Charlotte County Economic Development Partnership

Charlotte County EDP 2021

Charlotte County Economic Development Partnership - Creating a Strategic Path to Grow Business and Cultivate a Strong Community

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W ith Economic Development, it is important for everyone to be on the "same page." "Economic Development is all about jobs, and taking it a step further, it is diversifying the economic engines of a community.," says Dave Gammon, head of the Charlotte County Economic Development Office. "It is bringing in a new tax base that is not residential." Most homeowners welcome the fact that there could be someone out there willing to share their tax burden! Economic Development is not an overnight phenomenon. Often, it takes a great deal of time and effort to bring events to a culmination. "Charlotte County has always been the 'doughnut hole' of the development process because Sarasota County and Lee County have always been seemingly more attractive, and it left the County in the middle. Now that there is no more available land in the other counties, more businesses are looking at the ideal situation Charlotte County has waiting for them." It is not just land. It is available land that has proximity to a functional airport, and that is unique and important. Logistics companies are now looking over the County as they plan out their growth. The growth boom that is happening throughout Florida sets the framework for new possibilities. Economic Development casts a vision that is future oriented but firmly grounded in the present. There is little need for concern about the "wrong" company coming with as much work which is being developed by agencies like the Charlotte County EDO and the regional EDP. Together, they form a "hand and glove" approach to accomplishing the goals of bringing a new and diverse group of businesses into the area. "If we do this smart, by doing things in the right way, with mixed use zoning which allows density in certain areas and height in others, Charlotte County can achieve the goal of bringing in new business to help build a stronger community." "We can achieve the growth we originally could handle." Many agree this is a brand-new moment for the business world. It is easy to see this idea working as one compares it to other cities in our country who have been facing economic downturns. They want a different future and begin taking the steps to make that happen in the present. It is equally easy to see other cities and regions who chose not to take steps in the present to change their futures and, as a result, all they have left is what they cannot achieve. The Economic Development Office seeks to focus on developing training programs such as the aviation school under the auspices of the Charlotte Technical College. When you have workers ready to enter potential employment openings, good things happen. Logistics companies are taking a serious look at the County for their distribution centers because of the availability of land and a great potential for developing the workforce. Besides working with new businesses, the County is continuing to reach out to local entrepreneurs to discover new ways to strengthen and build their business infrastructure to help them when they need to get things started and to help them stay productive. The Economic Development Partnership is a private chamber-like organization with the sole purpose of helping the governmental Economic Development Office in their work and activity in the greater Charlotte County area. CHARLOTTE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP Dr. Avis Medina, left, and Leah Hock, a dental assistant student from Charlotte Technical College, provided dental care last year for veterans. TOM O'NEILL

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