Pediatrician gets Pasco’s first microloan
Dr. Jay Harvey’s Personal Pediatric Care in Trinity is the first recipient of a microloan from the Pasco Economic Development Council.
Harvey, a board certified pediatrician, opened his office in 2011 with the intention of providing boutique, concierge medicine with a limited patient base. That model could not be supported in the current economy, so he restructured his business for growth. Like many other small businesses, Personal Pediatric Care was unable to obtain traditional financing.
“We know that the use of the funds will make a huge impact here in Pasco County and on his business,” said Michael Cox, chair of the economic development council’s growth task force and associate vice president with Wells Fargo Advisors. “The bottom line is, we want to help businesses promote themselves, continue to grow and add to our community.”
The microloan fund was established to help local entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and expand. Visit www.pascoedc.com for more information on how to apply, or call the development council at (813) 926-0827.
Business networking
Wesley Chapel Business Forum and Networking meets Mondays at 8 a.m. at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd. The group consists of local business leaders in the South Central Pasco and North Hillsborough areas who are focused on leads to build business. Meetings feature speakers and discussion topics. There is no fee, but coffee and breakfast are available for purchase. For more information, call John Roth at (813) 377-2622 or email .
Lex Smith chosen for CEO program
Local business leader and Dade City resident Lex Smith has been selected for Tampa Bay Partnership’s 2012 CEO Direct program.
Smith, who serves as chair and executive committee chair for the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board, also is on the board of the Pasco Economic Development Council. His involvement with CEO Direct will give him a regional perspective on economic development issues and connect him with other business leaders to help Tampa Bay and Pasco County reach their full potential. Smith is the senior vice president for SunTrust Bank in the Tampa Region Wealth & Investment Management line of business.
Participants in CEO Direct learn about critical issues affecting economic development in the Tampa Bay region and are challenged to help find solutions through problem solving, regional collaboration and strategic thinking. Participation in the program is by invitation and limited to 25 participants annually.
Allen S. Crumbley joins hospice board
Allen S. Crumbley has joined the Gulfside Regional Hospice board of directors, a volunteer board that guides policy for the nonprofit health care organization.
Crumbley is a co-owner of Capstone Tropical Holdings Inc., which is comprised of Prudential Tropical Realty, Capstone Home Mortgage, Capstone Title, and Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL, and is president of Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL. He specializes in marketing commercial and investment properties, primarily in Tampa Bay.
For more information about Gulfside Regional Hospice, call (727) 845-5707 or visit www.GRHospice.org.
April ribbon cuttings in Wesley Chapel
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce recently was involved with ribbon cuttings for the following Wesley Chapel companies:
–Mini of Wesley Chapel, 26645 SR 56, on April 10
–My Tampa Bay Pediatrics, 26907 Foggy Creek Road, Suite 102, on April 11
–Great Florida Insurance, 27604 Cashford Circle, Suite 102, on April 12
–Spherion Staffing & Gator Cleaning Solutions, Hampton Inn on 2740 Cypress Ridge Road, on April 17
Ashton Woods opens Crenshaw Reserve
Ashton Woods Homes has opened Crenshaw Reserve, a gated town home community off US 41 in Lutz. Forty-eight three- and four-bedroom town homes will be priced from the $200s. Presales began on April 12. For more information, visit http://www.ashtonwoods.com .
Nationwide open house weekend
Real estate agents are expecting this year’s spring home-buying season to be a busy one, and to kick off the season, they are hosting open houses from coast-to-coast during the weekend of April 28 and April 29. Real estate agents will be available at open houses to answer consumer questions about the home-buying process and local market conditions.
Taylor Morrison has record sales
Taylor Morrison Homes West Florida Division had 177 sales contracts through March 29, with more in the works. That sales performance represents a 35 percent increase in contracts compared against the first quarter of 2011. Interested buyer traffic counts have also increased by 33 percent during the same period.
“The first quarter contracts posted exceeds our best year ever on the West Coast of Florida in more than four years,” said Cammie Longenécker, vice president of sales and marketing for Taylor Morrison West Florida. “The amazing statistic has been that the buyers are of all ages, lifestyles and from many regional areas. We continue to see signs of economic improvement, increased traffic in all our sales centers and we are exceeding projections.”
Taylor Morrison builds in communities from Pasco to Collier counties and is actively seeking land purchases for new building.
MOSI Hurricane Expo calls for vendors
Vendors are being sought for the fifth annual Hurricane Expo at The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on June 2.
The expo is being staged by the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County.
Vendors who provide either hurricane protection and/or survival products or services are being sought to participate. The deadline to submit an exhibit registration is April 30. For more information including fees and registration, contact Peter Ignacio or Angela Baird at (813) 274-8170, or e-mail or .
