May 2007

Toytown, 240-acre Development Site Available.  Toytown, a 240-acre redevelopment site in the Tampa Bay region, is being offered through a Request for Negotiation (RFN) process by Pinellas County’s Economic Development Authority. This closed landfill is perfectly situated within the city limits of St. Petersburg and a short drive from Tampa, Clearwater and the Gulf Coast’s white sand beaches.  The site is bordered by I-275, allowing easy interstate access for the region’s 3.8 million residents and nearly 20 million annual visitors. Toytown is within the Gateway employment district, home to the headquarters of Raymond James Financial, Home Shopping Network and Jabil Circuit. Prospective respondents should visit pced.org/toytown to download further details and read the entire Request for Negotiation for statement of interest requirements. The deadline for submittals is July 27, 2007 at 3:00 pm.

WorkNet Presents: Top Ten Employment Law Solutions You Need to Know For Your Business.  Phyllis J. Towzey of St. Petersburg is among the first to become board certified in Labor and Employment Law. Please join WorkNet as Ms. Towzey presents information every business needs to know.  The seminar will be held May 8, from 3:00pm – 5:00pm at the EpiCenter, 13805 58th Street N. Clearwater, FL, 33760.  Please contact Kristin Dailey at kdailey@worknetpinellas.org or (727) 507-4300 x3004 to secure your reservation.

Pinellas County Utilities Quarterly EnviroBusiness Hazardous Waste Collection Day.  The next quarterly EnviroBusiness Hazardous Waste Collection Day is May 9, from 9am to 4pm, at the Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center, 2990 110th Ave. N., St. Petersburg.  The quarterly collection offers businesses an inexpensive and convenient way to properly dispose of unwanted hazardous electronics and chemical waste.  Any business may drop off its hazardous electronics.  To drop off chemicals, businesses need to qualify as small waste generators, (producing less than 25 gallons, or 220 pounds, of chemical waste per month).  Businesses pay the contractors directly, at the County’s reduced contract prices.  For many electronic items, the price is “no charge” or “minimal charge”.  For more information, call (727) 464-7500 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/bizwaste.

Export Sales Mission to Colombia, June 3 – 9.  Enterprise Florida invites you to join its next Export Sales Mission to Colombia.  A proven market for Florida products, Colombia is the state’s fourth-largest export destination, with 20% export growth in 2005 and again in 2006.  Participants will spend two full days in Bogota and three days in Medellin in a professionally-managed program that includes: one-on-one business appointments; U.S. Embassy country briefing; ambassadorial reception; and a networking breakfast.  For more information, please contact Luis Cuervo at (305) 808-3660 or lcuervo@eflorida.com.

TBTF Fast and Furious Partnering Conference, June 14, 3:00pm – 7:00pm.  Meet hundreds of potential partners and customers at the Fast & Furious Partnering Conference, presented by the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF).  Technology companies from across the Tampa Bay area will give short pitches designed to let you know right away if they are good business partners for you. After the presentations, enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while networking with company representatives in the exhibit hall.  Represented industries will include: Digital Media; Software; Information Technology Services; Modeling, Simulation and Training; Optics and Photonics; E-Learning; and Bioscience.  The event will be held at the Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street S., St. Petersburg, 33701.  Click here for more information and to register.

Pinellas County Budget Recap Meetings May 8 and June 7.  Pinellas’ Board of County Commissioners wants citizens to understand the budget process and get involved.  Commissioners will hold evening recap meetings on May 8 and June 7 at 6:30 pm in the 5th floor Assembly Room of the County Courthouse. Pinellas 18 will cover the meetings and budget details are at www.pinellascounty.org/budget.

Pinellas County Economic Development’s 2006 Annual Report.  Available online at www.pced.org/download/document/20070322_171122_13217.pdf

May 2007 Pinellas County Success Story

Student Loan Solutions: Setting a New Standard in Palm Harbor.  Student Loan Solutions (SLS), a leading educational loan company that helps students, parents and graduates afford cost of a college education, chose Palm Harbor for its recent expansion into the Florida market. With the new branch office, the company will be creating over 50 new, well-paying jobs at 115% of the Pinellas County average.  Although SLS considered Arizona for its expansion, they chose Florida in part because of the incentives set up for new businesses.  Explains SLS CEO Mark Gazda, “Florida is a terrific market for our products—particularly student loan consolidation—and the assistance we received from Pinellas County Economic Development was invaluable.  The competitive business incentives they presented showed us a cost-effective way to expand SLS into a new market.”

Click here to read more of this story.

To learn more about Student Loan Solutions, please visit their website at www.studentloansolutions.com