With large amounts of undeveloped land and a Major League Baseball spring training operation on the way, North Port leaders want the world to know the city wants to talk business. And with the hiring of Sarasota-based Grapevine Communications to handle an economic development marketing strategy, the message will be honed for a broader audience as soon as possible.

“This whole area is becoming a tech corridor,” says Shelby Isaacson of Grapevine Communications. Isaacson noted the city has recently seen more manufacturing companies seize on real estate opportunities while the community continues to earn awards for its business-friendly environment.

Ruth Buchanan, North Port economic development coordinator, says the city hopes through its expanded marketing efforts to get more companies from outside the area researching the benefits of doing business in the community. “We will talk about land and buildings available for businesses to use and who it makes sense to go here,” Buchanan says. In Texas for a convention where she hopes to get manufacturers to consider the Gulf Coast community, Buchanan stresses a streamlined permitting process and business-friendly City Hall should lure many a company. 

Randy Welker, business advocate in Buchanan’s office, says the community experienced positive commercial developments in recent years. “North Port has growth potential,” he says. North Port today remains the most populous city in Sarasota County and one of the largest geographically in the state. 

Isaacson says recent developments like the Atlanta Braves’ intention of moving spring training to the city should incite more commercial activity in the region; Welker also noted the arrival of baseball as a plus for any business already in the area or considering relocation. 

Grapevine intends to reach new companies through a variety of means from social media videos to targeted cards and brochures. “The city is looking to us to help with strategic marketing,” Isaacson says. “We are in the evaluation stage, figuring out what are the opportunities, what are the weaknesses and what are the strengths they are not already taking the opportunity to leverage.”