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Company may create 500 jobs, invest $46M in Pinellas
An unidentified company is seeking tax exemptions to expand its operations in Pinellas County, which would create nearly 500 jobs.
The Pinellas County Commission will review a request from a California manufacturer to become a qualified applicant for an economic ad valorem tax for a proposed expansion project in Pinellas Park.
The company is a medical device manufacturer currently headquartered in California. The unnamed company would invest $46,325,000 in tangible property for the new facility. The economic impact of this capital investment is $9.3 million.
The company’s project, codenamed Project C2030349259, would create at least 496 new jobs in Pinellas County at an average wage of $54,926 per year, which meets the wage threshold for a manufacturing business. The economic impact of the 496 new jobs with the average wage is $36.9 million and a total of 716 jobs, according to county documents.
The ad valorem tax exemptions are used as a tool by municipalities to have a competitive edge when encouraging new business development and retaining local businesses with expansion plans.
Typically, when a company is seeking a tax exemption from a city or county, it will often use a codename to not be identified and it may be considering alternative sites.
“This maximum allowable amount is based on the project projections provided by the company and equates to an approximate abatement of no more than $178,235 per annum,” according to Pinellas County documents.
The company falls into a Tier 2 abatement structure with a maximum of a seven-year abatement period, according to the county’s scoring sheet of the company.
The request will go before the commissioners on Nov. 15.
Manufacturing is one of the county’s targeted sectors that it is focused on retaining and growing. Today, Pinellas County is home to a suite of large, advanced manufacturers including, Honeywell, Jabil, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Halkey-Roberts Corporation.
tont
November 15, 2022at10:28 am
54K comes out to about $25 per hour – my taco bell is paying $17 an hour for a shift manager and $13 for a burrito technician. I guess its at least more than that?
Moonbelly
November 14, 2022at7:51 pm
Exactly! this article blew me away!LAUGHABLE ! Where are manufacturing jobs paying $54k? Because I work at Jabil making $16 an hour building the rudder for the F-35! Class 3 soldering. My daughter makes more than me selling tennis shoes for Golden Goose !
John Donovan
November 14, 2022at4:36 pm
Should we be like AOC who pushed back against Amazon jobs in her district with similar faulty logic and concepts as some here are suggesting? They got ZERO jobs from that plan instead of thousands. What is it about a $54k job that is bad when you have $38k job now, or no job? And there are California license tags all over Pinellas now where in past decades you saw next to zero. They are bringing their creativity, their companies, capital and ambition to Florida. Another positive for everyone. Let freedom ring!
Peter M
November 14, 2022at10:52 am
You’re both correct.
Great for the new jobs.
We need better salaried job reflective of the cost of living in St Pete.
Too many people in St Pete barely make ends meet to pay rent, provide quality food for themselves let alone raise a family. Yet they’re still supposed to believe in the American Dream of home ownership when they cannot save money for a down payment tomorrow because they’re spending all to live today.
Volunteer handing out out food. You’ll see many people in line for food assistance have $15-20 jobs. Yet, putting a roof over their head is so expensive, health and food becomes a choice. One or the other. 25-30k annually just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Great for the 496 new full time jobs and possible construction work they may need to prepare for the move. Hopefully it brings lots of growth.
Maria Erickson
November 14, 2022at9:46 am
Code name? Sounds shady. Not to mention all the California transplants that would move here. Hard pass.
Rico Green
November 14, 2022at7:25 am
Why not celebrate the fact that the company is considering Pinellas County as a location therefore giving it residents an opportunity for hiring wage employment? The average starting wage in manufacturing is around $18 an hr.
Glen Gibellina
November 12, 2022at5:50 pm
Come on man…..The company’s project, codenamed Project C2030349259, would create at least 496 new jobs in Pinellas County at an average wage of $54,926 per year, 54K and market rent helps no one. Do the math, average 1 bedroom 2200.00 These employers come in a what incentives while their workforce is dealing with market rate rents. If anything build workforce housing on site to provide for your entry level workers. Your from CA you already know the challenges of housing. This is a bad deal all the way around. For the Record