As I announce my retirement from the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX) after 16 years, I’m reminded of the lyric from a famous Frank Sinatra song, “And now, the end is near.” I won’t go into the next lyric, because I don’t think I’m facing the final curtain. I hope I have many years left to kick up my heels and watch the organization continue to grow and prosper under new leadership.

Yet, I hope GCBX never loses sight of what makes it such a special and unique organization. It was founded in 1952 by a small group of local business leaders to address local issues. While the organization itself has undergone several structural/organizational changes over the years, it has never lost sight of its mission to support local commercial contracting industry, which in turn strengthens the local economy.

GCBX has been called a unicorn. We don’t have a state or national organization. We focus on local issues and the local economy. When issues at the State or National level will have a negative effect on the local commercial contracting industry, we work with our local delegations to have our member’s voices heard and/or when necessary engage the help of our very effective lobbyist.

We keep it local and we keep it simple. When your tax dollars are utilized for a commercial construction project in the region (ie. schools, parks, fire houses, libraries, police departments, etc.) if a local firm is hired to do the work, those dollars remain in the community and strengthen the local economy. A local firm employs local people (you may know many of them as your friends and neighbors), they support local charities, they dine in local restaurants and they partner with other local firms to complete the project. Your tax dollars circulate in the local community creating jobs and a strong local economy.

I have been proud to do that work for the last 16 years and advocate for the over 400 businesses that belong to GCBX and the over 50,000 people they employ. In those 16 years we survived the Great Recession, a once in a century pandemic and most recently a terrible summer of storms.

During the Great Recession we partnered with local governments to not only ensure that they focused on hiring local firms, but also to move projects forward on their capital improvement plans.  This enabled local governments to complete these projects at lower costs, but also kept many local companies alive and able to keep people employed. I’m proud of the partnerships we’ve had with local government. Many fine people work in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties and are committed to public health, safety, welfare and maintaining the quality of life we enjoy.

I’m proud of the work we did during the pandemic as a resource to our members who didn’t know what tomorrow would bring for their business. We worked as a team with our other partners in the business community to disseminate critical information to businesses, process grant applications for local businesses and try our best to assist members in keeping their businesses going through the uncertainty of the time.

During storms, I’m proud county governments know they can turn to GCBX and know that their members will be there to assist, whether it’s for box trucks to get cots to shelters, tarps for roofs, checking electrical connections for safety and whatever else they may need.

It has been those partnerships and the opportunity to not only help build GCBX businesses but also the opportunity to help build a stronger community that have made my time at GCBX so fulfilling and rewarding. I will say I will miss the people and those opportunities. I have no doubt that whoever takes the reigns after me will still be committed to those principles in the same way the organization has been committed since 1952. I have been honored and proud to be the Executive Director of GCBX and I am honored to assist through a successful transition. We live in a great community and it’s great because of its people, its resilience and a strong business community that is committed to its success.

Mary Dougherty is executive director of Gulf Coast Builders Exchange. 

Image courtesy GCBX.

The School Board Referendum, the extra millage we pay on our property taxes to support our students and teachers, passed on Nov. 5 with 84.07% of the vote. A record number voted for this referendum – 214,656 people voted “yes.” This vote is symbolic of all that is good in this community and why many of us live and do business here.  

The Teacher’s Union, the local foundations, and most of the business community united to make sure the community understood this referendum was on the ballot, that it was on the last page of the ballot, and also why it was so important for our students and their future.

Living and working in a community like this is a privilege and with that, many realize there is a responsibility or duty to contribute to it and make life better for future generations. Most of the business community recognized this with loud, strong, and significant support. 

Business support came from north to south, from east to west, with chambers of commerce and many trade groups supporting the referendum in terms of endorsement, financial support and time. Over half of the funds raised for the campaign came from the business community.

The Argus Foundation joined with these amazing partner business organizations - Realtor Association of Sarasota Manatee, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, North Port Area Chamber of Commerce and the Venice Chamber of Commerce to make sure our kids and teachers have what they need to be successful. 

Many of these groups have been supporting their members in hurricane devastation for the last two years from Ian to Debby, to Helene, to Milton. Yet, these are the groups that are consistently there, united in partnership, to support important community-wide initiatives like this. They care about the community and its future; they did not blink when asked for support.

There was a lot at stake with this referendum, $114 million next year and over 600 positions. It would have been a devastating blow to our education system, our economy, and quality of life and especially our kids to lose this funding. 

This election was different than elections past, as this was the first time this vote on the referendum would occur during a regular November election. Those of us in the election trenches were hoping it would pass with great support, but it was an election in a very contentious Presidential election.

We watched as important segments of the community united in an unbelievable way, Republicans, Democrats and other parties, as they understood the importance of this referendum. It was a sign of incredible unity at a time when the country seems very divided. 

Congratulations to our community for doing the right thing and for supporting our future. Congratulations to the business community for being there for your community. The Argus Foundation was proud to be a partner in this referendum and we look forward to the opportunity and great things to come from our school system.

Christine Robinson is Executive Director of The Argus Foundation. 

Image courtesy Pixabay..

This Thanksgiving weekend, I hope you find joy and gratitude in the company of your family, friends, and loved ones. It is a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to represent an organization that is making a significant impact on our community.

As we close out 2024, we at the EDC of Sarasota County are celebrating the successful completion of business expansions we have been supporting as they make $6.3 million dollars in new capital investment in Sarasota County, they will create 91 new jobs and infuse $5.2 million in new annual payroll into our local economy.

The ripple effect of these projects is profound, contributing $20.6 million in economic impact and generating $491,200 in annual tax revenue. Additionally, the expansion projects have occupied 66,000 square feet of industrial and office space, adding to the vibrancy and growth of our diverse business landscape.

Reflecting on the broader trajectory spanning from 2009 to 2024, the collective impact of our EDC clients is nothing short of extraordinary. During this period, we have successfully helped 94 companies navigate their growth projects, generating 4,672 jobs and a substantial $249.4 million in capital investment. These companies are driving sustained economic growth and prosperity throughout Sarasota County.

Looking forward to 2025, we are thrilled to support programs that will be pivotal in advancing our local economy. On January 9th, we are proud to sponsor Sarasota.Tech's Tech Summit which will bring together tech leaders and investors from across the country to discuss exciting topics that showcase the tech growth happening in Sarasota County and our investment potential. In fact, we have venture capital investors attending from NYC, Atlanta, Miami and Tampa. We will answer the questions, "Is Sarasota Investible?" and "Can Sarasota evolve into the next tech town?".

I sure think so!

If you are a founder, entrepreneur, investor, or interested in tech, visit Sarasota.Tech for registration and to join in this inaugural event, which promises to fire up innovation and progress in our region.

Together, we will continue to shape a vibrant and prosperous future for Sarasota County. I wish you all a restful and joyful Thanksgiving weekend! 

Image courtesy EDC: D-Trans.

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