By Matt Wiley
It’s no secret that economic growth is on the rise here in Wesley Chapel, as more and more large companies are making the area their home. This is thanks, at least in part, to the efforts of the Pasco County Economic Development Council (PEDC), which received three awards at the Florida Economic Development Council’s recent annual conference.
According to a PEDC press release, the organization won awards for “Best Email Campaign,” “Best Annual Report Design” and “Best Special Event,” bringing the number of awards won by the Council on the local, state and national level to nine in the past four years at Florida’s annual professional development conference. The event was held June 8-10 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay in downtown Tampa and was attended by economic, workforce and community developers from Florida’s 67 counties, 400 cities, 24 workforce regions, 12 universities and 28 community colleges.
“We want to thank our investors and members of our ‘Marketing Task Force’ for keeping us on the cutting edge with innovative marketing ideas,” said Pasco EDC president and CEO John Hagen in the release. “Marketing Pasco County to the business community locally, regionally and nationally is a big part of what we do, and it is wonderful to see our efforts recognized on a state level.”
PEDC has been in existence since 1987 and initially was created to, “foster the economic vitality and business development opportunities of Pasco.” According to documents on the organization’s website, since 2005, PEDC has helped attract nearly 20 business to the Wesley Chapel area, including American Consulting Engineers (located off Cypress Ridge Blvd. next to the future site of Wesley Chapel’s fist ice hockey facility), Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Raymond James Financial, which is working to close on its property on S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI).
“The work of PEDC has been stellar in the sense that we’ve seen an explosion of development in our area that has been directly involved with them,” says Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee chairman Steve Domonkos. “Just look at the I-75 and S.R. 54/56 corridor. The growth there is a reflection of their work.”
And now it seems that PEDC’s work is becoming even more recognized, with the help of online marketing.
About two years ago, as it began to enter the world of online marketing and social media, PEDC launched one of its first email campaigns, entitled “Monday Cup o’News,” which is described as a simple digest to help keep people up to date on what’s happening in the business and economic development world of Pasco County. That campaign took the prize for this year’s “Best Email Campaign.”
“We needed a simple and effective way to spread positive news about Pasco County to the business community,” says Summer Martin, marketing and events coordinator for the Pasco EDC. “Often, people are so busy with their day-to-day lives that it’s hard for them to keep up with what is happening in the news. We wanted to make it easy for people to know what is happening in Pasco and convey our news releases to a broader audience.”
And it must be working, as the digital campaign has grown from 580 to about 1,300 subscribers in just that short time.
The Pasco EDC also was recognized for its Annual Report design, which is available in print and as an interactive, online “flip-book,” which ties into PEDC’s branding message of being one of the most innovative economic development organizations in the state and a leader in new ideas for local economic development in the nation.
“The content of the Annual Report, and its look and feel, must demonstrate this high level of innovation and creativity, and our key vehicle to express this has been the use of compelling images of ‘quirky’ children who personify community advantages,” Hagen explained. “On the cover (of the report) is, ‘Joey,’ a high-flying risk-taker who conveys the spirit of adventure, discovery and overachievement, emerging as part of Pasco’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Finally, PEDC was recognized as hosting the “Best Special Event,” in the form of the organization’s 12th annual “NetFest,” an event held this past April at Starkey Ranch off S.R. 54, designed to provide an opportunity for business and community leaders to meet and network.
“We frequently hear from attendees who have met someone they had been trying for several months to contact,” said Hagen in the release. “In some cases, we have received economic development leads from attendees, and we also have heard about business deals being made at the event. It has turned into one of the most effective tools we have for building our economic development effort.”
Congrats to the PEDC! Keep up the good work. For more information about the Pasco County Economic Development Council or to subscribe to “Monday Cup o’News,” please visit PascoEDC.com.
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