Yes, the State of Florida funds a project called GrowFL or the Florida Economic Gardening Institute, which provides services and supplies to growing Florida firms that are beyond the "start up" stage.
Below is a link to a press release about them honoring the growth efforts of 50 firms.
NOT ONE OF THEM IS FROM LAKE COUNTY...
Numerous recipients are from Duval, Hillsborough and Orange County, but none from Lake.
Embarassing - what were the Lake County economic development people doing all last year that they couldn't ensure that one goal was to have several Lake County businesses enrolled in the program?
I once did see a discussion of the GROWFL program during an economic "BOSS" development forum run by the City of Minneola, but that is when I found that startups didn't qualify. They basically want firms that already have sales over $750,000 and meet other criteria.
Now, if Lake County had good elected officials and good Economic Development leaders, they would be out researching all the Lake County firms that fit the criteria, and publicly challenging them to apply to be one of the firms receiving GrowFL funding.
Maybe next month it will happen...the staffing of the Lake County Economic Development program has been revised, and the new Board members might bring up the issue during the upcoming "business growth" brainstorming session.
vj
