Tampa Bay has the skilled workforce you’re looking for.

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

“Tampa Bay has emerged as an MVP in Florida’s ongoing battle to whittle down its still bloated unemployment rate.” – Jeff Harrington, Tampa Bay Times

This week it was announced that Florida unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent. This is big news for Florida, and even bigger news for Tampa Bay! According to an article by the Tampa Bay Times, approximately 28% of the new jobs in Florida were here in Tampa Bay.

Here’s the facts:

The bay area added 20,800 net new jobs over the past 12 months, tops among all metro areas. From January to February alone, the region is up 9,300 jobs.

In February, the bay area’s unemployment rate fell a dramatic six-tenths of a percentage point, from 10 percent to 9.4 percent.

Unlike the state, Tampa Bay’s labor pool is growing compared to both a month ago and a year ago. That means its improved jobs picture is not because more jobless have temporarily suspended their search and are no longer being counted.

This is proof that Tampa Bay is growing, and there is no where in Tampa Bay with more room to grow than Pasco. Your skilled workforce is here and growing. It’s time to make the move to Pasco!

Business & Community Leaders in Tampa Bay Connect at 10th Annual NetFest

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Pasco County, Florida — Pasco Economic Development Council is hosting its 10^th Annual NetFest on April 18 from 5:00pm – 8:30pm at Starkey Ranch in Odessa. NetFest is one of Pasco’s largest networking events of the year and is a “Who’s Who of Pasco County” for the business and community leaders of Tampa Bay.

Last year, over 250 people gathered at Starkey Ranch for the big event with key business leaders and elected officials in attendance. This year they are expecting over 300 people in attendance. Who attends NetFest? Business owners and CEOs of Tampa Bay’s most recognized companies as well as commercial realtors, land developers, bankers, elected officials, and this year many election-year hopefuls.

Pasco EDC urges people attending the outdoor event to “throw on their blue jeans and grab a cowboy hat” for an informal night of networking — minus the speeches or awards. While there may not be a master of ceremonies, there will be BBQ, drinks, country music and plenty of chili for everyone. Sponsors of NetFest will be participating in a chili cook-off that is judged by all attendees.

“There is a ton of buzz about Pasco right now, especially since the County just won four ‘Future of the Region’ awards,” said John Hagen, Pasco EDC President/CEO. “If you want to do business in Pasco County, or with a Pasco County company, you’ll want to attend NetFest.”

Tickets are $35 for investors and guests, and $45 for all others. Reservations for NetFest can be made online at www.pascoedc.com/events. To sponsor NetFest or enter the chili cook-off and earn the title of “Pasco’s Best Chili” contact Suzanne Renczkowski at suzanne@pascoedc.com or call 813-926-0827.

Social Media Gurus to Teach Guerilla Marketing Secrets to Local Businesses

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Antony Francis and Amber Osborne are taking time to teach local entrepreneurs some secrets of how to REALLY use social media to promote business at a workshop sponsored by Pasco Economic Development Council, Career Central, and the Pasco Enterprise Network.

Antony Francis, CEO, of Head of Lettuce Media and Amber Osborne, aka “MissDestructo,” vice-president of brand development will share tips and techniques on Thursday, April 26, from 8:30 am – 10:00 am in the New Port Richey Sun Toyota training room on US 19.

The social media duo will share the steps necessary to find your target audience online—then how to reach out to it. “For example, if you’re building your business and looking for angel investors and venture capitalists, they are on Twitter. Learn how to find them, and more importantly how not to turn them off,” said Francis. He emphasized that once you know who you are looking to connect with; the trick is to be interesting. The key to success in social media is to “Educate, Entertain and Engage”.

In 2009, CEO Antony Francis started HOLM as a way to help businesses, local and national, become more educated on social media using his previous background from training at Realtor.com and his passion for developing technologies. Since then, he and VP/Co-Founder Amber Osborne have consulted with small and large companies on their social media needs while maintaining a strong international tech community presence. Osborne has spoken to international audiences and was a recent panelist at SXSW, the highly acclaimed Austin Texas, entrepreneurship event.

“Pasco is becoming a hub for creative companies like Head of Lettuce Media,” said Summer Martin, Pasco EDC Marketing Coordinator. “Having a social media strategy is essential today. There will always be skeptics, but it works. Just this week, for instance, we received a business lead at the Pasco Economic Development Council through Twitter.”

This workshop is being organized by Pasco Economic Development Council, Pasco Enterprise Network, and Career Central at the New Port Richey Sun Toyota Training Center (4023 US Highway 19, New Port Richey, FL). There is a $5 charge for a light breakfast. Reservations can be made online at www.pascoedc.com/events or by calling 888-60-PASCO.

Pasco County Sweeps “Future of the Region Awards” and Aces the OneBay!

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) today awarded Pasco County the coveted One Bay Award, effectively elevating the county to elite status among Tampa Bay communities. TBRPC is the regional expert when it comes to land planning and development. This is the second year Pasco County was chosen for the OneBay award–and also only the second year the award has been in existence.

future-of-the-region-awards The award was given to Pasco County for innovatively becoming one of Florida’s first counties to adopt the mobility fee as a replacement of transportation impact fees. The Pasco Economic Development Council partnered with the County to craft the program and gain support from the development community to help adopt the fee. The new fee schedule dramatically lowers the cost of office and industrial development in Pasco County. For example, Pasco’s mobility fee for office, industrial and transit-oriented development along US-19 and S.R. 54/56 corridors is $0. The intent of the Commissioners’ action is to stimulate construction and job creation.

Also at the “Future of the Region Awards,” Pasco County took first place in the Development/Infrastructure category, again, for its mobility fee program, and first place in the Cultural/Sports/Recreation category for the Pasco County Starkey Wilderness Park Trail Project (Phases I through IV). An Honorable Mention was also given to Pasco County for its Elderly Nutrition Program.

“It was like sweeping the Grammys! Pasco County won more awards than any organization,” said John Hagen, Pasco EDC President/CEO. “The mobility fee is truly innovative and puts Pasco County in a class by itself. It provides a decided business advantage over other communities. For office, hotel, and industrial users in the key development corridors along US 19 and SR 54/56, it’s free. It is gratifying to see Pasco County receive the attention it deserves for its bold leadership to encourage job creation.”

TBRPC exemplifies the significance of innovative planning and provides honor and recognition for notable achievements in resource planning and management in the Tampa Bay Area. Over 30 applications were received covering the following categories: Community Service, Cultural/Sports/Recreation, Development/Infrastructure, Natural Resources/Environment, Going Green, and Public Education. An Independent Awards Jury reviewed each entry on the following criteria: regional quality of life benefit, benefit to environment, innovation, cost effectiveness, capacity for continuing impact, and regional benefit.

Looking for a place to manufacture medical devices?

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Did you know? Florida has one of the country’s largest medical device manufacturing industries. According to the FDA, Florida ranks 2nd in the U.S. for the number of FDA-registered medical device establishments. In fact, nearly 19,000 Floridians work in this industry.

As you can see from the map, a large cluster of medical device manufacturers are right here in the Tampa Bay area, of course birds of a feather flock together!

Pasco County is the natural place to expand in the Tampa Bay area. Not only do we have the benefit of having low taxes, I-75 access, close proximity to the port and Tampa International Airport, but we also already have a skilled workforce in place that know the medical device manufacturing business. Approximately 46% of the workforce leaves Pasco County every day to commute to work in Tampa Bay, many of them working in the medical device industry. These can be YOUR employees!

But that’s not all Pasco County has to offer. If you are ready to move, we can help speed up the permitting process for you. If that’s not enough, we’ve got cash! That’s right! Job creation incentives are available to qualifying companies that create 10 or more new jobs in Pasco County.

If your company is looking to relocate to Florida or expand in the Tampa Bay area, stop by and see Krista or Tom at the 6th Annual Florida Medical Device Symposium held at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park. April 30 – May 1st. or better yet, why wait? Give us a call at 813-926-0827.

Nominations Are Open For Pasco’s Industry Of The Year Awards

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Pasco County, Florida — Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Pasco Economic Development Council Industry of the Year Awards to be presented at their 26^th Annual Appreciation Banquet. Each year, Pasco EDC evaluates and nominates top companies in Pasco County for their technology, innovation, job creation, growth, and capital investment in the area. They also measure companies’ involvement in community activities. All finalists are interviewed on a range of different topics from capital investments and company growth, market and technology innovation to leadership and involvement in industry and community organizations.

Nominees for the Industry of the Year Awards should be “for profit” service, manufacturing, or technology industries operating in Pasco County (municipalities or affiliates are excluded). The awards will be separated into divisions based on number of employees, and previous winners of the past five years are not eligible. Nominees should exhibit exemplary ratings during the time period of January 2011 through June 2012 in:

Company / Employee Growth
Innovative Leadership in Current Business Issues
Corporate Citizenship
Entrepreneurship

Pasco EDC has been attracting businesses and creating jobs in Pasco County for 26 years. Their Annual Appreciation Banquet held at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Florida, is regarded as the premier business event in Pasco County. Each year the banquet is attended by over 600 business and community leaders in Tampa Bay and Pasco County, including State legislators, county commissioners and city officials.

Click here to download the nomination form.

Pasco County a Hub of Creativity?

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Recently the Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc. helped Artix Entertainment LLC (artixentertainment.com) consolidate their offices and move the company’s entire staff, including artists, animators, programmers, marketing and administrative personnel into a single location in Pasco County.

Adam Bohn, Artix Founder and CEO, said “We outgrew our current space and while, we did look at alternative locations throughout the Tampa Bay area and a number of high tech locations out of state, we decided to stay in central Pasco County.”

Pasco based Artix Entertainment (AE) is the epitome of creativity with an astounding fan base of over 110 million users and 35,000 Facebook “likes”. Founded in 2003, AE is a privately-held, game development and publishing studio that specializes in creating on-line, browser-based, anime-style, role-playing Flash games. The company has 59 employees and over 100 community volunteers. Their range of online games with storylines based in the fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure genre include Adventure Quest, DragonFable, MechQuest, AdventureQuest Worlds and EpicDuel, with two more games under development for 2012.

National economist and urban theorist Richard Florida says Tampa Bay is leading the way for job growth in the creative sector. In a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States is projected to add nearly 7 million new creative class jobs by 2020, with the Tampa Bay area’s creative jobs projected to grow by 17.2 percent according to Florida’s recent article for The Atlantic.

These high-paying, highly-skilled creative jobs make up one third of the workforce in fields like science, technology, engineering, business, law, health care, education, and of course, arts, media and entertainment. “The growth in creative class jobs is a bright spot on the employment horizon,” Florida noted. “Creative class jobs pay well, in excess of $70,000 on average.”

Several companies, in addition to Artix Entertainment, have innovative operations in Pasco County including Head of Lettuce Media (headoflettucemedia.com), OPINICUS Corporation (opinicus.com), Balloon Distractions (balloondistractions.com), The Web Channel Network (thewebchannelnetwork.com), and Web Direct Brands, Inc. (webdirectbrands.com).

“It’s exciting to see the number of creative jobs increase because of these enterprises,” said John Hagen, Pasco EDC President/CEO. “Pasco is on the cusp of becoming a hub for creative companies, and we’re ready to help other creative companies become part of the growing Pasco community.”

Financial Firms and Shared Services Companies Love Pasco!

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

DID YOU KNOW? Tampa Bay has emerged as the preferred destination for corporate shared services operations – a claim easily backed up with the fact that 10% of the Fortune 50 and 9% of the Fortune 100 have located here.

Tampa Bay hosts more than 40 back office and shared services operations that employ over 40,000 local residents. Major financial firms include:

Raymond James Financial
T. Rowe Price
JPMorgan Treasury Technologies
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Franklin Templeton
Citigroup

Other big names in Tampa Bay are:

Coca Cola Enterprises
FedEx LTL Administrative Center
Geico Direct
Lockheed Martin
MetLife
State Farm Insurance

Key decision factors that brought these companies to Tampa Bay:

Access to human resources talent – particularly four year college trained individuals. There are over 64,000 four-year college students in the area.

Tampa International Airport – non-stop access to nearly 70 major North American cities with competitive fares.
Attitude toward business – the local governments and business leaders have a strong interest in supporting the growth of back office and shared services operations in the Tampa Bay area.
Competitive operating costs – the cost of labor and real estate is substantially less than in New York City. Labor is estimated at 15-20%+ less than in New York City and real estate is estimated at 50-70% less than in New York City.

Why wait? Why not make the move to Pasco County. We’ve got thousands of entitled acres, I-75 access and a huge talent pool waiting for you!

JPMorgan Treasury Technologies

Local suppliers and manufacturers grow when they do business together

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

“Drop a pebble in a pool of water, and watch the ripples travel. A similar effect occurs in a local economy when a manufacturing business takes root and grows. That’s especially true when the manufacturer focuses on using local suppliers, whose businesses grow as the manufacturer expands.” Herald-Tribune.com

This is why we created FloridaSupplierSource.com. Our main goal is to help local manufacturers and suppliers begin to connect. Why pay a company in Utah for a product that you can get in your back yard? What are the benefits of buying from a local supplier?

Expedited service
Lowers freight costs
Reduces damaged goods from shipments
On-Site Attention from suppliers

Are you a manufacturer or supplier in Pasco County or Florida? Sign-up to claim your free listing at www.floridasuppliersource.com

One of the World’s Most Admired Companies is coming to Pasco

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Summer Martin (Pasco EDC)

Last week, Raymond James Financial was named among the “Worlds Most Admired Companies” by Fortune magazine. Headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Raymond James ranked No. 4 among securities firms. Raymond James joined 9 other companies from Florida who made the list (a total of 4 from Tampa Bay). The 2012 list is available online at Fortune.com and will be featured in Fortune’s March 19 issue.

Where are the World’s Most Admired Companies?

Raymond James Financial selected Pasco County for a 200,000 square foot expansion of its Tampa Bay operations. The initial phase of the project is expected to create 750 new jobs.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approved an aggressive package of incentives to make the Wiregrass location their obvious choice in Tampa Bay. In addition to the initial 200,000 square feet of office space, Raymond James Financial secured enough property to complete a future build-out that could total 1,000,000 square feet.

Room To Grow In Tampa Bay

Brought to you by Pasco Economic Development Council

Monthly Archives: March 2012