Tampa Hillsborough EDC, community partners celebrate Economic Development Week

May 24, 2017

    Without economic development efforts, our community would look much different than it does. The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and its many local partners came together the second week of May to celebrate the importance of economic development efforts in Tampa and Hillsborough County for Economic Development Week (EDW), originally started by the International Economic Development Council in 2016.   As the lead designated economic development agency for Tampa and Hillsborough County, the Tampa Hillsborough EDC made sure the community was able to celebrate the week properly.   On Wednesday, May 10th, the EDC hosted a media roundtable with reporters from the Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Bay Business Journal and business leaders in the community driving economic development efforts. President and CEO Craig J. Richard, CEcD was joined by Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, CareerSource Tampa Bay President and CEO Ed Peachey, Hillsborough Community College’s Vice President of Workforce Training Dr. Ginger Clark, Saint Leo University’s Vice President of University Advancement Denny Moller, and University of Tampa’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Stern to discuss the future of economic development efforts in our community. Despite budget cuts at the state level, the EDC and its many partners have a strategy in place to not lose the momentum we’ve worked so hard to create.   On Thursday, May 11th, hundreds of local business and community leaders joined the EDC staff for an open house at their office in downtown Tampa. Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres from Pane Rustica and craft beer from Ybor-based Coppertail Brewing Company while networking with EDC staffers and other business professionals.   A fun celebration of economic development efforts that have turned Tampa and Hillsborough County into a top business destination, the open house also educated attendees on the multitude of services the EDC provides in conjunction with their many community partners. From research and real estate searches to assistance with training grants, the EDC team is available to connect businesses with a variety of business services vital to growth and success.   “Many people think we only recruit companies to Tampa and Hillsborough County,” says Steve Morey, Vice President, Business Development, Tampa Hillsborough EDC. “In fact, the majority of companies we work with are located here. We assist with everything from training grants to recruiting talent to real estate searches.”   In addition to the events, the EDC kicked off a social media campaign, featuring videos of staff members highlighting the EDC’s services. Many EDC staff members and Investors got in on the social action, sharing the videos and photos from the open house with the hashtag #EconDevWeek.   Both the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County presented proclamations honoring the importance of economic development in our community to celebrate the week. The EDC staff was honored by the City of Tampa for its efforts, while they joined representatives from Hillsborough County and the cities of Temple Terrace, Plant City, and Tampa to be recognized by Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White at a Board of County Commissioners meeting.