Collateral Evaluation Associates, Inc. (CEA) has provided machinery and equipment appraisals in the Orlando, Florida area since 1990. Our expertise as machinery and equipment appraisers includes medical equipment, construction equipment, manufacturing equipment, industrial equipment, and transportation equipment.

CEA provides machinery and equipment appraisals for the following purposes: asset based loans or refinancing; ad valorem tax purposes; allocation of purchase price; condemnation or eminent domain; FAS141/FAS142 reporting; insurance purposes; leasing; corporate conversions, dissolutions, mergers, purchases, sales, etc.

Orlando is known around the world for its major entertainment attractions, especially Walt Disney World, Epcot, and the film studios. Behind the scenes of the area’s tourism and entertainment industry is a dynamic and diversified economy that has expanded enormously. Among its most important industry sectors are high technology, aviation and aerospace, film and television production, biotechnology, and manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

The aviation and aerospace industry has had a foothold in the Orlando area for decades. The flight training industry was drawn to the area’s favorable year-round climate, and military air bases were established in World War II. Since then, with a number of international and regional airports and thriving high technology expertise, the area has given rise to companies providing aircraft and ground support services; Signature Air Services, one of the largest such companies in the world, is based in Orlando. Some of the world’s most advanced flight training schools, such as Delta Connection Academy and FlightSafety International, are located in the area. Lockheed Martin Corp., a major defense contractor, has a strong presence in metro Orlando, and The Boeing Co. and Harris Corp. are among Florida’s top contractors.

The influx of technology-related companies to the area has made Orlando one of the fastest growing high technology centers in the nation. The metro area has the country’s largest concentration of modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) businesses, research centers, and educational facilities. The MS&T sector, which has its roots in military services, provides applications in such diverse fields as homeland security, emergency services, entertainment, information and medical technologies, optics and photonics, and transportation. It accounts for more than 100 area companies and $2.5 billion in gross regional product. Another strong segment of the high technology industry is software. This field, another off-shoot of military applications, focuses on financial services but includes other areas like utilities, billing, higher education, multimedia, animation, and military training. More than 1,000 software companies are based in Metro Orlando, generating nearly $1 billion in annual revenue.

Motion picture and television production is a major element in Orlando’s economy. Work ranges from major motion pictures and network series to studio activities. Digital media combines two of Orlando’s top industries—MS&T and film/television production—into a $9 billion plus per year enterprise. Known as one of the nation’s top 12 clusters for digital media, Orlando employs 30,000 workers in more than 1,000 digital media companies. The field’s applications include website design, interactive video, video game development, military simulations, special effects, theme park ride and shows, and computer animation.

Also benefiting from the area’s specialization in high technology is the field of advanced manufacturing. Companies involved in this field provide high tech parts for a broad range of products and applications, such as power generation systems, wireless communications, computers, medical imaging, instruments and control, and automotive systems. Among the largest advanced manufacturers in the area are Agere Systems Inc., Mitsubishi Power Systems Inc., and Westinghouse Power Corp.

In addition to advanced manufacturing, Orlando is a prime locale for other types of manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. New manufacturers have been attracted in part by Orlando’s efficient air service, low cost of doing business, growing work force, and high quality of life. Approximately 2,200 manufacturing companies are located there, including Hughes Supply Inc. and Constar International Inc. Plastics is a key sector, with Tupperware Corp. leading the field. Other important manufacturing segments include metal fabrication and parts, infrastructure materials, defense, power plant systems, microelectronics, and laser equipment. As for distribution, Metro Orlando is one of the world’s few quadramodal transportation centers, with the ability to transport goods via land, air, sea, and space. The area’s network of interstate highways, its international and regional airports, and its proximity to the Kennedy Space Center and the Port of Tampa, combine to give Orlando a distribution advantage over other areas. Major distributors in the area include DaimlerChrysler Corp., Kraft Foods Nabisco Division, Circuit City Stores Inc., and Whirlpool Corp. Moreover, Metro Orlando’s warehousing capabilities include 67.9 million square feet of industrial space, in which such items as restaurant equipment, healthcare products, auto parts, and consumer electronics are stored.

Orlando’s fertile farmlands, regional healthcare system, and expertise in photonics and MS&T have given rise to a strong biotechnology industry. More than 500 biotechnology and life sciences companies operate in such areas as research, clinical trials, agricultural sciences, and medical training. This vibrant field has applications in industrial food ingredients, plant reproduction, bioterrorism defense, medical products, and modeling systems for laboratories.

Items and goods produced: aviation and aerospace equipment, computer software, power generation systems, wireless communications, processed foods, plastic products, agricultural products, data systems equipment, film and video productions, metal fabrication and parts, power plant systems, microelectronics, and laser equipment.