Pasco County, Fla. (September 9, 2016) —Over 600 community and business leaders met Thursday evening at Saddlebook Resort in Wesley Chapel for the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 30^th Annual Banquet & Industry of the Year Awards.  At the event, Pasco EDC honored eight Pasco County companies who demonstrated significant growth over the past year.  Awards were bestowed to:

• Ortho Technology, Inc. – New Business Award
• Crestmark Pharmacy Services, LLC – Manufacturing Industry of the Year (1-25 Employees)
• Leggett & Platt Adjustable Bed Group – Manufacturing Industry of the Year (26+ Employees)
• Optimum Plumbing, LLC – Service/Distribution Industry of the Year (1-25 Employees)
• Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning – Service/Distribution Industry of the Year (26+ Employees)
• Global Electronics Testing Services, LLC – Technology Award
• Bayfront Health Dade City – Special Recognition Award
• Marjorie’s Hope – Special Contribution Award

The Banquet program—emceed by WTSP Tampa Bay 10 News anchor Courtney Robinson —also included an update from Pasco EDC Board Chairman Barbara Wilhite.  During her address, Wilhite spoke of guiding the organization through a year of transition and success, including the selection of new President/CEO Bill Cronin in December, the approval of the Council’s $3.2 million Penny for Pasco proposal by the Board of County Commissioners and the recent announcement that METTLER TOLEDO will locate a new facility in Pasco County.  Pasco EDC also shepherded an additional 14 projects to completion.  The total result of these projects is expected to create almost 850 new jobs and over $145 million in investment.

At the end of her remarks, Wilhite also revealed the initial results of the strategic planning process Pasco EDC has been undertaking.  New vision and mission statements were revealed as well as new logos for Pasco EDC and the SMARTstart Entrepreneur Program—which will now encompass the organization’s Microloan Program, CO.STARTERS, and CEO Roundtables as well as the Business Incubator for which it is most well-known.

The highlight of each year’s Annual Banquet is the Industry of the Year Awards.  Local companies are nominated each year in late spring.  Throughout June and July, nominees are interviewed by members of the Pasco EDC Awards Committee and are expected to exhibit exemplary growth in job creation, capital investment, technology, innovation, and community service.  The Committee uses a specific grading scale to determine winners.

Finalists for this year’s Industry of the Year Awards included:

• Bayfront Health Dade City
• Bayonet Plumbing Heating and A/C
• Compark 75
• Crestmark Pharmacy Services, LLC
• Dixie Belle Paint Company
• First National Bank of Pasco
• Global Electronics Testing Services, LLC
• Leggett & Platt Adjustable Bed Group
• Marjorie’s Hope
• Nicopure Labs, LLC
• Optimum Plumbing, LLC
• Ortho Technology, Inc.
• Premier Community Healthcare Group
• Rogers Towers, P.A.
• Southeast Bottling & Beverage Co.
• SouthEast Personnel Leasing, Inc.
• Trxade, Inc.
• USA Underwriting Solutions of America