Manatee travel firm hires 60

BRADENTON — Grand Incentives Inc., a travel business that offers its customers incentive-based membership packages, plans to hire 60 new employees over the next five years, according to the Manatee Economic Development Council.

Larry Biondi, the firm's chief operating officer, says Grand Incentives is expanding following the acquisition of a “significant membership base” from a competing online travel company.

The company will receive $150,000 in financial incentives from Manatee County to support the new hirings, including $81,890 to be used toward new employee training, $60,000 in incentive-based grants, and $7,797 in impact-fee waivers.

Grand Incentives currently has about 100 employees, and is headquartered in southern Manatee County. In addition to the new hires, Grand Incentives will add 9,200 square feet to its current 14,000-square-foot facility, located just north of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Eric Basinger, executive director of the Manatee EDC, says many of Grand Incentives' new hires are expected to be hired in the next 60 to 90 days.