Dec 22, 2022
Click on the photo above for more information on the North Port Connector.
Any time in Florida is a good time to explore our stunning natural landscape. Get outside and explore! This gorgeous Legacy Trail Extension was completed in partnership with Sarasota County on September 9th and serves as an essential driver of regional economic growth.
Whether you’re a cyclist, runner, or hiker our trails are a major asset to an ecotourism destination like Florida.
“The opening of this connector is the beginning of more great things to come to our area. Ultimately, The Legacy Trail will connect to the Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which is a 338-mile trail from Pinellas and Hillsborough County down to Collier County,” said Charles Hines, Program Director for the Florida Gulf Coast Trail with the Public Land Trust.
“Being within this statewide trail system will bring great economic opportunities to the North Port area. It will also bring health and quality of life benefits through access to the trail. The Trust for Public Land is committing resources to help accelerate the completion of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail.”
Dec 6, 2022
As the clouds cleared following the destruction of Hurricane Ian, our hometown needed some heroes. Parts of the City of North Port were under about twelve feet of water, with many families trapped in their homes, and some of our major roadways had washed away. That’s when hometown heroes like Mike Halligan stepped up and shined, coordinating rescues and deploying resources to residents.
Mike also runs Halligan Design Production, a versatile fabrication shop right here in North Port. Our Economic Development team had the opportunity to meet Mike in his workshop at a recent North Port Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting event. Mike Halligan’s actions following Hurricane Ian exemplify what a hometown hero is.
Interview – Mike Halligan, Halligan Design Production
Tell us about your trade.
I grew up in northwest Oregon’s timber industry. My grandparents ran a cedar shake mill making cedar roofing shingles; my dad was a timber faller. Growing up around the mills, I fell in love with woodworking at an early age. I had some amazing shop teachers and mentors along the way. With that being said, we are predominantly a wood shop. We do, however, also work in custom metal work, LED work, vinyl, laser engraving, CNC, and so much more. We use all of these mediums to offer the highest quality product we can to our diverse pool of clients. We pride ourselves on having some of the best craftsmen in the world on our team.
As a new incoming business owner, what drew you to North Port?
Before moving to North Port, we did extensive research on where to move our business. Between the growth in the area and how welcoming Sarasota County and North Port are to businesses, we chose this City.
The Chamber also had a huge impact. Without question, the North Port Area Chamber single-handedly allowed us to hit the ground running and never skipped a beat. They are by far the most active and supportive chamber we have ever been associated with.
What was your experience with Hurricane Ian?
Hurricane Ian was life-changing for so many people, including me and my family. We chose to ride the storm out with some friends out in the Estates. Once the storm passed, we were fortunate enough to still have our house standing with minimal damage. My shop was also ok; it even had power.
Halligan and his team performing late night rescues.
I have a history in Emergency Services and quickly saw that local agencies were stretched thin. I made sure my wife and kids were squared away and went to work helping wherever I could. We ended up using my shop as a rallying point for rescuers, linemen, and relief supplies.
There are countless stories of heroic acts happening around North Port and we are proud to have played a small role in helping out with some of those. Our City came together, along with so many people from out of the area and out-of-state, to make the best of a bad situation. We were able to help a substantial amount of people in North Port using our small little woodshop as a sort of base of operations.
Following Hurricane Ian, Mike Halligan went to work rescuing residents, clearing roads, and distributing relief supplies.
How would you describe your business?
Halligan Design Production Cutting Boards is a custom fabrication shop that does a little bit of everything, from one-off custom woodworking builds, to production runs of product displays, to experiential event displays.
My company aims to provide an unmatched level of service to our clients, no matter the scope of the project. Our goal is to bring the client’s ideas – no matter what they are – to reality.
We have done work for clients, big and small. I had the tragic honor of building a beautiful coffin for a five-month-old baby at one point; that was the most sentimental project I have worked on.
I also have been fortunate enough to do projects for large companies like Nike, Smirnoff, Dyson, BMW, and Facebook. The project I am proudest of is building commercial displays for Team USA Basketball for the 2016 Olympics.
Nov 29, 2022
On November 15, the City welcomed 58 new North Port businesses from the last fiscal quarter in an inaugural event at City Hall – the Quarterly Business Welcome. With the ‘snip’ of some oversized scissors, business owners were officially welcomed into the City by staff, dignitaries, and partner organizations, all there to provide support and resources.
“Despite the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, our City is still growing and remains hugely attractive to new businesses,” Jerome Fletcher, North Port City Manager, said in his welcoming remarks. “Thank you for bringing your business to North Port and improving our quality of life.”
Numerous community partner organizations came out to greet and network with our City’s new business owners, including the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County (EDC), SCORE Mentors, Florida SBDC at USF, CareerSource Suncoast, and the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce.
Key connections were forged around local, regional, and state resources available to businesses to help ensure success as they set out into the North Port market. The City looks forward to continuing this tradition, empowering our local business owners to utilize the network around them and prosper. If you want to browse the event’s photos, follow the link below.
Nov 8, 2022
The City of North Port hosted a regional Economic Recovery & Resiliency Workshop on Monday with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), and myriad federal agencies mandated to the economic recovery of post-disaster support. Invitees from Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota counties included local and county government, economic, non-profit, and tourism partners.
Federal and state agency representatives engaged with regional attendees to discuss transportation, stormwater management infrastructure, and workforce housing issues that have come to the forefront as a result of the destruction caused by #HurricaneIan. One of the most emphasized points made by each agency was the need to collaborate regionally to better leverage potential assets for the reconstruction and hardening of an area’s resources.
The workshop featured discussions around hardening vital infrastructure in the region to withstand heavy rains and powerful storms. In North Port, two major transportation corridors for east-west traffic became nonoperational due to Hurricane Ian and the City experienced 15 – 20 inches of rain, causing the Myakkahatchee Creek to rise by over eight (8) feet, flooding citywide. North Port is not alone in this regard; regions of Southwest Florida are also focused on fostering an economic environment that is free from the dangers of flooding and understanding how vital reliable infrastructure is to attract and retain businesses and the customer base to support them.
Attendees also spent time discussing concerns over the lack of businesses filling out the state’s disaster assessment survey, which helps to decide how much funding for recovery and relief will be designated to a region. As of Nov. 7, of the 26,000 registered businesses in Sarasota County, only 304, just over 1%, have completed the state’s damage assessment survey.
The City of North Port Economic Development Division has made a hard push to local businesses to complete the state’s damage assessment survey with direct calls, emails, social media, and direct mail efforts. Regional workshop attendees have been making similar pushes to their businesses, and the effort will continue.
This workshop was the first in a series this Federal Economic Recovery Support Function (ERSF) Team will be hosting in regions around Florida that suffered extensive damages from Ian.
As our region’s focus shifts toward plans for long-term economic recovery and resiliency projects, this workshop served as a productive conversation to let major concerns be known, listen to the resources and opportunities available, and foster vital connections that will determine how North Port and our regional partners may continue to grow, thrive, and create new jobs for Floridians following the destruction of Hurricane Ian.
