March 2008

Seeking Overseas Buyers? Enterprise Florida grant funding is available to eligible Tampa Bay companies interested in locating foreign customers. Up to twenty eligible companies will receive funding assistance toward U.S. Commercial Service programs located at US Embassies throughout the world. Such programs include: assistance finding overseas representatives, distributors, licensees, franchises or joint venture partners. Specifically, the funds can be used to access U.S. Commercial Service programs such as The Gold Key Program (GKS), or The International Partner Search, (IPS). For more details on how you can qualify for a funding award of $500 or more, please complete an application form and fax it to Kathleen Good at 727-464-7056, or email kgood@pinellascounty.org. Programs must be scheduled before April 19 to be eligible for grant funds.

Entrepreneur of the Year Nominations Open. Ernst & Young LLP today opened the nomination period for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 Awards in Florida. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program, now in its 22^nd year, is recognized as the most prestigious business award program in the country. Award winners are selected by a panel of independent judges, including local business owners – many of whom have won the award in the past – as well as area leaders from civic organizations and academic institutions. The deadline for applications is March 28, with the awards ceremony scheduled for June 5 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. For more information and nomination forms contact Beverly Eha at (813) 225-4893, or beverly.eha@ey.com. Information is also available at www.ey.com/us/eoy.

Mapping Your Entrepreneurial Success… Knowing Where to Turn – The 2008 STAR TEC Entrepreneurship Conference, March 26-27. STAR TEC's second annual entrepreneurship conference will take place at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park. The luncheon keynote will feature Lifestyle Family Fitness founder, Geoffrey Dyer. Barry Alpert, Managing Director at Raymond James & Associates, will offer welcoming remarks. Topics will include Success Breeds Success – Discussions with Entrepreneurs; Doing Business with SOCOM and the SBIR Program; Building the Take-Off Team – Scaling Your Venture; and From No Dough to Cash Flow – Early and Mid-Stage Funding. Details and online registration are available at www.STARTECflorida.com/conference. For corporate sponsorship information, contact Wendy Plant at (727) 548-0868 or plantw@ctc.com.

Youth Career Fair, March 11 and 12, 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Developed to present career information, training options and employment opportunities to local high school seniors, the 2^nd annual Youth Career Fair is an occasion for local businesses to highlight both their industries and their companies. This year's event is being held under the leadership of the Pinellas County Education Technical Centers (PTEC), the Pinellas Education Foundation, Junior Achievement, and WorkNet Pinellas. The March 11 career fair will be held in Clearwater and the March 12 career fair will be held in St. Petersburg. There is no cost to participate. For more information, contact Gary Burlingame at (727) 791-5835 or email gburlingame@worknetpinellas.org.

Pinellas Reentry Project. The Pinellas Reentry Project is a county-funded program aimed at helping ex-offenders become productive citizens by linking them to employers willing to give them a second chance. Tax incentives and a federal bonding program are available to participating employers. Applicants can be pre-screened through the Reentry Project to your requirements so that only qualified personnel apply. To learn more, please contact the following agencies:

- Kinfolks, Director Tracie Reddick,727-327-9911 or email KINFOLKS_TR@yahoo.com
- PERC, Director Gavin Anderson, 727-324-2520 x 2015 or email ganderson@exoffender.org
- Dream Center, Director Sam InFanzon, 727-520-1909 or email DreamCenterSam@yahoo.com.

March 2008 Pinellas County Success Story

Room to Grow – Superior Electronics Finds Success in Pinellas. Superior Electronics Inc. (SEI) has found room to grow in Pinellas County for more than 20 years. The minority- and disabled veteran-owned company is currently undergoing a significant expansion, moving from its facility in the city of Dunedin to a larger operations center in Clearwater, Florida. As part of its expansion process, SEI plans to create eight high-wage engineering jobs, bringing its staff to a total of 22 highly-qualified engineers and manufacturers. Harnessing the resources of local supplier networks and assisting other Pinellas businesses with their technology needs has helped the company expand its scope of services. “New contracts spurred our move to a larger facility and we'll have the option of adding-on as we continue to expand in the future,” explains Founder and past President Ann Kennedy.

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Contact a Business Development Manager at (727) 464-7332 to explore innovative ways to grow your business in Pinellas.