SARASOTA (July 1, 2010) – A 60-employee business relocating to Sarasota County and a long-time local business planning to add 80 jobs this year are helping to boost the area’s economic outlook, according to Kathy Baylis, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. The EDC assisted MyUS.com and Tervis Tumbler Company with local performance-based incentives aimed at bringing good jobs to Sarasota County.

MyUS.com, a market leader in international package forwarding, is expanding to a larger facility in Sarasota County from two locations in Manatee County, according to Robin Roach, MyUS.com operations manager. The company has 60 employees and could add up to 165 additional employees over the next five years.

MyUS.com provides a U.S. mailing address to international customers purchasing products from U.S.-based retailers. The company moves approximately 65,000 boxes each month through its facilities to consumers in more than 200 countries and territories. In 2008, Inc. magazine named MyUS.com one of America’s 5,000 fastest growing companies.

“We are out of space in two facilities we currently occupy,” Roach said. “We conducted a two-year search and settled on a leased location at McIntosh and Clark roads. This move will allow us to not only combine the two facilities, but also provides room to grow to 100,000 square feet.” The company will initially occupy 60,000 square feet and should complete the move by September, she said.

Tervis Tumbler Company, which moved to south Sarasota County in the 1960s, is adding a new, 40,700-square-foot building at its location in Venice, according to Laura Spencer, president and CEO. Tervis plans to add 80 employees in 2010 for a total of about 400 employees.

Tervis Tumbler manufactures double-walled tumblers that keep hot drinks hotter and cold drinks colder longer than traditional drinkware. Tervis Tumblers can be found at 6,000 retail outlets nationwide, at the company’s five stores, and on the web at tervis.com.

 “We are expanding our sales and marketing division to reach out globally as we add new product lines and designs,” Spencer said. The company recently reported a licensing agreement with Disney to produce Tervis drinkware decorated with Disney characters. The new building, which will accommodate additional office and manufacturing space, should be ready for move-in during first quarter 2011.

Sarasota County Government encouraged the companies’ growth plans with performance-based incentive grants. MyUS.com will receive $1,000 per job upon move-in, then $1,000 per additional job over the next five years for a maximum additional amount of $165,000. Tervis’ grant provides for up to $100,000 over three years with the addition of 214 jobs. The annual average wage of jobs provided by the companies must exceed the county average.

“MyUS.com and Tervis Tumbler are innovative, growing businesses that offer excellent employment opportunities,” said Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Barbetta. “Performance-based incentive grants help give us an edge in encouraging companies like these to provide good jobs in Sarasota County.”

“The EDC of Sarasota County put us in touch with the people we needed to get this move to happen,” said Roach of MyUS.com. “The EDC staff helped us establish a relationship with the county and will be introducing us to the Postmaster, which is a vital connection for our business.”

“The EDC has been very responsive in answering our questions about our expansion,” said Tervis Tumbler’s Spencer. “They were instrumental in helping Tervis receive this grant.”

The EDC of Sarasota County is the private, not-for-profit corporation leading the community’s economic development strategy to add high-wage jobs and diversify the local economy. The EDC provides business assistance to companies in Sarasota County and helps forge solutions to community challenges that affect quality of life. The EDC works in partnership with chambers of commerce, local governments and other organizations throughout the county and the region. For more information, visit www.edcsarasotacounty.com.

#  #  #