About VetWorks Ocala
We're the veterans of Marion County.
A network of Marion County veterans active in our local business community. We meet. We refer. We hire each other. And we keep showing up — for the network, for our clients, and for the community we came home to.
Our story
Network. Empower. Service.
VetWorks Ocala started inside the Ocala/Marion CEP after COVID — an effort to rebuild veteran-led business community after a year that pulled everyone apart. It stayed quiet at first.
The network didn't really take off until 2022, when Owen McCarthy stepped up and took the lead. We started meeting monthly at the Power Plant business incubator — a handful of veterans, lunch together, and the start of something that stuck.
The veterans listed on this site today are those founding members — the ones who kept showing up month after month, and built this network into what it is. Every one of them plays a role in why we still meet.
What started in a small incubator room is now a directory of veteran-owned businesses, a monthly network that meets in person, and a community of veterans — owners and the people who work alongside them — who hire, refer, and show up for each other across Marion County.
How we meet
Lunch on the 2nd Tuesday.
2nd Tuesday · 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Monthly Lunch
Lunch, real introductions, and one of us in the spotlight. Hosted at a member business, a local veteran-owned business, or a local restaurant — rotates each month, so the room sees each other's operations in person.
CEP veteran members · 2 trial lunches
Who can attend
Active members must belong to the Ocala/Marion CEP. Veterans who aren't CEP members are welcome for up to 2 trial lunches — come see if the network is a fit before joining the CEP.
Our home
Part of the Ocala/Marion CEP.
VetWorks Ocala is a member network of the Ocala/Marion CEP — “the Voice of Business since 1887.” That affiliation plugs our members into the broader business community of Marion County: chamber events, partner resources, and a name with real local weight behind it. We're one of many groups under the CEP umbrella — the one for the veterans.
Want to join the network?
Come to a Tuesday lunch first. Up to two free trial visits to see if the room feels right. If it does, join the CEP and apply. If it doesn't, no hard feelings.