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A Strategy of Success: Innovation, Cooperation

Residents of Volusia/Daytona Beach are eager to let others know about the place they call home: its assets and charms, and why they wouldn’t live anywhere else, even though they could. It’s the mantra of several organizations devoted to economic development, one of which is Team Volusia.

Keith A. Nordon
“This is an especially exciting time in Volusia County.”
~ Keith A. Norden,
CEcD, President & CEO, Team Volusia Economic Development Corp.

“This is an especially exciting time,” says Keith A. Norden, president and CEO of the Team Volusia group. “The variety of companies and organizations that are eyeing Volusia County as a location for expansion or relocation is contributing to a veritable renaissance — economically, demographically and culturally,” he says and names a few recent standouts:

  • More than a billion dollars in new investment in just the past two years that has resulted in Volusia County welcoming the world’s first motorsports stadium in Daytona International Speedway
  • Major new retail destinations in One Daytona and Tanger Outlet Mall
  • Medical manufacturing, distribution and laboratory services in B. Braun Medical, DaVita Labs, Command Medical Products and Germfree Laboratories
  • Aviation manufacturing by SeaMax Aviation
  • Corporate headquarters projects by Brown & Brown Insurance and Security First Insurance

Some were driven by the private sector. Some became reality with the help of one or more organizations. “All are high impact, and all add vitality to Volusia County’s economy,” Norden says.

The Groundwork Has Been Laid

“It is not a coincidence that new and expanding industries remark on the quality of our workforce training and education system, along with the welcoming attitude of public and private sector individuals,” says Nancy P. Keefer, president & CEO, Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“The community synergy and collaboration they experience has been a major factor in their decisions to move or expand their business in Volusia County. High rankings in national polls signal that our region is a great place to work, live and visit,” says Keefer.

Attracting Techfit Digital Surgery is a prime example of the collaborative synergy Norden and Keefer describe.

That spirit of cooperation among the leading economic development organizations influenced Colombian manufacturing company Sampedro’s decision to bring its Techfit Digital Surgery to Volusia County, to further innovation efforts and serve as a base for international expansion.

Sampedro was attracted by the partnerships between government, private and academic institutions, says Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, and will be joining the University of Central Florida Business incubator’s soft-landing program, which is specifically designed for foreign companies that want to launch a startup in the United States.

Team Volusia EDC and the Daytona Regional Chamber were lead agencies on this project. Collaboration is common on such opportunities, including participation with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona State College, cities and a supportive business community.

Nancy P. Keefer
“It is not a coincidence that new and expanding industries remark on the quality of our workforce training and education system.”
~ Nancy P. Keefer, President & CEO, Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce

Others involved in recruiting Techfit weigh in, too. “The Chamber is proud to have been a part of the process ... illustrating the true power of community collaboration,” says Skip Lilly, chairman of the board for the Daytona Regional Chamber. The cooperation of development partners is important in attracting innovative and emerging companies, he says.

CareerSource Flagler Volusia is another part of the picture, providing recruitment-related services and training opportunities to businesses and job seekers alike. Complementing this are vibrant insurance and financial institutions, banks and credit unions, such as VyStar and Space Coast, providing a full menu of business products and services.

“We urge businesses to take a look at our community for future development and relocation,” says Glenn Ritchey, president of Jon Hall Automotive Group and former mayor of the city of Daytona Beach. “This is a wonderful place to live and work. We have a good workforce, and we are making good strides in attracting industries that are providing meaningful jobs for our graduates, jobs that will enable them to come back to their home area.”

Incubating Breakthrough Technologies

Aerosapien Technologies, DHI Innovative Technologies and Koralis Entertainment are just three of the companies making good use of facilities at the Volusia County Business Incubator.

Part of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program, the 9,600-sq.-ft. facility at Daytona Beach International Airport features Class A office space, flexible leases, a spacious training room with SMART Board technology, conference rooms and shared office equipment, kitchen and reception area. Since opening in 2011, the incubator has assisted 86 companies that created or retained 315 jobs in the area.

Aerosapien is working to develop technological breakthroughs in greener design for aviation and affordable access to space research, while DHIIT is developing mid-air expandable aerial vehicles and near complete autonomous systems and vehicles. Koralis is engaged in developing products and services for the growing global eSports industry, creating online tournaments with accompanying broadcasts across multiple platforms.

Largest Area Employers — and Number of Employees

Volusia County Schools – 7,503
Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler – 5,510
Halifax Health – 3,197
Florida Health Care Plans – 1,300
Sykes Communication – 800
International Speedway Corp. (NYSE: ISCA) – 760
Boston Whaler (NYSE: BC) – 750
Medtronic – 525
Teledyne Oil and Gas (NYSE: TDY) – 525
Frontier Communications – 500
DME Marketing – 500
US Foods Inc. – 500
Sparton Electronics (NYSE: SPA) – 460
World Class Distribution – 450
Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO) – 309
Metra Electronics Corp. – 301
DaVita Labs – 300

Source: Team Volusia EDC