SMARTstart
A textbook example of how economic development is supposed to work.
March 4, 2014
"Applicant Insight was set to pack up and move out of Pasco County. The company, which does substance abuse testing and background screening, could not find suitable office space in its existing market. Then a consortium of interests stepped in and made the save — and in the process kept 109 jobs in New Port Richey." (Tampa Bay Business Journal)Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc., Heidi Tuttle-Beisner of CAP Realty, City of New Port Richey, New Port Richey Police Department and Pasco County School Board collaborated in an effort to keep a company and its 109 jobs in the area. In a move that retained 109 jobs in the City of New Port Richey, Applicant Insight signed a 21,430-square-foot office lease and has plans to continue expanding.
“This is a textbook example of how economic development is supposed to work: city, county, utility and business team members working together to retain a company and help it grow,” said John Hagen, President/CEO of the Pasco EDC.
“When Community Hospital moved out of New Port Richey, it changed everything,” said Tuttle-Beisner. “That real estate market had largely been built around the medical community. The property on Meadowlane Street had been a surgery center, so Applicant Insight had to visualize the space with substantial changes. The large amount of space, the willingness of the landlord to build out the building and its close proximity to their current location made it the perfect choice for their new office.”
Construction has already begun.
To show its commitment and encourage Applicant Insight to stay in the city, New Port Richey officials also agreed to make improvements around the building. This includes repairing defective areas in the road, working with Duke Energy to install necessary street lighting and trim trees, and other initiatives. The Police Department also committed to initiating programs to ensure the safety of employees and the property. The average annual salary of Applicant Insight’s 109 employees is 125 percent of Pasco County’s median wage.
“Securing a new space in New Port Richey was an integral component to our plans for growth and expansion in 2014,” said Bon Idziak, CEO of Applicant Insight, Inc. “We are thrilled by the level of support from the City of New Port Richey and Pasco County in their efforts to keep us local.”
