Bill Cronin, President/CEO, Pasco Economic Development Council, shares how this high-growth region on Florida’s west coast offers sites, facilities, and quality of life.
Business Facilities: Tell us about Pasco County, Florida. What is this location like for business?
Bill Cronin: Pasco County is the eighth-fastest growing county in the United States. Companies are locating to Pasco for expansion sites strategically located along major transportation corridors that provide access to consumer markets, skilled workforce, and vibrant communities. The location provides easy access to the Tampa Bay region, which features Tampa International Airport (the No. 1 large airport in customer satisfaction for the second consecutive year), as well as Port Tampa Bay — Florida’s largest seaport and the closest U.S. deep-water port to the Panama Canal.
Bill Cronin, President/CEO, Pasco Economic Development Council
Pasco County has more than 2,200 evaluated acres of land available for industrial development, and for those looking to locate rather quickly, there is more than 700,000 square feet of speculative space available for anything from Class A Office to Class A Industrial Flex facilities.
BF: What are the targeted and growth industries in Pasco County?
Cronin:Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC) has identified six target industries as we continue to build and diversify our economic base—Advanced Manufacturing; Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense; Life Sciences and Medical Technology; Business and Professional Services; High Technology; and Logistics and Distribution.
We utilize our Pasco Ready Sites Program as a major recruitment tool; the program assesses, evaluates, and certifies large tracts of land to prepare properties for industrial development. The program has seen great success through the sale of 68 acres for an Amazon Robotic Sortation Center at an impressive 517,000 square feet. Most recently, Bauducco Foods, a Brazil-based food manufacturer, purchased 72 acres on the Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park Ready Site and will create 600 jobs and invest $233 million.
Speros FL is a 775-acre campus currently under construction in Pasco County, FL. Anchored by Moffitt Cancer Center, the site will be an innovation hub for science, technology, and healthcare. (Photo: Pasco County Economic Development Council)
Additionally, in 2022, Gary Plastic Packaging Corp. announced relocating its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility from New York City to Pasco County, Florida into the North Pasco Corporate Center speculative building, creating over 500 new jobs. The company just hosted its first hiring event, where they had an overwhelming influx of more than 1,000 applicants.
BF: What are long-standing advantages for business in Pasco County?
Cronin: Pasco County features pro-business government leadership in a right-to-work state with local incentives, low operating costs, and no personal state income tax. Local government supports sustained business growth by offering customized incentive packages to provide savings and benefits to companies.
BF: What are recent developments that businesses should know about the Pasco County business climate?
Bauducco Foods has purchased 72 acres of a Pasco County, Florida, industrial park with plans to bring 600 jobs to the area. Read more…
Cronin: Florida’s healthcare and life sciences industries are growing at a record pace. Moffitt Cancer Center has begun development on its 775-acre expansion campus in Pasco County. The expanded clinical and research facilities at this Speros FL campus will accommodate the growth in the Tampa Bay region with complementary third-party research, product manufacturing, clinical providers, and conferencing facilities. The campus will be a magnet for biotech, life sciences enterprises, and innovation and will bring together new partners and collaborators. The entire campus is estimated to support more than 14,500 jobs over various sectors, 140 buildings, $600 million in total investment in Phase 1A by Moffitt, the State of Florida, and Pasco County, and includes plans to only develop 500 acres of the total 775 acres to allow for environmental preservation.
BF: What else would you like to share with site selection teams about what’s happening in Pasco County?
Cronin: Pasco’s population is rapidly approaching 600,000, with future growth projection of 800,000 to 1 million by 2050. The area boasts over 30,000 acres of master planned developments in the works to create the ultimate “Live, Work, and Play” communities. These developments are incorporating a mixture of residential living, small and large businesses, trails, and dining and entertainment. The idea helps promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle with safe walkability and community engagement.
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