Tampa Bay News Briefs

TAMPA BAY, Fla., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- News briefs concerning economic and business growth in the Tampa Bay region from the Tampa Bay Partnership:

Electronics Manufacturer Creonix to Expand, Add 105 New Tampa Bay Jobs

Creonix LLC, an advanced electronics manufacturing services company, is expanding its Manatee County facility and plans to add 105 employees over the next five years, according to Manatee Economic Development Council (EDC). Creonix, which has been in business since 1988, provides electronic manufacturing services for leading companies in the medical, military, aerospace, and industrial sectors. Creonix's capabilities include complex box build and systems integration, cable and wire harness manufacturing, and advanced printed circuit board assembly and test, both functional and in-circuit. (Contact: Ken Piela, 941-758 3340, ext. 302)

Humana Adding 177 New Jobs as Its Chronic Care Management Division Continues to Expand

Humana Inc.'s Humana Cares division, headquartered in St. Petersburg, is now hiring 177 additional associates to handle the expansion of the company's national chronic care management programs. Humana Cares, which opened its doors in February 2009 with about 200 associates, will employ nearly 1,000 associates by this summer.  About 130 of the new positions will be located at the national care center in St. Petersburg and, after an initial training period, some positions include a work-at-home option. To accommodate its expanded workforce, Humana Cares also is looking to add 20,000 square feet of office space in the Tampa Bay area, at a location yet to be determined. Humana Cares currently occupies 40,000 square feet at its national care center in St. Petersburg. (Contact: Mitch Lubitz, 813-287-6180, [email protected])

USF Polytechnic Expands, Plans to Hire 55 People

Increased enrollment and growth at USF's Polytechnic campus in Lakeland is resulting in about 40 staff members moving into a new building in Lakeland. USF will be hiring 36 new faculty members and the move, which is to be completed by May, will provide space for them on campus.  USF Poly will add 55 positions this academic year and is currently recruiting for the faculty positions along with positions in marketing, development, support staff, student services and finance. (Contact: Thomas Hagerty, 863-667-7077, [email protected])

CareerEdge to Provide Job Placement Tests

CareerEdge, an area nonprofit that helps low-wage workers improve their skills and local businesses to find skilled employees, partnered with State College of Florida Workforce Solutions to provide the Florida Ready to Work placement test to 150 applicants. CareerEdge, through a grant from Microsoft's Elevate America community initiative, will cover the cost of the placement tests that will help PGT, one of the nation's largest window and door manufacturers and one of the largest employers in Sarasota, employ 150 people by June 30. CareerEdge will also provide soft-skill training and observation tests to 200 of PGT's recently hired employees. (Contact Mireya Eavey, 941-744-2661, [email protected])

xByte Technologies Plans to Double Footprint, Add 38 New Jobs in Tampa Bay

xByte Technologies, a reseller of Information Technology (IT) equipment, plans to more than double its footprint in Manatee County and add 38 new jobs in the next five years. The Manatee Board of County Commissioners recently approved a $76,000 performance-based incentive grant to help facilitate the company's growth. The Manatee Economic Development Council assisted the company in applying for the county grant. After relocating to Manatee County in 2003, xByte experienced strong forward momentum, even in a slow economy. xByte is in the secondary market of refurbishing and reselling quality IT brands so the demand for their products from cost-conscious businesses makes sense. (Contact: Stephen Jaynes, 888-929-8348, [email protected])

Madico Acquisition of Solamatrix Brings Jobs to Tampa Bay

Madico's recent acquisition of St. Petersburg, Fla. manufacturer Solamatrix, Inc. will result in growth for the company and will create more than 60 new, high-wage jobs in Pinellas County, while retaining the existing staff of 52 employees. The acquisition of Solamatrix provided the opportunity to expand operations by building on the expertise of both entities. Madico worked closely with Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) and St. Petersburg Economic Development to explore all available options for expanding in Florida and decided to remain in St. Petersburg to leverage the proven contacts, suppliers and community support already well established to continue growing their product lines and raising the bar on customer satisfaction. (Contact: Rob Comeau, 781-756-4211, [email protected])  

Pinellas County – The Perfect Place for Stand Up Fitness

Brody Welte came to Florida looking for the ideal location in which to start a new stand up paddling business; he found that location in Pinellas County.  Welte launched Stand Up Fitness in 2008 and credits both the area's natural assets and its business-friendly climate for the company's success.  Welte and Stand Up Fitness have also benefitted from the business assistance provided through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Pinellas County Economic Development. (Contact: Brody Welte, 727-902-4294, [email protected])  

Moffitt Cancer Center Makes 2011 Top Workplaces List

Moffitt Cancer Center is No. 6 on the St. Petersburg Times Top Workplaces 2011 list, moving up one spot in the Top Large Workplaces category from last year. Of the 131 leading employers in the Tampa Bay area that were nominated by their employees, 70 were selected for the Top Workplaces award. Moffitt was ranked on leadership, compensation and training, workplace flexibility and diversity. The Times report focused on understanding how Tampa Bay's companies are creating strong, productive work environments, even in difficult economic times, by sharing employee stories as well as offering an inside look into what's working and where there's opportunity to grow. (Contact: Patty Kim, 813-745-7322, [email protected])

New Medical Facility Brings Jobs to Tampa Bay

Superior Residence of Lecanto, Memory Care Assisted Living Facility, a new Citrus County Economic Development Council and Chamber of Commerce member, announced plans for a state of the art memory care center in Citrus County.  An eighty bed community, it will offer specialized care in Alzheimer's which is an underserved area in Citrus County. This state of the art building will be approximately 40,000 square feet, have 60 units, two courtyards as well as common areas.  The facility is expected to cost approximately $10 million dollars. This is an important step for Citrus County in efforts to enhance and expand healthcare services for the region. Superior Residence of Lecanto will develop 30 new jobs once construction is completed, not to mention the jobs created during the construction phase. The ground breaking of the facility is expected soon with an open date of summer 2012. (Contact Therresa Foster, 352-621-8017, [email protected])

SOURCE Tampa Bay Partnership