Cape Coral's growing economy will be getting another boost when construction begins on the newest Sam's Club in Southwest Florida. Behind-the-scenes work has already begun and physical site work will begin early next year, with a projected completion of November 2014.

This 140,000-square-foot facility will significantly add to the commercial landscape of the Pine Island Road Corridor and undoubtedly draw additional investment and development interest to the area. The new Sam's Club will be built at the bustling intersection of Hancock Bridge Parkway and Pine Island Road.

Sam's Club ranks as the 8th largest retail operation nationally, and the economic growth and stimulation it will bring is exciting news. Here's a snapshot of its benefits:

• The wholesale club is expected to hire 200-plus employees.
• The construction of the Sam's Club, and nearby properties that are likely to follow suit, will stimulate the local trades industry.
• The popular wholesale club will provide more shopping choices for residents and halt some of the leakage of economic dollars out of Cape Coral.
• Many local small businesses can shop for supplies without leaving the city, which helps these businesses keep their cost of doing business low.
• The vacant land for the site is assessed at $2.3 million. Based on the value of other regional Sam's Club stores, the assessed value of the property after it's developed is estimated to be $10 million-a significant increase in taxable value.
• Retail operations create jobs and taxes that improve the economy and help spread the cost of living here to more people. 

The Cape Coral EDO looks forward to this stimulating addition to the city.  So please join us in spreading the news!

As a global business with a significant virtual component and network of talent spread throughout the world, Guido and Susan Minaya could anchor the headquarters of their Minaya Learning anywhere in the United States. They were located in California but relocated to Cape Coral in April-and have been completely happy with the move.

For one thing, it brought them to closer to their East Coast clients stretching from Boston to Miami, with easy access to their international customers. They use Southwest Florida International Airport for domestic flights, and book out of Miami and Tampa for international departures. They also favored Florida's low tax rates.

"We have extended team members in different part of the world:  Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Much of our services are virtual, so with a good internet provider, we can run it from most anywhere," says Managing Partner and CEO Dr. Guido Minaya.

Another deciding factor in relocating their business was family. The Minayas lived in Cape Coral in 1989 and had their children here. They have returned to be close to both sets of aging parents while running their global business. "For us, it's like coming home," says Susan. "It's a very different town now and we've really experienced how much it's grown," adds Guido.

The Minayas say they have made great networking connections at the Fourth Wednesday Chats, and are planning to connect with other regional partners of the Cape Coral Economic Development Office. Corporate Learning Services typically works with corporations with 10,000+ employees, and the company is likely to be viewed as an asset to corporate site selectors.

"The opportunities Southwest Florida offers to larger firms is going to be demonstrated more and more as years go along," Guido says. "The kind of service we offer, we add a nice element to what the area can offer the companies that will be coming and we look forward to that."