Incubator Client Z-Facilitators Wins $1.3 Million Everglades Restoration Contract

Less than a year after entering the Florida/NASA Business Incubation Center (FNBIC), Z-Facilitators Inc. (ZFI) was awarded a contract for $1.3 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Everglades Restoration Program. Under the contract, the company will operate and maintain two pumping stations in the drainage network of South Florida and the Everglades.

“We moved into an incubator to strengthen our prospects of working with major national and international environmental organizations, specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Everglades Restoration Program,” says George Guo, president of ZFI. “With the award of this contract, we are now better positioned to compete for more of the operation and maintenance contracts to be awarded over the next 25 years as part of the $7.8 billion effort to restore the Florida Everglades.”

A minority-owned small business, ZFI provides technology-based professional services in hydrodynamics and hydraulic engineering.  ZFI has increased its employee base from 2 to 11 since beginning incubation.

The company recently opened a second office in the South Florida area prompted by contracts it directly attributes to FNBIC. The TRDA, which manages a statewide incubator network, including FNBIC, turned to ZFI for the Phase 1 environmental site assessment and environmental impact assessment of the proposed site for the Melbourne incubator project. Additionally, ZFI was awarded a contract for the environmental site remediation of the Homestead incubator site. Another contract for project administration on the construction phase of the Homestead incubator is pending.

This type of growth and success illustrates the value incubation offers start-up companies. Graduates of FNBIC regularly credit the Incubator with accelerating their business growth. However, according to Dave Kershaw, incubation programs director, “companies often grow and thrive under the radar screen during their incubation periods. Frequently, these companies are so focused on planning and implementing growth-oriented strategies that they forget to share their good news.”

While incubating at FNBIC, Riptide Software received sizeable contracts from BTG, Execusys, and Anteon, which allowed them to graduate rapidly. Their success continues to blossom outside of the Incubator. In an annual growth survey, Deliotte-Touche ranked Riptide among the top three fastest growing technology companies in Florida and 76^th in the nation.

Another FNBIC graduate, Command and Control Technologies also found significant success while still in the Incubator. The company was recognized as the 15^th fastest growing private company in the state by the University of Florida and the Association of Florida Business Journals in 2001.

To date, the Florida/NASA Business Incubation Center is credited with the creation of more than 78 jobs, the development of more than 14 products and the generation of more than $9.7M in new sales revenue. Since inception the Incubator has housed, counseled and/or graduated 27 companies.

To learn more about Z-Facilitators or FNBIC, visit www.trda.org/fnbic.