In his new position, City Manager Mike Herr plans to focus on economic development, and Adam Myers, a new employee from the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, has relocated to Plant City to work side-by-side with Herr.
“We’re going to be focusing on business recruitment and retention, and we’re already starting to get some inquiries now, with the economy starting to come back,” Herr said.
Jake Austin previously held Myers’ position of business development manager, but was recently promoted to director of business retention for the corporation. He will still work with Plant City but in a more indirect capacity. Myers, however, will be positioned in City Hall, so he can focus on Plant City full-time.
“I think that it would be better for Adam to be here, because I think it will provide for better communication and coordinator with our development and planning review team,” Herr said. “As clients come in to our process and introduce themselves, we’ll have our economic development person right here.”
Herr also said he hopes to meet with Myers at least once a week to stay updated on the status of businesses that will potentially be relocating to Plant City.
Myers has spent the past two-and-one-half years working on economic development for the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.
Because he is new to Plant City, Myers is not yet certain of specific projects he hopes to establish. But, his initial goals are to meet local leaders and business owners, and make sure those businesses are able to thrive and prosper. He said Plant City’s location offers a lot of potential for growth.
“It has a great location, with it being really focused on that I-4 corridor,” Myers said, considering its placement between nearby major cities to both the east and the west.
Herr and Myers hope to recruit new companies to operate in Plant City, but Herr also said he wants to expand programs to incubate small businesses, particularly in the downtown and Midtown districts. Employees from the city manager’s office have begun discussing this goal with staff from Hillsborough Community College Plant City, to see whether a collaborative effort could develop and assist local entrepreneurs.
In preparation for economic growth in the area, Herr is working on a quicker process for issuing permits for large- and medium-sized projects. For example, if a business will create 500 to 1,000 jobs, the city manager’s office will issue permits just 15 working days after that business submits a complete set of building plans. Or, for a business that will create 250 to 400 jobs, permits would be issued in 20 working days.
“I’m looking forward to working with each and every one of you very closely as we help grow companies here,” Myers said to the city commissioners at their meeting Oct. 13. “This sounds like it’s an exciting time for Plant City, and I’m excited to be here.”
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.