December 2004

Happy Holidays from Pinellas County Economic Development. PCED wishes your family a joyous holiday season and prosperous New Year. We thank each of you for your continued support of our economic development initiatives and look forward to working with you in the New Year.

FEMA Officials On-Site to Assist Pinellas County Hurricane Victims From December 6-23. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives will be in Pinellas County to assist citizens in filing for damages caused by this Atlantic hurricane season’s four major storms. FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery personnel will be stationed at the parking lot of the former Jumbo Sports Center, 13355 49th St. N., Pinellas Park. The Government On The Go Bus will be on site from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to assist citizens. For more information, call (800) 621-FEMA (3362). Speech- or hearing-impaired callers may dial (TTY) (800) 462-7585.

Pricing and Positioning to Increase Profits, December 7, 2004. Join marketing professionals and business counselors as they show you how to assess your product, price, location, and the competition to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy.  Experts will discuss market research tips, examine case studies and answer questions from participants. The seminar will be held from 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Pinellas County Business Development Center. To register, email businesshelp@siliconbay.org or call (727) 453-7200.

Meet With State Legislators to Discuss Medical Manufacturing Issues at December 8^th Breakfast Meeting.  The Florida Medical Manufacturers’ Association is hosting a Legislative Roundtable: Issues Affecting Medical Device Firms for Tampa Bay medical manufacturers. Businesses will meet with Florida lawmakers and network with other industry professionals. The breakfast meeting will be held at the Radisson Hotel, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd., and begins at 8:00 a.m., with networking at 7:30 a.m. For more information or to register, visit www.FlaMedMfg.org.

Matching Grants Available for Florida High-Tech Corridor Companies. The University of South Florida Center for Economic Development Research announces USF CONNECT, an external matching grant program for Florida High-Tech Corridor (FHTC) companies. USF CONNECT secures funding for economic development activities primarily for targeted high-tech industries located in Florida’s 21-county High Tech Corridor. The grants range from $10,000-$100,000 and require a 1:1 cash match and a 2:1 overall match from the private sector. For more information, click here.

Take an Online Survey to Shape Pinellas County’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Programs. The Pinellas County Arts Council is reviewing community plans, conducting interviews, and focus groups to develop long range goals and recommendations to strengthen the county’s culture. To provide your input about the future of Pinellas County’s art programs, click here to take a brief online survey. For more information, call (727) 453-7860.

Upper Pinellas Business of the Year Awards Celebrates Entrepreneurial Spirit. Business of the Year nominees from the Clearwater, Dunedin, Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor and Tarpon Springs Chambers of Commerce gathered to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and honor businesses awarded the distinction of small, medium and large business of the year. Pinellas County Economic Development and the Upper Pinellas Chambers of Commerce extend congratulations to: The Landing at Tarpon Springs, Small Business of the Year; Jiffy Reprographics, Medium Business of the Year; and TBE Group, Large Business of the Year. To view the award ceremony and meet the winners, click here to watch the latest Good Business Pinellas Television Show.

WorkNet Pinellas and the City of St. Petersburg Present a Business Incentives Seminar on December 15, 2004.  Join representatives from the State of Florida, Pinellas County, and the City St. Petersburg to learn about business incentives for your company. Topics include minority business certification, Enterprise Zone tax credits, HUB Zone contracting advantages and tax exemptions for manufacturing firms. Participants will receive a general overview of each program and an incentive packet with detailed instructions.  The seminar will be held at Bayfront Medical Center, 701 6^th Street South, Salon D, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. There is no fee to attend, but participants must register by calling (727) 507-4300 ext. 3004 or emailing kdailey@worknetpinellas.org.

Pinellas County Technology Businesses Receive Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) Awards. TBTF recently announced the winners of its Industry Achievement Awards, recognizing companies with technological innovations and business growth. Several Pinellas County businesses were nominated and awarded these prestigious awards including: Paradyne, Innovation of the Year Award; ImagiNail, finalist for Early Stage Company of the Year Award; Custom Manufacturing and Engineering, Small to Mid-Size Business of the Year, and MTS Medication Technology, finalist for Small to Mid-Size Business of the Year. In addition, Suzie Boland, Chair of STAR Technology Enterprise Center’s (STAR TEC) Advisory Board and President of RFB Communications was named Technology Leader of the Year. For a complete list of the winners, visit www.tbtf.org.

PCBDC Releases Schedule of Business Training Seminars. The Pinellas County Business Development Center offers business training in marketing, financing, business start-up, business accounting procedures, government contracting, and market research. To view the complete schedule of seminars for December, click here.