Feld focuses on long-term

Executives with Feld Entertainment, the company behind one of the most notable economic development projects in Manatee County over the last decade, are all about 20/20 vision.

So much so that Casey Rodgers, a vice president of finance at Feld, says the company has two 20-year strategy plans. One for the next 20 years, and another for the 20 years after that. “We are the kind of company that thinks very long-term,” says Rodgers.

That's a big reason why Feld, building a $20 million production headquarters in Ellenton, on the north edge of the Manatee River in northeastern Manatee County, has been so successful. The firm's shows, produced in 70 countries, include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney on Ice and Monster Jam. Executives decline to discuss revenues, though a 2010 Washington Post story estimated that figure at around $900 million. (See Business Observer, Jan. 11.)