Largo

The City of Largo truly lives within its means. It doesn’t issue bonds. It doesn’t go into debt. It saves, and then spends – a rarity in most public and private circles. The city puts a premium on quality of life, providing a wide array of recreational options for its residents, young and old. An active public library and a busy cultural arts center help host a full slate of special events and recreational activities. Pinellas County’s third-largest city with 75,000 residents, Largo stands out as one of the most affordable housing markets in Florida, and, as a result, many families buy their first homes here. Largo’s economic base boasts a wide variety of manufacturers.

Wider Sidewalks Improve Largo’s 4th Street Corridor, Add Urban Polish

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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September 28, 2010

The city of Largo has completed its 4th Street reconstruction project.The $899,741 project widened sidewalks along 4th Street to allow more room for pedestrians and bikers as well as automotive traffic along 4th Street in the downtown district. The project also improved drainage systems and the brick roadway between Cleveland Avenue and 8th Avenue SW. The project is the first of several infrastructure projects identified in the city of Largo's Sidewalk Master Plan, which is designed to provide the community with an urban corridor within the city's downtown core. The sidewalk was widened to eight feet and serves as an urban trail from downtown to Largo Middle School, Central Park, the Cultural Center, the Largo Library and the Pinellas Trail."We've been working on the whole concept of addressing the sidewalks as we build out roads and do housing projects that rebuild or remodel homes," says Teresa Brydon, economic development manager with the city of Largo. "The bottom line is that we recognize that if we provide good, urban sidewalks, it's safer for our pedestrians. And as transit continues, we can link up to the corridors and be prepared for it when it comes."The Sidewalk Master Plan was adopted in July 2009 by the city commission and outlines goals, priorities, and policies regarding location, selection, and construction standards and methodologies for the installation of a citywide sidewalk network. Largo's Urban Trails Plan provides for a system of pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly sidewalk trails that connect Largo neighborhoods to the Pinellas and Progress Energy trails.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Teresa Brydon, City of Largo

TBARTA Encourages Ride Sharing To Ease Region’s Traffic Congestion

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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September 21, 2010

Why wait for light rail and improved bus routes to address growing issues like fuel consumption and car emissions? According to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA), there's an oft-overlooked but immediate solution: carpooling. And it is hosting a video contest to encourage Bay area commuters to consider it."One of the goals is to reduce the number of cars on the road," says Amy Ellis, TBARTA's director of communications. "By encouraging people to carpool, we hope to directly reduce emissions and fuel consumption. It's an immediate solution to a growing concern." How Cool is Your Carpool? video contest joins TBARTA's other initiatives designed to encourage carpooling. Other programs include ride matching, van pools and school pools. In addition, TBARTA provides up to 12 free taxi rides per year to carpoolers registered with them in emergencies that would otherwise leave riders stranded."These commuter services programs make carpooling more feasible," says Ellis. "And programs like our Emergency Ride Home relieves the anxiety associated with carpooling. We're trying to slowly educate people that there are other options."Ellis says TBARTA is committed to education, providing presentations on the benefits of carpooling and telecommuting to employers throughout the Tampa Bay region. "We're a relatively new organization and we want to continue the regional conversation any way we can. We really want to be the source for his region that puts together all these components. Traffic congestion and commuting don't stop at county lines. So our approach needs to be regional."According to the American Public Transit Association, the typical public transit rider consumes on average one half of the oil consumed by an automobile rider.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Amy Ellis, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

18 Tampa Bay Area Museums Celebrate Museum Day With Free Admission

By Matt Spencer

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Arts

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September 14, 2010

Eighteen Tampa Bay area museums will be offering free admission on Saturday, Sept. 25.Participating museums have joined in Smithsonian Magazine's celebration of its sixth annual Museum Day.Tampa Bay residents will have the chance to visit, among others, the Tampa Museum of Art in downtown Tampa, the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota and The Pier Aquarium in St. Petersburg.Tickets must be reserved through the Smithsonian website and are good for two people per household.Read the complete list.

National Forensic Science Technology Center Creates New Enterprise, Jobs

By Mandy Erfourth

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Health

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September 14, 2010

The National Forensic Science Technology Center plans to launch a new specialized division, which will create 40 new jobs that will be paid 150 percent of the annual average Pinellas County wage. The National Forensic Science Technology Center, a nonprofit organization that provides training, assessment, research and technology assistance to the justice, forensic science and military communities, already has 55 high-paying jobs in Pinellas County. The expansion will create a new for-profit enterprise, the Forensic Innovation Center. The expansion is being fostered by Pinellas County Economic Development and Florida's Qualified Target Industry. QTI is a tax refund program that allows new and expanding businesses to create new and high-paying jobs in exchange for tax refunds.The partnership between the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, Enterprise Florida and Pinellas County allows targeted high-growth industries like the FIC to alleviate some of its costs in development.The intention of the QTI program is not only to create jobs and attract business to Florida, it is also to maintain local business and their employees. FIC's project will be to test and evaluate advanced forensic intelligence tools and systems. This is important in relation to national security and will be a vital support in data and knowledge exchange between government and private organizations. The research FIC will focus on is forensic intelligence solutions related to crime and threats in relation to target areas of science, homeland security and training. The result of the QTI program is that it eliminated some of the cost of FIC's expansion so the company was able to stay in Pinellas County. Writer: Mandy ErfourthSource: Stacey Swank, Pinellas County Economic Development

Tampa Bay Farmers Markets Re-Open For Fall, Winter Seasons

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Arts

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September 7, 2010

With autumn upon us, farmers markets across the Tampa Bay region are readying to share the harvest. It seems nearly every municipality has at least one. A few are new, and a few have made some changes. Here's a thumbnail sketch:Realize Bradenton hosts a farmers market downtown on Old Main Street between Manatee Avenue and 4th Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday from October to May."We have built a community of vendors, residents, businesses, and most importantly, a community of dogs," says Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton's executive director. "We have live music every Saturday. The first Saturday features a chef demo, the second raffles and prizes, on the third Saturday we join with Mainly Arts, showcasing artists and craftspeople and featuring art from a Manatee County elementary school. On the last Saturday of the month we do kids' activities."Isham says the market has generated foot traffic and revenue for Bradenton businesses since it opened a little over a year ago. "Ninety thousand people came downtown last year," she says. half of them for the farmers market. Next year 135,000 are predicted, due to more events we've planned. That equals projected consumer spending of $3.1 million for 2010-11."Wesley Chapel is opening a new market at the The Shops at Wiregrass at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs and State Road 56 the first Saturday of every month starting in November. According to Tiffany Ferrecchia of Tampa Downtown Market, the Winegrass market will feature produce, plants and eco-friendly arts and crafts as well as products featured at existing Wiregrass stores and restaurants.Lizzy Lenk is a vendor who sells her Bag It Conscience products at several Tampa Bay markets. "I like going to the markets because it gives me an opportunity to talk to people and encourage them to do simple changes that can go a long way toward improving and changing the environment for the better," she says. "I find it a wonderful, creative, meaningful and fun way to earn my living. People absolutely love coming out. It gives them an opportunity to meet with friends and be outdoors. They can buy handmade, home-cooked or locally grown products. Many love not buying from the big corporations but supporting local crafters. We are fortunate that we have lots of these kinds of markets happening almost every day of the week. It brings life to the streets."Other area markets include St. Petersburg's mammoth Saturday Morning Market; Gulfport's Tuesday Morning Market; Clearwater's Open Air market, Dunedin's farmers market; Largo's Heritage Village and downtown markets, Tampa's downtown market, Ybor Market and Seminole Heights market; Parksdale Farm Market in Plant City; Brooksville's downtown market, Hernando Beach's Open Market; and Lakeland's Farmer's Curb Market and Farmer's and Flea Market.Writer: Missy KavanaughSources: Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton; Lizzy Lenk, Bag It; Tiffany A. Ferrecchia, Tampa Downtown Market

Five Tampa Bay Businesses Land In Top 500 Fastest-Growing Companies

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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August 31, 2010

A 2010 ranking of the Top 500/5000 fastest-growing companies in North America recognizes five companies in the Tampa Bay region within the Top 500. The September issue of Inc. Magazine unveils the 29th annual list. The five companies include Tampa-based energy and information service provider Archimedes Global (#77), Clearwater-based software provider eMason (#165), Tampa-based Medicare and Medicaid benefit administrators Freedom Health (#225), Tampa-based communication network experts Telovations (#213) and Largo-based marketing firm The Media Crew (#369). Companies that landed within the Top 5000 include: Clearwater-based companies Sunbelt Software (#3724), Monin (#4109), Arroyo Process Equipment (#4249) and PostcardMania (#4945). Largo-based companies Atomic Tattoos (#4275) and The Bare Board Group (#4329). New Port Richey-based Geo-Logical (#2506). Odessa-based The Launch Pad (#1419). Sarasota-based Clockwork Home Services (#2910) St. Petersburg-based companies Crystal Clear Technologies (#549), Interstate Transport (#1030), Kobie Marketing (#3171) and Excelsior Defense (#3907). Tampa-based companies Ideal Image (#555), Web Commerce Partners (#790), ScreeningONE (#793), IT Authorities (#801), Celestar (#909), Calhoun International (#993), Tribridge (#1103), Triad Digital Media (#1108), J2 Engineering (#1127), Hiregy (#1132), Laser Spine Institute (#1140), AgileThought (#1154), Acclaris (#1489), myMatrixx (#1509), College Hunks Hauling Junk (#1539), Applied Data (#1679), An Amazing Organization (#1693), T-Cellular (#1697), Infinity Business Systems (#1714), Health Integrated (#1948), ConnectWise (#2087), eBridge Solutions (#2093), Advanced MarketPlace (#2328), Convergence Consulting Group (#2668), Magnetic (#2713), MISource (#2789), i9 Sports (#3061), Accusoft Pegasus (#3442), eWinWin (#3701), Carlton Fields (#3739), Rent-n-Roll Custom Wheels and Tires (#4152), MarkMaster (#4651), Pilgrim Software (#4678), HSA Engineers & Scientists (#4767), and Rent a Coder (now vWorker) (#4877).Rankings are based on revenue growth from 2006 to 2009, according to Inc. Magazine. The state of Florida once again received a nationwide ranking of #5 -- pulling ahead of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Illinois -- with 262 companies inside the Top 5000. Scan the complete list.

Largo Karaoke Conglomerate Sings Praises Of Pinellas Economic Programs

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Arts

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August 10, 2010

What happens when your growth outruns capacity, and a conventional bank just won't do? Turn to the government.Largo karaoke conglomerate JS Karaoke (JSK), named for owner entrepreneur Jack Stauser, did just that, and is now tracking $30 million to $40 million sales and a 60 percent share of the mass merchant market. "We had actually never sought out public assistance before," explains Ron Crawley, JSK's project management coordinator. "But with our growth, we had to do something. If we hadn't sought it out, we would not be where we are."The company, which manufactures karaoke equipment for Emerson and owns international subsidiary IXT, was located in Pinellas Park. Needing to expand its manufacturing space due to an anticipated explosion in dot-com business, the company needed to expand into bigger digs than its existing 16,000-square-feet Pinellas Park facility provided. After reaching out to the Pinellas County Economic Development Council (PCEDC), JSK received assistance through not just one, but a multitude of services. JSK received a $250,000 loan through the PDEDC's Economic Gardening program to finance its expansion and equipment needs, then was directed to Worknet's LEAPS program to help staff its growth. The PDEDC then put JSK in touch with the right people at the city of Largo to find its current location at 1185 Gooden Crossing. The new Largo facility is 56,000 square feet and outfitted with equipment that streamlines JSK's production-line process.Crawley advises other companies, especially young startups, to investigate what the government has to offer."Government programs are a great way to start a new business, says Crawley. "People will never give you money for an idea. But they will give you money for a plan."Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Ron Crawley, JS Karaoke

Tampa Bay Commercial Real Estate Enjoys Upswing In Property Sales

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Economic Development

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August 3, 2010

The Tampa Bay commercial real estate market got its report card for 2010's second quarter, and the news looks good—especially if you are a small or start-up business looking for retail space.In a second-quarter issue of CB Richard Ellis' (CBRE) MarketView, the research company reported that Tampa Bay retail, industrial and office commercial property sales and leasing had improved dramatically over the previous quarter.On the retail front, CBRE reports that there is more and more activity between smaller retailers and lenders for spaces under 5,000-square-feet. Add that to the softer lease rate where landlords are more willing to negotiate, and the Tampa Bay area looks pretty attractive to someone looking to start a new business.The office space market stabilized in the second quarter, with more leases being signed by businesses, and less businesses vacating their leases. This positive movement in turn brought cap rates in line, making the vacant spaces that remain more attractive to investors. Some bigger deals in this realm include Wells Fargo Insurance Services moving into more than 48,000 square feet at The Pointe, and the completion of construction on Park Centre at Telecon Park, which adds 88,000 square feet of Class A office space to Northeast Tampa.And the industrial market enjoyed some positive momentum in the second quarter. Helping to stabilize the market were deals involving Beltram Edge Tool Supply, Ferguson Enterprises, Seaworld Park, Metro Air Services, WESCO Distribution, Viatek, Commodity Resources and Aero Simulation on the Tampa side, and Plasma-Therm in Pinellas."The number one factor for businesses considering relocation or expansion is the business costs they will experience in a new location," says Chris Steinocher, the Tampa Bay Partnership's COO-SVP of marketing & business development. "These studies clearly show that business costs are a competitive advantage for the Tampa Bay region."Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Chris Steinocher, Tampa Bay Partnership

Largo Study Opens Discussion For Possibility Of Mass Transit

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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June 22, 2010

A recent survey conducted in Largo indicated that, while residents want alternative transportation options, they feel unsafe walking and riding bicycles. The St. Petersburg Times highlights the results of this study as an indication that mass transit could have a positive impact for Pinellas County. The survey is one of many conducted by the city to gauge transportation decisions for the future. Read the complete editorial.

Valpak Markets Bargains In Tampa Bay, Offers Career Ops In Sales

By Brad Stager

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Technology & Innovation

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May 18, 2010

If you have a mailbox, you've probably received a thick, blue envelope stuffed with glossy coupons and ads promoting everything from new floors to Chinese restaurants. It's called direct marketing and one of the biggest players in the industry is Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc. Their headquarters is located in Largo and they have a production facility in St. Petersburg as well as some operations in Tampa. Valpak combines the talents of market researchers, analysts, graphic artists, print production workers, online media professionals and salespersons to create, produce and market the money-saving coupons. The company was founded in 1968 and operates as a subsidiary of Cox Target Media, Inc. Indications of how Valpak is adapting its business model and practices include its presence on Twitter and Facebook, where people can find digital coupons and career opportunities. Jeff Friend, a member of Valpak's human resources team, often visits job fairs to recruit new employees. He says the types of careers Valpak offers is changing with the times. "It's not just the blue envelopes full of coupons anymore," he says. "We're doing a lot now with online coupons and marketing." He suggests people check the company's website for the latest information on available jobs. Some recent listings include openings for a manufacturing engineer, a digital media sales support specialist, national sales manager and account executives. Valpak also offers franchise opportunities.Writer: Brad StagerSource: Jeff Friend, Valpak