Economic Development News
Meet your 2020 Economic Development Leadership
Nancy Eckert
Chair of the Board of Directors
Gil Levy
Chair of the Economic Development Council
Eric Godet
President & CEO
Staci Bertrand
VP of Economic Development
Atticus Steinmetz
Economic Development Manager
COLLABORATE 2025
COLLABORATE 2025 is the next five-year economic development strategy for Greater Gainesville Region. This strategy contains within it outcomes for the growth and development of quality of life in our region over the next five years.

Our community is our “why.” It is the substance of our story as a region and as partners in making the vision set forth in COLLABORATE 2025 a reality. In launching and executing on this plan as a community, we are writing our story’s next chapter of prosperity, success and upward mobility.

Starting in 2020 the chamber will begin the efforts of the strategy via three action teams focused on Talent, Opportunity and Place working under the guidance of the Economic Development Committee.
On November 7th the Greater Gainesville Chamber celebrated the strategy with a kickoff event at the Cade Museum. The event had interactive exhibits showcasing some of the best of the region's talent, opportunity and place.

If you would like to learn more about the COLLABORATE 2025 strategy, or if you would like to volunteer on the the strategies action teams you can do so on our website .
Greater Gainesville’s last five years have been transformational for those of us who live, work or own businesses here with the addition of over 12,600 jobs and more than $1B in regional investment. For the 68,000 vehicles that travel the Alachua County stretch of I-75, the elevation of our retail and entertainment options speaks for itself. Our life sciences sector continues to earn us recognition as “Florida’s biotech hub,” and the University of Florida and Santa Fe College continue to serve as the state’s leading secondary education institutions. Against the backdrop of these advancements and others that serve as evidence of our accelerating economy, the Chamber has been executing Transforming Greater Gainesville (TGG), its five-year economic development strategy designed to both bolster and capitalize on this growth potential. 
Rapid Fire Success Stories
TALENT
Santa Fe College broke ground on the 86,311 square-foot Blount Center o n October 9t . This build ing will contain classrooms, lab suites and related student support and service areas--combined, this spaces will more than double Santa Fe's incubation space making them an even greater Economic Development resource in our region. Read more here .
OPPORTUNITY
Lacerta Therapeutics, Inc .-- a clinical-stage gene therapy company--acquired $30 million in a recent investment round. Following this great news, Lacerta Therapeutics, Inc. alongside Concept Companies announced the groundbreaking of 12,950 square foot building with lab and office space for an expansion of the company. You can learn more here .
Thermo Fisher Scientific recently announced a $6 million expansion of a viral vector manufacturing facility. This companies accrues an annual revenue of $24 billion and has approximately 70,000 employees globally. This expansion doubled their lab space and warehousing space, allowing for more production of world-changing medical technologies. You can learn more here .
Captozyme merged with Arranta Bio on November 13 th , 2019 to form a microbiome therapy-focused CDMO that supports clients from early-stage process development through cGMP clinical supply to commercialization. You can learn more here . 
Infinite Energy broke ground on a new 33,740 square foot building to expand their operations in the Greater Gainesville Region. Infinite Energy was founded in Gainesville and is regularly recognized as one of the best companies to work for in the state of Florida as well as in the Nation. You can read more here .
EtextRX announced on December 10th that their novel ingestible event marker received FDA clearance, paving the way for their expanding influence on future medical technology. You can read more here .
North Florida Regional Medical Center invested in a  $90 million project includes three new stories atop the South Tower and an 850-parking spot garage. You can learn more about the immense expansion here .
Sinmat announced o n January 10th that it was acquired by chemicals and materials giant Entegris for $75 million cash. Sinmat—manufacturer of the year in 2017–will be staying in Gainesville, adding greatly to the region’s reputation for high-end production and top-talent. You can read more here .
Feathr o n January 15th announced a successful round of fundraising. The Gainesville-born software company raised $15 million in their series B funding round. This investment will allow Feathr to continue to enhance their product, grow their team, increase their customer base and bolster their impact in the industry. You can read more here .
UF Health is constructing a 139,000-square-foot health care center in the Oaks Mall. This new location will offer an array of services including: ophthalmology, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and audiology. A ribbon cutting was held on January 21st. You can learn more here .
PLACE
GNV Airport recently broke ground on a new terminal expansion amounting to $16 million in regional investment. The new terminal will include 322 more seats, and the TSA screening section of the airport will be renovated. Learn more here .
Dave and Busters began construction of the new 19,000 square-foot stand-alone building Celebration Pointe that will provide new jobs for the community. You can read more here.
The Gators new Baseball Stadium has been approved by the University Athletic Association. This $65 million construction project will begin June 2020. You can learn more here.
The City of Gainesville u nveiled the driverless shuttles for their inaugural test ride starting in downtown Gainesville.The shuttle will operate on a pre-planned route starting on Southwest 2nd Avenue and ending on UF’s campus. During the testing phase, an operator will be present in case of an emergency, but the battery-operated shuttle can also sense other vehicles or bikers that are too close. You can learn more here .
Gainesville is recognized as Tree City of the World. You can read more here.
Invest in COLLABORATE 2025 - Invest in Your Region!
COLLABORATE 2025 is still seeking investors interested in elevating this region and supporting our next 5-year strategy. Consider reaching out to Staci Bertrand to set up a meeting to discuss investment opportunities.

You can email her at staci@gainesvillechamber.com.
Join our COLLABORATE 2025 Action Teams!
The volunteers of COLLABORATE 2025 will work in three action teams under the guidance of the Greater Gainesville Chamber’s Economic Development Committee. Together, they will bring to reality the goals and aspirations of the strategy. The three action teams will each overlap with the three pillars of the strategy: Talent, Opportunity and Place. These teams will meet quarterly, and may contain within them sub-teams that carry out initiatives and projects to elevate the region for all current and future residents.