Schoolfield Properties is one of Osceola County’s most impressive local success stories. It might surprise many to know that 2018’s “7th Fastest Growing Company in Central Florida” started out as a small family-owned company back in 1969. A commercial property investor and developer operating in Osceola and Brevard counties, Schoolfield prides itself on providing locations for small business owners, as well as national, government, and corporate tenants. Still a family-run business, the Schoolfield family today owns almost 1.5 million square feet of commercial office, warehouse, retail, medical, and ground-leased properties in desirable, yet affordable, locations.
Schoolfield Properties was founded here in Osceola County in 1969. It was started by the husband and wife team of Wayne and Dianne Schoolfield. Wayne, the President & CEO of the company, set off acquiring, developing, and brokering real estate. Dianne was by his side managing the financial aspects of their business as Secretary/Treasurer. The original goal of the company was to own, broker, and develop residential property in and around Osceola County, and in its first three decades alone the company developed and sold over 32 single-family subdivisions. There is a good chance your neighborhood was developed by Schoolfield!
In the 1980s, the Schoolfield’s were responsible for the development of many of the major shopping centers that we still see today throughout Osceola County. By the 1990s, the company had grown significantly, and Osceola Management, Inc. was established to hold and manage their commercial investments for the long-term, as well as manage investments owned by others. Their family owned investments span the Central Florida region with holdings in Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, and Orange counties.
Wayne and Dianne spend much of their spare time visiting their home in North Carolina and traveling the world. To date, they have visited over 125 countries.
The Celebration Area Council is gearing up for the holidays by partnering with Osceola Council on Aging to support families in need here in Osceola County this holiday season. They are launching a toy drive with drop-off locations around the County to assist the Council on Aging with aiding the County’s most vulnerable at the holidays. Most notably, with this partnership, all donations will stay in Osceola County.
The CAC has established donation drop-off locations at Land Title Professionals, Chick-fil-A at Celebration, Old Town, and the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber lobby. Bring your donations of (new) toys, games, gift cards, and clothing to any of these locations between now and December 15th. As an added bonus, if you bring your donation to Shoney’s at Old Town, you will receive 15% off your meal!
The Council on Aging, which, despite its name, services Osceola’s needy of all ages, was established in 1971. Today they are the largest social service organization in Osceola County. They provide a wide array of services and programs to meet the needs of our community. These include the county’s Meals on Wheels program, and offering shelter during hurricanes.
Here are the details on the CAC Toy Drive drop-off locations:
Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce
1425 E Vine St.
Kissimmee, FL 34744
*Lobby open Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Land Title Professionals
1341 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
St. Cloud, FL 34771
Chick-fil-A at Celebration
6050 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Celebration, FL 34747
Shoney’s Kitchen & Bar at Old Town
5770 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Kissimmee, FL 34746
*Receive 15% off your food order with your donation
This year the Chamber Business Academy went virtual!
For the Small Business Council's 6th annual Chamber Business Academy, we offered five classes on topics important to small businesses on five consecutive Wednesdays via Zoom. Did you miss out? See below for a summary of this year's academy and a video highlight real. We hope the Academy will be back to a weekly in-person event next year and that you will join us for more great content. Until then, read on to see what you missed this year!
Week 1 - Pandemic Prospecting: "How to See When You Can't Even Shake Their Hands"
Our first session titled "Pandemic Prospecting" was delivered by Eric Shulman, a 40-year Sandler Sales Training Program veteran and owner of An Inside Man. This session noted that, with the current pandemic, many things have changed in the sales world. How do you make things happen when you can't even get face to face with your target prospects and clients? If cold calling was tough before the pandemic, it's certainly tougher today. What do you say and how do you even start a conversation? This session demonstrated simple ways to get the conversation started and how to keep it going.
Week 2 - Social Media Marketing 101
For week 2 Kristine Zwick, Director of Client Success at Reach, shared their exact strategic method for creating social media marketing campaigns that convert for their clients. Points covered included setting budgets, building an audience, and creating eye-catching ads that get customers to click. Kristine has 12 years of digital marketing under her belt for brands both big and small, and is responsible for ensuring all marketing campaigns at Reach exceed client KPIs.
Week 3 - Ownership Thinking
The focus of Ownership Thinking is to shape employee behavior toward improving financial performance, improving employee engagement, and moving from a "me" to "us" mentality. Instructor Ray Watson is a Principal with Executive Leadership Resources, Inc., CEO Roundtable Facilitator, Predictive Index Certified Talent Optimization Consultant, and Business Coach. He is a former owner/partner of a diverse list of business endeavors, executive with Fortune 500 companies, and Army Special Forces Officer. He has taught this popular topic at the Business Academy almost every year since its inception.
Week 4 - Payroll & HR
Brian Nagle, Sales Leader with RealTime Services, explained the benefits of using a PEO company that allows business owners and operators the time to focus on their company, as well as payroll changes, challenges, and concerns specifically for 2020. Brian Nagle has 20 years of sales experience in providing staffing firms with payroll funding, administrative services, and strategic consulting.
Week 5 - Traction: "The Entrepreneurial Operating System"
For the final week we returned to a topic that has been a staple at the Chamber Business Academy every year. EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) is an integrated business system that helps growth-oriented leaders and entrepreneurs clarify their vision, gain traction, and get healthy in order to get control, grow, and increase the value of their business. This session was presented by John King, a former COO & Integrator for a production company, who now implements the EOS with clients ranging from $2 to $200 million in revenue in a variety of industries including healthcare, insurance, construction, engineering, and legal services.
A big thanks to Old Town for sponsoring this year's Chamber Business Academy!
For more information on the Chamber Business Academy, and to be informed when the Academy returns in 2021, contact us at cpilkington@kisimmeecahmber.com.
