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Turin Aviation Group

Japanese investment focus of roundtable

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On a map of Florida, more than 18 Japanese-owned companies are pinpointed across the state.

South Florida has the most, with only a handful scattered in central and northeastern cities, including the port city of Jacksonville.

Noticeably blank is Florida’s central west coast, including Pasco County.

“I think there has not been much of a connection,” said Japan’s Consul General Ken Okaniwa. “Maybe there is a need to promote yourselves more.”

Japan’s Consul General Ken Okaniwa, left, spoke at a business roundtable at Saddlebrook Golf Resort & Spa. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce hosted the event. (Courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

Pasco business leaders and county officials will get that chance at the 40th annual Southeast U.S./Japan Joint Meeting from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24, in Greenville, South Carolina.

Representatives from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee will participate.

“We want to bring it (trade meeting) to Pasco County in a couple of years,” said Okaniwa. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to create more jobs.”

Encouraging dialogue about more Japanese trade, investment and tourism in Florida is one of the functions of the Japanese consulate, located in Miami.

On July 17, Okaniwa met with more than 20 Pasco County business and community leaders for a business roundtable at Saddlebrook Golf Resort & Spa. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event.

Okaniwa outlined Japan’s economic ties with Florida in a PowerPoint presentation.

  • Japan is the state’s largest investor, with more than $4 billion invested in plants and equipment
  • Japan is Florida’s fourth largest trade partner (combined export and imports)
  • Japan is the largest importer of Florida grapefruit in the world
  • About 278,000 Japanese tourists visit Florida annually, with Disney World the top destination

And, Okaniwa said more than 190 Japanese-owned companies provided about 24,000 jobs in the state, as of 2014.

“The number has been growing,” he added.

Japanese economic and business focus is on six areas, including driverless vehicles, renewable energy, robotics and medical services, especially regenerative medicine.

Okaniwa said Japan investors were involved in “smart city” projects in Orlando and Miami.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, suggested that Okaniwa reach out to Metro Development Group, which is developing in the Connected City corridor in northeastern Pasco. Cronin plans to attend the trade meeting in South Carolina along with others representing Pasco.

Developers with Metro are building a master-planned community with state-of-the-art technology, including fast Internet connections, driverless vehicles, and tele-medicine.

“It’s truly a live, work, play environment,” Cronin said.

Le Meridian-Autonomous is negotiating with Metro to provide driverless buses for the community, said Ed Franco, the company’s chief innovation lead.

The company has sold buses to Disney, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and recently a 300-bus order to Taiwan.

Franco also is chief executive officer of Turin Aviation Group, located at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The company provides aircraft maintenance services and unmanned aerial system drones.

“Pasco County is very innovative,” Bilirakis told Okaniwa, who took notes of questions and ideas raised at the roundtable discussion.

John Yo is interested in developing senior living communities. He is managing director for Good Life EB5 Advisors Inc. His company recently opened two facilities in Georgia.

His wife, Julie Yo, is a ReMax Realtor in Lutz. The couple, who live in New Tampa, would like to find locations in Pasco for future senior-living projects. There is a need here, said John Yo.

“It’s a growing (industry),” he added.

The couple, both South Korean natives, said they would like to see direct flights from Japan to Tampa.

Tampa International Airport doesn’t yet have such flights, but there is a Japanese connection.

On the same day as the roundtable, Gov. Rick Scott and representatives of Mitsubishi attended the delivery of train cars for the airport’s innovative people-mover shuttle.

Bilirakis had one last idea to toss out at the conclusion of the roundtable.

Japan and Pasco should work together to bring Japanese baseball teams to the county for spring training, he said.

Okaniwa quickly jotted that on his pad.

“I’ll look into that,” he said.

For information on Japan and trade, visit Jetro.go.jp/en/invest/.

Published July 26, 2017

BizWalks survey highlights Zephryhills’ market power

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As community leaders talked recently with business owners about their job needs, it became clear that many were looking to hire military veterans. But they didn’t know how to get the word out.

That disconnect became the first challenge identified in the inaugural BizWalks 2014-15 report, a survey sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

No one wanted to wait until the study was finished. So effort started quickly to hold a workshop in March to link those employers with community organizations and the resources to get something done.

“There was a tremendous response,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, out-going executive director of the chamber of commerce. Mikkelsen’s last day on the job is July 3.

That kind of quick action in support of the business community is one outcome of what Mikkelsen hopes will be an annual BizWalks survey. Long-term, the survey might be done quarterly, she said.

The chamber has done business surveys periodically.

But BizWalks is more targeted and drills deeper into the opinions and issues facing business owners, especially in high-growth sectors of manufacturing, aviation, distribution and startups.

Those are the businesses that drive economic growth, Mikkelsen said.

The idea for BizWalks took off soon after Mikkelsen attended a conference on how to retain and expand businesses. She heard from others who had done similar “BizWalks” surveys in their communities.

Over a six-week period in late 2014, volunteers completed 16 on-site visits and 26 anonymous online surveys.

Participating businesses included Flight Crafters, Turin Aviation Group, Skywatch Signs, Goin’ Postal, Zephyr Aircraft Engines and Skydive City.

The staff members at the Pasco Economic Development Council partnered with Zephyrhills’ chamber and a committee of volunteers to coordinate activities, offer interview training and aid in crunching the data for the final report.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition will use the data to craft an 18- to 24-month plan of action to tackle issues such as infrastructure, work force development and the bureaucratic world of business regulations. Those were identified as the top priorities among business owners.

“We’re not only out there to gain a better knowledge and pulse of the business community, but also to take action and champion these things,” Mikkelsen said.

Overall, business owners were upbeat about the future.

About 82 percent said they felt Zephyrhills was moving in the right direction in creating a business-friendly atmosphere.

About 38 percent said they planned to hire additional employees in the next six months. And, none were planning layoffs.

Sales volumes are increasing, and the trend is expected to continue during the next 12 months.

Half of business owners said they would expand facilities in the next two years, and 60 percent expected to invest in new equipment.

Growth is not being hindered due to lack of capital or financing, and that trend likely will continue.

The survey also showed the commercial reach of Zephyrhills, which is strategically located near major road systems with access to markets beyond Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

That reach may be surprising to some.

Many Zephyrhills companies sell statewide and nationwide. About 45 percent of surveyed companies reported international sales to Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean.

“There are a lot of gems here,” said Mikkelsen. “It’s truly a remarkable coming of age for Zephyrhills.”

The report establishes a foundation for future spin-off activities and programs that bolster Zephyrhills’ ongoing economic growth. As future reports are done, trends can be spotted and opportunities can emerge, Mikkelsen said.

The implications go beyond this one report, said John Hagen, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

“It’s a good thing to do for the community, but it also is a template for other communities,” he said. “What we’re trying to accomplish, other than just working in Zephyrhills, is to work out a methodology that we can then duplicate and use in other communities and with other chambers.”

In the future, Hagen said he anticipates efforts to share the Zephyrhills’ experience as a model of how to conduct a proactive business survey. It was the first locally initiated program of its type in Pasco County.

“That is something for Zephyrhills to be truly proud of,” said Mikkelsen. “We did it because we needed to, but that is an indication that we did it right. It’s really exciting.”

Published July 1, 2015

Drone conference coming to Wesley Chapel

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The Pasco Economic Development Council will host the first Tampa Bay Unmanned Aerial Systems Commercial Markets Conference Oct. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

Networking for the event begins at 7:30 a.m., and will include talks about the latest developments in both Tampa Bay and Florida around the emerging small unmanned aerial systems industry, more commonly known as drones.

Although it’s probably best known for its American military use, the growth of much smaller applications is believed to be on its way to becoming one of the major economic and technological stories of the 21st century, according to a release.

One of the key challenges facing the industry, however, is the regulation of unmanned operations in civilian airspace, officials said. Those in attendance want to engage public officials and economic development leaders to consider how they can “untether the industry” and foster its rapid development.

The event is co-sponsored by the Association of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems International, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, the Pasco EDC, PHSC, USF Connect, the Tampa Bay Partnership, and Turin Aviation Group.

Cost to attend is $30 per person. For information, visit PascoEDC.com/events, or call (813) 926-0827.

Handrahan honored for his work at Zephyrhills airport

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Zephyrhills Municipal Airport manager Mike Handrahan has been named the Federal Aviation Administration’s General Aviation Airport Manager of the Year for the Southern Region Airports Division.

This is the second time since 2010 that Handrahan has received this recognition.

The award is given to someone who has exhibited exceptional aviation leadership, has tirelessly worked to promote the aviation industry, or has striven to achieve efficiencies and improved productivity with their organization, according to a release.

“Last year was a big year for the airport,” Handrahan said, in a release. “But I must say, I didn’t see it coming. To be recognized by your peers and colleagues is a tremendous validation, and really gratifying.”

Among those accomplishments Handrahan led were the completion of more than $5 million in airport improvements, and the recruitment of two new key businesses to the airport.

The improvements include a new 100-foot runway along with new taxiway lighting, fuel farm upgrades, and other aviation-friendly improvements. Handrahan also played a lead role in recruiting the Turin Aviation Group, an unmanned aviation technology testing company, to the airport, as well as Rotors of America, a civil aviation pilot training facility.

Both companies service government, regional, national and international clients, and have leased airport property to meet their developing aviation market needs.

“Mike brings a wealth of aviation expertise and business acumen to Zephyrhills, and is key to uncovering the great potential of our aviation-related economic assets,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, in a release. “Mike has proven that, clearly, Zephyrhills is the place you want to land your plane, and your business.”

The airport is located near Interstate 4 and Interstate 75, and is the only publicly owned and operated airport in Pasco County.