Brevard County Boasts 5 Finalists in Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Awards Program

FINALISTS SELECTED FROM 300 NOMINATIONS

Brevard County Among Community with Finalists Competing to Earn Prestigious Honor

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC) and GrowFL are pleased to announce that five companies from the Space Coast were selected as 2021 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Finalists.

The five finalists from the Space Coast include CustomAerospace, Kegman, Inc., Tank Wizards, TotalCareIT and Vaya Space.

The honorees for this year’s award will be announced in October and the 11th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch awards celebration will take place on February 17, 2022, at Universal in Orlando.

“The Space Coast continues to see a rise in innovation and entrepreneurship as we cultivate a business environment, and community, that support these growth-oriented companies,” said EDC President & CEO, Lynda L. Weatherman.

“Congratulations to all the finalists, particularly EDC investor TotalCareIT.”

The awards program – now in its 11th year – honors impressive second-stage companies from throughout the state for developing valuable products and services, creating quality jobs, enriching communities, and broadening new industries throughout Florida.

The 11th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Awards Celebration is presented by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Together, the 11th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Finalists represent nearly 2,300 jobs and generate over $499 million in revenue. These companies, all of which are “worth watching,” anticipate a growth of 64 percent in revenue and 39 percent in employment by the end of 2021.

“I created TotalCareIT with the vision of creating a place that I look forward to going to work every day; I never realized how the enchanting culture (no fairy dust) would infect the people around us creating a bond they call “partnership,” said Charles R. Berry, CEO, TotalCareIT.

“We’re truly honored and excited to be named to this list. This recognition shows team TotalCareIT’s progress, it’s a fantastic achievement for all the hard work over the past 20 years! Watching TotalCareIT come to fruition and being part of it is thrilling. I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow.”

FINALISTS SELECTED FROM 300 NOMINATIONS

The finalists were selected from close to 300 nominations across the state and are now in the running to be named a GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Honoree. If selected as an Honoree, these exemplary second-stage companies will join the 500 second-stage companies across the state that have been recognized since 2011.

“We applaud these first-round finalists who have proved themselves to be stand out companies in the state,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL Founder.

“These business owners demonstrate the resiliency and tenacity that goes hand in hand with being an entrepreneur. There is no doubt these business owners have been challenged over the past year, but their perseverance and ability to innovate has been admirable. We are excited to again recognize the outstanding businesses who continue to make a significant impact on Florida’s economy.”

The Finalists represent a unique group of scalable, high-growth enterprises that are already located within Florida. These high growth enterprises are an important segment of our economy and their numbers have been steadily increasing.

According to the Kauffman Foundation, “entrepreneurship is not a monolithic phenomenon, and it includes many moving parts. Creating new businesses is a different economic activity from running small businesses, which in turn is different from growing businesses.”

GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch recognizes the different approach needed to successfully grow and scale a business and celebrates those that are working to achieve this goal.

Companies to Watch was developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation as a unique way to recognize and honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace with innovative strategies and processes.

In addition to evaluating past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths and impact in their markets, communities and within the state – thus deeming them “worth watching.”

The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast is dedicated to attracting new business and investment and expanding existing industry throughout the Space Coast, influencing change on government laws and regulations affecting economic development, promoting the Space Coast to encourage new investment, supporting efforts of Space Coast military installations, and relaying new programs and procedures to assist manufacturing and high-tech companies.

The EDC is a private, not-for-profit coalition whose stakeholders are business leaders committed to the economic growth and stability of Florida’s Space Coast. Visit www.SpaceCoastEDC.org.

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