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R&M Ship Tec Is Looking To Bring U.S. Headquarters To Brooksville

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: July 1, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - A German-based company that builds cabins for cruise ships is looking to put its U.S. headquarters in Hernando County.

R&M Ship Tec is a "leading manufacturer" of factory-built interior floors, ceilings and doors for the passenger ship and ferry markets, according to its Web site.

The business would occupy the existing 16,000-square-foot building at 3285 N.E. Parkway at the Airport Industrial Park.

The move is contingent on the company receiving state and county approval through a financial-incentive program.

"This is about economic development and bringing good-paying jobs to the county," Hernando County Office of Business Development spokeswoman Valarie Pianta said. "It's bringing tax revenue."
Hernando County commissioners will decide whether to approve funding of $2,250 per year for four years. The company, in turn, must fulfill its bargain of bringing a minimum of 10 jobs with an average hourly wage of $15.29.

"If they don't meet it, they don't get" the funding, Pianta said. "Nothing is paid up front."

R&M Ship Tec has promised to bring 15 to 20 jobs to Hernando County.

The funding - which totals $9,000 - will come from the county's general fund, Pianta said.

R&M Ship Tec will invest nearly $1 million in manufacturing equipment, according to a news release.

The company also is looking to add locations in Philadelphia and Newport News, Va.

Pianta said she has been working to bring the company to Hernando County for nearly a year. Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development program, also took a role in the recruitment process.

The company mostly will use trucks to ship its supplies. The park's proximity to the Port of Tampa also played a factor, Pianta said.

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