WESLEY CHAPEL – A forensic science tech firm decided to launch U.S. operations in Wesley Chapel, and the Pasco Economic Development Council has its fingerprints all over it.
Smytec Inc. specializes in advanced forensic imaging technologies that assist crime scene investigators. Its product, BlindSite Scene, helps capture and analyze crime scene evidence.
Headquartered in Market Harborough, England, Smytec has been interested in expanding operations into the U.S. to increase its global footprint.
Representatives attended the Special Operations Forces Week conference in May in Tampa, where Pasco EDC met with them and discussed available resources to assist in that expansion.
“With various military and defense agencies on the doorstep, and SOF Week now a staple on Smytec’s annual calendar, Pasco County offers a strategic location for us to grow,” Smytec CEO Alexander Smyth said. “We are genuinely excited about our partnership with Pasco EDC and look forward to engaging with local stakeholders, and customers, not just in the Tampa Bay area, but across the U.S.”
The firm used the Pasco EDC SMARTLandings program to open its first U.S. location in the SMARTstart @ the Grove Entrepreneur Center in Wesley Chapel.
The SMARTLandings program helps international ventures quickly establish a presence in one of the fastest-growing markets in the country and develop knowledge domains and business relationships within the Tampa Bay region.
Since establishing operations, Pasco EDC has facilitated introductions with local business resource partners, such as the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and its Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics program.
“Pasco EDC is proud to offer the SMARTLandings program which gives companies like Smytec the ability to establish operations in a physical location in the United States before building out their own facility,” Pasco EDC CEO Bill Cronin said. “With United States Central Command and United States Special Operations Command nearby, Pasco County is the perfect location for them to build and grow their presence,”
