Business briefs
Bealls takes gold, silver in 2016 ADDYs
BRADENTON -- The creative team with Bealls Department Stores has been recognized for exceptional design, photography, print and video campaigns during the 2016 "Southern Decadence" American Advertising Awards Gala March 12 by adFest Suncoast.
At the 2015 ADDY awards ceremony, Bealls received three gold and five silver awards. In the past 30 years, the Bealls Department Stores teams have won more than 100 ADDY awards. All gold category winners will move on to compete at the district level to become finalists for the national ADDY awards. The district competition will be in Tampa on April 30.
AdFed Suncoast President Lee Gaines said, it was "especially nice" to see Bealls, a Florida business, come out of the awards a winner.
The company's three gold awards came in still photography, online/interactive digital publications and for a television back-to-school ad campaign. It won silver awards for cross platform advertising, for a spring and summer television campaign, for still photography, for an online Mother's Day campaign and for an "ambient media" advertising installation.
Founded in 1915, Bealls Department Stores is a division of Bealls Inc., headquartered in Bradenton.
County accepting adjustment board applications
MANATEE -- Manatee County has an opening for a citizen member on the 2016 Value Adjustment Board. The board serves as the decision-making authority when there is disagreement between a property owner and county property appraiser concerning exemptions, valuations and classifications.
The board meets at least twice a year in the first-floor chambers of Manatee County Administrative Center, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
Applicants must own homestead property in Manatee County; and must not be a member or employee of any taxing authority in Florida, or represent property owners, property appraisers, tax collectors, or taxing authorities in any administrative or judicial review of property taxes.
Applications are due April 30 and may be found online at mymanatee.org/advisory_boards.
Resource center hosts free job workshops
SARASOTA -- Employment CPR, Career Pathway Resources, is a job readiness program offering free half-day workshops for Florida residents 21 and up. Each half-day workshop will include resume writing, internet job searching, job interviewing and other skills.
Women's Resource Center of Sarasota County was selected by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to manage the job readiness program. The workshops are scheduled 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Manatee County and Sarasota County on these dates:
April 20 at WRC at 340 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota,
April 21 at North Port Family Service Center at 6919 Outreach Way, North Port
April 28 at WRC Manatee at 1926 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
April 28 at WRC Sarasota at 312 E. Venice Ave., Suite 110, Venice
Additional one-on-one services tailored to individual needs will be offered to all workshop participants and include computer classes, dressing for success, interviewing skills, job coaching and more.
For information or to register, call Cheryl Herbold at 941-366-1700 or email cherbold@thewomensresourcecenter.org.
Neal builds first homes at FishHawk Ranch
LITHIA -- Lakewood Ranch home builder Neal Communities has broken ground on two villa model homes and will construct 76 homes in the Sagwoood neighborhood of FishHawk Ranch in East Hillsborough County. The development is Neal's first venture in the 1,300-acre master-planned community.
Neal will build two floor plans, its 1,524-square-foot Tidewater and the 1,434-square-foot Crystal Sand.
FishHawk Ranch is owned in a joint venture partnership between Japan's largest homebuilder, Sekisui House, and Newland Communities.
FishHawk Ranch is the first green-certified new home community in Hillsborough County.
GrowFL taking 2016 awards applications
ORLANDO -- GrowFL is accepting applications for its annual Florida Companies to Watch awards program. The annual event honors 50 select second-stage companies from throughout Florida for developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and creating new industries throughout Florida.
Eligible applicants must be privately held, second-stage commercial enterprises. Qualifying companies must also be headquartered in Florida, employ between six and 150 employees, and earn between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue.
A selection panel of judges representing areas of economic development, banking, entrepreneurship and small business select winners based on fast and/or high growth in employment rates and revenue. Award recipients must also demonstrate unique strengths and traits including entrepreneurial leadership, product innovation, social/community responsibility and competitive business practices.
GrowFL is a statewide economic development organization certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation, a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on May 31. For information or to nominate a company, visit http://GrowFL.com/flctw16/.
-- Herald staff reports
This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Business briefs ."