Approximately 400 Floridians attended a public hearing held by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) on May 17 in Tampa at Hillsborough Community College’s (HCC) Dale Mabry Campus as part of its, “Floridians Speak, We Listen” statewide tour. At HCC, more than 150 individual Floridians requested to speak before the CRC. The hearing went nearly two hours past the noticed end time of 8:00 PM. All Floridians who attended the public hearing and wanted to speak were given an opportunity to be heard.
To watch the public hearing held in Tampa, visit the Florida Channel’s website which has a page dedicated to all CRC public hearings and meetings. A complete transcript of the public hearing and appearance forms will be available online at flcrc.gov as soon as possible. Additional public hearings will be scheduled and announced at a future date.
Tampa
CRC Holds Public Hearing at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa
TONIGHT
Tonight beginning at 5:00 PM, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) invites all interested Floridians to participate in a public hearing at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry Campus.
Members of the media wishing to attend are asked to bring their press credentials. The event will also be live-streamed by The Florida Channel on www.TheFloridaChannel.org.
WHAT: Public hearing of the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC)
WHEN: Wednesday, May 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
*End time is tentative depending upon attendance and public interest in speaking before the CRC. All Floridians wishing to speak before the CRC will be given an opportunity to be heard.
WHERE: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Hillsborough Community College (HCC)
Dale Mabry Campus
DSTU Auditorium, Room 111 (Student Services Building)
4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33614-7820
GOOGLE MAP LINK
PARKING: Parking and accessible parking is available on the HCC Dale Mabry Campus. Signs directing visitors will be posted.
Individuals requiring an accommodation to participate in a public hearing (such as a sign language interpreter) are requested to notify the Constitution Revision Commission five days prior to the scheduled meeting date at [email protected] or 850.717.9550.
Attorney General Bondi and FTC to Hold News Conference in Tampa
MEDIA ADVISORY
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal Trade Commission will be hosting a news conference on Friday, May 12, 2017 in Tampa. Attorney General Bondi will be announcing new and continued efforts to crack down on tech support scams in Florida and nationwide.
WHO: Attorney General Bondi and the Federal Trade Commission
WHAT: News Conference
WHEN: Friday, May 12, 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Florida Attorney General’s Office
3507 E Frontage Road
Suite # 325
Tampa, Fla. 33607
Gov. Rick Scott to Host Military Roundtable in Tampa
Tomorrow, March 30th, Governor Rick Scott will host a roundtable with community leaders in Tampa to discuss economic development and jobs programs that the Florida House voted to eliminate. Governor Scott will specifically speak to those programs under Enterprise Florida that invest in Florida’s military and defense communities.
WHAT: Military Roundtable
WHEN: 9:00 AM
WHERE: VFW Post 424 Tampa
105 West Broad Street
Tampa, FL 33604
ICYMI: WFLA: Gov. Scott and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn Fight for Florida Jobs
“Gov. Scott and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn Fight for Florida Jobs”
WFLA-TB (NBC) – Tampa Bay, FL
February 13, 2017
To view the clip, click HERE.
Gov. Scott Recognizes Florida Veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal
Governor Rick Scott awarded 79 Florida Veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal at the 101st Airborne Division Reunion in Tampa today.
FDLE Agents arrest Tampa man on 100 counts of child pornography
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 22-year-old Nathanael Reyes, of 7607 Southern Brook Bend, Apartment 202, Tampa, on 100 counts of possession of child pornography.
FDLE Agents began investigating Reyes after receiving a tip. A search warrant revealed an online account with several videos that appeared to be child pornography. Further investigation revealed as many as 100 images and videos of child pornography, with many of the victims younger than 5 years old.
Reyes was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail for booking on a $1 million bond. The Office of the State Attorney, 13th Circuit, will prosecute.
Gov. Scott Announces BlueLine Associates to Relocate to Tampa
Relocation From North Carolina Will Create 150 New Jobs
Governor Rick Scott announced BlueLine Associates (BLA), a professional services firm, will relocate its global headquarters from Cary, North Carolina to Tampa. The relocation will create 150 new jobs and invest more than $2 million in the local community. BlueLine Associates, which currently has offices in Tampa, will move their headquarters including its financial, legal, and human resources groups.
Governor Scott said, “It is great news that BlueLine Associates chose to move their international headquarters to Florida from North Carolina, which will create more than 150 new jobs for Tampa families. We were competing with North Carolina and Louisiana, but ultimately BlueLine Associates chose Florida for their new headquarters. I look forward to BlueLine Associates continued success in our state.”
BlueLine Associates provides consulting, managed services, and staffing solutions to small, mid and large companies in a variety of industries. In 2015 and 2016, BlueLine was recognized on the “Best Places to Work” lists of both Consulting Magazine and the Triangle Business Journal. New jobs are expected to pay an average annual wage of $71,909.
Rocky Silvestri, President of BlueLine, said, “This move gives us access to Florida’s strong talent pool and allows us to continue the strategic expansion of our business. Our company culture is at the core of our business success, our client’s satisfaction, and the happiness of our people. We are excited to bring those guiding principles to Tampa.”
BlueLine Associates joins a growing list of companies that have chosen Hillsborough County for their new corporate and regional headquarters, including North American Roofing Services, Inc., Velocity Resource Group, Fay Servicing, Ashley Furniture Industries’ Ashcomm, Johnson & Johnson, and Cohesion. Florida is already home to nearly 3,000 headquarters offices, and is the 4th largest economy in the U.S. and the 19th largest economy in the world.
The project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Chris Hart IV, President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc., said, “Blueline Associates has chosen Florida because it is the best place to do business. The talent and the strong, business-friendly climate in Florida continue to attract growing businesses. Hard-working Floridians are getting jobs that could have gone to other states, but they ended up right here in Florida.”
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “BlueLine Associates’ relocation to the Tampa area is yet another example of a business recognizing the unique opportunities for growth in Florida. Our state boasts a strong and talented workforce, a business-friendly, low tax environment and fewer regulations that enable companies to grow and succeed.”
Stacy White, chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, said, “Hillsborough County offers BlueLine Associates a deep bench of information technology consulting, staffing, and management consulting talent, as well as the amenities that will make it easy for them to recruit exceptional candidates to the area. We thank BlueLine for their investment in our community and look forward to supporting them as they thrive in Hillsborough County.”
Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa, said, “Tampa’s star continues to rise as more companies like BlueLine Associates discover the advantages our city offers as a corporate headquarters home. As millennial talent flocks here and our downtown undergoes an historic and exciting transformation, Tampa is gaining a national reputation as the place to be for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 corporations. We wish BlueLine Associates a prosperous future here.”
Ken Atwater, PhD, chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and president of Hillsborough Community College, said, “Other cities fought hard to have BlueLine Associates relocate to their communities. But those competing metros couldn’t touch Tampa’s pro-business climate, incredible quality of life, and the convenient air access Tampa International Airport affords to BlueLine’s customers across America and in Europe. We’re excited to welcome Rocky and his team and wish them great success in Tampa.”
Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the Careers page of BlueLine Associates’ web site, http://www.blueline-associates.com/services/staffing/job-seekers/,for more information on available positions.
About BlueLine Associates
BlueLine Associates is a process-driven Professional Services firm that transforms business challenges into growth, operational agility, and competitive advantage. Our foundation in process gives us the vision to develop holistic forward thinking strategies across our consulting, managed services, and staffing service lines. We leverage our experience, agility, and partnership model to seamlessly implement and execute solutions to elevate customer experience, increase profits, and propel organizations toward new opportunities.
Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched “Florida – The Future is Here” to promote the state as the nation’s premier business destination.
About the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead designated economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. A partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors, including Corporate Headquarters, Financial and Shared Services, Life Sciences, Defense and Security, and Manufacturing.
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation exists because of the generous support of over 100 corporations, Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. For more information, visit www.tampaedc.com.
About Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County is the commercial and industrial heart of Tampa Bay. The fourth largest county in the state of Florida, Hillsborough is home to nearly 1.3 million residents, with thousands more arriving each year. Its strength is drawn from being one of the most advanced economies and having one of the most educated workforces in the state. Hillsborough County and its three municipalities –Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace — offer a competitive business environment and an abundance of regional assets including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and MacDill Air Force Base. County government is focused on creating economic prosperity for residents and businesses throughout the area. To learn more, visit hillsboroughcounty.org.
Gov. Scott Announces Cott Corporation Headquarters Expansion in Tampa
Governor Scott announced today that Cott Corporation, one of the world’s largest beverage producers and distributors, will be expanding their headquarters in Hillsborough County. The expansion will create 60 new jobs and invest $800,000 in the local community.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce Cott Corporation is expanding their headquarters in Hillsborough County and creating 60 new jobs for Tampa families. Florida businesses have added more than 1.25 million private-sector jobs in the last six years and we will keep working every day to make our state the number one place to grow a business. I look forward to welcoming more job creators like Cott Corporation to Florida.”
Jerry Fowden, CEO, Cott Corporation said, “Cott has undergone a significant and positive transformation in recent years including acquisitions such as DS Services, Aquaterra, Eden Springs and most recently, S&D Coffee and Tea. As we grow, we continue to strive to be an employer of choice in the Florida and Tampa market. Tampa has been a very good location for our global headquarters, offering a workforce whose skills align with our business needs. That makes this region increasingly attractive to us.”
With over 12,000 employees, Cott maintains operations in 20 countries worldwide. Cott also develops and manufactures beverage concentrates, which it exports to approximately 50 countries around the world.
Brad Goist, President, North America, Cott Beverages said, “We had an opportunity to evaluate aspects of our North America support structure recently and have decided to relocate positions from other domestic and international locations and further invest those jobs in Tampa. We believe this is a good investment for our business unit and we look forward to continuing to grow with Tampa in the years to come.”
This project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.
Chris Hart IV, President and CEO, Enterprise Florida, Inc. said, “Cott beverages is following other businesses and is continuing to expand in Florida. They recognize that Florida is the best place to do business and 60 new jobs are being created for Florida families. The business-friendly climate and the talent pool in Florida lead the nation and continue to attract businesses like Cott Beverages.”
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Cott Corporation is a thriving Florida business that has harnessed the Tampa area’s talented workforce and the state’s superior distribution networks. I am proud of the company’s growth and commitment to job creation and expansion in Florida. Cott’s newly announced high-wage jobs will provide great opportunities to local job seekers.”
Stacy White, Chairman, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners said, “Hillsborough County’s exceptional pool of diversely skilled talent and friendly business climate helped make Cott Corporation’s decision to add jobs here much easier. We thank Cott for providing more excellent career opportunities for local families and applaud their decision to bring jobs that had been located in other states and overseas to Tampa. We look forward to supporting them as they grow.”
Cott Corporation joins a growing list of companies that have recently made the decision to locate or expand their headquarters in Hillsborough County, including Bertram Yachts, BlueGrace Logistics, North American Roofing Services, Inc., and Velocity Resource Group.
Ken Atwater, Ph.D., Chairman of Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and President of Hillsborough Community College said, “We are pleased to see Cott Corporation continue to thrive in Hillsborough County. The competition for the quality jobs they provide is intense, and Cott had several other options to consider. We appreciate Cott’s decision to increase their investment in our community, and know it will pay great dividends for them.”
Individuals interested in open job opportunities may refer to the Cott Corporation web site at http://www.cott.com/careers.
About Cott Corporation
With the acquisitions of DS Services of America, Inc. and Eden Springs, Cott has combined leading providers in the direct-to-consumer beverage services industry with its traditional business, one of the world’s largest producers of beverages on behalf of retailers, brand owners and distributors. Cott now has the largest volume-based national presence in the North American and European home and office delivery industry for botled water and one of the five largest national market share positions in the U.S. and Europe office coffee services and filtration services industries. Cott reaches over 2.3 million customers through routes located across North America, Europe, Israel and Russia supported by national sales and distribution facilities, and fleet. Cott’s broad portfolio allows it to offer, on a direct-to consumer basis, a variety of bottled water, coffee, brewed tea, water dispensers, coffee and tea brewers and filtration equipment. Cott believes it has the broadest distribution network in the direct-to-consumer beverage services industry in North America and Europe, which enables it to efficiently service residences and small and medium size businesses, as well as national corporations, universities and government agencies.
Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched “Florida – The Future is Here” to promote the state as the nation’s premier business destination.
Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead designated economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors.
Hillsborough County, Florida is the commercial and industrial heart of Tampa Bay. The fourth largest county in the state of Florida, Hillsborough is home to nearly 1.3 million residents, with thousands more arriving each year. Its strength is drawn from being one of the most advanced economies and having one of the most educated workforces in the state. Hillsborough County and its three municipalities –Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace – offer a competitive business environment and an abundance of regional assets including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and MacDill Air Force Base. County government is focused on creating economic prosperity for residents and businesses throughout the area. To learn more, visit HCFLGov.net.
