Photo courtesy City of North Port.

North Port city officials hosted 84 new businesses on Saturday for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and welcome to town. The Quarterly Business Welcome included presentations of public commendations and certificates to all companies founded in the South Sarasota City from January through March.

Economic Development officials in the city said it was critical to maintain relationships between the burgeoning businesses and local government.

“Establishing connections during the critical early-growth phase of a local business's journey is paramount to our team," said Vinnie Mascarenhas, interim North Port Economic Development manager. "This is the time when our team and community partners can make a significant difference, helping new businesses create connections and discover the resources available to them as they navigate the North Port market."

Companies included everything from new franchises like Wendy’s to upstart businesses like Otter Water Solutions. A list of new companies covers numerous industries from professional services to real estate and construction. 

"The rate at which small businesses are sprouting and thriving here is nothing short of phenomenal,” said City Manager Jerome Fletcher. “It's not just growth, it's transformative growth – reshaping our economic landscape at a pace that's been both exciting and inspiring." 

WalletHub recently ranked North Port as the No. 38 Best Small Sized Cities to Start a Business, putting it in the top 3% of municipalities in the country. The same list put Sarasota at No. 24 and Bradenton at No. 29.

The Saturday event served as more than a photo op.

Representatives from Service Corps of Retired Executives attended to connect entrepreneurs with SCORE mentors and corporate advisors. The Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida (SBDC Tampa Bay) officials CareerSource Suncoast participated and informed businesses of available resources offered by those organizations. The North Port Chamber of Commerce attended to share its offerings to new businesses in town.

Photo courtesy City of North Port.