January 9, 2012

BBA Aviation

We have worked hard over the last eight years to build Downtown Orlando into the ideal location for corporate and division headquarters in the region and Monday, we celebrate the growth and retention of one of our very own Downtown Orlando companies.

BBA Aviation, is the parent company of Signature Flight Support which services the aviation industry with ground handling operations including fueling, hangar and office rentals, and a wide range of crew and passenger amenities at strategic domestic and international locations.
BBA has been exploring the opportunity to expand their corporate headquarters which is currently located just two blocks from City Hall. BBA was considering FOUR other states for its possible expansion.

On January 9, 2012, we approved a CRA High Value, High Wage Job Program and QTI incentive to BBA Aviation, which will allow them to expand their corporate headquarters to 60,000 square feet in its current building, create 100 new jobs paying 200% of the Orlando MSA average annual wage, and retain nearly 200 jobs right here in Downtown Orlando.

Categories: Economic News, QTI

December 22, 2011

ORMC announces $300M expansion to begin in 2012

One of Central Florida's largest hospital systems announced today that it would begin expanding its main campus near downtown Orlando in 2012 and close a part of the facility that had once been a separate hospital.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-ormc-redesign-new-tower-20111222,0,1906407.story

Categories: Economic News

December 5, 2011

Pollack Shores Starts $40M Apartment Construction in FL

More good news for Downtown Orlando and our effort to create jobs and give people more residential options:

http://www.costar.com/News/Article/Pollack-Shores-Starts-$40M-Apartment-Construction-in-FL/134434.

Categories: Economic News

December 1, 2011

Incentives Lure Buca di Beppo HQ to Orlando

During these tough economic times, it is especially important to nurture our home-grown businesses. We are proud to be working with Planet Hollywood to create nearly 100 high-value, high-wage jobs for our residents and the establishment of a new headquarter office right here in our City.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bucca-di-beppo-incentives-20111129,0,4700292.story

Categories: Economic News, Job Announcements

November 14, 2011

Federal Grant Helps Local Company, AMCOR PLASTICS, Expand and stay in Orlando

The City of Orlando was recently awarded a grant through the State of Florida to assist Amcor Rigid Plastics with a transportation turn-lane and curb cut on Tradeport Drive.

This particular grant allows municipalities to apply for funds to eliminate transportation obstacles to businesses that wish to relocate to or expand in the State of Florida.

AMCOR, a global leader in packaging products, needed to create the additional driveway access from Tradeport Drive to accommodate tractor-trailer movements at its new facility in AIPO industrial park.

Earlier this year, City Council approved a local Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Resolution for Amcor because they were looking for a new site for their Southeast Operations facility and had identified Georgia and Alabama for potential relocation options.

The City of Orlando is pleased to be able to support Amcor through funding for the QTI program and applying for the Transportation Fund grant.

Amcor’s decision to stay in Orlando results in the creation of 29 additional jobs, the retention of 97 jobs in our community and a capital investment of nearly $20 million in construction and equipment at their new facility.

Categories: Economic News, QTI

November 9, 2011

WAWA Breaks Ground in Orlando

Today, I was excited to be a part of the groundbreaking for the first Wawa store in the State of Florida. This means construction jobs for our residents. Five stores are expected to be open throughout Central Florida by the summer of 2012.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/november/341014/Wawa-coming-to-Orlando:-Convenience-chain-breaks-ground-on-1st-Florida-store

Categories: Economic News

November 9, 2011

Orlando is a "Hot Spot" for Job Growth for Companies Under 100 Employees

Check out a new piece from Inc. Magazine which highlights Orlando's job growth among small businesses.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/201111/data-bank-where-owners-are-hiring-and-not.html

Categories: Economic News

November 7, 2011

Orlando’s Amway Center and Community Venues are Making a Difference in the Lives of our Residents

I’m pleased to share the story below about, Steve Brogan, a local man who was able to turn his life around through a construction job at our city’s new Amway Center.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/november/340000/New-construction-jobs-help-give-Orlando-man-a-second-chance

Categories: Economic News

October 11, 2011

Buy Local Orlando to Launch Free Smartphone App

Check out today's Orlando Sentinel for a preview of the new Buy Local Orlando free smartphone app that will launch next month. The new app is just one of our efforts to support small businesses in this difficult economy

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-groupon-living-social-daily-deals-orlando-20111011,0,2254628.story

Categories: Economic News, Buy Local Orlando

September 12, 2011    

Dyer: Orlando Has Lots to Offer Relocating Businesses

For the last several weeks, we have been talking about how the City of Orlando is in the best financial shape of any major city in Florida.

I want to pass along a piece from the Orlando Business Journal that illustrates the important connection between well-run, fiscally-responsible government and the private sector’s ability to create jobs:

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2011/09/dyer-orlando-to-tow-the-line-on.html

Categories: Economic News, Mayor Dyer in the Community

September 12, 2011    

Orlando Sentinel My Word - Pensions

I want to pass along a “My Word” column I wrote that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel today.

Pensions for public employees and the burden they place on taxpayers is a hot topic across the country right now. I took the time to write the piece because I think it’s important that our residents know that their City government has worked hard to lessen this burden and make the City of Orlando's pension program a model for others.

You can read the column by clicking the link below:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-pension-reform-myword-091211-20110909,0,6571792.story

Categories: Economic News, Mayor Dyer in the Community

August 9, 2011    

Orlando Small Business Defense Procurement Summit

This week, I partnered with U.S. Senator Bill Nelson to host a day-long summit aimed at giving Orlando’s Small Businesses new tools to help them secure contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Orlando Small Business Defense Procurement Summit drew 500 small business owners from around Central Florida and featured presentations by Cecilia Muñoz, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs and Dr. Ashton B. Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics.

The event is part of a larger effort by the White House and the Defense Department to encourage more small businesses to pursue DOD contracts and give those businesses a greater understanding of how to interact with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal contracting agencies. The event also included panel discussions with federal contractors and provided Orlando’s small businesses with the opportunity to engage in matchmaking sessions with major prime contractors and government contracting officials.

The event is featured on the White House Blog at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/08/09/small-business-matchmaking-keeping-america-moving-department-defense-orlando

Categories: Economic News, Mayor Dyer in the Community

July 20, 2011

Defense Department Small Business Summit

I’m excited to report to you today about a new initiative to help Central Florida’s small businesses grow and prosper.

The City of Orlando has partnered with the White House, the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson to host a special forum designed to help Orlando’s small businesses have greater access to Defense Department contracts and enhanced understanding of the DoD contracting process.

The Orlando Small Business Defense Procurement Summit will take place on Monday, August 8, 2011. This event is only the second of its kind to be held nationally.

Details and registration information can be found online at this address: http://www.regonline.com/orlandooutreach

The Summit is intended to: 1) provide Orlando metro area small businesses with a greater understanding of how to do business with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal contracting agencies; and 2) facilitate small business networking opportunities and matchmaking sessions with major prime contractors and government contracting officials.

We are also working closely with our partners at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and Orlando, Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) to help spread the word to our small business community.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of Orlando's economy. We are committed to doing everything possible to support our small business owners and entrepreneurs as they work to create jobs and help us build a 21st century economy.

We are excited to be able to provide this resource that will give our small businesses the tools and training necessary to do business with the Department of Defense and, hopefully, win DoD contracts.

Categories: Economic News

July 7, 2011

Forbes Says Orlando Among Nation's Next Boom Towns

Forbes has ranked Orlando 10th in a list of cities poised to become America’s next boom towns. Phoenix finished 9th.

The cities, Forbes says, have struggled through the recession but both are well positioned for strong growth once the economy finds some sustainable mojo.

Of Orlando and Phoenix, Forbes.com writes …

“Both still have more jobs now than in 2000. Their demographics remain surprisingly robust. Despite some anti-immigrant agitation by local politicians, immigrants still seem to be flocking to both of these states. Known better s as retirement havens, their ranks of children and families have surged over the past decade. Warm weather, pro-business environments and, most critically, a large supply of affordable housing should allow these regions to grow, if not in the overheated fashion of the past, at rates both steadier and more sustainable.”

Orlando was the only Florida city that made the top 10.

Read more at Forbes.com

Categories: Economic News

July 15, 2011

Orlando Slashes Transportation Impact Fees to Promote Development in the City of Orlando

This week, the Orlando City Council approved an ordinance that temporarily reduces transportation impact fees by 25% in the City of Orlando, now through June 27, 2012.

We took this action to promote new construction in the City of Orlando, which ultimately creates jobs and economic prosperity in our community. The ordinance encourages the development of new business by reducing fees necessary for business owners to open their doors and also encourages new residential construction by discounting transportation impact fees necessary for single and multi-family residential development.

The new ordinance is part of our Strengthen Orlando initiative, a local effort launched in 2009 to generate jobs and help residents and small businesses “weather the storm” during the national recession.

Since the launch of Strengthen Orlando, 900 jobs have been created by expediting $180 million in capital improvement projects and 600 jobs have been created by expediting the planning and review process for any commercial project that creates ten or more jobs.

Other recent action approved by City Council under the Strengthen Orlando initiative include:

Waiving transportation impact fees for small businesses locating to existing space for a period of one year (expires April 25, 2012).

· Reinstatement of the Business Assistance Program to offset 50% of development fees up to $20,000, including sewer and transportation impact fees and building permit fees for new small business owners.


For more information on the City’s Strengthen Orlando initiatives and other small business assistance programs, please visit strengthenorlando.net or cityoforlando.net/BAT.

Categories: Economic News

June 2, 2011

Orlando's Suspension of Impact Fees Pays Off

The City is waiving the collection of change-in-use transportation impact fees for small businesses for a period of one year.

View the video at WFTV.com.

Buddy Dyer,
Mayor

Categories: Economic News

May 20, 2011

Orlando Jobless Rate Decreases

Florida's labor landscape continues to improve slowly, with unemployment rates across the state and in Central Florida falling to some of the lowest levels in two years.

Metro Orlando's jobless rate for April dipped to 9.9 percent, state officials said Friday, sliding below double digits for the first time since May 2009. The statewide rate fell to 10.8 percent, the lowest since September 2009.

The statewide figure represents about 996,000 jobless Floridians in a labor pool of about 9.2 million. Officials said this is the first time since October 2009 that the number of unemployed in Florida has fallen below 1 million. Read more...

Buddy Dyer,
Mayor

Categories: Economic News

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