Pulte Homes opens amenity center
Pulte Homes will have an open house, and a grand opening for its new amenity center at Birchwood Preserve on Oct. 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The community is off North Dale Mabry Highway and Geraci Road in Lutz.
Residents, real estate agents and interested buyers who signed up for community updates are invited.
Pulte is building Life Tested single-family homes on 169 lots in Birchwood Preserve. The homes will be energy-efficient with three bedrooms to six bedrooms, up to six bathrooms and two and three-car garages.
There are 10 one- and two-story home designs with pricing from about $321,000 to about $454,000.
For information, visit Pulte.com/birchwoodpreserve.
Meopta U.S.A. brings new jobs
Meopta U.S.A., an optics manufacturer, will provide nearly 50 new jobs as it relocates from Long Island, New York, to the Trinity area of Pasco County, according to a news release from the Pasco Economic Development Council.
Meopta will rely on the Pasco County Job Creation Incentive Program in hiring for the new jobs. Salaries are expected to be about $49,000 a year, or about 125 percent of Pasco’s average wage.
Renovations will be completed at a building at 7826 Photonics Drive in Trinity. VLOC, Inc., also an optics manufacturer, formerly occupied the site but closed in 2014.
Meopta specializes in manufacturing and distributing precision optics, including binoculars as well as spotting and rifle scopes. Prisms, optical mirrors, periscopes for tanks and assemblies for the aerospace and medical industries also are made by the company, which has had its headquarters in Hauppauge, New York, for about 20 years.
The Pasco EDC assisted the county in recruiting the company to Pasco.
Newland Communities hires vice president
Aaron Baker is the new vice president of operations for Bexley by Newland Communities, according to a news release from The Leytham Group.
Baker previously worked in Newland’s office in Charlotte, North Carolina, as director of finance and accounting for the East region. He played a major role in project management and development for the company’s Mid-Atlantic communities.
As vice president of operations, Baker will be in charge of day-to-day operations at the Bexley community, providing leadership in areas including in finance, development and strategy.
Baker’s experience includes helping to secure about $155 million in land acquisitions for Newland.
He worked as a Certified Public Accountant for more than a decade before joining Newland Communities in 2012 as regional controller in Charlotte.
A Michigan native, Baker graduated from Grand Valley State University with bachelor degrees in accounting and finance.
Bexley is a joint venture partnership between North America Sekisui House, LLC, and Newland Real Estate Group, LLC.
North America Sekisui House is the United States business unit and full subsidiary of Sekisui House, LTD., Japan’s largest homebuilder. Newland Communities is the development division for Newland Real Estate Group, and the master developer of Bexley, which is located off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.
For information, visit Bexleyflorida.com, or call (813) 425-7555
Sewing Center ribbon cutting
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host the ribbon cutting for the Sewing Center of Wesley Chapel on Oct. 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Suite 119, in Wesley Chapel.
The event is free.
For information, call the chamber at (813) 907-3256, or email .
North Tampa luncheon
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its October 2017 Momentum Thursday Oct. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Iavarone’s Steakhouse & Italian Grill, 3617 Humphrey St., in Tampa.
Guest speaker will be Preston Cook of the Office of Emergency Management.
For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card or to the chamber office at by 5 p.m., on Oct. 11, at the discounted rage of $20 (whether you eat or not).
After that date, the cost is $25 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.
For information, call the chamber office at (813) 563-0180, or visit NorthTampaChamber.com.
Wesley Chapel mixer
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly mixer Oct. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club, at 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
The event is free. Bring plenty of business cards.
For information, call the chamber at (813) 907-3256, or email .
Uncle Maddio’s happy hour
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will host Uncle Maddio’s October 2017 Happy Hour Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Uncle Maddio’s, at 3949 Van Dyke Road in Lutz.
The restaurant will offer $1 off any pizza, and a buy-one, get-one free deal for house wine and draft beers.
The event is free, but RSVP for a headcount by Oct. 17.
For information, call the chamber at (813) 563-0180, or email .
Lunch N Learn
A Lunch N Learn Business Forum is scheduled for Oct. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Don Porter Boardroom, at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 105.
The program will be presented by MyTampa IT.
The cost is $15 including lunch. Registration is needed, as seating is limited.
For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or call (813) 994-8534.
Business seminar
Pasco Hernando SCORE will have a free “Focused Selling Tools Seminar” on Oct. 19 from 11:30 to 1 p.m., at the SMARTstart Dade City Entrepreneur Center, 37837 Meridian Ave., #309, in Dade City.
Instead of only trying to “sell” their products and services, sales people need to find out what buyers need to improve their businesses. Learn how to address old mindsets and learn “solution-based” processes of today’s buyer-savvy world.
Please register as space is limited.
For information, visit Pascohernando.score.org.
Sponsor a charity fashion show
Business sponsors are being sought for the Fashion Charity Show that will benefit Gulfside Hospice on Nov. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Heritage Springs Golf & Country Club in Trinity.
The fashion show will feature guest emcee Deiah Riley, of ABC Action News.
Sponsorships are available starting at $300.
Sponsors will receive pre-event recognition on social media; email blasts; website, program and banner recognition during the event; sponsor tables at the event; and recognition, after the event, in social media posts and news releases.
Vendor opportunities to display and sell merchandise also are available.
For information, contact Christina Miller at (727) 845-5707 or .
