ATA to offer scheduled flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and on to Hawaii from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport: ATA will provide direct, non-stop, affordable air service to major business hubs on the West Coast - San Francisco and Los Angeles - opening doors for new business travelers to and from Pinellas County, starting February 6, 2003. Las Vegas flights begin in March. The 14 non-stop flights per week will connect to Maui and Honolulu. ATA flies 31 new 747-800 aircraft to serve these flights. For information or reservations, call 1-800-225-2995 or visit www.ata.com.

Mark your calendar for the Pinellas Community Redevelopment Opportunities Summit, which will be held Thursday and Friday, December 12 & 13, at the Harborview Center in downtown Clearwater. This summit, presented by the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners and the Pinellas Planning Council, is sponsored by Progress Energy. Building consensus for the economic future of Pinellas County is the summit's goal. More details soon. For information and registration, call Pinellas County Economic Development (727) 453-7200, or register online at www.siliconbay.org.

Clearwater Regional Chamber announces health insurance benefits plan for small businesses: ChamberCARE, a new benefit that offers solutions to the rising costs of health insurance premiums for small businesses is now available through an association with the Florida Chamber Federation, an alliance of more than 107,000 Florida employers. Focusing on companies with fewer than 10 employees, ChamberCARE offers world-class service and a complete menu of valuable group and individual health insurance benefits. For information, contact (850) 521-1214 or visit www.flchamber.com.

Business Assistance Monitor Trend Analysis results for July-September, 2002, just being released, show 41% of Pinellas businesses say their revenues are "much better" or "better" now than one year ago; 64% expect next year to be "much better" or "better" than this year, and 36% expect an expansion of their products, services and production. The Business Assistance Monitor, begun in 1998, reflects quarterly face-to-face interviews with 304 business owners or managers throughout Pinellas County. It is compiled by Pinellas County Economic Development. For information, call (727) 464-7344.

Biotech firms may now benefit from special incentives and tax credits: Qualified Pinellas biomedical technology firms (medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies) are now eligible for the state's Capital Investment Tax Credit - an annual credit against Florida state corporate income tax liability - and the High Impact Performance Incentive, used to attract and grow major high-impact facilities. This boost to the state's burgeoning biotech industry is a result of the state's new designation of the industry as "high-impact," meaning companies that typically employ skilled workers for higher-than-average wages. Pinellas leads Florida's 21-county High Tech Corridor with 29.9% of med-tech companies, according to USF cluster research. For information, contact (727) 464-8122.

Remember Good Business Pinellas TV and Radio: Good Business Pinellas TV airs nightly at 7 p.m. on SPC TV Channel 19 and at various times on Pinellas 18 and Channel 15 in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Also, listen to Good Business Pinellas Radio, WHNZ 1250 AM, at 1 p.m., every Wednesday, and anytime - 24/7 - on www.siliconbay.org. For information, contact (727) 464-7498.