Corridor In The News

Top 10 Reasons to do Business in Florida

by Janet Ware
9/21/2010

9. Partnerships

The strategic planning process that resulted in the 2010-2015 Roadmap to Florida’s Future was a partnership of business, government and community.More than any other state, Florida's economic development goals and initiatives have been created and embraced as a statewide vision. Enterprise Florida Inc. (EFI), the state's public-private partnership for economic development, is committed to assisting companies confidentially with their startup, expansion and relocation plans.
Headquartered in Orlando with offices in Miami and Tallahassee, EFI provides site selection services, demographic and incentives data, trade leads, and other information related to business startup, expansion and relocation. In addition, EFI coordinates introductions to a wide range of economic development partners throughout the state, including local and regional economic development offices, workforce and industry organizations, educational institutions and others interested in helping businesses make the right location choices. Companies seeking to become involved in global business will find more specialized assistance at seven field offices throughout the state and at EFI's international offices in 12 foreign countries.

Businesses seeking to start up or expand in Florida soon discover that the word “partnership” encompasses far more than economic development entities. One example is the Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC), whose mission is to attract, retain and grow high-tech industry and the workforce to support it within a 23-county region served by the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida. The council provides a conduit for linking its university partners with more than 20 regional and local economic development organizations, 14 state and community colleges and representatives of high-tech businesses, and its efforts have not gone unnoticed. FHTCC recently took top honors in the International Economic Development Council's Excellence in Economic Development Awards under the category of “Partnerships with Educational Institutions.” See the full list of economic development organizations that stand ready to assist you with startup, relocation or expansion plans.