Congratulations to the Winners of the Office Depot Hurricane Preparedness Contest for Small Business in South Florida! Miami winner: Creative Staffing Miami, FL Ann Machado, owner of temporary staffing company Creative Staffing, is in the unique position of providing jobs for many individuals and families in South Florida. In 1992, when Hurricane Andrew hit, Machado’s home was destroyed and her office became inaccessible. Facing the challenges head-on, Machado and her staff resorted to handwriting payroll checks and personally calling clients and workers to ensure everyone was paid and protected. Today, Creative Staffing is working hard to prepare for hurricane season. The company, however, is unsure if it is truly ready after Hurricane Wilma forced Creative Staffing to close for nearly five days. After losing over $200,000 in revenue from the closure, Machado is not only looking forward to reviewing her company’s back-up plans, but working with vendors to make sure they are also prepared for a potential disaster. Broward winner: 4 Star Services Ft. Lauderdale, FL A growing plumbing and HVAC company, 4 Star Services has achieved a great deal in nine short years. The company opened its doors in January of 1998 with three service trucks and high hopes for the future. By January 2007, it had grown by 500 percent and deployed fifteen service trucks onto the roads. When Hurricane Wilma struck South Florida in 2005, 4 Star Services was nearly forced to shut down as it cut the building’s electricity for two weeks. While the company was able to stay in business by toting a generator back and forth from an owner’s home, communication was strained. During its two weeks without power, 4 Star Services operated in the dark, opting to use its generated power to access a few computers and maintain open phone lines with its customers. In February, 4 Star Services’ owners saw the culmination of one of their dreams – the purchase of their very own building. As the business continues to grow, the pressures have mounted and the company is now responsible for the outside of the building as well as the inside and all of the contents. Palm Beach winner: Senior LifeStyles Intelligent Talk Radio, Inc. Jupiter, FL Senior LifeStyles provides South Florida’s boomers and seniors with information critical to maintaining quality in all aspects of their lives. In 2005, following Hurricane Wilma, the talk radio show was one of a very few regularly scheduled radio programs to broadcast live following the storm. As one of the leading senior news outlets in South Florida, Senior Lifestyles provides critical, life-saving information to its audience after a storm about where to go, which roads are safe, how to care for loved ones, and State and County agency resources that can assist.