Don Buckner (entrepreneur)
Don Buckner is an American serial entrepreneur and innovator who was born in Lake County, Florida.[1][2][3][4] He is the founder and CEO of MadeInAmerica.com and the founder and president of Okahumpka-based Vac-Tron Equipment.[1][5][2][6] He is also the developer of GatorWorld Parks of Florida and the founder of Promise Ranch.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Buckner and his wife, Misty, run Promise Ranch, a cattle ranch in Center Hill, Florida.[8]
Career[edit]
In 1980 Buckner stepped into his wife’s familys steel business, Metro Steel and ran the company until 1993 when he lost his job after the marrige didnt work out. He was left with, $19, which he donated to the church.[9]
In 1996, Buckner purchased the MadeintheUSA.com domain and started an online directory of American manufacturers after he failed to find any American-made products online.[5] He worked on this website, and the directory grew to 300,000 listings.[5]
He started working on the concept of American Manufacturing, a virtual manufacturing company in 1994.[9][10] After three years, he founded VAC-TRON Equipment as a division of American Manufacturing in his garage in 1997.[10][11] The company’s catalog comprises of 30 industrial vacuum products.[10] It also has 40 national dealers and 110 international dealer outlets.[10] Inc. Magazine named company is has been named the 13th fastest growing company in the country.[1][10][4][11] It has also been named as the Industry and Business of the Year by The Lake Sentinel and Lake County Economic Development Council in 2016.[3]
After the success of his Okahumpka-based Vac-Tron Equipment, Buckner decided to convert his American-manufacturers’ directory into an eCommerce website. He launched MadeintheUSA.com as an e-Commerce website on July 4, 2013.[11] The website offers American-made products. It was part of his Made in the USA Movement.[12]
To expand his Made in the USA Movement, he sold his company VAC-TRON Equipment to Vermeer Corporation, which he reacquired in 2018. In 2019 Buckner launched MadeinAmerica.com. It was an annual trade show to celebrate American-made brands. The first show began on October 3, 2019, and ended on October 6, 2019.[13][14]
In 2000 during a trade mission to South America with Governor Jeb Bush and other entrepreneurs, he came up with an idea to create a tourist destination in Wildwood.[4] In 2017, Buckner developed the GatorWorld Parks of Florida. It is a 5-acre park located in Wildwood, Florida. He developed the park by investing heavily in transforming a rural part of Wildwood into a tourist destination. In 2000, Buckner and his wife, Misty, founded Promise Ranch. It is a 1,300-acre family-run cattle ranch located in Center Hill, Florida.[8][4]
As of 2020, he serves as the CEO of VAC-TRON Equipment, President of MadeinAmerica.com, and owner of GatorWorld.[15]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2000, Ernst and Young recognized Don was recognized as 2000 Florida Entrepreneur of the Year.[1][10][3][16] In the same year, he received the Business Achievement Award during a Lake County Community Service Awards ceremony.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Garguilo, Louis (1 May 2020). "Question Your Buyer Motivation And Supply-Chain Origins". Outsourced Pharma. Retrieved 21-5-2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Correspondent, Rosemarie Dowell. "Lake businessman launches e-commerce website devoted to American-made products". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Staff, U. C. (2016-12-23). "Setting your Sights: Vac-Tron Equipment". Utility Contractor Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 McNiff, Tom. "GatorWorld in Wildwood offers authentic gator experience". Daily Commercial. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Sentinel, Orlando. "VAC-TRON EXPANDS AFTER SWEEPING SALES". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ Vinoski, Jim. "American Manufacturing Has Been Booming, And Now There Will Be A Big Convention To Celebrate It". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ Gerbasi, Chris. "GatorWorld, Central Florida's new attraction, now open to all ages – Lake & Sumter STYLE". Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Promise Ranch | Sumter County Tourism". discoversumterfl.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Made in America with Don Buckner". American Snippets. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 "Vac-Tron Equipment, A Division of American Manufacturing". www.wateronline.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Central Florida Region". Florida Trend. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ LLC, Vac-Tron Equipment. "Vac-Tron Equipment wins two Manufacturing Leadership Awards". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ "Celebrating American Made with the First Ever Made in USA Trade Show". Independent Retailer. 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ Digest, Industrial Machinery (2019-09-20). "First Ever Made in USA Trade Show to be held this October". IndMacDig | Industrial Machinery Digest. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ "Get Wild At GatorWorld Parks of Florida". Ocala Style Magazine. 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- ↑ "Blake Announces Lake County Commission District 5 run". Orlando Political Observer (Orlando Politics). 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
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