News & Media
News, articles, videos and events about Pinellas County
Headlines, Success Stories & Multimedia
Review the latest news, articles, events and multimedia about Pinellas County businesses. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive news and updates in your inbox.
Industry News
Review the Latest News
about Business in Pinellas
$8 billion Foot Locker begins ‘lace up’ pilgrimage to St. Petersburg
Footlocker now among companies that ‘become St. Pete’
Florida Seating Expands in Pinellas County, Florida
the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark Florida Seating’s expansion in Pinellas County. Florida Seating used Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program (ESP) to help finance the expansion, which added more than 18,000 square feet of manufacturing space and ten new jobs to the company’s campus.
Pinellas County Business News – February 2025
A fresh issue of our monthly newsletter is out now, highlighting our Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report. Our team’s work directly and indirectly resulted in the creation or retention of more than 2,000 jobs in Pinellas, over $56M in contract awards to local businesses, and more than $95M in capital investment. Read the full issue to find more details about our achievements, as well as information and opportunities for growing businesses.
Success Stories
Pinellas Craft Brewery Pours Up a Glass to Business Resiliency and Success
Mastry’s Brewing Co. made history by becoming the first craft distillery in St. Pete Beach, offering a unique blend of handcrafted beers and spirits. With support from the Florida SBDC at PCED, owner Matthew Dahm tackled business planning and development, and connected with lenders to secure crucial funding. “They [Florida SBDC at PCED] helped me Identify the questions that I didn’t know to ask and line me up with the resources to really set us up for success on those next steps that we’re taking with our business development.”
Pinellas AV Company Demonstrates Its Got What It Takes to Put on a Show
Utilizing the services of the Florida APEX Accelerator at Pinellas County Economic Development, Steve “Q” Berry has employed government contracting to grow and expand Style-City Music in Pinellas County. Government Contracting Consultant Yolanda Goodloe has helped guide Q through the government contracting process, and her expertise was instrumental in helping Style-City Music secure government contracts that would allow the business to showcase their talents to the United States Coast Guard and the United States Navy.
Electrical Equipment Distributor Gains Traction, Expands to Bigger Pinellas County Location
Comprehensive Supply Company owner John Ciangiulli tapped the expertise of the Florida SBDC at PCED to develop a comprehensive business plan, create a targeted marketing strategy, and improve his accounting processes, building a solid business foundation. “In the last three years we’ve doubled sales revenue each and every year and we have secured financing, both traditional financing and line of credit financing, and we continue to see growth and expect future growth in continuing to work with SBDC,” attests Ciangiulli.
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Press Releases
Florida Seating Expands in Pinellas County, Florida
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark Florida Seating’s expansion in Pinellas County. Florida Seating used Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program (ESP) to help finance the expansion, which added more than 18,000 square feet of manufacturing space and ten new jobs to the company’s campus.
AGORA Edge Expands in St. Petersburg with Support from Employment Sites Program
On Tuesday, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners celebrated the ribbon-cutting for AGORA Edge’s new facility in St. Petersburg, Florida. Growing since 1985, AGORA Edge is a leader in soft goods design and manufacturing, employs over 350 workers, and counts several Fortune 500 companies among its clients. With rising demand, the company outgrew its existing space and used Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program (ESP) to fund an expansion, adding nearly 48,000 square feet and 50 new jobs.
Pinellas County Economic Development Receives 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award and Best in Show Nomination from the International Economic Development Council
Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) received a 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and is a nominee for Best in Show. The award was bestowed specifically for the department’s work in the Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse category for the Employment Sites Program (ESP).
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February 2025 Business News
Our team’s work directly and indirectly resulted in the creation or retention of more than 2,000 jobs in Pinellas, over $56M in contract awards to local businesses, and more than $95M in capital investment. Read the full issue to find more details about our achievements, as well as information and opportunities for growing businesses.
January 2025 Business News
The January issue of our monthly newsletter is out now, featuring local business success stories, upcoming opportunities for businesses, hurricane recovery resources, and more. Visit PCED.ORG/Subscribe to receive future issues.
December 2024 Business News
The December issue of our monthly newsletter is out now, featuring stories of local business expansion, upcoming opportunities for businesses, hurricane recovery resources, and more. Visit PCED.ORG/Subscribe to receive future issues.
Multimedia
Pinellas County, the Ideal Business Climate.
Visitors and residents worldwide are drawn to the renowned white sand beaches of Pinellas County, but companies are attracted to Pinellas’ ideal business climate. With a skilled workforce, robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, well-developed infrastructure, and construction-ready sites, businesses can expect to begin growing immediately in Pinellas. Anchored by the urban markets of Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Pinellas has the third-largest manufacturing employment base in Florida. Fortune 500 companies like Jabil and Raymond James are headquartered here. Pinellas has diverse, yet symbiotic, industry clusters, including aviation/aerospace; defense/national security; medical technologies; business and financial services; and information technology. An extensive network of suppliers, service providers, and business associations support operations in these sectors. How can we help you grow? Contact us today at econdev@pinellas.gov.
ARK Innovation Center, now open!
On December 18, 2023, Pinellas County celebrated the completion of the ARK Innovation Center, a new 45,000-square-foot business incubator located at 1101 4th St S. in St. Petersburg. The new facility is owned by Pinellas County and operated by the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, a tech incubator and accelerator with a well-respected team of board members, advisors, and mentors and a track record of helping tech start-ups grow.
Celebrate ARK Innovation Center’s Construction Progress
Pinellas County celebrated a milestone on January 20, 2023: the structural completion of the new ARK Innovation Center in St. Petersburg. Project partners celebrated by leaving their “mark” on a piece of Pinellas County history by signing the steel beam that will be used in the interior structure of the new business incubator.
Pinellas County Celebrates Opening of Brooker Creek South Industrial Facility
The Pinellas County Commission celebrated on Tues., Sept. 6, the completion of Brooker Creek South, the first industrial manufacturing building supported in part by Pinellas County’s Employment Sites Program (ESP). The developer, Harrod Properties, Inc., constructed the facility at 500 Brooker Creek Blvd, in Oldsmar’s thriving industrial market. The ribbon cutting was attended by Pinellas County Economic Development, the City of Oldsmar, Harrod Properties, and the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. The new tenants – Belac’s Chromalloy, Edmund Optics, and FDD, also joined in the celebration.
Pinellas County Celebrates SBDC Day
Learn how the SBDC at Pinellas County Economic Development has helped businesses start up, create jobs, build or expand a business plan, grow capital, and obtain government contracts in Pinellas County, Florida.
