Ken Lawson, head of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation took a tour of Pensacola with State Rep. Clay Ingram this week. Here is the report on his website:
Interacting with the various groups of licensees that fall under our jurisdiction is one of my most favorite parts of being Secretary of DBPR. This week, I had the privilege of visiting Escambia County where Representative Clay Ingram was a gracious host. He took me on a tour of his hometown where more than 10,000 DBPR licensees reside. While there, I attended various local business events, including a Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce reception, a roundtable discussion with licensees, a Rotary Club meeting, a local barbershop and classic food truck trailers.
First, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce hosted an exciting reception where four local companies that were ranked in this year’s Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies were honored. Next, I participated in a roundtable with local construction and real estate licensees who shared their concerns and positive feedback with me. I walked away with a better understanding of how the Department’s policy changes over the years and how we can better assist them and their needs.
After the roundtable, I traveled to the Rotary Club meeting where many of the Rotarians in attendance were licensees or did business with someone licensed by DBPR. It was clear to me that the Rotarians are passionate about their community and making the world a better place, so I was happy to hear from them.
Lastly, I stopped at two local small businesses to check in on their experiences with the Department. First was Pilcher’s Barber Shop, which has been a DBPR licensee for more than 35 years. It was awesome to see all three chairs occupied and that their business was buzzing. Then, I went to a new downtown Pensacola hot spot for dining with several different restaurants housed in classic food truck trailers. I learned that the Department’s quick actions helped to make the grand opening a big success. I’m proud of our staff’s contribution to helping ensure businesses stay in compliance while helping them get to work when it matters most.
Having the opportunity to travel and collect feedback from customers is something that is very important to me, and I am grateful I was able to interact with so many of our stakeholders in Escambia County. Their dedication to building their businesses, providing jobs to their neighbors and helping make their community the best it can be is very evident and I am thrilled that we can help them along the way!
Sincerely,
Ken Lawson