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Headlines, Success Stories & Multimedia

Review the latest news, articles, events and multimedia about Pinellas County businesses. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive news and updates in your inbox.

Industry News

Pinellas County Economic Development Announces Director Dr. Cynthia Johnson Elected to the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council

Pinellas County Economic Development is pleased to announce that its Director, Dr. Cynthia Johnson, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) following a majority vote by the full Board at IEDC’s 2024 Annual Conference. 

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September Business News

Read all about recent success stories, including Foot Locker’s relocation to Pinellas. Learn about upcoming opportunities to gain new skills and grow your business. Find resources for businesses damaged by Hurricane Debby, and celebrate with us recent awards.

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Success Stories

Medical Care Business Flourishes While Advocating for the Underserved

C.A.R.E Agency has made significant strides in home care while advocating for disability patients and expanding its services to provide essential care to homeless individuals, with a special focus on homeless veterans. Thalia Shurns, critical care nurse of 10 plus years and owner of C.A.R.E Agency, has made it her mission to create a business that helps the community by offering in-home and hospital advocacy while also providing shelter and care for those in need.

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A Need for Innovation and Hygiene turns into Business Success

In 2020, during the pandemic, Darryl and Chelsea McIntyre were in the midst of potty training their son when they quickly realized that they didn’t want him touching the public toilet seats. That’s when the couple decided to create a small business, Bubbas Potty Protection, which specializes in disposable toilet seat covers with adhesive backings and naming it after their son’s nickname. With a commitment to innovation and hygiene, this company has become a key player in the industry, offering a product that ensures cleanliness and peace of mind.

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Pinellas County’s International Business Development Efforts Attract Australian Delegation to Explore Trade Opportunities

In early May 2024, several Pinellas County businesses enjoyed a unique opportunity. As part of Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week, a delegation of Australian Defense companies toured St. Petersburg’s Maritime and Defense Technology HUB, meeting with companies to explore potential connections for trade and investment.

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Press Releases

Pinellas County Economic Development Announces Director Dr. Cynthia Johnson Elected to the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council

CLEARWATER, Fla – Pinellas County Economic Development is pleased to announce that its Director, Dr. Cynthia Johnson, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) following a majority vote by the full Board at IEDC’s 2024 Annual Conference. Johnson will join IEDC’s Board of Directors starting January 1, 2025 for a two-year term.

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Pinellas County Economic Development Receives 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award and Best in Show Nomination from the International Economic Development Council

Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) received a 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and is a nominee for Best in Show. The award was bestowed specifically for the department’s work in the Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse category for the Employment Sites Program (ESP).

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Foot Locker, Inc. Announces Relocation of Global Headquarters to Pinellas County, Florida

Pinellas County, FL, August 28, 2024 – Today, Foot Locker, Inc. announced in its second quarter 2024 financial results that the New York-based retailer will move its global headquarters to St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County, Florida in late 2025. This strategic move underscores Foot Locker’s intent to build on the company’s meaningful presence in St. Petersburg and enable increased collaboration among operational teams and reducing costs. 

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September 2024 Business News

Read all about recent success stories, including Foot Locker’s relocation to Pinellas. Learn about upcoming opportunities to gain new skills and grow your business. Find resources for businesses damaged by Hurricane Debby, and celebrate with us recent awards.

Read more.

August 2024 Business News

News this month includes state funding for local workforce training, the upcoming Hispanic Business Conference, events to connect local business to Air Force Materiel Command contracting needs, and more opportunities for Pinellas businesses to learn and grow.

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July 2024 Business News

Read about upcoming events such as the Global Tampa Bay Export Sales Mission to Vancouver, Canada, the Hard Hats & Taps event for contractors looking to do business with Pinellas County, Round 7 Funding for Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program, and more.

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Multimedia

Pinellas County, the Ideal Business Climate.

Visitors and residents worldwide are drawn to the renowned white sand beaches of Pinellas County, but companies are attracted to Pinellas’ ideal business climate. With a skilled workforce, robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, well-developed infrastructure, and construction-ready sites, businesses can expect to begin growing immediately in Pinellas. Anchored by the urban markets of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Pinellas has the third-largest manufacturing employment base in Florida. Fortune 500 companies like Jabil and Raymond James are headquartered here. Pinellas has diverse, yet symbiotic, industry clusters, including aviation/aerospace; defense/national security; medical technologies; business and financial services; and information technology. An extensive network of suppliers, service providers, and business associations support operations in these sectors. How can we help you grow? Contact us today at econdev@pinellas.gov.

ARK Innovation Center, now open!

On December 18, 2023, Pinellas County celebrated the completion of the ARK Innovation Center, a new 45,000-square-foot business incubator located at 1101 4th St S. in St. Petersburg. The new facility is owned by Pinellas County and operated by the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, a tech incubator and accelerator with a well-respected team of board members, advisors, and mentors and a track record of helping tech start-ups grow.

Celebrate ARK Innovation Center’s Construction Progress

Pinellas County celebrated a milestone on January 20, 2023: the structural completion of the new ARK Innovation Center in St. Petersburg. Project partners celebrated by leaving their “mark” on a piece of Pinellas County history by signing the steel beam that will be used in the interior structure of the new business incubator.

Pinellas County Celebrates Opening of Brooker Creek South Industrial Facility

The Pinellas County Commission celebrated on Tues., Sept. 6, the completion of Brooker Creek South, the first industrial manufacturing building supported in part by Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program (ESP). The developer, Harrod Properties, Inc., constructed the facility at 500 Brooker Creek Blvd, in Oldsmar’s thriving industrial market. The ribbon cutting was attended by Pinellas County Economic Development, the City of Oldsmar, Harrod Properties, and the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. The new tenants – Belac’s Chromalloy, Edmund Optics, and FDD, also joined in the celebration.

Pinellas County Celebrates SBDC Day

Learn how the SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development has helped businesses start up, create jobs, build or expand a business plan, grow capital, and obtain government contracts in Pinellas County, Florida.