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Local businesses looking to capitalize on RNC

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 20, 2012

SAFETY HARBOR - Like others who make their living from a small business, Terry Saverson is eager to learn how to capitalize on opportunities from the August Republican National Convention in Tampa.

The sales vice president for Strong Arm Airfield Services, a Tampa company with eight employees specializing in pavement marking on military bases, knows precisely what he wants to accomplish.

"We'd seek contracts for striping projects for parking lots and other areas for the convention," Saverson said. "What we really want, though, goes beyond convention projects. We want to build exposure for our company for the long run."

If the overflow crowd of nearly 500 attending the Tampa Bay Host Committee's first small business network forum Thursday was an indication, business leaders who recruited the national convention are on their way to achieving two key economic development goals.

Local convention organizers expect the RNC will attract up to $200 million worth of business in direct contracts for the Aug. 27-30 convention.

And as Saverson pointed out, the business people hope the RNC will pay long-term dividends in promoting their companies and possibly forging partnerships with other local companies.

"We want a payoff to remain after the delegates return to Washington and all the other states," said Ken Jones, host committee president and chief executive. "We are making an unprecedented effort here. We want you to be able to grow your business in the future."

Myriad services will be in demand for the convention, from janitorial and construction jobs to providing flowers.

"I am here to see how to get started," said Larry Davis, president of Community Business Solutions of Land O' Lakes, which provides data base management and web design. Davis hopes to add to clients that include the Hillsborough school board.

Thursday's session provided an orientation to encourage small business owners to hone their techniques to compete for contracts with buyers of goods and services that will support the expected 50,000 visitors for the convention.

In business lingo, it's called "matchmaking," sessions between prospective buyers and sellers.

The Tampa Bay Host Committee, with assistance from Hector Barreto, former Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and chairman of The Latino Coalition, will arrange local one-on-one sessions in the next four to five weeks between buyers of services located throughout the country and local businesses.

In addition, local organizers will produce a directory of registered buyers and suppliers to be published online in March or April that will continue to be a business reference beyond the convention.

Participants in the local "Small Business Network" program must be registered with either the cities of Tampa or St. Petersburg or Hillsborough or Pinellas counties to participate.

More information on registration is available at the small business link at 2012tampa.com. An online portal for companies to place contracts out for bid is scheduled to be in operation today.

tjackovics@tampatrib.com (813) 259-7817

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