Expansion pays off for 1st Choice Industries

Art Levy | 12/22/2011

CEO Gary Simone [Photo: Mark Wemple]

Last year, construction and property management company 1st Choice Industries acknowledged the down economy but decided to expand anyway. A new division focusing on cabinetry, architectural millwork and custom displays has helped the company grow its revenue and workforce: Sales through October totaled $13.5 million this year, up from $9.4 million in 2009, says CEO Gary Simone. The Sarasota-based company, which won the 2011 Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Award from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, employs 85, up from 48 last year.

Tags: Southwest

Florida hospitals: Building boom

College crime surging back to pre-COVID levels. Here's the crime at Florida colleges, universities

Florida insurance market full of ‘low quality' companies, study finds

Commercial rent tax cut coming sooner than expected

For SUBSCRIBERS

READ THE April Issue » Access An Issue

FLORIDA TREND MAGAZINE

· LAST MONTH'S ISSUE · SUBSCRIBE NOW! · BUY A SINGLE ISSUE · GET DIGITAL ACCESS

Florida Business News

Will seaweed on Florida beaches be bad in 2024? Here's the latest outlook
Remember the blob? Just over a year ago, Florida beaches were inundated by a smelly, irritating seaweed known as sargassum. Will the same thing happen in 2024?
Panhandle students get pipeline to construction jobs at Career Days
The fourth-annual Construction Career Days event brought together more than 1,000 high school students from four counties to introduce them to the various career paths available across the construction industry.
Masonite shareholders sue to block $3.9B deal on claims of self-dealing, faulty info
Three Masonite International Corp. shareholders filed lawsuits to block the Tampa-based manufacturer’s $3.9 billion sale to Owens Corning.
A hotel, hundreds of homes and retail in the Ag Reserve? A proposal is in the pipeline
Another mixed-use development may be coming to part of Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve, one of the few swaths of relatively open land left in all of South Florida.
Orange County ramps up $100 million in transportation work after tax effort suspended
Orange County has started work on several transportation projects in a $100 million initiative. The progress comes on the heels of the county commission tabling the effort to get a transportation sales tax on the 2024 ballot.

Florida News Releases

Florida Trend Video Pick

Giant domino line of cereal boxes falls to celebrate Cereal for Summer Drive

About one thousand cereal boxes were lined up by Achieva Credit Union employees in honor of the donations.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Do you think recreational marijuana should be legal in Florida?

See Results

About Us Contact Us Site Map Circulation Services

Advertise Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

FREE News Alerts
Stay on top of Florida business by signing up for any of our free eNewsletters. They are easy to read on any device, and always filled with timely news, insights and analysis.

SUBSCRIBE and get a FREE GIFT!
Now you can read Florida Trend anytime and anywhere. Subscribe today for the format that suits your lifestyle best: Print, Digital or All Access!