Collier economic development moving slowly, but surely

Ribbon cuttings, press conferences and hardhat photo ops have been hard to come by in Collier this year.

It's been nearly a year since the county announced a sweeping new economic development program aimed at attracting new industries and businesses to Collier, but in that time few, if any, jobs can be directly linked to government efforts.

County officials say that like Rome, a good economic development office isn't built in a day and most of 2014 has been focused on laying the groundwork for future success.

"Have we broken through into Nirvana? No. But we're establishing our foundation and hitting the fundamentals in our plan," said Bruce Register, director of Collier's Office of Business and Economic Development.

That has entailed building regional relationships, partnering with local organizations and using state funding to launch a pair of first-in-the-state business accelerators.

As for when the county should start seeing results that answer is up in the air.

"I would be delighted if we'd made more progress, but I'm impatient," Register said. "Until we have our full operational capacity in place we can't measure our success."

The economic forecast in the county is looking rosier. Unemployment was at 6.2 percent last month compared to 7.5 the year before and property values are up. The goal for Collier's three-member development office is to capitalize on that upswing and bring industries that will balance the county's economy.

The goal is to spur development in sectors that would diversify the Collier economy and shift dependence from growth-based industries, such as homebuilding, which were hit hard during the recession. The county has outlined several industries, like technology and medical manufacturing that it would like to grow.

Development efforts will take another step forward Tuesday, when Register and the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce are expected to detail implementation efforts to the commission.

"We need to have the organizational capacity to achieve the goals we've set," Register said. "We're working to build that and build toward success."

The Office of Business and Economic Development was created in 2013 following the failure of Collier's previous economic development agency the Economic Development Council of Collier County. It folded amid criticism that it wasn't effective at creating jobs or bringing new companies to the area.

The county also saw Lee, its neighbor to the north, attract Hertz's corporate headquarters, as well as several other new businesses.

The office's first move was hiring Register, who worked with staff to devise a business plan and strategic plan for moving the county's development needs forward. In December, the board of county commissioners approved a host of economic development proposals ranging from a business incubator to a partnership with the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.

The partnership with the Naples Chamber and its subsidiary, the Partnership for Collier's Economic Future, is a focal point in the development plan. Last year, Collier paid the chamber $111,000 to act as the county's marketing and recruiting arm. That contract is expected to be renewed in December.

"At this point we believe and the commission believes the partnership is strong and is working," said John Cox, president and CEO of the chamber.

In June, the commission voted to allow the chamber to handle all site selection inquiries and to build a site selection database, where companies looking to relocate can peruse available properties, Cox said.

The county has had several inquiries about incentives and potential sites, but nothing has come to fruition. An existing area company has qualified for state incentives and the board is expected to vote on a local incentive package in 2015, Register said.

Part of the challenge for local officials moving forward will be battling certain perceptions about the region. Collier, and Southwest Florida, is seen as an area rife with older people, but lacking in a workforce and a younger population, Cox said.

Part of the chamber's job is to change those perceptions, but also to help Collier set itself up for future economic success.

"People have to recognize there are issues here and the only way we can get past it is together," he said.

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Business accelerators progressing

In December the board approved plans for two business accelerators. The allotted Collier $2.5 million for two business accelerators — one in North Naples and one in Immokalee — that are aimed at growing technology and agricultural industries. They provide a "soft landing" for area businesses looking to take the next step, or either foreign or domestic companies looking to expand into the county.

The accelerator would provide resources like expertise, office space and local connections to help businesses gain a foothold.

"If we're really trying to attract foreign direct investment, shouldn't we have an 'easy button' for those companies?" said Bruce Register, director of Collier's Office of Business and Economic Development.

The county is in the process of selecting sites for the accelerators and expects to have them up and running by mid-2015, Register said.