Robert Loftin

Michael A. Micallef, Jr, President & CEO of Community Southern Bank has announced that Robert A. Loftin has joined the team as East Polk County President. His appointment is effective immediately.

“I am thrilled to be part of a very healthy and growing community Bank, which was my heritage.” Loftin said. “With its five star Bauer rating, planned growth along with the new Winter Haven branch and loan production office, there could not be a better fit for me.”

Loftin comes to Community Southern Bank from BB&T where he was the area executive. He also served as area president of Colonial Bank after it acquired Citrus and Chemical Bank where he was the Chief Operating Officer.

David A. DeLorenzo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dole Food Company, stated: “We are very pleased with our acquisition of SunnyRidge Farm and welcome their management team, employees and growers into the Dole family. Their premium blueberry and blackberry operations are an excellent strategic complement to our existing fresh and frozen berry operations, both of which have previously focused on strawberries. Blueberries and blackberries are some of the fastest growing items in the produce category and also amongst the most nutritious fruits. The SunnyRidge acquisition lets us advance our commitment to providing the consumer with an ever growing array of healthful, nutritious fruits and vegetables.”

Keith D. Mixon, President of SunnyRidge Farm, Inc., stated: “We at SunnyRidge Farm, including the Mixon family, are proud and delighted to be joining one of the world’s great food companies. We share Dole’s passion for improving consumer health and nutrition, and look forward to building the business further, within the Dole family of companies.”

Dole, with 2010 net revenues of $6.9 billion, is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas.

Vaughn McAshan

It is rare that anyone stays with an employer for 40 years and in many ways Vaughn McAshan had several different employers … but he never left the same location. In fact, the only reason he’s not in the original building is because it burned 10 years ago!

McAshan is retiring as President of Polk County’s Bank of America network. He began his career 40 years ago in what was then the American National Bank. It would later become Barnett Bank … then NCNB … then NationsBank and finally Bank of America. The banking heritage that Vaughn has shepherded through all these years actually goes all the way back to Winter Haven’s earliest days circa 1913.

Vaughn is a past president of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce and recipient of Winter Haven’s highest civic recognition, the Banker’s Cup. He may be retiring but he has earned his place as one of Winter Haven’s most respected business leaders.

We wish him well. Today, September 30, 2011 is Vaughn’s last day.

Brandon May

Brandon May is most proud of the fact that he became a Chief Financial Officer at the age of 30! When he was younger and in middle school, a career aptitude test had shown he would do well in either finance or healthcare. And though his mother urged him to become a doctor, he chose a concentration in finance. By the time he was finishing his undergraduate work, he decided the role of “hospital administrator,” particularly the role of Chief Financial Officer was his career goal. Soon a recruiter contacted him to interview for a controller position with Health Management Associates — part of a two-year training program to become a CFO. He gladly accepted. He served exactly one year as controller and was asked to step in as CFO.

Among the attributes he feels have allowed him to advance professionally are his integrity, fairness, dedication and assertiveness. In his words, “If a leader cannot be trusted, he cannot be followed. If a leader can impress the importance of a task on his followers – that is half the battle. Communicating clear expectations is a necessary piece of effective leadership. And finally, a fair leader is one that will earn the trust and dedication of his followers.

When asked to describe his greatest accomplishment/achievement outside his profession he points to the fact that he is the first person in his family to graduate from college — made possible by athletic scholarships he earned. He notes that without those scholarships his dream of higher education would have been difficult to impossible to attain. He was also very proud that as a student athlete, he was chosen to represent his university in the Big 12 Conference SAAC.

His community involvement includes participating in Relay for Life, American Heart Walk, Angel Tree/Toys for Tots, United Way donor and loaned executive and the Bartow Chamber’s Young Professionals “Stuff the Bus” supply drive. He is a member of the Bartow, Lakeland and Winter Haven Chambers of Commerce in addition to numerous health care professional organizations.

Again in his words, “I have found a home here in Polk County.As a former resident of Lakeland and now Bartow, I have a vested interest in the economic success of my industry and more significantly, the economic success of this region that I have grown to love and now call home.

I believe that an increased focus on my involvement in local chambers will help to unlock my capacity as a leader in the community. I want to be a part of a networked group of leaders who understand the aspects of our region and share a common commitment to support vital and sustainable economic growth.”

We are proud to recognize Brandon May who is Chief Financial Officer for Bartow Regional Medical Center.

One-hundred companies were recognized in small, medium and large company categories. The rankings – the third annual statewide Best Companies list – appear in the August issue of Florida Trend and on FloridaTrend.com.  “We are thrilled to be number two among midsized companies and the highest ranking accounting firm on the list” says Lee Ricci, C/F/R Director of Human Resources.

The Best Companies to Work For in Florida program was created by Florida Trend and Best Companies Group and endorsed by the HR Florida State Council.

“Companies that retain the best employees with strong workplace programs typically stand out from the crowd by offering exceptional customer focus from a friendly, upbeat staff,” says Florida Trend Publisher Andrew Corty.  “It’s our pleasure to recognize these great organizations and encourage others to join them in building Florida’s competitive advantage.”

To be considered for participation, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and be at least a year old.

Companies that choose to participate in the Best Companies to Work For in Florida process undergo a two-part survey process. The first part consists of evaluating each company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part uses an employee survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings. Companies were not required to pay a participation fee to go through the online assessment process.

“One strong theme in this month’s Best Companies coverage is how companies keep good employees. We highlight companies that take sophisticated, enlightened approaches to training, communicate the company’s values clearly, and listen to employees as they try to improve the workplace and make the company more productive.” says Mark Howard, executive editor.

For a complete list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Florida, click here.

Kochan

More than 140 business leaders and Polk State students joined together today to hear both a national and local speaker discuss the economic outlook for 2011.  Both James Kochan and Dr. Carl Brown agree that the housing construction nosedive and mortgage crisis are big factors in the slower than normal economic recovery. Kochan is Chief Fixed Income Strategist at Wells Fargo & Company and Brown is Professor of Economics at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

Both men presented a variety of charts on factors from car sales to unemployment — each displaying drastic downward or upward trends  (in the least desirable directions) but most showing some moderation in the most recent 2010 quarterly reports. Dr. Brown publishes the quarterly “Polk Progress” report. He is awaiting retail sales information to complete the 2010 third quarter report. You can access his economic reports here.

Both speakers predict flat or modest improvement in main indicators through late 2011.

Brown

Justin Bean, student body president at the Polk State Lakeland Campus asked of the speakers, “What can I and my classmates of 2013 and 2014 expect to find when we graduate and enter the workforce. Kochan counseled that students should look to fields where the U. S. holds a competitive edge such as technology and medicine. He also noted that the days of holding one job in a particular discipline for a lifetime are gone.

(Ed. Note: Winter Haven should fare better than average as Merlin Entertainments makes a $100 million + investment in the historic Cypress Gardens property. Furthermore a $140 million project “The Landings” is proposed for the Chain of Lakes complex and adjoining property on the west side of US 17.  The downtown area of Winter Haven is emerging as one of the most sophisticated technology and communication crossroads in the southeast. In addition, The 2007 Industry Cluster Study commissioned by the Central Florida Development Council listed High Tech and Life Sciences and Medical Services among Polk’s primary industry clusters  – both have a big presence in Winter Haven and should be well positioned for our future graduates.)

The program was presented by the Winter Haven Chamber Foundation and sponsored by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney/Winter Haven Branch and Polk State College.

Mr. Herbert has more than 35 years of legal, real estate, corporate and investment banking experience. He has held officer-level positions with Wells Fargo Realty Finance, Bank of America International and Realty Finance, SunTrust Mortgage and SouthTrust Bank. Herbert has underwritten and structured over $1 billion of transactions during his career. He received a JD Degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in 1975 and was admitted to the California Bar in 1976. He received a MA Degree in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Florida in 2000. Herbert is also a member of the Real Estate Advisory Board of the University of Florida.

“We are pleased to have John on board,” said Carl J. Strang, III, President of 6/10. “As commercial real estate lending starts to come back to life, we feel there is going to be a real need for the expertise and experience that John possesses. It’s a new ballgame out there and we believe John and his associates are going to be very busy.” 6/10 Capital Advisors, LLC will be focused primarily on arranging long-term, fixed rate mortgage financing in the $1-10 million range for owner-occupied commercial real estate properties including office buildings, office-warehouses, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, R&D facilities and mixed use facilities. “Our capabilities also include arranging equity capital of at least $10 million for the acquisition and/or repositioning of office and hotel assets and portfolios in conjunction with local partners,” said Mr. Herbert.

Strang added, “In addition to John’s mortgage brokerage activities, he will be joining the 6/10 management team and assisting us in evaluating and structuring new opportunities.”

About The 6/10 Corporation

The 6/10 Corporation is a Winter Haven, Florida based investment company. Its primary holdings are Florida commercial real estate properties and private equity positions in Florida based operating companies. The 6/10 Corporation’s commercial real estate portfolio includes office, data center, industrial, retail and undeveloped land. Operating companies included in the 6/10 Private Equity portfolio include software, colocation and data center, manufacturing and IT services. Formed in 1985, 6/10 has many years of experience in the acquisition, development, ownership and management of a broad range of investments.

Collectively, the failed banks operated five branches, which will reopen as branches of CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. under their normal business hours, including those offices with Saturday hours. Community National Bank At Bartow has one branch, and Independent National Bank has four branches. Depositors will automatically become depositors of CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. Deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC, so there is no need for customers to change their banking relationship to retain their deposit insurance coverage.

Customers of the two failed banks should continue to use their former branches until they receive notice from CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. that it has completed systems changes to allow other CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. branches to process their accounts as well. Over the weekend, depositors can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.

As of June 30, 2010, Community National Bank At Bartow had total assets of $67.9 million and total deposits of $63.7 million; and Independent National Bank had total assets of $156.2 million and total deposits of $141.9 million. CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. did not pay the FDIC a premium for the deposits of the two failed banks.

Customers who have questions about today’s transactions can call the FDIC toll free: for Community National Bank At Bartow customers, 1-800-450-5668; and for Independent National Bank customers, 1-800-913-3058. The phone numbers will be operational on today from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT; on Sunday from noon until 6:00 p.m. EDT; and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Harsh’s new contact information:

Debbie Harsh, Vice President
1101 First Street South
Winter Haven, FL 33880
863-326-3334