Swiss-owned SpecPage moves its North American operations to Manatee County

SpecPage, Inc., a Switzerland-based technology company that develops software solutions for the food manufacturing industry, has relocated its North American branch offices from Warwick, Rhode Island to Bradenton, FL with support from the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC). 

The EDC assisted the Swiss company in site selection and in applying for a performance-based economic development incentive grant from the Manatee County government. The Manatee County Board of Commissioners approved the incentive, based on SpecPage’s plan to add 15 jobs in Bradenton over the next five years. 

SpecPage now occupies 1,100 square feet with options to expand at Wildwood Office Park, 3645 Cortez Road, Suite 100, in west Bradenton.

“We are a global company and plan to strengthen our position in the North American market. The growing, yet affordable area of Bradenton provides good opportunities for future hiring as well as convenient access to several airports for national and international travel,” says SpecPage North America VP Paul Meunier. 

Meunier says that SpecPage plans to create up to 15 jobs based in its new Bradenton offices over the next three years, primarily in sales and support roles. The growing company’s clients currently include global brands such as Campbell Soup Company, Kellogg’s, Mondelez and Nestlé Wagner. 

Sharon Hillstrom, President and CEO of the Bradenton EDC, views the Swiss company’s relocation of its North American offices to Manatee County as a valuable step in a multi-pronged effort to retain the talent emerging in record numbers from area colleges and universities. 

“One of the things we’re really focused on at the EDC, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Realize Bradenton, is [the young professional] demographic. Each organization is addressing some component of how we can attract and retain talent here. It is of prime interest, and our belief is that the more companies we have coming here, the more opportunities will present themselves to graduates,” Hillstrom says.

Hillstrom notes that there are currently five institutions of higher learning in Manatee and Sarasota County that are working in collaboration as the ‘Consortium of Colleges on the Creative Coast’ to attract students and strengthen the Tampa Bay area’s economy. Bringing global and IT-based companies like SpecPage into the area, Hillstrom says, confirms Bradenton’s value as a destination for other businesses to base their operations. 

“This area provides a great business climate. We are a business-friendly government, labor costs are somewhat lower here, and the quality of life obviously speaks for itself. … Bringing in companies like SpecPage is the best advertisement we have in that sense. We plan to use those types of wins to recruit other companies to the area,” Hillstrom says.