December 2007

Happy Holidays from Pinellas County Economic Development. Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a prosperous new year from the staff at Pinellas County Economic Development.

NxLeveL™ 10 Week Business Plan Series Begins January 28. NxLeveL™ training is a nationally-recognized, ten-session course designed for people who want to start or grow a business and need the skills to test the feasibility of their business concept. This series, which meets Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., combines the traditional pieces of a NxLeveL™ curriculum with the business assistance resources of the Pinellas County Business Development Center. A registration fee of $149 covers the entire ten weeks. To register, call (727) 453-7200 or email kforster@pinellascounty.org.

Give Your Company's Recruitment a Competitive Edge with Career Expo '08, Feb. 28-29. This coming February, high-tech companies in the Florida High-Tech Corridor can gain exposure to an applicant pool of thousands of college graduates through Career Expo '08. A special initiative of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) and its economic development, higher education, workforce board and governmental partners, Career Expo '08 is designed to introduce the Corridor's high-tech employers to career center directors (CCDs) from many of the nation's top universities. Participating companies will have the opportunity to meet with attending CCDs face-to-face in both formal and informal settings as well as having their company name and contact information included in the Career Expo '08 directory. Click here to learn more.

Redevelopment Opportunities Continue. Pinellas County Economic Development has added three new “For Sale” categories to its real estate database. Sellers can now add their hotels and motels, shopping centers and general retail properties to be marketed online. This is another new tool in the County's redevelopment program and supports Pinellas By Design's real estate strategy to provide opportunities for private sector redevelopment and infill projects. To add your property listing, go to www.pced.org/realestate.

Discover Florida's Hottest Technologies and Research at Florida Innovation Showcase 2008. Presented by the Florida Research Consortium, the Florida Innovation Showcase will provide a forum to showcase Florida's hottest university technologies and research competencies for leveraging research and development efforts. Florida's Homeland Security and Defense expertise will be highlighted, with a special emphasis on Laser and Optics technologies. The even will take place March 19-20 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. Learn more at http://www.flinnovation.org/.

Be a Part of WorkNet Wednesday. Join the many local employers whoare taking advantage ofan opportunity to meet hundreds of job seekers face-to-face at WorkNet Wednesday. An average of 500 qualified job seekers meet with leading Tampa Bay employersat these regional job fair eventsheld on the second Wednesday of each month. The next opportunity takes place Dec. 12 at PTEC South, 901 34 Street S., St. Petersburg. To register and view a complete listing of WorkNet Wednesday job fairs, please visit http://www.worknetwednesday.com/.

VA Event Seeks Exhibitors of Emerging Prosthetics Technology. The VHA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Services Rehabilitation Services Conference and Exposition will take place Dec. 11-13 at the Marriott Suites Clearwater Beach on Sand Key. Attendees of the event will be required to visit the exhibitions as part of their program agenda, ensuring maximum exposure to vendor displays. Click here to learn more.

December 2007 Pinellas County Success Story

Work Tools International Rolls out Pinellas Park Expansion. Work Tools International is utilizing a $3.2 million Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) to finance an expansion in Pinellas Park, Florida. The expansion includes construction of a 43,600 square-foot building, the purchase of new manufacturing equipment, and the addition of 10 new manufacturing jobs. “The IRB is opening new doors for us,” explains Greg Kieler, Co-President of Work Tools International. “With it, we were able to end our days of leasing and purchase the land and building needed to expand our product line and increase our sales.” Click here to read more.

Might an Industrial Revenue Bond assist with your business' growth? Contact a business development professional at (727) 464-7332 or visit http://www.pced.org/ to learn more.