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« Back to News MainWCEDA and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative host Rural Enterprise Zone training workshop
DeFuniak Springs, Florida, July 12, 2011 – The Walton County Economic Development Alliance and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative recently hosted a training workshop on Rural Enterprise Zones. The meeting was well attended by representatives from local government, economic development professionals, as well as members of the business community.
Ed Gardner, Jr. from PowerSouth was the event’s host and introduced the two speakers. Bridgett Merrill, VP of Targeted Opportunities at Enterprise Florida and Burt Von Hoff, Enterprise Zone State Administrator at the new Department of Economic Opportunity were both on hand to discuss the various incentives that are offered to businesses and property owners located in designated Enterprise Zones.
Rural Enterprise Zones are areas designated by the Florida Legislature for additional targeted State-level incentives, including Jobs Tax Credits for wages paid for new employees, Corporate Income Tax incentives, building materials and equipment tax rebates, and other incentives. Businesses that locate within Rural Enterprise Zones are able to take advantage of substantial savings on the cost of doing business. Walton County is home to 3 Rural Enterprise Zones, with one encompassing the City of Freeport, one in the City of DeFuniak Springs and another at the Mossy Head community.
Scarlett Phaneuf, Managing Director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance, stated that “Rural Enterprise Zones present a great opportunity for businesses to lower operating costs and provide an incentive for businesses to create new jobs. We are thrilled to see so many representatives from the community attend this workshop and we hope that they will use this information to take advantage of Rural Enterprise Zone benefits.”