SMARTstartWinners Announced for Pasco EDC’s 34th Annual Awards
September 9, 2022
Heidi Tuttle Beisner on stage at the Pasco EDC Annual Awards event.
Six businesses and an honorable community leader were recognized at last night’s award ceremony.
PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA (September 9, 2022) — Last night the Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC) hosted its 34th Annual Awards event at the Pasco Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC) with hundreds in attendance. The evening was presented by AdventHealth, Florida’s Sports Coast, Patty Vesh Business Broker, and CareerSource Pasco Hernando.
“It is always such an honor to recognize the companies who have made such an immense impact on our local economy and in our community. We had 25 finalists, and all were extremely deserving,” said Bill Cronin, Pasco EDC President/CEO. “It was a wonderful celebration, and we congratulate the six businesses who won and of course, an esteemed leader in our community, Billy Brown.”
This year’s award finalists included companies that exhibited exemplary growth through job creation, capital investment, technology, innovation, and community service. The winners were announced with stunning videos created by the evening’s Video Production Sponsor, JL Video. The award winners for 2022 were:
1. Pasco Establishment Award: TouchPoint Medical Inc.
a. Committing to the company’s largest investment ever made in its 120 years of existence, TouchPoint Medical invested over $30 million dollars and built a 142,000 square foot facility for its Global Headquarters near State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway. TouchPoint Medical is a leading producer of automated medication dispensing equipment.
2. Innovation in Business Award: Rasmussen University
a. Rasmussen University offers students a broad range of quality Bachelor's, Associate's, and now Doctoral degree programs in seven educational departments focused on the skill sets employers are hiring for. To help combat the national nursing shortage, Rasmussen University has created an accelerated nursing program, to educate and train students and get them placed in the field at a quicker pace.
3. International Achievement: Morganna’s Alchemy, LLC
a. Morganna’s Alchemy is a minority woman-owned business that follows a science-based & simple philosophy to create Phyto-Dermo-Cosmeceuticals. They carefully choose organic active ingredients from Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, with a large amount of company exports overseas.
4. Economic Excellence Award: Santander Consumer USA
a. In 2021 Santander Consumer USA Inc. invested $22 million to upgrade and convert 126,828 square feet of existing retail space off State Road 54 near the Suncoast Parkway. Since then, the company has added 307 new jobs and will eventually create a total of 875 new to Florida jobs over the next five years.
5. SMARTstart Entrepreneur of the Year: Life Essentials Refillery
a. Life Essentials Refillery is a woman-owned business committed to the environment. It simplifies eco-friendly shopping for the modern family by doing the research for its consumers by contacting wholesalers, verifying that they are good companies that produce quality products and that they manufacture in the United States. They have a store front in a 498 square foot shipping container at the new KRATE shopping center at the GROVE in Wesley Chapel.
6. People’s Choice Award, chosen “by the people” in an online vote: AdventHealth
a. Becoming a national leader in health care takes more than medical expertise and advanced technology. With more than 80,000 highly skilled professionals dedicated to delivering exceptional care with uncommon compassion, AdventHealth is here to help create a life of whole health for its patients.
7. Leadership Award: Honoring Billy E. Brown, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative
a. Billy E. Brown, a lifelong resident of Pasco County, attended Pasco High School and served in the United States Coast Guard and Korean War. He began his employment with Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative in 1956 as a lineman, but his abilities and leadership skills were quickly recognized as he rapidly progressed into supervisory positions. In 1973, he was promoted to Executive Vice-President and General Manager, the position which he currently holds, 49 years later. His leadership for over half a century has impacted thousands within our community through non-profits, scholarships, and economic opportunities.
The attendees loved the new venue, from the theatre style seating for the award program to networking in the portico area. The award program was followed by a dessert and networking hour where guests had a chance to mingle and develop more business connections. With almost 400 people in attendance, after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, the Pasco EDC is excited to have hosted the Annual Awards once again.
# # #
About Pasco Economic Development Council
The Pasco Economic Development Council is committed to developing Florida's most competitive climate for business growth by providing businesses, that seek to start, move, or grow in the North Tampa Bay area, a comprehensive suite of programs that can help them to reach their full economic potential. Since 1987, Pasco EDC has fostered a strong partnership funded by corporate and public investors focused on the economic vitality of Pasco County. Discover more at www.pascoedc.com.