This week proved to be a letdown for Enterprise Zones. We were hopeful that a Committee Bill would come out of Senate Finance and Tax since there was going to be a discussion. Unfortunately they never allowed discussion and just included the information we provided in a packet. From all accounts that we are now hearing, there is a growing concern this program will not be reauthorized. The broad coalition of entities are working very hard to get the Enterprise Zone program reformed and … [Read more...]
Lawmakers Seek To Revamp Florida’s Jobs Incentive Programs
State lawmakers are demanding sweeping changes to the taxpayer-funded programs that Gov. Rick Scott uses to attract jobs to Florida, citing the need for more openness and better accountability. The changes come in the wake of a Herald/Times investigation into accountability shortcomings within the state’s jobs incentive programs. And the proposed overhaul comes as new leadership takes over Enterprise Florida, the state’s lead economic development entity tasked with assembling incentive … [Read more...]
February 2015 Employment Figures Released
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2015 was 5.6 percent. This represented 548,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,702,000. The unemployment rate was down 0.9 percentage point from the February 2014 rate of 6.5 percent. It was the 55th consecutive month of over-the-year declines in Florida’s unemployment rate. It was also down 0.1 percentage point from the January 2015 rate. The unemployment rate has declined or held steady over the month for the last 53 months. … [Read more...]
Director of Florida Dept of Economic Opportunity Tours Ft Myers Factory
The Bonita Springs/ Estero Economic Development Council will showcase two businesses in the Bonita Springs/Estero region to representatives visiting from the Florida Dept of Economic Opportunity. Bonita Springs/Estero EDC Executive Director Christine Ross will lead the tour for Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director and Jack Reid, Internal Affairs Manager for the Florida Development of Economic Opportunity. Also joining the group will be David Trimm, former Chief Information Officer at Hertz. The … [Read more...]
Walton Among Fastest Growing Counties
Walton County was the third fastest growing county in Florida from 2013 to 2014, according to a report issued Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The new data provides population growth by percentage across the state. Sumter County posted the largest gains with a 5.2 percent increase in its population while St. Johns County was second with a 4 percent jump. In Walton County, the 2013 population of 59,807 rose by 3.6 percent – or 2,153 people – during the one-year period. “I live it every day, … [Read more...]
Pasco County Explores Stronger Ties To Medical Tourism
Pasco County is seeking to lure more tourists beyond young athletes and nature lovers, and the courted audience could include people with bad hearts and poor eyesight. It is part of a Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council planned study of medical tourism in which Pasco County is being asked to pony up $25,000 to help inventory the region's medical services. It is the first step toward more broad-based marketing to entice patients to travel to the Tampa Bay area for health care and to attract … [Read more...]
Miami Firm Hired To Connect Small Businesses With All Aboard Florida
The Vailon Group, a Miami-based consulting firm, has been hired to make sure South Florida subcontractors and small businesses have a chance to work on All Aboard Florida's flagship terminal, MiamiCentral. Vailon will implement All Aboard's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in Miami-Dade County, which will create opportunities for those companies to work with Suffolk Construction, the construction manager of the planned 3 million square-foot station complex. “Our partnership with … [Read more...]
Envera Systems Expands Sarasota Operations Center
Envera Systems, which provides electronic security monitoring for communities, will expand operations, creating 30 new jobs and making a capital investment of $604,000 in Sarasota, Florida. Envera’s state-of-the-art central station operates 24 hours a day/365 days a year, protecting residents and visitors at Envera protected communities. The company has experienced significant growth each year for the past several years and currently employs more than 100 people. “Sarasota’s ideal location on … [Read more...]
Made in Brevard Aims To Jump-Start Local Manufacturing
When it launched in 2013, the "Made in Brevard" campaign for local manufacturing was simply a marketing initiative spearheaded by the Economic Development Commission of the Space Coast and the four Brevard County chambers of commerce. It was a program intended to inspire Brevard County consumers to shop local and to instill pride in the creators of Brevard-made products. As part of this campaign, the EDC created a comprehensive, online listing of local manufacturers at MadeInBrevardFL.com. A … [Read more...]
Florida Gains Momentum
Florida is on a roll. The state has passed New York and now is the third most populous in the nation. Businesses are finding a hospitable environment here. In this 47th consecutive Economic Yearbook issue, Florida Trend makes note of the state passing the 20 million population mark. That's an amazing statistic especially considering only 6 million people resided here in 1965. That's an average growth of 280,000 people each year. For better or worse, that growth will continue. Demographers … [Read more...]
