The Plant City Economic Development Corp. has appointed Jacob “Jake” Austin as its first president and CEO. The corporation formed this September to market Plant City as an attractive base for businesses and aid current business owners in expansion and sustainability.
“Jake is very familiar with our community and has partnered with us in his previous role with the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation,” Randy Larson, Plant City EDC chairman, said. “Joining us as our CEO is a natural evolution of the relationship and a very strong fit for the Plant City Economic Development Corp.”
After six years as a staff sergeant for the United States Air Force, Austin attended Western Kentucky University. With experience working for both the State of Kentucky and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Austin moved to Florida to continue his career in economic development. He joined the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. in 2012 as a project manager and, in 2014, was promoted to the director of business retention and expansion. In the last year, the department announced twelve expansion projects, representing over 3,200 jobs and $170M in capital investment.
“Plant City is poised for growth,” Austin said. “I look forward to working closely with Randy Larson and the entire board of the Plant City Economic Development Corp. to build a strong organization focused on securing Plant City’s future as a place to live, work and raise a family.”