Hundreds of business owners, entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs packed the St. Cloud Civic Center last week for the city’s annual “one stop” Business Connect Expo. Over 54 businesses, educational institutions, government agencies, and other organizations were on hand with exhibitor displays and informational materials at the St. Cloud Civic Center.
The four-hour expo displayed an unprecedented vibrant atmosphere with many people new to the community availing themselves of the information available. Hundreds of attendees flowed through the exhibits during the morning, learning how to start a business or expand their existing business.
“We just came here from Colombia, where we have industrial engineering and food product businesses. We hope to start a business in real estate here by buying and renovating properties. We also hope to start bringing our food products into the U.S., or start to make them here,” said Diego Acosta, who attended the Business Expo with his wife Vivian.
The Acostas soon encountered Belinda Kirkegard, Kissimmee’s former economic development director and now President of the National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando, and an annual exhibitor at the Expo. Kirkegard, along with one of her staff, began a protracted conversation with the Acostas to explain the resources and capabilities available from the not-for-profit agency. The National Entrepreneur Center is a unique collaborative effort between Walt Disney World, Orange County Government and the University of Central Florida. Dozens of encounters like this were occurring all throughout the city’s Community Center.
Lockheed Martin, with two facilities in the Orlando area, provided an exhibit with information for vendors seeking to do business with the aerospace giant. The Orlando International Airport, ranked seventh in the U.S. and 25th in the world for passenger volume in 2025, was also on hand to speak with businesses hoping to become potential vendors. Other agencies exhibiting for the same purposes were the Florida Turnpike, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lynx, Osceola County Public Schools, and Toho Water Authority.
No less than four banks, including Cogent, PNC, Regions, and Truist, exhibited at the Expo, offering business finance and banking services. Typical among business service providers exhibiting Tuesday morning was Servpro of Osceola County, the Kissimmee-based franchise of the national emergency restoration company.
“We wanted to get out in the business community so they will know about our capabilities specifically for businesses before they might need them,” said Elena Udovenko, Director of Development and Marketing.
The City of St. Cloud assists companies interested in establishing themselves within the City, and works to implement the City’s incentives programs, which include cash incentives for employment within target industries and incentives allowing for deferment and waiver of fees for speculative buildings that meet certain criteria. For more on how the city fosters economic development, see https://bit.ly/4imS36M.
