Monday – October 16, 2006

AIRTRAN TO OFFER NEW AIRLINE SERVICE FROM DAYTONA BEACH – Beginning January 12, AirTran Airways will be providing daily round-trip service to Atlanta, with connections to more than 40 other destinations. Beginning February 15, the carrier will offer nonstop service to Baltimore. The announcement was made Friday during an announcement ceremony at Daytona Beach International Airport. U.S. Congressman John Mica, members of the Volusia County Council and AirTran officials were on hand to mark the occasion. AirTran is a discount carrier with airfare starting at under $100. For more information about AirTran, visit www.AirTran.com.

COUNTY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM HEADING FOR MINNEAPOLIS – The County’s Economic Development team will be participating in the Medical Design and Manufacturing trade show October 25-26 in Minneapolis, Minn. The show will feature more than 800 manufacturers of medical related products and is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees. If your manufacturing company is interested in having your company’s literature displayed before this audience, please contact Paul Mitchell, Business Development Specialist, at 386/274-3439 prior to October 18 to coordinate shipping arrangements. Passes are also available to area companies wanting to visit or participate in the show.

TEFRA HEARING HELD TO SUPPORT $3-MILLION INDUSTRIAL REVENUE BOND – A public meeting was held last week by the county’s Department of Economic Development in cooperation with the Florida Development Finance Corporation to support the issuance of a $3,000,000 Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) on behalf of Independent Printing of Daytona Beach. Funding from the IRB will be used to acquire new state-of-the-art printing equipment and technology. An IRB is a tax-free financing option for qualifying manufacturers for capital expenditures such as land and building acquisition, facility renovations, and equipment and machinery. If you would like to learn more about the County’s Industrial Revenue Bond program, contact Phil Ehlinger, Business Development Manager, at 386/248-8048.

NEW MANUFACTURER SEEKING PRODUCTION SPACE – The County’s Economic Development team is working with a small manufacturer who is seeking 5,000 to 7,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space for lease, with 20,000 square feet of outside storage. If you or someone you know has space that could accommodate this client, please contact John Kizer, Business Specialist, at 386/248-8048. Your building and contact information will be forwarded directly to the client for their review and direct follow-up.

FORECLOSURE RATES IN FLORIDA ON THE RISE – Florida had the nation's highest rate of foreclosures in September, accounting for about 27 percent of the activity in the country, according to Bargain Network, an online provider of real estate foreclosure information. With about 28,000 properties entering some stage of foreclosure during the month, Florida's rate was more than four times the national average and represented one foreclosure filing for every 254 households in the state. Foreclosures on a national level increased 51 percent in September to 103,000 properties compared to the same month last year. For the third quarter, foreclosures jumped 39 percent compared to the same period in 2005. The rise is attributed to the increase in loans in which mortgage holders pay only interest and not equity on their properties.

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURER SEEKING PRODUCTION SPACE – A manufacturer of communication electronics is in the early stage of seeking a new production facility in central Florida. The County’s Economic Development team is looking for up to 40,000 square feet of existing manufacturing space to present to the company along with a comprehensive package of worker training and wage data, utility rate comparisons and other performance enhancements. If you or someone you know has an available existing facility matching these requirements, please contact John Kizer, Business Specialist, at 386/248-8048. Your building and contact information will be forwarded directly to the client for their review and direct follow-up.

LEARN MORE ON HOW YOUR COMPANY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE EXCITEMENT OF AREA FOOTBALL – Daytona Beach’s newest sporting event, the Daytona Thunder, invites you to learn more about how your company’s employees and clients can benefit from being part of the Thunder. For more information, email Antone Smothers, Director of Marketing, at asmothers@dbthunder.net.

NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave Byron, Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at (386) 822-5072 or by e-mail at dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us