Natural Prosthetic Dental Lab launches 'Digital revolution of dentistry'

News briefs concerning economic and business growth in the Tampa Bay region from the Tampa Bay Partnership:

PGT Industries Plans Consolidation, 400 New Tampa Bay Jobs

PGT Industries will transfer its Salisbury, NC operations to Venice, FL, consolidating the company's window and door production at its Florida plant and bringing approximately 300 new positions to Sarasota County in 2011. Sarasota County Government recently approved a performance-based incentive grant of $600,000 for PGT, based on the company's plans to add 400 new positions in North Venice over the next five years. (Contact: Carole Reams, 941-480-1600, [email protected])

Manufacturers Plan 274 New Tampa Bay Jobs with Performance-Based Incentive Grants

Two manufacturers with diverse products plan to add 274 new jobs in Sarasota County over the next five years with the help of $710,000 in county performance-based incentive grants. Tervis Tumbler Co., which manufactures insulated drinkware, is approved for $350,000 grant for 214 jobs to be added over three years as part of a major expansion that will also add 35,000-square-feet to its existing 55,000-square-foot facility. Sarasota Medical Products, which manufactures medical devices for the advanced wound care, infection control and ostomy markets, is approved for $360,000 for 60 jobs over five years. Both companies were assisted by the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, Inc. (Contact: Laurel Corriveau, 941-309-1200 x106, [email protected])

Natural Prosthetic Dental Lab Expands, Launches "Digital Revolution of Dentistry"

Natural Prosthetic Dental Lab, a 26-year-old Bradenton company, announced it will expand its facility and hire 283 employees over the next five years to support demand for digitally produced dental restorations. The company has teamed with 3M to establish a revolutionary digital technology pathway that cuts production time and costs, allowing NPDL to move work back to the United States from China. NPDL expansion plans include a new 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and a capital investment of $10 million. The Manatee Economic Development Council and the Manatee County Commission worked together to provide a performance-based incentive for the company of up to $283,000 over five years, which depends on the hiring of additional employees at an average wage that is 115 percent of the county average. (Contact: Eric Grimes, 941-792-8050, [email protected])

Global Aviation Holdings Picks Tampa for Growth

Tampa International Airport board of directors unanimously approved a new 10-year agreement with Global Aviation Holdings Inc., which owns World Airways and North American Airlines. Global is the largest commercial provider of charter air transportation for the U.S. military, and a major provider of worldwide commercial global passenger and cargo air transportation services. It will lease facilities at Tampa International Airport and relocate the airline maintenance operations to Tampa with a staff of approximately 43 people. Once in full operation sometime in second quarter 2011, it is anticipated that three to four wide-body aircraft will be on the ground daily. The airlines' mechanics will perform line maintenance on the aircraft and heavier maintenance is expected to be accomplished by Pemco World Services, Inc., another tenant at Tampa International that currently leases the former US Airways and Delta maintenance hangars. (Contact: Brenda Geoghagan, 813/870-8707, [email protected])

Port Manatee Gets $9 Million Grant, 1,000 Jobs Expected

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Port Manatee $9 million to help fund a 32-acre container cargo terminal project that is expected to create 1,000 jobs and relieve highway congestion for cargo shipments between Texas and Florida. (Steve Tyndal, 941-722-6621, [email protected])

CoreRx Expansion Brings 55 New Jobs

Pharmaceutical manufacturer CoreRx will soon add 55 high-wage jobs to Pinellas County in addition to its current 16 Tampa Bay employees as a result of a planned expansion that also necessitates a new larger facility. CoreRx chose to remain in the Tampa Bay region because of the area's strong medical industry and expansion assistance from state and local incentive programs. (Contact: Todd Daviau, 813.514.9399, [email protected])

Formulated Solutions Expansion Adds 60 New Jobs

Thanks to unparalleled redevelopment opportunity in Pinellas County, Formulated Solutions is set to expand its operations, adding 60 new high-wage pharmaceutical jobs to the area in the next few years. The company, which develops, manufactures and packages aerosols, tubes and liquids for various markets, is more than quadrupling its headquarters with a move from roughly 30,000-square-feet to a vacant property with 140,000-square-feet. Pinellas County Economic Development assisted Formulated Solutions in their search for new space. (Contact: Eric Dann, 888-643-8826)

Tampa Bay Welcomes Expanded Zim Container Service to South America

Zim American Integrated Shipping recently announced that it is expanding its South America Express (SAX) service to Tampa and the U.S. Gulf and will have direct connections to Brazil and Venezuela. The expanded SAX service incorporates the current Zim service between the U.S. Gulf and Kingston, Jamaica, Zim's hub for the Americas, with transshipment to its global network, including markets in Asia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. (Contact: Andy Fobes, 813-905-5130, [email protected])

Innovative Vacuum Expanding in Tampa Bay, Creating 10 New Jobs

Innovative Vacuum Solutions (IVS), a New Hampshire-based company that specializes in high vacuum pump technology, is expanding in Tampa, opening a service center that will create 10 new jobs. Innovative Vacuum Solutions repairs and remanufactures industrial vacuum pumps made by more than 30 manufacturers. Innovative Vacuum will post sales of an estimated $3 million in fiscal 2010 and the new Tampa service center is projected to generate an additional $1 million in sales in 2011. (Contact: Keith Norden, 813-218-3301, [email protected])

Citrus County Commission OK's Incentive for Sibex Expansion

The Citrus County Commission recently approved a $40,000 economic incentive grant to Sibex, Inc. for an expansion that will result in 20 new jobs. Sibex manufactures electronic components like custom circuit boards and LED lighting. Sibex has invested more than $500,000 in an expansion at the south end of Crystal River which is the company's second manufacturing site in Citrus County. (Contact: Jim Hunter, 352-527-5484, [email protected])