INgage Networks Honored as Collier County Business of the Month
Naples, Florida (January 26, 2010) – The Economic Development Council of Collier County(EDC) in partnership with the Collier County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) today honored INgage Networks, formerly Neighborhood America, as Collier County Business of the month for January, 2010 at the Board of County Commissioners meeting.
This recognition is the first official joint tribute to a local Collier County business by the public private partnership BCC and the EDC since its formation in 1997. The business of the month program recognizes local businesses that utilize and implements the use of innovation, and honors its contributions to a more diversified economy in Collier County.
Collier County Commissioner Fred Coyle, who envisioned this program, presented a certificate of appreciation to Christine Buonocore, Director of Global Alliances for Ingage Networks. Christine presented a video presentation of the history of the organization and its innovations to the commissioners and the public. Commissioner Coyle stated “the business of the month program will allow not only the commissioners but the public to realize we do have some innovative companies’ right here in Collier County and that is a great place to do business.” Commissioner Frank Halas also commented he “admires the ability of INgage Networks’ co-founder and CEO, Kim Kobza, to find a niche in the marketplace and to meet it so successfully.”
Neighborhood America was founded in 1999 by Kim Patrick Kobza and David Bankston to enable better collaboration between government and citizens through the Web. A decade later, big picture thinking has created big business, and the company’s technology solves similar challenges for all lines of business. With its headquarters right here in Collier County employing 100 professionals, offices extending throughout the United States and projects of national import, the company has welcomed the beginning of 2010 with a new name that readies the company for global penetration: INgage Networks.
INgage Networks is on the leading edge of what most believe is the future of marketing. Using its proprietary ELAvate (Engage, Listen, Act) platform, Neighborhood America today enables its clients to build online and mobile communities that leverage social networking; the impact and cost-effectiveness of this approach is proving to be truly revolutionary.
INgage Network’s formula for success is multi-faceted, but among those most important is its home. Although frequently wooed by other cities, Kobza is loyal to the Naples location for the company’s headquarters. And it’s not just his affection for the community he calls home; for him, it is, like every other, a reasoned decision. His analysis of the strengths of this are yields three conclusions:
The Naples pool of retired and semi-retired corporate executives is an invaluable resource. “The level of experience and intellect across a diversity of industries is a very strong draw,” Kobza says. His company formally mobilizes this group as business advisors and they have become what he terms a “critical part of the company’s DNA.”
Naples offers a quality of working life that is exceptional. Most people recognize the beauty of this area, as well as its recreational and cultural resources, and active social life. But Kobza concentrates on the benefits of Naples living for those in the workforce. “It’s the right environment for working,” he says, citing the ability to work on world-class projects without paying the metropolitan price of commuting. He also cites the desire of qualified candidates to live here, whether they be ex-metros looking for a different experience, offspring of executives who have retired here, or trailing spouses. “Last year, we hired a former AOL executive, a Harvard/MIT graduate who was a lead manager of a 600-person international team,” says Kobza. “For him and his wife, moving to Naples was one of the real advantages of the job.”
The available resources in Naples are world class. “This is a destination,” Kobza explains. “Our customers love to come here, and our seminars, held in some of the nation’s top hotels right here in Naples, are always well-subscribed.” Company staffers also appreciate the proximity of Southwest Florida International Airport and the convenience it provides. While conducting the interview for this article, Kobza was on his way to RSW to catch a flight to Washington, DC. “It won’t take me much longer to get to downtown Washington that it does for the average commuter from Western Virginia,” he says. “But I get to live in Naples.”
Founded on the principles of trust, expertise and innovation, INgage Networks has taken an elemental problem – lack of communication – and created solutions that ten years ago were simply inconceivable. Under the vision of Kim Kobza and David Bankston, the leadership of the company’s executive team, and the talent of the company’s staff, we can only believe that INgage Networks, happily ensconced in their Vanderbilt Beach Road Headquarters building, will long be a leader in its industry.
For additional information on INgage Networks please visit the companies website; www.INgageNetworks.com
For more information about the many advantages to locating or expanding a business in Collier County, contact the Economic Development Council of Collier County at (239) 263-8989, or find us on-line at www.eNaplesFlorida.com.
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Founded in 1976, the Economic Development Council of Collier County (EDC) is a private, not-for-profit corporation with a mission to diversify the economy and create high wage jobs. The EDC was established to focus on the local economy and the corresponding infrastructure required to successfully diversify the county's economic base. In 1997, the EDC and Collier County Board of Commissioners inaugurated a formal Public/Private Partnership for Economic Prosperity to advance the efforts of community to deliver a multifaceted program of target industry cluster business retention, expansion and recruitment. For more information about the many advantages to locating or expanding a business in Collier County, contact the Economic Development Council of Collier County at (239) 263-8989, or find
us online at www.eNaplesFlorida.com. Tammie Nemecek serves as President & CEO of the Economic Development Council of Collier County.