Report: Marine Concepts To Expand In Sarasota

A fiberglass manufacturer that offers $54,000 salaried jobs could be on the move to north Sarasota in Manatee County, according to Ft. Myers area news reports.

Cape Coral and Lee County officials were exploring the expansion of a company dubbed Project Aquatic, but after a deal fell through with economic incentive dollars, the company is apparently coming to Manatee County, WZVN reports.

That company is believe to be Marine Concepts, WINK News reports.

has locations in both Cape Coral and another location in Sarasota at 5934 Sandphil Road, but a letter and reports indicate the company is looking to expand.

A Manatee County Economic Development Corporation official could not offer a confirmation or denial.

"The Manatee EDC cannot confirm or deny the existence of any project until a company has made an announcement," Lauren Kratsch, director of project management for Manatee Economic Development Corporation told Patch.

Marine Concepts wouldn't talk to WINK either telling the station "nothing is set in stone at this time."

Companies often have confidentiality clauses that prevents economic development councils or government entities talk publicly about expansion/relocation plans.

In Cape Coral, that expansion was tabbed at "$1.5 million investment in new equipment in support of this expansion.  In addition, this project would have yielded a consolidation resulting in the construction of two new buildings valued in excess of $3.8 million," Cape Coral City Manager John Szerlag wrote to Lee County Manager Karen Hawes.

It's unclear if Marine Concepts expands to Manatee County/Sarasota, whether or not the benefit and investment would be the same or similar.

Szerlag writes in the letter that he learned from Lee County's economic development director that Marine Concepts had examined expansion sites in Sarasota after Lee County didn't provide economic dollars to help the expansion.

For Lee County's part, Hawes told WINK that the county didn't receive a formal request for those dollars, WINK reported.

Marine Concepts has not been in contact with Sarasota Economic Development, said Mark Huey, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County.

In general, when large employers move to Manatee County near Sarasota, it benefits both counties, he told Patch.

"Most of the businesses employee people on both sides of the county line and with good news in one county will certainly benefit the other in a variety of ways," Huey said.

Patch has requested additional documents concerning Project Aquatic/Marine Concepts from the City of Cape Coral and will update this story when additional information is available.