There continues to be significant coverage of Enterprise Zones in the news this week. The Florida News Service reports that on Tuesday, Senator Latvala R-Clearwater attached an amendment to SB1214 that would advance a $7 million-a-year package for improvements at Daytona International Speedway, the Miami Dolphins' home of Sun Life Stadium and EverBank Field in Jacksonville and for construction of a soccer stadium in Orlando. You can track progress on SB1214 on the Florida Senate's website: … [Read more...]
High-Tech Firm Seeks To Add 150 Jobs In Titusville
A high-tech company is considering creating 150 jobs at the Spaceport Commerce Park in Titusville. But the company is looking for $2.5 million of incentives from Brevard County and the North Brevard Economic Development Zone to help it build a 50,000-square-foot complex at Spaceport Commerce Park. The industrial park is in south Titusville, near Space Coast Regional Airport. According to a report provided to county commissioners, the unidentified company — using the code name "Project Eagle" — … [Read more...]
Fort Lauderdale Ranked As A ‘Top Tech Talent’ City
Millennials — those 18 to 43 years old — are making a difference in South Florida's technology market. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are among the 50 cities with top tech talent, says a new CBRE research report, and more millennials are the reason. Fort Lauderdale ranked 48th and Miami 50th, according to the report, "Scoring Tech Talent," released Tuesday. Tampa ranked 36th and Orlando 47th. The millennial workforce has risen in South Florida, which is increasing the region's pool of tech … [Read more...]
Embry-Riddle Hosts Aerospace Conference
Plans to attract major aerospace companies to Volusia County could get a boost Thursday and Friday when more than 150 industry leaders come to town for a conference at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It’s the spring meeting for the Aerospace Alliance, which includes aerospace leaders from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. With the presence of big-name companies such as Airbus, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin — Florida’s largest industrial employer — and NASA, these … [Read more...]
Regional and State Unemployment Report – March 2015
Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in March. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from February, 12 states had increases, and 15 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The national jobless rate was unchanged from February at 5.5 percent and was 1.1 percentage points lower than in March 2014. Florida had the 6th lowest unemployment rate (5.7 percent), tied with New York and the second largest … [Read more...]
Venture Hive To Open Accelerator For Veteran-Owned Tech Startups
Venture Hive, the Miami-based entrepreneurship education company, is partnering with the city of Fort Walton Beach to launch a national accelerator for veteran-owned businesses. Venture Hive will provide selected veteran-owned tech businesses with business coaching, customized training and a relevant network to scale their ventures, driving the economic growth of the region. Fort Walton Beach has allocated $500,000 to the initiative and will provide renovated space to house the Venture Hive … [Read more...]
Enterprise Zone Editorial in Saturday’s Herald Tribune
The Florida Enterprise Zone Program dates to 1982, a time when the country was in recession and many communities were undergoing deep economic changes. Manufacturing was moving overseas, crippling industrial cities. Suburban development patterns that began after World War II had firmly taken root, pushing new commercial and residential development to the fringes. Older neighborhoods often became decrepit and less desirable and city centers struggled with empty storefronts. Minority-owned … [Read more...]
President’s Message – April 17,2015
This week was a rough week for economic development in Tallahassee. Representative LaRosa’s bill, HB7067, has basically disbanded the Enterprise Zone program and makes it a local program with no state involvement. Additionally, there are significant issues for economic development as the bill takes out the ability to use the state average wage as a criteria for economic development projects. It also now adds another layer and a slow down to project review and approval as it now requires the … [Read more...]
Marketing Florida As ‘The Only State To Master The Sun And The Cloud’
Using images of sand sculptures in magazine ads, business boosters are marketing Florida to the nation and the world as not just a sun-and-fun tourist destination but as an economic super state. Now they want the Legislature to chip in $20 million to expand the marketing campaign to include TV ads in major U.S. and foreign cities. The idea is to brand Florida as a high-tech business haven with low taxes: "the only state to master the sun and the Cloud." Florida has long spent big bucks … [Read more...]
Florida’s Cruise Industry Poised For More Growth
Florida's cruise industry is expected to see more growth, according to the new economic report from independent research institute Florida TaxWatch. The more than 9 million cruise passengers that sailed through state seaports in 2013 generated $7.3 billion in direct spending, the report from the nonprofit group in Tallahassee concluded. Florida's cruise industry welcomes more cruise passengers than any other state in the nation, Florida TaxWatch said. The state is home to three of the world's … [Read more...]
