Monday – December 18, 2006

VOLUSIA COUNTY COUNCIL SUPPORTS NEW JOBS FOR AREA EXPANSION - A request by the county’s Department of Economic Development was approved recently by the Volusia County Council to support the expansion of an Ormond Beach-based manufacturer, Microflex Inc. A local manufacturer of automotive components, Microflex is in the process of permitting a 50,000-square-foot expansion of the company’s facilities to accommodate new contracts with several of the nation’s leading automakers. The expansion is scheduled to begin construction in early 2007. The Volusia County Council’s investment of $27,000 will leverage an additional $108,000 match by the State of Florida as part of the State’s Qualified Targeted Industry Tax Refund grant program. The grant will support the addition of 45 new fulltime high-skilled and high-wage manufacturing jobs by the company following the completion of its new production facility.

MONEY MAGAZINE’S BEST PLACES TO LIVE – According to Money Magazine’s ‘Best Places to Live,’ the lowest median home price can be found in Reading, Pa. at $42,850, followed by Buffalo, N.Y. at $45,000. Want warmer weather? Number 16 on the list of 25 lowest is Port Arthur, Texas at $69,142, and at number 22 is Birmingham, Ala. with a median value of $75,000. Money Magazine reports the median home price in Daytona Beach at $150,000, Deltona at $160,000, and Port Orange at $205,050.

AIRTRAN OFFERING AIRFAIR INCENTIVES TO AREA COMPANIES – AirTran will begin operations from the Daytona Beach International Airport beginning January 11. A service provider to more than 50 destinations nationwide, AirTran is currently offering $25 discount incentives for tickets booked prior to January 31, 2007 for travel originating through April 30, 2007. The County’s Department of Economic Development will be mailing $50 in travel incentives (two $25 incentive coupons) to each of the county’s 430 manufacturing companies to encourage local business travel. This offer is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you or your company would like to receive similar incentives, please contact Robbin Sebra at the Department of Economic Development at 386/248-8048.

HAVING DIFFICULTY FILLING A JOB VACANCY? – In an effort to feature higher skilled and higher waged job vacancies throughout Volusia County, the county’s Department of Economic Development has created a Job Vacancy Board at the Daytona Beach International Airport (DBIA). The board features job vacancies that range from a minimum annual salary of $40,000 with many positions listed for well over $80,000. With more than 750,000 passengers and several hundred thousand other visitors to DBIA annually, the Job Vacancy Board is an easy and free venue to promote your company’s higher skilled and higher waged jobs through direct viewing by the public and by word-of-mouth. If you have a job vacancy for your company that you would like to post, send the job description information in a Microsoft Word or PDF file format and email it to Doug Vimmerstedt, Special Projects Coordinator, at dvimmerstedt@co.volusia.fl.us.

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES GROWING - During the past nine years, the number of women-owned companies in Florida has grown by 84 percent. This is the highest growth rate of any state according to a new report from the Center of Women’s Business Research. Florida posted 553,296 companies where women owned at least 51 percent or more of the business. Volusia County is home to an estimated 2,400 women-owned businesses employing upwards of 15,000 employees.

INTERESTED IN EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCTS? – The county’s economic development team has co-located a U.S. Export Assistance Center in Daytona Beach at the Advanced Technology Center to provide small or medium-sized businesses with local exporting assistance. To learn more about the services offered or to schedule a personal meeting, contact Paul Mitchell, Business Specialist, at 386/274-3439.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION RATES TO DECLINE – Florida’s workers’ compensation insurance rates are scheduled to fall statewide by an average of 15.7 percent, effective January 1. The Florida Insurance Commission reported that per industry group, the rate drop is to be 15.4 percent for manufacturing, 16 percent for contracting, 16.2 percent for office and clerical, 15.3 percent for goods and services and 15.7 percent for miscellaneous other industry sectors. The decrease is the fourth consecutive annual rate drop since the State Legislature reformed the state’s workers’ compensation system in 2003.

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.