Oct
16
FGCU, Regional Planning Council release incubator network study
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STAFF REPORT
The local economy has been hit very hard by the recent recession and there have been calls to create additional jobs and diversify the regional economy to lower the overall economic job losses that result from recessions.
To this end, Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business Regional Economic Regional Institute and the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council have released to the public a 220-page comprehensive report, the Southwest Florida Regional Incubator Planning Study. The study is available on the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council website at www.swfrpc.org or at www.fgcu.edu/cob/reri. Read more
Aug
28
Lee County a job magnet?
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Incentives, personal ties, effective EDO director draw 7 saviors
by ANNIE LINDSTROM
Business Writer
Since Jim Moore became director of the Lee County Economic Development Office (EDO), efforts to attract businesses to the area have been gaining momentum. To date this year, a total of seven companies have announced plans to expand or relocate their businesses in Lee County.
Together, the seven companies, three which have yet to be officially announced, are bringing 915 high-wage/high-skill jobs to Lee Country during the next four years. And there are more in the hopper, according to Sue Noe, business assistance manager for EDO. Read more
Aug
28
Money Magazine placed Lee County 23rd on its recently published list of the top 25 best counties in the nation to land a job. The ranking is based on a 56.6 percent job growth rate from 2000-2008. The article also cites affordable commercial real estate, low corporate taxes and tax incentives in Lee County as contributing to job growth.
Although the job growth rate used in the Money Magazine article doesn’t account for the general deterioration of economic conditions in 2009, experts point to promising advancements in job growth during the current calendar year that also indicate a healthy job market. Read more
Aug
28
Opening the door a crack
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Minority enterprise development benefits Southwest Florida competition
By SARA COMITO
Associate Editor
Local construction company J.L. Wallace has been in business for more than 20 years. Owner Jerry Wallace, whose mother is from Puerto Rico, wasn’t interested in pursuing minority enterprise certification until last year.
Although he’s proud of his cultural heritage, as far as using it as a business strategy, he said, “I never considered it necessary.” The state of the economy led him to conclude, however, that any competitive advantage would be worth looking into.
Traditionally, businesses that are at least 51 percent minority- or female-owned could qualify for certification as a “disadvantaged business enterprise” (a name that is currently undergoing some rethinking). Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill this June to also include service-disabled veterans.
So what exactly are the benefits of aligning your business objectives with your inclusion in any of those groups, and what purpose does minority enterprise development serve in the greater business community? Read more
Aug
28
Not for Hispanics only
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Regional chamber bridges the business gap between cultures
By Bob Massey
Editor
When it was founded in 1989, there were only 70 members - and they were all Hispanic.
Now 400 members strong, the Southwest Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HCC) reaches across the cultural divide, and embraces the business community at large, Hispanic or not.
That diversity is the biggest change Veronica Culbertson has seen since she arrived at the chamber as a board member. Now its president, she also considers it the organization’s greatest strength.
“We have become a bridge between Hispanic and non-Hispanic businesses,” Culbertson said. “We help communities integrate themselves - help Hispanic markets integrate with
non-Hispanics - all for the betterment of the community.”
But that strength has also posed the chamber’s biggest challenge. Read more
Jul
31
Coping with the new code
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Appraiser reform presents speed bump to recovery
Lots of signs point toward recovery in the region’s housing market. Realtors and property appraisers are witnessing increased market activity throughout Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties.
However, the recent Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) for real estate appraisers is seen by many as a complication slowing recovery and leaving many sellers in distress. Read more
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