While November will be a busy election season, no issue on the 2010 ballot will be more important than Amendment 4.  In this tough economy, the last thing Florida needs is an irresponsible amendment that will cost jobs, raise taxes and make it more expensive to live in our state.

But that’s exactly what Amendment 4 will do.

Please click on this link florida2010.org and take a moment to view this 2-minute video on St. Pete Beach, the first community in Florida to adopt a local version of Amendment 4. This impacts you directly.  Moreover, it will permanently damage Florida’s economy and unique quality of life.  As a result, The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce will be asking voters to VOTE NO on 4.  Please take a moment to:

1. Share this video with at least 50 voters.  We are working together with dozens of other associations to get this message out.  Sharing this message with your professional contacts will make a big difference.
2. Post this video (or a link to it) on your website or your Face Book page.
3. Get more information at florida2010.org.  On this page, you’ll find a wealth of information on Amendment 4.
4. Use the “Tell a Friend” button or sign up to “Volunteer.” This site is updated regularly so check back often.

The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to bringing you the latest information on Amendment 4—including new videos as they are produced.

When our members do something special, we like to share! Recently, NuJak Companies was featured in a Technology Makeover Story in Black Enterprises Magazine. Congratulations, NuJak Companies!

Taken from the March 2010 Issue of Black Enterprise. Written by Sonya A. Donaldson.

A Tech Makeover Story: Three entrepreneurs tell Black Enterprise how they are using technology to renovate their businesses in a tough year—and reaping the rewards.

Company: NuJak Cos.
Principals: Frank Kendrick, CEO & Timothy B. Jackson, COO
Location: Lakeland, FL
Type of Business: Construction, property management, and real estate development
2009 Revenues: $10 million
Employees: 12
In our industry, time and money are synonymous. NuJak has invested in project management software to plan and manage construction projects efficiently, track our projects, mitigate delays, save time, and reduce costs. We have a fully integrated Project Management Control System (PMCS) that consists of Primavera P3 Project Planner, Primavera Expedition for document control, and Sage Timberline Office for cost control. The initial startup cost of the system we purchased (the P3 model) was $3,500.

We also invested in training on the PMCS for all our project managers, field superintendents, and contract administrators. Training classes are conducted in one- to three-day seminars and run between $500 and $1,500 per employee.

Additionally, we outfitted all our field superintendents with laptops or PC tablets, air cards, PDAs, and digital cameras at a cost of $1,200 to $1,500 for each superintendent. Each person has direct access to the office server with a database of project information such as plans, specifications, schedules, logs, and project costs.

Using the PMCS, superintendents update project status with daily field reports, schedules, and progress photos. The PMCS can be set up to allow owners, architects, and/or engineers to access information and review the status of all project-related items. Web cameras are set up to monitor construction progress. This has significantly improved communication internally and externally.
We are in the process of replacing the laptops and providing all field superintendents with PC tablets (about $5,000 each) equipped with the PMCS, which will allow them to update project status as they perform field inspections. This will allow them to mark up discrepancies on drawings and forward them to the architect and/or engineer directly. In the past the architect/engineer would have to make a site visit to review the issue, which would take a couple of days.

Technology helped us change our bidding process, which saved time and paper. We set up an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site and uploaded construction documents. Subcontractors get a user ID and password to access the FTP site so that they can view the documents and submit their bids electronically. This has almost eliminated reproduction costs and saved us more than $50,000 per year. At first, a few subcontractors were reluctant to switch, but most adapted to the new system quickly. This has also improved the overall quality and sophistication of our subcontract pool.

We have plans to incorporate a building modeling system that generates 3-D images of buildings with overlays of different exteriors, structures, and mechanical   systems. This would enable us to provide various pricing scenarios to our clients.

Recently, the team of Skanska and NuJak was selected to build the new University of South Florida Polytechnic campus’ signature building designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. The entire campus will be designed and built with cutting-edge technology that will include a Building Management Control System. NuJak’s exposure to this technology will advance our position in the construction industry.

Five percent of our yearly operating budget, approximately $20,000, is dedicated to technology and technical training, but the added efficiency has paid for itself many times over. Technology has saved time and money, and more important, provided a greater value to our clients. As a result of our use of technology, we became leaner and more efficient, which saves the company about $150,000 per year.

Polk Vision, Inc. is seeking to measure community-wide awareness of its function and goals through a survey. Your input will be invaluable in helping us set organizational priorities moving forward. This is an electronic survey that will only take a few minutes of your time.

The survey is confidential! However, at the end of the survey, you can enter your name and e-mail for a chance to win a 32” flat screen TV, passes to local attractions, and restaurant gift certificates.

You may complete the survey anytime between now and March 31, 2010.

Follow the link below to take the survey:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A7W8GMHTH

Thank you for your participation!

If you experience any problems accessing the survey, you can copy the link; paste it in the address bar of your browser and click ‘enter’. If you still experience problems, please send an email to info@polkvision.com and someone will contact you to help resolve your problem.

Please help us reach a broad population by forwarding this message to your contacts.

Colleen Burton
Executive Director
Polk Vision, Inc.

Looking for an opportunity to tell your company’s story to other Chamber members? On Thursday, March 11, you and 49 of your fellow members will share leads, needs and more at the Chamber’s Schmooze a’Palooza luncheon.

Held once every three months, Schmooze a’Palooza brings members together for lunch and networking, but also affords each attendee an opportunity to share his or her company’s 30-second commercial with the group. Seating is limited to 50, and reservations are required. Walk-ups cannot be accommodated.

March 11, 2010 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Beef O’Brady’s Family Sports Pub | 4810 S Florida Ave

$25 members only

An Invitation to Our Community:

As you may be aware, the School Board has initiated its search for a new superintendent of schools.  To assist us in this important process, we have retained the services of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd., a search firm that specializes in assisting boards that are seeking superintendents.

A very important early step in this process is to identify the characteristics we will be looking for in our new superintendent.  We are soliciting the input of our parents, students, and residents of Polk County in the identification of these characteristics.  To provide your input, we invite you to meet with the consultant at one of the following Community Forums on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 7:00PM:

Polk State College Lakeland Campus: Technology Building, 3425 Winter Lake Road

Polk State College Winter Haven Campus: Student Center, 999 Avenue H, NE

We would also appreciate you completing a Leadership Profile Assessment form and bring it with you to the Community Forum.  If you will be unable to attend, please return your completed form by March 19, 2010 to the address or fax number on page two of the Profile Assessment.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this most important task.

Sincerely,

Kay Fields, Board Chair