Meet the Lenders: Financing Options for Start-ups

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 3:00—6:00 PM: A panel of experts, from traditional to alternative lending organizations, will present financing options currently available to all small businesses. Come learn how to finance your start-up business project, as well as your existing business.

How to plan your financing request to banks
What lenders, and non-lenders, look for
How the SBA helps small businesses

Panelists:

Brad Owens, Vice President, Bay Cities Bank
Charles Long, Lead Economic Development Specialist U.S. Small Business Administration
Krista Hakes, Program Manager, Pasco Economic Development Council
Rebecca Gaddis, Vice President, San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union
Bonnie Krummen, Vice President, Center State Bank

Lenders will be available after the panel discussion to share more details about their programs and services. The event is free and will be held at Saint Leo University’s Donald R. Tapia School of Business (33701 State Road 52, Saint Leo, FL 33574). Refreshments will be provided.

Register online at: http://www.sbdctampabay.com/training/pasco-training

Pasco EDC offers second stage growth companies free technical assistance through GrowFL

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Are you a second stage growth company with $1 million or more in annual revenue? If so, you may be eligible for free technical assistance for your business! The Pasco Economic Development Council is currently seeking companies to participate in the Florida Economic Gardening program. Through economic gardening, tools are applied that are most relevant to the needs of entrepreneurs in growth companies to find new customers, increase revenue, share best practices and ultimately create primary jobs that support the local economy.

Program Benefits

Strategic Research Team (Fortune 500 company’s SR team working for YOU for FREE!)
CEO Roundtables (Ten during program year)
CEO Forums (Two during program year)

Program Requirements

For-profit, privately held business
Employs between 10 to 50 persons
$1 to $25 million in annual revenue

Contact the Pasco Economic Development Council to apply or call Krista Hakes at 813-926-0827 X 227 or email khakes@pascoedc.com. Deadline for applications is Monday, June 11, 2013.

Florida Ranks #2 in the nation for best business climate!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

A new study by Chief Executive Magazine ranks Florida at the top of the list, second only to Texas for the best state to do business. The news is no surprise to CEOs in Pasco County, Florida, many of whom moved to Florida for its low taxes, light regulation and quality of life.

Some of the comments from CEOs in their survey included:

“Florida is becoming a hot bed for key industry clusters such as aviation, life science, corporate HQs and hedge funds.”

“Florida [has the] lowest tax structure, best climate, good governor, focus in reducing unnecessary state and local bureaucracy, improving K-12 education system and great higher education system and access.”

“Florida has a governor who is committed to job growth and lessening red tape.”

It’s true! Florida is one of the BEST places to do business in the nation.

But where is the best place to do business in Florida? Our answer is Tampa Bay. And specifically, Pasco County. That’s right! Pasco County not only touts the incredible benefits that Florida already offers companies looking to relocate, but the County has stepped ahead to provide even more benefits above and beyond what the State of Florida offers.

Pasco County’s local incentives are extremely competitive. Did you know? If a company moves to Pasco and creates 10 or more qualifying jobs with an average wage above $37,000, the County will write it a check for $2,000 per employee. No other county in Florida offers this program.

Are you looking for a new location for your company’s headquarters? Does your company need a southeast division? Look no further than Pasco County. Contact us today for a customized report on the benefits and savings specific to your company.

New Port Richey Named One of 217 “Playful City USA” Communities

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

KaBOOM! selected New Port Richey for its outstanding dedication to play. New Port Richey is working to improve the quality of their current parks, while involving the community in the process. After identifying that residents were often unfamiliar with the location of recreational facilities, the city launched an initiative to raise the visibility of the parks and recreation department in the community through school programming and community events.

Today’s generation of children play less than any previous generation despite the vast benefits of play. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of children.

“Live, Work, Play” is the motto that the City of New Port Richey lives by. The “Playful City USA” organization has only been around for the past 6 years. It has been 5 years in a row that New Port Richey has received the “Playful City USA” recognition.

These Playful City USA Communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community.

Congratulations to the City of New Port Richey for receiving the National recognition of a “Playful City USA Community” for the fifth year in a row.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

Career Academies @ work in Pasco County

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

James Kelly, a student at Zephyrhills High School is proof that industry certifications help get you hired.

Did you know? Web Design, Digital Design and IT students at Zephyrhills High School are getting certified in Adobe and Microsoft Office?

It’s true! James Kelly, used his industry certifications to obtain a job as a certified technician at Staples. Last year, in the website design classes at Zephyrhills High, James acquired certifications in Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, and Photoshop earning him the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) credential. He also became a certified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) by passing the exams for various software components through the Introduction to Information Technology course at Zephyrhills High School. His managers at Staples were impressed when he told them about his certifications and were a main factor in their hiring decision. James’s certifications and his experiences in the business program at school influenced his decision on the selection of a career path. He will be attending the University of South Florida in the fall and will be majoring in Management Information Systems at the College of Business.

Has your organization taken the step to get involved with a career academy? If not, it is a great opportunity to train the future workforce and find future employees like James Kelley, to work for your company. Contact Rob Aguis Director of the Office for Career and Technical Education for Pasco County Schools: (727) 774-2200 or (813) 794-2200.

Pasco County’s Academy of Engineering at River Ridge is preparing your future workforce!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

One of the biggest questions companies have when deciding where to move their company is, “Does the area have enough qualified workers?”

Did you know that the average age of a highly skilled U.S. manufacturing worker is 56 years old? Why is this more important now than ever before? Because soon, the baby boomer generation will be retiring and before that happens we have a responsibility to train the next generation to fill those jobs.

One way Pasco County Schools is working to train the future generation is through its Career Academies program. Here are a few facts I bet you didn’t know about Pasco’s Academy of Engineering at River Ridge High School:

• 197 students enrolled in the Academy and 22 are on school choice
• 13 students earned college credit last year from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
• 12 students received a paid internship with engineering companies over the summer
• 4 students are continuing to work for the engineering companies after school
• 5 students have completed portions of the MSSC (Manufacturing Skills Standards Council) certification
• 22 students inducted into National Technical Honor Society

What exactly is a “career academy”? Career academies combine college preparatory and career and technical curricula, united by a career theme, such as health care, finance, hospitality, engineering, business, agriculture, or commercial art and design, and lead to industry recognized certifications.

In Pasco, we are finding that student internships are paying off! Here’s the latest success story about how one local company is working with the career academies to inspire and create their future workforce:

Recently, two students were selected for a coveted internship/ scholarship program ( I I -VI Scholarship) at VLOC. VLOC is a leading supplier of optical components for the
industrial, medical, scientific, instrumentation, military, and telecommunication markets. Out of 167 applicants, Andrew Saparito and Amar Patel were selected to fill the only two positions available. The students worked full time as interns for VLOC this past summer and are currently working part time. The scholarship provides each student with $10,000 per year to be applied towards college expenses. If they continue to work at VLOC during their summers, they will be guaranteed $40,000 for their college education.

We need your help in restoring this Tampa Bay landmark.

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

“When people come together great things can be accomplished. Imagine what will happen if the citizens of New Port Richey are successful and inspire the rest of the community in Tampa Bay and the U.S. to help restore this national landmark,” said John Hagen, Pasco EDC President/CEO.

(Click here to donate.)

Built in 1920, the Hacienda Hotel was frequented by Hollywood celebrities including silent film stars Thomas Meighan and Gloria Swanson and baseball legend Babe Ruth. On October 24, 1996, the Hacienda Hotel was added to the National Register for Historic Places. The City of New Port Richey bought the hotel at the height of the real estate boom and has struggled to find a willing buyer to restore it. The community has since turned out in droves to help support its restoration. Over 400 people pitched in to help during the recent community clean-up days the City of New Port Richey hosted at the Hacienda.

“We can’t thank the citizens of New Port Richey enough for all of their time and effort in helping fix up the Hacienda Hotel,” said Susan Dillinger, the City of New Port Richey’s Interim City Manager. “We hope that through Citizinvestor we can share the Hacienda Hotel’s incredible story with the rest of the world.”

Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc. is working with the City of New Port Richey to crowdfund the next phase in the restoration of the Hacienda Hotel. The City of New Port Richey has posted a project on Citizinvestor.com, a Tampa Bay crowdfunding start-up for local civic projects.

According to Citizinvestor’s website, municipalities submit projects that lack funding, giving citizens who are passionate about a project to invest by pledging any amount they wish. Once a project is 100 percent funded, the project is completed. If a project does not receive 100% funding, nobody is charged! And on top of it donations through Citizinvestor.com are tax deductible.

Click here to donate: http://www.citizinvestor.com/project/restore-the-historic-hacienda-hotel.

NetFest 2013 at Starkey Ranch in Pasco County

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

The Pasco Economic Development Council is hosting its 11th Annual NetFest at Starkey Ranch in Odessa, Florida from 5 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, April 17th. This year we are pullin’ out all the stops and adding a microbrew tasting with various Tampa Bay breweries and a mighty pig roast Pasco County style!

NetFest is a chance to throw on your good ol’ blue jeans, and round up your plaid shirts and that barely used cowboy hat. We’ll round-up for a casual night of food, drink, music, and most importantly meetin’ and talkin’ to other key business folks in the community. Sponsorships for NetFest range from $500 to $2,000; they are limited and will be honored on a first come basis.

(Click here to make a reservation.)

The outdoor event is at Starkey Ranch on SR 54 in Odessa. Sponsorships range from $500 to $2,000. Call (813) 926-0827 ext. 226 for additional information or email Suzanne at suzanne@pascoedc.com.

Pictures from PHCC’s Porter Campus under construction in Wesley Chapel

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

The Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, slated to open in 2014, may become PHCC’s busiest campus based on the population boom in central Pasco County. The fifth full service PHCC campus will combine the latest high-tech trends in higher education with a traditional focus on teaching and learning. Located adjacent to Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, the campus is ideally located to offer convenient and accessible higher education to area residents.

The new campus will offer business and healthcare programs to train workers for jobs in lucrative medical and technology fields while strengthening PHCC’s collaboration with local business and industry. General education classes will prepare students for a variety of career and university transfer opportunities.

Just another sign of the economy growing in Wesley Chapel, Florida. If you are looking for a location to move your business, Pasco County has room to grow. With great colleges and universities like Pasco-Hernando Community College, Saint Leo University and the University of South Florida, there isn’t a better place to recruit your workforce.

(Photo credit: PHCC Facebook Page. To keep up to date on PHCC Happenings follow PHCC’s facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TryPHCC)

A peek inside the new Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. This video provides a sneak peak into one of the most high-tech, state-of-the-art facilities you will ever see.

The wellness center is a new 50,000 square foot facility that takes an integrated approach to fitness by focusing on the whole you. Stay in shape at its indoor aquatics center or on its state-of-the-art Technogym fitness equipment. The Wellness Center also offers educational programs on healthy eating, stress management, sports conditioning and weight management.

It is just another example of the amazing services Pasco County has to offer to you, your business, and your employees. Thinking of moving your business to Pasco? Visit www.pascoedc.com.

Room To Grow In Tampa Bay

Brought to you by Pasco Economic Development Council