| June 2022 View as Webpage |
| Prepare Now for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1 and we want all Pinellas County businesses to be ready! Before a storm approaches: Pinellas County’s Emergency Management department updated evacuation zones for the 2022 hurricane season based on the latest storm surge data models from the National Hurricane Center and more accurate elevation data from the County. Be sure to check you business’s zone at storm.pinellascounty.org, and encourage your employees to check their zones, too. Develop or refresh a Business Continuity Plan. Need help? Visit PCED.org/consulting to set up an appointment with our staff. Sign up for Pinellas County emergency notifications through ALERT Pinellas. Visit PCED.org/hurricane for more tips & tools to help your business. |
| Export Sales Mission to Panama, September 12 – 15 Global Tampa Bay will join Enterprise Florida in Panama, introducing Tampa Bay companies to export opportunities with the Hub of the Americas. Panama is one of the world’s most connected countries due to the Panama Canal having ports on both the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Panama’s American dollar-based economy, low inflation and zero foreign exchange risk, make the country an attractive place for investment by U.S. companies. Participants are limited. Contact Brent Barkway at bbarkway@pinellascounty.org or (727) 464-7332 to learn more and register. |
| New on PCED.org: April Labor Report & 2022 Economic Profile |
| Pinellas County’s April 2022 unemployment rate set a new record at 2.1%. The last record low was 2.2% back in April 2006. The new rate represents a 4.2% increase in the labor force over the past year, and the Tampa Bay MSA had the highest annual job growth compared to all other metro areas in the state in the sectors of financial activities, construction, and manufacturing. Click here to view the full April Labor Report. |
The Pinellas County Economic Profile is your guide to the changing demographics, industry and economic data of our dynamic community. Each year, Pinellas County Economic Development publishes this collection of data to ensure that entrepreneurs, businesses, developers, site selectors, and financial institutions have a full picture of the evolving economy and workforce as well as the factors that con tribute and influence changes to Pinellas County’s economic health. Click here to open the full report. |
FEDC Annual Conference The Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) Annual Conference was held in the City of St. Petersburg this year and featured ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood as Guest Speaker. Our Pinellas County team was heavily involved in the planning of this year’s event, and was joined by Pinellas County Commissioners Kathleen Peters, Janet Long, Pat Gerard, and Dave Eggers.Please join us in congratulating Suzanne Christman, Director of Business Development here at Pinellas County Economic Development, who was named 2022 Chair of FEDC at the Conference. FEDC is a membership-based not-for-profit (501c6) corporation that educates and informs business and government leaders about key economic development issues and initiatives. FEDC is Florida’s primary resource for economic development related policy development, education and networking. |
Detail Depot and Caldwell Management Solutions find success with Pinellas PTAC assistance Douglas Martyn, owner of Detail Depot in Clearwater, was confident in the service part of his business, but found he needed help structuring the business in terms of budgeting, advertising, and other areas. He reached out to the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Pinellas County Economic Development in 2013 and has been working with Procurement Analyst Yolanda Cowart ever since. “My business has grown significantly since working with PTAC of Pinellas County. They’ve really given me the tools and everything I need to grow this business, hire more employees, and really just grow within the community.” – Douglas Martyn, Owner of Detail Depot in Clearwater Click here to read the full story.  Dr. Loretta Caldwell Thompson was confident in her skill and her company’s mission, but several years ago, she decided to change locations, making it harder to branch out without a connection to her new community of St. Petersburg. Thompson partnered with the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Pinellas County Economic Development in hopes of networking with other organizations and to learn the landscape of St. Petersburg.“They have introduced me to other people here in St. Petersburg who can have an impact on my company. They have also helped me to become an influencer, so that the skills and the talents that I bring, and my company brings, to St. Pete are well known among other agencies that I want to impact. So to begin, they were the crucial element that connected me to my new home in St. Petersburg.” – Dr. Loretta Caldwell, Founder of Caldwell Management Solutions in St. Petersburg. Click here to read the full story.Visit us at PCED.org to learn how we can help your business find success in Pinellas! |
Discover Global Markets: The Blue Economy September 20 – 22, 2022 Discover Global Markets business development forum is the U.S. Department of Commerce’s flagship event series for U.S. exporters. The forum features a dynamic mix of plenary sessions, topical round-tables, prescheduled one-on-one meetings with U.S. commercial diplomats, buyers and ministry officials from key markets around the globe, and plenty of networking.Learn more and register at https://www.trade.gov/discover-global-markets. |
Kennedy Space Center Virtual Outreach: Federal Contracting and HUBZones: Benefits and Updates The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program allows federal contract set-asides for small businesses in economically depressed communities. Join this virtual event to receive an overview of recent HUBZone changes from the SBA, hear the state of NASA Small Business, and get some insights on working with NASA from a HUBZone-certified small business.June 7, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Click here to register. |