FLAGLER’S HIGH-TECH CORRIDOR
Technology has changed the way we work,
live and play. Few understand this more than
high-tech employers. Thanks to the
international access of the Internet, high-tech
companies don’t have to operate out of
congested urban areas to succeed. In fact,
many high-tech businesses are choosing
laidback, coastal communities like Flagler
County for their operations. This trend wasn’t
lost on three businesses that embraced
Flagler’s high-tech corridor and great
lifestyles: Cardinal Systems, Coastal Cloud
and Moving Minds, LLC.
Since Coastal Cloud’s launch in 2013, Tim and
Sara Hale’s employees have embraced the
philosophy “Live at the Beach. Work in the
Cloud.” Staff provides IT support to domestic
and international customers all day, but can
break away at lunch for a walk on the beach.
By supporting leading cloud-based IT
solutions, physical location was not an issue
for the Hales, so they chose a beachside
community for their corporate home and
recently purchased the Hammock Discover
Center as a permanent headquarters.
From unassuming beachfront offices in
Flagler Beach, business partners Mike Kitaif
and Jane Smith operate Cardinal Systems, a
software development company they started
in 2000. Cardinal Systems provides leading
edge software with a range of technical and
innovative applications in the field of
photogrammetry and LiDAR. The company’s
clients include federal and state governments,
large corporations and aerial survey and
mapping companies.
As a Flagler Beach native and former pro
surfer, Mike is thrilled with the quiet success
his company enjoys in a town that is a great
place to live and work. Jane agrees and
admits that she and her husband chose
Flagler Beach because it is an eclectic little
oceanfront community with the added bonus
of being able to take their dogs on the beach.
Entrepreneurs Lou and Katherine Hughes are
also making waves with their global strategic
marketing and web consulting business,
Moving Minds, LLC. In 2013, the Hughes
moved the business from Washington D.C.,
and plan to hire more than 50 qualified, local
employees over the next three to five years.
“Helga van Eckert and her team have been
incredibly supportive partners and are helping
us fuel our next stage of growth,” said CEO
Lou Hughes. “We are impressed with their
progressive approach and are confident that
relocating to Flagler was a good choice.”
With accolades like this, it’s no surprise that
Flagler County is emerging as an appealing
option for IT companies. The growth of
Flagler’s technology sector suggests that the
word is getting out: “From business to
beaches, Flagler County has it all.”
For more information about moving or
expanding your business in Flagler County, go
to page 74 for contact information.
Fantastic Flagler Visitor & Newcomer Guide
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