Local company makes smart move

Economic development officials in the Tampa Bay region love to talk up regional cooperation. A win for Clearwater, for example, is also a win for Bradenton, the line goes, because a job is a job.

Working together is so important officials from eight area counties have signed a memo agreeing to a ban on using incentives to aggressively woo a company for a move within the region. But that's probably not much solace to east Manatee County — which just lost a business to its neighbors to the north, St. Petersburg.

The firm, software developer GeniusCentral Systems, is moving from the HomeBanc building in Lakewood Ranch, just east of Interstate 75 on University Parkway, to a spot near downtown St. Petersburg. GeniusCentral, according to officials, will take its 60 employees and plans to hire 40 more with annual pay at or above 115% of the state average annual wage of $42,446. GeniusCentral can receive up to $500,000 in performance-based incentives from the state, city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County for the move.