Pinellas County Business News

September 2023

Assistance for Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Idalia

Pinellas County Economic Development is responding to business recovery impacts resulting from Hurricane Idalia.

Businesses are urged to respond to the Florida Business Damage Assessment Survey. Select “Hurricane Idalia” from the drop-down box and submit the survey online. The exact dollar value of your costs are not necessary; an estimate is fine.

This information will provide valuable economic impact information to the state and federal government as economic assistance options are evaluated. If you are in need of assistance with this survey or have other disaster recovery needs, please call (727) 453-7200 or email businesshelp@pinellas.gov.

Subscribe to Receive Emergency Updates

Hurricane Idalia has passed, but other storms and disasters may come in the future. It's never too late to sign up for emergency updates for businesses. Visit PCED.org/Subscribe and select Emergency Notifications for Businesses to receive email updates when the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center is activated.

PCED.org/Hurricane

IT Company Finds Success in St. Petersburg Technological Hub

Since a young age, Pat Mack, Founder and CEO of PVM, has had an interest in computers and technology, so when the Navy offered him the opportunity to attend graduate school to study information technology (IT), he jumped at the opportunity, leading him to eventually start his own IT business. Since working with the Florida PTAC at PCED, Mack says that he has seen growth within the business as well as in the number of opportunities that continue landing at their doorstep.

Flavorful Puerto Rican Food Truck Gets Its Start in

St. Petersburg

Lynette Domenech and her husband are fulfilling their dreams of owning a business, the Loco Mofongo food truck, thanks to assistance from Debra Schweikowsky, business consultant with the the Florida SBDC at USF at Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED). “She has helped me with financial information, with links and resources for permitting, licenses, all of the steps that I needed to follow to create my LLC and all of the business-related paperwork,” Domenech said.

Blake Richardson and Elezar Tonev, owners of EaseAlert, reached out to the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) for help in strategically growing their business. PTAC procurement specialist Yolanda Goodloe provided in-depth guidance on facilitating growth through government contracting.

Thirty eight Pinellas County companies made it onto Inc. 5000's Fastest-Growing Private Companies this year! Congratulations to all, and thank you for choosing to grow in our Ideal Business Climate.

PCED.org/Inc5000

Optics and Photonics Event,

Nov. 2, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

From self-driving cars, to video game displays, to medical imaging, opportunities abound for business growth in the Optics & Photonics industry cluster. Join the Florida Photonics Cluster to visit host Edmund Optics' new facility and discuss the opportunities for optics and photonics in the Greater Tampa Bay area at this FPC General Membership Meeting.

GovCon Networking Breakfast: Take Your Business to New Heights by Doing Business with Airports

Join Florida PTAC at USF as panelists representing Tampa International Airport and Lakeland Linder Airport share how they engage with local businesses in their upcoming projects. Panelists will discuss how small and large businesses will be involved in their projects and the steps needed in order to be successful vendors with them.

Hispanic Business Conference

Gain a deeper understanding of government contracting and the federal marketplace. Learn strategies for accessing and fully participating in local, state and federal supply chains and how to access the capital needed to help your business build its capacity to compete and grow. Enjoy a full day of workshops and networking designed especially with Hispanic-owned business in mind!

September 21

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Free registration

Pinellas County Reverse Trade Show

The Pinellas County Reverse Trade Show allows you to meet directly with procurement staff who are responsible for purchasing the types of products or services that your company can provide. This year, the event begins with a General Session during which you will learn how to sell your products on Amazon Business.

October 13

8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Free registration

Learn more

St. Petersburg College Supplier Development Information Session, Sept. 28, 1:00 p.m.

Join SPC's Finance and Business Operations team to learn more about how you can do business with the college as a vendor or partner on upcoming capital and technology projects. Help SPC grow its relationships with diverse suppliers and strengthen our community.

Congratulations to Aubri Shauger-Haley!

We are delighted to celebrate our own Aubri Shauger-Haley, who was awarded the Laura Subel Lifetime Achievement Award for helping Florida small businesses obtain more than $50 million in contracts! Aubri works in our Office of Small Business and Supplier Diversity as a procurement specialist for Pinellas County’s Small Business Enterprise Program (SBE) and a business consultant for the Florida SBDC at Pinellas County. Aubri received the award at the Florida SBDC Network’s Annual Conference. Congratulations Aubri and thank you for all that you do to help make Pinellas the Ideal Business Climate!