Florida: News

Emerson, a diversified global manufacturing and technology company, has selected Sunrise, Fla., as the site for its Latin American regional headquarters. (Read more)

Site Selection's Life Sciences Report highlights Governor Rick Scott and Florida's initiatives at the 2011 BIO International Convention. (Read more)

Florida's largest Medicare health plan contractor, today announced plans to add another 200 positions to its fulltime workforce at its national Medicare service operations center in Tampa. (Read more)

In an unprecedented achievement, three student teams from Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus recently took first, second, and third place in the Runway Safety/Runway Incursions Challenge category of the 2010-2011 Design Competition for Universities sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. (Read more)

In an unprecedented achievement, three student teams from Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus took first, second, and third place in the Runway Safety/Runway Incursions Challenge category of the 2010-2011 Design Competition for Universities sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. (Read more)

Space Coast and Jacksonville were selected by Area Development magazine as two of 30 U.S. Locations to Watch in 2011. (Read more)

Four Florida counties (Palm Beach #1, Martin #4, Orange #7 & Leon #9) have been named national leaders in information and communications technology in their respective population categories in the 2011 Digital Counties Survey. (Read more)

Lake Mary-based BlueChip Energy has received approval to develop a 40 megawatt solar farm in Lake County -- the largest privately owned solar farm in the State of Florida and one of the largest in the United States. (Read more)

Tampa's business environment and employment market have attracted StreetLinks Lender Solutions and 250 new Florida jobs. (Read more)

Orlando's newest digital media and game development company, Row Sham Bow Inc., will hire 60 people during the next three years for its game development studio focusing on mobile and social media games. (Read more)

CNN Money named two Florida schools, Indian River State College and Palm Beach State College, to its new list of America's ten most affordable colleges. (Read more)

U.S. News & World Report gave Florida hospitals top marks in their respective specialties in an annual ranking of America's Best Hospitals. Nine Florida hospitals earned nearly 30 awards, including a #1 ranking in Ophthalmology. (Read more)

Want to know how Florida became the 2nd fastest growing biotech market in the U.S.? Check out our new blog post to learn more. (Read more)

Octex LLC will nearly double its footprint in Sarasota County and add 80 jobs over five years as the company expands to meet demand for its custom plastic injection molding services. (Read more)

The Country Network is moving its corporate headquarters to Boca Raton and West Palm Beach's Synergy Technical Solutions Corporation is expanding. (Read more)

The clean economy in Florida ranks 7th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the new "Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment" produced by The Brookings Institution. (Read more)

The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a $25 million grant jointly to researchers from the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, Florida (VGTI FL) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). (Read more)

Forbes has declared Orlando 1 of 10 U.S. metro areas most primed for growth in the coming decade. (Read more)

The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has been selected to manage the International Space Station US National Laboratory and maximize utilization of the orbiting outpost for scientific and technological research and development and the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. (Read more)

The latest innovations for the military are coming out of top international companies housed in Florida. Many are clustered in the continually developing field of C4ISR-Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. (Read more)

Florida Atlantic University and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida in Port St. Lucie have reached an agreement to collaborate on research, education and training. The collaboration will involve sharing facilities and equipment, co-hosting joint seminars and preparing joint grant applications to state and federal agencies. (Read more)

Pivotal Therapeutics Inc. announces the opening of its U.S. headquarters at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University. The U.S. location will focus upon the commercialization and product distribution of its lead cardiovascular product VASCAZE(TM). (Read more)

In its fourth expansion in Sarasota County since 1991, Aso LLC will locate its Millenium Coating LLC subsidiary in Sarasota County, a move that will add 50 new jobs over five years. (Read more)

New Enterprise Florida grant to aid small companies with Brazil trade

Contact: Stuart Doyle

(407) 956-5689

sdoyle@eflorida.com

New Enterprise Florida grant to aid small companies with Brazil trade

ORLANDO, FL (July 12, 2011) – Enterprise Florida has launched a grant program designed to help smaller companies (up to 500 employees) engage in trade with Brazil. 

The Team Florida Business Expo & Trade Mission Grant targets companies that are new or infrequent exporters to Brazil and plan to participate in Enterprise Florida’s forthcoming Brazil mission, scheduled for Oct. 23-27.

Companies meeting those criteria can receive the grant, which offers the mission’s Gold Key & Trade Expo package for $500 for one company representative.  (The cost, otherwise, is $1,200 for the first company representative.)  Manufacturers are preferred, and priority will be given to businesses within the state’s targeted industries for economic growth and diversification:  aviation & aerospace, clean energy, homeland security & defense, information technology, life sciences and professional services.  Applicants must be a legally registered Florida business with at least a three-year history.

Eligibility will be determined by the U.S. Commercial Service in Brazil and Enterprise Florida, which will consider whether the grant applicant offer products and services of interest to the Brazilian market.

Only a limited number of grants are available, so, they’re being offered on a first-come/first-served basis.  The registration deadline is Sept. 7.

“Brazil boasts one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. The mission will provide a great opportunity for Florida companies to enter or expand their market share in the Brazilian market,” said Manny Mencía, Enterprise Florida’s senior vice president of International Trade & Business Development.  “Participants will be able to network with high level business and government leaders, meet one on one with local companies interested in their products and identify distributors and joint venture partners.”

Enterprise Florida is coordinating this Team Florida (governor-led) mission as part of its strategy to market Florida products and services internationally.  For this occasion, the goal is to expand trade and investment ties between Florida and Brazil, the state’s top export market.  In 2010, Florida exports to Brazil exceeded $13.7 billion. 

Three participation options are available to Florida businesses:

1. Trade Expo & Gold Key – offers one-to-one appointments with prequalified Brazilian companies already interested in a business relationship with the Florida participant’s company.  These meetings will be arranged by the U.S. Commercial Service in São Paulo.  This option also includes booth space at the Florida Expo Trade Show and admission to Team Florida networking events.  ($1,200 for first representative; $600 for each additional)

2. Trade Expo – provides booth space at the Florida Expo Trade Show and admission to Team Florida networking events.  ($950 for first representative; $600 for each additional)

3. Delegate – admits participants to all Team Florida networking events.  ($795)

Registrations are being taken by Juliana Peña at (305) 808-3388 or jpena@eflorida.com, and Jay Sumners at (305) 808-3389 or jsumners@eflorida.com.  The deadline is September 7.

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Enterprise Florida, Inc. (www.eflorida.com) is a partnership between Florida's business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  Headquartered in Orlando, Enterprise Florida’s mission is to diversify Florida’s economy and create better paying jobs for its citizens by supporting, attracting and helping to create globally competitive businesses in innovative, high-growth industries. In pursuit of its mission, Enterprise Florida works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

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Florida companies net record sales at Hospitalar

Contact:  Stuart W. Doyle

(407) 956-5689

sdoyle@eflorida.com

Florida companies net record sales at Hospitalar

Enterprise Florida coordinated businesses’ participation at Latin America’s largest medical tradeshow

ORLANDO, FL (July 06, 2011) – Florida companies that attended Hospitalar, Latin America’s premier heath care tradeshow, collectively generated a record sales total of $1.26 million, more than double the 2010 tally, $577,000.

“This was the highest sales figure ever, since we began organizing Hospitalar’s Florida Pavilion in 2006,” said Michael Schiffhauer, who heads European trade development for Enterprise Florida.

Furthermore, the combination of projected sales with actuals for 2011 amounted to $21.2 million, exceeding 2010’s sales forecast of $20.3 million.

Regarding trade leads, Florida businesses generated 262 this year, 15 higher than in 2010.

Hospitalar 2011 took place May 24–27 in São Paulo, Brazil, attracting 79,000 visitors from 70 nations.  More than 3,100 exhibitors featured products, equipment, services and technology for hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies, health clinics and medical offices.

“Each year it draws an even larger group of exhibitors and attendees, from medical manufacturers to physicians and clinicians,” said Schiffhauer.  “We recognize the importance of Florida having a strong presence at events like Hospitalar, and how participation can positively affect trade opportunities with Brazil, our largest global trade partner.”

Earlier this year, Enterprise Florida launched its Brazil Market Expansion Initiative, which aims to increase export trade and Brazilian investment into Florida.  In line with this goal, Enterprise Florida re-established a site in São Paulo to help smaller companies do business with Brazil.

“Brazil is a complex market that requires a lot of homework before engaging in business activity,” Schiffhauer explained.  “Many of our Florida firms are doing just that as indicated by these exceptionally good results from Hospitalar.”

Since 2006, eight to10 Florida companies annually have promoted their products and services in the Florida Pavilion at Hospitalar.  Nearly half the U.S. companies that exhibit at the show are from Florida.  Those that showcased from this year’s Florida Pavilion were:

Alachua County

- Endoscopy Replacement Parts, Newberry

Broward County

 - AOTI Inc., Tamarac

Miami-Dade County

- Atlas Specialty Lighting, Hialeah

- Gaumard Scientific, Miami

- Kuznik Optical, Coral Gables

Pinellas County

- Biopsy Sciences, Clearwater

- Sun Med Healthcare, Largo

Seminole County

- Alicia Diagnostics, Sanford

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Enterprise Florida, Inc. (www.eflorida.com) is a partnership between Florida's business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  Headquartered in Orlando, Enterprise Florida’s mission is to diversify Florida’s economy and create better paying jobs for its citizens by supporting, attracting and helping to create globally competitive businesses in innovative, high-growth industries. In pursuit of its mission, Enterprise Florida works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

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5D Composite Inc., based in Ontario, Canada, plans to relocate part of its manufacturing operation to Sarasota County in 2011 and create 120 jobs. (Read more)

Sypris Electronics, LLC, a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., announced it has opened its new state-of-the-art Cyber Collaboration Center within its Tampa, Florida headquarters. (Read more)

Alachua-based biotechnology company Pasteuria Bioscience Inc. has partnered with Syngenta, the largest agri-business company in the world, to develop nematode control products for agricultural and specialty crops. (Read more)

Wendy's has chosen to bring their Latin American and Florida corporate headquarters to Sunrise. (Read more)

Through an expansion of its Pinellas Park, Florida facility, Nautical Structures Industries, Inc. plans to create an estimated 30 jobs over three years. (Read more)