Flagler County officials approved hundreds of thousands of dollars in an incentive package for a company interested in bringing jobs.

  • Flagler county created tax incentive proposal to attract company
  • Company is an undisclosed financial services company
  • If approved, the company promises more than 250 jobs

The county has approved a proposal to offer an undisclosed financial services company a $500,000 incentive package to bring in more than 250 jobs.

"It's an exciting company, high-tech, high-touch type of industry," said Flagler DEO director Helga Van Eckert. "Something that we hadn't seen in Flagler County or hadn't seen a lot of, so this is new for us."

The package offers $2,000 per person-per job over the course of 3-5 years based on performance and keeping the job filled.

The company will have 50 jobs the first year and create 100 jobs per year over the following years.

"The residents are here, they're ready to work and the training is available for them," said Van Eckert.

Todd Simmons said he has been searching for a job for months.

"I was kinda frustrated last year, things were tough," said Simmons, job seeker.

The college-educated landscaper had to shutdown his business and now spends hours and days at the Palm Coast Career Source Center. The center helps him with building his resumes, gives him a place to apply for jobs, and helps find a job opportunities.

"We need more professional jobs in this area. There's been a lot of labor openings," said Simmons.

Flashback to 2009. Unemployment in the county was 15.2 percent. Now it's down to around 5.7 percent, but many still need jobs.

The county and the company has a few facilities currently in mind where the business may set up.

The jobs will come with an average $47,000 salary and in turn expected to funnel $16 million back into the community.

"Jobs like that are very few and far between here in Flagler County. There are mainly minimum wage jobs here," said Simmons.

"When you figure those number of positions at that wage coming in, we're talking about $16 million annually of additional dollars that will be going through the economy locally. And it'll also create an additional 91 indirect jobs," said Van Eckert.

Simmons is hoping this will answer job seekers' prayers for an opportunity.

"Bringing in some more professional, can only help," said Simmons.

The next step is for the Flagler Department of Economic Opportunity to submit an application for tax credit incentive for the company and then finalize their offer package. The company is considering Flagler, other areas of the state, and outside the state.

Van Eckert said if everything goes as planned, the company could be in the county by March or April of this year.