Press Release written by team at – Flagler County EDC
Designs for Health to Grow in Flagler County
November 19, 2015 – The Flagler County Economic Opportunity Advisory Council and the City of Palm Coast are pleased to announce that Designs for Health (D4H), a company that provides high quality nutritional supplements to healthcare professionals, is expanding their operation in Flagler County. The company is being relocated to 6 Commerce Park Drive in Palm Coast. They are investing $3 million in site acquisition and upgrades and creating an additional 50 jobs over the next five years. Average wage is anticipated to be $33,000/year.
When faced with the need to accommodate the growth, the management team considered all the options– including relocating out of Flagler County. Phil Lizotte, Vice President of D4H, led the selection process and worked closely with Helga van Eckert, Executive Director of the County Department of Economic Opportunity and Margaret Sheehan-Jones, CCIM of ParkSide Realty. “It’s important that we expand in an area that can accommodate our projected growth, provide a qualified workforce pipeline and meet our financial criteria,” stated Phil Lizotte, “Flagler County remains a great fit. We look forward to continuing our partnership.”
The Connecticut-based nutritional supplement company originally opened their Flagler County distribution facility in 2012 – the first company to locate to Flagler County under the county’s then newly formed Department of Economic Opportunity. Since then, D4H has continued to grow in reputation, revenue and footprint. Growth from year to year has been substantial and while they recently opened another distribution facility in Nevada, the Flagler County operation is bursting at the seams.
“Helping existing businesses grow is one of our main missions at the City of Palm Coast,” says Jon Netts, Mayor. “With our partners at the Flagler County Department of Economic Opportunity, we were able to make a convincing business case for Designs for Health to expand operations right here in our community. I have no doubt that as Palm Coast continues to grow, so will Designs for Health and their positive economic impact.”
The Flagler County Economic Opportunity Advisory Council has recommended to the County Commissioners that a performance-based incentive package of $25,000 be provided to the company. The proposed incentive package will be distributed over a period of eight years, subject to workforce growth. The City of Palm Coast council will also be considering a local incentive package at their December meeting. According to an economic modeling report, prepared by CareerSource Flagler-Volusia, the project will produce over a $12M economic impact during the eight year period.
“We’re very happy that Designs for Health decided to remain and grow in the county. It’s always exciting when we get to announce new companies that are relocating here, but I personally feel it’s an even better story when an existing company is growing. They know our community and how we work in partnership with our businesses,” stated Commissioner Revels, chair of the Department of Economic Opportunity, “The decision of such a prestigious company to remain and grow in Flagler County confirms that Flagler County is the place to be!”
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About Designs for Health: The Lizotte family originally founded the company in 1989 with a team of nutritionists to provide nutrition counseling services. They soon branched out to the manufacturing and distribution of high quality nutritional supplements to healthcare professionals. Now, in addition to providing supplements, the company also offers health care seminars and educational material for the health care industry.
About Flagler County Department of Economic Opportunity: As the county’s business recruitment and expansion entity, the Flagler County Department of Economic Opportunity provides the leadership to strengthen and diversify the local economy. Its charge is to seek out opportunities that build a strong economic platform, thus empowering local businesses, creating jobs and securing capital investment in the community.
About ParkSide Realty: This group of 18 seasoned real estate professionals has deep roots in the community, and is committed to commercial growth in Flagler. As the sole CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) in Flagler County, Margaret Sheehan-Jones has represented both local governments and private investors as the County’s top producer in commercial transactions. Parkside’s professionals are focused on helping to build a stronger Flagler County.
1769 E. Moody Blvd Bldg 2 Bunnell, FL 32110 · T (386) 313-4070 · F (386) 313-4108 · flaglercountyedc.com
Economic Opportunity Advisory Council · Barbara Revels, Chair · Greg Federline, Vice Chair · Robert Alex · Robert CahillWanda Clegg · Mike Gill · Joseph Marotti · James Ulsamer · Frank Zedar