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Consulting service relocates

By CHRISTINA COSDON
Published July 16, 2006

PALM HARBOR - N.S. Nettles & Associates, a 22-year-old firm specializing in consulting services that include marine permitting, reef construction, sinkhole investigations and coastal oceanography, has expanded and moved to new quarters.

Owner and firm president Sandy Nettles has moved the business from Tarpon Springs to Palm Harbor. The firm's new headquarters is a 5,800-square-foot facility at 201 Alt. U.S. 19 N that Nettles said he purchased for $1.3-million. Nettles, a native Floridian, is a hydrogeologist with 32 years of experience.

While a major function of the business is hydrogeology, Nettles said the preconstruction mapping of sinkhole features for commercial and industrial clients is a growing component.

In the past 10 years, the firm has assisted more than 600 homeowners with previously denied insurance claims to acquire sinkhole coverage, he said, and has performed sinkhole investigations for condominium complexes in Tennessee and Florida. It also has mapped sinkhole features associated with highway road collapses in Maryland and Florida.

As part of the firm's expansion, Nettles has hired two employees, Bret Jarrett and Dennis Kesmodel, and plans to hire additional staffers. He has 10 employees.

Jarrett joins the firm from the University of South Florida, where he worked as a research scientist. Before that, he was a professor of marine science at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Kesmodel most recently was a geologist and an instrumentation engineer for Bechtel Corp. in Boston. Before that, he worked as a staff engineering geologist for Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Oldsmar site is eighth store for Cork & Olive wine chain

The Cork & Olive wine chain has opened its eighth retail store, 13998 W Hillsborough Ave., Oldsmar. The developing residential area was a draw for the new store, company operations director Stephanie Nelson said.

The Tampa business opened its first neighborhood wine shop two years ago and plans to have 200 stores in Florida within the next three years. Its wines come from family-owned vineyards from around the world, and its wine-tasting tables are open all day every business day. The company focuses on three business targets: store sales, catered events and home events.

Spencer International hires executive administrator

Janice F. Santa has joined Spencer International Advisors as an executive administrator. She most recently was with ION Labs Inc. of Clearwater as an accounting manager and before that was an office manager at Stafford DeMarco Inc. in Tampa.

Spencer International Advisors, 1401 S Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, is a fee-only registered investment adviser regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Junior Achievement names eight to board of directors

Junior Achievement of West Central Florida, 15201 Roosevelt Blvd., near Largo, has named the following to its board of directors: Allison Casper Adams, owner-operator of Caspers Co. McDonald's; Brian Cone, senior executive, Accenture; Bernie Craig, Pinellas marketing president, Bank of America; Chuck Crouse, partner, Kingery & Crouse CPAs; Ed Peachy, executive director, WorkNet Pinellas; Karen W. Seel, Pinellas County Commission; Gus Stavros, chairman PELAM Investments; and Clayton Wilcox, superintendent, Pinellas County schools.

Old Harbor Bank hires four for executive, PR jobs

Kim Ellenor, Dwight Blader, Denine Barham and Katie Spies have joined Old Harbor Bank.

Ellenor is vice president, retail banking executive, at the Palm Harbor branch, 32700 U.S. 19 N. She has 28 years of experience in banking and was most recently with Synovus Bank of Tampa Bay.

Blader is vice president, commercial lending officer, at the Palm Harbor branch. He has 15 years of experience in commercial and real estate lending and previously worked in the Tampa and Orlando offices of Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp.

Barham is to be vice president, retail banking executive, of the bank's Belleair Bluffs branch that is under construction. She has more than 18 years of experience in banking.

Spies is the community marketing officer at the bank's corporate office, 2605 Enterprise Road E, Clearwater. She has 20 years of experience in public relations and advertising and eight years of experience as a chamber of commerce staff president and chief executive officer in Lake County, Ill.

New hire, new honor at Acordia Clearwater division

Troy Sankey has joined the Clearwater division of Acordia, a Wells Fargo company, as a commercial lines producer. One of his jobs will be to expand the group and pension business. He most recently was with Sentry Insurance.

Lynn Rasmussen, manager of the personal insurance division of Acordia in Clearwater, has been honored by Insurance Professionals of Pinellas. She was recognized for work that included encouraging her staffers to continue their education, promoting a high level of expertise in the workplace and providing her staffers the time needed to serve in their professional and community activities.

Acordia is the largest bank-affiliated insurance brokerage firm in the United States.

Former sheriff's general counsel joins law firm

Jean H. Kwall has joined the law firm of Kwall, Showers, Coleman & Barack, 133 N Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. She was general counsel for more than 20 years to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Largo.

The firm's areas of practice include employment, criminal and administrative law and personal injury.

News of businesses and business people can be faxed to the Business Digest at 727 445-4119, e-mailed to cosdon@sptimes.com or mailed to Business Digest, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756.

[Last modified July 15, 2006, 22:28:24]