Tampa Bay News Briefs

TAMPA BAY, Fla., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- News briefs concerning economic and business growth in the Tampa Bay region from the Tampa Bay Partnership:

Progressive to hire at least 240 people in Tampa Bay

Auto insurer Progressive announced it will be hiring more than 240 people at its Tampa Bay call center over the next four months to handle a surge in customers across the country.  Progressive, the 4th largest auto insurance group in the country and recently named one of the best places to work in Tampa Bay by Top Workplaces 2010, plans to fill approximately 240 new positions in sales, service, and claims by January 31, 2010.  (Contact: Cristy Cote, 440-395-0135, [email protected])

Humana Adds 270 New Tampa Bay Jobs

Humana Cares, Humana's complex care management division headquartered in St. Petersburg, will be adding 270 new positions this fall to coordinate medical and quality-of-life needs for Humana commercial health plan and Medicare Advantage members. The new associates will serve 60,000 Humana commercial health plan and Medicare Advantage members across the country suffering from chronic conditions, including congestive heart failure, obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease and complex diabetes. Humana Cares, which opened its doors in February 2009 with approximately 250 associates, expects to employ 780 associates by year end. Humana will have more than 2,000 associates in the Tampa Bay area by the end of this year. (Contact: Mitch Lubitz, 813-287-6180, [email protected])

Forensic Innovation Center Launched, 40 New High-Tech Jobs Created

The National Forensic Science Technology Center announces the Forensic Innovation Center, a new, for-profit enterprise in Largo.  The new organization will expand NFSTC offerings and provide up to 40 new job opportunities in Pinellas County over the next three years. The FIC is a new concept that will redefine forensic intelligence services and centralize innovative direction for the industry. The Center is already successful as an informal business cluster, having attracted a variety of partners to the area to work together in providing strong project delivery for homeland security, defense and justice community stakeholders and clients. (Contact: Chris Vivian, 727-549-6067 x187, [email protected])

Lights! Camera! Action! Hollywood Coming to Tampa Bay

Sanborn Studios LLC recently announced the creation of a film and television production studio in Sarasota County. The project will commence this year, with the hiring of at least 117 employees over the next three years. The project will be located in Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park and will also include a recently acquired 30,000-square-foot aviation and production center at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. (Contact: Dana Warning, Sanborn Studios LLC, 866-359-7009, [email protected])

USF Shows Gain in Federal Research Expenditures

The University of South Florida's federal research expenditures have surged forward even in the face of declining financial support from Washington, according to a new ranking from the Chronicle of Higher Education.  Of the 100 top American institutions in federally-financed research and development, USF ranked 57th in 2009 – up 11 spots from its 2004 ranking.  The USF System posted more than $190.9 million in federal research expenditures in 2009 and was one of only 12 universities and systems nationwide to post a double-digit move up in the rankings in the past five years.  (Vickie Chachere, 813-974-6251, [email protected])

Pemco Opens Second Hanger at Tampa International Airport

Pemco World Air Services Inc. opened a second large free span hangar complex in Tampa recently.  Located a few hundred yards from Pemco's existing operations at Tampa International Airport, the 161,500-square-foot leased facility doubles the company's Tampa hangar capacity.  Pemco's maintenance base now exceeds 320,000-square-feet and can accommodate between 10 and 12 narrow-body aircraft or six wide-body aircraft.  The expansion is slated to bring as many as 500 jobs to the area.  (Contact: Brenda Geoghagan, 813-870-8707, [email protected])

USF/Mote Receive $2 Million Federal Grant

Small business startups and regional technology commercialization got a substantial boost when the U.S. Commerce Department announced a $2 million grant for the University of South Florida and Mote Marine Laboratory.  The grant expands the USF CONNECT program to the Mote Aquaculture Research Park supporting a test-bed and business innovation facility that will build upon Mote's innovative programs in sustainable energy and protein for food production. Environmentally compatible, the facility in Sarasota seeks to apply good water management principles while insuring the bio-purity of farm-raised fish protein. Mote has the largest inland facility of this kind in the nation. New job creation is also part of the expansion.  (Contact: Matt Lowell, 813-974-1082, [email protected]

FACTS Engineering Receives Incentives to Expand in Tampa Bay, Create Jobs

FACTS Engineering recently announced expansion plans including the addition of 31,500-square-feet of office and warehouse space and hiring of 10 new employees. FACTS Engineering is investing over $2.2 million in their Pasco facility expansion. FACTS Engineering specializes in the design, manufacture, and support of high quality computer and industrial programmable logic controller products sold worldwide through AutomationDirect.com. Pasco Economic Development Council assisted the company with applying for local incentives, expedited permitting, and introduced them to workforce partners for training grants and programs. (Contact: Rebecca Bishop, 727-375-8888, [email protected])

FHTCC  Recognized Among Best Examples of Technology-Based Economic Development

The Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) earned national acclaim from the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) as one of four winners celebrating the highest achievements in Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED). As part of its 2010 Excellence in TBED Awards presented at SSTI's 14th Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, SSTI awarded the Council's Matching Grants Research Program in the category of Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries, recognizing its innovative approach to grow and sustain a high tech economy through university and industry partnerships. (Contact: Kerry Martin, 407-423-8006, [email protected])

PHCC Opens New Campus

Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC) opened a new campus in Spring Hill in August. This state-of-the-art campus provides more access to higher education opportunities in Hernando and northern Pasco counties. Classes at the new Spring Hill campus cover a number of disciplines and expand the range of class offerings that lead to an Associate in Arts (AA) degree. There were approximately 1,500 students enrolled on the new Spring Hill campus when the doors opened for classes on August 23. (Contact: Lucy Miller, 727-816-3448, [email protected])

SOURCE Tampa Bay Partnership