492,174
463,374
420.763
406,066
379,448
325,961
277,776
70 SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2019
on the town
“We made a pitch,” Huey says. The size of Amazon is
unprecedented. They were contemplating 50,000 jobs,
which is about the size of the city of Sarasota. In my career
there has never been a project of that size.”
“Amazon made it known that they were looking, which is
quite different. With virtually every other project we work
on, the businesses keep their information more secretive
and they don’t want everyone to call them with hundreds
of proposals.”
“We knew we were a long shot. When we looked at their
criteria, there were a number of things that made us an
underdog including being too small a community, but
when I talked to some people who knew Amazon fairly
well at the senior level to get a sense for their culture and
what they value, I sensed that there was a lot there and
that we shared some common ground.
“Essentially our pitch was that we are a community maybe
a little bit like them, in that nobody really believed Amazon
could be who they now are. As a community, we have big
ambitions. We know that as a company Amazon was built
on talent and that we are a community that has the quality
of life and the amenities to attract the kind of talent they
need. And while you can’t look at our talent and labor force
now and see the 50,000 people you need, between the
development possibilities that exist here and our quality of
life, Sarasota is it! Everyone wants to come and live here.
Give us a chance. Let us prove that to you.”
And while the EDC of Sarasota County didn’t land the big Amazon
Businesses developed by the next Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark
Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos.
Huey points out that Sarasota County is not a place where you
bring smokestacks. Those types of companies don’t even look to
come here. So, I was curious. What type of companies do come
economic growth to the region?
Huey tells me, “Most of the work that we do is industry agnostic—
meaning that we are interested in any businesses that can diversify
a vertical—a space in which we are investing money because
we think we have strengths and are positioned to be more
competitive than the average market. We’re willing to invest
and pursue these opportunities. Director Jeanne Corcoran of the
academic and commercial soundstage and post-production facility
of its kind in the state of Florida) are being supported by the EDC
with public funds and widely promoted by Jeanne Corcoran.
“What we are hearing is that all the major production facilities in
Georgia are booked through 2021 with content producers. So
POPULATION PROJECTIONS
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
1990 2000 2010 2017 2020 2030 2040
Source: FL Demographic Estimating Conference, Feb. 2017, & UF, BEBR
TOP TAX RATES
CORPORATE INCOME PERSONAL INCOME
FLORIDA 5.5% 0%
GEORGIA 6% 6%
ALABAMA 6.5% 5%
TENNESSEE 6.5% 5%
NEW YORK 7.1% 8.82%
MASSACHUSETTS 8% 5.1%
CALIFORNIA 8.8% 13.3%
NEW JERSEY 9% 8.97%
Source: Tax Foundation
Courtesy of EDC Fast Facts 2018
Courtesy of EDC Fast Facts 2018