VIP Boat Club moves to Ozona

By CHRISTINA K. COSDON

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 25, 2001

OZONA -- Howard and Felice Levy have expanded and moved their boat business from Dunedin to two marinas in Ozona.

VIP Boat Club, which offers a dozen powerboats from 17 to 26 feet to members for daytime use, has moved to Home Port Marina at 4200 Bayshore Blvd. The Levys' newest business, a charter division with three boats, is now less than a mile from Home Port at a marina at 4100 Bayshore Blvd. The Levys also have their main office at this location.

"We're also doing yacht management," said Mrs. Levy. One of their clients is baseball player Derek Bell. "We're taking care of his 56-foot yacht while he's in Pittsburgh," she said. "We'll charter it and maintain it for him until he returns at the end of the season." Bell lives on the yacht during spring training, she said.

The two marinas are to be renovated, and Mrs. Levy said they plan to eventually consolidate the businesses to one location.

Since buying the then-9-year-old business two years ago, the Levys have replaced the dozen club boats. "They were pretty worn down," Mrs. Levy said.

The couple, who live in Palm Harbor, moved here from Atlanta three years ago. Levy has more than 25 years' experience in the marine industry and Mrs. Levy's background is in sales and marketing.

Hubbell Funeral Home names new director

Kevin Ferm, who worked at Hubbell Funeral Home in Belleair Bluffs from 1989 to 1997, has returned as funeral director.

He is the son-in-law of Gerry and Stella Hubbell, who established the business 37 years ago. Since leaving Hubbell in 1997, Ferm has been managing three funeral homes and a crematory for Stewart Enterprise in the St. Petersburg area.

He is a member of Florida Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association, Pinellas County Funeral Homes Association, Cremation Association of North America and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.

Direct mail company gains two clients

Genesis Direct at 391 Roberts Road, Oldsmar, has been hired by Elite Marketing Inc. of Tampa to handle its direct marketing programs from consultation to direct mail production. The company also has been hired by Dynamic Systems Group of Tampa to produce more than 2-million laser-printed proxies.

Genesis Direct is a direct marketing/direct mail company that provides creative design, data processing, mailing lists, direct mail production, campaign management and response analysis.

PrimeNet Marketing names creative director

Sheri Lewis has been named creative director of PrimeNet Marketing Services, 2100 Palmetto St., Clearwater. She will be responsible for developing and implementing commercial graphics and retail aspects of the operation.

She has had a long career in direct marketing and brings 20 years of commercial graphics and management experience to PrimeNet Marketing Services. She began her career in television graphics and design before moving into advertising, newspaper production, medical marketing and trade show symposiums.

PrimeNet also provides direct marketing support services to marketers of retail, publishing and financial services. The company's data processing, print and mail facilities are in Clearwater, St. Paul, Minn., and Milwaukee. PrimeNet is a subsidiary of Journal Communications.

Bardmoor Branch YMCA hires executive director

Jamie Bruning has been named executive director of the Bardmoor Branch YMCA at 8787 Bryan Dairy Road, Seminole. In his new position, he will supervise a staff of 40 and an annual operating budget of $750,000. He will be responsible for continued and expanding programs and services for all ages.

Bruning most recently was associate director of the Clearwater Branch YMCA. Before moving to the Tampa Bay area, he worked as wellness and aquatics director of Golden Triangle YMCA in Tavares in Central Florida. He is a 1995 graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in education.

The Bardmoor branch opened in 1998 and is an extension of the YMCA partnership with Morton Plant Mease Health Care.

The seven branches of the YMCA of the Suncoast serve more than 45,000 members and program participants in Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.

Jiffy Reprographics expands digital work

Jiffy Reprographics at 411 S Garden Ave., Clearwater, has renovated and expanded its digital printing center into large format digital color.

The facility has supported the architectural, engineering and construction industries for more than 45 years with the printing of construction documents.

The facility now features a digital plan room for construction projects in development, design and build phases. The projects may be viewed on the Internet and construction documents ordered online.

- News of businesses and business people can be faxed to the Business Digest at (727) 445-4119 or mailed to Business Digest, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. We are interested in new and unusual businesses, promotions, expansions and major new contracts. Photos can be sent, but not all will be used and they cannot be returned.

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