Business Digest

Brewery owner joins tourism board
Mike Bishop, owner of Big Storm Brewery, has been selected to fill a vacancy on the Tourist Development Council. Bishop will serve for a four-year term, running through June 2023. The board is made up of nine members.

Economic board opening
The Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee is seeking new volunteer members to take part in the committee that oversees the use of Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund portion of the Penny for Pasco.

Responsibilities of JEOC members include ensuring Penny for Pasco spending meets the requirements to promote projects creating new jobs and economic growth. The committee consists of nine members, appointed by the Pasco County Commission, representing diverse knowledge and expertise from each of the following areas: finance/banking, agriculture, real estate, manufacturing and other private industries.

Anyone interested in serving on the JEOC is asked to submit a letter of interest and resume to Economic Growth Manager David Engel at: .

Applications are being accepted through Aug. 2.

The Committee meets, at minimum, on a quarterly basis and presents annual updates to the BCC. Each member of the committee serves a two-year term.

East Pasco Networking
Leja Apple, a professional actress and model, and former Miss Pasco, will be the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group breakfast on July 9. The group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. For more information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its business breakfast on July 11 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Coffee First
Network before work at Coffee First, on the fourth Tuesday of each month, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., at the First National Bank of Pasco, 23613 State Road 54 in Lutz.

Power Gals with a Latin Twist
This networking group for women meets the first Friday of each month from noon to 2 p.m., at Bahama Breeze, 25830 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz.

Power Gals
The next meeting of this no-obligation networking group for women is July 18 at 11 a.m., at Pizza Villa,  21501 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes. For more information, call Karla Arita at (813) 408-2038.

Pasco offers matching program
Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the destination management organization for Pasco’s County’s tourism efforts, has launched a Marketing Matching Sponsorship Program. The program aims to support special event organizers and events that have the potential to attract tourists to the county. The sponsorship program provides up to $5,000 in funding to expand the overall marketing reach to visitors outside the Tampa Bay region.

For more information, call Experience Florida’s Sports Coast at (727) 847-812-8129, email , or visit bit.ly/FSCMarketingMatching.

Chamber goes global
Hope Allen, the president and CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce was invited to take part at the 2019 U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Summit in Washington D.C. The summit brought together hundreds of state leaders together to discuss the importance of global development and diplomacy for local success, according to a posting on the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s website.

On the website, Allen told chamber members: “I was absolutely honored to be on the elite list of attendees, as there were only 13 other leaders from across our state that were invited to be a part of this annual event.”

The chamber executive also said the summit involved high-level networking, foreign policy briefings, and an opportunity to meet members of Congress. Allen said she “quickly learned that The North Tampa Bay region has not only received the attention of fellow Floridians, but also families, individuals and policymakers of all generations at a national level.”

Pasco planning wins award
Pasco County Planning and Development has received its fourth award related to Connected City: America’s First Smart Gigabit Community Built From the Ground Up.

The latest accolade is the Florida Counties Foundation 2019 County Government Best Practices Award, recognizing Pasco County’s outstanding achievements in creating new, efficient and effective solutions to challenges facing local governments, according to a Pasco County news release.

The project also has received awards from the American Planning Association, Florida Chapter; The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and the American Planning Association Florida Chapter Sun Coast.

Hillsborough offers new special events grant
The newly appointed Cultural Assets Commission of Hillsborough County has recently announced the Special Events Partnership Grant program. This grant program seeks to expand and support special events aimed at placemaking and community-building outcomes, and to promote the county’s economic and community prosperity goals.

The new Special Events Partnership Grants are project-specific grants with two funding categories: “Pilot Effort” and “Next Level.”

The Pilot Effort category is intended for events that are new or have not occurred for more than three years and the maximum amount awarded under this category is $50,000.

The Next Level category is intended for events that are well-established, and seek to grow and enhance event offerings above and beyond current levels to significantly increase attendance, community-wide impact and appeal. The maximum funding amount under the Next Level category is $100,000.

Examples of eligible events include: Art festivals, local food festivals, film festivals, river celebration events and local community historic events.

Applications must be submitted by Aug. 2.

For more information, email .

Big Storm opens new kitchen
Big Storm Brewing Co. is opening a kitchen at its founding taproom, at 2330 Success Drive in Odessa, offering specialty, causal meals. Big Storm has already had success with its menu at its Clearwater taproom, according to a news release from the company. “Pasco County is where it all began for us, so it feels great to invest even more in the county we love. It’s our spot for testing and developing new concepts, and we’re just getting started,” Mike Bishop, Big Storm founder, said in the release. The Pasco taproom is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily. Kitchen service is expected to begin by mid-July.

 Central Pasco Chamber awards
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce recently bestowed its final set of awards, before the chamber merges with the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce to become the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, effective July 1.

The slate of the Central Pasco Chamber’s honorees:

Large Business of the Year: Pizza Villa

Small Business of the Year: Nautilus Soap Company

Nonprofit of the Year: Land O’ Lakes Rotary

Chamber Member of the Year: Diane Kortus (publisher and owner of The Laker/Lutz News)

Community Service Award: Melissa Brown

Ambassador of the Year: Melissa Brown

Honorary Mayor of Land O’ Lakes: Kathy Balthazard (area sales manager, of First National Bank of Pasco in Lutz)

AJ’s Power Source to receive incentives
AJ’s Power Source, at 6931 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is seeking $40,000 in economic incentives from Pasco County for creating 20 new full-time jobs that will pay in excess of 125 percent of the county’s average annual wage. The county has reached an agreement with the company stipulating that 25 percent of the incentive will be awarded during the first year of the contract, with a subsequent distribution of 25 percent each year after, until the maximum amount has been reached.

Greater Pasco Chamber names officers
The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, a newly formed chamber resulting from the merger of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, has announced its board of directors for 2019-2020.

The board members are: Greg Armstrong, Kathleen Balthazard, Elayne Bassinger, John Butler, Angel Cook, Terri Dusek, Jim Engelmann, Judi Fisher, Juan Fontanez, Paul Friedlander, Jeremy George, Sandy Graves, Les Saland, Tim Sherrrell and Adam Shoemaker.

SWFMD board elects new officers
The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board has elected a new slate of officers for the 2019-2020 term. They are:

• Mark Taylor, chair, represents Hernando and Marion counties; president of TTG Properties Inc.
• Michelle Williamson, vice chair, represents Hillsborough County; manager of G & F Farms
• Joel Schleicher, secretary, represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties; an entrepreneur known for his involvement in various organizations
• Kelly S. Rice, treasurer, represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties; small business owner

The new officers will serve a one-year term.

East Pasco Networking Group
Leja Apple, a professional actress and model, and former Miss Pasco, will be the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group breakfast on July 9. The group meets from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. For more information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149.

Chamber bestows honors
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recently had its annual Banquet and Awards celebration, during which it bestowed three honors, according to a news release.

The honorees were Saint Leo University, Sr. Roberta Bailey, O.S.B. and Dr. Michael Flannery.

• Saint Leo University received the Business of the Year award.

Saint Leo University, the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in Florida, welcomes students of all faiths. It was named the 2019-2020 Military Spouse Friendly School. It also consistently ranks of the top universities in the South, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”

• Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B., was named the Chamber Member of the Year.

Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B., serves as Prioress of Benedictine Sisters of Florida, is a member of the chamber’s board of directors, serves on the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees and has a hand in many other efforts to serve East Pasco.

• Dr. Michael Flannery received the Richard Tombrink Life Time Achievement.

Dr. Michael Flannery and his wife, Terri, founded the St. Andre Free Clinic, which is a “medical home” for under-served patients. Since the clinic opened, its team has conducted thousands of patient visits, found sources for low-cost lab work, prescriptions, and obtained translators for Spanish-speaking patients, and provided other services.

Stuff the Backpack Drive
The First National Bank of Pasco and the Thomas Promise Foundation are teaming up in the 10th annual “Stuff the Backpack Drive.” Items needed include: Pencils, pens, scissors, index cards, liquid soap, Ziploc bags, crayons, Kleenex, notebooks, highlighters, erasers, paper, pencil boxes, glue sticks, rulers, colored pencils and hand sanitizer. Any monetary donations will be used to purchase additional school supplies. Donations may be dropped off at all four First National Bank of Pasco branches. The deadline for donations is July 26. All collected items will be distributed to participating Pasco County schools.

North Tampa Chamber ribbon cuttings

• JMZ Adaptive Driving and SS Wheelchair Transport Service will have a ribbon cutting on June 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the North Tampa Bay Chamber office, 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A, in Lutz.
• Metro City Bank will have a ribbon cutting on June 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 6202 Commerce Palms Drive in Tampa.

East Pasco Networking Group
Maria Raza, a business services consultant for Career Resources Pasco, will be the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting on June 25 at 7:30 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

Pasco beefing up staff
The Pasco County Commission has approved the addition of one senior manager and one technical specialist II in the facilities management department. The positions are needed to help the county manage projects resulting from voter approval of four general obligation bonds, which will result in numerous projects, and increased workload. The cost for the two positions for the remainder of 2019 is $46,744, with annual recurring costs of $149,733. The positions also require vehicles and computer equipment, at an initial cost of $68,399 and recurring costs of $7,922.

Economic briefing
Marc Elias, a senior leasing agent in Regency Centers’ Tampa office, will be the featured speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s economic development briefing on June 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Hunter’s Green, 18101 Longwater Run Drive in Tampa. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Member mixer
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce member mixer is set for June 20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Rose Castle Assisted Living & Memory Care, 37411 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Salon ribbon cutting
Salon 54, at 35360 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills, is planning a ribbon cutting on May 30 at noon.

East Pasco Networking
The East Pasco Networking group will meet May 30 at 6 p.m., for a Spring Mixer at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. The special guests will be the Helping Hands Food Pantry and Julie Kaufmann, elementary school teacher and vacation Bible school leader, both from Atonement Lutheran Church of Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or , or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149 or .

Thrift shop opens
The Thrift Place, 8609 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will have a grand opening on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be outdoor vendors and Lil Smokey’s BBQ food truck. For questions and vendor information, email .

All About Kids celebrates
All About Kids Children’s Consignment, 1900 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will have a 20th anniversary celebration on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be free summer photo sessions by Garcia Photography, food, vendors and fun. Visit All About Kids on Facebook.

Business breakfast
David Gwynn, P.E., the district seven secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, will be the featured speaker at the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting on June 4. The meeting is from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Central Pasco Chamber
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its Wednesday Morning Networking on June 5 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at the Lake House at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, 3130 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. For more information, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, and click on the events tab.

Chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its business breakfast on June 6 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Coral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Billiards grand opening
Main Street Zephyrhills announced a grand opening celebration on June 4 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Main Street Billiards, 38529 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. For more information, call (813) 607-0520. The business has pool, darts, poker leagues, beer, wine, Karaoke, food, tournaments and trivia.

Main Street Zephyrhills also announced these other new businesses in Zephyrhills:

• $1.99 Cleaners at 4932 Gall Blvd.
• ABC Pizza at 37906 Geiger Road
• Aim Pest Control at 38336 Fifth Ave.
• J&M BBQ at 5151 Gall Blvd.
• Marino’s Family Grille at 5017 Gall Blvd.
• Molly’s Hatchet at 38428 Fifth Ave.
• Riverside Seafood Market at 5347 Gall Blvd.

 

Honorary Mayor events
Meet candidates Kathy Balthazard, of First National Bank of Pasco, and Melissa Brown, of Nautilus Soap Company, who are vying for the title of Honorary Mayor of Land O’ Lakes.

The women will be at a June 3 fundraiser from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Hungry Harry’s Family BBQ, 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Fifteen percent of the total sales will be split between the candidates. Patrons are invited to eat in or take out.

They also will face off on June 6 at the Land O’ Lakes Honorary Mayor Slow Pitch Softball Game, at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

It will be Kathy Balthazards’s Rotary Renegades vs. Melissa Brown’s Bath Bombers. The gate opens at 5 p.m., with the game set for 6 p.m. There will be 10 players on the field, and players must be 18 or older to play. There is a $25 fee to play. There is also a $5 admission charge.

Food and beverage will be available for purchase.

For more information, call the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce office at (813) 909-2722.

Tourism and Travel Week
The Pasco County Commission declared May 5 through 11 as Travel and Tourism Week in Pasco County. The resolution, adopted by commissioners, acknowledged that the week was nationalism tourism week, that tourism is Florida’s top economic driver and that in 2018 the tourism industry contributed more than $615 million to Pasco County’s economy, including more than $436 million in direct spending by 965,000 visitors.

New pet resort
The Barkmore Resort recently opened at 10125 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It offers overnight care, doggy daycare and dog training. It’s a place where pets stay, play and bark, according to the company’s website. For more information, visit BarkmoreResort.com.

Chamber business breakfast
David Gwynn, P.E., the District Seven secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, will be the featured speaker at the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting on June 4. The meeting is from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Academy groundbreaking
Join the North Tampa Bay Chamber at the groundbreaking for Pinecrest Academy K-8 on June 5, at 33425 State Road 54. The groundbreaking is at 10 a.m. The celebration lasts until noon. For more information about the school, visit PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

Teal Plank ribbon cutting
Join the North Tampa Bay Chamber at the ribbon cutting for the Teal Plank Workshop, at 10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Building No. 10. The event is on June 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The business is a do-it-yourself home décor store. To find out more, visit TealPlankWorkshops.com.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its chamber business breakfast on June 6 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Coral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

East Pasco Networking
Bob Hatfield from the Office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis will be the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s June 11 meeting. The group meets at 7:30 a.m., at the IHOP at 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City. Maria Reza, a business services consultant at Career Source Pasco-Hernando, will be the featured speaker at the group’s June 25 meeting.

 

Senior Living groundbreaking
Blue Heron Senior Living Community, at 29701 Stockton Drive in Wesley Chapel, will have a groundbreaking ceremony on May 15 at 9 a.m. The facility will include assisted living, rehabilitation, memory care and skilled nursing.

Blue Heron will offer 95 resort-style private suites where individuals will be provided assistance, as needed. It will feature a health spa, theater, wellness gym, activity center, resident art gallery, library, bistro shop and town square.

A separate wing of 22 apartments will be specifically dedicated to residents with Alzheimer’s or other forms of age-associated memory impairment.

The first residents of Blue Heron Senior Community will begin to move on campus in the spring of 2021. The senior living community is expected to create more than 225 new jobs.

For more information, call (765) 664-5400.

Market & Café ribbon cutting
Farmhouse Market & Café, 14124 Fifth St., in Dade City, is having its ribbon cutting ceremony on May 18 at 10 a.m. The café, housed in a 5,000-square-foot building, will serve breakfast, lunch and coffee. The business also will offer custom-made furniture, home décor, jellies, jams, honey, meats and fresh produce. Most recently, Thornhill’s Auto Repair operated in the 1926 building.

Virtual building inspections
Pasco County is now offering VuSpex, a virtual building inspections tool that provides inspection services to contractors, remotely, through the use of a Smartphone or tablet. The VuSpex app connects offsite inspectors with onsite contractors via video, which saves time and, therefore, money.

The inspectors remotely direct the onsite contractors as the contractors record videos, photos and notes at the jobsite. A geo-locator ensures that the inspection location matches the permit address. To find out more, visit bit.ly/PascoVuSpex.

East Pasco Networking
Melonie Monson, the executive director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, and Randy Stovall, president of the Zephyrhills chamber, will be the featured speakers at the East Pasco Networking Group’s May 28 meeting. The group meets at 7:30 a.m., at the IHOP at 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

Chamber breakfast
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce business breakfast is set for May 21, with registration and networking at 7 a.m. and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The breakfast will be at AdventHealth Dade City, 13100 Fort King Road, Medical Plaza 1, in Classroom 107 and 108. The education committee will be introducing and presenting four Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce Community Service and Involvement Scholarships. The recipients are Paul Leon, Sarah Peterson, Kaleigh Sinka and Megan Simonelli.

To RSVP and pay online, go to DadeCityChamber.org/chamber-breakfast.

Good place for startups
WalletHub, a personal finance website recently took a look at 2019’s Best Large Cities to start a business and compared 100 U.S. cities across 19 key indicators of startup viability. Tampa came in No. 5 on the list, following only Orlando; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Miami; and Austin, Texas. Miami ranked No. 1 for the number of startups per 100,000 people, with a rate of 234.72. That’s 3.2 times as many as Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which had the fewest at 74.40 per 100,000.

Upcoming celebrations
These businesses and organizations are planning celebrations soon.

• Licciardo Stables, 3007 Sunset Lane in Lutz, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, May 20 at 5:30 p.m.
• Maus Family Chevrolet, 16414 N. Dale Mabry Highway, May 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Other recent celebrations took place at the Dental Associates of Florida, 23461 State Road 54 in Lutz; Fit 4 you Foods, NTBC Office, 1866 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A, in Lutz; and, Blue Heron Communities, 5085 Eagleston Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.