| Recently Assisted
Expansions/Relocations |
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| Overview |
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| While
the headlines have been full of gloom and doom scenarios about the economy, a
host of diverse businesses providing higher-than-average-wage jobs has been
quietly expanding in Manatee County. Most serve global markets and either
create or use technology, thus demanding the knowledge workers who tend to
command a higher wage. Their diversity of industries and markets bodes well
for Manatee County’s long-term economic future. See sampling of companies
below. |
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| Companies
on the Move - 2010 |
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| Trinity Graphic USA |
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| American Finishing Inc. |
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| June
28, 2010 Trinity Graphics USA and American
Finishing Inc., two companies approved for incentive grants by the Manatee
County Commission on June 22, plan to add nearly 50 employees in the next
five years. |
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| Trinity
Graphics USA, which has been in the news for its relationship with the
Hillstrand brothers of the vessel Time Bandit from the Deadliest Catch
television show, recently began producing graphic inserts for Tervis Tumbler
Company, the Venice-based firm that makes insulated drinkware. Trinity
specializes in creating product labels and other specialty design and printed
products. “We’re printing 5,000 units
a day for Tervis, and they want us to ramp up to 8,000 as soon as possible,”
said Trinity owner Robert Smithson. “That means we need to buy more equipment
and increase staffing. We are planning to have a 24/7 shift system.” Trinity is expanding into an additional
6,500 square feet of a building that the company already owns and is
purchasing additional equipment for an estimated capital investment of nearly
$2 million, Smithson said. The company plans to add 23 new jobs over the next
five years. Commissioners approved up to $1,000 per job over five years for a
maximum of $23,000 in performance-based incentives for the company. |
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| American
Finishing Inc., a metal fabricating and powder coating business, is
purchasing two vacant buildings totaling 50,000 square feet to increase
production capacity and create 25 new jobs over the next five years. The
company will occupy one building immediately and lease the other until needed
for future expansion. The capital investment for the two buildings and the
required renovation is $1.5 million. Commissioners approved up to $1,000 per
job over five years for a maximum of $25,000 in performance-based incentives
for the company. |
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| “The
incentive grants provided by Manatee County Government, which the companies
only receive if they hire and retain employees at wages that exceed the
county average, were vital in helping these growing businesses expand and
hire in our community,” Basinger said.
“Expediting expansions by American Finishing and Trinity Graphics in
cooperation with the EDC exemplifies the ‘business friendly’ climate we want
to promote in Manatee County,” said Ed Hunzeker, Manatee County
administrator. “The Manatee Board of County Commissioners has made retaining
and growing good jobs one of its top priorities.” “The Manatee Economic Development Council
was wonderful in helping us with the grant application,” Smithson said. “EDC
staff explained all of the details about the county’s incentive program.” |
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| IMG
Academies |
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May
11, 2010
Manatee County’s economy continues to score new jobs as IMG Academies
plans to add 65 employees over the next three years with the help of local
incentives approved today by the Manatee Board of County Commissioners. IMG Academies – the world’s largest and
most advanced multi-sport training facility for athletic, academic and
personal development – will need the additional employees to staff new
programs, including the IMG Madden Football Academy, IMG Lacrosse Academy and
additional upcoming programs. IMG also plans to construct a 50,000 sq. ft.
dormitory in 2012, with a total of $25 million in capital investments on the
campus in the next five years, according to Chip McCarthy, director of
finance, planning and development at IMG Academies.
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| “To
continue serving as a world leader in athletic, academic and personal
development, we needed to strategically expand and enhance our facilities and
programs, while providing employees to staff new initiatives,” McCarthy said.
“This grant not only helps our growth and assists our efforts to provide a
significant economic impact, but confirms that Manatee County fully supports
its valued businesses and wants to ensure a bright future for the county’s
economy and workforce.” Sports
performance is a targeted industry in the EDC’s five-year strategy to bring
more jobs to Manatee County residents and create more wealth in the
community, Basinger said. The EDC helped facilitate IMG’s application for
county incentives. “IMG Academies is a
world-renowned sports performance destination for professional and amateur
athletes,” Basinger said. “In addition to the jobs IMG provides, the
academy’s students fuel the local economy through rental accommodations,
retail purchases and restaurant visits.” |
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| IMG
Academies has played a significant role in the area’s economy since opening
as a tennis-only establishment with a handful of students more than 30 years
ago. Since then, the Academy has expanded to seven sports, while attracting
more than 12,000 youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes from more
than 80 countries annually. Additional events like this summer’s 2010 High
School National Championships and yearly Eddie Herr International Junior
Tennis Championships will bring thousands more to the area. “Bringing good jobs to Manatee County
residents is vital to our community’s sustainability,” said Ed Hunzeker,
Manatee County administrator.
“Performance-based incentives for adding good jobs help us attract and
retain employers that our community wants and needs.” The county incentives included up to
$65,000 over five years, and IMG only receives funds as jobs are provided. Jobs
provided by the company must meet or exceed an annual average wage of
$38,619, which is 115 percent of the average wage in Manatee County. |
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| Oliphant Financial LLC |
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| Star2Star
Communications LLC |
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| February
9, 2010 Two companies that received
incentive grants from Manatee County Government today plan to add up to 210
employees in 2010, according to Eric Basinger, executive director of the
Economic Development Council (EDC), a division of the Manatee Chamber of
Commerce. Oliphant Financial LLC, a debt buyer and software provider to that
industry, plans to add 100 to 150 jobs in 2010 at the company’s new financial
services headquarters location in Manatee County. Star2Star Communications
LLC, which develops and provides business grade communications solutions via
the Internet, plans to add up to 60 new employees to support the company’s
sales growth. “The incentive grants
provided by Manatee County Government, which the companies only receive if
they hire and retain employees at wages that exceed the county average, were
vital in helping these growing businesses locate, expand and hire in our
community,” Basinger said. |
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| “Expediting
Oliphant Financial’s relocation and Star2Star’s expansion in cooperation with
the EDC exemplifies the ‘business friendly’ climate we want to promote in
Manatee County,” said Ed Hunzeker, Manatee County administrator. “Retaining
and growing good jobs now is a high priority in Manatee County.” |
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| The
grant for Oliphant is $133,000 that will be paid out over five years as the
company adds and retains employees. According to the grant agreement, the
company will add 133 new employees over five years for a total of 160
employees. The county also approved an $80,000 incentive grant for Star2Star
Communications, which plans to create 80 communications technology jobs over
the next five years. To qualify for the grants, the companies must provide an
average annual wage higher than the county average wage of $33,582. |
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| Oliphant
Financial moved 30 employees into a 20,000 sf building in Lakewood Ranch in
December 2009. Economic development organizations in Manatee and Sarasota
counties worked together to keep the company in the region when Oliphant
outgrew its downtown Sarasota location. The company needed more space and
wanted to be close to I-75 for access to the Tampa Bay region’s labor pool,
said Tom Noble, Oliphant’s Chief Operating Officer. The company buys debt
from various lenders and then seeks to collect from the borrowers. Oliphant
also has developed a debt buying and collection software application that the
company sells to other firms. |
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| “The
Manatee Economic Development Council worked closely with our counterparts in
Sarasota County and with Manatee County Government to make sure that Oliphant
and its new jobs remain in the region,” Basinger said. “Oliphant is in a
growth industry and provides higher wage jobs our community desperately
needs.” |
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| “Our new location will
allow us to accommodate our growth plans,” Noble said. “We expect to add 100
to 150 employees in the next year as we bring more of the previously
out-sourced debt-collection functions in house.” Employment candidates should
visit the company’s web site at
www.oliphantfinancial.com for information. |
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| Star2Star
moved to Manatee County in 2008 from a smaller location in downtown Sarasota.
A garage-based startup in 2004, the company developed its own software and
technology to provide high quality telephone solutions to businesses using
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). With its product and service proven, the
company in 2009 set up a national dealer organization to serve clients
nationwide, said Norm Worthington, Star2Star CEO. |
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| “Our South Manatee
County location allows us to draw employees from Port Charlotte to Tampa
Bay,” Worthington said. The company added 25 employees in the past two years
and has a total of 36 employees in Manatee County. Information about the
company is available at www.star2star.com. |
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| Ameritex
Fabric Systems |
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| January
6, 2010 The marriage of once fierce competitors in the marine
industry is spinning off a welcome benefit in Manatee County: new
manufacturing jobs with a green twist. Bradenton-based Ameritex Fabric
Systems, which became a division of the Taylor Made Group in 2009, will
supply canvas doors for Chrysler Group Global Electric Motorcars LLC,
according to Don Zirkelbach, Ameritex president. “Our relationship with Global Electric
Motorcars is part of our plan to diversify at least 25 percent of our
business beyond the marine industry,” said Zirkelbach, whose company has 58
employees and plans to add 10 to 20 manufacturing jobs in the next year. “The
combination of Taylor Made and Ameritex with our numerous patents opens up
tremendous opportunities.” |
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| The
global recession hit the marine industry hard, leading to job losses and
plant closures across the industry, including in Manatee County. The entire
industry “had to hit the reset button” and create new business models and
ways of doing business, Zirkelbach said. In the case of Ameritex and Taylor
Made, Ameritex moved into part of a Taylor Made facility and is focusing on
fabric-related products while Taylor Made will concentrate on windshield
design and manufacturing, he said. Taylor Made recently closed a fabric plant
in Georgia and integrated the operation into Ameritex in Bradenton, bringing
additional jobs to Manatee County. The
electric car industry is one diversity target for Ameritex. Global Electric Motorcars
makes six different models of battery-powered GEM cars primarily suited for
intra-city use. GEM cars are used by local, state and national government
agencies, resorts, master-planned communities, universities, medical and
corporate campuses, as well as by sports teams, taxi-shuttle services and
individual consumers. Ameritex is also looking at the resort, consumer,
recreational vehicle and golf cart industries. |
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| “The
Ameritex story exemplifies how companies in the marine industry are
restructuring to survive and thrive,” said Eric Basinger, executive director
of the Economic Development Council (EDC), a division of the Manatee Chamber
of Commerce. The EDC has assisted Ameritex over the years with employee
recruitment and facilities permitting. “The focus on diversifying into other
industries, in addition to marine products, is generating new jobs for local
residents.” |
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| Companies on the Move
- 2009 |
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| Trod
Medical |
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| December
14, 2009
Trod Medical S.A, a medical equipment manufacturer based in Paris,
France, opened its U.S. headquarters in the Lakewood Ranch area of Manatee
County in September. The Florida location will spearhead the company’s launch
of its FDA-approved surgical device in early summer 2010 focusing in areas of
urology, radiation oncology and interventional radiology according to Manfred
Sablowski, vice president and COO of Trod Medical US LLC. “The U.S. market is the largest market in
the world for our Encage™ surgical device,” said Sablowski, who is originally
from Frankfurt, Germany and now lives in Manatee County. “This area of
Florida has the infrastructure we need.” Dr. Andre Faure, who is the world
wide president and CEO of Trod Medical as well as a medical doctor and
inventor of the Encage™ device, founded the company in Europe in 2006. He
convinced Sablowski and Brook Peterson of Orlando, president and CEO of Trod
Medical US LLC, to join him in the Trod Medical venture. Sablowski and
Peterson each have more than 20 years of experience in the medical technology
field. They met while working at a Pfizer unit in the United States. |
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Sablowski
said that Trod is planning to hire distribution and office staff for the
Manatee County office and distribution facility by mid 2010 and will also
assemble a team of regional sales directors around the country. Trod expects
to hire several employees initially for the Manatee location, he said. “Manatee County is cultivating a cluster of
medical equipment designers and manufacturers, and Trod’s entry from its
European base is an exciting chapter in that story,” said Eric Basinger,
executive director of the Economic Development Council (EDC), a division of
the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. The EDC is assisting Trod with various
business resources to help the company ramp up quickly. “Trod’s arrival is
further evidence of Manatee County’s appeal to European businesses wanting to
expand into the U.S. market. We look forward to the day when Trod Medical’s
manufacturing operation also is located in our community.”
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| Trod’s
patented Encage™ device gained FDA approval in October 2008, Sablowski said.
The device is used to treat soft tissues involving the prostate, liver and
kidney. It uses radio frequency technology to heat diseased tissue and halt
its growth. The FDA approval was a key factor allowing the company to enter
the U.S. market and open a U.S. facility, he said. “There are so many medical equipment
manufacturers in Europe that would love to enter the US market, but they
don’t have the knowledge of how to go about getting FDA approval,” Sablowski
said. “It is a difficult process, but we believe it will be well worth the
effort because of the potential in the U.S. market.” |
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| Teltronics |
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| December
8, 2009 Teltronics
Inc. (OTCBB: TELT), which provides communications products and services,
relocated its headquarters to Gulf Coast Corporate Park in north Manatee
County. Teltronics designs, develops
and manufactures electronic equipment and applications software systems that
enhance the performance of communications networks. The new headquarters
facility includes 21,520 sq. ft. of office space and 30,000 sq. ft. of
manufacturing space. Manufacturing at the new facility is scheduled to begin
the first quarter of 2010. The company has 114 employees in Manatee County
and 188 worldwide, according to Ewen Cameron, Teltronics CEO. “Located near the I-75 and I-275
interchange, the new location will vastly improve company visibility and
attract personnel in the Tampa Bay, Sarasota/Bradenton and surrounding
areas,” Cameron said. “After 27 years at the previous location, we are
pleased to find an outstanding, new facility to proudly showcase our company
and products to worldwide clients, partners, potential business associates
and the community. At the same time, we are creating an environment that
reflects the future of our business.” |
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| “Part
of having a strong existing industry program is being able to assist
companies like Teltronics when they undertake a major effort, such as a
corporate move, which triggered the permitting assistance program,” Basinger
said. “If we are going to create a more diverse economy in Manatee County, we
must concentrate not only on attracting new targeted businesses, but also on
retention and expansion of our existing businesses, such as Teltronics.” “The Manatee Economic Development Council
helped make the move to Palmetto a smooth transition by serving as the
liaison between Teltronics and county personnel,” Cameron said. “The swift
decision to relocate would not have come to fruition had it not been for the
assistance of staff in the county’s building department and economic
development department. We are pleased to continue to call Manatee County
home to the Teltronics headquarters.” |
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| “Expediting
Teltronics’ relocation in cooperation with the EDC exemplified the ‘business
friendly’ climate we want to promote in Manatee County,” said Ed Hunzeker,
Manatee County administrator. “Retaining and growing good jobs in Manatee
County is a high priority.” |
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| DemanData
Systems |
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| November
17, 2009 DemanData Systems, a leader
in supply chain information technology for the healthcare industry, relocated
its corporate headquarters into a newly renovated building in the Gulf Coast
Corporate Park of Palmetto in Manatee County in October. DemanData employs
100 people in four states; 40 employees are located in Manatee County. “We appreciated having the opportunity to
work with DemanData Systems, a targeted information technology employer, on
this expansion,” said Eric Basinger, executive director of the Economic
Development Council (EDC), a division of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. The
EDC helped facilitate DemanData’s relocation from their facility in the
southern portion of Manatee County to their new location in the Gulf Coast
Corporate Park through the county's rapid response permitting program. |
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| “DemanData’s
relocation to Palmetto is a prime example of how county government and the
private sector can work together to bring more high-wage jobs to Manatee
County,” said Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker. “We are focused on
delivering the services that businesses need to locate and expand here, while
maintaining our community’s high standards for quality of life.” "The relationship between DemanData
Systems and the rapid response permitting team in Manatee County is a great
example of how a vision can be turned into reality, quickly and efficiently,”
said Maureen Donovan, the company’s vice president of marketing. “We are
looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the community here
in Manatee County.” |
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| Mustang Vacuum Systems LLC |
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| August
31, 2009 Mustang Vacuum Systems LLC will relocate and expand its
manufacturing operation in Manatee County where the company plans to add 125
jobs in the next two years at an annual average wage of more than $44,000.
“The Economic Development Council, Manatee Chamber of Commerce (EDC) was
pleased to help Mustang Vacuum Systems find the right location for the
company’s expansion,” said Eric Basinger, EDC executive director. “Mustang
was located in Sarasota County for four years, and in partnership with
Sarasota County, Manatee County government and the State of Florida, we were
able to keep this fine company – and its growing number of higher-wage jobs –
in the region.” “We are excited to be
relocating and expanding our manufacturing facility in Manatee County,” said
Richard Greenwell, president of Mustang Vacuum Systems LLC. “With the EDC’s
assistance, we were able to locate a facility and secure a grant from Manatee
County. This will reduce some costs of our technology project, which is
geared toward lowering the cost and increasing the efficiency of solar cells
so that clean, renewable solar energy can be a viable choice for everyone.” |
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| The
50,000-square-foot facility in Sarasota Commerce Center in South Manatee
County will allow Mustang to expand its production of thin-film solar
photovoltaic cell equipment, Greenwell said. With the goal of reducing solar
energy costs, the company has designed and built three types of machines to
meet the needs and specifications of solar cell manufacturers. Customers are
now looking for larger, higher volume machines, which will provide greater
performance and output, he said. Mustang’s expanded production capacity will
drive down the cost of solar energy for consumers by incorporating
technologies into solar cell production that will reduce costs as well as
increase efficiency of the cells, he added. |
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| Mustang Vacuum Systems LLC, an affiliate of Mustang Dynamometer,
manufactures vacuum coating and metalizing equipment, including sputtering
machines, optical coating units, and batch metalizers. The Mustang Group has
been in business over 25 years. Mustang Vacuum Systems currently employs 25
people at its Sarasota County location. The company will be operating in its
location in the South Manatee County by the end of 2009, Greenwell said, and
plans to increase its staff to 150 by the end of 2011. With assistance from
the EDC and consultant Ryan Inc., Mustang successfully applied for state and
local grants to facilitate the expansion. The grants will be expended based
on the company’s performance in creating the new jobs at the anticipated
salaries. |
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| Dulond Tool
& Engineering Inc. |
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July
13, 2009 High school and college marching bands across the United
States are hustling on and off competition fields more efficiently using
specialized carts created by Manatee County’s Dulond Tool & Engineering
Inc. The company, which moved into a new 13,000-square-foot facility in June,
has sold its patented LoadMaestro carts to schools from Alabama to Texas and
from the Carolinas to Michigan.
"We originally designed the LoadMaestro cart to help the Lakewood
Ranch High School marching band get its equipment on and off the field more
efficiently for competitions,” said Jeff Benson, Dulond Tool &
Engineering president and owner. “Now we’re looking at LoadMaestro products
to account for up to 20 percent of sales within the next few years.”
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Dulond’s
business, which is primarily focused in machining and assembly, has
traditionally come from the aviation, aerospace, computer chip and marine
industries. The company has 13 employees and has signed with a distributor in
Chicago to market the band carts. In addition, Benson said the company hopes
to be part of a security-related project that could stimulate hiring in
2009-2010. The new building allowed Dulond to move out of leased space and is
adjacent to a building the company already owns. “Dulond Tool & Engineering is an
example of the product innovation and market diversification that is helping
Manatee County companies grow in today’s marketplace,” said Eric Basinger,
executive director of the Economic Development Council, Manatee Chamber of
Commerce (EDC), which assisted Dulond’s expansion through the EDC rapid
response permitting program. “Benson and his team saw an opportunity and went
for it. The EDC is proud to have played a part in helping Dulond expand its
footprint in Manatee County.”
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| Kopco
Graphics |
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| May
21, 2009 Kopco Graphics, which
specializes in flexographic printing of pressure sensitive labels, stickers
and food-grade labels -- has tripled its Manatee County footprint in a 12,000
sq. ft. facility to accommodate more equipment and expanded services for
global brands. The Fairfield,
Ohio-based company expanded into Manatee County in 2003 with the purchase of
a Bradenton printing business. Kopco Operations Manager Shane Barrett said
the company expects to continue growing through stronger Internet marketing
and internal sales. He plans to add up to three employees in 2009 in
production and customer service. “Our
business is strongly focused in food and nutritional supplements. Despite the
slow economy, people are still eating and taking their vitamins,” Barrett
said. “Sales revenues were up 25 percent in 2008 over the previous year, and
we are achieving a 17-percent growth rate so far this year. We hope to
outgrow our new facility within five years. When that happens, we’ll stay in
Manatee County.” |
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| In
March 2009, Kopco received the Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence,
which recognizes excellence in business management measured by growth
and profitability ratios established by the Tag and Label Manufacturers
Institute. Kopco also received the institute’s top award in technical
achievement for a hang tag label created for a popular water product. |
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| Healthy
Chocolate Florida LLC |
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| April
23, 2009 A company that hopes to revolutionize the chocolate business is
gearing up a new, 6,000 sq. ft. research laboratory and manufacturing
facility in Manatee County. Healthy Chocolate Florida LLC founder Aharon
Friedman, Ph.D., said that pending government inspections, the company’s
management team will begin testing the manufacturing line in April and
production will ramp up in May. “We
are eager to start production using our patent-pending process to create a
high-quality, sugar-free chocolate that includes natural ingredients to help
people control blood sugar levels and reduce hunger,” said Friedman, who
expects to add seven production employees by the end of May for a total of 12
full-time and two part-time employees. “We have been able to finish out and
move into our facility faster than I expected by being part of Manatee
County’s Rapid Response permitting program facilitated by the EDC. We
completed our permitting in record time. |
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| “We
use all organic materials as we are able to get them, including using Xylitol
harvested from organic trees,” Friedman said. “And by the end of 2009, we
expect to be using most of the organic cocoa grown in the world. We are
talking with people in two South American countries about increasing their
organic cocoa production.” |
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| Veethree
Electronics and Marine LLC |
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| April
1, 2009 Illinois-based Veethree
Electronics and Marine LLC, OEM supplier of mechanical and electronic
instrumentation, has located its global engineering headquarters in Manatee
County through the combined effort of economic development organizations in
Manatee and Sarasota counties and Manatee County Government. Veethree, which
acquired the assets of the Gauge Division of Teleflex Inc. that is closing
operations in Lakewood Ranch, also hired more than 50 people whose jobs would
have been lost when Teleflex closed.
The EDC and the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County
collaborated to find the right location for Veethree in the region. The
company qualified for Manatee County’s Rapid Response Permitting program to
help it get up and running more quickly. In March, Manatee County
Commissioners a resolution that would allow Veethree to qualify for up to
$60,000 of tax incentives based upon the number and wage of jobs
created. Veethree will manufacture the
existing Teleflex product line serving the marine and industrial markets in
its 35,000-sq.-ft. Manatee County facility, which will be the company’s
global engineering headquarters. |
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| Founded
in 1976, Veethree has a worldwide presence as an OEM, defense and aftermarket
supplier of instrumentation, clusters, sensors and switches. "We are very pleased to have the
opportunity to continue the great traditions of superior quality and styling
that Teleflex has brought to the instrumentation industry for the last 40
years," said Shekhar Tewatia, vice president of Veethree. "This
acquisition gives us a chance to enter the marine industry and consolidate
Veethree's position in the industrial segment. We are also very fortunate
that many members of the Teleflex team have decided to join us. We are most
appreciative of the assistance we received locally from economic development
organizations and Manatee County Government." |
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| Trinity
Manufacturing |
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| March
31, 2009 Trinity Manufacturing
Corporation announced that it has relocated and expanded its manufacturing
operations in Bradenton. Trinity
Manufacturing President Jim Fitch stated, “By moving into our new 18,000
square foot facility, Trinity Manufacturing has doubled its manufacturing
capacity. Since we began operations in
January 2004, we have realized outstanding growth in customers and
sales. Our new facility supports our
plans for continued growth. We are
pleased that our new facility, located in Saunders Industrial Park, is close
to our previous operation which has minimized the disruption to our
operations, customers and suppliers.”
Trinity Manufacturing employs 26 people and is a contract manufacturer
of cable assemblies, wiring harnesses, and electrical panel and box
assemblies for original equipment manufacturers (OEM), distributors and
contractors serving a wide variety of industries, including defense,
aerospace, medical equipment, emergency service vehicles, commercial
construction, and others. |
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| Steelgate,
Inc. |
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| March
9, 2009 A Manatee County company that
provides storage and inventory management of biomedical specimens for medical
research, has opened an office in Belgium and relocated two employees to
expand business in Europe. Steelgate will replace the two employees in
Manatee County and plans to add two more positions by mid-year, said Kate
Grayson, Steelgate’s president and CEO. Since late 2008, the company hired a
global director of sales and marketing and promoted the company’s facility
manager to director of operations and the facility supervisor to facility
manager. “Our expansion, hiring and internal promotions are results of the
growing demand for our services in storing and managing inventories of
biomedical specimens,” Grayson said. “Europe is a significant research market
with Belgium being at the crossroads and in a growth mode. Steelgate has
provided services in the United States to its European clients, but being in
Europe will help reduce the cost of international shipping and open up
business development opportunities in Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands and
the United Kingdom.” |
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| “Steelgate’s
growth since relocating from New York to Manatee County in 2004 is an
encouraging sign for the potential of the biomedical industry in our region,”
Engel said. “The company’s European expansion invites new possibilities for
focusing the spotlight on Manatee County as a viable home for biomedical
businesses.” The EDC recently
facilitated an international trade grant of $1,750 to help Steelgate attend a
leading life sciences conference in Europe that unites more than 500
companies from 20 nations, Engel said. |
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| Sleek Audio |
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| March
9, 2009 While many businesses are
suffering layoffs and slower sales, Sleek Audio in Manatee County expects to
triple sales over 2008 and plans to create an additional 15 positions in the
next year. Sleek Audio makes in-ear
earphones that allow music lovers to hear with unprecedented quality, said
Jason Krywko, chief operating officer. |
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| The
company performs almost all of its manufacturing at its Palmetto location, he
said, and is seeking to move the last of its manufacturing operations to
Manatee County from China. “We’re
looking for injection molding partners in the local area to work with us,” he
said. “We believe in keeping the product as American-made as possible. We
collaborated on the original design of our SA6 ‘in-ear earphone’ with a local
firm, ROBRADY design, and wrote our initial business plan with the help of a
University of South Florida professor.”
Sleek Audio spun off from Krywko’s parents’ business, Eartech Hearing
Aids, which was formed in Manatee County 30 years ago. Sleek Audio’s
patent-pending technology started as an experiment combining a custom ear
mold with a hearing aid speaker to reduce airplane noise on a flight Krywko’s
parents were taking. Last year, Sleek Audio launched the SA6 to rave industry
reviews, winning the Popular Science “Best of What’s New” award for 2008.
Krywko says he has seen no indication that the global recession is affecting
sales. The company sells its products worldwide, and international sales
outpace domestic orders. |
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| Companies on the Move
- 2008 |
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| Quasar
Bio-tech Inc. |
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Quasar
Bio-tech Inc., which produces light therapy devices for use by medical
professionals and consumers, is planning to move its manufacturing to Manatee
County and add up to 24 employees in 2009.
“We anticipate triple-digit growth to continue with the introduction
of new technology in the first half of 2009,” said Peter Nesbitt, Quasar
Bio-tech president. “To facilitate our market expansion, we plan to bring
manufacturing in-house and staff up accordingly.” Quasar Bio-Tech relocated from Valley
Forge, PA in August to 2,500 sq. ft. of leased space in South Manatee County.
The cost of doing business and workforce availability were key factors in the
company’s decision to locate in Manatee County, Nesbitt said. Quasar Bio-Tech
currently has six employees and uses a vendor in Texas for
manufacturing. The company is seeking
local suppliers, such as printed circuit board makers, to facilitate its
expansion In Manatee. In 2001, Quasar
Bio-tech began marketing red and infrared light therapy devices to
professionals for medical and cosmetic use.
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| In
2007, the company introduced photo rejuvenation devices to the consumer
marketplace and continues to be the only brand that uses professional,
medical grade technology, Nesbitt said. The company’s two best-selling
consumer products are the Baby Quasar for photo rejuvenation and the Baby
Blue for treating acne. The products are sold on-line and at retailers like
Dillard’s. Nesbitt plans to expand into international markets in 2010. |
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| Exactech |
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| Gainesville,
Fla.-based Exactech (Nasdaq: EXAC) is establishing a new facility in south
Manatee County to manufacture surgical instruments used to implant the
company’s joint replacement devices.
The 13,000-square-foot facility, located at 7455 16th St. E, is
scheduled to begin operations in December. Exactech expects to hire 12
employees during the initial start-up phase of its manufacturing and support
operations. The company’s Gainesville, Fla., headquarters currently designs
and manufactures orthopaedic devices that are used by surgeons in more than
30 countries around the world. According to Exactech Vice President of
Operations John Pelc, “The decision to begin producing our own instruments,
which have previously been outsourced, will allow Exactech to maintain a high
level of customer responsiveness and flexibility. We chose Manatee County for
its business-friendly approach to attracting new, high-tech businesses, as
well as its proximity to large population bases from which to draw skilled
employees.” |
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| Orbeco-Hellige |
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| A
Long Island manufacturer of instruments for testing water and wastewater is
relocating to Manatee County. The EDC
assisted Orbeco-Hellige Inc. with its plans to relocate from New York and
hire at least eight employees locally at a 15,000-square-foot facility the
company purchased in Parkland Center.
Orbeco-Hellige is relocating to Florida primarily to reduce expenses
on facilities and taxes, said President Brad Martell, who already lives in
Bradenton. Martell plans to begin operations at the Manatee County facility
this fall. |
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| Companies on the Move
- 2007 |
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| Gyrocam
Systems |
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| Gyrocam
Systems which designs and manufactures precision gyrostabilized camera
systems for law enforcement, security and military applications, expanded
into a 25,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and has created 20-30 new
jobs. The company’s revenues have grown from $5 million to $230 million in
the past 18 months, and Gyrocam is on the verge of closing a new defense
contract valued at $300 million. The company’s camera systems, originally
designed to be deployed on aircraft, are in high demand in Iraq and
Afghanistan where they are mounted on masts on top of military vehicles. The
cameras can identify up to 70% of roadside bombs (IEDs) and other potential
hazards in advance of a vehicle’s progress. Gyrocam has 104 employees at a
facility near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Manatee
County. |
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| Beacon Products
Inc. |
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| Beacon
Productions, Inc. which moved into a new 50,000-sq.-ft. facility in Manatee
County in late 2007, designs and manufactures environmentally friendly LED
lighting, which company President Michael Imparato expects to boost revenues
by 50 percent in the next two years. Beacon is working with developers and
municipalities to use LED for new installations and retrofit higher wattage,
less efficient lights. The environmental benefit of moving to LED lighting
sources could be significant. According to Imparato, a recent proposal
submitted by the company to the City of Aspen estimates Beacon’s LED product
could reduce carbon emissions in the city by 3.5 million pounds. Beacon’s
technology innovation: designing special optical components that beam a
reflection of the LED’s lamps, rather than the lamps being exposed to the
eye. The patented system reduces glare and is better for night vision. |
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| Pierce
Manufacturing |
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| Pierce
Manufacturing, Bradenton Division will continue to expand its production of
Medtec ambulances with the addition of the All Duty Type I vehicles. Pierce, Bradenton currently builds all of
the Medtec brand Type II ambulances which are based on the Ford E-350 Van
chassis. The All Duty Type I
ambulances are the largest and most complex ambulances and are typically
built on a medium duty International, Freightliner or GMC chassis. The move of this product to Florida opens
capacity for the Goshen, IN based Medtec facility to expand its current
production rate and support new product offerings. This product line as well
as the Type II line and other organic growth will result in a net increase of
approximately 140 new jobs in the Bradenton area over the next two years.
Medtec Corporation and Pierce Manufacturing are wholly owned subsidiaries of
Oshkosh Truck Corporation. In addition
to the approximate 140 new jobs, Pierce will be investing up to $1.2 million
in equipment, tooling, and facility retrofitting. |
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| The Elite Group (Arrow Fence) |
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| The Elite Group (Arrow
Fence) expanded into a 106,000 sq.
ft. building, resulting in 50 new
jobs. |
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| Companies on the Move
- 2006 |
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| Eastern Portland Cement |
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| Eastern
Portland Cement, a leader in storage and distribution of cement and aggregate
expanded its facility at Port Manatee. The expansion includes a new aggregate
terminal, two cement silos, a ship un-loader and a bagging facility. The
aggregate portion is350,000 square feet and the cement portion of the new
facility is 28,000 square feet. The 378,000 square foot facility has an
estimated capital investment of $28,000,000.
Twenty-three new jobs will be created when the facility is complete.
This is a Rapid Response Team project. |
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| C & H
Baseball |
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| In
1968, C & H Welding & Metals was contracted to manufacture the first
aluminum portable batting cage based on a design from the hitting coach for
the Pittsburgh Pirates. For 38 years, C & H Baseball has adapted,
modified, manufactured and distributed portable batting cages and aluminum
field equipment throughout the country. In 1992, C & H Welding became C
& H Baseball. They have become the
industry leader in new stadium construction netting and field equipment and
are known in the industry for being a one-stop-shop for supplying and
installing field wall padding, windscreen, barrier nets, batting tunnels and
artificial turf. Due to increased business C& H Baseball is in the
process of expanding. They are having a 16,000 square foot facility built in
Lakewood Ranch. The estimated capital investment is $1,500,000. This
expansion will create three new jobs and is a Rapid Response Program project. |
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| Beall's
Inc. |
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| Beall’s,
Inc. announced in 2006 the acquisition from Tropicana of the four-story,
149,000 sq. ft. Rossi Office Building.
Due to its expansion over the past several years, Beall’s outgrew its
current office facility and had been exploring a number of options. “We are
indeed fortunate that a facility of this caliber, within such close proximity
to our current headquarters, was available. This acquisition will enable us
to meet our office growth needs for many years to come,” said Steve Knopik,
CEO, Beall’s, Inc. The office building, which was constructed in 2002, will
house the corporate operations for Beall's Outlet Stores, Inc., as well as
several divisions of its parent company Beall’s, Inc. |
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| The
Company plans to fully occupy the building by the end of 2007. Beall’s
officials have renamed the building the E. R. Beall Center, as a tribute to
the founder’s son, who was responsible for the Company’s tremendous success
and growth during the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. Beall's, Inc. is the parent company of
Beall's Department Stores, Inc., Beall's Outlet Stores, Inc., and Burke's
Outlet Stores, Inc. The corporation,
through its subsidiaries, operates over 560 retail stores in states across
the “sun belt”, from Florida to California with annual sales of over $1
billion. This expansion will help create 140 new jobs. This is a Rapid
Response Team project. |
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| WSI
of the Southeast, LLC |
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| Greeen
WSI Terminal, LLC, AKA Green Reefers (Refrigeration), a specialist logistics
provider for chilled and frozen products, operates 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. They offer door-to-door service of their clients’ products by using
ocean transport, terminal handling/storage, as well as inland transport and
distribution. They handle almost any type of cargo - from citrus fruit and
frozen fish, to oversized equipment and agricultural machinery.
Theirspecialized reeferoperation has been developed to handle the smallest
parcels, as well as the larger volumes.
Due to increased business, they expanded their facility at Port
Manatee. Their building a 362,000
square foot refrigerated warehouse with an estimated capital investment of
$20,000,000. This expansion is
expected to create six new jobs and is a Rapid Response Team project. |
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| Tropicana
Products |
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| Tropicana
Products, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., is adding a new 28,000 sq. ft.
high-speed production line, which is the centerpiece of operations for the
nation’s leading not-from-concentrate chilled orange juice maker. This new
manufacturing facility has an estimated capital investment of
$38,000,000. Tropicana is North
America’s largest juice manufacturer and has earned more than a 40 percent
share of the orange juice market with its leading Tropicana Pure Premium
brand. |
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| The
additional production line will increase capability to support Tropicana’s
growth and roll out of Tropicana Pure, a new line of 100 percent fruit juice
blends, the company launched in August. Tropicana is the first leading brand
to enter the super premium juice category, one of the fastest growing
categories in the produce section.
“These facility developments will better equip us to meet the growing
demand for our premium juices moving forward,” said Mike Haycock, vice
president of operations, Tropicana Products, Inc. “As we get closer to completing the new
line, we will be better able to determine if and exactly how many new jobs
will be created,” said Haycock. |
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| The
new line will be located on Tropicana’s existing 280-acre plus campus. “We’re delighted Tropicana remains
committed to expanding their presence here in Bradenton and Manatee County,”
said Gwen Brown, Manatee County Commissioner. Tropicana Products, Inc. is the
community’s second largest private employer with approximately 1,600
employees. This is a Rapid Response Team project. |
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| MadahCom (purchased by Cooper Notification in 2008) |
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| MadahCom,
a manufacturer of digital wireless public warning and mass notification
systems, held an open house at their new 19,000 sq. ft. Manatee County
facility in October 2005. The company
has grown by an average of 100% a year since 2002. In 2004, the privately held company
generated more than $7 million in revenue, up from $3.5 million in 2003, and
expects to top $15 million in revenue in 2005. |
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| The
company, which was launched in 1994 with three people in New York and Israel,
has more than 150 installations of its WAVES (Wireless Audio Visual Emergency
System) systems. WAVES provides
anti-terrorism protection for U.S. troops in the Middle East and other
locations around the world. It is used
in war zones to initiate localized warnings to areas within the predicted
insurgent attack area. This warning
enables troops in the hazard area to immediately seek shelter, minimizing
casualties. For the U.S. Army,
MadahCom specifically created its portable product called TACWAVES (Tactical
Wireless Audio Visual Emergency System), which helps save soldiers lives in
the Middle East by warning them within seconds prior to insurgent
attacks. |
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| In
Iraq, the military uses TACWAVES and WAVES for anti-terrorism force
protection. Reuben Ben-Aire, an
Armenian native who served 22 years in the Israeli Air Force, is the
President and CEO of MadahCom. He
joined the company in 2001. In June
2002, MadahCom closed its offices in Israel and New York and consolidated
operations in Sarasota, mainly because Ben-Aire had a winter home in the
area. “After 9/11, the understanding
of the risk of terrorism had suddenly sunk in. Add to that the fact that we went to war
with Iraq and suddenly it opened new territories that were not there,” says
Ben-Aire. Business continued to grow,
and in 2004, the company began the process of looking for a larger
facility. |
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| The
Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County worked with the Economic
Development Council/Manatee Chamber of Commerce to find a new home for
MadahCom in south Manatee County, where they have a staff of approximately 70
people. The next step for the company
is to penetrate more of the non-military market. Said Ben-Aire, “The need for our system is
everywhere. Everywhere where there are
people that need to be managed in case of an emergency.” |
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| Jupiter
Marine International, Inc. |
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| In
late 2005, Jupiter Marine International, Inc., a powerboat manufacturing
company from Fort Lauderdale, announced their intention to expand operations
in Palmetto, Florida. The company’s
initial investment of $1.5 million in a 54,000 s.f. facility in North Manatee
County will bring approximately 75 jobs over a period of 12 months. The Economic Development Council received a
marketing reply card, that was placed in targeted tourist magazines, from
company president, Carl Herndon requesting information on relocating a
business, in May, 2004. The niche
manufacturer of center console models varying in size from 27’ to 38’ with
price tags ranging from $98,000 to $210,000 was looking at sites in Florida,
Georgia and North Carolina. |
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| Through
the cooperative efforts of the Palmetto CRA, the City of Palmetto, and the
EDC, the company decision makers chose a site off U.S. 301 near Haben
Blvd. “We had no strong feelings about
exactly where we wanted to be, but in doing our research, we found out the
City of Palmetto is very growth- and business-oriented,” Herndon said. “That meant a lot.” Jupiter commenced operations at the
Palmetto facility in April 2006. |
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| The
company is now manufacturing its new 29’ Forward Seating Center Console model
and the 31’ Open and Cuddy Cabin models in Palmetto. Other models will remain in production at
the Fort Lauderdale facility. Mr.
Herndon stated, “One of our primary goals over the past three years has been
to increase our production capability to accommodate higher volume. We are currently operating at near-full
capacity at our Fort Lauderdale facilities, and we expect that the company’s
expansion to Palmetto could potentially double the number of boats we
manufacture. |
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| In
addition, Jupiter now has manufacturing facilities strategically placed on
both coasts of Florida. We feel that
the Palmetto facility will greatly enhance our position in a highly
competitive marketplace, and be instrumental to the Company’s growth in the
coming years.” With over 35 years of
boat building experience, the Jupiter team is committed to building the
finest, most technologically advanced offshore sport fishing boats available
today. Every Jupiter boat is
individually built to the exact specifications of the sportsman who demands
the very best in offshore performance, style and reliability. |
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| Invisa |
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| In
March, 2005, the Economic Development Council announced that Invisa, Inc., an
industry leader in innovative presence sensing solutions for safety and
security applications, relocated to Manatee County. Stephen Michael, Acting President of Invisa
stated, “The EDC and the Rapid Response Permitting Team helped us to meet our
critical timelines for the move into our new 5500 square foot space at
Airport Business Center.” “In addition
to finding a facility suitable for our build-out and timeline, we are
especially pleased with the ‘central’ location,” said Edward King, Chief
Financial Officer. “Airport Business Center is well located considering that
our employees commute from as far north as Palm Harbor in Pinellas County,
from the west on Bradenton Beach, Manatee County east of I-75, as well as
Sarasota County.” |
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| Established
in 1998, Invisa has ten employees and plans to grow as its patented safety
and security solutions gain momentum.
InvisaShield™ enabled devices create an invisible zone of detection at
the leading edges of powered closures (such as gates and garage doors),
making them safer. A zone of detection
around monitored objects (such as museum exhibits and displays) makes them
more secure. “There are some very
exciting applications we’re working on. We’ve really just begun exploring the
potential of this technology,” said Carl Parks, Invisa’s VP of Operations. |
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| Haemacure
Corporation |
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| The
Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund and a strong working relationship with
the EDC Sarasota County led to a decision by Haemacure Corporation officials
to locate their manufacturing facility, U.S.
offices and R&D labs on Tallevast Road in Manatee County. This
location will eventually function as the company’s worldwide
headquarters. Specializing in the
development of innovative biological adhesives, biomaterials, and surgical
devices, Haemacure’s expansion will create 51 new high-value jobs at an
average annual wage of $65,000 and make initial capital investments totaling
more than $10.8 million in facility renovation and manufacturing equipment. Haemacure President and CEO, Marc Paquin,
states, “After considering Canada, North Carolina and Virginia, we came to
the conclusion that Manatee County offered the infrastructure, and more
importantly, support from local and state officials that will play a vital
role in our success.” He continues, “Receiving the QTI incentive from the
state was another key factor in our decision.” |
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| In addition to the QTI, Haemacure qualified
for Rapid Response Permitting assistance, a county program that assists
value-added companies in meeting their critical timelines. The facility will be located in a building
adjacent to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The building is approximately 50,000 square
feet, of which 40,000 square feet will be used for production, including a
7,000 square foot modular clean room, mechanical rooms, storage and shipping,
and the balance for offices and laboratories.
Over the next few years, the cost of operating Haemacure is estimated
at $25 million. |
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| Approximately
$10 million is related to facility design, construction and the purchase and
validation of manufacturing equipment. The cost of producing clinical
material, including plasma, supplies and all other consumables, and of
commissioning the facility, is projected at $1.4 million. The cost of clinical trials is projected at
$3.2 million. The remaining $10.4
million will be required for operations. The facility will have a capacity to
process 75,000 liters of plasma per year, with a potential of generating up
to $200 million in revenues annually. |
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| GE Security (Purchsed by UTC Fire & Security in 2009) |
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| The
relocation of GE Security’s world headquarters from Austin, TX to Manatee
County was a huge accomplishment for the EDC in 2005. In March 2005, GE Security purchased
Edwards Systems Technology, a fire detection systems business with an
operation in Manatee County. GE’s
Security headquarters now occupies the former Edwards Systems Technology
building located in Lakewood Ranch. GE Security’s robust product offering is
designed to help protect people, assets and communities. The company has
operations in more than 35 countries and is represented by some of the
best-known brand names for intrusion and fire detection, access and building
control, video surveillance, explosives and drug detection, key management
and structured wiring. |
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| A
subsidiary of General Electric, with operations in more than 35 countries, GE
Security’s new location in Bradenton has resulted in the creation of 70
high-wage jobs in addition to the 150 employees currently at their newly
acquired business unit, Edwards Systems Technology. The initial capital investment is over $6
million in equipment, relocation and worker recruitment. According to a relocation impact analysis
of this project, the gross county product is estimated to be $9.8
million. In addition to the QTI
program (20% of which comes from County funds) and the Closing Fund, Manatee
County added a $140,000 QTI Bonus incentive contingent on the approval of the
Closing Fund. |
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| Beall's
Inc. |
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| Beall’s
Inc., founded and headquartered in Manatee County, has been in a growth mode
with over 375 retail stores across the Sunbelt from Florida to
California. To improve efficiency and
accommodate their continued growth, Beall’s needed to consolidate their
distribution centers. Timing was critical for these projects, so the Rapid
Response Permitting Team was put into action for the new $25 million, 150,000
square foot automated distribution center. |
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| Lake Erie College of Medicine |
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| Lake
Erie College of Medicine has announced that they will build a 15-acre branch
campus of their Pennsylvania osteopathic college. Planned for a September 2004 opening, the
95,000 square foot facility will have at least 80 employees and a capital
investment of $20 million. The college is expected to generate a multimillion
annual economic impact on the area. This is only the second osteopathic
training facility in Florida. |
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| SYSCO Food
Services - West Cost Florida |
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| After
an extensive site search process for a location for their new West Coast of
Florida Operating Center, SYSCO Food Services chose a location in the Gulf
Coast Corporate Park in north Manatee County with the understanding that they
must be in their 200,000square foot food distribution center in less than
nine months. The Rapid Response
Permitting Team went to work and was able to issue approvals for site plans,
constructions plans, and construction permits in 47 days. The company moved
in on time and has followed up with two more expansions. They also received
two Quick Response Training grants, one for the initial expansion in the
amount of approximately $500,000 and a second one for nearly $125,000. |
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| Edwards
Systems Technology (Purchased by GE
Security in 2005) |
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| Edwards
Systems Technology, a world leader in innovative fire alarm and life safety
systems solutions for commercial and industrial applications, has announced
plans to relocate the corporate offices in Manatee County to a new, two-story
109,000 sq. ft. building in Lakewood Ranch. The Manatee County office is the
center for all of their product research and design functions including
engineering, testing, technical support, and documentation, as well as being
home to their marketing and training centers. |
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| Chris-Craft |
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| When
Chris-Craft decided that they would begin manufacturing high-end classic,
yachts for worldwide distribution, they hired a consulting company to help
make the decision on where to locate.
After looking at other sites in the southeast, they decided on
expanding their facility in Manatee County. To assist with this expansion,
the EDC helped Chris-Craft obtain a $600,000 QTI (Qualified Target Industry
Tax Refund) through Enterprise Florida to be paid out over four years. This
project will result in $13 million in capital investment and 200 total jobs. |
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