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Free Press (Sara/Mana)
Economic Development Council
provides incentive money
The Economic Development Council, Manatee Chamber of Commerce awarded a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund incentive of $280,000 to Gammerler Corp., a German manufacturer that is moving its headquarters from Illinois to Palmetto.
Gammerler will construct an 80,000-square-foot facility in Palmetto's Gulf Coast Corporate Park that will house an estimated 85 employees.
Harris announces grant for Sarasota-Bradenton Airport
U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris hailed the U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement that it has awarded nearly $2.8 million to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
The grant will be used to fund several construction projects for the airport, including a new service road and taxiway, expanded terminal, improved drainage system and remodeled runway.
Sarasota president receives
technical assistance from NASA
A revolutionary new mounting system, designed by Wilfried Zschiedrich, president of VakuDisk LLC in Sarasota, and used as a replacement for suction cups, screws, nails and adhesives, has received free technical assistance from the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program.
YPG Group receives
Salvation Army award
The Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Group was recognized for its dedication to the community. The YPG received the Salvation Army's "Distinguished Service Award" for its work during last year's hurricane season.
Aimee Chouinard, YPG volunteer chair, and member Dusty Swartz created a one-stop list of community needs and contacts, and recruited volunteers. YPG members Aida Robbins and Marci Weibel, along with other Boars Head employees, organized several trucks of sandwiches and volunteers to serve the community.
Clarke Advertising gives
scholarships to Ringling
Clarke Advertising & Public Relations created a scholarship fund for Ringling School of Art and Design students majoring in graphic and interactive communication.
The firm has committed $5,000 to the fund during the next five years and it will award a $1,000 annual scholarship to worthy students. The first scholarship recipient, William Chodubski, 40, recently returned to college.
Lifestyle Family
Fitness buys clubs
Lifestyle Family Fitness announced its acquisition of four SouthSide Athletic Club centers in Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice. The four-club group first began operations in June 2000 and represents more than 27,000 members.
The clubs, about 30,000 square feet in size, feature amenities comparable to the existing 21 Lifestyle Family Fitness centers.
Downtown Partnership
upgrades technology
The Downtown Partnership of Sarasota received a technology upgrade from Anexio Inc.
Anexio provided technology architecture and network integration services for the group by enhancing existing hardware and software. Anexio met with The Partnership in a discovery session to architect an efficient technology solution.
SCOPE receives grant
to implement program
SCOPE, Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence, received a $50,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. The money will be used to sustain the core activities of SCOPE, including this year's community report card.
GE subsidiary opens
Manatee headquarters
Gov. Jeb Bush recently welcomed GE Infrastructure, Security's world headquarters to Manatee County.
A subsidiary of General Electric with operations in more than 30 countries, GE Infrastructure, Security's new location in Bradenton will bring 70 new high-wage jobs, and make initial capital investments totaling $6 million in equipment relocation and worker recruitment.
In March 2005, the company purchased Edwards Systems Technology, a fire detection systems business with an operation in Manatee County. GE's Security headquarters will occupy the existing Edwards Systems Technology building in Bradenton, along with its current residents.
USF offers master's degree
for working professionals
The University of South Florida is offering a master's degree in public health practice through a new distance-learning program.
It allows working professionals to earn a master's degree with minimal on-campus requirements. Students may apply for the program for this fall's semester, starting Aug. 29 and ending Dec. 9. For more information call (888) 874-2674.
Children First receives
$19,210 in grant money
Children First, the Head Start agency for Sarasota County, received grants of $5,000 from the Kates Foundation and $14,210 from the Jerome and Mildred Paddock Foundation. The grants will support renovations needed as a result of the recent merger of Children First and Helen R. Payne Day Nursery.
ETC...
• Florida Precast Specialty Products LLC, a manufacturer of lightweight cement architectural panels that resemble stone, moved to a new warehouse on 15th Street in Bradenton.
• Mary J. Brady recently launched With Your Things, an interior refiner and decoration service based in Nokomis.
• The Bank of Commerce opened a new banking center at the intersection of Cattlemen Road and Cattleridge Drive.
• Cafe 1660 is now open inside the newly remodeled Ramada Inn in Osprey.
• Abode, a Sarasota real estate company, is offering live Internet footage of construction on their clients' homes.
• 82 Degrees Tech, a technology firm in Manatee and Sarasota counties, appointed David Stein of Marketing By Design as creative agency and Heidi Smith Communications Inc. as public relations consultant.
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