April 5, 2010

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR CANADIAN TRADE MISSION -- Enterprise Florida, Inc. is inviting Florida companies to participate in RepCan 2010, the premier event for manufacturers and exclusive distributors of U.S. products. Participants will meet with pre-qualified Canadian distributors. Enterprise Florida will provide on-site staff support before, during and after the event. Enterprise Florida has target sector trade event grants available to qualified companies for this event. For information, contact Paul Mitchell at the Volusia County Department of Economic Development at 386/248-8048.

WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON TEAM-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING – The Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Volusia Manufacturers Association and Daytona State College (DSC) are hosting a workshop that trains participants how to use a structured, team approach to eliminate the cause of costly operational problems. The workshop is Monday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DeLand campus of DSC. For information, contact Jayne Fifer at 386/673-0505 or email jayne.fifer@vmaonline.com.

DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS A MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT – The Florida Department of Transportation’s Aviation Office has analyzed the economic impact of the businesses directly affected by Daytona Beach International Airport and the spending by visitors arriving on commercial airlines or general aviation. The total annual direct economic impact to the community is more than $167 million. The indirect impact is more than $245 million and the impact to other parts of the community is more than $327 million, for a total exceeding $741 million. The airport creates more than 8,340 jobs with a total payroll exceeding $237 million.

PRESENTATIONS FOCUS ON SMART GROWTH IN VOLUSIA COUNTY – The Volusia Council of Governments is sponsoring two presentations about smart growth in Volusia County. The East Volusia presentation is April 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Daytona State College’s Small Business Development Center. The West Volusia presentation is April 14 from 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Deltona City Hall. The presentations on smart growth will cover what planners have in their toolbox and will include discussion on challenges to smart growth in Volusia County. For information, please contact Mary Swiderski at 386/226-0422, extension 26, or by email to mswiderski@VolusiaCOG.com, or Mary Curran at 386/226-0422, extension 32, or by email to mcurran@VolusiaCOG.com

IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS -- The start of hurricane season, June 1, is only nine weeks away. With that in mind, here are five key steps to weatherproofing your business: Identify the risk factors; devise a strategy; get or confirm insurance; weigh costs with benefits, and mitigate risks. The Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College offers free business counseling on this topic. Call 386/506-4723 for more information.

‘SHOVEL READY’ AN OFFICIAL TERM -- The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has mainstreamed the term "shovel ready". Under the bill, any project that receives money from the federal stimulus package must be ready for immediate action. The same is true for corporate real estate development. When a company is ready to build a new facility or expand, the time to act is now. That's where shovel ready sites come into play. Companies looking to expand, want and need sites that are risk-free and ready for development. A shovel-ready site should be available, fully served with all essential utilities and infrastructure, and be ready for construction.

GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK: USE A WATER FILTER OR PITCHER -- Bottled water isn't necessarily cleaner or better than tap water. As an alternative, why not use a water filter pitcher or an in-sink faucet filter. This way you take advantage of the water you’re already paying for and you save the environmental cost of transporting bottled water to the grocer's shelf as well as tons of plastic that would end up in a landfill.

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

Department of Economic Development
700 Catalina Drive, Suite 200, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Telephone: 386-248-8048   FAX: 386 238-4761   Toll Free: 800-554-3801