South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

18 South Florida companies announced as finalists for the 12th Annual GrowFL companies to watch

Read Time 3 Minutes

Nineteen South Florida companies were announced as finalists for the upcoming 12th annual GrowFL Florida companies to watch.

Each year GrowFL announced the second-stage growth companies who are in the running to be named GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honorees. The finalists are selected from more than 400 nominations from throughout Florida and represent a diverse group of growing companies representing a variety of industries. Finalists completed a second-round application and underwent a final round of judging before the top 50 companies were selected.

Companies to Watch was developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation as a unique way to recognize and honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace with innovative strategies and processes. In addition to evaluating past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths and impact in their markets, communities, and within the state – thus deeming them worth watching. This year’s awards celebration is brought to you by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.

To qualify for the award, companies must have between 6 and 150 employees and revenue between $750,000 and $100 million in 2021. Knowing these companies were reporting on employment and revenue after a pandemic, it is remarkable to note that in 2021, the companies reported a total of more than 2,000 jobs and generated close to $430 million in revenue. These companies anticipate growth of 40-percent in revenue and 18-percent in employment by the end of 2022.

“This group of business owners represents the remarkable second-stage businesses operating across the state of Florida,” said Jennifer Taylor, President, and CEO of GrowFL.

“They demonstrate the agility, perseverance and innovation needed to take their business to the next level. GrowFL is proud to support Florida’s second-stage entrepreneurs and help to play a part in celebrating their success. This group of Finalists are only just getting started and we look forward to watching their continued growth and impact on Florida’s economy. “

Congratulations to all the 12th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch finalists. Honorees for this year’s award will be announced in October and GrowFL will host its annual awards celebration on February 23, 2023, at Hard Rock Live, Universal City Walk, Orlando, FL.

Below are the South Florida companies by county now in the running to be selected as an Honoree for this year’s award.

BROWARD (2)

  • Advanced Care Solutions, Inc
  • Hoffer Pest Solutions, Inc.

MIAMI-DADE (7)

  • Affinity Management Services
  • ARK Solvers
  • Casabianca Home
  • Gables Construction Group
  • IOS Partners Inc.
  • Moveo Technologies Corporation
  • Pharma Natural Inc.

PALM BEACH COUNTY (9)

  • 2TON Agency
  • Earth And Sugar LLC
  • FloSpine LLC
  • Helix Virtual Medicine
  • Misfits Gaming Group
  • Petstore.Direct
  • ReachLink
  • Sloane Staffing
  • StillDragon North America LLC

By Nikki Cabus

394 Florida companies make the 2022 Inc. 5000 list; South Florida strong with 171

Read Time 3 Minutes

The popular Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies across the United States is out for 2022 — and the state of Florida is looking pretty strong.

From healthcare to education to marketing and construction, Florida’s top companies represented a multitude of industries. Over a 3-year span from 2018 – 2021, Florida companies had a 239% median growth, $18.8 billion in total revenue, and 36, 540 jobs added.

Two Florida companies made the overall Top 10 List: HighKey at #5 and Homethreads at #8. HighKey is a food & beverage company based in Orlando with 41,585% growth and Homethreads is a retail company based in Boca Raton with 25,851% growth.

This year, Inc. 5000 also listed the Top 10 diverse leaders of 2022 and Florida had two honorable mentions: HighKey once again and Zimba & PLUS ULTRA, a consumer products company based out of Boca Raton. Zimba & PLUS ULTRA was also listed in the Top Women Leaders category.

Through a 3-year period of uncertainty and change, these companies have shown a resiliency and level of innovation like no other. Of the 394 Florida-based companies, 61 were newly founded and an impressive 85 were repeat honorees.

Below are the Top 10 Florida-based companies, South Florida-based companies, and how they compare on a national level.

 

TOP 10 Fastest Growing Companies in FLORIDA:

  • #5 – HighKey (Orlando) – Food & Beverage – 41,585% growth
  • #8 – Homethreads (Boca Raton) – Retail – 25,851% growth
  • #35 – Zimba & PLUS ULTRA (Boca Raton) – Consumer Products – 9,349% growth
  • #47 – The Snow Agency (Miami) – Advertising & Marketing – 6,953% growth
  • #48 – OneRail (Orlando) – Software – 6,879% growth
  • #50 – KITRUM (Clearwater) – IT Services – 6,799% growth
  • #58 – AMA Consulting Group (Winter Park) – Government & Services – 6,218% growth
  • #59 – 365 LOGISTICS (Ft. Lauderdale) – Logistics & Transportation – 6,093% growth
  • #67 – Poseidon Management of Florida Get Staffed Up (Miami) – Human Resources – 5,807% growth
  • #68 – Octillion (Boynton Beach) – Media – 5,793% growth

 

Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies in SOUTH FLORIDA (Miami Metro Region):

  • #8 – Homethreads (Boca Raton) – Retail – 25,851% growth
  • #35 – Zimba & PLUS ULTRA (Boca Raton) – Consumer Products – 9,349% growth
  • #47 – The Snow Agency (Miami) – Advertising & Marketing – 6,953% growth
  • #59 – 365 LOGISTICS (Ft. Lauderdale) – Logistics & Transportation – 6,093% growth
  • #67 – Poseidon Management of Florida Get Staffed Up (Miami) – Human Resources – 5,807% growth
  • #68 – Octillion (Boynton Beach) – Media – 5,793% growth
  • #99 – HCM Unlocked (Boca Raton) – Human Resources – 4,385% growth
  • #100 – Performance Golf (Ft. Lauderdale) – Sports -4,323% growth
  • #122 – Stylecraft (Boca Raton) – Manufacturing – 3,733% growth
  • #139 – Air Pros (Hollywood) – Consumer Services – 3,392% growth

 

Interesting Stats:

  • Of the overall 394 Florida-based companies, almost 45% were from South Florida with 171 represented.
  • Of the Top 10 Florida-based companies, 60% were based in South Florida.
  • Of the Top 10 South Florida based companies, 20% were from Miami-Dade county, 30% from Broward county, and 50% from Palm Beach county.

 

Here’s a shoutout to some of our South Florida Tech Hub members who made the 2022 list:

  • #618 – ShipMonk (Ft. Lauderdale) – Logistics & Transportation – 1,025% growth (5 year repeat)
  • #697 – Sloane Staffing (Palm Beach Gardens) – Business Products & Services – 897% growth
  • #886 – Salesmsg (Delray Beach) – Software – 718% growth
  • #998 – PlanHub (West Palm Beach) – Construction – 654% growth (2 year repeat)
  • #1306 – Social Mobile (Hollywood) – Business Products & Services – 498% growth
  • #1740 – CloudHesive (Ft. Lauderdale) – Business Products & Services – 353% growth (4 year repeat)
  • #2016 – Gravity IT Resources (Ft. Lauderdale) – Human Resources – 299% growth (4 year repeat)
  • #2345 – PeakActivity (Boynton Beach) – Business Products & Services – 250% growth (3 year repeat)
  • #2359 – TechStrong Group (Boca Raton) – Media – 248% growth (3 year repeat)
  • #2990 – Dedicated IT (Lake Park) – IT Services – 181% growth (3 year repeat)
  • #3301 – The SilverLogic (Boca Raton) – Software – 180% growth (3 year repeat)
  • #3917 – Digital Resource (West Palm Beach) – Advertising & Marketing – 125% growth (5 year repeat)
  • #4435 – ModMed (Boca Raton) – IT Services – 100% growth (7 year repeat honoree!!)

 

To learn more about the 2022 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, visit https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2022

By Nikki Cabus

Layoffs? Why NOW is the time to hire.

Read Time 2 Minutes

Companies across the country continue to struggle with the continued impacts of COVID-19 and a looming recession. Recent South Florida headlines include significant layoffs from employers such as REEF, Convey Health, Papa, and more. Despite layoffs and hiring freezes, company leaders still need to have great teams to support their growth.

The wave of recent layoffs however, has provided a unique opportunity for companies that are well positioned for growth: the market is flooded with great talent. Now is the time to hire.

Historically, some industries still do fairly well during recessions, or even thrive. These are often industries where demand is insensitive to changes in prices and incomes and the volume of consumer demand is stable or even elevated. Technology is one of them and a part of almost every industry sector imaginable.

Some are holding on to their talent, while others turn to improved wages and more flexibility to counter the voluntary quits. With the complexity of hiring in the current economy, hiring managers should also implement sustainable hiring practices – especially in the tech industry – where companies are constantly competing for developers, designers and other digital professionals.

Despite the news, the hiring boom is still on. 

Sustainable recruiting strategies are the best way for companies to attract and retain top talent. As organizations grow, the need for a sustainable workforce continues to grow with them. To find the right talent, companies must first know what they’re looking for, priorities, and long-term goals.

With the complexity of hiring, businesses should be aware of a few key trends in sustainable hiring. The current candidate market sees a subtle misunderstanding between the employer and the job seeker. Many job seekers, especially in the tech industry, are becoming picky about choosing their employer. This is mainly reflected in the high layoff rates in the past months.

CLICK HERE to learn the top five tips to implementing sustainable recruiting strategies.

 

  Read more

18 South Florida companies announced as finalists for the 12th Annual GrowFL companies to watch
394 Florida companies make the 2022 Inc. 5000 list; South Florida strong with 171
Layoffs? Why NOW is the time to hire.