What's Happening in North Tampa Bay, FL?

You Can Have It All in Pasco County

If you are wondering where your company can expand or relocate to, look no further than Pasco County, Florida, in North Tampa Bay. Located just 30 miles north of Tampa and about 50 miles west of Orlando, it is easy to enjoy all that West Central Florida has to offer. As one of the fastest growing areas in the Tampa Bay region, Pasco County features a unique blend of undeveloped, open spaces in close proximity to modern, vibrant communities with ready access to major interstate highways, CSX Rail Line, Tampa International Airport, and Port Tampa Bay.

Pasco County government works cooperatively with business leaders and residents to balance economic growth and job creation, with planned growth that protects the environment and preserves Pasco’s beautiful green space. The resulting quality of life and a supportive environment for business and industry has helped Pasco County become one of the top 40 fastest growing counties in the United States, which means WORKFORCE!

Who’s Investing in Pasco County?

Recent announcements (expansions & locations)

Moffitt Cancer Center- Phase 1: 432 Jobs, $60 million Capital Investment
Amazon Robotics Sortation Center: 500 Jobs, $150 million Capital Investment
NVGTN: 30 Jobs, $15 million Capital Investment
Santander Consumer U.S.A.: 875 Jobs, Over $22 million Capital Investment
TRU Simulation + Training: 160 Jobs, $40 Million Capital Investment
METTLER TOLEDO: 500 Jobs, $30 Million Capital Investment
TouchPoint Medical: 228 Jobs, $23 Million Capital Investment

Workforce

Labor is either fostered or imported and we have both in Pasco County! Our k-12 schools recognize the importance of fostering young minds through our 32 Career Technical Education programs and the state-of-the-art manufacturing Apprenticeship Program also known as AmSkills. The higher education schools in our region including Saint Leo University, Pasco Hernando State College, University of South Florida and University of Tampa all infuse educated workforce into our community.

With 40 percent of the population leaving the county every day for work, companies are aware they need to be near the employee and are strategically deciding Pasco County is where they should be. Our WorkforceCONNECT program, established in 2018, was created to serve as a resource for new and existing businesses, workforce providers, and current/prospective employees to identify career-specific pathways in targeted industries. This program will prove to aid in streamlining the process of connecting employers to employees.

Preparing our workforce and providing a quality of life that will attract workforce is Pasco County’s number one priority.

Creative Local & State Incentives

Businesses like Pasco County's strong employment incentive programs. County government has funds available to help companies locate in Pasco County. You invest in Pasco County; Pasco County will invest in you! These funds can be used for training, infrastructure improvements and direct cash payments for companies creating jobs.

For example, a company creating 100 jobs with an average salary of $42,912 may qualify for an incentive of $2,000 per job - a total of $200,000 in cash. (JCI – Job Creation Incentive)

Local Incentives include (Job Creation Incentive, JCI) Expedited Permitting, Property Tax Rebate, Impact Fee Waiver, & Opportunity Zones.

Another way Pasco County is spurring development is through the Penny for Pasco program. This program is estimated to generate approximately $56 million over 10 years for economic development projects. Monies can be used for:

Business Park Development
Infrastructure
Speculative Building Construction
Land Assembly

The State of Florida has similar incentives, including training, road improvements, and state tax credits. Pasco EDC can help companies apply for these funds.

Pasco Ready Sites

One of the fastest growing trends in the site location business is the demand for project-ready industrial properties. The reason is simple: companies need ready access to buildable sites in order to make a location decision and the ability to efficiently begin and complete construction to get to the business of making money.

Recognizing this trend, the Pasco Economic Development Council, in partnership with Pasco County, has implemented the Pasco Ready Sites Program. This program has allowed us to assess, evaluate and market over 2,000 acres of land targeted to Manufacturing, Distribution, Aviation, Defense and Supporting Office Industries.