Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership

10/15/2026

Meet Casey Barnes, the CEP’s Chief Economic Development Officer! 👋

Casey brings extensive experience helping businesses grow, attracting new companies, and creating opportunities for Florida communities. Throughout his career, he has contributed to projects representing more than 60,000 new jobs and $6 billion in capital investment.

At the CEP, he’s putting that experience to work for Ocala and Marion County; supporting business recruitment and expansion, strengthening our regional economy, and helping shape what’s next!

Help us give Casey a warm welcome in the comments! 👏

🎥 Want to get to know Casey better? Come back to our social channels tomorrow at 9:00 AM for a new episode of POV featuring Casey!

10/15/2026

Who’s coming out to Business After Hours tonight?

Wrap up your workday with great conversations, new connections, and familiar faces! We’re ready for an evening of networking with our CEP partners, and we hope to see YOU there. 🤝

Let us know in the comments if you’re joining us! 👇

10/14/2026

What’s ahead for Ocala? Hear directly from City Manager Pete Lee at October’s exCEPtional Mornings! ☀️

Join us for a State of the City Address focused on key aspects of Ocala’s future. Connect with fellow partners over breakfast and learn more about the direction of our growing community.

📅 Wednesday, October 21, 2026
📍 Reilly Arts Center | 500 NE 9th Street
☕ Doors open at 7:15 AM | Breakfast at 7:30 AM
🎤 Presentation at 8:00 AM
🎟️ Tickets: $15

Thank you to our series sponsor, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital​, and October breakfast sponsor, Reveille Wealth Management!

👉 Reserve your seat today through the CEP Partner Portal or call 352-629-8051 to register!

10/13/2026

💪🏽🙌🏼💪🏽🙌🏼

10/13/2026

A fresh look and all your favorite scents!

We celebrated the grand re-opening of the newly remodeled Bath & Body Works at Paddock Mall with a ribbon cutting! Congratulations to their team on a beautiful refreshed space, ready to welcome shoppers for their next fragrance find.

Stop by, explore the remodel, and treat yourself to something that smells amazing!

10/12/2026

This week on The Buzz, we’re catching up with the amazing team over at SMA Healthcare to talk about their upcoming SMA Soirée event on October 24th.

Plus, Horse-O-Ween is coming back to town the day before the Soirée on October 23rd. It’s sure to be a great weekend of fun and entertainment here in Marion County!

Catch all the details in this week’s episode of The Weekly Buzz in partnership with SouthState Bank and WCJB TV20 News.

As always, a special thanks to our social media presenting sponsor Heart of Florida Health Center.

10/12/2026

The Ocala Metro CEP office will be closed in observance of Columbus Day.

10/10/2026

10/09/2026

What a great evening of connections and conversations at our quarterly CEO Network Reception! We were thrilled to bring together business leaders from across the Ocala Metro for an evening of networking, relationship-building, and meaningful discussions.

A huge thank you to Sherman Mechanical Contractors, LLC for hosting this fantastic event at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Ocala! We appreciate everyone who joined us and helped make the evening a success. Here's to building stronger relationships and continuing to move our business community forward!

10/09/2026

Who are we seeing tomorrow? Parade starts at 9am!