Alumni

FSU Celebrates 2021 Seminole 100; Business alumni dominate list

February 19, 2021

Florida State University unveiled its 2021 Seminole 100 Feb. 18 during a virtual ceremony hosted by the FSU College of Business Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship. Fifty-seven of the Seminole 100 companies are owned or led by 67 business alumni.

The fourth annual event concluded with the recognition of the No. 1 business — Southern Spear Ironworks, LLC and honoree Sean Compton, owner, president and CEO of the full-service, structural steel shop based in Chattanooga. FSU President John Thrasher presented the top award to Compton, a 2008 real estate graduate, during the virtual event.

Seminole 100 recognizes 100 of the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by FSU alumni , which includes a wide range of businesses across the country and one in Kenya. Seventy of the businesses are located in Florida.

“Entrepreneurship has the power to shape our communities and fuel our economy,” said Melissa Roberts, managing director of the Jim Moran Institute. “We are proud to recognize the 2021 Seminole 100 honorees and commend them for their determination to achieve growth, innovation and prosperity. We look forward to seeing continued success from these elite FSU alumni.”

Ernst and Young (EY), a Seminole 100 financial partner, verified the information from each company and ranked the businesses based on a compound annual growth rate.

The 2021 Seminole 100 list of fastest-growing businesses includes the following, with College of Business alumni in boldface:

  1. Southern Spear Ironworks, LLC, Chattanooga, Tenn., Sean Compton (BS Real Estate ’08)
  2. Eat Fresco, Tampa, Fla., Robert Povolny (BS Marketing ’98; MBA ’13)
  3. Coalition Recovery, Bradenton, Fla., Alexander Ronzino (BS Finance ’16)
  4. Talentric, Marietta, Ga.
  5. Kinloch Partners, Brentwood, Tenn.*
  6. BRCK, Nairobi, Kenya, Erik Hersman (BS Management ’02)
  7. Visiture, LLC, Charleston, S.C,. * Ron Dod (BS Marketing ’11; MS Marketing ’12)
  8. SimpleNexus, Lehi, Utah*
  9. Select Shades, LLC, Chamblee, Ga.
  10. Digital Resource, West Palm Beach, Fla.
  11. Resonant Sciences, Dayton, Ohio*
  12. Taylor Financial, Tampa, Fla.*, Adam Taylor (BS Hospitality Management ’03)
  13. Baldwin Risk Partners, Tampa, Fla., Trevor Baldwin (BS Risk Management/Insurance ’08)
  14. The Oaks Apparel Company, LLC, Dothan, Ala., * Jennifer Kennedy (BS Management ’96)
  15. Oasys International Corporation, Fairfax, Va., * Tony Johnson (MS Management Information Systems ’00)
  16. Platform Surfaces, Bensenville, Ill., * Frank Palumbo (BS Finance ’02)
  17. 30A Beach Service, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.*
  18. Goodwipes, Atlanta, Ga., * Sam Nebel (BS Entrepreneurship ’11)
  19. Landmark Tax Group, Irvine, Calif., Michael Raanan (BS Management Information Systems ’03)
  20. Ardent Eagle Solutions, Tampa, Fla., * Joe Albano (BS Marketing and Information Studies ’06)
  21. J. David Tax Law, Jacksonville, Fla.
  22. Chisholm Law Firm, PLLC, Ocoee, Fla.
  23. ReliaQuest, Tampa, Fla., * Brian Murphy (BS Accounting and Finance ’00)
  24. A-LIGN, Tampa, Fla.* Gene Geiger (BS Accounting ’97; MAcc ’98) and Scott Price (BS Accounting ’97; MAcc ’97)
  25. Social Catering and Events, Tallahassee, Fla., * Angela Walker (BS Finance and Management ’08)
  26. Crown Asset Management, LLC, Duluth, Ga., * Brian Williams (BS Finance ’97)
  27. Legacy Insurance Associates Unlimited, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla. *
  28. EnLight.Energy, Silver Spring, Md.
  29. Kupanda Capital, Washington, D.C.*
  30. Ramsey & Walker, LLC, Navarre, Fla., Brett Ramsey (BS Real Estate and Entrepreneurship ’09)
  31. TNGI, LLC, Winter Park, Fla., * Steve Kropp (BS Finance ’85)
  32. Walk West, Raleigh, N.C.*
  33. IMS Business, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Jessica Morgan-Fore (BS Accounting ’16) and Gregg Patterson (BS Accounting ’76)
  34. The Nieves Law Firm, APC, Oakland, Calif., * Jo-Anna Nieves (BS Multinational Business Operations and Finance ’05; JD ’09)
  35. Practice42, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  36. Financial & Retirement Strategies, Inc., Clearwater, Fla., Douglas Dort (BS Marketing ’00)
  37. PRA Business Events New Orleans, New Orleans, La., * Jeff O'Hara (BS Hospitality Management ’88)
  38. Marmer Construction, Inc., Sebring, Fla., * Merideth Wohl (BS Accounting ’02; MAcc ’03)
  39. HomeCare Connect, LLC, Winter Park, Fla., * Richard Montgomery (BS Management ’85)
  40. Thielen+ Tax and Business Consulting, Tallahassee, Fla., Jim Thielen (BS Accounting ’85)
  41. Boomerang Transportation, LLC, Tampa, Fla.*
  42. Synergy Settlement Services, Orlando, Fla., * Daniel Alvarez (BS Marketing ’96; JD ’00)
  43. Connect Agency, Jacksonville, Fla., * John Ream (BS Marketing ’00)
  44. Aaron Rich Marketing, Panama City, Fla.*
  45. Atlanta Family & Immigration Law Firm, Atlanta, Ga.
  46. Catalyst Corporate Holdings, LLC, Pensacola, Fla., Chad Henderson (BS Finance ’01)
  47. Aerospace Quality Research & Development, Addison, Texas*
  48. Imagine Media Consulting, Atlanta, Ga.,* Shantel Kriss (BS Entrepreneurship ’10)
  49. PremierMed, Ocoee, Fla.*
  50. Ancient City Brewing Company, LLC, St. Augustine, Fla.
  51. Imaginuity, Dallas, Texas*
  52. MCCi, Tallahassee, Fla., * Donny Barstow (BS Management Information Systems and Finance ’01)
  53. All Seasons Wealth, Tampa, Fla.*
  54. 360 Advanced, Inc. St. Petersburg, Fla., * Daniel Collins (BS Management ’20)
  55. Nexus Tech, Tequesta, Fla., Joshua Wragg (MS-MIS’12)
  56. Lucky Goat Coffee, Tallahassee, Fla., * Ben Pautsch (BS Management ’91)
  57. J.B. Shepherd Company, Inc., Plant City, Fla.*
  58. Spotless Logistics Commercial Cleaning Services, Pensacola, Fla.
  59. Physical Equilibrium, LLC, New York, N.Y.*
  60. Florida Environmental and Land Services, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  61. Staff Builders HR, LLC, Lakeland, Fla.
  62. SimplerBuilt, Inc. Tallahassee, Fla.
  63. Autumn Beck Blackledge, PLLC, Pensacola, Fla.*
  64. Otter’s Chicken, Marietta, Ga., * Bill Peterson (BS Accounting ’78)
  65. Canopy Road Café, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  66. Downs & St. Germain Research, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  67. RF-SMART, Jacksonville, Fla., * Jorge Morales (BS Business Administration ’70)
  68. Prime Meridian Bank, Tallahassee, Fla., * Bill Crona (Attended ’73); Sammie Dixon (BS Finance ’96); Kathleen Jones (BS Finance ’78); Richard Weidner (BS Accounting ’66); Roy Guemple (BS Accounting ’73; MBA ’74)
  69. Jet Sports Management, LLC, Tampa, Fla.
  70. Superior Painting, Tallahassee, Fla.
  71. Advanta IRA, Largo, Fla., * Jack Callahan Jr. (BS Multinational Business Operations ’93)
  72. CFO Alliance, Tampa, Fla., * Brooke Evans (BS Accounting ’97)
  73. Premiere Computer Solutions, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  74. Allied Instructional Services, Ashland, Va.*
  75. Russ Vorhis Insurance Agency, Inc., Orange Park, Fla.
  76. AgileThought, Tampa, Fla., * Jeff Alagood (BS Marketing ’94); Ryan Dorrell (BS Management Information Systems ’95); and David Romine (BS Management Information Systems ’96)
  77. Jeff Kottkamp, P.A., Tallahassee, Fla.*
  78. Urban Catalyst Consultants, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  79. Imperial Fence Supply, Eastpoint, Ga.*
  80. InfusionPlus, Flowood, Miss., Abb Payne (JD/MBA ’01)
  81. Owenby Law, P.A., Orange Park, Fla.*
  82. Assurance Financial, Lafayette, La., * Chris Payton (BS Finance ’91)
  83. Beck Partners Insurance, Pensacola, Fla., * Reid Rushing (BS Risk Management/Insurance ‘84)
  84. McKee Insurance Agency, Tallahassee, Fla., * Chad Gardner (BS Management Information Systems ’00)
  85. Barksdale Custom Pools, Crawfordsville, Fla.*
  86. Innovations Federal Credit Union, Panama City, Fla., * Scott Gladden (BS Business Administration ’04; JD/MBA ’20) and Karen Hurst (BS Marketing ’87)
  87. Creative Sign Designs, Tampa, Fla., * Melanie Harden (BS Marketing ’90) and Jamie Harden Jr. (BS Finance ’90)
  88. AVT Simulation, Orlando, Fla.
  89. Deep Blue Yacht Supply, Davie, Fla., * Ryan Charles (BS Management Information Systems and Real Estate ’99) and Justin Hof (BS Management Information Systems ’99)
  90. Convergence Consulting Group, Tampa, Fla., * Sam Powell (BS Management Information Systems ’99); Brian Rimes (Attended ’96); and Dan Rodriguez (BS Management Information Systems ’98)
  91. PlayBig, Tallahassee, Fla., * Kelley Hutto (BS Marketing ’87)
  92. TOMO Construction, LLC, Sebring, Fla., Merideth Woh (BS Accounting ’02; MAcc ’03)
  93. Play, LLC, Smyrna, Ga.*
  94. Insurance Specialty Group, LLC, Atlanta, Ga., * Stephen Harrell (BS Risk Management/Insurance and Entrepreneurship ’06) and Bruce Harrell (BS Accounting ’73; MAcc ’75)
  95. ReEmployAbility, Inc., Tampa, Fla.*
  96. Killearn Lakes TaeKwonDo, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  97. Tallahassee Financial Advisors, Tallahassee, Fla., * Trent Meewes (BS Marketing ’83)
  98. Insurance Services of Central Florida, Inc., Ocoee, Fla., * James Cleveland IV (BS Risk Management/Insurance ’97)
  99. Harvard & Associates, CPA, P.A., Tallahassee, Fla., * John Harvard (BS Finance ’98; BS Accounting ’02)
  100. Orlando Project Controls, Lake Mary, Fla.*

An asterisk indicates companies previously named to the Seminole 100.

To qualify for the Seminole 100, a company must have operated for at least three years and generated revenue by Jan. 1, 2017. In addition, the business must have been owned or led by an FSU alumni for three consecutive years prior to applying.

To learn more about Seminole 100 visit seminole100.fsu.edu.

Watch this year’s virtual ceremony here.

 

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