News and events in business and industry - Ocala

'Push-in' ceremony

Ocala Fire Rescue hosted a "push-in" ceremony on Dec. 14 for a new aircraft rescue firefighting (ARFF) apparatus.

Elected officials, community members and firefighters gathered at Fire Station No. 4, 3300 SW 20th St., to see ARFF1, the first vehicle of its kind manufactured by E-One, which is headquartered in Ocala.

The event included a brief address by Fire Chief Shane Alexander, who spoke of the apparatus features, project funding sources and the history behind the ceremony, which dates back to the 1800s, when horse-drawn steam engines were pushed back into a station by firefighters after a call.

With ARFF team member Edward Floyd behind the wheel, firefighters lined up in front of the apparatus and prepared to push it into the fire station bay, signalling that it is now officially in service.

“During my career with Ocala Fire Rescue, I’ve witnessed the addition of two ARFF vehicles to our fleet,” Alexander said in a news release. “Considering these purchases occurred 21 years apart, receiving this state of the art apparatus, custom-built to fit Ocala’s aircraft firefighting and hazard mitigation needs, is exciting and humbling.”

New center

Verteks Consulting, a provider of IT services and support to businesses and government agencies, has begun construction of a new data center and cyber security operations center at 2100 SW 22nd Place, Ocala.

Verteks has retained local architectural firm KP Studio Architect to design the facility, which will also serve as Verteks’ new corporate headquarters. Ocala-based Rankin Construction is the general contractor and financing is provided by the Ocala office of Regions Bank.

“Ocala residents will recognize the building as the former Rasmussen College – Ocala School of Nursing,” said Don Gulling, CEO, Verteks, in a press release. “The building offers twice as much space as our former HQ location, giving us the space to add up to 14 new employees and grow our total staff to 40 over time. Our overall business has grown by an average of 16 percent per year over the past 22 years and this additional space will give us ample room for continued growth and help us to better address the IT challenges organizations face today.”

New banker

Ameris Bank has announced that Lori Meaney has joined the firm as a mortgage banker at the Ocala location. She will be responsible for growing the bank’s mortgage portfolio and developing new and existing client relationships. Meaney has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, serving in positions including mortgage processor, underwriter, loan officer and mortgage banker, according to the news release.

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