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Rosalie Blood, Blood’s Hammock
Groves, Named Small Business Person of the Year
By The Greater Delray Chamber of Commerce
Bethesda Memorial Hospital Named Business of the Year
Luminary Gala Celebrates Achievement, Leadership, Entrepreneurship
September 6, 2003-- Delray Beach, Florida
-- The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce celebrated
excellence and
leadership
among its members at its Luminary Gala, an evening of fine
dining, dancing and entertainment, Saturday, September 6,
2003 at the Delray Beach Marriott. Honored as Small Business
Person
of the Year, Rosalie Blood, Blood’s Hammock Groves accepted
the chamber’s pinnacle award.
Bethesda Memorial Hospital was honored as Business of the
Year. Please see details below.
| The selection committee, which is comprised
of previous Small Business Person of the Year award winners,
released the list today. There are four categories of
awards. |
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1. Small Business
Person of the Year, recognizes a small business person (per
SBA industry standards)
of a “for profit
business” with a proven track record, product innovation,
outstanding growth and economic achievement and commitment
to community. The chamber’s pinnacle award, it avows
its winner as among the estimated 22.9 million (SBA 202 Economic
Indicators) businesses in America that employ more than half
the nation’s private work force, create every three
out of four new jobs, and generate a majority of American
innovations.
The winner will be announced from among these finalists and
we congratulate each for his/her entrepreneurship that serves
as the backbone of our local economy:
Small Business Person of the Year, Rosalie
Blood is Vice-President and General Manager of Blood’s Hammock Groves, a family
owned and operated business for 53 years. Operating from
the same landmark location, Blood’s is a native grower
and shipper of Florida’s “most pampered fruit.” Blood’s
change from a seasonal business to a year-round, seven days
weekly has increased the number of jobs and additionally
summer sales by 35%. While catalog and seasonal sales remain
steady, up 20% in 2002, new promotional campaigns, such as
free membership in Fresh Juice Club, ice cream, locally grown
mangos and avocados, baked goods, and decorative plant and
garden accessories have increased off peak sales. Rosalie
is an active member in several industry trade groups including
the Florida Gift Fruit Shippers Association and the American
Fresh Juice Council. A member of numerous chambers, she is
also an active member of the Excalibur Society at Lynn University.
A inexhaustible supporter of the community, Blood’s
makes countless contributions to local events, schools, churches,
hospitals and charitable organizations.
Established in 1996, Finalist, Charles F. Cannone, CPA has
grown his business to a base of 50 commercial clients and
more than 250 individual tax clients. Charlie has built an
average growth rate of 83% annually over the last five years.
With a focus on entrepreneurial small business clients, Charlie
provides first-hand knowledge and corrective counseling advice
that many small business owners desperately need to avoid
the common financial pitfalls associated with a capital scarce
environment. Charlie believes that networking and community
involvement is equally important in making a business successful,
profitable and long-lasting. Charlie serves on the chamber
Board of Directors, Benefits, Technology, Operation Thank
You, and Ambassadors committees and Chairs a Leads Group.
Networker extraordinare and Finalist,
Sharon Klein, owner of Choice Marketing Group, Inc., touts
her steady path of
16 years growth on creativity and strong financial management
to weather adversities. Sharon’s company has grown
from a sole proprietorship to five sales people covering
South Florida and the Northeast as well as international
business via the internet in Japan, England and Holland.
To serve customer needs more efficiently, she has established,
per client needs, promotional products units, edible products
units, printing, presentation folders and software compatible
forms units. Additionally, Sharon has established partnership
with other service companies to fully service all client’s
marketing needs. Sharon’s unique approach of fulfilling
products and services not normally available to the average
distributor has proved invaluable to the success of her business.
Her philosophy that companies should give back as part of
their success is evident in Sharon’s involvement with
the Arthritis Foundation, Tomorrow’s Children’s
Fund and chamber committees such as Golf, Operation Thank
You, Ambassadors and Focus on Women.
Artist, photographer, Finalist, Kevin
Rouse opened KEVRO, an artist-owned gallery, featuring
photography and Giclee
fine art printmaking studio four years ago. Kevin regularly
contracts four local freelancers and supports local emerging
artists and apprentices. Kevin has doubled his client base
in the last 2 years and experienced a 400% increase in sales
over the past 4 years. He has 350 active clients including
artists, photographers, art lovers, galleries, art representatives,
designers and commercial accounts. As Giclees have become
a national phenomena, he has invested in high end equipment
and received national press in Art Business News for “selecting
the latest, most exciting, most innovative releases worldwide.” A
sampling of Kevin’s contributions to our community
include: 2003 Mayor’s Artistic Talent Award First Night,
2001 National Award Winning Designer All America City, numerous
photography contributions to city special events, Pineapple
Grove Board of Directors, and Art Walk committee member.
2. Business of the Year recognizes an
organization for proven track record, growth and economic
achievement, innovativeness
of product or service, response to adversity and contributions
to community. The winner of 2003 Business of the Year, Bethesda
Memorial Hospital, opened its doors to South Palm Beach County
patients in 1959 and has grown, changed, according to the
demands of a patient population: 55,000 to emergency room,
19,000 admitted, 10,000 surgical and 2,600 babies who get
their first peek into our world via Bethesda’s maternity
ward currently. Bethesda just completed its $60 million expansion.
Patient demands include 72 new private rooms, expanded telemetry
unit, inpatient oncology and outpatient infusion therapy,
and a ten room Benefactor’s pavilion featuring 10 luxurious
suites plus concierge services and made-to-order menus. They
are especially proud of their new Open MRI, Positron Emission
Tomography, high staffing ratios among nurses and patients, “care
partnering” valet parking and Comedy Cupboard. Last
year Bethesda provided $16 million in charity care, representing
77% to total indigent care delivered in Palm Beach County.
3. Ken Ellingsworth Community Service Awards
are presented to chamber members for commitment and generosity
of time
and talent to our community. Congratulations to our 2003
winners who were honored during the Luminary Gala Awards
Ceremony:
- Dale Briese, Personal Banking Services Inc.
- Lula Butler, Community Improvement Director, City of Delray
Beach
- Robert Chapin, Chapin, Armstrong & Ballerano
- Robert G. Currie Partnership Inc.
- Nancy Fengfish, Fidelity Federal
Bank & Trust
- Mark Grainger, Outback Steakhouse
- Rick Konsavage, Delray Beach Marriott
- Janet Onnen, Meisner Electric
- Kevin Rouse, KEVRO Inc.
- Natalie Stolbach, Barry’s
Jewelry Spa
4. Business Recognition Awards are presented
during the gala ceremony to members for making significant
capital investment
to our area’s economy through expansion of business,
significant job growth, major renovation or restoration of
their site. Business Recognition Awards were presented to:
- Café Veri Amici
- Caffe Luna Rosa
- CALCO Development Corp.
- City of Delray Beach Marina
- Community Childcare Center of Delray Beach
- De La Tierra at Sundy House Inn
- Delray Bay Apartment Homes
- Delray Beach Yacht LLC
- The Estuary by Porten Co.
- Holiday Inn Highland Beach
- Ironwood Properties, Inc.
- Island Air Conditioning
- J & J Raw Bar
- Longhorn Steakhouse
- New Urban Communities
- Pineapple Grove Associates LLC
- Randolph & Dewdney Construction
Inc.
- Residence Inn Delray Beach
- Sonoma Café & Bistro
Congratulations
to all of our award winners who make it a pleasure to network
and conduct commerce among them! Many
thanks to our generous sponsors; without their support, we
could not produce this event. Elan Sponsors: BellSouth, Bethesda
Memorial Hospital, City National Bank of Florida, Delray
Medical Center, Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust, The Palm
Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel , Weiner & Aronson, PA. Spirit
Sponsors: Bob Miller State Farm Insurance, Boston’s
on the Beach, Charles F. Cannone, CPA, Joe & Kelley Moore,
KEVRO, Make it BIG! By Frank McKinney, Mr. & Mrs. Steven
Deness.
Our deepest appreciation to our Awards Selection Committee,
comprised of previous Small Business Person of the Year
Award recipients: Robert W. Hayes, 1991,
David L. Henninger, 1992, Bob Miller, 1993, Frank E. McKinney,
1994, Susie Simms, 1995, Jerry Janaro, 1996, Peggy Murphy,
1997, Perry DonFrancisco, 1998, Bill Branning, 1999, Rita
Ellis, 2000, Nancy Reagan, 2001, Mike Sneiderman, 2002.
Special thanks to our Silent Auction
Donors: Adelphia Alpenglow Productions Inc., Atlantic Avenue
Chiropractic Center, Atlantic
Avenue Eye Care, Back to
Health, Barry’s Jewelry Spa, Bella Bella Salon, Blood’s Hammock
Groves, Boca Raton Executive Country Club, Boca Raton Marriott, Boomer’s,
Borton Volvo/Volkswagen, Boston’s on the Beach, Bucky Dent’s
Baseball School, Caffe Luna Rosa, Canoe Outfitters of Florida, Christian
Science Reading
Room, City Oyster, Colony Hotel & Cabana Club, Create Your Look, Delray
Art & Framing Center, Delray Beach Golf Club & Restaurant, Delray
Beach Playhouse, Delray Beach Tennis Center, Delray Medical Center, Delray
Wine Cellar,
Dorothy’s Denims & Much More, Dr. Connie Boczarski, FiniTesori
Jewelry Designs, Great Spaces, Hand’s Stationers, Helen Regenstreif,
J.B. Smith & Son
Inc., JCD Sports Group, Jim Woolard’s World Gym, KEVRO Inc., LDG The
Leach Design Group, Lakeview Golf Club, Lion Country Safari, Lynn Migdal,
Family Chiropractic, Lunar Tunes Music, Make it BIG! 49 Secrets for Building
a Life
of Extreme Success by Frank McKinney March of Dimes, Morikami Museum & Japanese
Gardens, N. Reagan & Co. Day Spa, Palm Beach Gym & Fitness Center,
Palm Beach Polo & Country Club, Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, Picture
This!!
Raindancer Steakhouse, Robert A. Eckelson, D.D.S., P.A., Roger Dean Stadium,
SeaEscape, Shore Chiropractic, Southwinds Golf Course, SunFest of Palm Beach
County, Tamara’s Flower Garden, The Colony Hotel Palm Beach, The Country
Club, Boca Raton, The Embassy Suites Hotel – Boca Raton, The Hamlet
Country Club, The Harid Conservatory, The Juliana Collezione, The Linen Store,
The
Palm Beach Post, The River House Restaurant, Vintage Rose, Walt Disney World
Co., Wild Eyes Photography, www.goNetSite.com.
And last but not least, thank you Event
Contributors: Atas
Party Rental,
Delray Beach Marriott, From Roehm with Love and Lunar Tunes
Music.
The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit
business organization comprised of more than 1000 member
businesses. Its mission is to provide leadership to promote
the economic well being of our total community, to preserve
our free enterprise system and to promote business growth
and development. For more information, call 561/278-0424,
e-mail us at chamber@delraybeach.com or visit our website:
www.delraybeach.com.
Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 to 5 and on
Friday from 9 to 4:30. The chamber office is located one
half block
south of Atlantic Avenue on S.E. 5th Avenue (South bound
Federal Highway).
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