EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2019 | Page 13

The ability to meet the specific needs of
individual companies has resulted in
an increase of stage five (or committed
projects) in the Volusia County area
according to Team Volusia’s 2018
annual report.
One example of international
success was the attraction of B. Braun to
Dr. Kent Sharples
the area.
Looking back now, it appears as if bringing the German-based
medical manufacturer to the area was a simple process, but Kent
Sharples, Ph.D., President of the CEO Business Alliance, says it was
much more involved.
“The commitment on behalf of the private sector community
is extremely important to large companies when they’re looking
at a location,” he said. “They want to know, first of all, they are
welcome in the community, secondly they have the support of the
other successful businesses in the area.”
Sharples calls it “cyclical economic prosperity,” combining
economic growth and jobs.
“People call it economic development, I call it economic growth
and job creation,” said Sharples. “We’re not in the development
business, but to get to the jobs, development must occur.”
Making Them Feel Welcome
The saying goes – a person may not remember what you said
to them, but they’ll remember how you made them feel, and in the
case of B. Braun, it was clearly conveyed to the decision makers
their presence was wanted in Florida, specifically in Daytona
Beach. Bruce Heugel, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, recalls from the early meetings, a sense of being welcomed
whole-heartedly to the community.
“In one of the first meetings down here, we met Kent and
the CEO Business Alliance and that made it a lot easier for us to
navigate not only what the state could do but what Team Volusia or
the city could do,” said Heugel.
by Danielle Anderson
MAY 2019 | 13 |