CHUCK WHITTALL
PRESIDENT, UNICORP NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, ORLANDO
Whittall’s company, which he founded in 1998, fell on hard times during the 2008 recession but has rebounded with a vengeance. Recent projects include the Icon Orlando 360 entertainment complex on the International Drive tourist corridor and the $200-million mixed-use Griffin Farm at Midtown in Lake Mary. Its current projects include the redevelopment of the Fashion Square Mall and a 200-acre, 500,000-sq.-ft., $1-billion project called O-Town West, near Walt Disney World, that will include a shopping center, dining and entertainment venues, an apartment complex and an office building.
A Central Florida native and the son of a fireman, Whittall is known for colorful outfits and non-stop energy. He started a lawn mowing business at 12 and a nightclub at 18. He started a construction company before moving into real estate development. He founded Unicorp in 1996. The company’s projects have an aggregate value of more than $3 billion. In 2019, Whittall was awarded the Ernst & Young 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year.
He has served as chairman of the American Heart Association in Orlando.