Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Fuel
Sebring Regional Airport is a designated Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ #215) meaning that fuel purchased for off-shore flights is not subject to some taxes, saving up to $.50 per gallon!
Foreign Trade Zone Number 215
The Zone, designated by the FTZ Board as FTZ Number 215, not only will assist in economic development at Sebring Regional Airport/Commerce Park but throughout Highlands County as well.
A survey, conducted by the International Trade Commission, found that the presence of a FTZ was the fourth most identifiable factor in plant site location decisions. FTZs provide customs cost savings and encourage improved inventory control. Through the use of FTZs, U.S. based production is placed on more equal footing with production in a foreign country, and FTZs have had a significant impact in retaining U.S. production and employment as well as stimulating new activity in the United States.
We Are Located In A Rural Enterprise Zone
Rural Enterprise Zone businesses are eligible for numerous tax incentives. Incentives include an enterprise zone job tax credit taken against Sales & Use Tax or Corporate Income Tax; property tax credit for new or improved property; sales tax refund for business machinery and equipment; sales tax refund for building materials used to construct or rehab real property; and a community contribution tax credit program for businesses that donate to local community development projects.
Florida Incentives
New Highlands County businesses qualify for a rural jobs tax credit that provides $1,000 per qualified employee to encourage economic expansion. Also, Qualified Target Industries receive refunds on the taxes they pay equal to a minimum of $4800 per new job created, if the job pays an average annual wage that is at least 115 percent of the Highlands County average wage. By the Sebring Airport & Commerce Park having a Brownfield overlay, pre-approved applicants may receive a tax refund up to $2,000 per new average-annual-wage job created
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) - Incentives
Sebring Regional Airport Community Redevelopment Agency, the only on-site airport CRA in the U.S., provides incentives through the CRA that cannot be provided by other airports. The Airport Authority makes available the State of Florida's Community Redevelopment incentives program to businesses leasing land and building facilities on the Airport & Commerce Park property. These incentives can include offsetting or deferring lease payments through the use of the Airport CRA's Tax Increment Trust Fund and loans for site improvements, parking lot construction and special infrastructure needs.
Financing
Funds are available for construction, purchase of machinery and equipment, and working capital to qualified applicants through the area's thirteen commercial bank offices with combined deposits of $555 million. Federal and State grants may also be available, especially to aviation-related tenants. The Airport Authority will assist you in identifying and applying for these funds. The Board of County Commissioners, in support of economic development, has established the Highlands County Industrial Development Authority to provide industrial revenue bond financing to qualifying applicants. Information on this and other financing programs can be obtained from:
Highlands County Economic Development Commission
2113 U.S. Highway 27 South
Sebring, Florida 33870
Phone: (863) 385-1025,
FAX: (863) 385-1379
E-Mail: info@highlandsedc.com
Cosmopolitan Environment
Sebring International Raceway—The Annual 12 Hours of Sebring
Sebring, Florida is home to one of the most famous races in the world - The 12 Hours of Sebring International Grand Prix of Endurance.
An estimated 80,000 fans attended in 2007, ranging from serious motorsport aficionados to partying fans in the infamous "Green Park" area near the hairpin turn. The Grand Prix draws international television coverage, is a staple of the ESPN March motorsports line-up, and major sponsors such as Contac, Exxon and Coca Cola display their names around the track. The Grand Prix is a proven economic boon to the community, its hotels, restaurants, stores and shops. www.sebringraceway.com
Sebring International Raceway's Four Points by Sheraton Sebring Chateau Élan
Four Points by Sheraton Sebring Chateau Elan, located trackside on the historic Hairpin at Sebring International Raceway is the ultimate getaway for pleasure or business. The hotel features first class amenities including fine dining, pool and spa, and corporate meeting facilities. Four Points by Sheraton Sebring Chateau Elan takes pride in its commitment to guest services, personal attention and a desire to exceed your fondest expectations. Staffed with hospitality professionals and associates from all across America and many foreign countries, Chateau Elan has a captivating international flavor.
The hotel offers 123 deluxe guest rooms including 18 suites. There is over 6,000 sq. ft. of meeting, banquet and conference space. Technology and design come together in a learning environment that is second to none. Our six conference rooms are designed for maximum comfort and productivity.
We’re Sebring’s only hotel and spa. With a full range of body and beauty treatments, our European-style spa will have you relaxed and feeling great. You can settle down to a delicious meal in the Esperante Restaurant, or kick back with friends in the Hair Pin Lounge. Whether you come to stay for a meeting or just for fun, we make it easy for you to do what you need to do.
For more information, call 863-655-6252. www.chateauelansebring.com
Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo: An annual event held in January
The annual Expo is the place to see, try, buy and sell Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), and is the event at which to establish new business relationships and learn about LSA and Sport Pilot Certificate and other LSA related certifications. It has earned a nationwide reputation as the best event of its type, and the only one focusing totally on LSA. No other location in the United States has an event of this nature, and Sebring enjoys a reputation for producing and supporting a top-quality aviation event.
The 2007 EXPO included over 120 exhibitors, and more than 150 aircraft. Exhibitors represented nearly every state, in addition to several from other countries. The Expo scheduled for January 17-20, 2008, to be sponsored by Cessna, will be the largest yet, with over 175 spaces filled with aircraft and aviation related exhibits. Several new LSA will be on display and available for demonstration flights. Exhibitors will include Cessna, Garmin, Blue Mountain Avionics, Remos and a host of others. Details are available at www.sport-aviation-expo.com.
More than 840 free demonstration flights were flown. Nearly 20,000 people have visited Sebring Regional Airport as a result of the events held over the past three years.
Airport & Community
Location
Highlands County encompasses 1,029 square miles of Florida's heartland. Its prime location provides east/west and north/south market accessibility with close proximity to major tourist attractions. Over 85% of the state's population is within a 150 mile radius - that's over 12 million potential customers. "Highlands" appropriately describes the higher elevation of this area, located on the rolling hills of Central Florida's ridge area and lake country. The Sebring Airport & Commerce Park is located seven miles Southeast of Sebring, the county’s seat. US Highway 98, the major East-West route, is one mile south of the park. US Highway 27 is the major North-South corridor, and located 4.5 miles West of the Airport.
T/Commercial Hangars
There are currently 80 T-hangars and 9 Commercial Hangars. For rental information contact Mike Willingham at 863-655-6444, Ext. 103 or 863-381-3493 mobile.
 
(click on each diagram for a larger version)
Property
Buildings can be constructed to meet tenant specifications with no impact fees, and the Airport Authority acts as an independent governing board, greatly expediting securing all necessary permits and zoning. The Commerce Park contains a total of 1,770 acres, 1,200 of which are still available for new tenants. Due to Federal Aviation Administration restrictions, land cannot be sold; however, long term leases are available at extremely low rates. Parcels are available in sizes from one acre to as much as 600 acres. The property tax rate is $18.4510 per $1000 of value. The Executive Director serves as your single point of contact for all negotiations:
Mike Willingham
128 Authority Lane
Sebring, Florida 33870
Phone: 863-655-6444
FAX: 863-655-6447
E-Mail: mike@sebring-airport.com
Cost of Living
Florida has no income taxes. The state's cost of living is very low; Highlands County has a Consumer Price Index of 94.62% of the state average. Within 20 miles of the Sebring Airport, average home values are $191,290 and Florida provides a $25,000 property tax exemption for permanent residents. The average property tax rate for Highlands County is $15.5877per $1,000 of value.
Public Education
With a student enrollment of 11,000, the district remains personalized while being large enough to offer secondary level advanced classes. Grades K-12 are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Pupil to teacher ratio is 18:1. An aggressive building campaign is in place to maintain this low ratio, with five of the county's fifteen schools constructed in the past five years. Highlands County students score at or above national average on the California Achievement Test. The district boasts several National Merit Scholars and the district-wide Academic Team have won the state championship twice in the past six years.
Community College
South Florida Community College is a comprehensive, public community college providing freshman and sophomore years of college transfer classes, technical and industrial training, and adult basic and secondary educational programs. Each year, SFCC serves over 19,000 residents of Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto counties. Students graduating with associate in arts degrees can concentrate in more than 60 fields of study. Students can earn an associate in science, an associate in applied sciences, or college credit or occupational certificates. In 1992, SFCC became one of the first community colleges in Florida to offer bachelor’s degree programs through partnerships with public and private universities. It now offers 13 bachelor’s degree programs and three master’s degree programs through eight colleges and universities. Residents can now receive advising and classroom instruction without having to drive long distances or move away from the tri-county area. SFCC has three campuses and several off-site centers, including the Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto campuses, and Lake Placid Center. The main campus is located just 16 miles North of the Commerce Park.
Tenant: Everglades Foods, Inc.
After completion of his military duties, Mess Sergeant Bill Gerstman returned home to the states and resumed his trade as meat cutter/butcher at the LaBelle Trading Post in LaBelle, Florida. With spices and seasonings easier to obtain, he perfected his secret recipe to the delight of many customers who patronized the small general store. In 1976, the secret formula was finally perfected, the famous logo was patented and EVERGLADES SEASONING was born. In 1985, he sold the recipe to Gene and Martha Cross, owners of the LaBelle Trading Post. For the next seven years, Gene and Martha Cross began distributing Everglades Seasoning in southwest Florida on a limited bases.
In 1992, Everglades Foods, Inc. purchased Everglades Seasoning, Inc. Everglades Foods, Inc. began manufacturing and distributing the Original Everglades Seasoning. Today, the goal at Everglades Foods, Inc. is to make wonderful blends of EXOTIC herbs and spices an everyday household seasoning that is sold in every major grocery store in the United States!
Everglades Foods, sends internationally to both customers and servicemen. They love sending seasoning to the troops overseas to give them a little taste of home. They ship both UPS & USPS and have distributor, wholesale & retail prices available.
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