Alumni

FSU Celebrates Seminole 100; College of Business alumni dominate

March 26, 2020

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Florida State University unveiled its 2020 Seminole 100 list Saturday during a ceremony hosted by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, part of the FSU College of Business. The list recognizes 100 of the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by FSU alumni and includes a wide range of industries across the country. More than 70 of those listed are located in Florida.

FSU recognized the No. 1 business – Clothes Bin – by honoring Nick Boariu, co-founder and chief operating officer of the national textile recycling franchise based in Davie, Florida. Sally McRorie, FSU provost and executive vice president for academic affairs presented the award to Boariu, a 2002 marketing graduate, at the third annual event held at the University Center Club in Doak Campbell Stadium.

“We are proud to honor Florida State alumni who are creating and growing amazing companies around the country,” said Melissa Roberts, managing director of the Jim Moran Institute. “This year’s honorees provided jobs for more than 5,900 people and generated almost $1.6 billion in revenue. Their success is a testament to the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit fostered by the faculty and staff at FSU.”

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

Following is the 2020 Seminole 100 list of fastest-growing businesses that are FSU alumni-owned or operated. The names of College of Business alumni are in boldface. 

  1. Clothes Bin Franchise, Davie, Fla., Nick Boariu (B.S. Marketing ’02)
  2. Platform Surfaces, Bensenville, Ill., Frank Palumbo (B.S. Finance ’02)
  3. SimpleNexus, Lehi, Utah*
  4. Goodwipes, Atlanta, Ga., Samuel Nebel (B.S. Entrepreneurship ’11)
  5. Boomerang Transportation, LLC, Tampa, Fla.*
  6. The Nieves Law Firm, APC, Oakland, Calif., Jo-Anna Nieves LeGrand-Logan (B.S. Multinational Business Operations and Finance ’05 and J.D. ’09)
  7. Boudreaux Design Studio, Miami, Fla.
  8. 30A Beach Service, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.,
  9. The Oaks Apparel Company, LLC, Dothan, Ala., Jennifer Searcy Kennedy (B.S. Management ’96)
  10. Walk West, Raleigh, N.C.
  11. Social Catering & Events, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Angela Bowman Walker (B.S. Finance and Management ’08)
  12. Visiture, Charleston, S.C.,* Ronald Dod (B.S. Marketing ’11 and  M.S. Marketing ’12)
  13. Kinloch Partners, Kennesaw, Ga.
  14. Ramsey & Walker, LLC, Navarre, Fla., Brett Ramsey (B.S. Real Estate and Entrepreneurship ’09)
  15. Frederick | Ganderton, LLP, Greenwood Village, Colo.
  16. Practice42, Tallahassee, Fla.
  17. Oasys International Corporation, Fairfax, Va.,* Anthony “Tony” Johnson (M.S. Management Information Systems ’00)
  18. Taylor Financial, Tampa, Fla.,* Adam Taylor (B.S. Hospitality Management ’03)
  19. Opes Real Estate Group, Miami Beach, Fla., Joanna Jimenez (B.S. Finance ’09)
  20. A-LIGN, Tampa, Fla.,* Gene Geiger (B.S Accounting ’97 and MAcc ’98) and Scott Price (B.S Accounting ’97 and MAcc ’97)
  21. Blue Air Training, Las Vegas, Nev.,* James “Chef” Barlow (B.S. Marketing ’95)
  22. Building Block Resolutions, Marina Del Rey, Calif.
  23. AgileThought, Tampa, Fla.*, Jeff Alagood (B.S. Marketing ’94), Ryan Dorrell (B.S. Management Information Systems ’95) and Charles “Chuck” Romine (B.S. Management Information Systems ’96)
  24. GMF Steel Group, Lakeland, Fla.*
  25. Imaginuity, Dallas, Texas
  26. Crown Asset Management, LLC, Duluth, Ga., Brian Williams (B.S. Finance ’97)
  27. Lucky Goat Coffee Co., LLC, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Bernard Pautsch (B.S. Management ’91)
  28. Ardent Eagle Solutions, Tampa, Fla.,* Joseph Albano (B.S. Information Studies and Marketing ’06)
  29. Cureton Johnson & Associates, LLC, Tallahassee, Fla., Wayne Johnson (B.S. Real Estate ’92)
  30. Peterson Foods, LLC, Marietta, Ga.,* William Peterson Jr. (B.S. Accounting ’78)
  31. Resonant Sciences, Dayton, Ohio*
  32. TSI Legal, Tampa, Fla., Jennifer Moler Dominguez (B.S. Management Information Systems ’91)
  33. Diverse Computing, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla.,* Craig Gibbens (B.S. Management Information Systems ’98), Anthony Pun (B.S. Management Information Systems ’97) and Daniel Percy (B.S. Finance ’96 and Management Information Systems ’97)
  34. Canopy Road Café, Tallahassee, Fla.
  35. ReliaQuest, Tampa, Fla.,* Brian Murphy (B.S. Accounting and Finance ’00)
  36. MGT of America Consulting, LLC, Tampa, Fla., Anthony Traviesa (B.S. Finance ’92)
  37. Aaron Rich Marketing, Panama City, Fla.
  38. Orlando Project Controls, LLC, Lake Mary, Fla.*
  39. TNGI, LLC, Winter Park, Fla., Steven Kropp (B.S. Finance ’85)
  40. TopCat Markets, Inc., Sylva, N.C.,* Travis Lewis (B.S. Real Estate and Management ’08 and MBA ’11)
  41. 360 Advanced, Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla., Daniel Collins (B.S. Management ’00)
  42. Top Tier, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,* Blake Carter (B.S. Marketing ’16)
  43. PLAY, LLC, Smyrna, Ga.
  44. Kupanda Capital, LLC, Washington, D.C.*
  45. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Meadows Mountain Realty, Highlands, N.C.
  46. All Seasons Wealth, Tampa, Fla.*
  47. HomeCare Connect, LLC, Winter Park, Fla., Richard Montgomery (B.S. Management ’85)
  48.  Paul Consulting Group, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Ryan Brooks (B.S. Management Information Systems ’01) and Marc Paul (B.S. Finance ’95)
  49. MCCi, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Donald “Donny” Barstow (B.S. Management Information Systems and Finance ’01)
  50. Synergy Settlement Services, Orlando, Fla.,* Daniel Alvarez (B.S. Marketing ’96 and J.D. ’00)
  51. Owenby Law, P.A., Orange Park, Fla.*
  52. Imperial Fence Supply, LLC, East Point, Ga.
  53. Allied Instructional Services, LLC, Ashland, Va.*
  54. Prime Meridian Bank, Tallahassee, Fla.,* William Crona (B.S. Marketing ’72), Sammie Dixon (B.S. Finance ’96), Roy Guemple (B.S. Accounting ’73 and MBA ’74), Kathleen Cabler Jones (B.S. Finance ’78) and Richard Weidner (B.S. Accounting ’66)
  55. PRA Business Events New Orleans, New Orleans, La.,* Jeff O’Hara (B.S. Hospitality Management ’88)
  56. PremierMED Family and Sports Medicine, Ocoee, Fla.*
  57. Legacy Insurance Associates Unlimited, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla.
  58. Advanta IRA, Largo, Fla., Jack Callahan Jr. (B.S. Multinational Business Operations ’93)
  59. Taylor White Specialized Staffing Services, Inc., Tampa, Fla.,* James Bassil (B.S. Accounting ’81) and Anthony Linguanti (B.S. Accounting ’83)
  60. Jeff Kottkamp, P.A., Tallahassee, Fla.
  61. Craig Dewhurst Agency, Inc., St. Augustine, Fla.
  62. Kaye Kendrick Enterprises, LLC, Tallahassee, Fla., Kaye Kendrick (B.S. Accounting ’81)
  63. ROI Healthcare Solutions, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.,* William Starks (B.S. Management Information Systems ’98)
  64. Veteran Energy, Gainesville, Fla.,* Richard Blaser (B.S. Finance ’91)
  65. Information & Computing Services, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.,* Jorge Morales (B.S. Management ’70)
  66. Dale’s Southern Grill, Inc., Birmingham, Ala., Dale Lowry (B.S. Marketing ’81)
  67. Physical Equilibrium, LLC, New York, N.Y.
  68. Cortes Hodz Family Law & Mediation, P.A., Tampa, Fla.
  69. LandSouth Construction, LLC, Jacksonville, Fla.,* James Pyle (B.S. Finance ’82)
  70. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC, Orlando, Fla.,* Daniel Moisand (B.S. Finance ’89)
  71. Southwest Georgia Oil Company, Bainbridge, Ga.,* Michael Harrell (B.S. Real Estate’84)
  72. ProFi Facilities Maintenance, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Michael Loudis (B.S. Management ’12)
  73. Harvard and Associates, CPA, P.A., Tallahassee, Fla.,* John Harvard (B.S. Finance ’98 and B.S. Accounting ’02)
  74. Beck Partners, Pensacola, Fla., Reid Rushing (B.S. Risk Management/Insurance ’95)
  75. Tal Search Group, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla.*
  76. The Mortgage Firm, Altamonte Springs, Fla.,* Brett Lindquist (B.S. Finance ’83)
  77. Deep Blue Yacht Supply, Inc., Davie, Fla.,* Ryan Charles (B.S. Management Information Systems ’97 and B.S. Real Estate ’99) and Justin Hof (B.S. Management Information Systems ’99)
  78. Premiere Computer Solutions, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  79. Global Sales, Gibsonton, Fla.*
  80. Downs & St. Germain Research, Tallahassee, Fla.
  81. PlayBig Therapy and Recreation Zone, LLC, Tallahassee, Fla.,* Kelley Hackler Hutto (B.S. Marketing ’87)
  82. Autumn Beck Blackledge, PLLC, Pensacola, Fla.*
  83. ReEmployAbility, Tampa, Fla.*
  84. Moore, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla.
  85. The Concrete Yedi, Inc., Tallahassee, Fla., Brian Mills (B.S. Marketing ’92)
  86. Lincoln Lending Group, Tampa, Fla.
  87. Insurance Services of Central Florida, Inc., Ocoee, Fla., James Cleveland IV (B.S. Risk Management/Insurance ’97)
  88. J.B. Shepherd & Company, Inc., Plant City, Fla.
  89. Weatherford Capital Management, LLC, Tampa, Fla., Andrew Weatherford (B.S. Finance ’08)
  90. Who Dey Prints & Embroidery, Panama City, Fla.
  91. Partners in Association Management, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  92. Innovations Federal Credit Union, Panama City Beach, Fla., Michael “Scott” Gladden (B.S. Business Administration ’04) and Karen Ortman Hurst (B.S. Marketing ’87)
  93. Fiore Communications, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  94. C&C Insurance, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
  95. Financial & Retirement Strategies, Inc., Clearwater, Fla., Douglas Dort (B.S. Marketing ’00)
  96. Barksdale Custom Pools, Inc., Crawfordville, Fla.
  97. Convergence Consulting Group, Inc., Tampa, Fla.,* Sam Powell (B.S. Management Information Systems ’99) and Dan Rodriguez (B.S. Management Information Systems ’98)
  98. Jim Flores, LLC, Austin, Texas, James Flores Jr. (B.S. Risk Management/Insurance ’01)
  99. Rambana & Ricci, PLLC, Tallahassee, Fla.*
  100. Tallahassee Financial Advisors, Tallahassee, Fla., Trent Meewes (B.S. Marketing ’82)

*An asterisk indicates companies previously named to the Seminole 100.

To qualify for the Seminole 100, a company must have been in operation for at least three years and have been owned or led by an FSU graduate during that timeframe.

To learn more about the Seminole 100, visit www.seminole100.fsu.edu.

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