A ribbon cutting that computes
The training division of Computers Etc. at the Dade City Business Center recently had a ribbon cutting and grand opening, sponsored by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. Partners Ken Buzzie, Kristin Pelletier and staffer Michael Tauber cut the ribbon for the new center. The new center will help customers with Microsoft Office Suite, Windows 7, Window 8 and Windows 8.1, as well as accounting software.
(Courtesy of Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce)
Open house at SmartStart
SmartStart Dade City will host an open house April 4 from noon to 3 p.m. to learn about Pasco County’s first business incubator, and get a tour of the facility.
SmartStart is located at 15000 Citrus Country Drive in Dade City.
Managed by the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., SmartStart encourages companies to work in a collaborative environment with other small businesses. Tenants have round-the-clock access to office space, as well as co-working space with free Wi-Fi, a mailbox, conference room space, seminars and one-on-one mentoring.
Swiftmud will keep Babb
Michael Babb will get another shot at the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board after earning a reappointment by Gov. Rick Scott.
Babb of Tampa is the president of Two Rivers Ranch. If confirmed by the Florida Senate, he will serve until the beginning of March 2018.
Governing board members are unpaid volunteers who set policy for the district, manage the water and related resources of west central Florida, and protect the environment.
Social for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will host a social and open house April 17 beginning at 5 p.m., at City Grill, 5429 Village Market in Wesley Chapel.
No RSVP or meeting fees are required.
For information, call (813) 600-9848, or email .
Bellafield collection opens at Seven Oaks
Standard Pacific Homes recently hosted the grand opening of its Bellafield collection of single-family homes in Wesley Chapel’s Seven Oaks community.
Two model homes of the collection are now open, which includes “great rooms,” gourmet kitchens and spa-like master bathrooms.
House sizes range from 1,945 square feet to 3,866 square feet, and is in both single- and two-story designs. Prices start a little under $300,000.
The Bellafield sales center is located at 4527 Scarlet Loop in Wesley Chapel. For information, visit StandardPacificHomes.com.
East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.
Here’s the group’s slate of upcoming speakers:
• April 8: Danny Burgess, Zephyrhills mayor, candidate for State House District 38
• May 27: Mike Moore, candidate for Pasco County Commission, owner of VR Business Sales
NetFest on April 3
Pasco County Economic Development will host NetFest April 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Starkey Ranch, 12959 State Road 54 in Odessa.
The 12th annual event is for business and community leaders around Tampa Bay, and includes music and barbecue.
Tickets are $45 each, or $35 for Pasco EDC investors and their guests.
For information, call (888) 607-2726.
Gassaway joins PEDC board
B. Patrick Gassaway, president of Heidt Design LLC, has joined the Pasco Economic Development Council’s board of directors.
Heidt Design is a local consulting firm providing community planning, land planning, landscape architecture, ecological services, land development engineering, and construction inspection services in the Tampa Bay region. Heidt Design first became an investor of the Pasco EDC in 2012, and has since increased its involvement to the $10,000 corporate council level.
“Since 1999, our engineering practice has been solely focused on Pasco County,” Gassaway said, in a release. “We’ve watched the area explode with growth, and we look forward to helping contribute to the planning, development and creation of jobs in this community.”
The Pasco EDC board is responsible for governing the organization and providing leadership in the execution of its strategies.
Meadow Pointe townhomes begin
Construction has started on Lennar’s Central Florida Division’s newest project at Meadow Pointe.
The company is building 62 townhomes just north of New Tampa in southern Pasco County. The townhomes will have three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, ranging in square feet from 1,636 to 1,853. Prices will begin at around $150,000.
Meadow Pointe is a 1,800-acre project with nature preserves and other amenities including swimming pools, basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, playgrounds, nature trails and bicycle paths.
For information, visit LennarTampaFl.com.
LGBT bill gets corporate support
More Florida businesses are throwing their support to a bipartisan bill that would ban anti-gay and gender-based discrimination.
Joining Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce are Raymond James Financial, Winn-Dixie Stores, On Top of the World Communities in Ocala, and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Other businesses already a part of the coalition include C1 Bank, Carlton Fields, CSX Corp., Darden Restaurants, Florida Blue, Wells Fargo and Home Shopping Network.
While it’s illegal to discriminate in employment, housing and public accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or marital status, the LGBT community is left out of statewide non-discrimination protections, according to a release. The group instead has supported S.B. 348 and H.B. 239, collectively known as the Florida Competitive Workforce Act.
Patrick Geraghty, chief executive of Florida Blue, leads the coalition.
Latino networking event
Gaceta Latina is hosting a business networking event April 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Residence Inn Marriott, 2101 Northpoint Parkway in Lutz.
Cost is free, but RSVP is required by April 18.
