- November 23, 2024
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There have been a few setbacks, but DuvaSawko is making strides renovating a vacant, 30,000-square-foot building into one of Ormond Beach's newest top employers.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
Back in February, DuvaSawko ED Billing & Management Solutions, a medical information and software company, and Edge Physicians Inc., a medical technology firm, announced that it would be moving from Daytona Beach to Ormond Beach in return for incentives from the city. The move is set to bring more than 200 new, high-paying jobs into the area.
But that kind of shift takes time — and renovations. In order to relocate, the companies need to transform a former furniture store, at 298 S. Yonge St., into something entirely different.
“It’s basically a warehouse — four walls, a floor and a ceiling with AC and some lighting,” said DuvaSawko CEO Dr. Charles Duva. “We have to completely redo all of the electrical wiring. In addition to that, we're putting in a generator that obviously isn't here, that will completely sustain the building if it loses power.”
The diesel generator will power the building’s air conditioning, lighting, electricity and computers, should weather knock out the electricity during storms.
The generator is part of a complete change the building will undergo to be converted from a furniture warehouse, with a few employees, to a bustling office building, which will service clients all across the country.
Additional bathrooms and “significantly” more parking will also be added, Duva said, and nine new air conditioning units will be added, as well as a new roof.
There has been more slab cutting and plumbing work than initially expected, too, Duva said, so the work started slow, but it's still expected to finished on time.
“We're pretty much on track to be able to get in by the middle of September or the first week of October,” Duva said. “We’re close to being on time. Right now, we're about a week or so behind, but we’ll be able to catch up with that by the end of June.”
The 30,000-square-foot building currently under construction was a big part of the deal to lure the companies to Ormond Beach. Initially, they considered bringing their business out of the county or state.
The companies will transfer 201 high-salary jobs to Ormond Beach and plan to create 38 more in the next three years. Jobs at both companies pay an average salary more than 100% higher than the county average.
