Ethics dominates business roundtable
From the Bonita Daily News
June 8, 2007

By Vanessa Rozier

In business, making money is the bottom line. But for a room full of Southwest Florida business leaders at a forum this week, that wasn't the case.

Just hours before announcing the 2007 Business Ethics Award winner Thursday night, more than 30 business leaders from the five-county area gathered at Florida Gulf Coast University for a forum on ethics.

Of three finalists, WilsonMiller Inc. was chosen as this year’s honoree at "An Uncommon Evening" dinner at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Resort and Spa in Estero.

The award, sponsored by The Uncommon Friends Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on character and education curricula in area schools, seemed to be a natural progression for the foundation.

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

Alongside WilsonMiller were Southwest Florida business finalists Entech Computer Services and LeeSar health-care supply chain. The foundation chose these finalists from a pool of more than 40 nominees in early May and left the ultimate choice up to judges Annette M. Jacobs, Linda D. Jones and Charles J. Fornaciari.

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

"I looked at the breadth and the culture in their work environment," Jacobs said.

Both Jacobs and Jones rated the businesses on a 10-point scale, evaluating each aspect of their application packet thoroughly.

In Thursday afternoon’s two-hour forum, facilitator Fornaciari, the nonprofit’s chairman on ethics, noted that humility, honesty and customer service were popular topics of discussion.

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

Jacobs, the CEO of SafeHarbor Technology Corp., had much to say on the subject of ethical behavior.

"If I can’t be honest and make it, then I just won’t make it," Jacobs said about an early decision to stay truthful.

Included in the discussion were representatives of the nominated businesses and finalist CEOs.

"The entire business has been based on the golden rule," said 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 of maintaining company standards and a 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 a discussion about making hard decisions in business, WilsonMiller CEO Alan Reynolds advised to be "less driven by what you think the outcome will be and more so if it’s an ethical decision."

WilsonMiller Inc. is a Naples-based design firm currently working, among its projects, on the construction of the future university town of Ave Maria in northeast Collier County.

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.

Copyright © 2007 The Bonita Daily News.

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