University of Central Florida’s New Daytona Beach Business Incubator Welcomes Two More Clients

Sept. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Site Manager Doris (Connie) Bernal said Fusion Fitness Designs, an Ormond Beach designer and manufacturer of high-end exercise equipment, officially moved into their leased office space at 601 Innovation Way on Sept. 1.  The five-year-old company was founded by Phaedra Lee and Cy Manula.

Black Creek Financial, a two-year-old Daytona Beach risk management and auditing company owned by Daytona Beach resident Kearn Williams, also has set up an office at the incubator.  Both Williams and Lee say they now plan to hire employees to help grow their respective companies.

The two companies join Mel Hall’s I-RED LLC [Innovation Research Engineering and Development] an Edgewater alternative energy company that is developing wind-turbine technology to provide low-cost, sustainable electrical power.  

The 8,000 square-foot incubator – a partnership between UCF, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council – opened its doors July 27 after a $1.4 million renovation to part of the airport’s international terminal building.  Like its counterparts in Orlando, Sanford, Leesburg, Kissimmee, St. Cloud and Winter Springs, the Daytona Beach International Airport incubator is designed to help start-up companies as well as established businesses that may need assistance getting to the next level of their operations, Bernal said.

“We help established companies that have been in research and development and are ready to do their commercialization strategy,” Bernal said.  “Most entrepreneurs are good with the product-development part of the business, but often need help when it comes to sales and marketing strategies, and accessing investors, consultants, future clients, etc.  Such is the case with our first three clients.”

Bernal, a former manager at Daytona State College’s Small Business Development Center, said ten additional applicants from area businesses have been interviewed for space in the incubator which eventually can house up to 20 clients.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:  
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output  and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.  Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook.