Good Afternoon,

Show your Support of Economic Development:

Session is coming to a close in just two weeks but our work is far from done. It is time for a full court press in order to make sure economic, workforce and community development tools are fully funded. We need each of you to help by taking just a few moments and letting your local delegation know just how important economic development is to the success of our state.

By the end of next week both the House and Senate will begin negotiating the legislation and budget. The Senate conferees have been announced and you can download the complete list here. As soon the House is announced we will get the information out to you. These legislators are especially important to contact. Again, it only takes a few minutes to show your support of economic development and can have a huge impact in funding.

Next week we will send several calls to action with specific ways you can help. The entire economic development package put forth by the Governor is critically important. Much of the negotiating is just beginning so there is still time to show support and improve outcomes.

Register for the 2013 Florida Economic Development Conference: 

I would also like to remind you that the FEDC conference planning committee is organizing an amazing conference for you! You will not want to miss the 2013 Florida Economic Development Conference! You can find out everything you need to know on our conference website:fedcconference.com.

We have extended early bird registration 5 more days because we experienced technical issues on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you tried to register and saw incorrect prices associated with your membership and registration abilities in our online store we apologize for the inconvenience. All issues with checkout have been corrected. Please remember to login to the online store using the email address associated with your FEDC membership.

This extended date of Wednesday, April 24, 2013 is is our final, FINAL, deadline and will not be able to make any exceptions if you miss this great deal. It only takes a few minutes to register and you will save $90.00! The early-bird rate is good through Wednesday  April 24, 2013 at 11:59pm. Please register today and explore theconference website! 

#PrayforBoston

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people affected by the Boston Marathon Bombers. We cannot imagine the fear, confusion and pain caused by such a senseless act. We pray for a speedy recovery of those injured and that those who lost loved ones find peace in knowing they are in a better place. As the events continue to unfold we hope that the brave men and women that are protecting Boston stay safe themselves.

Thank you for all you do,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

Good Afternoon,

Today is the 39th day of Session and as week 6 comes to a close, we need your continued, time-sensitive responses to support FEDC’s and our statewide partners’ legislative successes. Here are updates and next steps:

Today, HB 663 - Economic Gardening Technical Assistance passed it’s third reading on the House Floor. Representative Hudson, Porter and Combee have been great champions for this program. The companion in the Senate, SB 1012 by Senator Hays, passed in Senate TED Appropriations yesterday

Enterprise Florida continues to focus on the budget. We are actively speaking with legislators to support and encourage EFI’s efforts and would like to see the Senate move their appropriations up and we need both chambers to be more in line with the Governor’s recommendations. The budget conference will likely start next week so we will have more updates and calls to action in the coming days.

A big focus and priory for all of us is HB 391 -Exemptions from Tax on Sales, Use, & Other Transactions, co-sponsored by Representative Magar and Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee, passed the House Economic Development and Tourism Subcommittee on April 10th with a vote of 9 to 3. It is now expected to be heard in the House Economic Affairs Committee on Tuesday, April 16th at 2:00pm. Please call and email thecommittee members and voice your support and the importance of this bill. 

Space Florida is focused on two specific bills that are set to be heard in Senate Appropriations next week:SB 1132 - Department of Transportation by Senator Brandes and SB 0236 - Tax Refund Programs by Senator Hukill. Please show your support.

The Small Business Development Center needs our support and asks that we all continue to reach out to our local delegation, especially the House side. SB 0224 - Florida Small Business Development Center Network by Detert codifies the SBDC program and aligns the efforts and investments of the network with state economic development and higher education. The funding request is $7M recurring.This bill aligns FSBDC statewide policies with the statewide strategic economic development plan and statewide goals of the university system, specifies the composition of the FSBDC statewide advisory board, specifies the business assistance support services offered and business markets served by FSBDC, and requires regular reporting by the FSBDC on service activity and outcomes, including information on the economic benefits to the state. The appropriation will:

• incentivize regional service to create jobs, institute best practices, and serve new or underserved areas of the state
• be purposed to expand capacity (consulting hours) of entrepreneurial and business development services
• be leveraged, at a minimum, $1 for $1 with non-state investment

Thank you to those of you who have been contacting your legislators and updating me on your responses. This is critical to our continued outreach. We truly appreciate everyone working so hard!

Session isn’t the only exciting thing on our schedule here at FEDC…we are gearing up for an excellent 2013 Florida Economic Development Conference! The conference committee, led by Ed Randolph, is doing an amazing job in building the agenda.

We are extending the conference registration early bird rate one week so REGISTER before NEXT Friday, April 19th to take advantage of the $90 savings! Early bird registration is only $285! Visit fedcconference.com for all conference related details – including a link to register and book your hotel!

Thank you for all you do,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

Good Afternoon,

The House and Senate have both released their budget recommendations. As we move into the second month of Session we need your help in contacting legislators. It is imperative that you stress the importance of a strong economic development toolkit. You can use the “Why we do economic development” talking points to create a message and email your legislators.

Enterprise Florida provided a great breakdown of the Governor’s Office, House and Senate recommendations:

Image Source: Enterprise Florida Capitol Connection Issue 4

We will continue to work with our partners to close the gaps in funding so Florida remains a competitive state with strong economic growth. As you can see from above there are gaps that urgently need to be closed.

I also would like to remind you all that early bird registration for the 2013 Florida Economic Development Conference is available until April 12th, 2013. We will be announcing speakers and breakout session in the coming week and look forward to seeing you all in Orlando!

Thank you for all you do,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

A top priority on our 2013 Legislative Agenda is the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program. FEDC supports efforts to create an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for attracting, retaining and growing jobs in Florida and thus supports funding state measures to increase access to capital needed for growth for Florida small businesses. Specific items we are advocating for include:

• Support $2M recurring funding for Grow Florida, the state’s Economic Gardening Program.  Economic Gardening assists second-stage (small-mid sized) companies in their growth and expansion.
• Support changes to statute (288.1082) to modify the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance program from a pilot program to a full program available as part of the economic development initiatives throughout Florida and to continue to enhance economic gardening efforts as a tightly integrated technical assistance suite of services by expanding the eligibility criteria to allow more second-stage growth companies in Florida the opportunity to participate.
• Support funding for Small Business Development Centers and additional micro-lending and small business loan programs.

Take Action and Support Economic Gardening

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 12:30pm the Senate Commerce Economic and Tourism will vote on SB 1012 – Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program. We need your help in contacting legislators. We have prepared an informative message for you to send each Representative. Simply click on the link below, customize your message and signature, and send the email before 11:00am on Monday, April 1, 2013. Savvy on social media? We included pre-filled tweets to each Representative as well!

Email Economic Affairs Committee Members

detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov
abruzzo.joseph.web@flsenate.gov
bean.aaron.web@flsenate.gov
hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov
hukill.dorothy.web@flsenate.gov
margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov
richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov
ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov
simpson.wilton.web@flsenate.gov
stargel.kelli.web@flsenate.gov
thompson.geraldine.web@flsenate.gov

Tweet Economic Affairs Committee Members

@SenNancyDetert
@AaronPBean
@DorothyHukill
@WiltonSimpson
@VoteStargel
@RepGThompson

Share Economic Gardening Success Stories

“GrowFL helped me to realize AAJ Technologies’ potential and played a pivotal role in AAJ’s growth! We have taken advantage of many programs offered by GrowFL and I must say that the best one so far has been the CEO Roundtables. The CEOs within my group has wealth of information and they are always willing to help and share…Let me tell you, having a network of CEOs is great and the group has really helped me in achieving my company goals. I feel like I can’t live without them now.”

                ~Amjad Shamim, CEO, AAJ Technologies, Fort Lauderdale

“Our participation in the GrowFL program over the last few years has been invaluable…We also would now have expanded into some of the new markets GrowFL helped us identify and we definitely would not have been ready to handle our succession process. GrowFL has expanded our reach and competitiveness as a global company.”

~ Jason Flanzbaum, Vice President, Boca Bearing Company, Boynton Beach

“My goal is to grow my company to the next level, which takes courage and drive. GrowFL is a vital support in helping me achieve that goal. Having access to free consultation, marketing, speaker forums and expertise in technical and other areas is giving me the insights I need to move forward…As a result of GrowFL, I have restructured my company and developed processes that have made operations far more efficient. This has set the company on a strong trajectory towards growth for which we have already started to achieve this year.”

~ Sue Diseker, CEO, BocaVox, Weston

“The GrowFL program has helped us in so many ways – from providing the resources for research and marketing, to hosting a forum for CEOs to share ideas and resources, to being the springboard for growth – it provides a tremendous boost to second stage businesses like mine. In my opinion, the GrowFL program is an important tool in the state of Florida…being able to sustain its current business activity and attract more entrepreneurs into investing in the state.”

~ Christine Franklin, PE, President, Cherokee Enterprises, Inc., Miami Lakes

“My goal is to create a business model that can be franchised. I am also laying the groundwork to be able to spin off a portion of our business that can grow in a different market. These endeavors are predicted to create at least 60 new jobs in Florida within the next 3 years…There is no better way to create economic growth and new jobs than to support small businesses. GrowFL does this very efficiently.”

~ D. Barry Fernandez, President/CEO, Clean Fuels of Florida, Inc., Pompano Beach

“For small businesses like Cube Care the technical assistance, mentoring and research have been a vital part of our continued growth. In the past few months we have managed to implement the many processes and practice better decision making skills through the knowledge we have gained…We have recently expanded and are proud to have hired 4 new staff members. GrowFL does not only influence our business practices, but helps to provide stability for the families in our community by supporting a place to work and prosper.”

~ Susan Robledo, CEO, Cube Care Co., Miami Lakes

“Since becoming a part of the GrowFL initiative, I’ve hired four employees; two of which are new positions, based on firm growth. This is a much needed resource for small, growing companies throughout Florida. The net results of participation are ultimate economic recovery, job creation and sturdy companies that will last for the long haul. I strongly recommend the program and I’ve encouraged other small and minority owned business to apply for the program.”

~ A. Wayne Gill, Esq., Managing Partner, Gill Law Firm, Delray Beach

“GrowFL has the power to enable small businesses, such as mine, to develop with a full range of support and guidance throughout the state…It’s programs like GrowFL that make a difference to second-stage growth companies like mine.”

~Jerry D. Hamilton, President, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP, Miami

“The landscape in constantly changing, and information in this digital age is crucial. GrowFL helps me navigate those waters. The support we get with the CEO Roundtable, the marketing input and assessment of our digital marketing strategies has helped us better define our strategy. The resulting business development will help us hire more employees and, in our little way, help grow Florida’s economy.”

~ Henry Woodman, President, ICE Portal, Inc., Hollywood

“GrowFL has helped us at Olde Hearth Bread by exposing us to possible solutions to challenging problems. The experience has been extremely positive, as we are now starting to try and implement their suggestions. The roundtables allow entrepreneurs like myself, who are trying to transition into a CEO role, access to other CEOs’ ideas they would not normally have.”

~ Shannon Talty, CEO, Olde Hearth Bread Co., Casselberry

“For the last 2 years, we have enjoyed receiving ‘sponsorship’ from GrowFL…The support has included analysis of customer base to create more effective marketing campaigns, identification of likely corporate customers and participation in CEO roundtable discussions and meetings…Omega 3 Innovations is now entering a growth stage including employing more employees…GrowFL and EDC have been very important tools for our reaching this stage.”

~Bo Martinsen, MD, CEO, Omega 3 Innovations, Venice

“As a small business, we have struggled at times to find resources to help with strategic planning and to identify and expand our current product portfolio. The GrowFL program and the Economic Gardening Institute have helped to provide these essential resources. We have found the strategic insight and quality of market research to be extremely helpful. As a result of the input by the Economic Gardening Team, we are identifying potential business opportunities and refining new product requirements.”

~ David Akers, President, SmartSAT, Inc., Largo

“My participating in GrowFL has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made for my business and for myself. The knowledge and expertise available through GrowFL along with the hands-on problem solving discussions that take place at each CEO Roundtable are invaluable tools for small businesses. I will tell you that this program has refocused our entire business operation, and has brought back the drive and determination along with newly gained knowledge that will allow my management team to hurl our company to the next level.”

~ Robert E. Sanchez, Vice President/COO, United Screening Services Corp., Miami

“And as a fairly new GrowFL fledgling, I’m in a position to know just how valuable the nurturing that GrowFL provides really is. In fact, the GrowFL CEO Roundtable that I attend has given me the confidence (and knowledge) that I needed to expand my business during the past year…As a result, I have increased my capital investment by hundreds of thousands of dollars on both equipment and employees…When I think of this process being repeated all over Florida – jobs being created, capital being invested – I am optimistic about Florida’s future.”

~ Angelina Garcia, CEO, Y-Not Promos Inc., Hialeah

“My involvement with GrowFL has given me information to build the infrastructure that, as the economy is starting to grow, I can grow in a very secure way to be successful and more profitable.”

~ Sandie Foland, Baron Sign Manufacturing, Riviera Beach

“Bit-Wizards is in growth mode. We realized that our company has grown like a set of stairs. We have a burst then hit a plateau as we stabilize and get processes in place. We’re ready for a burst again and GrowFL has helped set us up to be in a position to hire one person a month for the entire year of 2013. That will increase our staff by 50%.”

~ Louis Erickson, COO, Bit-Wizards, Fort Walton Beach

“Thanks to the GrowFL program, we have an opportunity to grow in a smart way. We’re discovering new markets and discovering new insights into those markets. Mostly we’re having an opportunity to bring what we love to do to new places and to new people.”

~ Gwen Griggs, Growth Strategist, Health Designs, Ponte Vedra Beach

“Thanks to the GrowFL program, my company is on track for sustained profitable growth. We plan to double our size within the next 3-5 years. We have some very aggressive plans and we think we have the right tools in place to enable us to do that.”

~ Jack Manila, CEO, Portofino Pools, Jacksonville

“One of the…challenges we’ve been faced with is hiring the right people and really making sure we’re building the right team. You would think in an economy where jobs are at a premium that it would be really easy to hire the right people but unless you have a process and a system, it’s not so easy. We didn’t really have a formal process here until we worked with the GrowFL folks to create that.”

~ Beth Johnston, CEO, Teas, Etc., West Palm Beach

“We have structured ourselves now with some of the ideas and thought processes behind the information we got from GrowFL…I fully expect to grow. I’m looking forward to the opportunities that we’re going to have in the future. I think GrowFL is going to be a big player.”

~Sam Varn, CEO, Awards4U, Tallahassee

“The take-away for us was that we were able to say, ‘Look, we’re a niche business. We happen to sell scientific equipment and we can’t be everything to everyone.’ The team cleared that for us. They defined that for us. Since then, we’ve cleaned up our website with their help. We are able to look at different markets. We took all the information and applied it to our business…in January and February 2013, we had a 100% increase in revenue over the last year. I attribute those results to the support and information that was given to me by the GrowFL team.”

~ Ramon Rivera, CEO, Diamond Systems, LLC, Titusville

“We had a situation this year with a very large hospital chain. We needed to connect with people at high levels and had no clue how to do that. Leveraging the connections with GrowFL and the other CEOs in the Roundtable, there were able to put us in touch with people so we could tell our story. That allowed us to win some new deals and more importantly make connections that will be useful to us and the community.”

~ Brian Fleming, CEO, Omega Medical Imaging, Sanford

“The main part of our company is based in Florida, but everything else is about 700 nautical miles from Florida, in the Dominican Republic. I participate in GrowFL because I want to have the connectivity, the possibilities to understand how to develop the same kind of business and bring our technologies to Florida and create jobs. One of the things GrowFL has done for me is connect me with a bank institution that will help me finance my venture in Florida to create jobs. The research material from GrowFL has also helped me make my web (site) more Americanized and to understand which companies look for customer services that we provide.”

~ Rudy Ganna, President/CEO, Laurus International Enterprises, LLC, Orlando

A top priority on our 2013 Legislative Agenda is the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program. FEDC supports efforts to create an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for attracting, retaining and growing jobs in Florida and thus supports funding state measures to increase access to capital needed for growth for Florida small businesses. Specific items we are advocating for include:

• Support $2M recurring funding for Grow Florida, the state’s Economic Gardening Program.  Economic Gardening assists second-stage (small-mid sized) companies in their growth and expansion.
• Support changes to statute (288.1082) to modify the Economic Gardening Technical Assistance program from a pilot program to a full program available as part of the economic development initiatives throughout Florida and to continue to enhance economic gardening efforts as a tightly integrated technical assistance suite of services by expanding the eligibility criteria to allow more second-stage growth companies in Florida the opportunity to participate.
• Support funding for Small Business Development Centers and additional micro-lending and small business loan programs.

Take Action and Support Economic Gardening

Thursday, March 28th, 2013 at 10:30am the Economic Affairs Committee will vote on CS/HB 663 – Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program. We need your help in contacting legislators. We have prepared an informative message for you to send each Representative. Simply click on the link below, customize your message and signature, and send the email before 9:00am on Thursday, March 28th, 2013. Savvy on social media? We included prefilled tweets to each Representative as well!

Email Economic Affairs Committee Members

Jimmy.Patronis@myfloridahouse.gov

Tom.Goodson@myfloridahouse.gov
Alan.Williams@myfloridahouse.gov
Doug.Broxson@myfloridahouse.gov
Michael.Clelland@myfloridahouse.gov
Travis.Cummings@myfloridahouse.gov
Mark.Danish@myfloridahouse.gov
Daniel.Davis@myfloridahouse.gov
Reggie.Fullwood@myfloridahouse.gov
Joe.Gibbons@myfloridahouse.gov
Ed.Hooper@myfloridahouse.gov
Joe.Oliva@myfloridahouse.gov
Keith.Perry@myfloridahouse.gov
Sharon.Pritchett@myfloridahouse.gov
Holly.Raschein@myfloridahouse.gov
Lake.Ray@myfloridahouse.gov
Jimmie.Smith@myfloridahouse.gov
Carlos.Trujillo@myfloridahouse.gov
Teddi.Creamer@myfloridahouse.gov
Karen.Manning@myfloridahouse.gov
Chandra.Godwin@myfloridahouse.gov
Phillip.Miller@myfloridahouse.gov

Tweet Economic Affairs Committee Members

@Alan4Florida
@RepDougBroxson
@Travis_Cummings
@MarkDanishFL
@DanielDavisFl
@RepJoeGibbons
@keithperry21
@VotePritchett
@HollyRaschein
@LakyRay3
@JimmieTSmith

Share Economic Gardening Success Stories

“GrowFL helped me to realize AAJ Technologies’ potential and played a pivotal role in AAJ’s growth! We have taken advantage of many programs offered by GrowFL and I must say that the best one so far has been the CEO Roundtables. The CEOs within my group has wealth of information and they are always willing to help and share…Let me tell you, having a network of CEOs is great and the group has really helped me in achieving my company goals. I feel like I can’t live without them now.”

                ~Amjad Shamim, CEO, AAJ Technologies, Fort Lauderdale

“Our participation in the GrowFL program over the last few years has been invaluable…We also would now have expanded into some of the new markets GrowFL helped us identify and we definitely would not have been ready to handle our succession process. GrowFL has expanded our reach and competitiveness as a global company.”

~ Jason Flanzbaum, Vice President, Boca Bearing Company, Boynton Beach

“My goal is to grow my company to the next level, which takes courage and drive. GrowFL is a vital support in helping me achieve that goal. Having access to free consultation, marketing, speaker forums and expertise in technical and other areas is giving me the insights I need to move forward…As a result of GrowFL, I have restructured my company and developed processes that have made operations far more efficient. This has set the company on a strong trajectory towards growth for which we have already started to achieve this year.”

~ Sue Diseker, CEO, BocaVox, Weston

“The GrowFL program has helped us in so many ways – from providing the resources for research and marketing, to hosting a forum for CEOs to share ideas and resources, to being the springboard for growth – it provides a tremendous boost to second stage businesses like mine. In my opinion, the GrowFL program is an important tool in the state of Florida…being able to sustain its current business activity and attract more entrepreneurs into investing in the state.”

~ Christine Franklin, PE, President, Cherokee Enterprises, Inc., Miami Lakes

“My goal is to create a business model that can be franchised. I am also laying the groundwork to be able to spin off a portion of our business that can grow in a different market. These endeavors are predicted to create at least 60 new jobs in Florida within the next 3 years…There is no better way to create economic growth and new jobs than to support small businesses. GrowFL does this very efficiently.”

~ D. Barry Fernandez, President/CEO, Clean Fuels of Florida, Inc., Pompano Beach

“For small businesses like Cube Care the technical assistance, mentoring and research have been a vital part of our continued growth. In the past few months we have managed to implement the many processes and practice better decision making skills through the knowledge we have gained…We have recently expanded and are proud to have hired 4 new staff members. GrowFL does not only influence our business practices, but helps to provide stability for the families in our community by supporting a place to work and prosper.”

~ Susan Robledo, CEO, Cube Care Co., Miami Lakes

“Since becoming a part of the GrowFL initiative, I’ve hired four employees; two of which are new positions, based on firm growth. This is a much needed resource for small, growing companies throughout Florida. The net results of participation are ultimate economic recovery, job creation and sturdy companies that will last for the long haul. I strongly recommend the program and I’ve encouraged other small and minority owned business to apply for the program.”

~ A. Wayne Gill, Esq., Managing Partner, Gill Law Firm, Delray Beach

“GrowFL has the power to enable small businesses, such as mine, to develop with a full range of support and guidance throughout the state…It’s programs like GrowFL that make a difference to second-stage growth companies like mine.”

~Jerry D. Hamilton, President, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP, Miami

“The landscape in constantly changing, and information in this digital age is crucial. GrowFL helps me navigate those waters. The support we get with the CEO Roundtable, the marketing input and assessment of our digital marketing strategies has helped us better define our strategy. The resulting business development will help us hire more employees and, in our little way, help grow Florida’s economy.”

~ Henry Woodman, President, ICE Portal, Inc., Hollywood

“GrowFL has helped us at Olde Hearth Bread by exposing us to possible solutions to challenging problems. The experience has been extremely positive, as we are now starting to try and implement their suggestions. The roundtables allow entrepreneurs like myself, who are trying to transition into a CEO role, access to other CEOs’ ideas they would not normally have.”

~ Shannon Talty, CEO, Olde Hearth Bread Co., Casselberry

“For the last 2 years, we have enjoyed receiving ‘sponsorship’ from GrowFL…The support has included analysis of customer base to create more effective marketing campaigns, identification of likely corporate customers and participation in CEO roundtable discussions and meetings…Omega 3 Innovations is now entering a growth stage including employing more employees…GrowFL and EDC have been very important tools for our reaching this stage.”

~Bo Martinsen, MD, CEO, Omega 3 Innovations, Venice

“As a small business, we have struggled at times to find resources to help with strategic planning and to identify and expand our current product portfolio. The GrowFL program and the Economic Gardening Institute have helped to provide these essential resources. We have found the strategic insight and quality of market research to be extremely helpful. As a result of the input by the Economic Gardening Team, we are identifying potential business opportunities and refining new product requirements.”

~ David Akers, President, SmartSAT, Inc., Largo

“My participating in GrowFL has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made for my business and for myself. The knowledge and expertise available through GrowFL along with the hands-on problem solving discussions that take place at each CEO Roundtable are invaluable tools for small businesses. I will tell you that this program has refocused our entire business operation, and has brought back the drive and determination along with newly gained knowledge that will allow my management team to hurl our company to the next level.”

~ Robert E. Sanchez, Vice President/COO, United Screening Services Corp., Miami

“And as a fairly new GrowFL fledgling, I’m in a position to know just how valuable the nurturing that GrowFL provides really is. In fact, the GrowFL CEO Roundtable that I attend has given me the confidence (and knowledge) that I needed to expand my business during the past year…As a result, I have increased my capital investment by hundreds of thousands of dollars on both equipment and employees…When I think of this process being repeated all over Florida – jobs being created, capital being invested – I am optimistic about Florida’s future.”

~ Angelina Garcia, CEO, Y-Not Promos Inc., Hialeah

“My involvement with GrowFL has given me information to build the infrastructure that, as the economy is starting to grow, I can grow in a very secure way to be successful and more profitable.”

~ Sandie Foland, Baron Sign Manufacturing, Riviera Beach

“Bit-Wizards is in growth mode. We realized that our company has grown like a set of stairs. We have a burst then hit a plateau as we stabilize and get processes in place. We’re ready for a burst again and GrowFL has helped set us up to be in a position to hire one person a month for the entire year of 2013. That will increase our staff by 50%.”

~ Louis Erickson, COO, Bit-Wizards, Fort Walton Beach

“Thanks to the GrowFL program, we have an opportunity to grow in a smart way. We’re discovering new markets and discovering new insights into those markets. Mostly we’re having an opportunity to bring what we love to do to new places and to new people.”

~ Gwen Griggs, Growth Strategist, Health Designs, Ponte Vedra Beach

“Thanks to the GrowFL program, my company is on track for sustained profitable growth. We plan to double our size within the next 3-5 years. We have some very aggressive plans and we think we have the right tools in place to enable us to do that.”

~ Jack Manila, CEO, Portofino Pools, Jacksonville

“One of the…challenges we’ve been faced with is hiring the right people and really making sure we’re building the right team. You would think in an economy where jobs are at a premium that it would be really easy to hire the right people but unless you have a process and a system, it’s not so easy. We didn’t really have a formal process here until we worked with the GrowFL folks to create that.”

~ Beth Johnston, CEO, Teas, Etc., West Palm Beach

“We have structured ourselves now with some of the ideas and thought processes behind the information we got from GrowFL…I fully expect to grow. I’m looking forward to the opportunities that we’re going to have in the future. I think GrowFL is going to be a big player.”

~Sam Varn, CEO, Awards4U, Tallahassee

“The take-away for us was that we were able to say, ‘Look, we’re a niche business. We happen to sell scientific equipment and we can’t be everything to everyone.’ The team cleared that for us. They defined that for us. Since then, we’ve cleaned up our website with their help. We are able to look at different markets. We took all the information and applied it to our business…in January and February 2013, we had a 100% increase in revenue over the last year. I attribute those results to the support and information that was given to me by the GrowFL team.”

~ Ramon Rivera, CEO, Diamond Systems, LLC, Titusville

“We had a situation this year with a very large hospital chain. We needed to connect with people at high levels and had no clue how to do that. Leveraging the connections with GrowFL and the other CEOs in the Roundtable, there were able to put us in touch with people so we could tell our story. That allowed us to win some new deals and more importantly make connections that will be useful to us and the community.”

~ Brian Fleming, CEO, Omega Medical Imaging, Sanford

“The main part of our company is based in Florida, but everything else is about 700 nautical miles from Florida, in the Dominican Republic. I participate in GrowFL because I want to have the connectivity, the possibilities to understand how to develop the same kind of business and bring our technologies to Florida and create jobs. One of the things GrowFL has done for me is connect me with a bank institution that will help me finance my venture in Florida to create jobs. The research material from GrowFL has also helped me make my web (site) more Americanized and to understand which companies look for customer services that we provide.”

~ Rudy Ganna, President/CEO, Laurus International Enterprises, LLC, Orlando

Good Afternoon,

Happy Anniversary! Please join me in congratulating Gray Swoope as he celebrates his two-year anniversary as Secretary of Commerce and President & CEO of Enterprise Florida. Gray’s tenure here has resulted in a more cohesive and robust framework for Florida’s economic development network. Gray, we are happy you are part of the team!

As we finish week three of the 2013 Session here are some noteworthy legislative items and areas for you to participate in the process:

SB0406 / HB563– Reporting Requirement For Economic Development Agencies – Enterprise Florida, Space Florida and DEO are very supportive of this bill. It codifies in statute what the agencies are already doing. The media portrays this as “holding economic development agencies feet to the fire” when in fact each agency is already in compliance and welcomes the assistance with annual audits and reporting requirements.

SB0236 / HB4013 – Tax Refund Programs (QTI/QDSC) – This bill to remove the lifetime cap on QTI and QDSC awards is moving through both the House and Senate and looks very promising. There is one more stop in both the House and Senate.

SB0518 – Economic Business Incentive (Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing) – This bill is moving. It has not been heard yet in the Senate but expected to be soon. For those of you who have strong relationships with Senator Negron, please reach out to him to tell him how important the sales tax exemption is. Here is a link to an article that appeared in the Naples Daily News this week about Negron’s view of the bill. Not only should you reach out to him but also the members of both the House and Senate to show your support.

Most importantly to note, this week the Senate Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee came out with their first round of budget recommendations. The Committee recommended a substantially lower number than what the Governor requested for the fund containing economic development incentives. The Governor’s recommendations were $105M. The Committee recommendation was $16M.  This link will take you to the specific budget line items for the Department of Economic Opportunity. Recommended pages to read: 24-37.

While this is the first round and many rounds of negotiations are yet to take place, it is also VERY IMPORTANT that both the House and Senate hear from you, the economic development community. At the very least write your local delegation to tell them how important these programs are to keeping Florida going in the right direction with job growth and job creation. A sample letter for you to use is available on our website. I would suggest that you also personalize it to them by giving an example of a successful project(s), and how their funding of the toolkit made this possible.

Please take a few minutes to visit our Legislative Call to Action Page for week three and email, tweet, and share this message with legislators, community leaders and your peers.

Have a great weekend and week ahead,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

2 Ways to Get Involved Immediately

Email Senate Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee Today
We have a sample letter that you can quickly customize and email to the committee members. Simply click on each committee member name below and a prefilled email will appear for you to customize. You can also download a .csv file of all committee members. Use the .csv file to create a contact group in your email software so the committee member emails are saved in your contacts. Download Email Contacts

Andy Gardiner

Gwen Margolis

Greg Evers

Audrey Gibson

Jack Latvala

Tom Lee

Jeremy Ring

Wilton Simpson

Eleanor Sobel

Kelli Stargel

Geraldine Thompson

Sample Letter

Dear [Insert Name],

Thank you for your commitment to job growth and creation in Florida. As an economic development professional, we are dedicated to helping those businesses in our community and throughout the state of Florida have the tools necessary to retain, grow and attract business. In order to effectively do that and remain competitive, your support in funding economic development programs at the Governor’s recommended level of $105M is critically important. An example of a recent project where these tools have helped in our community is this: [Insert Project Sample]

Additionally, we thank you and are supportive of the work being done through SB406 / HB563 at the state level as it relates to reporting requirements for economic development agencies.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]

Happy Anniversary! Please join me in congratulating Gray Swoope as he celebrates his two-year anniversary as Secretary of Commerce and President & CEO of Enterprise Florida. Gray’s tenure here has resulted in a more cohesive and robust framework for Florida’s economic development network. Gray, we are happy you are part of the team!

As we finish week three of the 2013 Session here are some noteworthy legislative items and areas for you to participate in the process:

SB406 / HB563– Reporting Requirement For Economic Development Agencies – Enterprise Florida, Space Florida and DEO are very supportive of this bill. It codifies in statute what the agencies are already doing. The media portrays this as “holding economic development agencies feet to the fire” when in fact each agency is already in compliance and welcomes the assistance with annual audits and reporting requirements.

SB236 / HB4013 – Tax Refund Programs (QTI/QDSC) – This bill to remove the lifetime cap on QTI and QDSC awards is moving through both the House and Senate and looks very promising. There is one more stop in both the House and Senate.

SB518 – Economic Business Incentive (Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing) – This bill is moving. It has not been heard yet in the Senate but expected to be soon. For those of you who have strong relationships with Senator Negron, please reach out to him to tell him how important the sales tax exemption is. Here is a link to an article that appeared in the Naples Daily News this week about Negron’s view of the bill. Not only should you reach out to him but also the members of both the House and Senate to show your support.

Most importantly to note, this week the Senate Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee came out with their first round of budget recommendations. The Committee recommended a substantially lower number than what the Governor requested for the fund containing economic development incentives. The Governor’s recommendations were $105M. The Committee recommendation was $16M.  This link will take you to the specific budget line items for the Department of Economic Opportunity. Recommended pages to read: 24-37.

While this is the first round and many rounds of negotiations are yet to take place, it is also VERY IMPORTANT that both the House and Senate hear from you, the economic development community. At the very least write your local delegation to tell them how important these programs are to keeping Florida going in the right direction with job growth and job creation. A sample letter for you to use is available on our website. I would suggest that you also personalize it to them by giving an example of a successful project(s), and how their funding of the toolkit made this possible.

Please take a few minutes to visit our Legislative Call to Action Page for week three and email, tweet, and share this message with legislators, community leaders and your peers.

Have a great weekend and week ahead,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

Good Afternoon,

The second week of Session continues to be active. HB 663by Hudson on Economic Gardening was passed in the Economic Affairs Committee on Wednesday. We are hoping to have it heard in Senate Commerce & Tourism soon and will be ready to update you with as much information as possible.

Economic Development Incentives also continue to be a hot topic in Tallahassee. Finance & Tax are conducting a review of all incentives. SB 406 by Gardiner and Benacquisto on Economic Development, requiring a more extensive review of state tax-break programs, was approved by Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development on Thursday.Please reach out to your Representative and Senators to stress the importance of the toolkit. You can find valuable information including legislators contact information and form letters on our legislative page.

It will be important as we go through the next several weeks that the economic development community rally together to show examples successful stories. If you have best practices and testimonials that you would like to share, please email us at info@fedc.net.

We need legislators to hear from us directly. Many times it is the voice of those who oppose economic development or do not have a firm understanding of its importance that have the loudest voice. We want to make sure that our legislators are well informed. Look forward next week to a social media toolkit and talking points that will be great help for you as you share your story with legislators.

Early bird registration is open for the  2013 Florida Economic Development Conference! June will come before you know it so start making plans to take advantage of the early bird rates that go through April 12th.

Have a great weekend and week ahead,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council

Good Afternoon,

Welcome to the 2013 Legislative Session! It is time for the economic development community to engage. You can view FEDC’s and our strategic partners’ legislative agendas below:

• FEDC 
• Enterprise Florida
• Florida Chamber
• Manufacturer’s Association of Florida
• Space Florida
• Workforce Florida

Each week we will be working with our partners to keep you up to date and engaged in the legislative process. Please join your colleagues around the state to write your legislators and thank them for their support of economic development in Florida. Our legislative page has email lists in easy to use .csv format of all the Senate and House committees associated with the bills we are following. For more information about getting involved you can view the recording of our Legislative Call to Action Webinar. “WatchWebinar” is the password you enter to access the recording.

This first week, Ethics and Public Record Reform SB 2 and 4passed unanimously. Senate President Gaetz called the members of Senate back to session immediately following the Governor’s State of the State address. SB 2 and 4 were co-sponsored by all 40 Florida Senators and served as a great start to bi-partisan efforts this 2013 Session. The bills are a sweeping ethics reform including the ability to garnish public salaries and lien the private property of officials who fail to pay fines for ethics and elections violations, require ethics training for constitutional officers, provides safeguards for new provisions allowing the Ethics Commission to initiate investigations based on referrals from the Governor, Department of Law Enforcement, state and U.S. Attorneys and more.

Also on the first day of Session, Speaker Will Weatherfordworked in the House of Representatives to pass Election Reform HB 7013, an election reform bill adding more voting days, polling locations and will help ensure that voting sites are properly staffed and equipped. Together, Speaker Will Weatherford and President Gaetz are supporting Work Plan Florida, a joint effort to tackle ethics and campaign finance reform, changes to Florida’s public sector pension plans, innovations in the education system and a review of Florida’s election laws.

On the economic development side we saw Governor Scott work to advance Economic Business Incentives SB 518 byHukill and HB 391 by Magar through the House and Senate. The bills eliminate the sales tax for manufacturing machinery, equipment and spaceport activities. Nancy Stephens, Executive Director of the Manufacturing Association of Florida, wrote an op-ed piece describing the benefits Florida seeks to gain by growing this industry. You can also find more information in this informational piece put together by the Governor’s Office to help advocacy efforts.

Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Program is seeking $2 million in recurring funding to continue and expand the statewide program administered by the Florida Economic gardening Institute. The Economic Gardening Technical Assistance Funding SB 1012 by Hays and HB 663by Hudson were both introduced on the first day of Session and expected to be heard in the next couple of weeks. This is one of the main priorities covered in FEDC’s Legislative Agenda – we invite you to share the program’s successes which can be found on GrowFL.comand in this Economic Impact Study.

We will continue to see more action on the economic development and workforce front in the coming weeks. I will be in Tallahassee meeting with legislators and attending committee meetings relevant to the FEDC’s Legislative Agenda and will be updating you on a daily basis via social media and in this weekly email.

On a lighter note I want to remind you all the registration is open for the 2013 Florida Economic Development Conference. We already have registrations coming in and many of you are eager to take advantage of the early bird rates that go through April 12th.

Finally, I would like to thank Rebecca Rust, Director of the Labor Market Statistics Center at Florida DEO, for helping put together a presentation for New Smyrna’s 2nd Annual Economic Development Summit this past weekend. I was honored to present to a group so dedicated to updating and growing their economic development plan. I enjoy every opportunity I have to travel throughout our state supporting FEDC members and thank New Smyrna for inviting me to share in such a fantastic event!

Have a great weekend and week ahead,
Amy Evancho
President and CEO
Florida Economic Development Council