Osceola County leaders celebrate NeoCity at ribbon cutting ceremony

By Christa Yates, Staff Writer.

Osceola County leaders, alongside federal and industry partners, gathered at NeoCity for its ribbon cutting ceremony, April 22. The U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Florida Semiconductor Engine (the Engine) at NeoCity also unveiled its new identity and website – SemiconductorEngine.org

Tawny Olore, CEO of the Engine, spoke at the ceremony after her ‘Coffee & Conversation’ discussion that same morning. “Without this dedication, knowledge, and commitment, none of this would have been possible.”

“We are in our fourth year of giving every graduating senior [in Osceola County] the opportunity to obtain their A.A. (associate in arts degree) or a technical certification at no cost to them,” said Brandon Arrington, vice chairman of the Osceola County Commission, highlighting the influence that NeoCity has had on education and economic development in the area. “We believe economic development is won by having a skilled workforce, [who] can bring in high-paying jobs, but also have the infrastructure necessary to move goods and services, and the ability for businesses to be able to tap into this.”

A spokesperson on behalf of U.S. Congressman Darren Soto, who secured over $500 million in federal funds for the region, said “This is indeed a landmark moment in Central Florida’s history. The story of NeoCity started only a few years ago. We faced major unemployment during the Great Recession. I was honored to join the Osceola County Commission in their vision to diversify our local economy. We chose micro-electronics, given their growing demand and proximity to the bustling aerospace industry in East Orange and Cape Canaveral.”

“[Osceola County has] infrastructure in place where other communities are a decade behind where we’re at today, but we couldn’t have done that without longevity,” said Arrington. “We have a team that’s been around a long time. It takes [time], it takes heart for my fellow commissioners to continue to invest in the dream of a better tomorrow – and that’s what we’ve done.”

“You have to have the vision, you have to have the drive, and you have to have the will to get up when things knock you down,” Olore said. “That’s what the Engine – that’s what NeoCity – is all about.”