(Newswire.net — May 14, 2013) Jacksonville, FL – Incubators promote successful businesses)
DO INCUBATORS WORK? THAT’S A BIG YES!! SIX BSEC GRADS MAKE JAX BIZ JOURNAL’S 2013 TOP 40 MINORITY BUSINESS LIST!
Ranking businesses in Jacksonville by annual revenue for their Book of Lists, the Jacksonville Business Journal recognized Jacksonville’s 2013 Top 40 Minority-Owned Businesses at a Diversity Awards Luncheon on May 2. Among the Top 40 Minority-Owned Businesses for 2013 were six dynamic companies formerly headquartered at Beaver Street Enterprise Center (BSEC), Jacksonville’s only core-city business incubator. Recognized for their stellar success were the following Beaver Street Enterprise Center graduates: A. Harold & Associates (Andy Harold), B3 Solutions (William Almas, CEO) Employment Resources & Solutions (Rose Conry and Kelley Moore), Stafftime (Rose Conry and Kelley Moore), Annie Wilson Homecare Services (Annie Wilson) and Xeye Construction (Joe Hutchinson).
While congratulating Annie Wilson following the Diversity Luncheon, BSEC’s Executive Director Jackie Perry pointed out that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the business incubator, which was originally conceived and founded by FreshMinistries, one of the 2013 Diversity Award Winners. “Since FreshMinistries built our business incubator in 2003, we’ve created more than 2,050 jobs and had a $250 Million-plus impact on the economy of Jacksonville,” Perry said. “I would estimate that, together, these six companies who are on the Top 40 List this year have created over 500 jobs. Thanks to their hard work and our incubator support, these businesses are now free-standing, sustainable companies and consistent list-makers!”
These days when jobs are at a premium, research has revealed that business incubators are one of the least expensive and most effective job creation mechanisms. In recent studies conducted by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, publicly supported incubators created jobs at a cost of about $1,100 each, while other publicly supported job creation mechanisms cost more than $10,000 per job created.
Annie Wilson Homecare, Inc. began headquartering at BSEC in 2004 and was recognized in 2011 by the Jacksonville Business Journal as one of Jacksonville’s Top Ten Homecare Services. At that time, the company had revenues of $481,000 and a staff of twenty. “Both our revenues and our staff have grown since then,” said Wilson, “and I’m grateful that Beaver Street Enterprise Center has nurtured this company all along the way.” With two companies listed in the Top 40, business partners Rose Conry and Kelley Moore credit Beaver Street Enterprise Center for providing guidance and support during their phenomenal growth. “We love Beaver Street,” said Conry. “Their mentorship helped keep us going, especially through the tough times in 2009.”
“As we approach our tenth anniversary, we’re proud of the impact our small businesses are making on the economic health of Jacksonville,” said Perry. “Just as this business incubator continues to thrive and grow in size, resources and community outreach, so will the businesses we fuel.”
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THE BEAVER STREET ENTERPRISE CENTER is a 25,000 square foot professional office facility offering modern workplace amenities for startup and existing small businesses as well as business technical assistance, counseling, mentoring and assistance in marketing and obtaining business financing. The center is geographically positioned to stimulate economic growth in Jacksonville’s northwest neighborhood and is run by nonprofit Core City Business Incubators, Inc. as an initiative of FreshMinistries.
Jackie PerryExecutive DirectorBeaver Street Enterprise Center
(904) 265.4701 Office (904) 265.4740 (fax) www.bsecenter.net Email: jackie.perry@bsecenter.net
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Media Contact: Graeme Nichol.
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