10/01/2018
Contact: Oliver Oetterer
[email protected]
(407) 381-3742
October 1, 2018
News Release
For Immediate Release
50 FLORIDA COMPANIES YOU WILL WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO
— Entrepreneurial styles, corporate cultures give these second-stage companies competitive advantages—
Tampa, Florida (September 20, 2018) — GrowFL is pleased to announce the 50 statewide companies expected to see significant growth over the next several years. These 50 companies were selected from more than 500 nominees for Florida Companies to WatchSM, a statewide program managed by economic development group GrowFL, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.
The winning company’s management team, competitive market position and strong community involvement were among several factors that put them in contention for the award.
“These stand-out companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he said.
“I want to thank GrowFL for recognizing EPIC’s contributions to our communities. EPIC’s growth is a testament to our incredible team members and our passion to help our communities achieve operational excellence through technological innovations. We are grateful to our clients and partners who put their faith in us and gave us the opportunities to solve their critical business challenges. Every day, all of us at EPIC strive towards achieving our vision is to be a world leader in delivering innovative process optimization and technology solutions that enhance our communities and infrastructure. We will continue to develop and deliver world-class solutions for our clients and bringing high-paying technology jobs to our beloved State of Florida.” Dr. Prasad Chittaluru
Below is the list of the 2018 Florida Companies to Watch honorees (For brevity purposes, we've left out the other companies):
Company Name City County Primary Business
EPIC Engineering & Consulting Group, LLC Winter Springs Seminole Information Technology
“This is a strong group of companies that deserve this special recognition given annually to the state's top second stage companies,” said Dr. Chris Morton, GrowFL Chairman of the GrowFL Advisory Board, CEO of NanoPhotonica and a 2015 Florida Companies to Watch honoree. Second-stage companies are defined as those with 6 to 150 full-time employees and between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue. There are many programs and incubators promoting start-up businesses; GrowFL is the only Florida program that focuses exclusively on second-stage companies.
The 50 companies named the 2018 Florida Companies to Watch generated nearly $1 billion in revenue and added nearly 1,000 jobs between 2014 and 2017.
Together, the companies project a 50 percent increase in revenue and 40 percent increase in job growth in 2018 compared to 2017.
Companies named to the list will be officially recognized February 9, 2019 at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa, FL. Tickets are on sale now for the awards ceremony.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.growfl.com/flctw18/about-flctw/
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ABOUT EPIC:
EPIC is a central Florida-based developer of enterprise hybrid software solutions that enable our clients to simplify and optimize their business processes via intuitive, adaptable, and scalable solutions.
About GrowFL:
GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support, including strategic research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring and leadership development, to second-stage Florida companies. Created by the Florida legislature in 2009 and grounded in the philosophy of Economic Gardening® — growing existing businesses in a community, region or state — GrowFL is a critical component of the state’s economic development strategy and Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. GrowFL is certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation. Website: growfl.com
About the Edward Lowe Foundation:
Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). The foundation focuses on second-stage companies — those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. In addition, the foundation has a second mission of land stewardship and is committed to preserving the natural resources and historically significant structures at Big Rock Valley, its 2,000-acre home in southwest Michigan.
