When it comes to attracting industrial business, Manatee County is being steadily outpaced by some neighboring counties. Catching up with the competition will require a new mindset and lots of cash.
Last August, the Board of County Commissioners authorized staff to hire a consulting firm to analyze how officials could use about 6,700 acres spanning from Interstate 75 to Port Manatee to entice industry leaders like Walmart, Amazon and Publix to build manufacturing, e-commerce and shipping facilities in the area.
“The purpose of the study was to review all the existing plans and infrastructure and gauge our stakeholders for feedback and conduct a market analysis to understand our economic drivers and our opportunities for pursuing them,“ said Geri Lopez, director of the county’s Redevelopment and Economic Opportunity Department.