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.
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.
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 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.
“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
