By Al Higginbotham | Hillsborough County Comnissioner
With the joint efforts of Hillsborough County and the City of Plant City, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Council currently is recruiting a Project Manager for Plant City and eastern Hillsborough County.
Funded by a joint agreement between the EDC, Plant City and Tampa Electric Company, the project manager will focus on growth in our community. The Tampa Hillsborough EDC is officially recognized as Hillsborough County’s primary business recruitment and retention economic development team in partnership with Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace and private investors.
As the county commissioner for District 4 and a Plant City native, I am pleased to represent this strong community. Plant City is a vital stop along the Interstate 4 corridor. For more than 10 years, Plant City has had a growth rate of 10% and boasts easy access to airports, major freight rail corridors and the Port of Tampa. A national leader in agribusiness, Plant City major crops include strawberries, aquaculture and tomatoes. In addition to its agribusiness strength, Plant City has put concerted effort into an economic development plan to identify strengths and opportunities for industries such as nutraceuticals and manufacturing. With more than 3,000 acres available for new development, Plant City is ready to recruit new businesses.
“We believe there are significant opportunities for economic growth in Plant City,” said Rick Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation. “This new position allows us to realize that potential and maximize our efforts in eastern Hillsborough County. We appreciate the continued support of the county and thank the City of Plant City and TECO for providing the necessary funding to make this happen.”
The project manager for economic development efforts Plant City and eastern Hillsborough County will be responsible for outreach to corporate CEOs in the Plant City area. The manager will focus on the targeted industries through company visits, industry specific trade organization meetings, phone calls and face-to-face meetings.
In addition to helping existing businesses with retention and expansion efforts, the project manager will work to generate new business recruitment opportunities. This position will work closely with city officials to identify incentives or proposals that can enhance the city’s offerings to prospects.
The project manager will maintain a list of available sites in Plant City and eastern Hillsborough to ensure they are listed on the EDC’s online commercial real estate directory. If you know of an available site, please work with the EDC to include it in the database.
“Plant City is focused on economic development and we are ready for new growth,” said Mayor Michael Sparkman. “The city is pro-business with a great workforce, an excellent school system and public services second to none. Now that the Tampa Hillsborough County EDC has a new position specific to Plant City, we are ready for the challenge of 2013.”
The Plant City Commission has partnered with Hillsborough County commissioners to identify potential obstacles and ways to resolve those issues. Through the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, of which both the City of Plant City and Hillsborough County are members, we can recruit businesses on a national scale to our communities. EDC’s efforts recruited 4,176 jobs to Hillsborough County in 2011, and we look for an even higher number in 2012.
WORKING FOR YOU
Working together with the residents of District 4, I have found that we truly can make a difference for the future of Hillsborough County.
If you need anything or would like to share your opinion on Hillsborough County issues, please do not hesitate to call my office at (813) 272-5740 or email HigginbothamA@HilllsboroughCounty.org.vzlom-pro.ru “>http://xsport-tv.com/.php