Pinellas County Business News
August, 2017
26 Pinellas Companies named in Florida Trend's 350 Biggest Companies
 
Florida Trend released its 2017 list of Florida's 350 Biggest Companies and we are thrilled to see so many Pinellas County businesses represented. Tech Data (#2) and Jabil (#5) ranked among the top five Public Companies, and Bovie Medical, Creative Contractors, and US Ameribank made their first appearance in the top 350. Congratulations to all, and thank you for choosing Pinellas!

View the Florida Trend 350 lists at http://www.floridatrend.com/350.

Pinellas County Finance Fair:
Aug. 30, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

This annual event offers you the opportunity to talk one-on-one with 20 different Tampa Bay Area lender in a trade show format. Learn about SBA loans, bank loans, alternative financing, and other sources. Browse among the lender tables to find the best option for your current or future business finance needs. This event is free to entrepreneurs, business owners, or any interested business person, however registration is required. Register today at www.pced.org/financefair.
 
Congratulations Hydro-Dyne Engineering,
2017 GrowFL Company To Watch
 
Hydro-Dyne Engineering , located in Clearwater, Florida, has been selected as a statewide winner for the GrowFL 2017 Florida Companies to Watch awards. The company's management team, competitive market position and strong community involvement were among several factors that put it in contention for the award. "This recognition reflects the hard work that our employees put into the company on behalf of our customers during the last several years," said Jay Conroy, President of Hydro-Dyne. "Our growth is a direct reflection of the quality water and wastewater solutions our team designs and builds, and the trust bestowed upon us by municipalities and industrial facilities around the world."
 
Companies to Watch winners will be officially recognized at an Oct. 14 awards program in Tampa. Congratulations, to Hydro-Dyne, and thank you for choosing Pinellas County!

Learn more about the GrowFL 2017 Companies to Watch and purchase tickets to the awards program at http://www.growfl.com/flctw17/about-flctw/.
 

Congratulations to 3 Daughters Brewing, Finalist for U.S. Small Business of the Year Award
 
Finalists this year for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year Awards were selected from a record number of applicants. Winners will be announced Sept. 12 during the 2017 Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. Finalists are also in the running for the "Community Excellence Award." Online voting at: https://uschamber.secure-platform.com/a/gallery?roundId=5 .

2017 MEDWeek Tampa Bay: Aug. 15 - 18
 
Join CEO Luncheon speaker Troy Taylor on Aug. 15 to kick off Florida Minority Enterprise Development Conference 2017 (MEDWeek). Mr. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC, will discuss how the newest bottler to the Coca-Cola system has grown to employ 4,800 workers and earn annual revenues of over $1 billion. Additional panel discussions, seminars, workshops, business showcases, and receptions will be offered over the four-day conference. Learn more and register at http://www.medcorp-tb.org/.

Aug. 4 Deadline: Export Sales Mission to Bogota, Colombia Sept. 27-30
 
Colombia is Florida's second largest export market and the fourth largest economy in Latin America, making it an excellent market for Tampa Bay exporters. U.S. exports to Colombia have increased 15 percent since the implementation of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which immediately eliminated import tariffs on 80% of U.S. consumer and industrial products. This mission will include the U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key program (customized one-on-one meetings with potential customers in Colombia.) Grants will be available to qualified companies.
 
Contact Brent Barkway at (727) 464-7411 or email [email protected] 
to discuss this mission and opportunities for your company.

Apply to Present at the 2018 Florida Venture Capital Conference in January

 
The Florida Venture Forum is calling for growth stage companies to apply to present at the   2018 Florida Venture Capital Conference , being held  in Fort Lauderdale January 30-31, 2018 In addition to the opportunity to present before an audience of active equity investors, presenting companies meeting designated criteria will compete for the Accelerating Innovation (AI) Award, offered by Space Florida. The AI Award offers a cash prize totaling $100,000 to eligible Florida companies, and companies seeking to relocate or establish presence in Florida. Click here to learn more and to apply. The application deadline is Dec. 20.
 
Learn More About the Penny for Pinellas

 
On Nov. 7, 2017, Pinellas County voters will decide on the renewal of the Penny for Pinellas 1-percent sales tax. This map is designed to show you how the County and our 24 cities would invest future Penny funds to continue building a better Pinellas. To learn more about what the Penny would do in your area, find your community or city on the map or scroll through the slide show for a visual tour of projects. For city projects, scroll to the bottom of the slide show or click the "31-42" to jump to cities.  Click here to start the tour.
 
Calling All Aspiring Entrepreneurs in Art,
Healthcare, Technology and Creative Industries

 
Co.Starters is a 9-week facilitator-led program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the relationships, insights, and tools needed to turn ideas into action and turn a passion into a thriving endeavor. Each week focuses on an essential element of business. Invited guest speakers include seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals from key occupations, such as: legal, accounting, sales, and marketing. Learn more about the program at tbinnovates.com/costarters.cfm.
 
Pinellas News

Looking for work? Florida, Tampa Bay Area good place to be
(83 Degrees)

Florida's unemployment the lowest in a decade
(Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Go inside Northside Hospital's $20M expansion
(Tampa Bay Business Journal)

In This Issue
Quick Links
Business Workshops
The Florida Small Business Development Center at Pinellas County Economic Development hosts a number of business workshops each month. Find a full schedule of upcoming workshops at pced.org/workshops.

Pinellas County Economic Development | 727-464-7332 | [email protected] | http://www.pced.org
13805 58th Street N.
Suite 1-200
Clearwater, FL 33760