Highlights of Economic and Business Growth in the Tampa Bay Region

TAMPA BAY, Fla., July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- News briefs concerning economic and business growth in the Tampa Bay Region from the Tampa Bay Partnership:

GE Security Opens One-of-a-Kind Fire Detection Lab and Research Center

GE Security, Inc., a business of GE Enterprise Solutions (NYSE: GE), announced the opening of its Fire Detection Research center, a one-of-a-kind laboratory for the development and testing of advanced fire detection technologies, at its global headquarters in Bradenton, FL. The $500,000 laboratory supports more efficient development of advanced technology fire detection products and technologies by co-locating test facilities with research and development activities. Officials say the new facility should accelerate development of lifesaving fire detection technologies since the design allows for re-creation of realistic simulations of actual fires. (Contact: Steve Hill, GE Security, 510.857.1132, steve.hill@ge.com)

Aerospace Manufacturer Building New Tampa Bay Facility

Intrepid Machine, Inc., a manufacturer of aerospace components such as hydraulics, fuel and air systems, is building a new 15,000-square-foot facility at the Hernando County Airport Corporate Park. Citing affordable housing rates for its 20 full-time employees, the company plans to move into the new facility by November. (Contact: Valerie Pianta, 352-540-6400, vpianta@hernandocounty.us)

Aldi Searching For 400 Workers In The Tampa Bay Area

German discount grocer Aldi plans to hire 400 people for its distribution center in Haines City and 24 stores in the Tampa Bay area. Aldi broke ground recently on a 500,000-square-foot distribution center and Florida headquarters in Haines City. The discount chain plans to sell high-quality, private label foods throughout the Tampa Bay region, beginning this fall. (Contact: Tom Patton, 863.534.2518, tom@cfdc.org)

Zephyrhills Spring Water Co. Expands Tampa Bay Operations, Adds 20 Jobs

Zephyrhills Spring Water has added 20 new jobs and 165,000 SF warehouse space to its Zephyrhills facility which brings the total employment to 345 and square footage under roof to 585,000 SF. The expansion is part of a $38,000,000 capital investment project which includes upgrading of bottling lines and relocation of a retention pond to allow for increased truck yard capacity and reduced truck trips to offsite storage facilities. (Contact: David Caisse, 813-783-1959, ext. 223, www.zephyrhillswater.com )

ButterKrust Bakery Acquisition Anticipated to Create 20-30 New Jobs

ButterKrust Bakery, a packaged baked goods business that has been an icon in Lakeland for 106 years, was recently purchased by Flower Foods, Inc. In addition to retaining all 368 employees at the same location, the new owners expressed their intention to hire an additional 20-30 employees. In 2005, ButterKrust expanded their physical plant including construction of a 40,000-square-foot production line for buns and rolls for a total of $35 million. Flowers already has three bakeries in Jacksonville, Miami and Sarasota, but the ButterKrust deal will strengthen its market share in Florida. (Contact: Laura Taylor 863-687-3788, ltaylor@lakjelandedc.com)

Three Tampa Bay Hospitals Make U.S. News and World Report "Best" List

Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Tampa General Hospital and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa) were ranked among the nation's best hospitals in a list released last week by U.S. News & World Report. Sarasota Memorial, ranked 43 in acute care, while Moffitt came in 16th in cancer care. Tampa General Hospital is considered a top-ranked hospital in seven medical specialties including ear, nose and throat, endocrinology, heart and heart surgery, gynecology, kidney disease, orthopedics and urology. Both Tampa General Hospital and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center are considered teaching hospitals. (Contact Jennifer Taylor or Marco Oliveri, 813-878-2208, www.tampabay.org )

DayJet Expands Tampa Bay Service

DayJet Corporation announced a 30 percent expansion of its "Per-Seat, On-Demand," service network through expansion to both Orlando and St. Petersburg community airports. Orlando and St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida are the latest DayPort markets to gain direct connectivity to more than 60 community airports across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Since the launch of its "Per-Seat, On-Demand" jet service last October, DayJet has tripled its core DayPort service network. In Florida alone, 83 percent of the state's population now lives within 40-miles of a DayPort airport. More information regarding DayJet's expanded service is available at www.dayjet.com . (Contact: Stacy Swank, Pinellas County Economic Development Council, 727-464-7425, sswank@pinellascounty.org).