1986 - Present

Avanti Products, a division of The Mackle Company, Inc.

In 1982, The Mackle Company purchased a small distribution business, Avanti Products.

The Mackle Company provided financial resources for Avanti supplemented Avanti with the business skills that were to be important to its growth, recruiting Richard Ladd who, in 1999, became President and Chief Operating Officer of Avanti Products.

The combination proved very successful.

After selling controlling interests in Deltona (see below) in 1986, the Mackle Company developed two new real estate projects  - Garden Grove in Vero Beach, Florida and Meadowlake in Lake Placid, Florida - and made investments in several other operations. Over the next few years, however, the company focused more and more attention on Avanti Products and by 1993 Avanti had become the primary business of The Mackle Company.

Today Avanti is the largest pure distributor of refrigeration appliances in the U.S. The company purchases product made in China, Korea and Italy. Avanti sells to retailers primarily in the U.S. but also in the Caribbean and Latin America. Retailers supplied by Avanti include, Brandsmart, K-Mart, P.C. Richards, Conns, The Beverage Factory and over three hundred others. Avanti products are sold in more than 7,000 stores throughout the United States

Product lines include Compact Refrigerators, Apartment Sized Refrigerators, Beer Coolers, Wine Coolers, Freezers, Ice Makers, Electric and Gas Ranges, Microwave Ovens, Small Electric Ovens, Washers and Dryers and Water Dispensers.

Avanti is headquartered in the Doral area of West Miami where it occupies an office/warehouse which serves as its southern distribution center. Other distribution centers are located in Elizabeth New Jersey, Bedford Park, Illinois and Mira Loma, California.

For more information on Avanti Products including current product lines, prices and specifications go to:

AVANTIPRODUCTS.COM

1962 - 1986

The Deltona Corporation

The Mackle Brothers, thru The Mackle Company, were the founders and largest shareholders of The Deltona Corporation, a leader in the Community Development business. The Mackle Brothers and, later, Frank E. Mackle III were the principle officers of Deltona until 1986. Frank E. Mackle III joined the company in 1966 , rose to be Senior Vice President - Construction and Development and served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1979 to 1986.

Over the twenty four years of Mackle leadership The Deltona Corporation developed the communities of:

Deltona Lakes
Spring Hill
Marco Island and Marco Shores
Citrus Springs
Marion Oaks
Pine Ridge
Sunny Hills
St. Augustine Shores
Seminole Woods, and
Tampa Palms.

Deltona also, in a venture with the Murchison interests, completed the community of Tierra Verde and, under contract with Citibank, was instrumental in the reorganization of the community of Rotunda.

A typical community planned by Deltona incorporated approximately 15,000 acres of the most attractive of Florida land. Today those communities are home for over 200,000 people.

During the Mackle's tenure Deltona built and sold over 17,000 homes and condominiums.

Sales were accomplished through an international sales network of over 100 company owned and franchised offices.

Other Deltona Operations

Hotels

The Marco Beach Hotel and Villas was opened in 1965 and operated until 1979 when it was purchased by Marriott Hotels . Also a part of this division were the Deltona Inn and the Tierra Verde Hotel.

Utilities

Water, Sewer and Gas companies were established and operated in all of Deltona's planned communities.

Lumber company

Deltona owned and operated Imperial Lumber company, one of the largest lumber and lumber product suppliers in the state of Florida.

Airline

To serve Marco Island and the Marco Beach Hotel, Marco Island Airways was formed with scheduled service from Miami.

Golf and Country Clubs

Nine golf and country clubs were built and operated in Deltona communities including the Marco Island Golf and Country Club, annual site of the popular Tony Lema Memorial Tournament.

Shopping Centers

Each Deltona community was the site of at least one shopping center.

Real Estate companies, Deltona Mortgage Company and Five Points Title were also part of the Deltona community development business.

1954 - 1962

General Development Corporation

General Development Corporation was founded by The Mackle Brothers in 1954 . The Mackle Company, Inc was a major stockholder in General Development and were the principal officers from its founding until 1962.

Early testing of selling Florida land through national advertising (for $10 down and $10 a month anyone could own a piece of the Florida dream) encouraged the Mackle brothers to seek financing to expand this new concept. The result was the formation of General Development Corporation, the first major Community Development company of the era. The Mackle Company was a major shareholder of General and the Mackle brothers were the principle officers.

Communities originated and developed by the Mackle Brothers at General Development were:

Port Charlotte
Port St. Lucie
Port Malabar (now Palm Bay)
Port John
Sebastion Highlands
Vero Beach Highlands and Vero Shores

In the eight years of Mackle leadership over 4,000 homes were sold and constructed. During this period the company was one of the leading home builders in the nation.

1945 - 1954

The Mackle Company

Following World War II the Mackle Brothers, operating as The Mackle Company, Inc. became the leading builder of post war housing in Florida.

Over the period, The Mackles built over 10,000 homes in many subdivisions in Miami-Dade County and Broward County.

The largest of these were Westwood Lakes in west Miami, Pompano Beach Highlands and Pompano Shores in north Broward, and the fabulous island community of Key Biscayne, a causeway drive from the city of Miami.

On Key Biscayne, the Mackles also built and operated - for twenty five years - the Key Biscayne Hotel and Villas, a favorite retreat of entertainers, business leaders, political leaders (including Richard Nixon) and many others.

1941 - 1945

The Mackle Company

During the war years The Mackles focused their attention (until their enlistment) on Naval Contracts primarily in Key West where a major military build up was under way.

1908 - 1941

Frank E. Mackle Sr. 

Mackle Construction Company

Frank E. Mackle Sr., immigrated as a child from England. After growing up in the ship building and steel erection business in New Jersey and Massachusetts, he launched the family building business in Jacksonville Florida in 1908.

Over the next thirty years he was a leading general contractor in the South operating in Birmingham, Atlanta and Nashville. In 1938 Frank Mackle Sr. sent his youngest son, Frank Mackle Jr. to Delray to (as the family story goes) “build a few homes” which he would sell during is winter vacation. When Frank Jr. called to say they were already sold, Frank Sr. knew that Florida was the place for the future and moved his family and his business to South Florida.