Sprouts of Enterprise
by Melissa Wells

From the looks of development in the county, Hernando appears to be blossoming

Christopher Reckner, president of Sho-Me Natural Products in Brooksville, is over-seeing an expansion that doubles the size of the company¹s facility in the Airport Industrial Park.

LIKE OTHER COUNTIES IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA, HERNANDO HAS had its share of woes. The recession, last September's terrorists attacks, a general apprehension among businesses about the possibility of a double- dip recession, all have caused some spooky times here, just as elsewhere. At least one sizable company ceased operations during that down time. But, for several reasons, some of which are unique, Hernando appears to be quietly blooming.

There are signs of growth almost everywhere, and more appear on the horizon. Existing companies are expanding, contractors are building or planning more homes, and retail shopping centers are filled or filling. Not to be outdone by neighboring "celebrity" counties, Hernando also is sprouting support components such as a technical training school, higher quality public schools, road improvements, including the Suncoast Parkway opened last year that provides convenient access to the Tampa Bay area. Reduced commute times ­ from 90 minutes to 45 minutes to Tampa ­ seem to be a significant factor in decisions by executives to relocate to Hernando or expand their businesses there.

The county's rural environment and access to a pool of trained workers that normally had been commuting to Tampa, were two other benefits that have made the county an attractive business haven.

Consider Christopher Reckner. As president of Brooksville-based Sho Me Natural Products ­ which manufactures such products as nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical pills ­ Reckner spends most of his time running the firm. But not a day goes by that he isn't also handling the company's plans for more than doubling the size of the company's manufacturing facility at the Hernando Airport Industrial Park. Reckner is just one of several executives in the business park working on sizable expansions, despite a shaky national economy.

"Things are going well in Hernando," says Mike McHugh, director of the county's office of business development. "Most of the businesses I've spoken with did have an impact post Sept. 11. A lot of them saw capital expenditures and orders put on hold until a more definitive picture for the economy could emerge. But orders are coming back to more normal levels now and, in some cases, at elevated levels because of pent-up demand."

The one company that has ceased operations in the industrial park "post Sept. 11" made available a sizable building that another company in the area immediately took over for its expansion. "A number of the businesses in the industrial park ­ our core location for our primary industries ­ are planning to expand," McHugh says. "That's a very healthy sign."

Another healthy sign is the demand for housing. Several sizable single-family residential communities are also blossoming in Hernando. Jacksonville-based Landmar Group LLC, a subsidiary of Crescent Resources, plans to develop an immense residential community on 1,600 acres at U.S. Highway 41 and Powell Road in Brooksville. Hampton Ridge includes 800 single-family homes and multifamily units, a golf course, a 125-room hotel and 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

Blue Stone Construction, a local development and construction company, is aggressively adding new residential product in Spring Hill. "Our market is very strong both for new homes and resales," says Jerry Harris, the firm's general manager. "We're filling up our apartments as fast as we can build them. Absorption is very good here."

The company has recently completed 96 apartments and is in early stages of developing another 432 units in Spring Hill. "We've presented this to the Board of County Commissioners," Harris says. "Spring Hill has gone from many dirt roads and 4,500 people to the Suncoast Parkway and a population of 60,000. It's phenomenal what has changed in the 18 years I've been active here."

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has taken note of this phenomenon and plans to build two superstores and a 133,000-square-foot Sam's Club in Hernando. "They see the growth, what's already here and what's coming," says John Wickert at ReMax Advantage Realty. "The Sam's Club would be a first for Hernando."

These retail boxes are in addition to an expansion under way at One Hernando Center near Interstate 75 in Ridge Manor. "Wal-Mart's Florida distribution center is located there," says Al Fluman at OPC Properties, who handles land sales and project development at the business park. "It's 1.4-million square feet and they're in the process of expanding that, adding another 200,000 square feet."

But it's not just retail and residential development occurring in Hernando. The health care industry is also in growth mode, with the county's two major hospital systems aggressively adding programs and two other health care companies also investing in new facilities (see story on page 38). Brooksville Regional Hospital executives are working on approvals for a new facility three miles west of the aging 91-bed facility in the city's downtown area. "The County Commissioners have passed a resolution supporting the building of this new hospital," McHugh says. "This $40-million project is very important to our community."

Public sector capital investments in Hernando include the new $40.5-million Nature Coast Technical High School, the county's fourth high school that will emphasize technical training. Another $810,000 will fund a redesign of downtown Brooksville, that will move electric and telephone wires underground, for instance, and replace aluminum-pole street lights with a variety that create a more inviting ambiance.

Meanwhile Hernando County Airport continues its expansion. "We have finished three corporate hangars over the last six months," says Airport Director Bob Mattingly. "They total 21,000 square feet and are all leased out."

Now under construction are two T hangars, or multi-tenant storage facilities for privately owned aircraft. "One building will have 15 units and the other 13 units," Mattingly says.

The Corporate RailPark, which is designed to provide rail service to business park tenants, has been at a standstill. "The RailPark is awaiting final plans for the expansion of Highway 41 to four lanes," says Mattingly. "We also slowed development in light of the economy slowing down. It is currently 95 percent designed and 100 percent funded (for infrastructure improvements)."

As the Florida Dept. of Transportation expands Highway 41, Mattingly explains, infrastructure will be built into the RailPark.

"And we're still moving ahead on a new entrance road one quarter mile from the Suncoast Parkway," says Mattingly.

No Traffic Jams
Here The Suncoast Parkway is a new north-south tollroad expressway connecting the Veterans Expressway in northwest Hillsborough and dissecting Pasco and Hernando counties to the Citrus County line. It cuts in half travel times from Brooksville to Tampa. And that feature appeals to many of the businesses in the airport industrial park.

"I like that we're not in landlocked traffic jams like other communities in the Tampa Bay area," says Christopher Reckner, president of Sho-Me Natural Products. "Hernando is quiet and we have a nice, open feeling here."

The company manufactures nutritional and dietary supplements. "We're a contract and private-label manufacturer," he says.

The firm's 27,000-square-foot addition has occurred as a result of the need for more processing and warehouse space. It will occupy 37,800 square feet at the Airport Industrial Park when the expansion is completed.

"We're packed to the rafters and bulging at the seams and have three 50- foot trailers out back," Reckner says. "We're still pressed for space; every square foot counts."

In this expansion the company will add two more packaging bays and a liquid line. "We're also expanding our manufacturing into over-the-counter and prescription drug manufacturing," Reckner says.

This growth for the 20-employee company will amount to a "$1-million capital investment," says Reckner. "We'll be adding regulatory and quality control staff."

Another 27,000-square-foot building is under way in the airport industrial park for Monitor Products, a company that manufactures heat exchangers for marine engines. What started as a small operation for the firm, which had been based in Long Island, New York, has gone so well that the company has completely relocated operations to Brooksville.

"We started our pilot program a few years ago in 5,000 square feet of space with 15 employees," says Carl Sunden, the firm's president. "We were primarily concerned about the quality of the local labor force. We saw that it looked promising and we have made the move."

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