Site visits help County’s Economic Development team reach local business community

TAVARES – Calling all local business owners and decision makers. The Lake County Economic Development & Tourism Department wants to pay local companies a visit to make formal introductions, and to provide information on assistance the department can offer, including incentives that could be available.

As part of the County’s continuous efforts to foster and sustain a positive business and economic environment, site visits help familiarize the department with local businesses and their respective needs. Conducted by regional economic development coordinators, the visits are typically informal and take 30 to 90 minutes to complete. All Lake County businesses are eligible, no matter the size, industry or amount of time the business has been operating.

Though not all companies that receive site visits are in need of assistance, regional economic development coordinators are often able to facilitate effective solutions to obstacles many companies face when doing business. Furthermore, the site visits allow business owners to learn about the numerous business incentive programs offered by the County. Since October 2011, the department has conducted over 200 site visits throughout the County.

Lake County’s regional economic development coordinators by region are:

• Northeast Lake: Robert Chandler - Robert services the Northeast Lake County Micro-Region, which includes Astatula, Astor, Howey-in-the-Hills, Eustis, Mount Dora, Paisley, Tavares and Umatilla. He can be reached at 352-742-3923 or by email at [email protected].

• Northwest Lake: Adam Sumner, CEcD - Sumner targets the Northwest Lake County Micro-Region to include Fruitland Park, Lady Lake and Leesburg. He can be reached at 352-742-3904 or via email at [email protected].

• South Lake: Emily Thompson - Thompson covers the South Lake County Micro-Region, which encompasses Clermont, Groveland, Mascotte, Minneola and Montverde. She can be reached at 352-742-3920 or by email at [email protected].

On a recent site visit to Bay Pharmacy, located at 2 E. Magnolia Ave. in Eustis, the visiting regional economic development coordinator was able to meet with staff and tour the business, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The company, which includes a staff of over 30 employees, was just recognized at the Annual Pharmacy Business Conference in Orlando for its dedication to providing outstanding customer service.

For more information about what Lake County is doing to help local businesses, or to schedule a site visit for your business, call the Lake County Economic Development & Tourism Department at 352-742-3918 or visit www.businessinlakefl.com.