Living the Good Life

British entrepreneurs Ken and Julie Bowey were no strangers to Florida. In fact, they'd "crossed the pond" several times--mostly just to play--at Walt Disney World. So when a director at their company, returning to the United Kingdom from a trade show in Orlando, suggested they open a division in Florida, Julie Bowey's immediate reaction was, "Why not?"

"We were looking to expand," she says. "We already traded into America, but we traded from the U.K."

Based in Daventry, England, just 17 miles north of London, AmegA Sciences has been in business for 20 years manufacturing environment-friendly products that enhance golf course turf and ornamental plants. AmegA Sciences packages the products, then sells them to distributors who market the goods under their own labels.

Florida appealed to the Boweys for two reasons: They could do business year-round here instead of just seasonally, and their plans to expand into the lawncare market and widen distribution to the Caribbean could be more easily accomplished from Florida.

"The potential here is so much greater than it is in the U.K.," Ken Bowey says. "There are probably 15 times as many golf courses. Everybody irrigates here. The scale is so much greater."

The Boweys soon made a trip to Orlando--this time for busi ness not play--and connected with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. Within two days, they'd found a location for their business in Kissimmee and a residence in nearby Celebration. They opened their new operation in late 2005.

International appeal
The Boweys are just one example of internationalvisitors- turned-residents who are making new business homes in Florida. The combination of a diverse culture, thriving arts scene, multiple sporting events, and, of course, location as a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico gives Florida a built-in "cool factor" that resounds throughout the world.

"People want to move to a destination where things are happening," says Vanessa Welter, director of communications for Visit Florida, the state's public/private partnership and official source for travel planning.

40% of adult Americans named Florida as the location they would most like to visit. And Florida ranks second in the nation for international visitors.

And from the sprawling thoroughbred horse farms in Ocala to the pounding streets of Miami, from the white-sand beaches of the Panhandle to the coral reefs off the Florida Keys, Florida is one happening place.

"Florida is one of the international anchors of the United States," Welter says. "Latin America is right at our doorstep. And people from Europe travel here and buy real estate."

Arriving first as tourists, these international visitors like what they see and frequently decide to stay. Natural wonders like the Everglades are particularly appealing.

"There are no Everglades anywhere else in the world," says Welter. "A lot of our international travelers are fascinated by this."

The state is home to other unique sights that capture worldwide attention, too: Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, where America's space program was born; St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States and home to the famed "Fountain of Youth"; and the Southernmost Point of the Continental United States, proudly proclaimed on a boldly painted marker in Key West, to name a few.

Tailgate tourism
Big-time sporting events that are recognized worldwide not only help boost Florida's cool factor, they've spawned a whole new industry dubbed "tailgate tourism." In 2005, Florida hosted five college football bowl games at various venues throughout the state, plus the NFL's Super Bowl XXXIX, which attracted 1,500 journalists and thousands of fans Miami is set to host Super Bowl XLI in February 2007 and Tampa Bay, site of Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, will host the big game again in 2009.

Add to that NASCAR races in Daytona Beach, thoroughbred racing at Hialeah, basketball games featuring the 2006 NBA Championship Miami Heat, baseball games with the homegrown Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and hockey with the Stanley Cup winning Tampa Bay Lightning, and it's easy to see why Florida is becoming known far and wide for its commitment to professional sports. In addition, 18 major league baseball teams use Florida as the site for their spring training each year, and the PGA and LPGA tours stop at golf courses throughout the state. For those who prefer participation over spectator sports, Florida offers plenty of opportunities to play tennis, golf, swim, water-ski, bike, hike and compete in marathons and triathlons.

Fans who want to follow their favorite teams flock to Florida in campers, station wagons, vans and SUVs for "the big game," then stick around to enjoy Florida's other attractions.

The 2005 Super Bowl drew thousands to Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium. Miami is set to host the next "big game" in 2007.

Florida has more golf courses (1,370) than any other state, more miles of tidal shoreline (2,276) than any state except Alaska, and the only coral reef in this hemisphere.

"People tend to make more out of their trip to Florida because there's so much to see and do," Welter says. And it's not just sporting events that lure these so-called "tailgate tourists." Special exhibits are huge draws, too.

This past spring, the world-renowned "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" made a four-month stop at The Museum of Art-Fort Lauderdale, one of only four sites nationwide to host the exhibit. According to Visit Florida, the out-of-state and out-of-country visitors who came to see the riches of King Tut spent time visiting other parts of Florida, too.

Says Welter, "When Fort Lauderdale invested in that, they did the whole state a favor."

Something for everyone
Statistics from Visit Florida show that domestic visitors come to Florida for three primary reasons: shopping (40%), beaches (39%) and theme parks (31%). But they also report an increasing interest in activities that help them learn about the state's history, culture and natural environment.

Here, where the sun shines more than 300 days each year, those who want to play outdoors can tap into many opportunities for adventure and ecotourism. Fishing, surfing, snorkeling, camping, boating and cycling are just a few of the many options available at locations all across the state. Visit Florida publications on the many hiking, biking and birding trails make it easy to explore a unique variety of terrains and ecosystems. And for urban explorers, Visit Florida also offers a directory of museums, aquariums, interactive science centers, parks and one-of-a-kind boutiques, galleries and restaurants lining the streets of Florida's revitalized urban downtowns and small towns.

"Ideal location"
For Julie and Ken Bowey, making the transition from part-time tourists to full-time Florida residents and business owners required some adjustment. They had to learn their way through permitting processes, tax structures and other technical aspects of operating a business on this side of the Atlantic. But the hospitality they encountered along the way is the same they experienced as tourists, Julie says.

"Once we decided we would locate here, we've had tremendous help."

Through "business after hours events" at their local chamber of commerce, for instance, they've met people in the community who are just like them-- imports from other parts of the United States and the world.

"It gives a great comradeship," Julie says. "Everybody's pulling together. Most of the people we've met have come in here and built up."

In late 2005, AmegA Sciences began leasing approximately 7,500 square feet of office and hangar space at Kissimmee Gateway Airport, just eight miles from Walt Disney World and 10 miles from the Orange County Convention Center. The Boweys employ two other people at the warehouse, in addition to a staff of about 30 back in the U.K.

"It's an ideal location," Julie says. Not only does the Kissimmee airport site give them quick access to the Bahamas, where they hope to expand their sales territory, they're just 30 minutes by car from Orlando International Airport and an eight-hour flight back to the U.K.

The quality of life the Boweys have found in their new home has solidified their choice to expand their business to the state of Florida.

Says Julie, "We wanted to enjoy ourselves. We wanted to work hard and play hard." Besides, she adds, "Where else can you go and, after a hard day's work, watch the fireworks at Epcot? It's a great way to unwind."

Tags: Dining & Travel, Around Florida, Business Florida