Subcontractors session for parking garage to be March 17 at OHP

Manhattan Kraft Construction will hold an informational session in conjunction with the Osceola County Economic Development Department for all subcontractors interested in learning of the pre-qualification process for work on Osceola County’s downtown Kissimmee parking garage.

The free job event is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. March 17 in the St. Cloud Room in the Exhibition Building at Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee.

Work on the $15 million structure is expected to start in April and will employ hundreds of workers in various trades over the course of the project, company officials said.

Manhattan Kraft was selected construction manager at-risk for the garage project earlier this year by the Osceola County Commission.

“Everyone knows that we need this facility. But another positive on a project of this magnitude is the jobs it will create,” Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington, whose district includes the county’s administrative complex, said. “I expect that this session will provide vital information that enables Osceola County companies and residents to get their fair share of the work.”

“We have a reputation for being firm, but fair, and for encouraging a spirit of teamwork on all of our projects,” Kraft Vice President Robert Koenig said. “We require strict adherence to the policies and procedures we have in place relative to safety, quality and productivity to ensure excellence in every project we build.”

Registration is not required for the session but anyone interested in attending is asked to contact Letha Vanderhei at Letha.Vanderhei@manhattankraft.com.

The project will create 900 parking spaces to alleviate issues for residents who do business at the Osceola County Courthouse and county offices in downtown Kissimmee.

For more information, call the Osceola County Economic Development Office at 407-742-4200.

Florida-based Manhattan Kraft Construction, formerly Kraft Construction, has been serving clients in Florida for more than 42 years. The company provides general contracting, pre-construction, construction management, and design-build services throughout Florida.

Gaylord pays back-wages

Gaylord Entertainment Co., based in Nashville, Tenn., has paid $58,500 in back wages to 48 security officers at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the company had failed to pay overtime wages, according to published reports in The Tennessean newspaper.

The security officers employed were paid straight-time wages, rather than one-and-one-half times their regular rates of pay for overtime, the Labor Department found.

Besides the resort in Kissimmee, the company owns the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

City of St. Cloud releases end-of-year report

The city of St. Cloud has completed its 2010 end of year report and it is now available online on the city’s website at www.stcloud.org under City News, and in the Document Center, Public Information Office, under surveys and reports.

The city’s end of year report offers details from city departments for calendar year 2010. In it, departments list their top accomplishments, statistics and upcoming projects.

“As your City Manager for the fifth year, it is my privilege to offer you the 2010 End of Year Report,” City Manager Tom Hurt stated in the report. “This is an important report of our accomplishments for the calendar year.”

The end of year report is posted online as part of the city’s green efforts and to cut down on costs. However, a public copy of the report is available for viewing at the City Clerk’s Office (City Hall, Building A, third level). Paper copies also are available upon request.

For more information, call 407-957-7303 or e-mail sramirez@stcloud.org.

UCF Incubator to host networking reception

The University of Central Florida Business Incubator in Kissimmee will host a networking reception for area entrepreneurs from 5 to7 p.m. on Thursday, March 17.

Rafael Caamano, site manager at the UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee, said the St. Patrick’s Day reception is a chance for entrepreneurs with startup businesses to meet and discuss issues in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

The event is free and open to all entrepreneurs, Caamano said.

The UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee is on the fourth floor of the Kissimmee City Centre, 111 Monument Ave., Kissimmee.

For more information, contact: Rafael Caamano, site manager Kissimmee UCF Business Incubation Program, 407-343-4300 or at rcaamano@mail.ucf.edu.