Paul Cawley Expands Business In City Of Coral Springs

Feb. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- In this economic climate, every job has become a little more challenging.

It is no different for Paul Cawley’s role of developing out of the box ways to fill the empty office buildings dotting the City of Coral Springs.

But with years of building relationships with the business community and an unwavering quest to seek knowledge from venture capitalists and other industry experts, Cawley has succeeded where others have failed in luring top, long staying companies to the city.

As Executive Director of the Economic Development Foundation for the City of Coral Springs, Cawley has expanded business and is trying to bring in more ‘economic recession proof’ companies to the area.

“It’s all about relationships,” said Cawley, “And being in front of people, especially now with the economy; and about being in the right places.”

It was those lasting relationships many of which were built while working for the PGA Tour at Eagle Trace and the right timing that in fact initially helped him get the job. During that time, Cawley was in charge of marketing and met many people in the South Florida business community. Former Coral Springs City Manager Michael Levinson wanted to tap into those connections.

“When this job opened up, one day I ran into Mike Levinson. He said that the Director of Economic Development position was open and wanted me to come in to interview with the EDF Board of Directors and that the relationship base of professionals that I knew throughout Broward County could be vital for the position,” said Cawley.

Cawley first started in 2001 with little experience in the field yet a more valuable strength of his relationships with the local community.

“Once I got the knack of the ins and outs of the job, I kept going with building relationships with people in different areas of development, including developers, brokers, bankers and lawyers. It was an extension of my past,” said Cawley, adding, “The main purpose of my job is to increase the assessed taxable value of commercial and industrial properties in Coral Springs. That’s what keeps residential taxes down. The better we do in economic development, the less burden goes back to the citizens.”

After September 11, his job took a turn from dealing directly with CEOs and owners of companies to working with developers and real estate brokers. The price of land was also escalating.

“Right now, some commercial and industrial properties are having a huge problem because all of the land purchased at high prices and buildings that now have mortgages coming due. The owners are having a hard time paying these mortgages,” he said.

What is the city doing to overcome these obstacles and bring new business to the area?

“Once the situation began to change throughout the country, someone told me to go out there and find the answers to the problems. One question was-what’s the future of this country and Coral Springs? I felt that entrepreneurs and small companies initially would eventually grow in the future,” he said.

After attending a venture capital conference, Cawley believed it was time to shift the focus to seeking businesses that center on medical, health care, global information technology, import, export and logistics.

But why would these companies come to Coral Springs?

One of the main draws will be ‘Broward College’, says Cawley. The lease has been signed and an expected time for classes to begin is August.

“They will be teaching curriculum at Broward College that matches those industries,” he said, “We are also working with brokers who are in touch with organizations that focus on those kinds of industries.”

Cawley will also attend more venture capital conferences to gain knowledge from the top real estate decision makers for corporations in the world.

“This will help to build relationships and to see what these decision makers are thinking,” he said.

Tackling the retail market will also be a main focus.

“There is a shopping center convention in Orlando every year. I will be talking to those chains to get an understanding of why Coral Springs or why not Coral Springs?” said Cawley, adding, “This will let me know why some businesses or chains are coming to the city or why they may not come to the city.”

Cawley along with local developers and brokers have already been instrumental in securing many major companies, including Vutec, Nordis Direct, Southern Prosthetics, ABB Concise, a large distributor of contact lenses, and Boca Pharm, a pharmaceutical research company. All of these companies are located in the Corporate Park of Coral Springs.

“These companies and others like them will help us advise Broward College for the types of certifications and programs we need,” he said.

Many major retail stores have recently opened doors or are looking at the city, including Toys R’ Us/ Babies R’ Us, Big Lots, supermarket chain ALDI, and Kohl’s.  

“We are looking to understand how these companies make their decisions,” he said.

Besides seeking input from the country’s leading business decision makers, the city also plans to enhance its downtown to draw more businesses. The city is planning on infrastructure improvements but has not yet finalized all plans.

“Once people see the improvements being made on University and Sample, they will say something’s going to happen here,” he said.    

Besides drawing new business, Cawley also has to tackle the task of keeping businesses in the city and providing them with the tools to succeed. The city has launched a video on demand series, in which local business experts provide tips on growing your company. These videos are posted on the city’s website at www.csbizassist.org.  

“It’s a free education and if people listen to what the experts are saying, it could really help their business,” said Cawley.

Cawley believes the small businesses and entrepreneurs are also the answer to future growth. One such local company, Vantage Hospitality, has grown from 7 employees to 85 employees.

“The money part is the biggest puzzle with the banks and lending practices. There are many entrepreneurs with wonderful products and innovative ideas, but there needs to be a way to help these people and get them going,” said Cawley.

While that’s at the national level, what’s certain locally is that Cawley will continue to search for innovative ways to expand economic development in the City of Coral Springs.

For more information on the Economic Development Foundation, contact Paul Cawley at 954-346-6996 or email pauledf@bellsouth.net, or visit www.coralspringsedf.com.

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OUR TOWN NEWS is the local area's most popular community news magazine with a history of over fifteen years of serving South Florida readers and businesses. The weekly, full color magazine and the OTN "Great Deals" coupon book are distributed via U.S. Mail to over 50,000 residents in Parkland and Coral Springs. Several thousand additional copies are hand delivered to numerous businesses and offices throughout Coconut Creek, Tamarac, Boca Raton and Margate, Florida. OTN’s continuing commitment is to be an ever growing force in supporting the local community and contributing to the success of our advertising partners.