The Plant City Economic Corporation has closed the books on its second year having accomplished much of what it set out to, according to EDC President Jake Austin.
Austin highlighted many of the EDC’s recent accomplishments, including adding $57,000 in private investments and reducing reliance on city money, in an Oct. 23 presentation to the City Commission.
The EDC was formed in late 2015 to help Plant City grow its expanding business community. The organization is a public-private venture, but is aiming to rely less on city funding, Vice-President Alyssa Cerrito said.
“What we’re trying to do is ween off of city money. What we’ve done moving forward is earmark where the city money goes and what we spend it on,” Cerrito said. “The commission hasn’t asked for that. We’re just trying to make sure we’re good citizens and the money we spend is actually beneficial for the city.”
Cerrito said the EDC reorganized its budget structure to better show where city money goes. Last year, Plant City invested $150,000 in the EDC, according to city budget documents. For the coming year, that investment has been reduced to $125,000. Most of that money, Cerrito said, goes to marketing, while day-to-day expenses and salaries come from private funding. According to the EDC’s presentation, its funding is now 70% private and 30% public.
Previously, the EDC’s funding had been more of a 60-40 split, Cerrito said. According to Austin, successfully weaning off city money has come from efforts to upgrade existing membership and add new members.
“We set a goal of gaining 16 new or upgraded investors this year,” Austin said. “We brought on 17 new investors that represent over $57,000 in new private revenue.”
Businesses like Central Florida Development (CFD), have praised the EDC for its role in bringing more jobs to Plant City. Along County Line Road, CFD recently built two 100,000 square-foot buildings and has started construction on the 1 million square-foot Central Florida Commerce Center on County Line Road.
“I like to be a broken record sometimes about our mission,” Austin said. “We’re interested in companies that pay high wage jobs and invest heavily in their operations. When citizens earn more, their quality of life improves.”
Scott Walls, general manager of Akca, said the EDC is helping to coordinate with the city to expand Akca’s facility and bring on about 30 new jobs in the next few years. Akca, a pavement marking contractor, has been in Plant City since the mid 80s and already employs 85 people in Plant City.
Bob Flowers, president of C.W. Roberts, said the EDC was an essential proponent in opening up the asphalt manufacturer’s new Plant City plant earlier this year.
“I was taken, when we first met, at the energy in the organization,” Flowers said. “The involvement in the local community was excellent.”
Austin also told the commission the EDC is focused on working with the Plant City Business Advisory board, to help graduating high school students who might not be going to college, connect with and get prepared for some of the employment needs coming to the city.
Despite supporting its success, the commission indicated it did not want to see the EDC lose any steam in the coming year.
“We’re looking for a big year in 2018,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “No pressure, but there’s a lot of pressure.”