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October 2007

New Stronger Building Will Be Ready to Serve Our Community

Like most businesses in our community, FKEC is still adjusting to the many changes brought to our area by the storms of 2004 and 2005 and the rush of new development following the recent boom in the real estate market.

Although we are living in a time of change and there are a lot of variables influencing future growth projections for our island population, FKEC is looking ahead to create a long-range plan for meeting our community's power infrastructure needs.

As part of this long-range plan, FKEC's staff and board of directors recently completed a four-year process to design a modern, storm hardened warehouse/office facility to replace its original Tavernier buildings.

The new facility will house all of the Upper Keys operations on the company's existing bayside property and will be built to withstand category five winds.

The new complex will be elevated above flood levels and built of poured concrete, including the roof. The warehouse that stores the materials and supplies necessary for restoration will also be a much stronger structure than currently exists.

The new warehouse was also designed to store our bucket trucks inside during hurricanes to protect them from water and wind damage. In addition, the new facility will contain adequate generation, fuel storage, water storage, food storage and food preparation facilities to allow FKEC to operate in a stand-alone mode for at least 72 hours.

Once the new structure is complete, the co-op will be better prepared to restore power quickly if a major storm strikes our area.

The benefits of this new building are noted in the press release, but one of the significant points is that most of FKEC's current Tavernier buildings were not designed to meet today's hurricane codes and may not withstand a major hurricane.

An additional benefit of the combined warehouse/office will be greater operational efficiency. FKEC currently divides its administrative and operations functions on opposite sides of U.S. 1. The new headquarters will be located entirely on FKEC's bayside property, allowing administrative and operational personnel to work together under one roof.

Progress on the new building will be detailed on this website in the coming months and the facility should be complete by early 2009.

Scott is an active member of the Upper Keys community and is a past president, current director and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Key Largo, is a director for the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and is co-founder and president of the Upper Keys Golf Association.

In 1994, Scott completed the three-year national electrical course for apprentice linemen to further his education in cooperative operations. He is a graduate of Leadership Monroe County Class XI and completed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Management Internship Program in 2005.

Scott graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in Agriculture Business and Economics in 1986. In 1988, he began his career in the electricity industry when he joined the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in Washington, D.C. With the REA, he worked first as a Commercial Loan Specialist and was later promoted to Power Requirements Officer before moving to the Florida Keys to join FKEC in 1990.