| February 2022View as Webpage |
| Pinellas County Unemployment Drops Below Pre-Pandemic Levels |
| Pinellas County‘s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December came in at 3.1%, which is down from 3.3% for November 2021 and December 2020, according to a report released Jan. 21 by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The county’s labor force increased to 516,343 compared to 514,745 in November. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area had an unemployment rate of 3.3% in December, compared to a 3.5% rate in November and 3.4% rate in December 2021. It placed second among the states 24 metro area for the most new private sector jobs. Click here to read the full story. |
| Round Three of Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program Open Now |
| Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program has opened its third round of funding as of February 1, 2022. The second round of funding, launched on June 1, 2021, provided four applications with 50,000 square feet of proposed office space and 76,072 square feet of industrial expansions. The first round of funding was completed with three applications receiving $2,906,500 in funding towards the construction of over 216,000 square feet of new industrial structures and a new Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). The ESP program can assist in the construction or redevelopment of industrial (manufacturing & flex) and office buildings that provide growth opportunities for target industry employers hoping to create new jobs and expand their footprints in order to remain in Pinellas County. Allowable capital expenditures related to development include: site preparation; vertical construction; infrastructure development; and site acquisition. Find details and a link to the online application portal at www.PCED.org/esp. All applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. on April 4, 2022 |
Visit the PCED and FSBDC booth at Synapse Summit, Feb. 17th Join Pinellas County Economic Development and the Florida Small Business Development Center at Synapse Summit 2022 – a full day packed with amazing content for you, by you. The event includes innovative leaders, hands-on workshops, dynamic panel discussions, skills building activities, and more. The Summit will take place at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Feb. 17th. More details can be found at https://synapsefl.com/summit2022. |
| Pinellas County Celebrates Black-Owned Businesses |
 Pinellas County Economic Development and the Office of Small Business and Supplier Diversity are celebrating Black History Month by recognizing the success of Black-owned businesses in Pinellas County. Visit www.PCED.org/BlackinBusiness throughout the month to read success stories of some of Pinellas County’s Black businesses and to learn about resources available to support Black-owned businesses in Pinellas. |  Visit St. Pete/Clearwater has curated aBlack-Owned Businesses webpage – from coffee roasters to legacy restaurants, seek out these amazing entrepreneurs in St. Pete/Clearwater! |
| One-of-a-kind restaurant finding success with no-cost assistance Meet Eddie Adams, founder and owner of Loaded, a new kind of restaurant in Clearwater dedicated to providing only the most deliciously loaded potatoes, wings, and salads. After getting his business started in mid-2020, Adams reached out to the Florida Small Business Development Center at Pinellas County Economic Development, “…because we felt like we were coming to a stand-still,” he said. “We wanted more information on accounting, banking, and SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans. We just wanted to be a better business overall.” Working with FSBDC’s Debra Schweikowsky, Adams learned better ways to manage Loaded’s finances, and was able to secure a PPP loan. Says Adams about the experience, “As I continue to grow my business, I will continue to use the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County to grow my business by attending future workshops, using resources to hire new employees along with maintaining our current employees, developing more of an interpersonal relationship with my customers, and expanding my business.” Click here to read more. |
| PCED Staff News |
 Brent Barkway Appointed to District Export Council We are pleased to announce that Pinellas County Economic Development’s Brent Barkway has been appointed to the Central-North Florida District Export Council. District Export Councils are organizations of business leaders from local communities, appointed by various U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, whose knowledge of and expertise in international business provides a source of professional advice for their region’s local firms. Brent brings to his new role many years of knowledge and experience as our Business Development Manager specializing in international trade.Learn more about International Trade in Pinellas and reach out to Brent for assistance with growing your business internationally at www.PCED.org/international Welcome Aboard New Team Members!The Pinellas County Economic Development Department is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members. David Chawk has joined the Department as the new Marketing Intelligence Specialist, and Cleosinda Mizutani has joined as the new Administrative Support Specialist. Both David and Cleosinda have a long history of working for Pinellas County and we are thrilled to add them to our team of dedicated staff. |
| New Year, New Growth, New Global Sales virtual series |
| Join the U.S. Commercial Service and Goldman Sachs for a complimentary new three-part webinar series designed to help you grow your exports in 2022. Receive practical exporting tips and advice from U.S. Commercial Service experts and hear from small businesses that are selling their products and services globally. You will also have an opportunity to schedule a one-on-one 15-minute virtual “Office Hours” session with a U.S. Commercial Service International Trade Specialist to receive personalized advice. Click here to register for the three-part series. |
| Coming Soon to Dunedin: The Hub The Hub will be Dunedin’s one-stop empowerment shop for the small business community. Gain access to business help, resources, education, space, and community. The Hub is your place to start, grow, and nourish yourself and your business in Dunedin. Learn more at https://dunedinfl.com/hub. |
| Florida Credentials of Value Employer Feedback SurveyEducation Strategy Group, in partnership with the Florida Department of Education and the Credentials Review Committee managed by CareerSource Florida, is requesting input from Florida employers on credentials important to hiring decisions and promotional opportunities. Results from the employer survey, linked below, will help ensure the product resulting from this collaborative effort has been vetted by business board members throughout the CareerSource Florida network and key partners. All surveys should be completed by Wednesday, Feb. 9. The responses will help build recommendations for strengthening Florida’s workforce training to better address workforce demands. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FloridaCOV |