of Commerce, 3431 Ridgewood Ave., from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. sponsored by the county Department of Economic Development's Small Business Program, the Port Orange/South Daytona Chamber of Commerce and BDCC’s Small Business Development Center. Professionals from area business assistance organizations will be there to discuss issues of starting a new business.

NEW JERSEY GROUP TO ACQUIRE CRANE CAMS -- Crane Technologies Group, Inc., Daytona Beach, announced last week it is being acquired by Mikronite Technologies, Eatontown, New Jersey. Although still subject to shareholder approval, the transaction is expected to be completed within 60 days. Mikronite is an industrial technology firm with contracts in the aerospace, automotive, commercial and medical fields. Crane will continue its operations at 530 Fentress Blvd. and a significant capital investment in state-of-the-art machinery will be made locally. The County has been working with Mikronite’s management for months to encourage the company to consolidate its operations in Volusia County. Crane Technologies currently employs 220 high-skilled personnel.

NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave Byron, Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at (386) 822-5072 or by e-mail at dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us. If you wish to have your name removed from this weekly email broadcast, please let us know.