Economic Development Newsletters
We love to celebrate major breakthroughs or successes in our community! Our Economic Development Newsletters are where we share all the latest news on from our municipalities, non-profits, local companies and more. If you or your organization have a major success to announce, be sure to let us know so that we can promote the news! Email all stories to atticus@gainesvillechamber.com.
Below, you will find a repository of past economic development newsletters and their content. Click on a date to view more.
#GrowWithGNV
March, 2021
See the full newsletter here.
In our March newsletter, we introduced our new EDTV program which you can see there first episode of here. We also highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- Neha Gupte, a sixth-grader at Lincoln Middle School, won the 2021 Alachua District Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the name of a legendary Scottish paradise that never changes — “Brigadoon.”
- Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV)’s K9 Team, Jason Berger and Beamer, have been selected to participate in the 2021 Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. nationwide fundraising calendar, and are featured in the month of March.
- On March 1, 2021, GrayRobinson moved into a new Gainesville office, a 3,620 square-foot office suite in the state-of-the-art Ingenuity building located in the Innovation District.
- Santa Fe College has been awarded Military Friendly status for the fourth year in a row.
- University of Florida Health has earned two more distinctions: It is No. 12 on Forbes’ list of the state’s best places to work and No. 50 in the nation for female workers.
- Darin Johnson, CEO of Exactech was hi lighted in Guide to Greater Gainesville’s CEO Spotlight.
- Now ranked number 4 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, UF Online is also the most affordably ranked online pathway to a university degree in the country.
- Duke Energy named one of Fortune’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ for fourth consecutive year.
- UF College of Education is Number 1 in the Nation
- Jennifer Bizon, Ph.D., named chair of UF department of neuroscience
- The Chamber held a community discussion on the future of Downtown Gainesville
- Dave & Buster’s Opened
- Gainesville Theatre Alliance Announced Spring 2021 Virtual Season
February, 2021
See the full newsletter here.
In our February newsletter, we highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- FLIR Systems Acquired Altavian, Inc.
- Paradise Park, a new co-workspace opened in Downtown Gainesville.
- The Senior Scholarship program of the Alachua County Education Foundation opened for applications.
- U.S. News & World Report ranks UF’s undergraduate and graduate online programs as among the best in the country
- SF’s Brain Bowl Team Prepares for National Tournament
- Tony and Olga Barr donated $1M to Cade Museum for youth programming
- UF Health working to quickly administer vaccinations
December, 2020
See the full newsletter here.
In our December newsletter, we highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- Elsevier acquired Shadow Health, a Gainesville-based developer of virtual simulations in nursing and healthcare education.
- UF Health researchers were granted more than $2 million to screen for fatty liver disease, in what could be the largest study of its kind.
- INNOVATE GAINESVILLE, a book that captures the innovation and influence of Gainesville was revealed.
- Santa Fe College received its largest-ever donation. The school announced that it received a $40 million donation from MacKenzie Scott.
- University of Florida Health ophthalmology researcher Dr. William W. Hauswirth is among the scientists being recognized for their work to eradicate vision loss. Hauswirth was among 13 scientists awarded The Sanford and Sue Greenberg Prize to End Blindness, which carries $3 million in funding.
- The University of Florida’s Career Connections Center (C3) has risen to the No. 2 college career centers in country according to the latest rankings by Best Colleges.
- The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce hosted Let’s Discuss Downtown with Downtown business owners and community partners, focusing on the Future of Downtown Gainesville.
- Gainesville business owners within the new, single-district Community Reinvestment Area were invited to apply for financial incentives to help improve business storefronts.
November, 2020
See the full newsletter here.
In our November newsletter, we announced an investor meeting at the Cade with speakers from GCRA, StartGNVs CELEBRATE RESILIENCE series of events, and set the date for a discussion of Downtown Gainesville. , and highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- In celebration of the life and legacy of Josh Greenberg, StartGNV will announced the Onward and Upward grant to an early stage startup.
- ACI Learning announced the acquisition of Gainesville-grown ITProTV.
- Infinite Energy was acquired by Atlanta’s Gas South.
- North Florida Regional Medical Center unveiled new units as part of $90 million expansion.
- The Greater Gainesville Region has been recognized by Insurify as a 2020 Top Stem Community.
- Santa Fe College was once again the top choice for Florida Bright Futures scholars for the 2019-2020 academic year.
- bestcollegereviews.org ranked The City of Gainesville in the top ten best college towns to start a business.
- The University of Florida Health earned two more distinctions: It is No. 12 on Forbes’ list of the state’s best places to work and No. 50 in the nation for female workers.
July, 2020
See the full newsletter here.
In our July newsletter, we announced our October 2019 investor meeting RELAUNCH TOGETHER, and highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- University of Florida hit a record $900 million in research awards
- Gainesville Black Professionals launched its “Minority Business Directory” this month that features more than 100 businesses in various industries. Learn more here.
- Nick Banks of Avision Young was interviewed for a Loopnet article that highlights the Greater Gainesville Region. You can read the article here
- Ology Bioservices Inc., a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), was awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, with a ceiling value of $106.3 million, of which $53.1 million was obligated at the time of the award.
- Two UF startups–Agriculture Intelligence & Structured Monitoring Products– were nominated as the Cade Museum’s Cade Prize finalists.
- Greater Gainesville based Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC) announced the launch of a mobile vision testing program to conduct follow-up assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic for patients enrolled in the Company’s ongoing clinical trials.
-  The City of Gainesville disbursed $5,000 payments to 78 businesses totaling $390,000 via the GNV Cares About Business program.
- Infinite Energy scored a ranking in Florida’s Best Workplaces, coming in 28th for the large business ranking.
- Eleven local middle and high school students devoted five weeks during the 2019 summer to acquiring leadership skills at the first ever virtual Summer Leadership 2020 Institute.
- Governor Ron DeSantis and Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran announced 60 schools, representing 28 districts in Florida, were chosen to participate in the first phase of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI).
- JJ Finley Elementary is officially named after Gainesville native Carolyn Beatrice Parker.
- Nonstop flights from Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) to Miami International Airport (MIA) had resumed after a six-month, COVID-19 related hiatus.
- Closed home sales in June were up 2.9% over June of 2019.
- Santa Fe College partnered with the Racial Equity Institute to provide in-depth information on racial equity.
- Dignitaries from the City of Alachua, Greater Gainesville Region and State of Florida came together to officially cut the ribbon and open the county’s first All-Inclusive playground at Legacy Park.
- Over the summer, Santa Fe College made renovations and enhancements to several areas across the Northwest Campus.
- The city of Alachua hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the San Felasco Parkway late July, a road that covers 280 acres of land and consists of 12-foot travel lanes, 7-foot bike lanes, and 8-foot wide sidewalks.
- University of Florida Health Shands Hospital emerged as Florida’s top health center and one of the nation’s elite today in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 Best Hospitals survey, with a remarkable nine medical specialties placing in the nation’s Top 50 — more than any other hospital in the Sunshine State.
- UF Health Shands has been named on two prestigious top 100 hospital lists recognizing the health system’s national excellence.
May, 2020
See the full newsletter here.
In our May newsletter, we introduced the 2020 Economic Development Committee, and highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- Noachis Terra announced their work on a Covid-19 vaccine.
- The Foundation Park building sold for $12M
- It was announced that the Department of Defense awarded Ology Bioservices with a contract valued at $11.9 million to work with Inovio on DNA technology transfer to rapidly manufacture DNA vaccines
- The acquisition of Sigma Imaging Technologies by the InterMed Group.
- The expansion of Alchem Laboratories Company’s screening and clinical trial capabilities.
- The construction of 42,000-square-foot FedEx distribution center in northeast Gainesville
- Molecule announced it closed $58 million in Series C funding
- NBP Properties, LLC, an affiliate of NovaBone Products, purchased a 28,868-square-foot building.
- The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce won a grant from Duke Energy which allowed for a showcase of high-paying jobs in the energy industry to local high schools.
- The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that Dr. Naima Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs at Santa Fe College , is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2020-21 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship.
February, 2020
See the full newsletter here.
In our February newsletter, we introduced the 2020 Economic Development Committee Leadership Team, introduced COLLABORATE 2025 and highlighted some key developments in our region including:
- Santa Fe College broke ground on the 86,311 square-foot Blount Center on October 9th.
- Lacerta Therapeutics, Inc .– a clinical-stage gene therapy company–acquired $30 million in a recent investment round.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific announced a $6 million expansion of a viral vector manufacturing facility.
- Captozyme merged with Arranta Bio on November 13 th , 2019 to form a microbiome therapy-focused CDMO that supports clients from early-stage process development through cGMP clinical supply to commercialization.
- Infinite Energy broke ground on a new 33,740 square foot building to expand their operations in the Greater Gainesville Region.
- EtextRX announced on December 10th that their novel ingestible event marker received FDA clearance, paving the way for their expanding influence on future medical technology.
- North Florida Regional Medical Center invested in a  $90 million project includes three new stories atop the South Tower and an 850-parking spot garage.
- Sinmat announced o n January 10th that it was acquired by chemicals and materials giant Entegris for $75 million cash.
- Feathr on January 15th announced a successful round of fundraising. The Gainesville-born software company raised $15 million in their series B funding round..
- UF Health is constructing a 139,000-square-foot health care center in the Oaks Mall.
- GNV Airport recently broke ground on a new terminal expansion amounting to $16 million in regional investment.
- Dave and Busters began construction of the new 19,000 square-foot stand-alone building Celebration Pointe that will provide new jobs for the community.
- The Gators new Baseball Stadium has been approved by the University Athletic Association. This $65 million construction project will begin June 2020.
- The City of Gainesville unveiled the driverless shuttles for their inaugural test ride starting in downtown Gainesville.The shuttle will operate on a pre-planned route starting on Southwest 2nd Avenue and ending on UF’s campus.
- Gainesville is recognized as Tree City of the World. You can read more here.