Some lucrative federal contracts are possible for businesses based in and around Dade City.
By CHASE SQUIRES
Published June 18, 2003
ST. LEO - East Pasco businesses could be flying high with looming growth at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base, if they take advantage of the Dade City area's special federal designation, business leaders said Tuesday.
Dade City and areas to the north and west represent an untapped potential windfall as federal HUBZone areas, said John Walsh, the existing industry manager for the Pasco Economic Development Council.
The area's designation as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone, as determined by economic and census data, is the key to federal money, Walsh said. By law, 3 percent of all federal contracts - for everything from finished goods to services - must go to businesses based in HUBZones.
For businesses in census tracts in and adjacent to Dade City, getting on the federal list of HUBZone businesses opens the door to landing federal contracts, Walsh told members of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce meeting at Saint Leo University on Tuesday.
The list is circulated to procurement officers for government agencies, Walsh said. Once on the list, local businesses could start hearing from agencies looking to contract for goods and services.
As census data is compiled, the list of designated HUBZones is constantly being updated, and Walsh said Dade City's addition was noticed this year as the Economic Development Council worked on another project.
"If you are in business at all and want to see your business grow, this is a tremendous opportunity," said Ed Blommel, a Tampa Electric Co. executive active in Dade City economic development efforts.
"We would love to see this thing take off for east Pasco County," Walsh said.
According to the Small Business Administration, the Dade City area is one of two HUBZones in Pasco. The second is a small area outside New Port Richey.
The biggest buyer is the U.S. Department of Defense, Walsh said. And the newly announced expansions at MacDill Air Force Base mean the government will be looking for everything from landscaping maintenance companies to builders, he said.
MacDill is preparing to welcome a new fleet of 32 refueling tankers, bringing with them $202-million in military construction projects and another 355 officers and enlisted personnel.
"MacDill Air Force Base is a huge engine for the Tampa Bay area," Walsh said.
