Vikand
Last week we had the opportunity to meet with Len Quist – Vice President and General Manager at VIKAND Solutions. It was a pleasure to meet Len, who is also one of the five founders and the former President of our Chamber. The name VIKAND stands for “We can” or “Vi kan” in Swedish. The D stands for on demand and emphasizes the company’s flexibility and goal to meet their clients’ needs. VIKAND is an American based company, with global operations and with a dash of Swedish culture. VIKAND was founded in 2010. Len describes the organization as culturally diverse with a flat organizational structure. Working with almost 200 cruise vessels, their goal is to make life better at sea by providing excellent maritime medical services and improving health and hygiene on board. VIKAND offers a tailor-made medical service solution to fit each clients’ individual needs. This means running the onboard medical operations and providing biomedical services to over 170 cruise ships. Besides the above services, VIKAND also offers various technical solutions, such as air purification systems that break down tobacco smoke, reduce and eliminate bacteria and viruses and even kill mold. Some other technical solutions include a bedbug solution, a wearable anti-sea and motion sickness, and equipment monitoring the effectiveness of employees’ hand washing routines. Working at sea is very different from working in a land-based environment. Running the medical operation onboard requires firsthand onboard experience, a good understanding of and an appreciation for the multi-cultural environment on board. The majority of VIKAND’s medical personnel have worked at sea and have extensive medical experience both at sea and ashore. So, what is the advantage of working in Fort Lauderdale, Florida? First of all, we are in close proximity to many of our clients that are based here in South Florida, Len explains. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are the world’s biggest home ports for cruise lines. The cost of doing business in Florida is less than in many other places in the US. Excellent international air travel options both to Europe and Latin America. Compared to the West coast, the lesser time difference allows us to communicate with our colleagues in Europe during business hours, as well as interacting with many of our clients that are also based out of Europe. Fort Lauderdale is very international with many European, Canadian and Latin Americans expats calling this home. “I lived in New York for many years and for its size Fort Lauderdale is truly a global melting pot”. Several Scandinavian companies have established themselves in this area and not to forget – Fort Lauderdale is also the yachting capital of the world. With sustainability in mind, VIKAND sells equipment and products with long life-expectancy. VIKAND’s future goal is to expand into commercial shipping and also to become a remote location medical service provider. “Our company and our staff work hard trying to make a real difference to our clients on land and at sea”.
Unitec Marine
Unitec Marine is an engineering company that provides mechanical and electrical services to the oil and marine industry worldwide, both on- and offshore. The three owners started the company in October four years ago, while they were employed on a ship. They came up with an idea to build a company that could do the […]
This week’s Membership Spotlight is with Wine+Garden. We did a short Q&A with Greger Nilzen.
Why did you decide to become a member of SACC F.L & Palm Beach? I have been a member in Dallas SACC for the last 5 years I lived there and made a lot of great connections that way. When moving to Ft Lauderdale it was a natural step. I have made both friends and […]
Meet Urban Bülow – Group Director North America, Bufab Group
Bufab is a trading company working world-wide, founded in 1977 in Småland, Sweden. Today they have operations in 27 countries. They are since 2014 listed as a mid-cap company on Nasdaq Stockholm. Bufab offers their customers a full-service solution as Supply Chain Partner for sourcing, quality control and logistics for C-Parts. A majority of the […]
The Coffee Company
The Coffee Company has come a long way since it was founded 1988 in Gothenburg. Over the years, the owners Raul and Elisabeth Tolly grew a successful business. At its peak, the company employed around 65 people. 2013, Raul and Elisabeth decided to sell their business in Sweden to Miko Puro Coffee in Belgium, and […]
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – EquiSafe
Small Business Member – EquiSafe® , Wellington, Fla. – Jan. 2, 2019 – As far as fencing goes, EquiSafe® is the international standard. The fencing company that changed the industry now has a permanent home in Wellington, Florida. The acquisition of thenew EquiSafe® International headquarters positions the evolutionary company prominently in the epicenter of the “Winter […]
MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Fine Line Marine Electric
What does Fine Line Marine Electric do? Fine Line Marine Electric provides electrical and control engineering services to the mega yacht industry through a highly-trained staff of 15. Our offices are located in Lauderdale Marine Center, the nation’s largest luxury yacht repair and ship yard facility. Fine Line specializes in shore power converter systems, customized […]
Membership Spotlight: Cimplement
What does Cimplement do? Cimplement stands for Corporate Culture Implementation in terms of sharper Leadership and Sales/Negotiation capabilities, strengthening the ability to bring out constructive reactions from others. What our clients claim is unique is the impact our trainings have on daily attitudes and behaviors. This is achieved through situational exercises (in groups of maximum 10 people), creating strong, personal, ”aha-experiences”. With increased awareness of our strengths and areas for […]
Interview with Susanna Grubb from Ultimate Florida Real Estate
SACC-SFL had a talk with new Trust Member Susanna Grubb to chat about her new company Ultimate Florida Real Estate and what to think about when selling or buying. You recently started the ”Ultimate Florida Real Estate”, tell me about it! Yes, I did! I’m very excited about what 2018 has to offer. I was a real […]
Member Success Story: Tina & Ted Maser of Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen
Tina Maser was the gracious hostess for SACC’s After Work event at Sushi Song on March 13th. She is the co-owner of the restaurant in the heart of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, situated in the Himmarshee district right next to the New River. Tina and her husband Ted have recently expanded their business by opening a […]