BUSINESS BUZZ: Sarasota County designates CAE Healthcare as Green Business Partner
• CAE Healthcare was recently named a Certified Green Business Partner by Sarasota County, where its U.S. headquarters is based.
The green designation is awarded to businesses that operate in an environmentally responsible manner as determined by a rigorous assessment.
To be certified as a green business partner, businesses must verify conservation practices in four areas: business operations, solid waste management, water conservation and energy consumption.
In addition to CAE completing an extensive application, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences conducted an assessment. The school recognized CAE Healthcare’s recycling initiatives, company policies and the use of energy-conserving equipment. CAE Healthcare will hold the designation until 2025.
CAE Healthcare offers integrated education and training solutions to health care students and clinical professionals across the professional life cycle, allowing them to develop practical experience in simulated environments before treating patients.
• PGT Innovations, a leader in the premium window and door category, recently ranked No. 1 in the engineering and manufacturing category on Forbes’ America’s Best-in-State Employers list for 2022.
This year’s complete list featured 1,380 companies across the U.S. in 25 industry sectors. For the state of Florida, PGT Innovations was one of only 33 companies to make the list.
To compile the list, a survey was conducted among 70,000 U.S. employees across 25 industry sectors. The survey took into consideration every aspect of an employee’s experience, including working conditions, salary, potential for growth and diversity in the workplace, and also asked for direct recommendations from employees as well as indirect recommendations from workers in the industry.
Prior to this recognition, PGT Innovations was named on several of Forbes’ lists, including America’s Best Midsize Employers in 2022, Best Small-Cap Company in 2022 and 2021, Best Small Companies in 2021 and the inaugural list of America’s Best-in-State Employers in 2019, to name a few.
PGT has approximately 5,500 team members across the U.S. to support its 30 facilities, which includes manufacturing plants, glass plants, brand retail stores, warehouses and install offices.
• Members of the Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association made a strong showing in the FPRA’s Golden Image Awards, with recognition taking place during the 83rd Annual Conference in Orlando in August.
CWC-FPRA members Sharon Kunkel, APR, and Kim Livengood, APR, CPRC, took top honors in two of the three professional divisions, in addition to other awards earned by chapter members.
Earning top honors in Division B - Collateral Tools of Public Relations was Kunkel, of Wordslinger Marketing & PR, whose “Adult Adoption Story” received the Grand Golden Image Award. She was also recognized with the Golden Image Award in the "Press Release or Pitch" category, as well as a Judges’ Award for an outstanding entry that achieves maximum return on investment.
Livengood, Hamlet’s Eatery’s “To Meat or Not to Meat” entry took top honors in Division C - Digital Tools of Public Relations, earning the Grand Golden Image Award. She also earned the Golden Image Award in the “Online Audience Engagement” category, as well as a Judges’ Award for an outstanding entry that achieves maximum return on investment.
Other award winners from CWC-FPRA were:
• KSC, Inc. and Sarasota Orchestra’s 2022 Sarasota Music Festival “Fellow Recruitment Campaign”: Golden Image Award and Judges’ Award.
• North Port Parks & Recreation’s “Experience Vintage Florida” Warm Mineral Springs Park Campaign: Award of Distinction and Judges' Award.
• Barancik Foundation’s “2021 Year in Review” Annual Report: Award of Distinction.
In addition, another CWC member, Elise Ramer, MBA, APR, CPRC, served on the FPRA Executive Committee this year as vice president of Golden Image and emceed the event.
The Golden Image Awards competition is conducted annually by the Florida Public Relations Association to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Florida and to encourage and promote the development of public relations in our state.
• AM Best recently affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of “A-” (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to SUNZ Insurance Co., in Bradenton.
The outlook of these credit ratings is stable. The ratings reflect SUNZ Insurance’s balance sheet strength, operating performance, business profile and enterprise risk management.
The rating actions are affirmed amid the expansion of SUNZ’s footprint to 42 states offering customized workers’ compensation insurance coverage nationwide through its fronting partnership.
• Bayside Pet Resort held a groundbreaking this summer for its new location in Wellen Park, at River Road and U.S. 41, in South Sarasota County.
Bayside offers five-star amenities to its canine and feline guests, including grooming, training, day care and overnight lodging.
Bayside’s other resorts are in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and Osprey.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: County names Certified Green Business Partner, PGT No. 1 employer
