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Pinellas Co.'s tallest building, getting a new name

Published  September 17, 2015 6:21pm EDT
News
FOX 13 Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - The new name topping Pinellas county's tallest building makes a statement about the company and some people hope, St. Petersburg. 

"Priatek Plaza" was dedicated with a formal ribbon cutting Thursday, even though inclement weather impeded installments of the sky high name tag. 

Priatek founder Milind Bharvirkar told FOX 13 buying the naming rights, "is letting everyone know that there's a growing technology sector here that we've got great young talent here, we've got great young minds, and there are great companies." 

Originally from Massachusetts and more recently, California's Silicon Valley, Bharvirkar said he thinks St. Petersburg offers a great lifestyle and a lot of other companies that compliment his own. 

Early next year Priatek will begin deploying kiosks that let consumers play free video games and win prizes they choose by playing games they select. 

"The only time we charge the advertiser is if a consumer comes up and engages and plays for their prize, proving that they were an interested consumer," Bharvirkar explained. "And we only charge 25-cents per engagement."

St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce president Chris Steinocher said Priatek is exactly the kind of business now desired by most communities. 

"These folks have a real value proposition," Steinocher said. "They have a patent on some intellectual property. That is really how businesses are being built today." 

As for the near-zero name recognition, Steinocher responded, "how many of us knew Uber or Airbnb a year ago, how many of us knew Snapchat a year ago? That's the kind of world we're living in right now."

Mayor Rick Kriseman agreed growth potential is the ideal characteristic. In Priatek's case.

"It started as a company of two, and it's grown to 15 [employees] and that's exactly what we want" Kriseman said, adding there are other unknown names beginning to emerge. 

"There's a lot of companies in the city of St. Petersburg that are doing really cool things that people have no idea about," the mayor explained. 

Steinocher predicted eventually the new arrivals will help the city evolve. 

"They're young, their smart, they're from all around the world and they've chosen St. Pete to do their work and raise their families," Steinocher added. "They become the fabric of the new neighborhoods and the new community that St. Pete is becoming."