| March 2022 View as Webpage Pinellas County breaks ground on site of future Regional Business IncubatorThe Pinellas County Commission, along with dozens of business and community partners, on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, 45,000 square foot state-of-the-art business incubator. The facility, slated for completion in 2023, will drive economic impact by catalyzing future startups and technology companies in the Tampa Bay region. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site of the future ARK Innovation Center, which will house the incubator that will become known as the Tampa Bay Innovation Center (1101 Fourth Street South, St. Petersburg). “The new ARK Innovation Center perfectly fits with the Pinellas County Strategic Plan goal of accelerating job growth in our economy. I am proud of the collective leadership and work to leverage our partnerships and grant opportunities to create this new incubator,” said Charlie Justice, Chairman of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. Read more about this exciting addition to Pinellas County’s business resources at www.PCED.org/ARK.Media:The next Austin? Cathie Wood explains her ‘renegade’ move to St. PeteCathie Wood, local leaders celebrate Innovation Center groundbreakingStar investor headlines groundbreaking for new innovationARK Innovation Center in St. Pete expects to have global impactARK Investor Cathie Wood Plans For St. Pete Technology Incubator Pinellas County Virtual Finance Fair: March 29, 10:00 – 11:30am  How can I prepare my business for changing interest rates?The Florida SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development is pleased to host a panel of Tampa Bay area lenders that are ready to provide answers and access to a variety of business financing products. This Zoom meeting will provide a one-stop opportunity to compare lending options available to Tampa Bay area companies in a no-pressure environment. Guest speaker Dennis Drolet from Bank United will lead a conversation about the future of interest rates and review ways that business owners can prepare for growth and expansion. Attend this timely zoom event to learn your options for future borrowing and meet active lenders and learn about their products and services. Learn more and register at www.PCED.org/FinanceFair.The #1-selling sauce on Amazon.com belongs to a Clearwater small businessIt would not be an understatement to say that Yo Mama’s Foods has achieved small business success in Clearwater, Florida. Founder David Habib wouldn’t have it any other way. The company was recently celebrated as an Honoree in the 11th Annual GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch. Visit www.PCED.org/YoMamasFoods to read all about how David Habib and Yo Mama’s Foods have found business success in Pinellas, and contact our team to learn how we can help your business grow!US-Caribbean Business Conference, April 12 – 13  Join PCED’s Brent Barkway at the U.S.-Caribbean Business Conference 2022 in Miami, April 12 – 13. Participants will receive up-to-date market intelligence to help develop practical strategies for winning procurements and for exporting their goods and services. The program will include U.S. diplomats, industry professionals, trade experts, international business experts, high-level government officials and seasoned exporters – with plenty of opportunity for networking. Click here to learn more and register.Join Us in Celebrating Women’s History MonthPinellas County Economic Development and the Office of Small Business and Supplier Diversity are celebrating Women’s History Month by recognizing the success of Woman-Owned businesses in Pinellas County.Visit www.PCED.org/WomenMeanBusinessthroughout the month to read success stories of some of Pinellas County’s Woman-Owned businesses and to learn about resources available to support Woman-Owned businesses in Pinellas.Job Fair for Business and Technology – Seeking EmployersSt. Petersburg College and CareerSource Pinellas want to help connect those interested in careers in business and technology with great local companies. When: April 6, 2022 11am-1pmWhere: SPC EPI Center 13805 58th St. North Clearwater, FL 33760What: Tables will be set up for our preferred companies to find talent from both students and job seekers Space is limited; click here to register your company today.B2B Accelerator Accepting Applications – due March 4  The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is accepting applications to its Spring 2022 Accelerator program for B2B tech ventures. The Pinellas County-based startup accelerator program seeks high-impact tech startups from a broad range of industries that serve enterprise and SMB customers. Founders will engage in a rigorous program that includes coaching, design thinking, user research, and insight from industry professionals. The program begins on Wednesday, March 23, and applications must be submitted by March 4. Visit https://tbinnovates.com/innovation-accelerator for details.Who cares about industrial land?Recently, Forward Pinellas published this excellent article about the need for industrial land in Pinellas County. Important highlights include: While tourism is our most well-known business, industries like high-tech manufacturing quietly contribute significantly more to the local economy. Pinellas County has the third largest manufacturing base among Florida counties. According to Pinellas County Economic Development, manufacturing has twice the economic impact of the entire hospitality sector and pays three times the average wage, with $2 billion in annual payroll. Financial services and information technology add another $2.2 billion. Together, those businesses employ more than 60,000 people in Pinellas County.It’s true that many of these businesses could fit equally well into commercial areas, and are permitted to do so under county and local land use rules. But they seek industrial areas because commercial land is typically priced out of their reach. “It’s an unfortunate paradox,” said Teresa Brydon, Business Redevelopment Manager for Pinellas County Economic Development. “The types of redevelopment that make the most money for landowners and developers are the ones that contribute least to the local economy. The market puts local governments under a lot of pressure to allow industrial land to be converted, but that hurts us in the long run.”“By the 2000s, we started running out of industrial land,” said Cindy Margiotta, Division Director for Pinellas County Economic Development. “We lose opportunities for employers to move here when there’s nowhere for them to go. Every time we let an industrial parcel redevelop into apartments, we lose the potential for more good jobs.” For 15 years, Pinellas County has made a strong commitment to preserving industrial land for employment, but those efforts may be undone by state legislation proposed this year. Senate Bill (SB) 962 and House Bill (HB) 981 would allow local governments to approve residential and mixed-use developments on any residential, commercial, or industrial land as long as at least 10% of the residential units are affordable. The proposed law would override any local law to the contrary, meaning that local governments could disregard the Countywide Plan and even their own zoning regulations. Click here to read the full article. Pinellas Economy Continues Strong Upward Trend We’ve updated our Data Center with Economic Indicator reports for quarters 3 and 4 of 2021, and the numbers tell a story of robust economic growth! A few highlights to note… Pinellas County’s labor force grew by nearly 8%over the same period last year At the end of 2021, Pinellas employment is estimated at half a millionUnemployment continued to decline in the last quarter of 2021 to just over 3% – a 6% decline from fall of 2020In quarter 4 of 2021, consumer gross sales spending moved up 12% over the same period last yearFall 2021 hotel occupancy rate of 64% increased over 30% from 4th quarter of 2020Lean Six Sigma Program from St. Petersburg CollegeSt. Petersburg College, Department of Engineering Technology, offers four 8-week, online, 3 college transferable credit courses each, in Lean Six Sigma and Quality Management, which can lead to a Certificate as a “Lean Six Sigma Expert”, an asset to employees as well as an aid to upskilling an organization’s workforce. The Lean Six Sigma program covers Concepts of Lean Six Sigma, Process Improvement Teamwork, Advanced Principles of Six Sigma and Lean Systems are designed to offer a comprehensive approach to quality management, continuous improvement, and achieving competitive excellence in today’s global market. Click here to learn more.News LinksNew research confirms Tampa Bay’s status as one the best U.S. cities for startups and entrepreneurs.Tampa Bay area unemployment claims down from this time last yearTampa Bay Area companies win awards at Startup of the Year SummitFlorida moves toward regaining lost jobsCounty commission Oks potential incentives for UK companyThe Aerospace Industry: Soaring AwayBlack women are embracing entrepreneurship at historic rates, and they mean businessSt. Pete’s Code-X forms partnership with Amazon Web ServicesOn-the-rise St. Pete tech firm rebrands, launches new productsStrong brew: Brothers bring disruptive, creative mindset to coffee startupJob Fairs Connect Employers with Job SeekersMillions in resiliency funds coming to St. Pete and Pinellas County www.PCED.org Pinellas County Economic Development | (727) 464-7332 | econdev@pinellascounty.org 13805 58 St. N., Suite 1-200 | Clearwater, FL 33760 |
| Pinellas County Economic Development 13805 58th Street N.Suite 1-200 Clearwater, FL 33760 |