June 2008

Welcome to the Pinellas County Technology Alliance (PCTA). PCTA is a trade association of entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to the promotion and growth of knowledge-based business and talent in Pinellas County. Through educational seminars, networking events, partnership opportunities, and employee recruitment systems, the group strives to foster the growth of high-tech business in Pinellas. For more information about PCTA, or to become involved with the organization, click here. Visit www.pced.org/survey to provide input on this new group.

Breakfast Event: Leveraging Resources to Bring Innovations to Market. Discover funding and development opportunities to transform your business innovations at this June 5^th event. The discussion takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the EpiCenter, 13805 58^th St. N., Clearwater. Space is limited – click here to register or call (727) 341-3102.

Cool Tech 2008, June 12. This Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) event will include an interactive showcase of innovative technology. The highlight will be a keynote presentation by Russell Romanella from NASA, and live text voting will be available so attendees may choose their favorite exhibitor. Cool Tech will be held at the Tampa Convention Center from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Register at http://www.tbtf.org/, or call (813) 341-8283. For exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, contact Lori Taylor at ltaylor@tbtf.org.

Jobs Needed: Youth Virtual Job Fair, June 2 - 6. WorkNet is actively seeking employers that can provide jobs for students aged 14-22, while helping them explore careers and inspire them for their future. If a job opening doesn't exist, please consider creating an opportunity, whether it's a simple summer internship or temporary, permanent, full-time or part-time employment. The virtual job fair is free and the process is easy. No event staffing is needed. To register, go to http://www.worknetwednesday.com/ and click Virtual Job Fair. From there, you will be able to add job listings. For more details, please contact Jackie Skryd, WorkNet's Marketing Coordinator, at (727) 507-4300 ext. 3033 or jskryd@worknetpinellas.org.

Turning Up the Green through Brownfields Redevelopment – Workshop June 11. Targeted to local, state and federal officials, as well as planners, community groups, consultants and those interested in redevelopment, this workshop will include information on brownfield basics, best practices, green building, and more. The seminar will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the EpiCenter, 13805 58^th St. N., Clearwater. Click here for registration information.

Future Medical Forum, June 22 – 24. Top companies in the nation will present industry-specific topics to the medical device community at this forum. The event will be held at the Don CeSar Beach Resort, St. Pete Beach. For more information, contact Liz Morales at (514) 989-9111 ext. 228, or email lizm@virtusinternational.com. Click here to view the program.

Monthly Hazardous Waste Collection for Businesses: June 11. Dispose of unwanted hazardous electronics and chemical waste at the EnviroBusiness collections, scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month. Collections will be taken from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center, 2990 110^th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 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). About ninety percent of all the electronic equipment brought in is either reused or recycled. Visit www.pinellascounty.org/bizwaste to learn more.

June 2008 Pinellas County Success Story

Formulated Solutions: Rapid and Consistent Growth in Pinellas. Since its 2001 opening, Formulated Solutions has experienced rapid and consistent growth in Pinellas County, Florida. With help from Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED), the company has utilized a variety of incentives to manage its progress. “We're a company that began as a family-run operation with three employees and we now staff 42, with sights on raising that number in the future. PCED has been working with us for several years, and introduced us to some cost saving incentives and redevelopment tools to make this kind of growth possible,” says Eric Dann, President of Formulated Solutions. Indeed, these tools have helped the company expand from 15,000 square feet in 2004 to its current 34,000 square-foot facility. PCED utilized its Real Estate Database, as well as other subscription databases to assist the company with its property search.

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