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Apopka Area Chamber Update - February 6, 2018
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ICYMI - The City of Apopka Mayoral Debate Hosted by the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce and Sponsored by BusinessForce
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TO WATCH THE MAYORAL DEBATE IN ITS ENTIRETY, PLEASE CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOVE.
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With the 2018 City of Apopka elections just around the corner, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a special debate between the candidates for Mayor of Apopka on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at Highland Manor.
With over 300 attendees in the audience, the community had a unique opportunity to hear directly from incumbent Mayor Joe Kilsheimer and Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson about the important issues and priorities that are facing the City of Apopka.
This free debate would not have been made possible without our sponsorship from BUSINESSFORCE, which is Central Florida's largest regional political action committee. Also, the debate was recorded live, on Facebook atFox 35 News , and received over 9,300 views.
During the seventy-five minute debate, each of the candidates took turns fielding questions from each of the moderators which included Todd Wilcox, BusinessForce board member; Paul Owens, a 25 year, well respected media veteran and the current opinions editor at the Orlando Sentinel; and Ryan Elijah, news anchor for Fox 35 WOFL and a host of several previous political debates in our community.
The wide range of topics included community and public service, redevelopment of the old Florida Hospital site, marketing Apopka to young professionals, downtown Apopka redevelopment, affordable housing, the Orlando-Apopka Airport, support of small businesses, property taxes, Class A office space, public safety, quality of life, home rule, Amazon’s headquarters, South Apopka, the Apopka UCF Business Incubator, red light cameras and medical marijuana.
For complete press coverage and to listen to the candidate debate in its entirety, please see the links below:
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2018 Orange County
Economic Summit
On Friday, January 19, 2018, several members of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and its President Robert Agrusa, joined Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs at her sixth annual Orange County Economic Summit.
This annual event highlights the progress of the Central Florida Region’s economy as well as bringing together businesses, expanding industries, and opportunities for economic growth.
The Summit opened with Sean Snaith, Ph.D., director of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Institute for Economic Competitiveness, who issued his annual economic forecast which highlights the state of the economy at the state and local level.
Upon conclusion of the Summit, Agrusa shared his thoughts. "A stronger economy in Orange County only enhances Apopka’s opportunities to be competitive when it comes to new economic development and continued growth among our existing businesses within our community. While it’s disappointing that Central Florida is not a finalist for Amazon’s second headquarters, we must continue to highlight our hidden gems and collaborate with local governments to strengthen our workforce and increase transportation opportunities. If we continue champion these issues, I’m optimistic that Apopka will begin to see a greater influx of economic investment within our community over the next several years," said Agrusa.
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State Representative Kamia Browns's Business Breakfast
On Saturday, January 20, 2018, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce was proud to support State Representative Kamia Brown ’s Business Breakfast. Additionally, we were thankful to our Chamber member Valencia College for hosting this informative event.
This event was focused on providing Minority-Owned Small Businesses with the resources and information needed to apply and obtain certifications for contracts with the Federal, State and Local Government, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Valencia College and Orange County Public Schools, for over $1 billion in contracting opportunities.
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Business After Hours -
24 Hour Fitness- Apopka
The Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce hosted January's Business After Hours on January 25th, at the new 24 Hour Fitness - Apopka.
Our members had an exciting evening of networking and each of the attendees had the opportunity to check out the modern new 38,000 square foot club that features quality amenities and offers a variety of programs and fitness solutions for every age and fitness ability.
Business After Hours is a free networking event available to all of our Chamber members. We look forward to seeing you next month at The Tavern at Rock Springs Ridge on February 22, 2018.
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Apopka Job Fair - March 8, 2018 at the Connection Center
📣📣📣 Attention all employers in the Apopka, Longwood, Maitland, Altamonte Springs areas. 📣📣📣 Every year the Goodwill Apopka Job Connection Center opens its door to Employers in our community that are in...
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Welcome new members to the Apopka Area Chamber!
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Beautiful Brows & Beyond Inc
Candice Smith
2300 East Semoran Boulevard
Apopka, FL 32702
858-779-4048
First National Bank of Mount Dora
Dan Summerlin
24034 SR 46
Sorrento, FL 32776
352-383-2111
HealthSpeaks
Dr. Loretta Forlaw, PhD, RN, FACHE
P.O. Box 4397
Apopka, FL 32704
407-579-5971
I-4 Business, SCB Marketing
Jeffrey C. Piersall
5131 Industry Drive, Suite 107
Melbourne, FL 32940
321-622-5986
Kat's Vine & Tap Inc.
Kathy Thompson
1061 West Orange Blossom Trail
Apopka, FL 32712
407-703-8195
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NY Pizza Baby
Melissa Gallardo
380 Semoran Commerce Place
Apopka, FL 32703
407-464-7157
Rob Panepinto For Orange County Mayor
Rob Panepinto, Candidate for Orange County Mayor
138 Detmar Drive
Winter Park, FL 32789
Trendy Kids
Carissa Geno
3030 East Semoran Boulevard Suite 202
Apopka, FL 32703
407-788-8010
Tropical Smoothie Cafe – Apopka
Cassandra Ward
3030 East Semoran Boulevard Suite 232
Apopka, FL 32703
321-316-7591
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
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Chamber
Orlando Economic Partnership - BBQ on the Boulevard
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Breakfast and Learn - Morning Mingle
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
7:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
UCF Business Incubator
New Member Orientation
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce
Leadership Apopka Session 3
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Business After Hours
Thursday, February 22, 2018
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The Tavern at Rock Springs Ridge
625 Rock Ridge Boulevard
Apopka, FL 32712
Ambassador Meeting
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m
Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce
Golf Classic
Friday, March 2, 2018
8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Zellwood Station and Golf Club
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Community
Apopka City Council Meeting
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
1:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
BBQ Blast
Thursday, February 9, 2018
5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Northwest Recreation Complex
3710 Jason Dwelley Parkway
Apopka, FL 32712
BBQ Blast
Thursday, February 10, 2018
11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Northwest Recreation Complex
3710 Jason Dwelley Parkway
Apopka, FL 32712
Apopka City Council Meeting
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
7:00 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Ceremony of Apopka Fire Department Station #5
Friday, February 23, 2018
10:00 a.m.
1685 Firehouse Lane
Apopka, FL 32712
Running Wild on the Wekiva Parkway
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Registration: 7:00 a.m.
Event Location: New SR 429 NW of Plymouth Sorrento Road and Haas-Ondich Road in Apopka .
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Grand Openings
Throughout the month of January, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed our new members to the Apopka area including the Kiddie Academy of Apopka, the Orange County Clerk of Cour t s Self Help Center of Apopka and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
If you would like for your business to be included in a future Ribbon Cutting, please contact Michelle Bankson at Michelle@apopkachamber.org.
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On January 12, 2018, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed our new member, the Kiddie Academy of Apopka,with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Congratulations on a wonderful new addition to the Piedmont Plaza.
At Kiddie Academy, we never take a single moment of your child’s growth potential for granted. You'll see for yourself how highly trained teachers and Life Essentials curriculum create the opportunity for children to become truly amazing. We will feed your child’s curiosity and instinct to learn with days filled with age-appropriate activities designed to treat every experience as an opportunity to learn.
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S elf Help Center - Apopka
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With the assistance of a partnership with the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), the Orange County Clerk of Court’s Office recently expanded Self Help services to the Apopka branch. At the Apopka location, Self Help services are available one day a week on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Self Help Center assists with Family Law, Small Claims, and Residential Evictions. Services include attorney consultations, form completion assistance, and notary and copy services.
“The Self Help Center has been one of my biggest priorities, because I know that many people in our community need affordable legal assistance which gives them better access to justice,” said Clerk Tiffany Moore Russell.
Attorney consultations are available and may be scheduled in 15-minute sessions, for up to 1 hour per day, per person. The cost for an attorney consultation is $1 per minute. To schedule an appointment, go to our website at www.myorangeclerk.comwhere appointments can be made directly online.
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s menu boasts bold, flavorful smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made-to-order from the freshest ingredients. We find that superior, simple ingredients including real fruits and veggies just tastes better.
Our toasted wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and bowls are made fresh with quality meats and cheeses, fresh produce and flavorful sauces.
Combine that with a fun, relaxing atmosphere - and unparalleled hospitality - and you can see why people return again and again for the Tropical Smoothie Cafe experience.
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Apopka Area Chamber Update - February 6, 2018
TO WATCH THE MAYORAL DEBATE IN ITS ENTIRETY, PLEASE CLICK ON THE VIDEO ABOVE.With the 2018 City of Apopka elections just around the corner, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a special debate between the candidates for Mayor of Apopka on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at Highland Manor.With over 300 attendees in the audience, the community had a unique opportunity to hear directly from incumbent Mayor Joe Kilsheimer and Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson about the important issues and priorities that are facing the City of Apopka.This free debate would not have been made possible without our sponsorship from BUSINESSFORCE, which is Central Florida's largest regional political action committee. Also, the debate was recorded live, on Facebook atFox 35 News , and received over 9,300 views.During the seventy-five minute debate, each of the candidates took turns fielding questions from each of the moderators which included Todd Wilcox, BusinessForce board member; Paul Owens, a 25 year, well respected media veteran and the current opinions editor at the Orlando Sentinel; and Ryan Elijah, news anchor for Fox 35 WOFL and a host of several previous political debates in our community.The wide range of topics included community and public service, redevelopment of the old Florida Hospital site, marketing Apopka to young professionals, downtown Apopka redevelopment, affordable housing, the Orlando-Apopka Airport, support of small businesses, property taxes, Class A office space, public safety, quality of life, home rule, Amazon’s headquarters, South Apopka, the Apopka UCF Business Incubator, red light cameras and medical marijuana.For complete press coverage and to listen to the candidate debate in its entirety, please see the links below:
2018 Orange CountyEconomic SummitOn Friday, January 19, 2018, several members of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and its President Robert Agrusa, joined Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs at her sixth annual Orange County Economic Summit.This annual event highlights the progress of the Central Florida Region’s economy as well as bringing together businesses, expanding industries, and opportunities for economic growth.The Summit opened with Sean Snaith, Ph.D., director of the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Institute for Economic Competitiveness, who issued his annual economic forecast which highlights the state of the economy at the state and local level.Upon conclusion of the Summit, Agrusa shared his thoughts. "A stronger economy in Orange County only enhances Apopka’s opportunities to be competitive when it comes to new economic development and continued growth among our existing businesses within our community. While it’s disappointing that Central Florida is not a finalist for Amazon’s second headquarters, we must continue to highlight our hidden gems and collaborate with local governments to strengthen our workforce and increase transportation opportunities. If we continue champion these issues, I’m optimistic that Apopka will begin to see a greater influx of economic investment within our community over the next several years," said Agrusa.
State Representative Kamia Browns's Business BreakfastOn Saturday, January 20, 2018, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce was proud to support State Representative Kamia Brown ’s Business Breakfast. Additionally, we were thankful to our Chamber member Valencia College for hosting this informative event.This event was focused on providing Minority-Owned Small Businesses with the resources and information needed to apply and obtain certifications for contracts with the Federal, State and Local Government, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Valencia College and Orange County Public Schools, for over $1 billion in contracting opportunities.
S elf Help Center - ApopkaOn January 30, 2018, we were honored to participate in the Grand Opening of theOrange County Clerk of Courts Self Help Center in Apopka.With the assistance of a partnership with the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), the Orange County Clerk of Court’s Office recently expanded Self Help services to the Apopka branch. At the Apopka location, Self Help services are available one day a week on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Self Help Center assists with Family Law, Small Claims, and Residential Evictions. Services include attorney consultations, form completion assistance, and notary and copy services.“The Self Help Center has been one of my biggest priorities, because I know that many people in our community need affordable legal assistance which gives them better access to justice,” said Clerk Tiffany Moore Russell.Attorney consultations are available and may be scheduled in 15-minute sessions, for up to 1 hour per day, per person. The cost for an attorney consultation is $1 per minute. To schedule an appointment, go to our website at www.myorangeclerk.comwhere appointments can be made directly online.Tropical Smoothie CafeOn January 30, 2018, the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed our new member Tropical Smoothie Cafe with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebration. Congratulations on a wonderful new addition to the Colonial Bear Lake Shoppes Plaza.Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s menu boasts bold, flavorful smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made-to-order from the freshest ingredients. We find that superior, simple ingredients including real fruits and veggies just tastes better.Our toasted wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and bowls are made fresh with quality meats and cheeses, fresh produce and flavorful sauces.Combine that with a fun, relaxing atmosphere - and unparalleled hospitality - and you can see why people return again and again for the Tropical Smoothie Cafe experience.
Executive Trustee Investor
