City of Apopka, Orange County, UCF officials to celebrate opening of Apopka Business Incubator

ORLANDO, Fla. --- Officials representing the City of Apopka, Orange County and the University of Central Florida will mark the opening of the new 8,000 square foot Business Incubation Center at 325 S. McGee Ave. in Apopka April 18.

Gordon Hogan, director of the UCF Business Incubation Program, said three companies have already expressed interest in joining the facility.

Hogan said the UCF Business Incubation Program now assists more than 125 client companies at business incubation facilities at Central Florida Research Park in east Orlando, on S.R. 50 in Orlando, as well as facilities in Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Leesburg, Winter Springs, Daytona Beach and Sanford.

Over the past 12 years, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 client companies create more than 1,600 new jobs in the Central Florida region, Hogan said. Last year the incubation program accepted 64 new companies and graduated more than 20 companies.

“Business incubation has shown to be the most cost-effective way to generate economic growth and create jobs in the local community,” Hogan explained.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 125 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. The UCFBIP will open its 10th incubator in Apopka in Spring 2012. Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook, on www.facebook.com/ucf4bip.