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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

TouchPoint Medical

Pasco keeps growing, despite COVID-19

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Business in Pasco County is coming back to life as residents, weary of a pandemic-enforced lockdown, venture back to the world of shopping and dining.

There are hopeful signs for commercial rebirth.

Continued residential growth in Bexley by Newland Communities generates foot traffic for nearby shops, restaurants, grocery stores and other small businesses. (B.C. Manion)

Neon “open” signs are visible in storefronts.

Banners planted at the roadside’s edge wave at passing motorists.

Parking lots at malls and shopping centers are filling up again.

But, it’s not just the established businesses that are reviving Pasco’s economy. Business owners and developers continue to invest in new retail especially along one of the county’s busiest east/west corridors – State Road 54 and State Road 56.

On State Road 54, west of U.S. 41, The Preserve Marketplace and two retail centers at Starkey Ranch are adding shops, restaurants, health care services, and offices.

At Bexley Ranch, in Land O’ Lakes, land is being cleared and leveled on Lot A for the Bexley South Office Park, off Bexley Village Drive, near Springhill Suites.

A Crunch Fitness is scheduled to open Aug. 25, off State Road 54 in Trinity.

This sign signals future plans for a car wash, just south of the new Aldi that opened at Cypress Creek Town Center. (B.C. Manion)

Meanwhile, on the State Road 54/56 corridor east of U.S. 41, there are new developments, too.

Near the juncture of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, a banner announces that Tidal Wave Auto Spa is coming to an outparcel at Tampa Premium Outlets.

In the same general area, Main Event, a 50,000-square-foot entertainment venue, celebrated its grand opening less than two weeks ago.

And, another Crunch Fitness is planning to open in October in the old Winn-Dixie location, off Collier Parkway and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The Collier Parkway location is a great choice for a fitness gym because it’s along a high traffic corridor, said Geoff Dyer, president of Crunch Fitness. “It’s in the heart of the (Land O’ Lakes) neighborhood,” he said.

Crunch Fitness is planning to open a gym in October in the former Winn-Dixie grocery store, at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway. An employee manned a display outside the site to take membership applications. Another Crunch Fitness is opening Aug. 25, off State Road 54, in Trinity. (Kathy Steele)

During the COVID-19 shutdown, work continued on the Trinity and Land O’ Lakes locations, Dyer said, adding, “for all intents and purposes, we haven’t seen any slow-down in our developments.”

He noted that Crunch Fitness gyms shut down for about two months at the start of the pandemic, but now the gyms are open and adhering to safety guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Membership has returned to about 95% of what it was pre-shutdown,” Dyer said.

While activity, in general, appears to be picking up and new construction continues to kick up dirt — a cloud hovers over business decisions due to the uncertain nature of COVID-19.

Ralph Santell and his family moved to Starkey Ranch and began plans to open Santelli Pizza & Pasta nearly three years ago. They saw the growth happening in Pasco.

His storefront is at Starkey Ranch Town Square, a plaza located at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. A few tenants in the center, including J. Joseph Salon, are open.

Santelli Pizza & Pasta will open around September at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

Santell plans to open by September, possibly with outdoor dining and takeout. He said he’ll decide closer to opening whether he’ll initially offer indoor dining.

“That (COVID-19) has been an extra challenge that influences things on a daily basis,” Santell said. “It’s been hard to navigate the whole COVID-19 situation. We take it one day at a time.”

Santell also owns a restaurant in the Westchase subdivision in Hillsborough County. That restaurant closed, then reopened, but is now closed again — except for takeout.

Another Starkey Ranch retail center at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue – Starkey Ranch Business Park – also has a roster of tenants slated to open, including The Wicked Pour, Tropical Smoothie Café and Hungry Greek.

The pandemic slowed opening plans, but construction on the retail park is nearly finished.

“All of these are coming along,” said Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch. “With COVID-19, things take a bit longer.”

Additional outparcels at both retail centers are available for development — though it could take longer to get projects going, Call added.

Typically, residential construction is a key to spurring on new retail, Call said.

He said Starkey Ranch and Bexley by Newland are the top residential sellers in the Tampa Bay area. Together, they add about 800 residential units annually to Pasco, he said.

Work is underway on the Bainbridge Sunlake, an upscale apartment development, being built at Mentmore Boulevard and State Road 54, next to The Shoppes at Sunlake Centre. (B.C. Manion)

Pasco also is on an apartment building spree with about nine complexes planned or under construction.

Near the Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center, Brightwork Crossing apartment complex is attracting new renters to the commercial epicenter of the Wesley Chapel area.

Two Altis apartment complexes, one by Wiregrass Ranch on State Road 56 and a second on South Branch Boulevard at Starkey Ranch, are adding to Pasco tenant population.

Bainbridge Sunlake is an upscale apartment complex being built at State Road 54, and Mentmore Boulevard, next to The Shoppes at Sunlake Centre.

A new standalone Starbucks is coming soon to the Sunlake shopping center, as well.

Retail developments, including The Preserve Marketplace, are adding new tenants, including the recently opened anchor store – Greenwise. Majik Touch Cleaners is open, too.

Other tenants with plans to open include Chipotle, Heartland Dental and CVS Pharmacy.

“It’s going to be a cool little plaza when it’s done,” Call said. “I think Pasco is going to continue to grow. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

What’s happening along State Road 54
Here are some of the office, retail or residential developments that have opened or are in progress along State Road 54.

Construction on a dental office is nearing completion at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

The Preserve Marketplace (State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway)

  • Greenwise Market, owned by Publix, is a specialty grocery store offering an array of organic and natural food products.
  • TouchPoint Medical manufactures medical dispensing equipment, including high-tech carts.
  • Organic Nails offers nail art and design services.
  • Heartland Dental provides administrative support and career development services among a network of dental partnerships
  • CVS Pharmacy is a national chain of drugstores.
  • Majik Touch Cleaners provides laundry and dry-cleaning services in Pasco and the Tampa Bay area.
  • Sport Clips provides haircuts for men and boys.
  • Panera Bread is a national chain that serves sandwiches, salads and pastries.
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill is a national chain restaurant serving made-to-order burritos, tacos, wraps and salads.
The Wicked Pour and Hungry Greek will open soon at Starkey Ranch Business Park, at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue. (Kathy Steele)

Starkey Ranch Business Park (State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue)

  • The Wicked Pour is a craft beer, wine and taproom with board games, giant Jenga and cornhole.
  • Hungry Greek is a casual restaurant chain offering fast Greek food.
  • Urgent Vet offers after-hours care for pet illnesses and emergencies.
  • Abela Story, a women’s boutique, offers trendy styles for all tastes, and accessories.
  • Encore Nail Salon provides nail art and design, and other services.
  • Chase Bank is a full-service bank.
  • YogaSix is a hot yoga-style studio.
E sushi and Grill, a Japanese restaurant, is expected to open soon at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

Starkey Ranch Town Square (State Road 54 and Gunn Highway)

  • Santelli Pizza & Pasta is a family-owned Italian restaurant with pizzas and pasta dishes.
  • E sushi & Grill is a Japanese restaurant.
  • J. Joseph Salon is a luxury hair salon.
  • Great Clips is a discount, walk-in hair salon.
  • Quality Plus Cleaners provides laundry and dry-cleaning services.
  • The UPS Store offers mailing, printing and mailbox services.
  • A dental office, which has not yet been identified, is on the outparcel across from Santelli Pizza.

Published July 29, 2020

Touchpoint opens global headquarters in Pasco

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TouchPoint Healthcare, located in Odessa, had a grand opening for its new global headquarters.

It’s an unprecedented mark in Pasco County, as it houses the flagship base for the company that supplies 90 countries with manufactured medical supplies.

TouchPoint Healthcare had its ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 20. It is the worldwide headquarters for the medical supply distributor, in Odessa. (Brian Fernandes)

Visitors at the Feb. 20 ribbon cutting had the chance to go on a guided tour of the building, which is a two-story structure of 142,000 square feet.

The building, at 2200 Touchpoint Drive, is off of State Road 54, and home to TouchPoint Healthcare’s two businesses – TouchPoint Medical and iTD.

It represents a $23.8-million capital investment for Pasco County.

Brian McNeill, the president and CEO of TouchPoint Inc. – the parent company, told those gathered: “The investment that we’re making here in Pasco County is an example of our long-term commitment to our businesses, to our people and to the communities in which we live and work.

“We work with every major medical device manufacturer in the world who focus their efforts on imaging and software.”

The company is located in The Preserve, a residential community off State Road 54.

Since selecting its Odessa location in 2018, TouchPoint has been working alongside the county and the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC).

The county was ultimately chosen because it would grant more access to engineers, technicians and accounts, McNeill said.

The area also “attracts a type of person that wants to have a balanced life, wants to enjoy the water [and] wants to enjoy the outdoors,” he added, saying that this reflects the company’s values.

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, praised the new facility.

“You now are at the entry point of a life sciences corridor here for Pasco County, and that’s huge,” Cronin said.

He noted the economic benefit that the new headquarters brings.

Life sciences, as he put it, is a recession-proof industry because everyone needs health care.

The warehouse manufactures various equipment that is brought into hospitals and other health care facilities.

Such products include computerized medication dispensers with multiple draws, and a scanner.

There are even miniature refrigerators to preserve those medicines that need to be kept at a low temperature.

Medical equipment, such as carts designed to mount computers, are built there, as well.

The facility also operates as a storage unit, with aisles lined up with thousands of parts for production.

Machinery can be found throughout the building that manufacture items like metal components, and that paint and provide coating to supplies.

There’s also a spacious cafeteria to accommodate workers.

And, the site is eco-friendly, as it’s incorporated with LED lights and charging stations in the parking lot, for electric cars.

“Very few companies have managed to adapt and stay in existence for more than a century,” said Edward Putnam, chairman of the board of directors for TouchPoint Inc.

He took the time to summarize the company’s history, which first began manufacturing pipes to transport oil in the late 19th century.

David Engel, manager of the county’s office of economic growth, and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells and Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles were recognized for their role in bringing the company’s headquarters to Pasco.

The headquarters can hold up to 298 employees and currently has 139.

Employment also is expected to continue to grow.

McNeill said there are future plans to expand the headquarters, doubling in size.

Published February 26, 2020.

Under Construction 08/21/2019

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A new recreational space is on its way within the Chapel Creek residential community. The Zephyrhills amenity center will include a playground and pool cabana. (Brian Fernandes)

Chapel Creek Amenity Center
The Chapel Creek residential community soon will have some new recreational options. The Chapel Creek Amenity Center is being built at 6405 Clifton Down Drive in Zephyrhills. The 1,258-square-foot facility will have a playground, a mail kiosk, a pool cabana, restrooms, utility rooms and a storage room. There is no official completion or open date yet.

 

 

 

 

Bubba’s 33
Bubba’s 33 soon will open its first restaurant in Florida. The family style restaurant is part of the Texas Roadhouse corporation. It will be located at 26340 Silver Maple Parkway, off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The 7,000-plus-square-foot development will include a sports bar and will have a seating capacity of 256. Construction, which began in August, is expected to be completed in November.  The restaurant is set to open by mid-December.

Luckey Eye Care
Luckey Eye Care will be opening another branch in Wesley Chapel. The optometry clinic will be housed in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center at 2306 Greenbranch Drive and will consist of 14 rooms. Construction began early this year, and is set to finish and open by mid-September.

TouchPoint Medical has chosen Pasco County for its world headquarters. The Odessa facility will be responsible for manufacturing medical equipment.

TouchPoint Medical Headquarters
TouchPoint Medical is expected to open its world headquarters in early 2020, in Odessa. The facility is being built off of State Road 54, in The Preserve residential community. The facility will be used to develop medical equipment and is expected to create an estimated 250 jobs. The 147,000-square-foot building will be two stories, and will be made up of a warehouse and office space. Construction began in March and is expected to be completed in January 2020. A grand opening date has not yet been determined.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

TouchPoint Medical’s headquarters to open in 2020

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Construction began last week on TouchPoint Medical Inc.’s global headquarters on South Branch Boulevard in The Preserve, a new residential community off State Road 54, west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Brian McNeill, president and CEO of TouchPoint — the parent company of TouchPoint Medical Inc. — offered remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony at TouchPoint Medical’s new global headquarters in Land O’ Lakes. (B.C. Manion)

The 142,000-square-foot facility in Land O’ Lakes is expected to be completed during 2020. The company will bring a total of 228 jobs to Pasco County, including 116 new jobs and other positions transferred from several locations.

The project represents more than $23 million in capital investment in Pasco County, according to officials with Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., the agency that seeks to attract new businesses and strengthen existing ones to bolster the county’s economy.

Officials from TouchPoint Medical and its parent company, elected leaders, TouchPoint employees and members of the community celebrated the groundbreaking on Feb. 6.

It was a blue sky kind of day, with speeches filled with enthusiasm — regarding the promise and potential that the new project represents.

When TouchPoint Medical Inc. began working with Pasco County officials, it discovered it shared many common values, said Pascal Testeil, the company’s president.

Brian McNeill, president and CEO of TouchPoint Inc., the parent company of TouchPoint Medical, told the crowd that as a private company the focus is “on doing what’s right for the long-term of the business. And, we look to create value over a long period of time.

“The investment that we’re making here in Pasco, Florida, is an example of our long-term commitment to our business, to our people, and to the communities in which we work and live,” McNeill said.

“I think this moment clearly demonstrates the power of aligning shared interests of private and public resources to create something new and exciting,” he added.

Pascal Testeil, president of TouchPoint Medical, said the company began looking for a location about a year ago, to enable its growth and expansion.

When it began working with the Pasco Economic Development Council’s staff and Pasco County, “we quickly discovered that we shared common values, such as growth, diversity, passion for creating value for customers and a strong sense of community.

“For all of those reasons, we were convinced that our new home should be here, in Pasco County,” Testeil said. “We want to be a contribution to the local economy,” he added.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells said he was pleased to see such a strong turnout of TouchPoint Medical employees at the groundbreaking ceremony, at the site where the company will have its new global headquarters.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells marveled at TouchPoint’s commitment to its employees, and at the sizable presence of TouchPoint team members at the event.

The commissioner added: “We are very excited to bring more jobs and economic growth to Pasco County. The new jobs coming to the county will range from product development, business services, customer and technical support, as well as manufacturing.”

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, said “this land represents a great foundation to do business. It’s a wonderful location in the middle of the fastest-growing market in the United States, the southeast U.S.

“The foundation here is also strengthened by the community leaders and elected officials,” Cronin said.

The economic development leader also pledged a continuing partnership with the company.

Company and local officials fling shovels of sand to mark the groundbreaking for TouchPoint Medical Inc.’s global headquarters. It is expected to create 116 new jobs in Pasco County.

“We thank you for making the decision to move here,” Cronin said. “We are here for the long-run. We want to see you grow and prosper.”

TouchPoint Medical incentives
The Pasco County Commission previously approved $1.7 million in incentives to attract TouchPoint Medical Inc., to Pasco County.

The packages includes:

  • About $464,000 to be paid over eight years in return for providing new jobs
  • Up to $150,000 in payments or credits for permitting fees
  • An estimated $980,000 in property tax rebates over 10 years
  • $100,000 in reimbursable employee training costs

TouchPoint Medical will partner with AmSkills as part of training and recruitment.

AmSkills is an initiative that helps high school students, adults and veterans learn manufacturing job skills.

Published February 13, 2019

International business increasing in Pasco

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Pasco County has been making strides in the arena of international trade, and Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey provided a briefing on the topic at a recent North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

In introducing Starkey, Hope Allen, president/CEO of the North Tampa Chamber said: “Kathryn Starkey is a huge advocate of Pasco County.

This rendering shows the future campus for TouchPoint Medical Inc. (File)

“It’s wonderful that Pasco now has a seat at the table, now on the global level, and it’s because of her work and the work of Pasco Economic Development Council, making Pasco part of the conversation.

“She is involved in developing international trade, with a focus on Europe and South America,” Allen said.

Starkey has a pulse on what’s happening locally, and also nationally, on the international trade scene.

She is chair of the International Economic Development Task Force at the National Association of Counties (NACCO). She also was nominated by the White House and NACCO to serve on a committee that looks over trade agreements and makes recommendations. She is among four commissioners who represent the voice of local government, she said.

She’s still undergoing her FBI background check, so at this point, she can participate in calls, but can’t read the information.

Starkey said her introduction to manufacturing came in 2004, when she was on the Pasco County School Board and she made a visit to a training program offered in Okaloosa public schools.

“What they had done was they interviewed their business community, and then they figured out how to start programs in their school system that taught the high school kids how to enter into that workforce when they graduated,” she said.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

Because of her interest, Starkey traveled to Germany five times — to see for herself and to show others how the Germans do their system of apprenticeship training.

“It was really important to go and see how the world’s premiere training program works.

“If you don’t see it, you can’t understand it. They have the gold standard in manufacturing,” she said.

“What we have done here in Pasco County, Hernando and Pinellas County, is that we’ve set up a training and manufacturing program based on the European model of apprenticeship training,” Starkey added, referring to a program called AmSkills.

“We take high school students and we take students who have graduated, and we take adults who need retraining, and we take them through the process here and we get them very knowledgeable about manufacturing, training and jobs, and then we help them get meaningful jobs here in the community,” she said.

Over time, Pasco County Schools also has established several career academies. It also opened Wendell Krinn Technical High School this year, on the former Ridgewood High campus.

Mettler Toledo opened its 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Northpointe Village, off State Road 54.

In partnership with Marchman Technical College, Wendell Krinn provides students access to 14 different technical education programs, including auto collision/repair, biomedical sciences, commercial art, computer systems, cosmetology, culinary arts, cybersecurity, digital cinema, electricity, HVAC, marine service, robotics, and welding.

Pasco’s workforce development is helping to attract international companies, Starkey said.

She also has been involved with Pasco EDC in trade missions to help local companies find foreign markets, and has helped host events to teach local companies how to grow their business in other parts of the world.

Pasco’s outreach efforts, its workforce development and its willingness to offer incentives to attract companies offering high-wage jobs has resulted in international companies setting up shop in the county.

Some of those companies include:

  • TouchPoint Medical Inc., a global supplier of technology-based health care delivery systems, will bring 116 new high-paying jobs to Pasco County. Company officials plan to relocate their headquarters to prime vacant land in Land O’ Lakes. They will build an approximately 125,000-square-foot facility, including a parking lot, on the northwest corner of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54. The site is part of the South Branch Ranch property. The facility is expected to open in late 2019.
  • Mettler Toledo: Mettler Toledo opened its 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Northpointe Village in April. The Swiss-based company is a global supplier of precision scales and services used in research, and the packaging and production of food and pharmaceuticals.
  • TRU Simulation: TRU Simulation + Training celebrated the opening of a $30 million expansion of its Pilot Training Center in Lutz in February 2017. The facility opened in a 15,000-square-foot facility at 1827 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54 at Suncoast Parkway. TRU Simulation has contracts with companies such as King Air, Boeing and Cessna.

Starkey noted that it’s not enough to get international companies interested in Pasco, it’s also important to treat them well after they arrive, and to continue to form relationships.

Taking a page out of book she read about how the international community developed in North Carolina, Starkey makes it a point to take CEOs of international companies to visit assets around Tampa Bay.

It’s a great way for the CEOs to get to know each other and also for them to develop a deeper understanding of Tampa Bay’s strengths, Starkey said.

“I am trying to take really good care of your CEOs here, and they are spreading the word to their friends back overseas, or to their business friends, that Pasco County is a great place to do business,” Starkey said. “We want them to feel very welcome.”

Revised December 5, 2018

Zephyrhills economic summit puts focus on education

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Fostering educational opportunities in Pasco County was the primary focus of the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

Doing that begins with beefing up the Pasco County school district’s career and technical education programs, said Kurt Browning, superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“We need to put our career academies on steroids,” said Browning, one of several guest speakers at the Oct. 24 summit, at the new Zephyrhills City Hall, that brought together local education, business and government stakeholders.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was one of several guest speakers at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. The event focused on local educational and career opportunities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Based on the region’s business profile, Browning said there needs to be greater emphasis on teaching trade skills — such as roofing and carpentry, plumbing, HVAC technicians, electricians and more.

“One of the things that we keep hearing a lot about is the trades. I’m continually amazed of the number of people that stop us and say, ‘I just need young men that can get up there and lay roof,’” Browning said.

To meet those demands, he called for increased state funding and greater collaboration with the Florida Department of Education to create industrial certifications for those fields. The district also needs to ensure opportunities for students, not destined for college, to have a chance to learn trade skills that can translate to high-wage job right out of high school.

Browning put it this way: “What we need to do is have training programs that meet the needs of all of our students, so if you’re going to be a plumber, you be the best plumber you can be.”

Browning also said the school district needs more input from local business leaders on the types of labor needed for the present and future.

“We need to do a better job of communicating, and we need to create a better relationship with our chambers, because the chambers are the ones that are really connecting, letting businesses know what we do and creating dialogues to help build that need,” the superintendent said.

Preparing tomorrow’s workforce
Browning was upbeat about some of the career and technical academies the district presently offers.

Pasco County School’s Career and Technical Education programs were discussed extensively at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

He pointed to Zephyrhills High’s aviation academy and Wesley Chapel High’s automotive technology academy, along with academies at other schools ranging from health and finance, to cybersecurity and culinary arts.

“I think we’re on the right path,” Browning said. “We’re working tirelessly trying to make sure our programs are relevant to meet the employment needs of our employers in Pasco County. We’re not perfect, and we’re not where we need to be. We’re still trying to figure out how to address the trades issue.”

Browning also mentioned the district is designing a technical high school in east Pasco that would likely open by 2022.

The district’s only two technical offerings — Marchman Technical College and Wendell Krinn Technical High School (which replaced Ridgewood High this school year) — are located in New Port Richey.

Plans call for the new school to be built on a 125-acre, district-owned tract of land along Fairview Heights and Handcart Road in the Dade City area.

It will help relieve overcrowding at Pasco, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, Browning said.

“It’s going to be uniquely situated in the right place, right spot, offering technical career education students are clamoring for,” he said.

The technical school is also something the manufacturing industry is pushing for, according to Tom Mudano, AmSkills executive director, another guest speaker at the summit.

Mudano said a tech school based in east Pasco could help lure more manufacturing business to the region, to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Mettler Toledo and TouchPoint Medical, which he said have already brought a combined 700 jobs to the county.

“We truly believe that we need a facility on this side of Pasco County,” Mudano said. “If you’re looking at bringing jobs here, having a workforce is important.”

Mudano pointed out Tampa Bay has the most number of manufacturers in the state. And, he said that many of those companies have expressed a great need for additional skilled and semi-skilled workers.

“A lot of people don’t even realize that there’s a lot of (manufacturing) opportunities out there,” he said.

Mudano also assured that those types of trade jobs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

He cited information from the National Association of Manufacturers that projects there will be about 3.4 million jobs over the next 10 years, yet only 1.1 million of them will get filled.

The summit also featured a lengthy presentation from state Sen. Tom Lee, a Republican from Thonotosassa. Much of his talk centered on the state’s education system and the strides made during the last several years.

He pointed to the advent of charter schools and various opportunity scholarship programs as key reasons for boosting the state’s public education system on the whole.

“Everybody is more on their game today than they were 20 years ago. We have a rising graduation rate, better testing scores,” said Lee, who represents parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties in District 20.

He added: “We have created some competition for the public education system, and the public education system has responded well.”

Meanwhile, Lee suggested that going forward, the state legislature should “back off some of the micromanagement” of county school districts. He said school boards should instead have more control over district budgets and educational programs to “best meet the needs of the individual student populations of the schools.”

Lee also advocated for creating “fair competition” and “leveling the playing field” between public schools and alternative charter schools.

One way to do that, he said, includes loosening up some of strict building requirements of new public schools, called State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF), that cost school districts exponentially more than their charter school counterparts. He asked: “Why is it costing public education system 20 percent more to build a public school than it is a charter school?”

Other speakers at the summit included Dr. Keiva Wiley, Pasco County Schools director of Career and Technical Education; Angie Stone, Zephyrhills High School principal; Dr. Stanley Giannet, of Pasco-Hernando State College; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; Maria Reza, Career Source Pasco/Hernando business services consultant; Seta Ruiz, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills director of clinical services; and, Dr. Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition presented the summit, in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Published November 7, 2018

TouchPoint brings jobs, good wages to Pasco

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TouchPoint Medical Inc., a global supplier of technology-based health care delivery systems, will bring 116 new high-paying jobs to Pasco County.

Company officials plan to relocate their headquarters to prime vacant land in Land O’ Lakes. They will build an approximately 125,000-square-foot facility, including a parking lot, on the northwest corner of Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54. The site is part of the South Branch Ranch property.

This rendering shows the future campus for TouchPoint Medical Inc., which will be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54.
(Courtesy of the Pasco Economic Development Council)

Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2018, with an opening date in late 2019. The company’s capital investment is about $23 million.

The average annual wage paid by TouchPoint Medical will be about $57,000. In addition to new hires, the company expects to retain about 160 existing jobs, largely from positions currently held at several locations, including the Atlanta area and Connecticut.

In addition to serving as global headquarters, TouchPoint Medical also will be the site for its American operations.

“When you mention the words ‘global headquarters,’ it fires us all up,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

The impetus to relocate began with the company’s acquisition of Promedica Inc., located in Oldsmar, in 2016. Promedica designs and manufactures custom medical carts and assemblies.

However, the facilities in Oldsmar didn’t meet TouchPoint Medical’s expanding needs, said Brian McNeill, president of the parent company, TouchPoint Inc.

“It’s not an ideal location,” O’ Neill said. “It wasn’t designed for what it currently is used for.”

TouchPoint searched for suitable new locations and settled on Pasco County.

“We are really making a statement here,” said O’ Neill. “The medical business is a huge platform for us.”

TouchPoint, the parent company, is privately owned and focuses on long-term investments, and acquisition of high-growth businesses in manufacturing and technology.

TouchPoint Medical offers hardware and software solutions for health care providers in 100 countries around the world. Products include medical workstations, mobile carrier systems and wall mount systems.

The company also is a major supplier of automated medication dispensing equipment.

The Pasco County Commission on June 19 approved about $1.7 million in incentives for TouchPoint Medical.

Over time, county officials project the direct or indirect creation of nearly 300 jobs, with total salaries of about $252 million. An estimated $125 million will be contributed to the Gross County Product.

Included in the incentive package:

  • About $464,000 to be paid over eight years in return for providing new jobs
  • Up to $150,000 in payments or credits for permitting fees
  • An estimated $980,000 in property tax rebates over 10 years
  • $100,000 in reimbursable employee training costs

Some of the funds come from the Penny for Pasco program.

TouchPoint Medical will partner with AmSkills as part of training and recruitment.

AmSkills is a Tampa Bay initiative that helps high school students, adults and veterans learn manufacturing job skills.

“It’s feeding the (job) pipeline,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Pasco’s workforce played a role in luring TouchPoint Medical to the area, said Bill Cronin, chief executive officer of the PEDC.

The first question company executives usually ask is does the area have a skilled, diverse workforce, Cronin added.

“They see this workforce is getting trained,” he said. “It seems we’re doing something right when the workforce is so attractive.”

June 27, 2018