Local businesses honored
The Pasco-Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognized area businesses at its 2014 Annual Awards Banquet on Feb. 27, 2015.
Award winners were Rivera Chiropractic, small business of the year; Latin Twist Café, medium business of the year; Wesley Chapel Toyota, large business of the year; and Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., nonprofit of the year.
John Jay Anglada was named volunteer of the year.
Rotary of Wesley Chapel Sunrise
Kelly Rossi of Eckerd will speak at the Rotary of Wesley Chapel Sunrise meeting March 13 at 7:15 a.m. She will discuss Eckerd’s Raising Hope program, a supportive service for children entering foster care in Pasco County.
The club meets at 7:15 a.m., every Friday, at the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club, 6225 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544. Breakfast is $10. Guests and new members are always welcome.
If you are interested in getting more involved through civic engagement or have a relevant topic to share with the club, contact Cheryl Pollock at , or call her at (813) 924-0731.
Networking opportunity
Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will sponsor Wednesday Morning Networking March 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The $7 cost includes breakfast.
There will be a short networking presentation followed by an opportunity for each guest to present a “30 Second Commercial.”
For information, call (813) 909-2722 or email .
Johnson & Johnson to create 700 jobs
The Hillsborough County Commission has agreed to pay up to $2.1 million in incentive payments to Johnson & Johnson Inc., which plans to open a North American shared services headquarters. The deal is expected to produce about 700 jobs.
The county incentives are a match to the state’s $7 million awarded to the pharmaceutical and health care products company to generate higher-wage jobs.
County officials expect Johnson & Johnson to invest $23.5 million while creating jobs with an average annual wage of at least $75,000. The county’s incentives will be paid on a per job basis over four years, beginning in fiscal year 2017.
Russian businesswomen come to Rotary Club
The Rotary Club of Lutz will welcome six Russian women business entrepreneurs as special keynote speakers March 17 at 7 a.m. The women are participating in The Open World Leadership program, an independent agency of the United States Congress. For information on the program, visit OpenWorld.gov.
The Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, Lutz. Meeting and breakfast cost $10. Guests and new members are welcome.
For information, call Doug Andrews (813) 857-7089.
Dade City chamber breakfast
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast will be March 17 at 7:30 a.m., at Kafe Kokopelli, 37940 Live Oak Ave., Dade City.
Guests must RSVP if attending. The cost is $5 at the door.
San Antonio Citizen’s Federal Credit Union is sponsoring the breakfast.
For information, call Jo Uber at (352) 567-3769.
Starkey Ranch names homebuilder
Taylor Morrison will build 560 homes in the 220-acre Esplanade at Starkey Ranch, one of several subdivisions within the master-planned community in Odessa off State Road 54, according to a press release from Wheelock Communities, Starkey Ranch’s developer.
The gated village will have a private clubhouse, heated resort-style pool and spa, tennis courts and a fitness center. Esplanade is expected to open in early 2016.
The Starkey Ranch Welcome Center will open this spring, with a late spring opening planned for the community’s first subdivision, Whitfield Park.
Grants for businesswomen
Are you a businesswoman who could use $1,000?
Women-n-Charge is offering two $1,000 grants this spring. The grants can be used towards business-related equipment or services and continuing education. The nonprofit’s mission, in part, is to support and assist professional women in managing their businesses more effectively.
Learn more about the grants at Women-n-Charge.com. Applications are available online and are due April 15.
For information, contact Judy Nicolosi, treasurer of Women-n-Charge, at (813) 600-9848, or email .
East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet March 24 at Rose’s Café at 38426 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.
Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.
Leja Apple, former Miss Pasco and former Miss Nature’s Coast, is the guest speaker.
For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .
Rotary Club needs bee sponsors
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon needs sponsors for the third annual “BEE Part of the Buzz” adult spelling bee.
The spelling bee will be April 10 at 6:30 p.m., at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 10641 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio. Teams compete in three rounds with words progressing in spelling difficulty from easy to intermediate to difficult.
Spectators cheer on their favorite teams in a fun event that helps raise funds for the Pasco Education Foundation. Donations range from $1,500 for a Queen Bee sponsorship to $150 for a four-person team.
For information, email Erin Meyer at .
Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.
The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.
For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.
Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.
Dade City chamber needs volunteers
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for some volunteers to help with the chamber event season.
With winter residents returning to the area, there are a number of activities the chamber needs help to staff. The chamber is looking for people who are friendly and outgoing, who have knowledge of the local area and activities, and are team-oriented.
