Christi Colabianchi, owner of Sailwind Construction, has been in the construction industry most of her adult life. In 2013, she started working on a business plan to create an online directory of qualified companies where anyone could go to source a vetted trade professional.
Over the years, she guided many people interested in working in the industry, helping them set up their own companies. She also helped companies that were out of compliance either obtain or renew their necessary credentials to do business in Florida. In 2023, with a passion to educate and validate the skilled workforce and help protect property owners, Sunshine Verified was born.
“I decided it was time to make my dream a reality,” said Colabianchi. “The technology is available, and the need is great. Sunshine Verified will be the first to offer this type of workforce directory in Florida — it will be a game changer for the industry and so helpful for property owners.”
When the website goes live, Sunshine Verified will be a portal where contractors, subcontractors and tradesmen can purchase a membership that keeps all of their credentials in one place. Each service provider will receive a member ID and a unique QR code their customers can scan at no cost to see their credentials. The portal also has a feature that will allow anyone who is getting bids on work to check out the company they are considering using to make sure they have everything they need to be in compliance with Florida law.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time, validating workers for my own projects,” said Colabianchi. “This is a very time-consuming process that must be performed to ensure compliance records are up to date before work is performed on a project. Whether you are a trade professional or property owner, you’ll be able to easily verify a company’s compliance in one location by joining Sunshine Verified.”
SunshineVerified.com will launch this summer offering service provider and property owner memberships.
“We will set membership pricing to make this affordable for everyone,” said Colabianchi. “When your workforce is verified, projects will run smoother with fewer issues and there will be a cost savings for everyone. We want to ensure everyone who does a project meets the minimum requirements for the state of Florida.”
Trade professionals, property owners, and representatives who are interested in finding out more can go to www.SunshineVerfied.com and sign up to receive notification when the site goes live.
