14th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honorees Announced

GrowFL is proud to reveal the 50 outstanding companies chosen as 2024 Florida Companies to Watch honorees. This prestigious awards program, now in its fourteenth year, highlights Florida’s thriving entrepreneurial spirit by recognizing second-stage companies that have shown remarkable contributions to the state’s economy.

The 14th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch awards program is brought to you by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation. These honorees represent a diverse range of industries, all demonstrating impressive growth potential. They are recognized for their innovative approaches, strong leadership, and dedication to making a positive impact on their communities.

A rigorous selection process was followed by this year’s judges which includes a panel of past honorees, entrepreneurs, economic development professionals, and business leaders from across Florida led to the final 50 honorees. Evaluations focused on employment growth, job creation, sales growth, financial performance, product or service innovation, resilience in the face of adversity, and community involvement. The honorees distinguished themselves through their commitment to innovation, community support, and an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels Florida’s economic growth.

Beyond meeting eligibility requirements—being headquartered in Florida, employing between 6 and 150 individuals, and reporting revenue between $750,000 and $100 million—these honorees have shown impressive growth over the past four years.

Collectively, they generated close to $2 billion in revenue from 2020 to 2023, added 1,462 jobs, and achieved a remarkable 180% revenue increase and 127% employment growth. Averaging an annual revenue growth of 45% and employee growth of 32%, these companies have exemplified resilience and adaptability in challenging times.

Looking to the future, these honorees project a strong upward trajectory, with a forecasted 31% increase in revenue and a 19% rise in employment for 2024.

If these projections hold, the honorees will have collectively generated over $2.9 billion in revenue and added 1,951 jobs over five years—a staggering 266% increase in revenue and a 169% increase in jobs since 2020. These numbers reflect their sustained growth and underscore their continued contributions to Florida’s economy.

The Florida Companies to Watch program celebrates the essential role of second-stage businesses. As Pete Previte, Chair of GrowFL Board of Directors and Broker Associate at CRES CORP, explained, “These companies are the driving force behind Florida’s economic vitality, fostering job creation, innovation, and sustainable growth.” This year’s honorees represent Florida’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, spanning industries and regions across the state, with many led by women, veterans, and minorities.

The GrowFL brand and awards have been more prominent in the Central Florida region, but over the recent years have grown in popularity in both North and South Florida. Earlier this year, 97 finalists were announced and almost 30% are represented in South Florida. Most are within the Miami-Metro region which inlcudes Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, but a few have popped up in South Florida’s Treasure Coast region as well.

Since its inception in 2011, the Florida Companies to Watch program has honored 650 outstanding companies. With this year’s 50 honorees, the program reaches a milestone of 700 recognized companies that have made lasting contributions to Florida’s economy and communities. Many past honorees have transitioned from second-stage to established enterprises, growing their workforces to over 500 employees and expanding their impact in Florida and beyond.

One of those companies is Boca Raton-based Blue Frontier which has pioneered an innovative smart air conditioning system that operates with ultra-high efficiency. Blue Frontier is revolutionizing air conditioning for commercial buildings. The company is the developer of patented solutions for hyper-efficient comfort space conditioning, low-cost energy storage, and smart IoT controls to aggregate its air conditioners as distributed energy resources for use as a Utility-Managed Virtual Power Plant. Blue Frontier’s first product addresses the 5 through 10-ton commercial packaged rooftop air conditioner market with a drop-in replacement offered under an HVAC-as-a-Service subscription-based business model.

“Blue Frontier is proudly a Florida technology company. There is nothing more satisfying than being recognized by our peers in our own community. To me, this award showcases the unique ingenuity, creativity, audacity, and entrepreneurial spirit that drives Blue Frontier, and that is so Florida,” said Daniel Betts, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Frontier.

Reflecting on the achievements of this year’s honorees, Marius Dobren, Chair of the GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Awards Committee and President of Sawgrass Financial, remarked, “The unwavering growth and resilience of Florida’s entrepreneurial community continually inspire me. The 2024 Florida Companies to Watch honorees have consistently demonstrated a remarkable commitment to growth and success. Like their predecessors, they have met challenges with resilience, pushed the boundaries of their industries, and inspired their teams to achieve extraordinary results.”

As Florida continues to foster a dynamic environment for entrepreneurship, the Florida Companies to Watch awards honor these companies’ vital roles in shaping the state’s economic future. This year’s honorees embody the resilience, creativity, and dedication that drive prosperity in their communities and strengthen Florida’s economy, setting the stage for continued success and innovation.

The official recognition awards gala will take place on February 27, 2025, at the Hard Rock Live, Universal CityWalk, Orlando, FL. To purchase your ticket to this year’s awards show, visit www.growfl.com/about-growfl-flctw/registration

 

Congratulations to the 14th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honorees!

Abacode – Hillsborough  Above Group, Inc. – Brevard All Clean Industries – St. Johns Atlas Sign Industries – Palm Beach BFARR Contracting – Orange Blue Chip Maintenance, LLC – Hillsborough Blue Frontier, Inc. – Palm Beach Brooks Building Solutions – Duval Caring Therapists – Broward CLN of South Florida, Inc. – Palm Beach ConnexPay – Lee DirectMail2.0, LLC – Pinellas Drake Ready Mix, Inc. – Lee Emerson and Friends, LLC – Pinellas Empire Aviation USA – Palm Beach Eternal Life Services Corp – Miami-Dade Family First Firm – Orange FBR Aviation, Inc. – Broward Fire Neural Network – Alachua FlightPath Golf LLC – Orange Focus GTS – Miami-Dade Frankndesign LLC – Orange Fuse Specialty Appliances – Broward Golden Boat Lifts & Marine Systems – Lee GoTu Technology, Inc. – Miami-Dade

Haddy Inc. – Pinellas HCM Unlocked – Miami-Dade Kabinets by Kinsey, Inc – Hillsborough Kalogon – Brevard Keel and Curley Winery – Hillsborough OnDefend, LLC – Duval Pangolin Laser Systems, Inc. – Seminole Payzli – Hillsborough Power Bolt and Tool – Orange Protean BioDiagnostics Inc – Orange Rolle IT – Brevard Semipack Services, Inc – Brevard Semplastics EHC LLC – Seminole Shark Coating – Duval Signature Athletics, Inc. – Hillsborough Sophros Recovery – Duval Stark Enterprises Inc. – Sarasota Tap N Go LLC – Orange The Good Pour – Orange The Launchpad Group, Inc. – Orange TSS Solutions – Brevard VerdeGo Aero – Volusia Watermelon Swim LLC – Hillsborough Winter Park Veterinary Hospital – Orange X-lumin Corporation – Brevard