Greater Naples is home to an estimated 250 Fortune 500 CEOs and other high-powered executives-many of them retired, from companies such as Pillsbury, Ford Motors and Cisco Systems. Dolph von Arx knows several who live in his Port Royal neighborhood. He's one himself.

Von Arx mentions this to illustrate a point that he and a group of colleagues are trying to make: The community is full of influential people, captains of industry, if you will; and von Arx and a few of his friends believe they're a powerful resource that can help recruit small- and medium-sized companies to Collier County.

Von Arx and a who's-who handful of active or retired executives are spearheading the Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida. A major goal of the private group is to enhance and diversify the local commercial tax base with new, high-paying business operations. It's essential, von Arx says, to prevent future spikes in property taxes. Currently, residential taxes generate more than 87 percent of county revenues; the statewide average is 76 percent. "We're so heavily reliant on taxes to cover the cost of services," says von Arx, retired president and CEO of Planters Lifesavers, an affiliate of RJR Nabisco. He's co-chairman of the alliance.

The group also believes that if they can bring in better-paying jobs, the community's younger generation will return rather than be forced to live elsewhere after they've graduated from college, for example, and are ready to work. "The average wage in Collier County is among the lowest in the state, and the state is below the national average," says Dick Botthof, the Alliance's executive director and retired regional president of First Union Bank in Southwest Florida, which folded into Wachovia. "We've got to change that."

To accomplish its goals, the organization will begin recruiting other CEOs to help and will establish a $100 million venture capital fund to help sweeten the pot for targeted companies. "We'll put together a package to let them know how attractive we can be for them," von Arx says.

The Challenges

County leaders continue to seek new businesses that would expand upon the economic mainstays-largely tourism, banking, real estate and construction. So-called clean industries, including high-tech firms, aero-technology and bio-medical, are among the types of companies that groups such as the Collier County's Economic Development Council prefer.

The council can point to several examples of desirable companies with roots here: Arthrex, which manufactures orthopedic surgery products; Vitarich Laoratories, a neutraceutical company; Neighborhood America, a communication management firm; and ASG Software Solutions.

The EDC also is finding success in the international market. A recent trip made by members to Poland laid groundwork for conducting business with that country. There's also the Florida Tradeport, a foreign trade zone at Immokalee Regional Airport.

But attracting firms is not always easy. Housing costs in the Naples area are among the highest in Florida, with a median home price of $430,000. That can prompt companies to look elsewhere. Then there is the matter of soaring commercial land costs and the large impact fees that greatly increase construction expenses, meaning higher real estate purchase prices or rent. "Impact fees in Collier County are twice as high as anywhere else in the state," says Todd Gates, EDC vice president and CEO and president of Gates McVey, a Naples-based builder and developer.

Yet another challenge Collier faces is stiff competition

with scores of cities across the state and country. Fort Myers and Cape Coral are among them. Many of those competitors offer companies financial incentives if they'll bring their business to them.

The business alliance is confident it can augment the EDC's efforts. "We are nothing more than a marketing extension of the EDC. They have a big job," Botthof says. "They're creating awareness, and they've done very well."

The Plan

Botthoff, von Arx and their alliance colleagues have three goals to accomplish. They will recruit 50 local CEOs and senior executives-active and retired-to join the group by next New Year's, will secure $100 million in venture capital and will bring two companies to Collier by Dec. 31.

Bringing together the brain trust of executives is key to the program's success. "It's a bunch of high-powered people getting together and focusing on an idea," Botthof says. They're seeking retired executives who remain active in commerce. "Active in the sense they're still investing in companies and still serve on boards of companies and they own companies outright," Botthof explains.

Adds von Arx: "We have a tremendous reservoir of intellectual capital here."

Alliance members will then target other CEOs here and throughout the country and sell them on Collier County.

The goal is to convince these successful people to relocate their executive offices to Collier, along with the staff. Typically, that would involve 25 to 50 people earning at least 150 percent of the County's average wage of $32,000 and up. Human resources, marketing, financial and operations typically make up the headquarters, von Arx says. The companies, optimally, would be generating $100 million to $500 million in annual revenues. They will be both publicly traded and private.

"Once we get all CEOs on board, we'll create a database categorized by geography," Botthof says. "Then we'll go after specific companies."

The Sell

The quality of life greater Naples offers is a top incentive. CEOs who live here full time, part time or who have visited will be familiar with the offerings. Nice weather, the beach, cultural venues and golf courses are among the amenities that are natural selling points.

At the same time, the alliance must appeal to an executive's business sense.

"They think of us as a retirement mecca, as a resort destination. But they've never thought of us as a business destination," von Arx says. "Then all of a sudden the light turns on; and they say, 'Why not?'"

The state has no income tax, and corporate taxes run 5 percent, which is relatively low, von Arx says. For companies that have moved their manufacturing operations offshore where costs are cheaper, relocating a headquarters operation to Florida would be cost-effective. "They've already closed down the plant, and the visibility was in closing the plant. Moving 50 jobs is easy," von Arx says. "It's happening all over."

The region also boasts Interstate 75, great health care, Florida Gulf Coast University and several other higher education institutions, Southwest Florida International Airport and Naples Municipal Airport. "We have the infrastructure," von Arx says.

The alliance will have some money to show, as well. Plans are to create a $100 million venture capital fund that might provide assistance to certain new companies that have patents pending, for example. "Not companies that are in early stages of biotech or developing drugs that are just concepts," von Arx says.

Roughly 40 percent of the fund will go to help Southwest Florida companies, 25 percent will go to businesses in the Southeastern United States with the remainder to be spread across the United States.

"One of the reasons we did not seek public money is we wanted to remain a private organization so we can stay under the radar screen," he says. "We want to spend most of the initial work in locating and analyzing opportunities and then making initial offers to companies prior to going public." That will help avoid counteroffers by the competition, he hopes.

Greater Naples Area Chamber of Commerce President Michael Reagan predicts the Regional Business Alliance will succeed because of the people involved. "It makes a lot of sense, and it fits in with the character of Naples," Reagan says. He believes the cultural and social qualities of the Naples area nurture the sort of "creative class" discussed by author and researcher Richard Florida in his works. Artists, engineers, scientists and other professionals who create ideas for a living will congregate in the area because of its quality of life.

And when the companies come, Gates and his colleagues will be ready. "Once they physically bring them to Collier County," Gates says, "then they can be turned over to the EDC. I think what the alliance is doing is extremely commendable."

The Regional Business Alliance Board

Executive director: Dick Botthof, retired regional president of First Union Bank in Southwest Florida (now Wachovia).

Co-chairman: Dolph von Arx, retired president and CEO of Planters Lifesavers, an affiliate of RJR Nabisco.

Co-chairman: Paul Marinelli, CEO of Barron Collier Companies.

Secretary/treasurer: Jim Lozelle, retired executive vice president of Tower Automotive.

Board of directors: Arthur L. Allen, CEO of ASG Software Solutions; Dick Censits, retired CFO of Campbell Soup Co. and former chairman and CEO of MedQuist; Scott Lutgert, chairman and CEO of the Lutgert Companies; Tom Monaghan, former CEO of Domino's Pizza and founder of Ave Maria University; and Jerry J. Williams, CEO of Orion Bank.