Where the Story Begins

In the early 2000s, Jason Mobley was newly married, studying business, and working for his father-in-law’s restaurant group in Brevard County. After five years at IBM, where he worked in sales and helped create an award-winning internal marketing technology used in 23 countries, he returned home to find that restaurant operations had changed significantly.

Mandatory temperature logs had been introduced. Inspectors required clean documentation. Compliance failures carried fines.

Employees were recording everything on handwritten clipboards, dealing with smudged ink, inconsistent data, missing pages, and daily headaches.

“I remember thinking, this is crazy,” Jason recalls. With seven stores to manage, he immediately saw the risk: compliance issues, inaccurate records, and potential food safety incidents. Coming from IBM’s culture of automation and systems, he knew there had to be a better way.

So, he sat down with a yellow legal pad and sketched an idea—a handheld digital device that could automate temperature logging, identify out-of-range readings, guide corrective actions, and store everything electronically.

He called it Temp-Taker.

The First Leap of Faith

Jason showed the concept to his father-in-law. The reaction was immediate: “This would help me sleep better at night.”

He showed it to 20 other restaurant owners. They all agreed that it was a game changer.

With nothing more than a sketch, Jason and a church friend who was an engineer spent a full year building the first prototype every day, without breaks for holidays or birthdays.

When it was finally ready, Jason went to the Florida Restaurant Show, collecting more than 360 leads in two days. But the biggest breakthrough came when an Orange County Health Department official mentioned an upcoming FDA mandate requiring K-12 schools to log all food safety temperatures electronically.

Jason mailed 5,000 postcards showing a simple drawing of Temp-Taker. Within three days, he had so many calls that he had to hire an answering service. And then—boldly—he did something unusual: He took 50% deposits on a product that would take 12 months to deliver.

Those deposits funded the launch of ITD Food Safety out of his garage.

The Courage to Keep Going

In those early months, Jason traveled to school districts with a fragile prototype that ran on AA batteries and lasted only 30 minutes. He had to avoid certain buttons to prevent bugs.

“It was all faith,” he says. “You’re showing the vision, not the final product.”

But what fueled him was not just entrepreneurship; it was purpose. Foodborne illness kills thousands each year. Millions are hospitalized. And Jason had met too many owners living with the guilt of an incident at their restaurant.

He realized ITD was not just about compliance. It was about protecting lives.

The First Crisis and the Moment That Defined the Company

Three months after delivering the first Temp-Taker units to K-12 schools, a disaster struck. Clients began calling: the stainless-steel temperature probes were breaking off in the food the worst fear in food safety.

Jason immediately pulled every unit from the field, initiating what would become ITD’s first and only Temp-Taker recall. He personally visited school districts, apologized, replaced units with a redesigned version, and rebuilt trust one relationship at a time.

Many startups would have died there. Instead, ITD came out stronger. It set the tone for their culture: When something goes wrong, make it right fast.

Building Solutions That Make Life Easier

Today, ITD Food Safety provides automated systems for:

• Temperature logging
• Food prep labeling
• Grab-and-go labeling
• Cooler and freezer monitoring
• Corrective action guidance
• HACCP compliance reporting

Their software adapts to the workflow of each client from national chains to mom-and-pop restaurants rather than forcing operators into a rigid template.

Jason calls it “customized simplicity.”

Teams rely on the system because it removes guesswork, reduces errors, and prevents expensive mistakes.

A Competitive Edge Rooted in Focus and Flexibility

Unlike competitors with 1,000-item catalogs, ITD is intentionally niche. They focus exclusively on food safety technology, and they listen carefully to the needs of the industry.

That responsiveness is more than a value; it is a strategy.

A perfect example unfolded in a small restaurant in Quincy, Illinois. Jason walked in to order a burrito and noticed a young employee wearing an ITD prep label on his chest like a name tag.

His name was “Guacstar.”

The employee had no idea he was talking to the founder. His enthusiasm was infectious. Jason returned to Florida and, by the end of the day, had his engineers design a custom avocado-themed ITD station for that location complete with branding and 3D-printed details. The restaurant is now one of ITD’s most loyal clients.

“Going the extra mile is who we are,” Jason says.

Innovation Born from Crisis

When COVID-19 shut down restaurants overnight, ITD pivoted fast. They created ITD Safety, a health-focused division offering temperature-screening technologies for schools and businesses.

That pivot saved the company during the shutdown. Once restaurants reopened, ITD returned to food safety stronger than ever now with new revenue streams and technology capabilities.

Scaling Toward the Future

Today ITD has 24 full-time employees and is preparing to move from its 5,500-square-foot space into a 15,000-square-foot headquarters, making room for:

• A significantly expanded sales team
• More engineers
• New product divisions
• On-site training facilities

Growth plans include expanding from $5 million to $15 million in annual revenue within three years.

Three new divisions launched in the past six months:

• Latin America Division – delivering ITD solutions across South America
• Food Safety Education & Training – hosting classes and certifications on-site
• ITD Clean (Sani-Pal) – a new chemical sanitation line expected to scale rapidly

Culture You Can Feel When You Walk In

ITD’s culture is defined by servant leadership, high energy, competitive drive, and genuine camaraderie. It is also deeply faith rooted. People do not just work at ITD, they believe in ITD. They celebrate each other’s wins, collaborate across teams, and approach problems with passion and ownership.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” Jason says. “People love what they’re doing.”

Giving Back, Across the Street and Across the World

Community service is embedded into the company:

• Operation Christmas Child: ITD packs more than 100 boxes annually for children worldwide.
• Local backpack program: The team regularly packs food for Brevard County students to take home on weekends.

ITD also recently taught food safety classes at Zamorano University in Honduras, a leading agricultural institution proof that the company’s impact now spans the globe.

Why Being Honored Matters

When Jason learned ITD was selected as a GrowFL Company to Watch, it meant more than recognition. Influential peers like Joe French and Ray Watson, mentors in his CEO Nexus group, had championed his company.

He saw his journey mirrored in the stories of other honorees and felt seen, understood, and supported by a community of leaders traveling the same challenging yet deeply rewarding path. And he was proud! Proud for his team, his company, and his wife Kelly, his “tag-team partner” through every high and low.

Advice for the Next Generation of Innovators

Jason always returns to one truth:

“Not everyone will understand your vision; don’t let that stop you.”

Keep your circle small at first. Push forward with belief, resilience, and focus. Stay committed, even when people doubt you.  The world changes because of those who are bold enough to take risks and refuse to accept the problems everyone else has learned to live with.

About GrowFL’s Programs

GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch (FLCTW)

The Florida Companies to Watch program, hosted annually by GrowFL, celebrates top second-stage companies across the state for their impressive growth and entrepreneurial success. This prestigious program recognizes 50 standout businesses each year, chosen from hundreds of nominees. Honorees are celebrated for their innovation, economic impact on Florida’s economy, and the ability to scale effectively. Through FLCTW, GrowFL not only acknowledges these companies’ achievements but also brings them into a spotlight that enhances their visibility in the marketplace. The event offers an extraordinary opportunity for networking, sharing best practices, and gaining exposure to potential investors and partners, making it a cornerstone for fostering business growth and recognition within Florida’s vibrant business community.