Ethics dominates SW Fla. business roundtable discussion at FGCU
From the Naples Daily News
June 7, 2007

By Vanessa Rozier

In business, making money is the bottom line. But for a room full of Southwest Florida business leaders Thursday, that was not the case.

More than 30 business leaders from around the five-county area gathered at Florida Gulf Coast University for a forum on ethics sponsored by The Uncommon Friends Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on character-education curricula in area schools.

Humility, honesty and customer service emerged as popular topics of discussion during the two-hour forum, said facilitator Charles J. Fornaciari. Fornaciari, the nonprofit’s chairman on ethics, along with Linda D. Jones, director of human resources at HomeBanc Mortgage Corp, and Annette M. Jacobs, chairwoman and CEO of Seattle-based SafeHarbor Technology Corp, posed questions to participants about ethics in business and ethical characteristics.

"It doesn’t start when you’re CEO or in senior management," said Jacobs in response to a question about how to incorporate an ethical leadership style in senior management.

Fornaciari, Jacobs and Jones also make up the panel that picked the winner of the second annual 2007 Business Ethics Award, which will be announced tonight at "An Uncommon Evening" awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Estero. Three Southwest Florida businesses are up for the honor, sponsored by The Uncommon Friends Foundation.

"This award is meant to applaud those using business ethics in business practices," said Arlene Roth, Uncommon Friends Foundation executive director.

Of more than 40 nominees, the foundation chose three finalists: Entech Computer Services, LeeSar health-care supply chain and WilsonMiller Inc. design firm.

The CEOs of the three finalist company’s participated in Thursday’s ethics forum discussions.

"The entire business has been based on the golden rule," says Martin Hoss, CEO of Entech, a Fort Myers-based company that works mainly with small- to medium-sized businesses to help fix their computer problems.

"You must set a standard and you don’t go after the money," Hoss said during a discussion emphasizing the importance to maintain company standards and mission statement.

LeeSar CEO Robert Simpson said, "Ethics isn’t a switch you can turn on and off." The health-care supply company headquartered in Lehigh Acres provides four area hospitals with medical supplies, capital equipment and service contracts.

During the forum, Simpson said that when evaluating potential clients he "looks at how much money is staying in the community."

During a discussion about making hard decisions in business, Alan Reynolds, CEO for WilsonMiller Inc., said to be "less driven by what you think the outcome will be and moreso in if it’s an ethical decision." WilsonMiller Inc. is a Naples-based design firm currently working on the construction of the future university town Ave Maria in northeast Collier County.

According to Roth, the foundation sees this award as a natural progression within the organization.

Any company doing business in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry or Glades counties was eligible to apply for the award as long as it held a system-wide commitment to business ethics and displayed this behavior throughout the company.

Last year’s award winner was HomeBanc Mortgage Corp. This year, judges said they looked at the three finalists and evaluated them based on their reputation as an ethical business from the inside out.

"I looked at the breadth and the culture in their work environment," said Jacobs. Both Jacobs and Jones rated the businesses on a scale evaluating each aspect of their application packet thoroughly.

Copyright © 2007 The Naples Daily News.

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