FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 31, 2011
Contact: Stacey Swank
Pinellas County Economic Development
(727) 464-7425 or sswank@pinellascounty.org
Designed to Succeed: Davis Bews Design Group
and Florida's Incumbent Worker Training Grants
PINELLAS COUNTY, FL (Aug. 31, 2011) - Founded in 1994, Davis Bews Design Group, Inc. has long tied business success to customer satisfaction. Now, with funding through Florida's Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) grant program, the company will train 15 employees on new software that will help Davis Bews continue to deliver the accurate and dependable service its clients have come to expect.
"It really is all about delivering the absolute best customer service possible," attests Bryan Cripe, Strategic Projects Manager for Davis Bews. "The IWT grant will allow us to enhance our staff's skills, leading to an even better experience for our clients."
One of the top design and drafting firms in Florida, Davis Bews delivers quality residential design projects to a wide range of production home builders, including seven of the top twenty-five in the nation. The company was introduced to the IWT program by Scott Talcott, Business Development Manager for Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED).
Talcott explains, "At PCED, our job is to support local business retention and growth. We hear frequently that businesses need help, especially in the current economic climate, with employee training, so we want to get the message out that there are programs available to assist companies, both large and small."
During an April, 2011 business retention visit to Davis Bews, Talcott learned that the company was looking for a way train its design team on new AutoCad software and supplied the company with information on the IWT program. In July, Davis Bews was approved to begin training through a $15,712 grant.
"The entire process was easy and efficient," says Cripe, "and we were very pleased with the quick turn-around."
The Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) program provides training to currently employed workers at Florida companies for the purpose of maintaining competitiveness in a global economy and for business retention. The program is open to businesses that have been in operation for at least one year and employ at least one full-time employee, with funding priority given to businesses in qualified targeted industries and with less than 25 employees. Structured to be flexible to meet each business' training objectives, businesses can use public, private or their own in-house training providers, based on the nature of the training. For seven years, Pinellas County has led Florida in IWT projects, a statistic that showcases the efforts of PCED's staff to keep local businesses thriving.
"The IWT program is a valuable tool for business retention, one that can really propel growth," Talcott asserts.
Will Davis Bews look to PCED and the IWT program for future needs?
"Absolutely!" proclaims Cripe. "In order to provide our clients with the best products, we need to continually build our skills and the training grant programs offered by the state can make the difference between putting off necessary training and increasing our employees' skills right away. We'll definitely consider the IWT program for future needs."
A new funding cycle for the Incumbent Worker Training program began July 1, 2011. Contact Pinellas County Economic Development at (727) 464-7332 to discuss the program and other training options.
Learn more about Davis Bews Design Group, Inc. at www.davisbews.com.
###
