Utilities | Capital Analytics Associates

Spotlight On: Steven McCraney, President & CEO, McCraney Property Company

By: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read April 2020 — The strength of the commercial real estate sector relies on the major roadways that run in and around Orlando, Steven McCraney told Invest:. He also notes that the location of Orlando is a great anchor to position his business as it provides ease of access to everywhere the company needs to be, as well as how the primary growth of his company has clearly been the warehouse and distribution space.

How connected is the strength of the commercial real estate market to the major roadways in Orlando?

The strength of the commercial real estate sector relies on the major roadways that run in and around Orlando. The last 50 years in Florida were all about the I-95 corridor, from Jupiter to Coral Gables. If you were to drive that route today there is not an available parcel of land on the roadway. We believe the next 50 years for Florida are going to be primarily focused on the I-4 corridor, from Tampa Bay to Lakeland to Orlando and onto Daytona Beach. While Daytona has not started to pop yet, the thing that we know is that there are two major roadways in Daytona, I-4 and I-95, which leads us to believe that it will be a good market at some point in the near future.

Why is Orlando the most ideal location for your operations?

The Orlando economy continues to thrive. It’s attracting new residents, it’s generating new jobs and the increased interest is driving industrial users into the market because of the ability to distribute out of the state of Florida from the region on a one-day basis. We relocated to Orlando because the area places us right in the middle of the state. We operate throughout the Southeast and Orlando, which anchors us in the middle of everywhere that we need to be. It also provides the ability to move easily throughout the Southeast because of the region’s dynamic airport.

In regard to your business operations, where have you seen the most growth?

We are industrial developers. That is our mainstay and focus. This is complemented by third-party property management. As of late, the growth has clearly been the warehouse and distribution space. The total industrial space in Orlando is 123 million square feet, which breaks down into roughly 100 million square feet of warehouse distribution, 13 million square feet of manufacturing and the remainder is made up of office, flex space and distribution product. Here’s what we know: warehouse is the new retail. If a person is ordering online, whether it’s products, clothing or food, the merchandise is likely not coming from a store, it is almost certainly coming from a warehouse. This is attributed to e-commerce growth and third-party logistics. Over the next few years, we are going to see the markets continuing to change and expand. From an industry perspective, I believe we have a trajectory that is at least 15 years long. While the product may continue to change, that product is coming from somewhere and that somewhere is a warehouse. As social distancing is ever more important and various markets are now under a “shelter in place” order, it is clear that suppliers, like Amazon, are still delivering essentials through package products to each and every home.

What market trends have had an effect on your business?

We are always looking for ways to leverage technology in our business. Whether it’s roofing systems, lighting or super-flat floors, we want a logistics facility to be plug and play for a customer. The biggest challenge in recent years is rising costs. This can be broken down into the rising labor cost and the cost of materials. For example, the cost to build out a 1,500-2,000-square-foot office space within a warehouse space today can easily run around $250,000. That number exceeds $100 per square foot. At the same time, we have seen strong rent growth and because of that we have been able to keep pace. As we presently enter an economic downturn due to this pandemic, one would expect the cost of goods – both labor and material – will correct. Most of us in the industry went through the last recession and we know how debilitating it was. Moving forward, we have to be cautiously optimistic as we enter this challenging economic cycle and be mindful of our leverage, occupancy, quality of tenancy and our construction exposure.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://www.mccraneyproperty.com/

Networking at Noon, webinars keep Burlington Regional Chamber members informed

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read April 2020 — The novel coronavirus forced a global halt to major international, regional and local events. From the NBA season to networking conferences, all gatherings of any size stopped abruptly in an effort to flatten the curve and prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, from spreading further. However, as the population at large becomes accustomed to social distancing, stay at home orders and self quarantining, many events went from a hard stop to full speed ahead virtually. As the business community adjusts to the challenges of the disruption caused by the coronavirus, many institutions are building value and maintaining relationships with patrons by maximizing the use of webinars, online classes, video conferences and even virtual happy hours.

In its “Staying Connected” series, Invest: is talking to leaders in various markets about their efforts to, well … stay connected.

South Jersey institutions like the Burlington Regional Chamber of Commerce are shifting to video meetings to stay connected and provide value to members and nonmembers alike in the current landscape. “We are providing as much digital content and opportunities as possible to both members and nonmembers. Our goal is to be a partner and resource for the business community at large,” President and CEO Kristi M. Howell told Invest: South Jersey. “We are offering several different options. Networking at Noon takes place every Monday and it is strictly a virtual business card exchange. We are providing webinars, both live and recorded, on issues and benefits around COVID-19. Most importantly, we are providing educational webinars to strengthen professional development. It’s important that we keep our eye on the future and continue to educate our members on essential business tools so that we all pull out of this stronger.”

For the chamber, it’s all about doing “what we do best for our members on a different platform. We have moved everything that we can online and it’s business as usual for most things, but remotely. We have modified communications and have suspended normal newsletters in favor of those that are pertinent to this ever changing situation. We are focusing on highlighting five to seven members a week in our Meet Our Members series and we continue to make introductions for those who are doing business or modifying their business model for today’s climate,” Howell said.

The video conference platform, Zoom, has quickly become ubiquitous across the virtual events space. Across economic sectors, different institutions are taking advantage of Zoom and similar platforms. To host a successful virtual event, event planners must decide between hosting a virtual meeting or a webinar. “If you expect attendees to mostly just listen,” the best option is a webinar, Zoom advises as part of its digital event best practices. “When you need more back and forth between the audience and the host,” planners should choose a virtual meeting, the platform advises.

Once the type of digital event has been narrowed down, hosts should hardwire the internet connection to prevent any Wi-Fi-related hiccups or virtual lag. In terms of audio, hosts should test speakers and audio prior to the meeting and minimize any background noise, according to Zoom. Additionally, hosts should dress to impress and make sure to start the virtual event on time. It is important to set the tone of the event and encourage Q&A’s during the virtual meeting or webinar. As a best practice, Zoom recommends the use of the Chat function to keep track of questions and comments. For larger webinars, Zoom offers a Paypal integration to charge the registration fees seamlessly.

For the time being, social distancing will be part of the mainstream business landscape until at least May. However, many institutions are adjusting and pivoting more and more to the virtual hosting model to build value, share information and regain a sense of community in a time where residents are being asked to self-isolate as much as possible.

To learn more visit: https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/04/best-practices-for-hosting-a-digital-event/

https://www.bcrcc.com/

Stay hopeful: Handling coronavirus-related stress in Palm Beach County

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read March 2020 — With constant updates on the coronavirus and its impact on the United States, social media posts displaying frenzied buying, and closure of schools and other municipal buildings, it is easy to stress and feel coronavirus-related anxiety. As you monitor the news for the latest coronavirus developments in Palm Beach County, here are a few ways to make daily life under this changing landscape more bearable.

Try that new restaurant you were craving, via takeout or delivery of course

Many states and municipalities are enforcing early curfews or closing dine-in options altogether in the midst of the coronavirus. However, that does not mean you have to forego that delicious entree or amazing dessert you were craving. Go ahead and treat yourself to succulent food by perusing the different delivery options UberEats, Grubhub, and Delray’s own Delivery Dudes have to offer. Delivery Dudes and the like offer favorite, local restaurant options to enjoy if you are shacked up with the little ones and their homework duties, or neck deep with remote work.

Go out for a beach walk

As government leaders encourage social distancing, this may be the best time to get in touch with nature and disconnect from the stress brought on by the coronavirus talks. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach is the perfect place to stay six feet away from people and then some. Though events have been canceled, the park remains open until further notice and is encouraging beach walks. Dip your feet in the sand, stretch, and breathe in the Palm Beach air as you take a mental break from the news and other worries.

Connect with others

In this particularly stressful period, it is easy to sulk and retreat from others, especially with talks of self-isolation and quarantine. However, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends to use this time to reach out to others who may also feel stressed and anxious due to the coronavirus pandemic. The administration recommends that reaching out to those you trust is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness and boredom during the possibility of social distancing, quarantine and isolation. SAMHSA recommends to use telephone, email, text or email messaging, as well as Skype and other video conferencing services to stay in touch with loved ones and friends. The administration recommends to maintain a hopeful and positive attitude during this time and to consider keeping a journal to write down grateful and positive thoughts.

Family staycations:

Staycations have been part of the social conscience for some years, and now is the time to perfect the coveted family staycation. Use this time to have some fun with the entire family as schools and workplaces transition into online classes and remote work. Come up with an after-dinner family movie list or interactive project. Maybe it’s time to dust off those boardgames or old books littering the garage, and why not do some spring cleaning while you’re at it. Perhaps a family dance-off or storytelling competition could help break the monotony of being indoors and bring the family closer together. Try it out. With so much time indoors, it is the perfect time to enjoy family time in a totally new fashion.

To learn more, visit:

https://deliverydudes.com/

https://www.macarthurbeach.org/

https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4894.pdf

For up-to-date advice on the Coronavirus response, you can check the CDC website here. For Florida-specific information, click here

Logistics Expo MODEX Going Ahead Despite Coronavirus Concerns

By: Sara Warden

2 min read March 2020 — Despite Coronavirus concerns, this year’s MODEX conference is going ahead as scheduled on March 9-12 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The conference attracts 900 exhibitors and, as logistics companies, all have a stake in the developments currently fragmenting the supply chain.

The Covid-19 outbreak that began in China at the end of January has already shut down national and international borders, but this is one reason why expos such as MODEX are so important. The companies present in Atlanta will be supply chain and logistics optimization companies whose goal is to optimize operations by reducing or even eliminating human involvement.

One of the technologies to be launched at the expo is the Puck 32MR, a joint venture between California’s Velodyne Lidar and South Korea’s Seoul Robotics. The technology is a lidar sensor that can detect obstacles in a warehouse setting, allowing for safe automated navigation. “Supply chain systems need to continue to become smarter and safer, more efficient and further automated. To address these requirements, companies are turning to lidar to play a key role in enabling the next generation of manufacturing and supply chain solutions,” said Jon Barad, Velodyne’s vice president of business development, in a press release.

Another company presenting its portfolio will be industrial vehicle automation company Elokon, which has a global presence and U.S. operations headquartered in Atlanta. One notable product that will be presented at the expo is MHI Innovation Award-winning solution ELOshield, which is a sensor that detects proximity and provides collision warning with specific warning and protection zones.

And Atlanta-based Elemica provides a cloud-based supply network that provides tracking transparency and optimizes product shipment. “These enhancements improve use of inventory, streamline onboarding for inter-business connectivity, improve search, including hazardous material (Hazmat) criteria, and allow for more in-depth visualization for track and trace of product safety and knowing where orders and shipments are at all times,” said Arun Samuga, Elemica’s Chief Technology Officer in a press release.

The transportation management system (TMS) market in North America is poised to grow by $1.62 billion during 2020-2024 and Atlanta is at the forefront. American Software, an Atlanta-based supply chain software solutions provider, was recently upgraded to a Strong Buy rating by Zacks. The company’s president, Allan Dow, said in the company’s most recent earnings call that the software will allow customers to be “better positioned to overcome the growing supply chain talent shortage that may impact their profitable growth and ability to respond to rapidly changing market conditions or unanticipated supply chain disruptions.”

And with there being no signs of the Coronavirus slowing down and quarantine numbers growing by the day, more integrated, automated supply chains and logistics systems could be just what the economy needs to boost trade activity.

To learn more, visit:

https://www.gwcca.org/georgia-world-congress-center/

https://velodynelidar.com/

https://www.seoulrobotics.org/

https://www.elokon.com/en-EN/

https://elemica.com/

https://www.amsoftware.com/

Spotlight On:Bruce Cohen, CEO, OrthoCarolina

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read March 2020 — Shifting from the traditional fee-for-service environment prevalent in the U.S. healthcare system to value-based care programs requires innovative processes and outside-the-box thinking, all to the benefit of the patient. Bruce Cohen, CEO of OrthoCarolina, shares how the company is spearheading this transition.

What are the drivers of OrthoCarolina’s success and what does that entail for 2020?

OrthoCarolina is a large, independent musculoskeletal group. Our geography stretches outside of Charlotte, all the way up into the Piedmont Triad and Winston-Salem, including Hickory, Shelby and Laurinburg, with our hub in Charlotte. What makes us different is that we are on the cutting edge, embracing value-based care, seeking to lower care costs for our patients, getting them to the right facilities and providers. Our No. 1 goal is to increase access. Historically, healthcare has lacked transparency, leading to poor access and communication and resulting in high costs. We had close to a million patient visits in 2019. OrthoCarolina has 40 locations, including offices, physical and occupational therapy. We are also involved in outpatient surgery centers, which are critical for orthopedic care.

How is OrthoCarolina bolstering accessibility from a business standpoint?

The transition from the traditional fee-for-service environment into an innovative, outside-the-box, value-based care program is complex. Physicians are resistant to change so empowering and engaging them, promoting the fact that this transition comes out of a true necessity and obligation is a lengthy process. We are on the forefront at the national level in that regard. The first step is to educate people that this new option translates into better care and better access, providing different choices for our patients. We have to look at our patients as consumers, inject transparency over treatment costs and inform them what their options are. Wait times at doctors’ offices or hospitals that go for hours on end, for instance, are no longer acceptable. The challenge is to provide quality care and service without the patients feeling like a commodity or that they are on an assembly line. We developed a set of benchmarks relating to patient satisfaction, which we published online and internally so our doctors know where they stand.

How can your success move to the larger healthcare systems?

North Carolina is a Certificate of Need (CON) state, which has attracted powerful healthcare organizations that we work with closely. It is difficult from a regulatory standpoint because they often have much more control over the healthcare dollar than the rest of us do. That is all changing, however, with much more ongoing collaboration than there used to be. The systems are open to it and Charlotte is a great example. Healthcare systems are starting to embrace and acknowledge the fact they have to look at costs and stress quality and state-of-the art facilities and offer all services. Charlotte is one of the higher-cost healthcare markets in the country. It is not a sustainable model.

What health trends have you identified in Charlotte?

Our community has a primarily young component to it parallel to an aging population. On the one hand, it is healthy but more active, which creates the need for orthopedic services given the training-related injuries and other issues related to an active population. On the other hand, we are witnessing big retirement communities coming to town. Those needs, especially on the musculoskeletal side, are growing. The technology and advances in orthopedic care have enabled people to do well and be more active.

How is OrthoCarolina tackling the talent issue?

It is a competitive field. As we expand and look to provide more access, we are facing two large healthcare systems in town that make their presence felt when they open a new facility and launch a hiring campaign. Charlotte’s workforce is also highly competitive. Unemployment rates are low, it is a nice place to live, people want to be here. On the provider side, 2018 was the first time in orthopedics that more professionals finishing their training went into hospital employment positions rather than joining an independent practice.

What is on the near-term horizon for OrthoCarolina?

We are leading the charge particularly on joint and spine replacements. We launched our coordinated care program to tackle episodic care, which up until 2019 had amounted to 150 patients a year, and we are looking at potentially 1,000 cases for 2020 to become a part of this program. It includes a care navigator that checks on our patients throughout the whole episode, preoperatively and postoperatively. Our outcomes have shown close to zero complications or readmissions for program participants.

The next step is population health. This revolves around developing a program to manage the entire health of the population in coordination with different stakeholders: physicians, hospitals, insurance companies. For us, it means focusing on the musculoskeletal aspect of the program. That is when algorithms and protocols come into play to avoid redundancies, unnecessary tests and undergoing procedures at the right time and for the right patient. Our priority is to serve our community.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit: https://www.orthocarolina.com/

South Jersey’s higher-ed sector at the forefront of workforce readiness

By: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read March 2020 — Education affordability, talent retention and the demographic change of fewer students going onto college are some of the challenges facing the industry. Educational institutions in South Jersey and the state government are placing a particular focus on affordability and workforce readiness.

Many universities and colleges now see that workforce development and curriculum updates are necessary to meet the demands and needs of employers and the jobs of tomorrow. That is the case of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors. Part of its mandate is to facilitate collaboration between Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University in the development of curricula and programs related to health sciences.

“Presently, we are working together to respond to projected employment growth in healthcare professions,” said Dana Redd, CEO of the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors, in an interview with Invest:. “Some of the initiatives that we have launched include a Medical Assistant workforce development and training program for graduating high-school students from Camden’s traditional public schools.”

Another projected demand is the increased need for healthcare providers to assist individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related disorders. In anticipation, the board launched the Alzheimer’s Navigator Program in 2017. “The curriculum is taught by Camden County College. Inspired by the Patient Navigation model in oncology, Alzheimer’s Journey Coordinators aim to improve access to care and treatment for people with Alzheimer’s,” Redd said.

A challenge not only affecting South Jersey but the whole country is declining enrollment rates. Data from the State of New Jersey’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shows that the overall number of people attending higher education institutions in the state slightly declined over the last decade.

Unlike some universities that are struggling with declining enrollment, Rowan University doubled enrollment in the past 10 years to 19,600. During that time, the university transformed from a well-regarded regional university to a nationally ranked, Carnegie-classified R2 research university. According to Ali A. Houshmand, President of Rowan University, the STEM fields and businesses are the areas seeing the greatest growth. “We built new facilities for our colleges of engineering and business three years ago and doubled enrollment in their programs,” he said.

“Another growth area is our medical schools. We are one of only three institutions in the nation to offer both M.D. and D.O. medical degrees. Our commitment to medical education is important given the nation’s growing physician shortage,” Houshmand stated in an interview with Invest:.

Community colleges also play a key role in the workforce development of any community. In the southern New Jersey region, Camden County College (CCC) offers the most certification programs. According to CCC’s President Donald Borden there is great demand for machinists in the region. “Companies come to hire them as soon as they become proficient,” Borden told the Invest: team.

“Students trained in robotics, automobile tech and optometry all find work after graduating. We offer some of those programs that are not traditionally seen as higher ed, but they have been in very high demand,” Borden said. Business and education and criminal justice are also in-demand programs at CCC.

To fulfill the needs of the employers and provide access to education for all students, it is imperative that colleges, universities and government provide initiatives for education affordability. In February 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the “Garden State Guarantee,” which is a $50 million investment in four-year senior public colleges and universities through his proposed FY2021 budget that would allow all eligible New Jersey undergraduate students to attend any public college or university in the state tuition-free for two years.

“We know students drop out of college — or worse, rule it out as an option for them — because they believe the price tag is unaffordable. After more than a decade of decreased state investments in higher education, our administration’s innovative plan creates a path for broader college affordability,” Gov. Murphy said in a written statement. “This complementary program underscores New Jersey’s continued commitment to tuition-free community college. We remain laser-focused on retaining in-state talent through our Jobs NJ initiative and expanding opportunities for low-income communities and communities of color.”

The program complements similar existing efforts at William Paterson University, Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark, and New Jersey City University. According to the “Garden State Guarantee” official press release, the guarantee builds on existing state programs to make college affordable, including financial aid provided to students through the Community College Opportunity Grant, Tuition Aid Grants and New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarships.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors: https://rurcbog.com/

Camden County College: https://www.camdencc.edu/

Rowan University: https://www.rowan.edu/

State of New Jersey: https://nj.gov/governor/index.shtml

A look at American Airlines’ Charlotte operations: 700 daily departures and counting

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read Feb 2020 — From its strong headquarter relocation culture to its growing population and access to both capital and high-skilled talent, the Queen City has been flying high for several years. Undoubtedly, much of the region’s success can be directly attributed to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and the American Airlines hub that now serves more than 700 daily departures.

The airport is undergoing a $3 billion makeover, modernizing and expanding its infrastructure with American at the center of the renovation efforts. In this process, the airport and American are helping recruit companies to Charlotte and training the next generation of the aviation workforce.

This past holiday season, the airport renovation projects began to materialize as American added four gates on Concourse A to its Charlotte operations. “Charlotte 700” refers to American’s growth strategy in the Queen City and aims to serve more than 700 daily flight departures, a figure which Vice President of Operations Dec Lee said the airline surpassed. “Charlotte 700 refers to our original plan to have 700 flight departures a day, but we are actually over 700 departures a day now,” Lee told Invest: Charlotte. “Every time you want to add options for customers, you have to make sure that you can handle that and still have a great operation. We have a great collaboration with our network team and with the airport to build the right flight schedule,” he said.

The airport and American have been a vital part of the region’s economic diversification success and thriving headquarter relocation culture. “When you listen to some of the corporate announcements explaining why companies have moved here, you often hear about the ability to fly out of the hub. It is a great experience, particularly for business travelers, to be able to fly out in the morning and come back in the afternoon,” Lee said. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles echoed Lee’s sentiments. “We have invested heavily to make our airport a transport hub for the region with access to global businesses,” Lyles told Invest: Charlotte.

Charlotte government officials and business leaders have been working in tandem to promote the Queen City as a business destination to local and international companies. One major target sits across the Atlantic. “This year, we will make a concerted effort to reach out to companies in Europe to let them know that Charlotte, thanks to its strong travel infrastructure, is a viable destination for their U.S. expansion,” Lyles said.

For those interested in aviation, mechanics and engineering, American could be a potential job destination. The airline is coming to the end of a labor cycle, meaning opportunities will open for young workers. “We have a population of mechanics and pilots who are beginning to reach retirement age. That is unfortunate for us, but it is a fantastic opportunity to bring new folks into an industry that is doing so well compared to the early 2000s,” Lee said. Overall, the future looks bright for the next generation of pilots, mechanics, and flight attendants. “You are bringing people into an industry that is growing and vibrant, and these jobs are exciting jobs.”

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://www.aa.com/homePage.do https://www.cltairport.com/

https://charlottenc.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

Face Off: How local chambers of commerce are responding to the region’s population growth

By: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read February 2020 — Both the number of visitors to Orlando and its population are on the rise. The Invest: team spoke with Betsy Gardner Eckbert, president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, and Andrew Cole, president and CEO of the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce, about their latest efforts to respond to the local growth and the challenges their chambers face.

Andrew Cole

How is the community responding to the region’s visitor growth?

Betsy Gardner Eckbert: The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started several efforts to target and reach international guests. The second-biggest group of visitors that we receive in Winter Park is international. Half of the international visitors we received two years ago were coming from the United Kingdom. To respond to that demand we put together our Tourism Task Force, which created a business plan through destination marketing efforts, and as a result we had a 560 percent increase in traffic to our website from people from the U.K. We increased by 86 percent the traffic of people from the U.K. through the door of our Welcome Center. We will continue to expand our reach to international guests from different countries as well, including Canada and Brazil.

Andrew Cole: We’re anticipating having almost 2 million people in Orange County by 2030. I think that speaks volumes, and we’re preparing for that population growth. Our transportation infrastructure is being enhanced, Virgin Trains is making its way into Orlando, the Orlando International Airport is building a new terminal, and our local governments are looking at additional transportation solutions and housing affordability issues. Businesses are expanding, creating new jobs, such as Universal Studio’s new Epic Universe theme park, Disney’s continued growth of their parks, and the Creative Village in Downtown Orlando is an innovation district for high-tech, digital media and creative companies providing new opportunities. Tourists and visitor numbers continue to increase providing plenty of opportunities for businesses to thrive. It’s exciting to know that businesses that are here and those relocating here have opportunities to grow and expand their footprint in Orlando.

Betsy Gardner Eckbert

What are some challenges for your chamber?

Eckbert: One of the challenges for our members is attracting and retaining the appropriate talent. To support them, we launched a pilot program to identify talented professionals — mostly women with impressive degrees who have stayed home to raise a family. Our program helps them get back into the workplace. Through this pilot return-to-work program we placed 83 percent of the participating women within six months in local and global companies. We are very excited to have the ability to furnish our members with a talent base of people who are reliable and have the skills and talents they are looking for.

Cole: One of our biggest challenges is making sure that we have smart growth in that we’re looking at all aspects of the impact any new development will have on the area. We also have the battle between people who want to stay rural and those who want to see development. As long as we can plan smart growth, continue to address our challenges and remain forward thinking, I know Orlando will continue to be the place to be.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce: https://winterpark.org/

East Orlando Chamber of Commerce: https://www.eocc.org/

Face Off: Bringing More Energy to the Bay

By: Max Crampton Thomas

4 min read February 2020 — As the Tampa Bay region continues to grow both in population size and new developments, the need for access to more energy and cleaner energy solutions grows with it. Invest: spoke with the leaders of two of the main sources of energy for the region and their innovative approach to creating cleaner energy solutions. T.J. Szelistowski serves as the president for Peoples Gas, which has provided Florida residents and businesses with reliable, environmentally-friendly, economical natural gas products and service since 1895. Nancy Tower leads Tampa Electric as its president and CEO. The utility has served the Tampa Bay area for 120 years, with more than 5,000MW of generating capacity.

How is your company innovating in terms of technology?

T.J. Szelistowski: The last time we spoke, we discussed implementing gas-fired heat pumps that use natural gas instead of electricity for air conditioning. We are working with several customers on installations of this technology. Additionally, we have installed the technology in three of our facilities and have been pleased with the performance.

In terms of other technologies, we are targeting farming and waste facilities that release methane into the air. Our environmental solution is to capture that methane and clean it up to reinject it into the system. This not only provides a cleaner form of natural gas but also reduces methane emissions. We look forward to announcing some significant projects with this technology in the near future.

Nancy Tower: We believe battery storage is a part of our energy future. The technology is new, and we’re not ready to deploy that on a large scale until we figure out the true impact it will have on our system. We have put in place a battery storage project this year near our Big Bend solar project, which will give us really good information on how solar and battery storage interacts with our system. We’re really looking at how we can integrate battery storage into the complexity of the renewable energy ecosystem.

In other technologies, we are also in the middle of a large-scale installation of smart meters, which provide a lot more information and allow us to provide customers with superior service.

T.J. Szelistowski

Why has investment in cleaner, more renewable energy and environmental sustainability been such a focus for your company?

Szelistowski: Natural gas is the perfect partner to renewable solar energy to provide capacity when the sun is not shining and to ensure energy is available to customers around the clock. Additionally, natural gas can provide great environmental benefits by replacing diesel fuel usage in large vehicles, such as buses and waste-management trucks.

A variety of ships are starting to convert to natural gas because of changing environmental regulations, specifically IMO 2020, which slashes permissible levels of sulfur permitted in fuel for seaborne vessels to minimal levels and opens the door for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative.

Tower: The biggest factor is that customers want it. When thinking back over the last few years, the number of people focused on a cleaner environment has increased exponentially. This is symbolic of the focus citizens and our customers have on environmental stewardship, and that is not going away. We are very happy with our progress.

I think it’s our obligation on behalf of customers to demonstrate that clean energy is not only our responsibility in terms of an environmental perspective, but also from a cost perspective. We are focused on both of those things simultaneously. As the entity generating electricity, we have the responsibility of doing that in the most responsible way.

Nancy Tower

How would you respond to the argument that clean energy is not yet cost-effective or readily available?

Szelistowski: Natural gas interstate transmission pipelines are relatively new to Florida compared with the Northeast, having been introduced only in the 1950s. In addition, natural gas is a primary source of space heating in many parts of the country. With limited space heating in Florida, natural gas is primarily used for cooking, water heating and clothes drying in addition to industrial uses. We see a great desire for natural gas by people who have moved from other parts of the country and have enjoyed using natural gas in the past.

In terms of misconceptions, people do not realize the widespread availability of natural gas in Florida. Additionally, they may not realize the affordable nature of home and business use of natural gas. With low and steady gas prices, natural gas provides a great alternative to both business and homes.

Tower: It is our job to ensure that our generation portfolio is the most cost-effective for customers. Over the long term, we have carried out extensive cost modeling to ensure we can meet these expectations. In the next number of years, we will add more solar capacity and our generation will include more small-scale methods combined with battery storage. This doesn’t come without hard work and we need to find the right ways to keep costs low. This involves finding the right land close to our transmission infrastructure, ensuring suppliers are providing competitive prices and efficient cost management. Costs have come down, but we need to ensure we tightly manage this.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://www.tampaelectric.com/

https://www.peoplesgas.com/

Spotlight On: Steven McCraney, President & CEO, McCraney Property Company

Networking at Noon, webinars keep Burlington Regional Chamber members informed

Stay hopeful: Handling coronavirus-related stress in Palm Beach County

Logistics Expo MODEX Going Ahead Despite Coronavirus Concerns

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