Content area
Full text
Southwest Florida is well known for a number of things. Our beaches rival any in the world. We are perched on the edge of the Everglades, one of the most beautiful and sensitive ecosystems known to man. The father of electricity, Thomas Alva Edison, made our region his winter home. The world champion Kansas City Royals train here.
People come to this part of the country to vacation. Resorts like the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Marriott's Marco Beach Resort, and South Seas Plantation on Captiva cater to those that want to get away.
People retire here. They come to get away from the cold. They come to swim. They come to play tennis and golf. They come to escape.
Not exactly the kind of place one would expect to find high technology research and development. Yet surprisingly, though on a small scale, there are some remarkable companies doing business in southwest Florida. Some of them are actively trying to attract more to come. As one Ph.D. said, techies like to be where there are other techies. They cannot stand being on their own.
In Collier County, a high tech roundtable has been formed through the Economic Development Council. Dr. Earl Claire, who holds a doctorate in engineering, heads the roundtable. The group's purpose -- to find ways to better service existing high tech interests, and find ways to attract more high tech.
Lee and Charlotte Counties are also courting the high tech business. Why all the interest?
This part of the country does not currently have the base to service a large number of high tech companies. But even a small influx can be a great shot in the arm to a local economy that looks like a roller coaster ride. And who knows -- maybe someday we will be well known for something new -- high tech. Look out Silicon Valley -- here comes Silicon Beach.
MediaWorks
Sarasota
MediaWorks is one of those high tech companies based on technology so new that it still seems miraculous. Using an advanced computer graphics program with state-of-the-art equipment, MediaWorks does in moments what would take the best commercial artist at least a day to do. The firm can create any kind of graphics, from a simple pie...