October 22, 2018
VOLUSIA COUNTY FAIR AND YOUTH SHOW OPENS NOV. 1 – Founded in 1923, the Volusia County Fair offers something for everyone, and this year is no exception. The fair will run until Nov. 11 and feature live musical entertainment, the Miss Volusia County Fair Pageant, a pirate thrill show, a freestyle BMX and skateboarding exhibition, petting zoo, livestock auctions, amusement ride midway and much more. For more details, visit www.volusiacountyfair.com.
DELAND SPORT AVIATION EXPO – The DeLand Showcase is an annual, three-day event focused entirely on recreational flying and sport aviation. The showcase will be held at the DeLand Municipal Airport from Nov. 1 to 3. More than 100 exhibitors will feature all kinds of sport aircraft, ultralights, trikes, rotorcraft, powered parachutes and paragliders, engines, avionics, pilot gear and flight schools. Enjoy demo flights, instructional workshops, educational forums, keynote speakers, food concessions, live music, underwing camping and more. The showcase welcomes aviation enthusiasts of all ages. For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/y7u8h64j or call 386-736-5016.
ADDITIONAL CDBG-DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that the State of Florida will receive $616 million in funding to support long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Irma through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program. This funding is designed to address needs that remain after other assistance, including federal assistance and private insurance, has been exhausted. The state’s action plan details how this funding will be allocated to address remaining unmet needs in Florida. The plan is available for review at https://tinyurl.com/ybebzs9x.
SMALL BUSINESS CONGRESS – The National Small Business Association is hosting its annual Small Business Congress event Nov. 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C. This event will be the culmination of regional events held throughout the country and provides an opportunity to join small-business owners and leaders from across the country to discuss, debate and vote on the association’s policy priorities. For details and to register, visit https://nsba.biz/events/Small-Business-Congress.
FLORIDA’S GROWING POPULATION – As reported by Florida Trend, average daily growth in Florida has rebounded since the recession. It is estimated that 1,632 people move to Florida each day from elsewhere in the U.S. and 654 people move to Florida each day from abroad. Alternatively, 1,148 people leave Florida for other states and 275 people leave Florida for other countries. When births and deaths are considered, the net annual growth estimate exceeds 335,000. Florida’s population is projected to expand, passing 21.5 million in 2020 — a more than 14 percent increase in a decade. Visit https://tinyurl.com/yag2h7ep for further details. To access Volusia County demographic data, visit http://www.floridabusiness.org/data/demographics.stml.
FEDERAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID – Financial aid can be important in reducing the cost of college. Factors such as household income, family size, and academic and extracurricular accomplishments can impact how much college costs. However, there are financial aid resources that can help. Every year, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid provides over $120 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds to more than 13 million students, making it the country’s largest provider of student financial aid. This according to a recent article at cnbc.com. Interested students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their qualifications for up to $30,000 in aid. It costs nothing to apply. Access the complete article for further information on financial aid resources by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yb75sq2c.
HOMEBUYER INSIGHTS SURVEY RELEASED – According to the 2018 Bank of America Homebuyer Insights Report, 57 percent of first-time homebuyers plan to buy with a spouse or partner, 37 percent plan to buy solo and 8 percent with a friend, sibling or other family member. With regard to millennial buyers, 72 percent of those surveyed place homeownership above other life priorities such as getting married (50 percent) or having children (44 percent). At 80 percent, being able to retire was the only higher priority than buying a home. Many also equated homeownership with personal success (53 percent) and financial success (45 percent). For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/yah8hr93.
FLORIDA MANUFACTURING DATA – As reported by manufacturing industry service organization FloridaMakes, 2017 data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows that manufacturing accounts for 4.95 percent of Florida’s Gross State Product and more than 370,000 high-wage jobs with an average wage of $59,395. Florida is home to more than 20,000 manufacturing companies with 80 percent of them having 20 or fewer employees. Florida manufacturers produce a variety of goods including aerospace products, batteries, food and beverages, communications equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, boats, and more. For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/ya4evfvz.
NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Joanne Magley, Volusia County Information Director, at jmagley@volusia.org.