SMALL BUSINESS
14
Treasure Coast. If the area has
the same proportion of small
business employees as the
state does, the Treasure Coast
would employ about 109,000
people.
Nearly half of the Treasure
Coast’s population is in St. Lucie
County. Housing is mainly
cheaper there, but residents
often commute to another
county, including Martin and
Indian River, for jobs.
SEASONAL FACTORS
There are about 681,000
people in the Treasure Coast,
including 321,100 in St. Lucie;
160,900 in Martin; 157,400 in
Indian River; and 41,500 in
Okeechobee, as of mid-2018, the
U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
One of the oldest continuously
running small businesses
on the Treasure Coast is Carter
Associates, Inc. in Vero Beach,
which was established in 1911
and was family-run until four
partners bought the firm 11
years ago, says George Simons,
current president and one of
those four partners.
Unlike other businesses,
Carter Associates, an engineering
firm, is not greatly affected
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by seasonal factors, he says.
Carter now has 22 employees,
a figure that flexed up to 40
during the home building fury
in 2005-2006.
Simons says Carter often has
competition from national engineering
firms vying for jobs
on the Treasure Coast. Carter’s
engineers often win those
battles on the strength of local
knowledge, he notes.
“We’re looking for additional
employees at this point,” says
Simons, who agrees with other
small business owners that
attaining good employees is at
times a struggle.
Jerry Parrish, chief econo- >>
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GREG GARDNER
Corey Rodgers cuts away some worm rot on the spray rail of a Rybovich
sportfishing boat.
George Simons, president of Carter
Associates in Vero Beach.
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