Pinellas County Business News
September, 2017
The Penny Hoarder, Fastest-Growing Private Media Company in the U.S.
 
Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, and #25 on the overall list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Congratulations to the St. Petersburg-based team at The Penny Hoarder, and to all 23 fast-growing Pinellas companies on the Inc. 5000 list.
 

Pinellas Q2 Unemployment Down,
Job Growth Up
 
2nd Quarter Indicators show the County's unemployment rate dropping to 3.8% as 19,500 jobs were added and the labor force increased by 17,000 in the past year. Commercial real estate markets remain strong with rising rental rates and continued strong tenant demand, especially in the industrial market. The residential market continues to tighten with the Median Sales Price for a single family home at $248,450, up nearly 13 percent from one year ago.  Preliminary data for July 2017 indicates that Pinellas County's labor force exceeded 500,000 for the first time.

Tampa Bay's Industrial Real Estate Rated a "Buy" by CoStar

The Tampa-St Pete-Clearwater MSA is one of only a handful of markets that's had above average cap rate and rent growth the past two years.  Page 43 of the State of the U.S. Industrial Market 2017 Q2, rates the region a "Buy." Learn more and read the entire report.
 
Penny for Pinellas Speakers Available

 
Want to learn more about the Penny for Pinellas? Our Speakers Bureau is available to give a presentation at your next community meeting. On Nov. 7, Pinellas County voters will decide on the renewal of the Penny for 10 years. Click here to request a Penny Speaker.
 
October 6 is Manufacturing Day - here's how your business can participate...
 
Each year, on the first Friday in October, students across the nation tour manufacturing facilities and learn about the products made in their own back yard. The Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA) has line dup a number of events to mark the occasion for 2017:

Learn more and register for events at http://www.bama-fl.org/Manufacturing-Day.

Sept. 28: FEMA Ready Business Workshop
 
This free workshop will help business prepare for the hazards of hurricanes and inland flooding, and will feature the new Ready Business Hurricane and Inland Flooding Toolkits . Sept. 28, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Tampa. Click here to register.

Sept. 6: Opportunities in the Bahamas webinar
Learn about export opportunities with the Bahamas. Participants will learn about the best prospect sectors, financial and legal considerations, and marketing strategies. This webinar will also explore the cultural differences, economic conditions and technological capabilities of the Bahamas. Sept. 6, 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. Learn more and register at https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=7QCZ.

Pinellas County Finance Fair 2017
On August 30, local businesses joined over 25 different lenders for the 2017 Pinellas County Finance Fair. Prospective business borrowers explored options to finance and grow their businesses and spoke one-on-one with Tampa Bay area lenders in a trade show format.   Click here to see the photos , and visit PCED.org/financing for solutions to grow your business.

Pinellas News

Local MSA regains top spot for over-the-year job gains
(Tampa Bay Newspapers)

Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville rank in top five U.S. metros for job growth
(Tampa Bay Times)

Plan aims to jumpstart Pinellas County's 'economic engine'
(Tampa Bay Newspapers)

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 | econdev@pinellascounty.org | http://www.pced.org
13805 58th Street N.
Suite 1-200
Clearwater, FL 33760