A Note From the President & CEO |
Dear Board Members, Investors, Community Partners, and Friends,
Happy New Year! It is with great anticipation we have awaited the arrival of 2024, and it is finally here. At the EDC, we are looking forward to an eventful and exciting year.
On Tuesday, January 30th, our team will present our Fiscal Year 2023 report to the Board of County Commissioners. It is an honor to represent our Board of Directors, Investors and team during the report. If you are interested in viewing it, you will be able to see the agenda and watch the meeting by clicking here.
Save the date! The EDC's 2024 Economic Outlook will take place on Thursday, May 16th at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Attendees will hear about local, regional, and state-wide economic trends to help business leaders plan for the upcoming year.
We are excited that our esteemed panel will include International Economic Development Council (IEDC) President & CEO, Nathan Ohle. The IEDC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization serving economic developers, with more than 4,500 members globally. It is the largest organization of its kind. Nathan will speak to the innovations of economic development happening across the world. For more event details, you can check out the event page by clicking here.
In closing, EDC Investors, we look forward to seeing you next Thursday, January 18th at Transforming the Community for Tomorrow: highlighting Mote SEA, Center Point at Waterside and the Legacy Trail. This event requires registration, and we only have a few spots left.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful start to the new year.
Regards, |
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Erin Silk, CEcD President & CEO |
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Economic Development Update |
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Area Development Forum
In December, Vice President of Economic Development, Josh Ewen and City of North Port Economic Development Manager, Vinicia (Vinnie) Mascarenhas traveled to Ft. Lauderdale to attend the Area Development Forum.
The opportunity provided a direct link for Sarasota County and the City of North Port to network with 24 site selectors, corporate real estate executives, and business decision-makers from around the country. Regional and national economic development organizations (EDOs) were well represented, as well as FloridaCommerce and Florida Power & Light. The teams promoted the benefits of business expansions in Sarasota County, including the City of North Port's Interstate-75 Innovation Corridor which will support over a million new square feet of business park development. |
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Bisnow: Tampa Bay State of Office and Workplace Our team participated in Bisnow's Tampa Bay State of Office and Workplace event. It offered a chance for networking and panel discussions highlighting office space development. We were pleased to also sponsor the event as part of our national marketing campaign.
Pictured EDC of Sarasota County's Economic Development Specialist, Nico and Marketing Specialist, Kaylea with Tampa Bay Economic Development Council President & CEO, Craig Richard. |
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Regional Roundtable with Bradenton Area EDC and Sarasota-Manatee Area Manufacturing Association
In December, we hosted a regional advanced manufacturing roundtable with the Bradenton Area EDC and the Sarasota-Manatee Area Manufacturing Association. We received feedback about the trends, challenges, and successes of our regional manufacturers that will help shape our initiatives. Manufacturing supports 18,144 jobs locally; it is very important piece of the diverse industry driving our economy. |
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Strategic Sites Inventory (SSI) Program
The EDC and partner Florida Power & Light updated our Strategic Sites Inventory (SSI) Program that identifies greenfield development opportunities. The EDC hosted a workshop with Leotta Location & Design, municipal, and private partners on Thursday, December 7th. This workshop helped to identify and determine site readiness, competitiveness and opportunities to attract ground-up targeted industry development into the County. |
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City of North Port Small Business Welcome
The EDC joined the City of North Port and community partners with welcoming new businesses to the North Port area. Community partners present at the event included CareerSource Suncoast, SCORE, and the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce. At the North Port New Business Welcome, new businesses were recognized, provided information about community resources, and had the opportunity to network. |
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EDC Fundraising and Investor Committee Roundtable with Matt George
Our Fundraising and Investor Committee started this fiscal year with a new Committee Chair, Sinead Carr, from Express Employment Professionals. Sinead has built an impressive business in just three short years, and she brings her tremendous tenacity and work-ethic to our Committee. A special thank you to Michael Saunders & Company as they hosted our Committee for a forum led by Matt George, also known as the Non-Profit Prophet. Matt shared with the group his three decades journey in the non-profit world and strategies he utilized to gain investors while clearly conveying the mission and results of his organization. |
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We are thrilled to have Mahoney Concrete as a new Investor! Thank you for investing in us and our mission!
Mahoney Concrete Systems, LLC was founded in 2017 and is proudly head quartered in Sarasota. They provide their clients with a wide range of services from commercial super-flat place and finish, to structural concrete high rises, and industrial tilt wall buildings.
Welcome aboard, Mahoney Concrete! |
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Have you heard?! The EDC has a new exclusive newsletter for Investors called Inside Insights.
If you are an Investor and interested in learning about the EDC's happenings first, you should subscribe to our Investor newsletter. You can do so by emailing Community Engagement and Events Specialist, Anna Eger at aeger@edcsarasotacounty.com. |
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Save the date!
Thursday, May 16th at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota for our 2024 Economic Outlook. Networking will begin at 7 a.m., followed by the event at 8 a.m.
We will be joined by an esteemed panel, including Nathan Ohle, President & CEO, International Economic Development Council. The focus of the event will be looking at state, regional, and local economic predictors, and their implications for Sarasota County.
If you are interested in being a Specialty Sponsor, please contact Anna Eger at aeger@edcsarasotacounty.com for more information. |
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Thursday, January 18th5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Benderson Family Finish Tower 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle Sarasota, FL 34235
Please join the EDC of Sarasota County for Transforming the Community for Tomorrow: North Sarasota County. This is an invitation-only event, exclusively for our Investors. This interactive discussion will explore the latest transformational projects in Sarasota County, with a special focus on The Legacy Trail, Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), and Center Point at Waterside.
Panel Discussion with:
It is highly suggested to make reservations soon as there are only ten remaining spots available. For more information, please reach out to Anna Eger at aeger@edcsarasotacounty.com. |
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