EVOLVE Business and Entrepreneur Magazine First Coast Region - Summer 2022 | Page 18

Grow De

by Danielle Anderson
PuroClean Working

COVID , inflation , challenging election cycles - the past two years have been the perfect storm to wreak havoc on the nation ’ s economy . Despite the many challenges , businesses in northeast Florida are finding innovative ways to not only keep employees on the payroll but also , in some cases , expand profitability and their footprint as Florida rolls out the welcome mat .

PuroClean Emergency Restoration Services – St . Augustine , Florida
Serving as a leader in property emergency services and helping families and business owners overcome devastating setbacks caused by water , fire , mold and other conditions , PuroClean was perfectly positioned to thrive during the pandemic ’ s onset .
Melissa Rowe
“ We were deemed an essential business from the very beginning ,” said Melissa Rowe , director of community relations and business development .
“ We were actually blessed because we perform biohazard cleanup , and we helped many businesses and residential homeowners sanitize their properties when affected by a positive COVID contamination . We just looked at what services we offer that could be of value in this situation .”
While the St . Augustine location currently staffs 20 full-time positions , Rowe says they are looking to add team members to their workforce .
“ We currently have five open positions that we have been actively trying to fill with no success ,” she said . “ We are lucky with the 20 employees we have ; they are very loyal . We will always try to grow and bring value to the communities we serve .”
Ground Up , Inc . – Palm Coast , Florida
Joseph Santoro and his father , Ken , are in the business of car restoration . As the northeast ’ s largest automotive restoration supply company , Ground Up , Inc . has earned a reputation for quality service and timely delivery through the use of technology and e-commerce . Moving their business from Connecticut to Palm Coast , Florida , the successful business owners tapped into the City of Palm Coast ’ s REV Grant or ‘ Recapture Enhanced
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