Construction
Bob Moss
Chairman/CEO - Moss & Associates - Fort Lauderdale

[Photo: Alex Stafford]

"I would say that there is still a high level of unemployment in the field at the craft level. We're able to get qualified people and as many as we want. You're getting the better craftsman and people — the good, hard workers. For the engineering and project management and those folks, my company has been very successful in recruiting talent in that area."

Aviation
Steve Santo
CEO - Avantair - Clearwater

"We're lucky because we're in aviation in Florida. There's a large unemployed aviation workforce. The larger airlines have closed facilities so we're able to get trained mechanics and pilots and staff. Where we run into trouble is the accountant and attorney level. We have some issues there. We recruit nationwide for those positions. We have 550 employees, more than two-thirds of them in the state of Florida. We're hiring two to four a month right now."

Retail/Lending
Lawrence Kahlden
CEO - La Familia Pawn and Jewelry - Orlando

With the current environment, employed people are reluctant to leave jobs because of the stability. There's still that hesitancy to leave that job you've been in for five or six years. We do a lot of direct recruiting. We pay our current employees a referral. We look for an outgoing personality, great interpersonal skills, because it's a relationship business."