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Business as Unusual – Special Needs Group Inc. Andrew Garnett, president and CEO

Business backstory: The Dania Beach-based business is a leading global provider of special-needs equipment rentals, including wheelchairs, scooters and oxygen. The company is closely tied to the travel industry, providing service in 215 ports and cities in 68 countries for patrons visiting resorts, going on cruises, attending conventions, etc. (specialneedsatsea.com)

The impact: “We’re a company uniquely working in two different spaces. The first and most-affected side of our business is travel-related. With no cruises sailing and [much of the] planet not traveling, that part of our business is basically on pause. The other side of the business is medical equipment. We have received calls—from [people in] California [and as far away as] Italy—asking about availability of our oxygen equipment and hospital beds. I hope they’re not needed, but we’re preparing them just in case. … We didn’t shut down because I see this as a temporary situation. However, I did have to temporarily furlough [much of] our staff. There simply isn’t much if anything for them to do. We also looked to cut other costs wherever we could. … All of these decisions are made to make it through the short term and to ensure the longevity of the company.”

In the interim: “We are just catching up on anything pending and making sure that we will be prepared for the possible avalanche of orders once people can visit the world in person and not just virtually.”

The future: “This experience has taught me that our business needs to diversify more. I know that no one could have predicted that the entire travel industry would be put on hold, but the realization of that happening has enlightened me. Having more than one stream of income would be ideal right now. Check back with us, and you will see new products and services being offered in the near future.”

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.