- April 26, 2024
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A pair of Palm Coast area businesses were recently honored by SCORE of Volusia Flagler.
Wattcore Inc., of 4 Commerce Blvd. in Palm Coast, was recognized by SCORE as its Flagler County Client of the Year. The Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings Rd. North, Palm Coast, was recognized for Outstanding Business Performance.
SCORE also thanked the cities of Ormond Beach and Palm Coast for providing meeting space and an hourly fee to SCORE for client services. SCORE provides free business mentoring for both start-ups and seasoned business owners.
Wattcore is an engineering and manufacturing company that provides energy management and awareness to residential, commercial and industrial sectors. The company was founded in Chicago and relocated to Palm Coast in October 2021, Wattcore President Chanty Khek said.
Its current transformer sensors are manufactured and distributed out of its Palm Coast facility.
“It’s so rare to have manufacturing in the U.S., never mind Palm Coast,” Khek said.
The Florida Agricultural Museum was in danger of closing five or six years ago, but is now financially stable, Executive Director Kara Hoblick said.
The Agricultural Museum is a private nonprofit that is loosely tied to the Florida Department of Agriculture but does not receive funding from it, Hoblick said.
The 460-acre facility, which is located between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 in northern Flagler County, makes money from its school touring complex, its equestrian program, donations and memberships, private events, tours to the general public and through its gift shop.
Now that the museum is in the black, Hoblick said, it's ready to hit the restart program with a new marketing strategy, starting with changing its name.
“'Museum' does not really give the image of who we are,” Hoblick said. “We have historic buildings brought in from around the state of Florida, a lot of hands-on activities, a lot of animals. So it’s more of an experience and an educational facility.”
The board is considering new names, Hoblick said. A name change will have to be approved by the Florida Legislature. A new name probably won't be official until next summer, she said.
The facility is requesting $2.7 million from the Legislature for a new horse barn and new buildings in the school touring complex. The funding bill has support from Speaker of the House Paul Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson, Hoblick said. Rep. Keith Truenow is sponsoring the bill.
The Florida Agricultural Museum’s SCORE mentor is Tony Flores, who has helped the facility come up with new marketing strategies, Hoblick said.
“He is one of our biggest advocates,” Hoblick said. “Every week we still hear people saying, ‘I didn't know you existed,’ and these are our neighbors. Our job this next year is going to try to change that.”
Part of that effort will be putting up signs on I-95 and U.S. 1.
“This year will be the year people notice us,” Hoblick said.
