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Seventeen businesses, 407 jobs and $21-million invested in the county surpasses last year, the EDC says.
By JENNIFER GOLDBLATT, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 26, 2002
LAND O'LAKES -- Even a dreary economy and the cloud of terrorist attacks couldn't overshadow the lure of cheap available land in Pasco County.
Pasco wooed 17 companies and 407 jobs in the past year, according to the Economic Development Council. The companies invested $21-million here.
Though the numbers are up from last year, and surpassed the EDC's goals, officials sense that some business activity is being kept at bay.
"We're getting a lot of interest, but signing on the dotted line has been slower than I had hoped," said Sandi Snow, the EDC's business recruiter.
A lot of companies bought land in Pasco, but are waiting for sales to pick up before they go ahead with moving plans, Snow added.
As for the year ahead, "I think that we'll see a lot of the deals we're juggling will actually start coming through," Snow said.
Businesses already in Pasco added 276 new jobs, spent $16-million on expansions and added 133,600 square feet of new space in the past year.
And two businesses are already planning expansions for the coming fiscal year, which starts Tuesday.
Luke Brothers Landscaping of New Port Richey plans a move to a 22,000-square-foot building in Holiday from two sites elsewhere in the city. The 19-year-old company, the largest commercial landscaper in the Tampa Bay area, plans to start a plant nursery at the new site, expand the facility by 10,000 square feet, and add 20 employees to its staff of 325. The company is spending about $1.1-million on the project, said co-owner Pete Lucadano.
MIL-Tool & Plastics, a 25-year-old company based in Zephyrhills, plans to double the size of its machine shop to 13,000 square feet to accommodate growing sales. The company, which has a staff of seven, makes components for machines for the military, auto and pharmaceutical industries.
-- Jennifer Goldblatt covers business in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6229, or toll free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6229. Her e-mail address is goldblatt@sptimes.com.