​AGR Group Florida started in 2002 as an outbound telemarketing operation with a dozen employees on card tables using hand-dialed phones and has grown into an customer acquisition team with more than 1,200 employees in three call centers and multiple field offices.

AGR Group offers full outsourcing of all energy related customer needs ranging from Residential and Commercial Outbound telemarketing, Inbound Customer Service, Lead Generation and Appointment Setting to Energy Consulting.

AGR Group Florida has been providing energy telemarketing and lead generation services for the past 15 years.  As a premier energy marketing company, they offer sales and support services to retail energy. AGR Group focuses on maintaining high ethical standards during the sales process and pride themselves for building a reputation among retail energy suppliers as the most trusted partner for outbound telemarketing services, canvassing, appointment setting, and lead generation services.

AGR Group Florida's ownership is comprised of several entities and individuals, and is led by CEO Matt Judkin.  The company began as a 12 man call center and has grown to well over 800 employees in the East and West coast. The demand for a marketing company in the energy deregulated sector was high and we started at the right time. The owners had experience in the deregulated telecom industry so the deregulated energy industry seemed like a natural transition.

St. Pete has been a great location for AGR, it has an entrepreneurial vibe which is appealing to them. They were told St. Pete was very pro-employer in that it supported businesses that were creating jobs. They see that here, and they’ve seen the support from the Chamber and the PSTA who provides transportation to many of their employees.
     
AGR also has taken an interest in the community by working with several local organizations to provide support through donations or assistance. Three Square Food Bank, RCS Food Bank, Toys for Tots, All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete have all benefited from AGR’s giving. They also work with organizations that seek to provide second chance employment to individuals who want a new start on life. 

ActionCOACH Tampa Bay, a business and executive coaching firm is celebrating their 10 year anniversary in St. Petersburg. ActionCOACH's tools, strategies and advice are based on best practices and come from an industry leading franchise, now in over 70 countries and ranks #35 on the top 100 Global Franchise List. Their coaching, just like with professional athletes, works best when the owner has built an established and successful company, has a vision to grow/expand or exit/succession, and understands the value of an outside perspective that can see the big picture. 

Their clients love that their firm is family run and operated, with three coaches who have all ranked in the top 100 global coaches. Business owners include Managing Partner, Barb Kyes; Founding Partner, Ford Kyes; and Partner, Juliet Kyes.

When asked what sets them apart from their competitors, the firm notes that their results, reviews and testimonials speak for themselves - and their involvement the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the community sets them apart. 

ActionCOACH Tampa Bay started on a quest to stay in St. Pete as the next venture after Ford Kyes (former CEO of St. Anthony's Hospital) looked for the next venture or career move. Barb and Ford Kyes consulted with a franchise broker and that lead to the introduction to ActionCOACH. After serving others in healthcare all of their life, the husband and wife team saw the opportunity to give back to the business community utilizing the tools and systems of ActionCOACH. Juliet Kyes, a business graduate from USFSP, came to assist with their business planning and also fell in love with the opportunity the franchise presented.

Any business owner who is successful and has the drive to be the best is invited to join ActionCoach Tampa Bay at Rococo Steak for an upcoming business breakfast: www.6stepstampabay.com. Firm partner and business coach (your 2016 St. Pete Chamber Member of the Year), Juliet Kyes, will be speaking for 30-45 minutes on how local business owners are building profit and free time into their businesses then the rest of the time is Q&A and enjoying breakfast and networking. 

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Chamber members are looking for supplies and volunteers to help local business and families that were impacted. Check out the list below to see if there are local organizations that you can help with either your time or your extra hurricane supplies.

​We are in the process of updating and will update as we receive information. Do you have something to add to our list? Email mlatimer@stpete.com.

​Now that Hurricane Irma has come and gone, people in St. Pete are ready to get out of the house and back out into the 'Burg. Here is a list of some places that are open for business and ready to help you get back to that normal, post-Irma life!

• BridgePoint Church would like to provide a "small oasis" for the St. Pete community today. Stop by the Tyrone campus (6690 Crosswinds Drive, behind Best Buy) from on Tuesday 9/12 from 4 to 8PM to enjoy air conditioning, cold bottled waters while they last, and friendly conversation with other folks in the community. Bring your cell phone charging cables, outlets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• ELITE Body Cryotherapy is open for normal business hours. M-F 9-7pm and Sat. 10-4pm. They also have a first time client special for $40 for a first Whole Body Cryotherapy session. 
• Toltec Investigations would like to offer their services to all chambers members and all St Petersburg citizens and business owners. Contractor fraud and insurance fraud are some of the top issues surrounding recovery from natural disasters .Should any of our members need to hire professionals to help with clean, tree removal, other contract services, etc. they can assist with verifying their credentials and making sure the contracted companies are properly licensed, insured, and registered with the state. As always they offer generous discounts to Chamber members of 15-20% depending on the services needed. 
• St. Petersburg College will reopen Monday, September 18th.
• Carter Enterprises is offering all new customers a 10% discount on all services until 9-30-17 to help any consumer or business get the technology back up and running. 
• Japosid Cleaning Services, Inc. is available to provide assistance removing debris, carpet extractions, deep cleanings, restroom sanitation, floor care, and more. 
• Busch Gardens is offering Florida residents a special BOGO offer for single-day tickets starting September 13th-17th. 
• Suncoast Credit Union is open at both of their St, Pete locations. 2120 34th St South and 12003 28th St North. 
• Southwest Airlines plans to resume operations at Tampa International Airport on Wednesday at 1 p.m. with a reduced schedule.  Go to www.southwest.com for the latest updates or call 1-800-435-9792. 
• Healthy Lifestyles Tampa Bay is open for business.
• Friends of Strays is reopened to the public. They will follow their normal business hours of 1-7pm W-F, 10-4 Saturday and Sunday.
• Massage Studio is open in St. Pete and they are here to help de-stress after the storm!
• The Flower Centre on 9th street is open and ready for business. 
• Daddy Kool Records is open for business.
• St. Pete Life Improvement Center is open 1:00-8:30 on weekdays. 
• St. Pete Life Magazine is open for business! 
• Pregnancy Treasures and Boutique is open for business. 
  

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We are in the process of updating and will update as we receive information.
Do you have something to add to our list? Email mlatimer@stpete.com