Gainesville Sun - January 19, 2001

Four thousand new jobs and $3 million, all in five years.

Those are the goals for the Gainesville Council for Economic Outreach, an economic development advocacy group that celebrated its 10th birthday on Thursday. During the organization's annual meeting at Sheraton Gainesville Hotel on SW 13th Street, the parameters were laid out for the organization's upcoming capital campaign, called the "Competitive Edge" program.

"This is already one of the best economic development organizations in the state. The capital campaign will allow us to be more proactive, rather than reactive, for this area's business needs," said Bob Rohrlack, president of the Alliance for Economic Development, the coordinating agency for CEO and the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce.

During the next five years, CEO hopes to raise $3 million and create 4,000 jobs in Alachua County at an average hourly wage of $12, and generate $400 million in capital investment by expanding existing industries and attracting new businesses. During the next 10 years, CEO hopes to add $80 million in property tax revenue for the county from commercial growth.

Of the $3 million, more than $1.2 million would be allocated for new business attraction. CEO staff also will use the money to conduct surveys of existing businesses to better determine their needs, and what is necessary in order to grow those companies.

"The surveys can identify what our businesses want in terms of support services, for example, that will keep them here," said Marco Oliveri, CEO's vice president.

At CEO's annual meeting on Thursday, the organization gave Dr. Richard Gaintner the J. Wayne Reitz CEO Leadership Award. Reitz was president at the University of Florida from 1955-1967.

Gaintner, chief executive officer at Shands HealthCare, has been a longtime proponent of CEO, said Melanie Ferreira, the organization's business development manager. Gaintner has served as an important liaison between UF, Shands and CEO, Ferreira said, and has joined CEO staff on several visits to the offices of national airline companies in an effort to bring them to Gainesville Regional Airport.

"When Dr. Gaintner arrived at Shands in 1997, he jumped right in," Ferreira said. "Right away, he wanted to get Shands more involved in the area's economic development."

BellSouth was honored as CEO's Corporate Citizen of the Year. The phone company has always supported CEO, but more importantly, is a steady contributor to the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and other local non-profit organizations, Ferreira said.

"They're very concerned not only with the health of the area's economy, but for the health of the community in general," she said.

Four local companies also were recognized by CEO on Thursday as being part of UF's "100 Fastest Growing Companies in Florida." They are Atlantic.net, Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc., Paradigm Properties Inc. and PPI Construction Management.

Joe Coombs can be reached at 338-3102 or coombsj@gvillesun.com.

See January 19, 2001, issue of Gainesville Sun for original article.