Monday – February 19, 2007

NO INTEREST EMERGENCY BUSINESS LOANS AVAILABLE FOR TORNADO VICTIMS -- Applications for an emergency bridge loan are available for businesses impacted by the February 2 tornado. Emergency short-term loans for up to $25,000 interest free for six months have been made available from the state. Locally, the program is being administrated by the county Department of Economic Development in cooperation with the DeLand area branches of SunTrust Bank, Riverside Bank, Wachovia, Bank of America, Main Street Community Bank, Prosperity Bank and Harbor Federal. Applications are available online or by calling Paul Mitchell, Business Specialist with the Department of Economic Development, at 386/274-3439.

NEW CONSTRUCTION HITS $1.1 BILLION IN 2006 -- Although not at the robust level of $1.5 billion of 2005, the local new construction market still managed to attract an estimated $1.1 billion in new permitted values in 2006. This level of capital investment for a community with a population of just over 500,000 is still a significant generator of construction-related expenditures and employment for the local economy. An average of 14,700 construction-related jobs were in place in 2006 accounting for the annual growth of this job sector by 7.7 percent for the year. Construction employment accounts for approximately 8 percent of the county’s employed workforce.

SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO VOLUSIA COUNTY RESIDENTS REACH $899 MILLION -- According to the latest annual data released by the U.S. Social Security Administration, the federal government paid $899 million to Volusia County residents in 2005.

LEARN HOW TO ACHIEVE BUSINESS SUCCESS FORUM PLANNED -- The Port Orange/South Daytona Chamber of Commerce is planning a Sunrise Business Forum March 21 at 7:30 a.m. at the Riverside Pavilion, 3431 Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange. The topic is Work On Your Business – Not Just In It. The interactive round table format encourages guests to bring questions for local business leaders to address and provide insight on what it takes to grow a small business. The event is open to the public. Additional information is available by contacting the chamber at 386/761-1601.

OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW PURCHASING OPPORTUNITIES -- A Purchasing Assistance Center workshop will be held Tuesday, February 20, at the Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Ave. The workshop will be from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Attendees will learn how to do business with the school board and area cities, colleges and the county. For further information please contact Julio W. Holness at 386/274-3437.

JANUARY FORECLOSURES UP 13 PERCENT -- Nearly 12,000 foreclosures were recorded in Florida in January. The number of foreclosures was up 13 percent from the same period in 2006 ranking the state third in the country, according to RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for January. The 11,709 foreclosures was up 40 percent from December, and the rate of one property in some stage of foreclosure for every 624 households ranked Florida sixth in the country.

EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN CENTRAL AMERICA – Panama offers Volusia companies excellent opportunities for a wide variety of products/services. The U.S. Department of Commerce is sponsoring an internet briefing to help you assess these opportunities. The briefing will be Tuesday, February 27, at 3 p.m. The program will focus on how to do business with the Panama Canal Authority that buys more than $500 million in goods and services annually. The canal authority will be managing the Panama Canal Expansion Project which will cost an estimated $5.3 billion and will take up to eight years to complete. This massive project will provide tremendous opportunities for U.S. providers of all types of goods and services.

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.