Tampa Bay Companies Expand Despite Florida Economic Downturn

In spite of home sales declining state-wide, Florida's unemployment remains a low 4%. Companies listed in the Tampa Bay Business Journal Fast 50 and the Business 200 are continuing to create more jobs and flux into the economy.

Clearwater, FL, October 19, 2007 – Despite Florida’s attraction being lessened due to rising real estate, taxes and insurance costs several firms are expanding.   The Wall Street Journal reported the most recent statistics regarding Florida’s down-turning economy:
• 41% drop in home sales in the past year
• In July, retail sales declined 2.5% statewide from the same period a year earlier, compared  with a 0.5% gain nationally
• Last year, domestic immigration contributed 166,000 people to Florida's population, down 19% from the five-year average of 206,000, according to the census bureau

The Tampa Bay Business Journal recently named 200 fast-track Tampa Bay companies by virtue of their growth; 42 were new to the list this year, including OSI Restaurant Partners, Lazydays RV Center, Inc and PostcardMania.

• For years OSI, the operator or franchisor of 1,385 restaurants, including Carrabbas, Outback and Flemings, has been one of the largest companies in the Bay area.
• Lazydays RV Center is the nation’s #1 single site RV dealer and has won a host of awards for their RV sales volume including Tiffin Motor Homes and Fleetwood RV.
• PostcardMania, the first direct mail postcard company to create postcard marketing campaigns to general business owners nationwide, recently announced its groundbreaking for expansion into its new headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. The young firm began eight years ago by Joy Gendusa and grew rapidly into a multi-million-dollar enterprise with no capital injection.

Florida's unemployment remains a low 4%. Companies listed in the Tampa Bay Business Journal Fast 50 and the Business 200 continue to create more jobs and flux into the economy.

About PostcardMania:
Hailed as one of the 500 fastest growing privately-held companies in the USA by Inc. Magazine, PostcardMania was founded by Joy Gendusa in 1998, her only assets a computer and a phone. Today they are on a $15 million-dollar-revenue run rate and employ over 135 people.  PostcardMania was the first full-service postcard direct mail marketing company to market to general businesses nation-wide and help them expand through the use of direct mail marketing techniques. Their services include graphic design, printing, highly-targeted mailing list acquisition and mailing services with FREE marketing advice.  Visit their web site at www.postcardmania.com

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If you would like to interview Joy Gendusa, CEO of PostcardMania, please email PostcardMania’s VP PR, Karla Jo Helms at karla_jo@postcardmania.com or by calling 800-628-1804 x 342.