Help us welcome the newest member of the Land O' Lakes and Lutz Patch teams, advertising manager Andy Walton. We asked him to answer a few questions as an introduction. Feel free to ask him more questions in the comment section.

Welcome to Patch, Andy!

Patch: Tell us about your background. Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in the outskirts of Columbus Ohio. Got into information systems when working for Motorists Mutual Insurance Company. I had a few odd jobs prior to that including a brief stint as a chimney sweeper. Moved to Tampa in 2000 and now live in Land O' lakes with my wife Holly and two kids Andrew and Cortney.

Patch: Before coming to Patch, where did you work?

Last year my wife and I pulled together our resources and opened Walton's Ice Cream & Coffee, here in Land O' Lakes. So, prior to Patch I have been focused on the family business. My background is in online marketing, in July 2011 I left my full time position with an online marketing firm so I could focus on creating our ice cream and coffee empire. Now Holly is running the show at Walton's most of the time so I can help all of the other local businesses in our area gain exposure through Patch!

Patch: What's a typical day been like as a member of the Patch sales team?

Fast paced, challenging and fun.

When discussing advertising with local business owners, I know where they are coming from. It's always exciting to see it when they have their "ah-ha" moment and really "get" why they need to advertise on their local Patch. 

Patch: What's your favorite thing about working for Patch so far?

Patch is a company I can stand behind 100 percent.  From the people to the products and everything in between, Patch operates with the highest level of integrity in what they do. 

I know for a fact that what I am offering the local businesses in Land O' Lakes and Lutz will help them achieve their business goals.

Patch: Why should Land O' Lakes and Lutz businesses advertise on Patch?

From the relevant localized stories, updates and breaking news to the local business directories and reviews, Patch helps keep people up to date with what is going on in and around their communities. 

For the businesses who advertise with Patch, this means thousands of local customers in the Land O' Lakes and Lutz areas are visiting their local Patch sites on a regular basis. Through articles posted on facebook, sent to subscribers on the daily newsletter, links  from other sites or just checking Patch to find a nearby business, the residents of these communities see those who advertise on Patch. 

As a local business owner myself, I have yet to find a more engaging, relevant platform I can align my business with to reach the customers I need to reach. I'm not just an advertising manager at Patch, I'm a customer myself.  

Interested in advertising? Contact Walton at andy.walton@patch.com or call 813-422-4693.