Local firm considers leaving Florida

The Jackson Labs incentives saga might partially contribute to the Gulf Coast losing a budding technology firm.

The co-founder of that firm, Naples-based Proximus Mobility, might move the company out of the Sunshine State, possibly to Atlanta or Boston. “There are not a lot of incentives to remain in Florida,” Proximus co-founder and CEO Michael Zeto tells Coffee Talk. “The state doesn't really do anything for high-tech companies.”

Zeto says the Naples-Fort Myers and Sarasota-Bradenton regions lack a sophisticated incubator program for high-tech startups found in other regions and states. Proximus Mobility sells hardware and software that allows mall landlords, big-box retailers and large venue operators to send ads and messages to customers through mobile phones when they walk through the doors. (See Business Review, June 25, 2010.)