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Bradenton Herald, The (FL)
December 11, 2004
Section: business
COMPANIES TO FLOCK TO MANATEE
Tilde Herrera, Herald Staff Writer
MANATEE --- When Rena and Neil Doniger began yearning for a climate
change, they searched Florida for a place to relocate their New
Hampshire tape and label manufacturing business.
The couple got hooked on the area and decided to relocate after
qualifying for a state tax break. Their company will arrive next
spring. NADCO Inc. is one of nine companies planning to move to
Manatee County, business leader Jeff Boyd said on Thursday.
Boyd is chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development
Council. Business owners say that the area's quality of life,
healthy labor pool, pro-business climate and growth potential make
the area an attractive place to conduct business.
Boyd, who made the announcement at the Industry of the Year Awards
luncheon, also said there were six business expansions in 2004 as of
October.
The new projects will result in an estimated $86 million of capital
investment and some 255 targeted jobs, he said.
The EDC, a group of business leaders who recruit companies to the
county to maintain a healthy job pool and economy, usually announces
project accomplishments at its annual meeting and in the annual
report, said executive director Nancy Engel. The number of projects
this year is in line with annual averages although the amount of
capital investment is higher than usual.
Five new companies include NADCO Inc., Trinity Manufacturing, DVA
Sports, Rectrix Aviation and Florida Precast Specialty Products.
There are also four new projects the EDC declined to disclose
without the companies' approvals.
The six expansions are Aer-Flo Inc., Champ Products Inc., Efficient
Wall Systems of Florida, Cowan Designs, Moore Employer Solutions and
O.E. Wheel Distributors.
Boyd believes that companies are attracted by lifestyle factors.
"Anecdotally, the most common denominator is that the quality of
life in Manatee County is such that it draws those CEOs to want to
live and work here," Boyd said.
Rena Doniger agreed.
"We come from a small town of 30,000, and we wanted something
similar to that plus we wanted culture and things to do," Rena
Doniger said. "We think Manatee County has that small-town
mentality."
The EDC's aggressive recruitment made the difference for some
businesses.
"When we started looking in Florida, the chamber and the EDC did the
best job selling the area," said Ritchie Griffin, co-owner of Champ
Products Inc., which has produced heat exchangers and oil and fuel
coolers for truck, marine, transit bus and industrial applications
since 1988. "They were more aggressive and gave more assistance than
anywhere else, and by that time we were sold on the area."
Champ Products moved into a 65,000-square-foot building in mid-2004
and added about 10 jobs, Griffin said.
An abundant labor pool has also attracted businesses.
"We relocated from Detroit three years ago to the west coast of
Florida because of the explosive growth in the construction
industry," said Herman Guevara from Efficient Wall Systems. "We came
to Manatee County because we wanted a central location that had
access to a workforce."
Efficient Wall Systems, which manufactures a patented concrete wall
system called the E-Wall, moved into a 21,000-square-foot facility
in August, Guevara said. The company tripled its workforce in 2004
to 45 employees, and plans to double it in 2005.
Other new businesses include start-up Trinity Manufacturing, which
began producing cable harnesses and wire harnesses for electrical
and electronic applications in January, said co-owner Jim Fitch.
Trinity currently employs 19 people.
DVA Sports began construction of a 220,000-square-foot hockey arena,
which has created hundreds of jobs, said Vice President Larry Kish.
When the arena is completed in September 2005, it will employ
between 35 and 45 people full time, Kish said, in addition to 200 to
300 part-time jobs.
Florida Precast Specialty Products, a precast concrete company, will
begin operating in Manatee County early next year, creating an
anticipated 20 jobs, Engel said.
Rectrix Aviation, a private jet charter company, plans to start
building a "hangar-minium," a private hangar for a group of business
jet-owners at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, by the
end of the year, said President Jim Hausch.
When the 100,000-square-foot structure is completed about 14 months
later, it will create an estimated 50 jobs. Rectrix has operated
from the airport since 2000, Hausch said.
Aer-Flo Inc. began construction of a 38,000-square-foot plant, plus
6,000-square-foot of office space. The company, which produces
environmental barriers for various industries, will keep its current
17,000-square-foot space and add about 10 to 12 jobs in the year
after the construction's completion in April, said William Henning,
who owns the company with wife Betsy.
According to Engel, other projects include: Cowan Designs, a custom
cabinetry producer, which moved to an 11,000-square foot building in
September and anticipates adding six jobs and Moore Employer
Solutions, which is expected to add about six jobs after expanding
into additional office space in downtown Bradenton.
Jeff Boyd, Economic Development Council chairman, announced on
Thursday that nine new businesses are moving to Manatee County.
Copyright (c) 2004 The Bradenton Herald
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