Waiting for the Tide to Turn

>>With an unemployment rate in Charlotte County of 11 percent and an economy that’s still in a nosedive, a lot of folks are down in the mouth. But Don Root, for one, remains upbeat.

"I think there’s a pretty bright future here," says the director of the county’s Economic Development Office. "All in all, there are a lot of good things going on. They’re not happening fast enough for the people who are hurting; ours is not a quick fix. But I’d be optimistic."

How can he see good news amid the bad headlines? He’s out there talking with the business community and companies considering relocation, and he knows that Charlotte County remains an appealing choice. A recent competitive analysis of the county by Tampa-based Fairfield Index, a firm that consults on economic development issues, helped confirm that. It compared Charlotte County to four other counties in the southeastern United States and found that the county is well positioned to compete for businesses if it can identify good sites and effectively promote its assets. "There are things we have to fix, but we know what they are, and we’re getting into a competitive position and understanding the type of marketing we need to do," says Root.

Adding to the county’s appeal is a recent agreement between Florida Gulf Coast University and Edison State College to work together to offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at Edison’s Charlotte campus. "Businesses like to move where their employees can get an education, so this is another checkmark on the list of things businesses are looking for," says Julie Mathis, executive director of the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce.