INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two companies with plans to either move into Indian River County or expand existing operations are seeking $202,000 in job grants funds from the county. The county’s Economic Development Council is recommending approval for both grants to the Board of County Commissioners, which could take up the requests at the Aug. 21 board meeting.
“It seems like we’ve been going through these” recently, said Senior Economic Development Planner Bill Schutt of the number of recent jobs grants that have been introduced, “which is a good thing.”
One company, Bridgevine Inc., is already located in Vero Beach and plans to add 25 new positions by the end of 2013. The firm, located at 2770 Indian River Blvd. in the UniVest Building, fits in the county’s targeted industry list under “information technology.”
Bridgevine qualifies for $129,000 in the job grants program, which would be paid over the course of three years.
Economic Development Director Helene Caseltine, of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, and County Commissioner Peter O’Bryan met with representatives from Bridgevine previously to discuss the company’s plans for expansion.
With offices in Atlanta, Ga., Bridgevine could have expanded its operations there instead of in Vero Beach.
Terence Channon, the vice president and general manager of Bridgevine, told the members of the Economic Development Council that the company has no plans to relocate completely to Atlanta. Just the opposite, the firm plans to expand operations in Vero Beach and take on a second floor in the UniVest building.
“We’re still growing,” he said, explaining that the 100-plus employees are split 60-40 between Vero Beach and Georgia.
Channon said that the principal partners in the firm live in the area – some grew up in the Ft. Pierce and Port St. Lucie areas – and plan to keep the bulk of their business in Indian River County.
Bridgevine Inc. is a tech firm that provides services to such companies as AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, ADT, and Gamefly, to name a few. The company builds online marketing for its customers, licenses its own software platforms to businesses, and engages consumers through its own Web properties and marketing systems.
Of the 25 jobs Bridgevine expects to create over the course of the year and next, 23 will pay at least 100 percent of county’s average annual wage of $33,947 – the other two positions will pay at least 150 percent of the average wage – or at least $50,920.
In all, the company qualifies for $129,000 in job grants, which won’t be paid by the county until each job has been established for one year. The hiring will be done in three phases, which will stretch out the county’s payments.
The first phase of hiring is expected to consist of five jobs and be completed by the end of this year. The second phase is 11 jobs to be hired by the end of October 2013, and the third would be the remaining nine jobs by the end of 2013.
The Economic Development Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation that the Board of County Commissioners accept the jobs grant application.
The second application before the EDC, however, did not receive unanimous support – though it was ultimately approved.
Council member Talmage Rogers was the lone vote against recommending approval of the $73,000 jobs grant for Florida Organic Aquaculture, a company with plans to cultivate large shrimp in Fellsmere.
The company plans to bring in 52 jobs. Of those, only 23 qualify for the jobs grant based on the salaries that would be provided.
“This brings down the average considerably,” Rogers told his fellow EDC members, referring to the less than $25,460 annual salaries the other 29 jobs would have.
To qualify for the jobs grant, salaries have to be at least 75 percent of the county’s average annual wage – or at least $25,460.
Rogers raised a concern that perhaps the company might be high-risk and asked if the EDC were in the business of trying to bring in companies that pay low wages.
“I’m questioning their viability,” Rogers later added.
Fellow member Scott Stradley told Rogers that it’s not up to the EDC to determine whether a company will be successful.
“That’s their (the company’s) decision,” Stradley said. “This is why we’re in America.”
Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker, who has been working with the aquaculture firm since at least 2010, agreed with Stradley that it’s not up to them to guarantee a company’s success.
And, as for the low salaries, Nunemaker said, “we appreciate the job creation” given the unemployment rate.
Other members of the council said that the county doesn’t pay the grant funds until the company has proven the jobs have been established, so there is little risk to the county.
Florida Organic Aquaculture plans to hire people for various departments, including management, supervision, water quality technician, maintenance, information technician, labor and administration.
All but the labor positions qualify under the jobs grants.
Like Bridgevine, Florida Organic Aquaculture plans to hire its new staff in phases, beginning with six by the end of this year. The second phase of hiring would include nine positions by the end of June 2013, and the third would have the remaining eight jobs by the end of 2013.
