The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) wants to do business with you!   Connect with PCA purchasing officials in realtime via a video conference, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, July 10, here in the Pinellas County Economic Development conference facility.  The U.S. Dept. of Commerce will conduct a live two-way video discussion among the American Embassy in Panama, PCA officials and Tampa Bay businesses. Talk with the Chief Procurement Officer of PCA who buys $100 million of goods and services annually. Learn how to sell to Panama. Don’t miss this sales opportunity. Register by July 8, only $20.  Call 727-893-3738 or e-mail today to George.Martinez@mail.doc.gov. Space is limited.

Best in Florida!  Pinellas County Economic Development’s on-going Good Business Pinellas TV and Radio Broadcast Series was selected the top communications program in the state for promoting existing business/business retention, and the department’s business card size CD, “Site Seeking Tour Guide to Pinellas County,” was awarded the state’s best audio-visual promotional product, both in large community competition. The Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) made the presentations during its annual Workshop in Tampa on June 30.  Buzz David, director of Pinellas County’s economic development program, received the awards. For more information call 727-464-7332. Remember Good Business Pinellas TV, 7pm nightly on SPC 19 and often on Pinellas 18, plus Good Business Radio every Wednesday at 1 pm on 1250AM, WHNZ.

Pinellas business leadership confirmed again!  Pinellas County is home to 65 of the Top 200 privately held companies in the seven-county Tampa Bay region, ranked by 2002 revenue, according to the Business Journal Serving Greater Tampa Bay.  Whose businesses are growing fastest?  Again, Pinellas sets the pace.  3 of the top 5, 6 of the top 10, and 10 of the top 25 fastest growing are right here in Pinellas County, with the fastest being Clearwater’s NexTrade Holdings Inc.  For more information, call 727-464-7425.

Retire right here in Largo!  That’s what Money Magazine recommends in its July issue.  The 6^th best retirement place in the nation is “Largo, Florida, a true retirement community living with sun, warm weather, and plenty of beaches…. Largo has remained quaint, affluent and clean, while St. Petersburg and Clearwater have sprawled….nearly one-third of the population is over 65, there’s a strong retiree culture.”  For more detail, call Ron Buening, Largo Business Assistance Specialist at 727-584-2321.

Early conclusions from the soon-to-be-released ’03 Pinellas Manufacturing Technology Survey conducted in April by Pinellas Economic Development show 71% of firms rate their business performance “excellent/good”; 60% expect next years’ revenues to be better than this year; 63% plan to expand product lines over the next three years; 50% expect to upgrade company technology and 22% intend to increase research and development; 33% of firms expect to hire additional employees. Full conclusions and analysis available soon. For more information call the Research Section at 727-464-7344.