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SIX REASONS TO CHOOSE FLORIDA 12 Why Florida Is the Right Choice for Business 14 Business Climate 16 Market Opportunities 18 Workforce 19 Infrastructure 22 Global Access 24 Quality of Life TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTORS 16 28 Success stories in high-impact industry sectors RESEARCH FLORIDA 34 Experts in Their Field 24 THE REGIONS 52 Florida Map Regional Statistics 54 East Central Cocoa · Daytona Beach · Kissimmee · Lake Mary · Melbourne Orlando · Palm Bay · Titusville 22 63 Northwest Crestview · Fort Walton Beach · Gulf Breeze · Panama City Pensacola · Tallahassee 67 Northeast Jacksonville · Palatka · Palm Coast · Ponte Vedra · St. Augustine 63 72 North Central Alachua · Gainesville · Jasper · Lake City · Ocala · Perry 78 Tampa Bay Bradenton · Clearwater · Lakeland · North Port · Sarasota St. Petersburg · Tampa 89 South Central Arcadia · LaBelle · Lake Placid · Moore Haven · Okeechobee Sebring · Wauchula 92 Southeast Boca Raton · Fort Lauderdale · Jupiter · Key West · Miami Port St. Lucie · Stuart · Vero Beach · West Palm Beach 101 Southwest Cape Coral · Estero · Fort Myers · Naples · Punta Gorda

ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY 104 Business Incubators / Venture Capital Firms 105 Florida’s Largest Companies 107 Economic Development Contacts 72 101 2 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com

BUSINESS FLORIDA 2015

Publisher ANDREW P. CORTY Associate Publisher JANICE G. SHARP

EDITORIAL & DESIGN Editor JANET WARE Design Director ANNE MEYER Designer MARY ANN UPHAM WILL Researchers LAURIE GRAULICH, WELCOME TO LESLIE VASBINDER BUSINESS FLORIDA 2015 Copy Editor TIM MEYER Andy Corty ADMINISTRATION Business Manager BARBARA GOODMAN Staff Accountant JENNY SHEA Florida never ceases to amaze me. In the 19 years since we began PRODUCTION publishing Business Florida, this state has undergone a virtual metamorphosis. Director of Production JILL SOUTH Where once we were known primarily as the place CEOs went to vacation, DISTRIBUTION today, we’re the state they bring their companies to. Audience Development Director KAREN TYSON Print & Fulfillment Supervisor CONNIE GREENBLATT In the last year alone, Florida has welcomed many new business faces — Customer Relations MARSHA ALMODOVAR

Amazon, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Deloitte and Hertz, to name a few — while, at ADVERTISING SALES the same time, witnessing the expansion of many more long-time corporate Director of Advertising National Sales Director LYNN LOTKOWICTZ friends, such as Northrop Grumman, Citrix Systems, Office Depot, Deutsche Senior Market Director Bank, Verizon and Mosaic. Central Florida LAURA ARMSTRONG Senior Market Director Why did these and dozens of other companies choose Florida? Why should South Florida MAGGIE CARUSO Senior Market Director you? The answers can be found inside Business Florida. Tampa Bay CHRISTINE KING Senior Market Director First, we present our case: six reasons why Florida is the right choice for North Florida JAIME MCKNIGHT business. But instead of tooting our own horn with a list of accolades, we let Sales Support Representative RANA BECKER the companies who chose Florida tell you why they did. In “Targeted Industry WEBSITE Online Project Manager JOYCE EDMONDSON Sectors,” we introduce you to still more companies, each representing one of Online Publishing Specialist ROBB BROWN nine high-impact industries we’re welcoming to our state, and, again, we let their CEOs do the talking. Finally, in “Regions,” we describe the assets each of PUBLISHED BY TREND MAGAZINES INC. Chairman PAUL TASH Florida’s eight geographic regions has to offer, along with the businesses President ANDREW P. CORTY they’re attracting as a result. Secretary BARBARA GOODMAN Treasurer JANA JONES Rounding out our content is “Research Florida,” a special report in which you’ll meet some of Florida’s top researchers and learn about their work in © Copyright 2014 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved. Business Florida fields as varied as physics, food science, pharmaceuticals, molecular biology is published in partnership with Enterprise Florida Inc. Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein. However, Trend Magazines and mental health. and Enterprise Florida are not responsible for any errors or omissions that might occur. Also, advertising material and information is the responsibil- ity of the individual advertisers and appearance in Business Florida does not Yes, today’s Florida is a far cry from the Florida CEOs once merely visited necessarily reflect endorsement of the product or service by the publisher or Enterprise Florida; nor are the publisher and/or Enterprise Florida responsible for rest and relaxation, and Business Florida 2015 tells that story. I encourage for the contents of the individual advertisements. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photography or illustration without written permission from you to read about the opportunities other businesses are enjoying in the the publisher is strictly prohibited. Sunshine State and to seriously consider joining them in our dynamic Florida Trend Custom Publishing Division 490 First Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL USA 33701 business environment. We’re waiting to welcome you home. phone (727) 821-5800 fax (727) 822-5083

CONNECT WITH FLORIDA BUSINESS Anywhere, Anytime ON THE » BusinessFlorida.com Your 24/7 Online Guide to Florida Business Opportunity WEB » FloridaTrend.com The Issues, People and Ideas that Define Florida Business

4 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Florida Hospital is ranked the #1 hospital in the state of Florida for the second year in a row.

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MKTGPR-13-16278 WELCOME

WORKING FOR YOUR SUCCESS

An Opportunity Economy Florida has long been the place where visionaries and innovators come to achieve their dreams. To expand their opportunities, the number one priority of my administration has been to make Florida the most business friendly state in the country. Thanks to the economic turnaround we have mounted here, Florida now ranks as the second best place in the nation to do business.

We’ve worked hard to create an opportunity economy where growing, thriving industries create jobs and careers for generations to come. By cutting taxes for Florida families, providing historic levels of education funding in Florida and holding the line on tuition, we are putting more money back into the pockets of Florida families. Since taking office, we have worked to remove nearly 3,000 regulations on small businesses, paid down $3.6 billion in state debt, and our unemployment rate has dropped from 11% in 2010. Florida’s infrastructure is ranked second in the nation, and we are continuing to prepare our seaports for the post-Panama Canal expansion, which will create more new job creation opportunities. These strategies are creating the ideal business climate in Florida, and we will keep working to create an opportunity economy and to make Florida the best state in the nation for business.

To continue Florida’s exceptional economic momentum, my goal is to Governor phase out state corporate income tax. Already more than 75% of Florida’s Rick Scott businesses do not pay a state corporate income tax, and last year we worked to eliminate the sales tax on manufacturing and equipment, saving the more than 18,000 manufacturing companies in the state approximately $141 million annually. As a businessman myself before being elected governor, I know firsthand the importance of lowering the cost of doing business to a company’s bottom line.

As grandfather to three boys, I want Florida to be the best place for the next generation to succeed. Every entrepreneur who chooses to invest in the Sunshine State brings great news for Florida families. New jobs mean more Floridians are able to provide for their families and live the American dream. Rick Scott, Governor Chairman, Enterprise Florida Inc. PHOTO MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER PHOTO

6 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com WORKING FOR YOUR SUCCESS

We Can Help You Grow Your Bottom Line Florida’s reputation as a business super state and premier destination for companies continues to grow. Now more than ever, executives and site selection professionals across the nation and around the world are looking at Florida for their next location and expansion opportunities.

As a right-to-work state with a talent pool of more than 9.4 million workers, Florida offers a vast and talented workforce that is both culturally and linguistically diverse, providing competitive advantages to employers in the global marketplace.

We know that profitability and speed to market are intertwined. Florida’s resources and pro-business climate can help you grow your bottom line. Florida’s zero percent personal income tax, competitive cost structure and streamlined regulatory environment allow companies to operate at the speed of business. The State has also cut business taxes by more than $1 billion since Governor Scott took office.

Florida’s No. 2-ranked multi-modal infrastructure, which supports more than 19 million residents and 90 million tourists Secretary of annually, boasts international airports, 15 deep water shipping ports, Commerce extensive highway and rail networks, and multiple hubs that support Gray Swoope the flow of products in and out of the country. Florida’s state-of-the art communications infrastructure allows for high-speed data transmission worldwide.

Our commitment is to work with you to better understand your business needs and facilitate the resources that will help position your business for success. Thank you for considering Florida. Gray Swoope, Secretary of Commerce President and CEO, Enterprise Florida Inc.

Enterprise Florida Inc. is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. EFI facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. Contact us for confidential business location and expansion assistance: 800 N. Magnolia Ave., Suite 1100, Orlando, FL 32803, 877-YES-FLORIDA or [email protected].

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 7 WELCOME

Florida Florida’s economy is resurgent and our climate, the three distinct agencies that originally Department economic turnaround is leading the nation. formed the Florida Department of Economic of Economic Florida’s unemployment rate is declining and has Opportunity have melded into a single culture been consistently below the national average, pursuing a unified mission. Through a variety of Opportunity our private sector has added more than 600,000 agency-wide initiatives, we have strengthened the jobs since December 2010, and job demand has ties between economic, community and workforce been at record highs. These positive developments programs to assist you in starting a business, are not happening by chance. Policy matters. By expanding or relocating to Florida. Our state has keeping taxes low and regulation sensible, the the resources you need to be successful. Scott administration has created the pro-growth environment that has fostered Florida’s nation- In collaboration with our partners, the Department leading economic turnaround. of Economic Opportunity’s mission is to assist We are working to have the nation’s top the governor in advancing Florida’s economy by performing economy and to be recognized as the championing the state’s economic development world’s best place to live, learn, play, work and do vision and by administering state and federal Jesse Panuccio business. To support Florida’s business-friendly programs and initiatives to help visitors, citizens, Executive Director businesses and communities.

CareerSource Northrop Grumman. Verizon. Harris Corporation. workforce is consistently recognized as one of CareerSource Florida supports the growth of these the nation’s best. Our state is home to world-class Florida companies and many other industry leaders with colleges and universities and a K-12 education employment services and customized training system ranked among the best in the country for options that sharpen their competitive edge. Our efficiency, affordability and academic achievement. mission is to connect employers with qualified, Florida’s workforce, education and economic skilled talent and Floridians with employment development partners are driven to make Florida and career development opportunities to achieve the No. 1 destination to start, sustain or grow your economic prosperity. We want to help your business. business grow too. From entry-level to executive talent, the CareerSource Florida network specializes in CareerSource Florida and our 24 regional partners are driven by the real-time needs of meeting the recruiting, hiring and training needs Florida’s businesses. Let us help you achieve Chris Hart IV of businesses of all sizes, from all industry sectors, your goals by connecting with and growing the President and CEO both today and tomorrow. talent that will lead your company into the future. The opportunities in today’s global economy Visit careersourceflorida.com to connect with are endless. Florida’s highly qualified and diverse your local team today.

Florida’s opportunity partners are allied and working toward the common goal of making your firm’s transition to a permanent home in Florida as worry-free as possible. A call to any one of these partners Enterprise Florida Inc. Florida Department of CareerSource Florida sets the wheels in motion. www.enterpriseflorida.com Economic Opportunity www.careersourceflorida.com (407) 956-5600 www.floridajobs.org (850) 921-1119 (850) 245-7105

24-hour government access Enhancing research at universities, The authoritative site The state’s official source www.MyFlorida.com institutes and corporations for Florida corporations for travel planning (850) 488-1234 www.floridaresearch.org (850) 245-6000 www.visitflorida.com (850) 425-5223 (888) 735-2872

8 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com SPONSORED REPORT

Creating the Climate for Business Florida has always been known for its great seasonal climate. Now, its business climate is also very bright.

By Edward J. Pozzuoli

Small and large For more than 40 years, Tripp Scott has the best state for business by cutting taxes, played a leadership role in issues that impact streamlining the regulatory environment the state of Florida. The focus of the firm and improving education to meet business businesses across is the intersection of business and politics. demands. Collaboration among public and private sector • Business Climate Once again, Florida ranks the country — partners has helped Florida weather economic #2 Best State for Business. (Chief Executive). storms. Florida offers competitive costs, expedited particularly those State leaders have worked hard alongside permitting, incentives for job creation, farsighted entrepreneurs and permanent investment and training and a pro-business tax with more taxing commercial interests to make the rest of the structure. country, and the world, realize that Florida is • Workforce Talent Florida’s talent pipeline and overburdening more than a family-friendly vacation destination. received an “A” grade by the U.S. Chamber of It is a place where big business happens. Commerce. Among U.S. states, Florida ranks regulations — have According to more than 500 CEOs surveyed as the 5th largest “cyber-state” for high-tech by Chief Executive magazine, Florida ranks employment. (TechAmerica Cyberstates) found the business first in quality of life and is once again ranked Florida ranks among the top states for second for business climate. However, the education (Education Week) and boasts survey respondents expressed that Florida is 5 million foreign language speakers environment in on an upward trend to the top spot, with the (U.S. Census Bureau). elimination of the machinery and equipment • Innovation in Education Florida received Florida to be just as sales tax noted as an economic driver. “A” grades for innovation and student success Florida was also chosen as one of the best in two- and four-year colleges. (U.S. Chamber) welcoming as our states for startups, and its lack of an income This is indicative of the progress made in all tax and low unemployment-insurance taxes districts with the strengthening of charter sand, sea and surf. helped the state to a number five ranking by schools in K-12 grades. the Tax Foundation. This ranking is supported • Global Hub One of every five U.S. companies by the fact that in 2013 Florida won 12 that export is located in Florida (U.S. Census game-changing projects that will bring more Bureau). than 9,300 new jobs and nearly $1.2 billion in The team at Tripp Scott is passionate about capital investment to the state over the next assisting private sector companies while they several years. work with public sector partners to continually A Few Reasons Why Florida Is So Attractive improve our economic climate. We have to for Businesss show the rest of the nation, and the world, that • Statewide Commitment Government Florida’s climate for business is just as bright leaders are committed to making Florida as its climate for vacationing.

About the Author Edward J. Pozzuoli, a Martindale Hubble-rated AV lawyer, was elected president of Tripp Scott in 1999. He is an accomplished litigator and negotiator Tripp Scott Law Firm and has extensive experience handling state, Fort Lauderdale / Tallahassee county and local governmental issues. He can 954.525.7500 • www.trippscott.com be contacted at [email protected].

6 REASONS TO CHOOSE FLORIDA Why is

FLORIDAthe right choice for business?

The answer is simple, really. Few states can match Florida’s unique combination of advantages: a business climate that encourages innovation, unequaled market opportunities, a top-flight workforce, easy access to domestic and international markets and a quality of life that is second to none.

REASON #1 REASON #2 REASON #3 Business Climate Market Opportunities Workforce

Cancer Treatment Centers Amazon Northrop Grumman of America p.14 p.16 p.18

12 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com AT A GLANCE

Population 19.55 million 4th largest in the U.S.

Civilian Labor Force 9.4 million Why is 4th largest in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product $800.5 billion 4th largest in the U.S.

Total Personal Income $835.4 billion 4th highest in the U.S. FLORIDA st 1 in the Southeast

Per Capita Personal Income $41,692 1st in the Southeast

Let’s face it, the process of selecting a site for relocation or expansion is neither easy nor quick. But as you assess the plusses and minuses of each possible location, you can take comfort in knowing that the companies that have found success in the Sunshine State once wrestled with your very same concerns. Ultimately, they chose Florida for reasons specific to their company cultures and to marketplace demands. Read on to learn the reasons why Florida was their right choice and why it could be yours too.

REASON #3 REASON #4 REASON #5 REASON #6 Workforce Infrastructure Global Access Quality of Life

Air Products Brink’s Education, Healthcare, History and p.19 p.22 Culture, Value, Lifestyle p.24

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 13 WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #1 BUSINESS CLIMATE

the right CHOICE > No. 1 State for Innovation (Fast Company) Cancer Treatment Centers of America

> No. 2 Best State for Chooses Florida’s Favorable Business Business Climate (Chief Executive) Cancer Treatment Centers of healthcare professionals as needed; America (CTCA) provides special- patients’ families/caregivers also are > No. 5 Best State Business ized treatment for cancer patients included in the treatment process. Tax Climate through a network of centers across (Tax Foundation) CTCA expects to grow its team at its the U.S. In 2014, CTCA selected Boca Boca Raton site, including executives Raton as the site of its corporate who will relocate from the firm’s headquarters. former headquarters in suburban CTCA operates hospitals in five cities Chicago. — Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Florida’s favorable business climate, Phoenix and Tulsa — where patients coupled with its exceptional quality fighting complex and advanced-stage of life and Boca Raton’s proximity to cancers receive individualized care three international airports, factored on-site from a team that includes heavily into the company’s decision oncologists, radiation oncologists, to relocate. surgeons, nurses, dietitians and other

“Selecting Boca Raton as our new corporate headquarters represents a major step in positioning Cancer Treatment Centers of America to serve even more patients in the future, while simultaneously providing our dedicated and valued employees with exciting opportunities for further personal and professional development.” ~ Gerard van Grinsven President and CEO, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

14 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com More than electricity – power for your business.

At Duke Energy, we’re more than your utility. We’re your business partner. As a part of the Florida community and economy, we can help you select the right site for your new or expanding business. Then, we’ll help keep your business up and running – with affordable, reliable, increasingly clean energy and smart, energy-saving programs. It’s a partnership that’s sure to help your business shine. Learn more at duke-energy.com/ecodev.

www.duke-energy.com WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #2 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES > Economy 21st largest in the world the right CHOICE > Population Gain 232,111 new residents in 2013 Expected to break the For Faster Deliveries, Amazon Sites 20 million mark and displace New York as the 3rd most Two Fulfillment Centers in Florida populous state by 2015 Retail giant Amazon will open Before settling on these two sites, two fulfillment centers of 1 million the Seattle-based Fortune 500 > Consumer Market square feet each in Florida’s company had been looking at Florida 4th largest GDP in America Tampa Bay region in 2014: locations for several years as part of an aggressive strategy to speed up • The Ruskin (Hillsborough > Visitors delivery times to customers. County) facility will pack and 94.3 million in 2013 distribute smaller items such as The two facilities will create a (up 3% over 2012) books and CDs. combined total of more than 1,000 jobs with hundreds more seasonal • The Lakeland (Polk County) > Visitor Spending positions expected during the holidays. facility will handle larger items $196 million per day Amazon is exploring other Florida such as televisions and kayaks. on goods and services locations for future regional expansion. Jobs at Amazon typically pay 30% more than traditional retail jobs.

“We look forward to offering more than 1,000 full-time jobs with comprehensive benefits at our new fulfillment centers in Hillsborough County and Lakeland, Florida. We appreciate the state, city and county officials who have worked with us to bring these fulfillment centers to Florida. We’re excited to join the community, bringing great jobs and investment to the area.” ~ Mike Roth Vice President of North American operations, Amazon

16 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Workspace redefined.

Be Inspired Anytime, Anywhere. Laurie Alden We’re challenging the traditional workspace of yesterday and 813.673.6034 giving more power to you. Work effectively anywhere, at any [email protected] time—whether it’s behind the desk, in between buildings, or on the deck. Tampa Bay Park is the future of work. HIGHWOODS.COM WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #3 WORKFORCE

the right > Workforce CHOICE Rated No. 3 (CNBC) Florida’s Skilled Workforce Prompts > Size of Labor Pool Northrop Grumman to Expand, Again Ranked No. 4 (9.4 million) Northrop Grumman is a leading • At its Melbourne campus, Northrop global security company providing Grumman plans to add up to 1,800 jobs > Foreign Language Speakers innovative systems, products and and a $500-million capital investment. More than 5 million solutions for government and • With the opening of the Aircraft commercial customers worldwide Integration Center of Excellence in > No. 5 Cyberstate for in four key areas: unmanned St. Augustine and the Manned Aircraft High-Tech Employment systems, cyber, C4ISR (command, Design Center of Excellence in Mel- (TechAmerica Cyberstates) control, communications, comput- bourne, the company will add 1,400 jobs ers, intelligence, surveillance and and $170 million in capital investment. reconnaissance) and logistics. These Florida locations were chosen The company, which has a long for the availability of a skilled workforce history of success in Florida, is and the presence of a thriving aviation expanding three facilities here: industry.

“Today’s dedication signifies our continued commitment to our service men and women, to our employees in St. Augustine and to the state of Florida. The talented workforce at this center of excellence, coupled with a new state-of-the- art manufacturing facility, will continue to benefit our customers, our company and the community here.” ~ Tom Vice Northrop Grumman Corporate Vice President/President, Aerospace Systems The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is proudly manufactured by Northrop Grumman at the Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in St. Augustine.

18 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #4 INFRASTRUCTURE

the right CHOICE > No. 2 Infrastructure (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) Air Products Satisfies Need for Deep Port > Superior Connections Access in Florida · 19 commercial service Air Products is a Fortune 500 company economic development partnership, airports and world leader in clean energy. worked hand-in-hand with Air Prod- 2 spaceports ucts and local officials to tour various · While the firm has conducted suc- coastal cities and identify the ideal cessful manufacturing operations in · 15 deep water seaports piece of property adjacent to a deep Wilkes-Barre, Penn., since the 1960s, Air 3,000 miles of freight rail water port. · Products faced constraints in shipping tracks its larger heat exchangers, which can Air Products found exactly what it was measure 180 feet long and weigh up to looking for in the Gulf coast city of · 12,000+ miles of highway 500 tons. Palmetto, directly across the highway · Multiple hubs for high- from Port Manatee. The need for a site with deep water port speed data transmission access inspired the company’s search Not only can the company take advan- throughout the U.S. and to for a secondary facility that could both tage of readily accessible port services Europe, Latin America and manufacture the equipment and ship it to facilitate global shipping, but the Africa directly to global customers. region offers a business-friendly environment and skilled workforce. Florida’s availability of 15 deep water ports made the state a front-runner in The Air Products facility will create up this company’s site selection. Enter- to 250 jobs and a capital investment of prise Florida, the state’s public-private more than $50 million.

“A year of searching in a number of different locations around the United States, Port Manatee and the state of Florida, along with the support that we got from the state and local economic development corporations and from the Manatee County Board of Commissioners, really made us feel like this is the place we wanted to be.” ~ Sandy McLaughlin General Manager of LNG Engineering & Manufacturing, Air Products

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 19 ABOUT FC2

Florida’s shared hub for interdisciplinary cybersecurity Research, Education, and Outreach, FC² fosters collaboration between higher education, government, defense and business communities to share knowledge, resources and training opportunities that help mitigate cybersecurity threats and capitalize on opportunities for innovative SECURING solutions.

The Center holds regular community and technical events and works OUR FUTURE with partners to promote cybersecurity education and innovation. For more information call 813-974-1869 or visit usf.edu/cybersecurity.

THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY(FC2) AND USF TEAM UP TO MAKE FLORIDA THE CYBER STATE ABOUT USF’S FULLY-ONLINE CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION:

and in Florida alone, 191 citizens will fall victim to • Cyber Intelligence identity theft—a crime 86 percent more prevalent • Digital Forensics • Information Assurance here than in any other state. The Florida legislature • Computer Security Fundamentals - coming soon took steps this year to help mitigate these threats by Courses are fully online, and most are delivered in a convenient creating the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (FC²), eight-week format that fits into the busy lives of working adults. located at the University of South Florida (USF), to For more information call 1-855-756-3681 or visit cyber.usf.edu/trend14. promote collaborative cybersecurity education, revolutionary research and community engage- ment. With the Center’s help, USF has also launched a new and revolutionary interdisciplinary online master’s degree program and graduate certificates in cybersecurity.

RED----- BLUE----- #BE1E2D #006484 Florida Trend Spread 16.25x10.75.indd 1 8/15/14 3:15 PM CMYK: 15, 100, 90, 10 CMYK: 97, 53, 33, 10 RGB: 190, 30, 45 RGB: 0, 100, 132 ABOUT FC2

THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR CYBERSECURITY(FC2) AND USF TEAM UP TO MAKE FLORIDA THE CYBER STATE ABOUT USF’S FULLY-ONLINE CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION:

USF offers fully-online, interdisciplinary Master’s degrees (30- to In the next 24 hours, cybercrime will cost the 33-credit hours) and graduate certificates (12- to 18-credit hours) in United States close to a quarter of a billion dollars four concentrations: and in Florida alone, 191 citizens will fall victim to • Cyber Intelligence identity theft—a crime 86 percent more prevalent • Digital Forensics • Information Assurance here than in any other state. The Florida legislature • Computer Security Fundamentals - coming soon took steps this year to help mitigate these threats by Courses are fully online, and most are delivered in a convenient creating the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (FC²), eight-week format that fits into the busy lives of working adults. located at the University of South Florida (USF), to For more information call 1-855-756-3681 or visit cyber.usf.edu/trend14. promote collaborative cybersecurity education, revolutionary research and community engage- ment. With the Center’s help, USF has also launched a new and revolutionary interdisciplinary online master’s degree program and graduate certificates in cybersecurity.

RED----- BLUE----- #BE1E2D #006484 Florida Trend Spread 16.25x10.75.indd 1 8/15/14 3:15 PM CMYK: 15, 100, 90, 10 CMYK: 97, 53, 33, 10 RGB: 190, 30, 45 RGB: 0, 100, 132 WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #5 GLOBAL ACCESS

the right TRADE FACTS CHOICE > $158.4 Billion Total Merchandise Trade in 2013 · $85.5 billion in exports Proximity to Latin America Makes · $73 billion in imports Florida the Right Choice for Brink’s

> 60,000+ Exporting Companies Regional HQ (20% of all U.S. exporters) Brink’s Regional Services Inc. is 2013 with the expectation of adding a subsidiary of The Brink’s Company, 105 new jobs and investing $2.56 mil- > No. 2 Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) a global leader in security-related lion within the next three years. Network in the nation, where services for banks, financial institu- Brink’s services include money pro- tariff-free value can be added tions, mines, retailers, diamond and cessing, long-distance transport of to foreign goods before they jewelry industries, pharmaceuticals valuables and vaulting. The new loca- are shipped on to other and a variety of other commercial tion in unincorporated Miami-Dade countries and governmental customers. County will also house a financial Brink’s Regional Services established services center supporting Latin its Latin American headquarters in American operations in more than Miami-Dade County in December 10 countries.

“Brink’s decided to base the LATAM regional headquarters and LATAM Shared Service Center in Miami due to its ideal location and convenient access to all countries in Latin America, rich cultural ties to the region and a highly qualified workforce with extensive experience and strong expertise working and serving the Latin American markets.” ~ Gabriel Allen President, Brink’s Latin America

22 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com DESTINATION: The Fine Arts Palace in Mexico City

FLORIDA IS YOUR PORTAL FOR EXPORTS AND IMPORTS TO AND FROM MARKETS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Florida ports have cutting-edge intermodal transfer facilities and the capability to handle any cargo from containers, automobiles and bulk products to project and break bulk cargo. With a large built-in consumer market and connections to every international market, from Mexico to Morocco, Florida ports are equipped and ready to launch your products around the globe.

Florida Ports. Delivering Your World. FlaPorts.org

Port Canaveral • Port Citrus • Port Everglades • Port of Fernandina • Port of Fort Pierce • JAXPORT • Port of Key West • Port Manatee PortMiami • Port of Palm Beach • Port Panama City • Port of Pensacola • Port of Port St. Joe • Port of St. Petersburg • Port Tampa Bay

FloridaPorts_MexicoCity.indd 1 8/8/14 12:59 PM WHY FLORIDA?

REASON #6 QUALITY OF LIFE Seriously, Wouldn’t You Rather Spend Next Winter in Florida? Florida is a great place to work and live, but don’t just take our word for it. Chief Executive, which rates Florida the “No. 2 Best State for Business,” also ranks it No. 1 in “quality of living environment.” We recognize, of course, that while quality of life is almost never the primary reason for choosing one state over another, it certainly factors into the final decision. Florida has tons of history, culture and recreational opportunities to enjoy. And then, there’s our weather to consider. Looking back on the winter of 2013-14, can you honestly say you wouldn’t rather spend next January in Florida?

EDUCATION HEALTHCARE VALUE > Fourth among U.S. states for > More than 300 general medical and > No personal income tax number of high schools on U.S. surgical hospitals, including Moffitt > Cost of living below that of News & World Report’s 2014 list of Cancer Center, a designated National comparable states with similar “Top 100 U.S. High Schools” and the Cancer Institute treatment facility growth and in-migration rates only state with four in the top 25 > At 43,111, fourth among U.S. states > Second in the nation for for number of patient care physicians LIFESTYLE percentage of high school students > 21 top 50 rankings in U.S. News & taking Advanced Placement exams; > 1,350 golf courses World Report’s list of America’s “Best fifth for number of students passing Hospitals, 2014-15,” and four hospitals > 11,000 miles of rivers, streams at least one AP test among the top 25 nationwide in and waterways; 2,300 miles of > Three universities among the top seven adult medical specialties; tidal shoreline 25 worldwide for number of patents 35 top 50 rankings in “Best Children’s > 161 state parks, plus three awarded Hospitals, 2014-15” and four among national parks, two national the nation’s top 20 in five pediatric > Fourth among U.S. states for seashores and a national medical specialties. number of persons age 25+ with a preserve bachelor’s degree or higher HISTORY AND CULTURE > 10 of the top 25 U.S. beaches > An institution of postsecondary > Home to America’s oldest on TripAdvisor’s list of “2014 learning within 50 miles of every European settlement, St. Augustine, Travelers’ Choice Awards” Floridian founded 55 years before the Pilgrims > Nine major professional sports landed at Plymouth Rock and still franchises in baseball, basketball, attracting 5 million visitors annually football and hockey, and their the right > A thriving arts scene, including the top trophies for World Series, CHOICE eclectic galleries/artist colonies of NBA Championship, Super Bowl Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples and Key and Stanley Cup playoff wins West and renowned works by surrealist > Headquarters for many Salvador Dali in St. Petersburg, Louis sporting organizations and their Comfort Tiffany in Winter Park and world-class events, including acclaimed artists of the Americas NASCAR and its Daytona 500 at the newly opened Pérez Art and the PGA Tour, LPGA and PGA Museum Miami. of America

For additional information about Florida’s outstanding attractions and exceptional quality of life, go to www.visitflorida.com.

24 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com

FLORIDA – Businesses grow THE PERFECT CLIMATE FOR BUSINESS. year-round in our climate. Don’t let the sun and sand fool you. As the fourth largest economy in the U.S. and the 21st largest in the world, Florida is your destination for business. We want to see your business invest and expand in our state, and we are taking bold steps to make a Florida business location even more attractive. Enterprise Florida, the state’s lead economic development organization, can help you whether you are looking to locate a new business to the state or expand an existing Florida company. Florida is ready to compete and this is reflected in its leadership – from Governor Rick Scott’s aggressive jobs agenda to the relentless team at Enterprise Florida, led by President and CEO Gray Swoope, Florida’s Secretary of Commerce.

SOLUTIONS THAT LOCATIONS AN ENTERPRISE GATEWAY TO GO BEYOND THE AND GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL BOTTOM LINE RESOURCES GOVERNMENT MARKETS

At Enterprise Florida, Florida is a big state Florida is committed Florida’s international we work to understand with big potential for to foster a pro-growth trade sector is one of your business drivers. growing your business. business environment the major advantages We can provide Enterprise Florida can that welcomes and to businesses in the technical expertise help guide you through appreciates your state. Our trade experts and help you find the the location selection business. Even so, can help your business resources that you need process to find the right individual businesses enter the global to accomplish your place for your business. often need help marketplace through business objectives. We understand the navigating the channels various trade programs Our team can help you state’s assets and of government and and services, including identify and optimize work closely with our regulatory processes. export counseling the state’s job-creation economic development Whether it is facilitating and participation in programs as well as partners to provide a meeting with decision overseas trade missions other services that options that match your makers or expediting the and international trade may be available to business requirements. critical process, our team shows. grow your business. Additionally, if you are can help clear the way We can help create a looking for new markets so that you can make customized solution or a university partner your business that tailors incentive for your R&D needs, decisions faster. programs to meet your Enterprise Florida can needs—from tax relief connect you. We know for targeted industries Florida’s rich business and designated areas to landscape and can niche financing products point you to the and workforce training resources and experts As the public-private partnership serving as Florida’s solutions. for industry advice. primary organization devoted to statewide economic development, Enterprise Florida stands ready to assist you with your expansion and location plans. Please contact us today for confidential location and expansion assistance. 877-YES-FLORIDA FLORIDA – Businesses grow THE PERFECT CLIMATE FOR BUSINESS. year-round in our climate. Don’t let the sun and sand fool you. As the fourth largest economy in the U.S. and the 21st largest in the world, Florida is your destination for business. We want to see your business invest and expand in our state, and we are taking bold steps to make a Florida business location even more attractive. Enterprise Florida, the state’s lead economic development organization, can help you whether you are looking to locate a new business to the state or expand an existing Florida company. Florida is ready to compete and this is reflected in its leadership – from Governor Rick Scott’s aggressive jobs agenda to the relentless team at Enterprise Florida, led by President and CEO Gray Swoope, Florida’s Secretary of Commerce.

SOLUTIONS THAT LOCATIONS AN ENTERPRISE GATEWAY TO GO BEYOND THE AND GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL BOTTOM LINE RESOURCES GOVERNMENT MARKETS

Aiming for SUCCESS Florida’s economy is both highly diversified and increasingly attractive to innovative companies in nine high-impact industry sectors:

AVIATION & DEFENSE & MANUFACTURING AEROSPACE HOMELAND SECURITY

FINANCE & LIFE LOGISTICS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SCIENCES DISTRIBUTION

INFORMATION CORPORATE CLEAN TECHNOLOGY HEADQUARTERS TECHNOLOGY

Not only are forward-thinking companies in these key sectors zeroing in on Florida and succeeding here, they’re attracting other like-minded industry players to join them in clusters of innovation built on Florida’s unique strengths. On the following pages, companies that have scored a bullseye in each of these targeted industry sectors share their reasons for choosing Florida. Read on to learn more about these game changers, then take aim for your own company’s success here too.

28 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com AVIATION & FINANCE & INFORMATION AEROSPACE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY • No. 1 state for aviation • 3rd largest finance and insurance • 3rd largest state for high-tech manufacturing attractiveness cluster in the U.S. establishments • No. 2 state in aviation, • 2nd in the U.S. in the number • 3rd largest exporter of high-tech aerospace and space of professional, scientific and products establishments technical services establishments • More than 26,000 IT companies • 2 licensed U.S. spaceports • 200 commercial banks with $129.6 employing close to a quarter of a billion in assets operate in Florida. million workers call Florida home. • 20 major military installations • 500+ insurance companies are • Miami is among the world’s Top 5 • 100+ public use airports located in Florida, and nearly 2,200 Most Interconnected Cities. regulated insurance companies do business in the state. AveoEngineering Global Business Solutions Inc. Palm Coast USAA AveoEngineering is a world-leader Pensacola in the production of high-technology Tampa Global Business Solutions Inc. (GBSI) is electronics solutions and innovative USAA is a Fortune 500 company and an innovator in information technology LED lighting products for aviation leading provider of insurance, banking, services and Virtual Instructor-Led and aerospace clients that include investment and retirement products Training (VILT) that connects classrooms Sikorsky, Gulfstream, General and services for the military community globally. VILT also provides the missing Atomics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and their families. The company faced environment for STEM collaboration and Raytheon. The company chose increased need from its members for and competition and is closing the to expand its Flagler County location products and services, so USAA chose to gap between the best educators and over facilities in Texas and Malaysia. expand in Florida with the construction of workforce development providers The expansion will establish a a new large-scale facility that will create and learners. GBSI reinvested in design and manufacturing center in thousands of jobs and invest millions the Northwest Florida community Palm Coast, creating 300 jobs and a of dollars of capital into the Tampa Bay by creating 120 jobs and a capital $7.5-million capital investment. region. Once completed, the building will investment of more than $5 million. represent one of the largest built-to-suit “We’ve been working closely with office projects in Hillsborough County in “We would not be able to move 15 years. the county and have conducted forward at such rapid pace without our workforce analysis over the our partnerships at both the local and “For more than 40 years, Tampa has past few months. We’ve learned state level. As our company continues been a critical part of our success as that Flagler County and the region to grow across all divisions, I anticipate an association. USAA’s expansion in provide an amazing pool of talent hiring and expansion plans will begin this vibrant city marks an important from which to draw.” to move even more quickly. Florida is step in broadening the impact that this ~ Christian Nielsen in growth mode, and we at GBSI are community, and our employees who President thrilled to be part of that success.” AveoEngineering live and work here, will have as we ~ Randy Ramos continue in the pursuit of our mission to CEO serve even more military families.” Global Business Solutions ~ Shon Manasco Executive Vice President Member Experience, USAA

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 29 TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTORS

DEFENSE & LIFE CORPORATE HOMELAND SECURITY SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS • 61,000+ active duty personnel • $1.2 billion invested annually • 15 Fortune 500 companies on life sciences R&D by Florida maintain corporate • 2nd among U.S. states for universities headquarters in Florida. space and defense systems manufacturing • No. 1 in innovation • 300 regional and hemispheric headquarters of companies • 5th among U.S. states with • 2nd among states for FDA- from all over the world $13.6 billion in Department of registered medical device Defense contract awards manufacturing facilities • Home to nearly 3,000 headquarters offices • Key procurement offices, • 3rd for pharmaceutical and research operations, testing medicine manufacturing businesses units and training commands for all service branches • 17 Florida hospitals rank among Golf Channel America’s best Orlando • 9 medical schools, spanning from Golf Channel has consolidated Pratt & Whitney digital media operations for its the southeast to northwest West Palm Beach GolfChannel.com and GolfNow. com sites at its Orlando world Pratt & Whitney, a division of headquarters, creating 79 jobs United Technologies Corp., is Johnson & Johnson and making a $3.8-million capital a world leader in the design, VISTAKON® investment in Central Florida. The manufacture and service of aircraft cable channel’s programming is engines, auxiliary and ground Jacksonville currently available in more than power units and small turbojet VISTAKON® is a division of the Fortune 100 million households worldwide. propulsion products. The company 500 company Johnson & Johnson and is expanding its West Palm Beach manufacturer of ACUVUE® brand facility to prepare for product “The state of Florida and the city contact lenses, the world’s most popular ramp up of their military Auxiliary of Orlando have been excellent mass-market contacts. The company is Power Unit (APU) business. The expanding its Jacksonville facility, which partners in our continued project will create 110 jobs and employs 1,900 people, in order to meet success as the fastest-growing generate capital investment of increased demand for its products. The television network in the U.S. and $25 million for facility upgrades expansion will add 23,000 square feet and equipment. building our digital businesses and 100 jobs with a capital investment of like GolfNow. Orlando, a tent $218 million over three years. “When Pratt & Whitney pole in the world of golf and announced they would build jet Golf Channel’s home since it “Jacksonville is home to Johnson & was launched by co-founder engines in Florida, it marked the Johnson Vision Care where we’ve first time the company would Arnold Palmer 19 years ago, is manufactured the world’s leading a pro-growth and pro-business do that outside of Connecticut. brand of contact lenses, ACUVUE®, That initial project and this environment that is ripe with a for 26 years. Our recent expansion talented workforce, which has expansion show that Florida has will allow us to do even greater things the workforce and resources helped Golf Channel deliver for our community and the business. world-class, high-quality golf needed for aerospace leaders to Florida has provided us with access succeed in the state.” content across all our platforms to to great talent, infrastructure and a a global audience.” ~ Gray Swoope pro-business climate that has helped Florida Secretary of Commerce ~ Mike McCarley President and CEO, Enterprise Florida us grow.” President ~ Tim Ryan Golf Channel Plant Manager, VISTAKON® Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care

30 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com LOGISTICS & CLEAN MANUFACTURING DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY • More than 18,200 companies • No. 2 state for • 3rd in cleantech employment and 317,000+ workers infrastructure manufacture aerospace • No. 1 in annual biomass products, batteries, food and • 3rd largest cluster of production logistics and distribution beverages, communications • 1,350 miles of coastline equipment, medical devices establishments in the U.S. proximity to the Gulf Stream and supplies, semiconductors, that are well suited for all boats and more. • 5th highest number of types of ocean energy R&D • 2nd lowest unionization rate for logistics and distribution and deployment jobs in the U.S. private manufacturing among • 7th among states for U.S. states generation of utility-scale solar energy • 6th largest export state O’Reilly Auto Parts U.S. Ambulance Lakeland RGF Environmental Corporation O’Reilly Auto Parts, one of the Group largest specialty retailers of Winter Park automotive aftermarket parts Riviera Beach U.S. Ambulance Corporation is the and tools in the country, opened RGF Environmental Group is a largest single-site manufacturer of a new distribution center and Riviera Beach-based manufacturer of ambulances and rescue vehicles in the warehouse in Lakeland that clean technology and environmental world. Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), could create up to 300 jobs and systems for air purification, water the parent company of U.S. Ambulance, will generate millions of dollars treatment and food safety. RGF began expanding its Winter Park facility in capital investments in the has been working with Enterprise in 2011, and U. S. Ambulance has since community. Florida since 2007 on exporting and acquired several key brands including expanding its international presence Road Rescue of South Carolina, and “O’Reilly currently operates in Asia. Since attending EFI- sponsored trade shows and export McCoy Miller and Marque of Indiana. In more than 90 stores in Florida, addition to the 473 employees already counseling sessions, RGF’s sales 30 of which opened within in place, the expansion will add 126 have consistently increased new jobs and infuse $2 million in capital the past year. We see great 20-30% each year and are on track to the Central Florida region. opportunities to continue for a 70% increase in 2014. to expand our store base “We’ve been able to assemble the throughout Florida, and our “EFI has been a valuable resource best, most qualified team, not only new distribution center in in our international export efforts. in our industry, but in vehicle manu- Lakeland will provide us with We have received introductions of facturing. We couldn’t have done the springboard necessary meaningful contacts worldwide, that without the state, the Governor’s to successfully execute that obtained excellent exposure office, Orange County and the City growth.” through trade shows and of Winter Park, and we greatly ~ Greg Johnson overcome many cultural and Senior Vice-President business differences through EFI’s appreciate that.” Distribution Operations ~ Bob Collins O’Reilly Auto Parts export counseling services.” President and CEO ~ Sharon Rinehimer U.S. Ambulance Corporation Vice President/General Counsel RGF Environmental Group

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 31 The aerospace manufacturing sector in Florida is growing rapidly. Today, 20,416 aerospace related AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING IN FLORIDA: companies call Florida home, employing 141,591 workers and generating $19.2 billion in sales. These numbers reflect an 8% average aerospace industry growth over the past 24 months alone. Manufacturing activity is a key driver of this growth with significant recent expansions in several sectors including: spacecraft and satellite, unmanned systems, defense, aircraft manufacturing and ON THE RISE small business.

SPACECRAFT AND SATELLITE The manufacture and use of UNMANNED Aerospace programs in Florida that Companies developing commercial, military MANUFACTURING operations AERIAL SYSTEMS (UAS) is growing directly serve the DEPARTMENT OF and private AIRCRAFT have long viewed are growing significantly in significantly and Florida is already serving DEFENSE and other U.S. Military- Florida as a prime location to base and Florida. NASA is working on next- as an epicenter for demonstration launches. based programs are thriving in expand their design, manufacturing and generation spacecraft to ferry These innovative vehicles have a wide variety Florida. test operations. astronauts to and from Low Earth of applications, including crop monitoring, Orbit and Florida is quickly becoming a national hub for disaster relief, brush fire detection, and academic research. small-to-large satellite manufacturing operations as well. Northrop Grumman Embraer expanded at Melbourne International Airport to manu- announced a $500 million facture its Legacy 450 and 500 executive planes there. The project Altavian builds commercial and government-centric drone capital investment and up will generate 600 jobs and $28 million in capital investment. The Boeing Company, one of NASA’s three technology in Gainesville to provide fast, accurate data to 1,800 jobs tied to its new Commercial Crew finalists, will manufacture and collection for its customers. Manned Aircraft Design Embraer process their CST-100 spacecraft in Space Florida’s Centers of Excellence in Growing Naples-based provides batteries, newly modernized Commercial Crew and Cargo Angel Eyes UAV Melbourne and St. Augustine motors, cameras and consulting services to non-military Processing Facility, located at the Kennedy Space in 2014. These facilities will unmanned systems companies. Center. This program will result in hundreds of handle manufacturing and aerospace manufacturing jobs for the state. Orlando-based Elevated Horizons designs and manufactures testing of next-generation long endurance, long range, multi rotor UAS technology for USAF long-range B-2 bombers. opens its , a high precision Sierra Nevada, Pratt & Whitney PFMan agricultural monitoring. new West Palm Beach Engine parts design and Sierra Nevada another Commercial L-3 Crestview Aerospace announced a $7 million Center, producing propulsion manufacturing company, Crew finalist, will also Also located in Gainesville, Prioria Robotics manufactures expansion of its aircraft manufacturing operations solutions for Airbus A320 announced the opening host manufacturing/ a family of lightweight, portable unmanned aircraft systems in Okaloosa County, increasing its workforce by commercial aircraft and F135 of a 20,000 sq. ft. facility assembly and providing cost-effective government intelligence solutions. 158 FTEs. integration of its engines for F35 fighters. in Hardee County in 2014. Dream Chaser vehicle at KSC. Elevated Horizons Prioria Robotics

SMALL BUSINESSES are the heart of our state’s economic SPACE FLORIDA: growth and Space Florida has formed strategic partnerships Lockheed Martin is currently manufacturing A Valuable Partner in with universities, technology-focused organizations and even and testing its Orion crew capsule at the KSC Growing Your Business other countries to facilitate the resources small, Florida-based Operations and Checkout facility refurbished by companies need to grow. Space Florida. Space Florida is an Independent Special District and public corporation – all Harris Corporation, Honeywell and Raytheon of the State of Florida, with significant with satellite manufacturing operations in Florida, empowerments to aid growing In 2014, the University of Central Florida and Space Florida partnered in a capital are rapidly becoming preferred providers of Prioria Robotics aerospace companies in Florida. acceleration program, the CAT5 Awards. This competition matched investors leading-edge satellite technology for government Our toolkit is focused on helping with small Florida-based, high-tech businesses, of which, several are planning to and commercial customers. companies to defray and defer both establish manufacturing arms. upfront and ongoing costs, utilizing In 2013, the State of Florida formed a $2 million joint research fund with the State techniques that include: of Israel to support research, development and commercialization of aerospace and Conduit Financing technology projects that benefit both states. The numerous awards that will come out of this program will directly benefit manufacturing operations based here. Off-Balance Sheet Financing As Florida’s spaceport authority and aerospace development Tax Efficiencies Innovation Coast and Space Florida partnered in the 2014 Innovation Awards organization, SPACE FLORIDA is committed to attracting and Business Competition in which 10 small, high-tech companies will present their expanding the next generation of space industry businesses. Government to Government business case in Pensacola, before investors, financiers and a team of professional Conveyance of Federal Real judges. The competition will provide an opportunity for manufacturing-focused Property and Equipment WWW.SPACEFLORIDA.GOV | 321-730-5301 | small businesses to secure critical expansion funding.

SpaceFlorida_DPS_Aug2014_0813.indd All Pages 8/13/14 1:58 PM The aerospace manufacturing sector in Florida is growing rapidly. Today, 20,416 aerospace related AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING IN FLORIDA: companies call Florida home, employing 141,591 workers and generating $19.2 billion in sales. These numbers reflect an 8% average aerospace industry growth over the past 24 months alone. Manufacturing activity is a key driver of this growth with significant recent expansions in several sectors including: spacecraft and satellite, unmanned systems, defense, aircraft manufacturing and ON THE RISE small business.

SpaceFlorida_DPS_Aug2014_0813.indd All Pages 8/13/14 1:58 PM RESEARCH FLORIDA EXPERTS IN THEIR Field

From research on dark lightning to supertasters to suicide prevention, Florida university researchers generate more than $1 billion in grants annually. The money pays for an array of research, some of which eventually becomes the foundation for startup companies. Read on and you’ll see how research enterprise plays an important role in Florida’s emergence

Neil Johnson (top left), Joseph Dwyer (top right), as a technological and Linda Bartoshuk (middle left), Harry Klee (middle right), Ana Castejon (bottom left), Thomas Joiner (bottom right) economic leader.

The Research Florida report was written by Lilly Rockwell and originally published in Florida Trend magazine June 2014.

34 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com RESEARCH FLORIDA

“No one could ever predict who will be in the traffic jam on U.S. 1 tomorrow. But I can predict there will be one.”

Group Dynamics You are a physicist who studies complex behaviors. What does that mean? Neil Johnson: The study of group dynamics even in psychology is a relatively new field. Can a crowd do better at predicting something and solving that even though people are different, with something? We’re always saying crowds are different language and geography, we study dumb and people behave like sheep. But the way people interact. In this case, a state experts there really is a kind of unknown about the with some kind of incumbent security force IN THEIR FIELD psychology of a crowd. The unexpected can and some kind of loose group of opposition happen — and that is where I get interested. we call a “red.” It’s a normally weak side Neil Just as the unexpected happens when picking aside at some bigger entity. Johnson you put particles together, the unexpected That weaker entity we call red is more happens when you put people together. agile and more adaptable. We think the Physics professor reason we are seeing a trend is we are University of Miami Given that human behavior is seeing the interaction between these two unpredictable, is it even possible to sets of groups — the insurgents and the Miami predict their behavior through math? people they are fighting against. It’s very Johnson: Absolutely, when you look much like a sporting event. It might be hard > Expertise at collective behavior. No one could ever to say what one particular team is like but Complex predict who will be in the traffic jam on U.S. against the same opponent over time they behaviors. 1 here tomorrow. But I can predict there will lock into some kind of particular behavior. be one. Statistically there is always one at Johnson is known The same pattern of behavior can be for developing a the same time. By looking at large big data observed. sets this study has become possible. mathematical What else have you studied, besides equation that Tell me about the work you are insurgent attacks? helps predict doing studying how to predict when when insurgents Johnson: One thing we’re really insurgents will attack. will strike in interested in is the startup world. How is Johnson: We didn’t start with any places like it that a startup can best attack a market assumptions about whether insurgents Afghanistan. which is dominated by some costly, rigid but are rational or not rational. We just looked large entity? Is it the way at which they can at the data. This type of study has only > Research Dollars pick away at this larger entity? If they face been possible recently because of media $1.0 million them from front, like in a battle, they will get reporting events. They report by the day. earned at the wiped out. There must be some other way We looked across many, many different University of they can pick away at larger entities and conflicts and areas of insurgency. The Miami survive and be successful. It is a very, very reason we think there are these patterns is strong analogy. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI COMMUNICATIONS PHOTO

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 35 RESEARCH FLORIDA

Joseph Dwyer adjusts an instrument designed to measure X-rays emitted by lightning.

it. It often causes lightning to strike Dark Lightning where we want it to. Now we know exactly where, when to turn it on and What is dark lightning and how is it exactly when the measurements take experts damaging? IN THEIR FIELD place. And we can repeat it if we need Joseph Dwyer: More than 250 years to. In science, it’s important to repeat the after Ben Franklin’s kite experiment, we experiment. When we triggered light- Joseph realized there is this other kind of lightning ning, we realized it emits lots of X-rays. Dwyer we didn’t know about. It is just as powerful That wasn’t known before. So it’s a big and emits no light. It was first identified a deal when it was figured out in 2002. Professor of physics couple years ago. I came up with the term and space sciences dark lightning. A scientific instrument that Why can’t we use lightning as a records radio waves would say that’s a power source? Florida Institute of big lightning strike. What it does do is emit Dwyer: I wish that were possible. Technology gamma rays, which could deliver radiation I’d have no trouble getting funding. The Melbourne to airline passengers. I don’t want to scare thing with lightning is it’s very bright and people, because the good news is that very powerful. What powerful means is pilots stay away from thunderstorms. there’s a lot of energy in a short time. Flying is still safe. I would fly in planes with The problem is that lightning doesn’t last > Expertise my kids. This is a very rare event. very long. The whole thing can be over in Lightning less than a 1,000th of a second. Basically, It’s difficult to know when and the electrical switch is turned on and > Research Dollars where lightning will strike. How do very powerful for a short time, but it’s not Nearly $5 million you study lightning? on for very long. The amount of energy earned at Florida Dwyer: Rather than just setting an in- is not very large. The example I use is Institute of strument outside and waiting for lightning a huge farm that is collecting all the Technology to strike, what we did was jointly operate lightning bolts, or maybe even artificially a facility with the University of Florida at triggering a bunch of lightning. The most Camp Blanding where we can trigger light- you can do with all that energy, even ning. When a thunderstorm is coming, we with the most optimistic projections, is release a small rocket with a wire behind power a 100-watt light bulb. PHOTO COURTESY FIT PHOTO

36 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com GO EMBRY-RIDDLE GO ANYWHERE

Six Embry-Riddle grads have become NASA astronauts. Seven more NICOLE STOTT / NASA ASTRONAUT are members of the USAF Thunderbirds. Over 20,000 others ﬂ y for the CLASS OF 1987 / BS, AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING airlnes. In all, nearly 120,000 of our alumni have gone on to exceptional #ERAUgo careers in aerospace. What does that tell you about how far a degree from Embry-Riddle can take you? Find out where else you can go at ERAU.edu/go

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FLORIDA | ARIZONA | WORLDWIDE RESEARCH FLORIDA

was very clear that that is not what was happen- Study of Taste ing in the food world. A whole bunch of them were Why should we care that some people in each fruit. Adding that is what was producing are supertasters and others aren’t? the overall sweetness. Linda Bartoshuk: They have different disease risks. The way in which you taste the You previously were talking about food world has a lot to do with the foods you like. For companies adding sugar and sweeteners example, bitter is hard-wired in the brain to hate. to enhance flavor. Knowing this about We are born hating it. And we are born loving tomatoes, it seems adding sugar sweet. Supertasters taste higher sweet and isn’t necessary. higher bitter. They will dislike more foods and Bartoshuk: That’s right. Let’s say we want to have very strong responses to sugar. What you get rid of some sugar. Let’s just put those volatiles end up with are genuine dietary changes. I’ll give in instead. Now you might worry, is it possible you an example: colon cancer. What is one of those volatiles will give it a different flavor we experts the risk factors for colon cancer? (Lack of) Fiber. won’t want in there? There’s a wonderful phe- Well, fiber comes from vegetables. Vegetables, nomenon about adding up smells. They cancel IN THEIR FIELD the leafy green ones, the really healthy ones, each other. They are about equal intensity. We can supertasters don’t like them. We went to a VA add a whole bunch of volatiles together and they hospital in Connecticut where the men were Linda given preventive colonoscopies. They were Bartoshuk tested to see if they were at risk for colon cancer because polyps are a risk factor for colon cancer. Professor of food And we gave them the PROP paper to test science and human whether they were supertasters. The bitterness nutrition, and director of the paper correlated with the number of of human research, Center for Smell polyps. It was that simple. and Taste Tell me how you got involved in working University of Florida with Harry Klee on tomatoes and what you Gainesville found out about what makes a good one. Bartoshuk: Harry Klee is the world’s expert on tomato volatiles. He wanted to make tomatoes taste better, and I was intrigued. I was “Supertasters dislike more > Expertise telling them how to measure how much people Chemical sense like it and how to measure the sweetness with foods and have very strong of taste and smell. these new measurement tools that let you responses to sugar.” She proved the compare across people accurately. existence of It turns out that flavor was making a huge will basically cancel one another if about the same “supertasters,” contribution to sweet independent of the intensity. So we add more and more of these vola- people who sugar. It hit me that one volatile (molecules that tiles together and what theoretically will happen is experience contribute to taste) at a time, when you look the mixture will get sweeter and the volatiles will unusually intense at that older literature, would produce a really not be a problem. sensations of little effect. But maybe lots of the volatiles in the taste. tomato were doing it, and they added up and Given that we have supertasters and that is why flavor produced this tremendous people with different perceptions of what > Research contribution to sweet. We found seven volatiles is sweet and too sweet, how do you arrive Dollars that were all significant enhancers of sweet. And at that perfect tomato flavor? $2.03 million we found two suppressors of sweet. Bartoshuk: You have to come up with earned different ones for different groups. For instance, at the University What did it mean? That volatiles could women like their tomatoes sweeter than men do. of Florida make a tomato taste sweeter? Women are more likely to be supertasters, and Bartoshuk: The significance was all of the supertasters like their tomatoes to be sweeter. sudden those volatiles that had been studied out So we will be doing a lot more work with different in the world for 30 years, a whole bunch of them groups because my contribution was by making turned up at the same time in the tomato. People them do good psychophysics. I gave them this

were studying them one at a time before. And it wealth of data they will be able to use forever. COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PHOTO

38 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com FINDING THE TREATMENTS OF TOMORROw TODAy, IN FLORIDA

develop Grow medicines of life-science tomorrow industry

GenerAte novel ip FLORIDA TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM At sAnford-BurnHAm

connect floridA reseArcHers

Access eXpertise & tecHnoloGy

producinG new medicines BAsed on reseArcH discoveries mAde in tHe stAte of floridA A joint initiative by the Florida Department of Health and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona, the Florida Translational Research Program connects researchers from across the state. The Program enables scientists to take their basic discoveries out of the lab and advance them into the drug-discovery stage, helping to speed up the development of new medicines.

fltrAnslAtionAlreseArcH.orG at Lake Nona RESEARCH FLORIDA

it indirectly with the way we manipulate. Let’s understand what is flavor and understand how to fix it. And make the commercial tomatoes taste like they did 100 years ago. Flavor is really complicated. There is a lot that contributes to flavor. When you have something that is that complex, the breeders have difficulty with it. What has happened with it is that the customer “This is pure of the breeder is the grower, not the consumer. plant breeding. I think that is really at the heart of the matter. The breeder gives what his customer wants, Not GMOs.” which is long shelf life, a big, round firm fruit and lots of them. The growers in Florida are A Better Tomato paid based on yield and not on quality. Earlier in your career, why did you How did you go about figuring out what decide to work for private industry the perfect tomato tastes like? instead of going into academia? Klee: We set out to bring the consumer back Harry Klee: I had an academic offer, and I into the equation. That is where the collabora- turned it down to go to Monsanto. It was such tion has really flourished. We give people loads an exciting opportunity that I couldn’t say no. I of tomatoes, some good, some bad, some had a fairly significant role in helping to develop great. They eat and rate on Linda’s (Bartoshuk) all those biotech products. The biggest one scaling methods. They tell us what they think, was Roundup Ready, the herbicide-resistant and we grind them up and figure out what is in experts crops that are now used widely. Despite all the them with regard to flavor and taste. vociferous complaints about GMOs, the reality IN THEIR FIELD Is the better-tasting tomato you are is that product had a huge positive environ- creating genetically modified? mental impact. Farmers can use less herbicide to effectively control weeds. They have one Klee: No. This is pure plant breeding. Not Harry Klee herbicide that kills all the weeds, and they can GMOs. All we are doing is going back and in do one spraying after planting the crop. Before many ways just recovering stuff that was lost Professor of molecular they would spray before planting and then go from plants 100 years ago. biology and back and spray again with different herbicides horticulture science So has your experiment worked? Have afterward. Some of those herbicides were not you developed a good-tasting breed University of Florida as environmentally friendly as Roundup. that is also inexpensive? Gainesville What are some misconceptions people Klee: You still have to deal with a com- have about farming? mercial producer who still has to grow these Klee: The problem is that the average con- things and make money at it. These first lines we released probably don’t have the yield and > Expertise sumer doesn’t know where their food comes commercial properties the growers would like. Part of a team that from. They don’t know what it takes to produce With commercial growers we have this created Roundup food. They don’t know how much they have constraint. But there are a couple of other Ready crops that are to work to get a crop that survives all the chal- ways we can go about this. One is the first resistant to the lenges, especially in Florida. To grow and even varieties we targeted are meant for home herbicide Roundup. have an ag industry in Florida requires a lot of work and a lot of chemistry. The only thing gardeners. These heirloom varieties. The reason they are called heirloom is because people > Research Dollars we have going for Florida is it doesn’t freeze stopped growing them. They are susceptible to $11.5 million earned in winter. Otherwise, the soil isn’t very good. It diseases. They fall into neglect. at the University of rains a lot and it causes disease pressure. There What we’ve done actually is to produce Florida are a lot of things that make farming in Florida very difficult. hybrids. We make a cross between a very vigorous disease-resistant modern high- Why study tomatoes? yielding variety and the very best tasting of the Klee: The problem is, tomatoes don’t taste heirlooms. When you make that cross between very good. Why don’t they? Let’s solve the real the two, you get a plant that is much more fruit, problem, which is taste, rather than trying to do much healthier but still tastes great. PHOTO COURTESY MARISOL AMADOR COURTESY MARISOL PHOTO

40 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com UF ReseaRch Rising Last year, University of Florida scientists garnered $700 million in funding for nearly 10,000 research projects. UF’s designation as a preeminent state university is providing nearly $100 million in state funding to bring as many as 130 more top researchers to Florida, and the university is raising an additional $800 million in private funding to match that state investment and ensure faculty and students have all the tools they need to be successful. it really is rocket science

As space science advances in the 21st century, the University of Florida is developing strategies for feeding astronauts during voyages to Mars and other destinations that could last years. Plants would be an essential component of any future space outpost, providing food and filtering the air.

UF plant scientists are partnering with commercial space carriers like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic to send plants to space to get a better understanding of how they respond to zero gravity.

“This has tremendous implications for the expansion of

human existence to other worlds, but also richly informs

us about the potential for plants to adapt to environmental

changes here on Earth,” says Professor Rob Ferl.

Learn more about this and other initiatives at Rising.UFL.eDU

SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. RESEARCH FLORIDA

“We really want to see if there is a correlation between glutathione and improvement of behavior.”

before and after so we can compare and see if it changes in behavior. We really want to see if there is a correlation between glutathione and improvement of behavior.

How are you administering glutathione? Castejon: I found this interesting nutritional supplement manufactured in Canada and has been used in other conditions. It is Autism Research one of the few, if not the only one, that can raise glutathione levels. The commercial How long have you been looking at name is Immunocal. It is really a whey pro- the connection between glutathione experts tein product. If you want to give the body the IN THEIR FIELD and autism? ability to produce more glutathione, this is a Ana Castejon: I started back in 2011. I got natural and effective way to do that. Ana Castejon fascinated by the idea of the possibility of this major antioxidant having some kind of role How big was the research grant Associate professor, within the neuro-degenerative disorder. paying for this study? College of Pharmacy Castejon: It’s over $100,000. It’s different Why did you think it might have a Nova Southeastern University from the typical model in the pharmaceutical role? Fort Lauderdale industry. It’s a joint venture. We are splitting Castejon: There were some publications 50/50 between NSU and the manufacturer of at that time that were pointing to glutathione Immunocal. This is a new trend in which we being low in some kids that have autism. I investigators want to do research with those > Expertise noticed that although there were some pub- products, however we still need their support. Studying whether lications that were pointing at glutathione It’s always a joint venture because we put ef- raising glutathione probably playing a role in autism, there was fort and time and they support us with provid- levels with a basically nothing about what kind of interven- ing funds and providing the product. nutritional tions we can do to address it and also if there supplement may is any type of relationship between the par- Have you reached any conclusions? have an impact ticular deficiency and level of autism — the Castejon: No, we can’t reach any conclu- on autistic degree and severity and type of symptoms sions yet. It’s a double-blind placebo study. behaviors. kids will have. I decided to put together a We are executing the protocol. We don’t proposal and try to investigate what we can know the results until the end of the study. > Research do to prevent this deficiency. When it is double-blind, we don’t know what Dollars we are getting and neither do the patients. $400,000 What are you trying to prove, that earned at Nova glutathione cures autism? When will you know? Southeastern Castejon: I wouldn’t look into curing. Castejon: It finishes when you finish University It could probably benefit in terms of some recruiting. We need 40 patients. Twenty will behaviors. That is what we are trying to see. receive the placebo and 20 receive the actual We have a very comprehensive set of testing product. PHOTO COURTESY NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY COURTESY NOVA PHOTO

42 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Answers to Your Intellectual Property Questions

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GRAY MATTER MATTERS RESEARCH FLORIDA

“There are some pretty simple things we can do that we tend not to do, and it costs us lives.”

Suicide Prevention Is suicide more common with men than women? Thomas Joiner: A lot more. In the U.S. it’s 4-to-1. It’s really striking. I’ve argued that you But there is this argument out there if have to go through certain life experiences in you are bent on suicide you will find a order to be able to do it. Or else you will get way to do it. stopped in your tracks. Having gone through Joiner: What you tend to find is means-re- painful, provocative, fearsome activities or striction of various sorts works. It reduces death. experiences. So that you have learned to deal One of my friends is doing a study on bubble with fear. And that is a gender-linked thing as it packaging of medicines. If you go to Walmart or happens. When you start talking about football, whatever, you can buy a big container of some- for instance, that is a good example of learning thing like Tylenol. They are loosely packaged in to deal with just absolute disregard for your there. People can pour out a lethal amount just body. You can’t play the game well without the right into their hand. Bubble packaging, as you experts very unnatural state of mind that you just don’t know, is when you have to poke it out of their IN THEIR FIELD care about what happens to your body. A lot of packages one at a time. And it just takes time. women don’t have that experience or at least certainly not in football. That contributes to the That really works, and research proves Thomas gender difference and outcomes. that works? It seems simple. Joiner Joiner: Exactly. That is the frustration here. What’s the most common method of There are some pretty simple things we can do Robert O. Lawton committing suicide? that we tend not to do, and it costs us lives. Distinguished Professor Joiner: In the U.S. there is no doubt, fire- of Psychology arms. (Guns) tend to be in the top two or three You get research grants for your work. Florida State University in every country around the world. But in the Where do they come from and what kind Tallahassee U.S. it’s a huge ... it’s way out front. of research are they funding? Joiner: The Department of Defense now. It’s What does the research show in terms intervention-related. So we want things that will of the best way to prevent suicide? bring down risk. That can be done on a platform Joiner: There are a few ways to go, and that is realistic in the military life. Like a smart one is the modern management of the mental phone. > Expertise disorders that spur suicide. We know of treat- Considered one of ments that do work for the top five conditions. How would you use a smartphone to the nation’s leading The top five conditions that fuel this are bipolar prevent suicide? experts on suicide. disorder. And major depressive disorder is a Joiner: You have to creatively think of ways Author of 17 books big one. Borderline personality disorder and to hit targets that might fuel suicide. Here is one: about suicide. schizophrenia. Anorexia is actually really le- Sleep. Insomnia is a big trigger for suicidal be- thal. The numbers are not that high because havior. It’s one of the top signs that you will see > Research Dollars the prevalence rate of anorexia is so low. But in the day or two or three before the death. So if $16.4 million among the rates, the rates among anorexic you could put something on a platform like this earned people is the highest of all actually. that would take insomnia levels down a notch at Florida State or two, you will affect the suicide rate a notch or University What else has been found useful in two. So these days that is not hard to do. There suicide prevention? are behavioral approaches to insomnia that are Joiner: There is this movement called really simple, that you can program into these means-restriction. It’s restricting access to kinds of devices. lethal things — like guns. PHOTO COURTESY FSU PHOTO

44 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com RESEARCH FLORIDA

Research Notes > Collaboration in federal grants and is leading a project to In central Florida, Sanford-Burnham at create a laser pulse six times faster than his > Robots, etc. Lake Nona is partnering with Japanese record-setting burst. The attosecond lasers The Institute for Human and Machine pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo enable scientists to measure electrons and Cognition finished first in its group and to develop drugs to treat cardiovascular- other molecules that couldn’t otherwise second overall at the DARPA Robotics metabolic diseases, including Type 2 be studied. That ability should lead to bet- Challenge at Homestead Speedway in diabetes, obesity, heart failure and athero- ter understanding of how electrons move, Miami. The institute’s team will compete sclerosis. enabling the creation of faster computers in a final DARPA challenge in early 2015. > Anti-Aging and other electronic devices. Meanwhile, construction will begin in the Researchers at Scripps Florida are > Wall of Wind spring on a major expansion of IHMC’s investigating whether resveratrol, a sub- Researchers at Florida International Pensacola campus that will allow IHMC stance found in red wine, grapes, berries University employed the school’s “Wall of to grow. and some nuts, can be turned into a drug Wind,” which can simulate the effects of a > Brains that reduces heart disease and other con- Category 5 hurricane, to test a building de- University of South Florida researchers ditions associated with aging. Resveratrol sign proposed by Italian developers. The de- earned $413.6 million in awards and con- doesn’t work particularly well in the body, sign includes a “vertical forest” of 900-plus tracts in 2012-13, and the school ranked and the researchers hope to identify com- trees planted on terraces in the building, 15th worldwide among universities pounds that can have the same effect, and the school’s International Hurricane granted U.S. patents. Among the research more efficiently. Center tested whether the trees and plant- at USF’s Morsani College of Medicine is > Fast Lasers ers would stay put in a strong storm. an effort to improve therapies for trau- Attosecond lasers are bursts of light > Interns matic brain injuries. USF researchers are measured in billionths of a second. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular also leading a study of a drug to treat Zenghu Chang, a University of Central Studies is funding 20 internships for Indian Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare genetic disorder Florida physicist at the College of Optics River State College students that provide a in which the spinal cord and peripheral and Photonics, holds the world’s record $1,250 per semester scholarship and pay nerves degenerate, leading to impaired for the shortest laser pulse ever created the students for research-related work muscle coordination. at 67 billionths of a billionth of a second. at the institute, including experiments on Chang has attracted more than $9 million disease-fighting compounds.

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• Allen Dyer Doppelt • Embry-Riddle • University of Central • University of Florida Milbrath & Aeronautical Florida Research & Gilchrist, P.A. University Commercialization

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 45 CELEBRATING 15 YEARS

From Innovation to Highlights of the UCFBIP’s Success

Helped hundreds of local startup companies (including nearly 150 current Realization to Impact! clients and 100 graduates) reach their potential faster by providing vital business development resources. Facilitating Smarter, Faster Startup Growth From October 2011 to June 2013, the UCF network of current and graduated Since 1999, the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program has clients has helped create a total regional output of over $620 million. helped hundreds of early-stage companies develop into financially stable, high- growth enterprises by providing the tools, training, and infrastructure that help This results in a $6.16 return for every $1.00 invested in the program. facilitate smarter, faster growth among startup companies. Additionally, it sustained (directly and indirectly) over 3,300 jobs in the Central Florida region. Even larger, more established firms have benefited from the award-winning organization, as its Soft Landing program has helped companies looking to open a Serves as an economic development partnership between the UCF, the U.S. subsidiary or division in Central Florida quickly transition to their new business Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia environment. Counties, and the cities of Apopka, Kissimmee, Orlando, St. Cloud and Winter Springs. The UCF Business Incubation Program provides emerging enterprises with a Recognized by the National Business Incubation Association in 2013 as the strategic path, a wide array of vital business development services and resources, Incubator Network of the Year. and on-going guidance, motivation and support.

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Bing Energy — founded on the work of Florida State University researchers — offers a tantalizing glimpse into a hydrogen- powered future.

In 2004, Florida took a stab at establishing itself as a leader in hydrogen-fuel research. The state created a public-private partnership that trotted out a package of demonstration projects and tax incentives meant to provide a road map for hydrogen-fuel business development in Florida. The Florida Hydrogen Business Partnership’s efforts didn’t generate much momentum, however, and two showpiece hydrogen fueling stations the group helped set up in Florida have since shut down. (Today, there are only 10 hydrogen fuel stations in the U.S., according to federal data.) A blip of hope for hydrogen in Florida began to take shape two years later, however, during a lunch at a Tallahassee Subway restaurant between two colleagues — both Chinese expatriates — at Florida State University. FSU professor Jim Zheng Ben Wang was a founding director of FSU’s displays the Buckypaper fuel High Performance Materials Institute, where he had conducted pioneering research into uses for cell that he helped create.

48 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com RESEARCH FLORIDA

Fuel Cell Science At its most basic, a hydrogen fuel cell is just a device that allows substances to combine chemically, without burning, to produce electricity. Most fuel cells look like small Test technician Anthony Delgado monitors the boxes composed of densely packed layers of a cloth-like power output for several small fuel cell stacks. material and metal or plastic. Hydrogen, the fuel, flows in Buckypaper, a material made of the equivalent of 100,000 miles. through a port on one side and microscopic carbon tubes 1/50,000th Zheng says the Buckypaper cell also oxygen through a port on the the diameter of a human hair. Sheets appeared to be more stable than other. of Buckypaper are 250 times stronger existing cells, with a longer lifespan. Those two gases, which can’t than steel but 10 times lighter. The By late 2009, Zheng started to think combine without help, meet in material, which conducts electricity his invention should be in the hands the presence of a catalyst, most about as well as silicon, holds big of people who knew how to run a commonly platinum, that’s em- promise for a host of engineering business. He called up an old college applications in aircraft, prosthetics, friend — Harry Chen — and that bedded in the cell’s layers. building construction, ships, body led to the formation of Bing Energy. The chemical reaction that armor and cars. (Wang, now an engineering professor ensues produces electricity; the Jim Zheng, meanwhile, was a at Georgia Tech, was not among cell keeps generating power as professor in FSU’s department Bing’s founders and has no role in long as the hydrogen and oxy- of electrical engineering. He was the company.) gen keep flowing. Most appeal- focused on studying alternative Today, the company’s fuel cells ing: The only byproducts are a energy sources, including fuel cells use less than half the platinum of tiny bit of heat — and water. that combine hydrogen and oxygen traditional fuel cells. While it costs to create a chemical reaction that about 30 cents per square centimeter The properties generates electric current. to build a Bing cell, about the same of Buckypaper At the 2006 Subway lunch, the two as a traditional cell, Bing CFO Dean allow fuel discussed various applications for Minardi says ,“our durability is more cells to use Buckypaper before figuring out that than two times as much,” cutting the less platinum, “this could be a pretty good way to life-cycle cost of the Bing cell in half. reducing costs. develop a fuel cell,” Zheng says. “That Headquartered in a technology was my idea.” park in Tallahassee, Bing’s 10 Using Buckypaper in fuel cells employees include the executive Two of the main hurdles in appeared to have two big advantages: team and other high-level workers turning hydrogen fuel cells One, it could make the cells lighter. with Ph.D.s who continue to do into the power source of the More important, they thought, the research and engineering work. future for cars and other com- properties of Buckypaper could Some at Bing foresee a day when mercial applications include reduce the amount of expensive electric cars will be powered not by the amount and cost of plati- platinum the cells needed to produce electricity stored in batteries, but num — about $1,400 an ounce the chemical reaction. entirely by power generated by — and the cost and difficulty Over three years of research, hydrogen fuel cells. Zheng and Wang, with the help of All acknowledge that that day is of producing large quantities

PHOTOS COURTESY JON M. FLETCHER COURTESY JON M. PHOTOS post-doctorate student Wei Zhu still a long way off, however. And of hydrogen, which has to be (now Bing’s R&D director), developed for the forseeable future, Bing’s extracted from water, natural a cell that met a technical goal transportation-related efforts in the gas or plant materials and then set out by the U.S. Department of U.S. will focus on producing fuel cells distributed through networks of Energy: It could sustain a vehicle that don’t provide a primary power fueling stations. for 5,000 hours of running time — source for vehicles. Instead, the Bing

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 49 RESEARCH FLORIDA

cells will help extend an electric vehicle’s range by partially recharging its batteries as the car operates. A New Kind of Hybrid In mid-April, Bing Energy purchased the assets of a company in West Palm Beach Bing Energy, for the foreseeable future, will market its fuel cells only as called EnerFuel — giving Bing access to range extenders for electric vehicles powered by batteries. The fuel cell the company’s 40 patents and prototypes is located under the car’s hood. The hydrogen that powers the fuel cell of vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells used is stored in a tank in the vehicle’s trunk area. In the future, some vehicles as range extenders. may be powered entirely by electricity generated by the fuel cells, with In the rear parking lot of Bing’s no need for batteries. headquarters, Minardi shows visitors a green EnerFuel-labeled car that gets According to the U.S. Department of Energy, no fuel cell vehicles its primary power from batteries but are yet for sale in the U.S., though some have been available for lease. is equipped with a Bing fuel cell range Several major vehicle manufacturers have announced plans to sell extender that can extend an electric them in the U.S. There’s Honda’s FCX Clarity, the Toyota FCV and the vehicle’s range from 30 miles to 150 miles. Mercedes-Benz F-Cell, and Hyundai has introduced a fuel-cell version of Minardi says the company plans to its Tucson SUV. keep the EnerFuel brand and target fleet operations involving buses and package The fuel-cell frenzy is driven by an attempt to meet California’s delivery companies — vehicles that can requirement that 15% of vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission be recharged and refilled every night. vehicles by 2025. In time, use of hydrogen will grow, Minardi says. Natural gas filling stations, which are popping up as vast reservoirs of natural gas are unlocked in the United States, can easily be retrofitted to add a hydrogen fuel pump. Meanwhile, Bing plans to earn revenue by selling its Buckypaper fuel cells — known as “membrane electrode assemblies” — to telecommunications companies in China for use as backup power generators for cellphone towers. Most of the current towers — “there are 1.3 million cell towers in China,” Minardi says — rely on inefficient, polluting backup generators that use diesel or lead acid batteries. Bing’s fuel cells are lighter and more compact than those batteries, which have to be replaced at least once every five years, or the diesel generators, which Bing CFO Dean Minardi have to be run once a week for an hour and drained every six months. shows off an electric “A 500-pound fuel cell makes no vehicle that gets its primary vibrations, no noise, and you have to turn it on and off maybe once or twice power from electricity a month,” Minardi says. Bing’s fuel cells stored in batteries. Bing’s cost around $10,000, which Minardi says fuel cells, generating makes them competitive with the existing backup systems. power with hydrogen, help Most of Bing’s manufacturing activity recharge the batteries is in China, which gave the company a major incentive deal to locate a as the vehicle operates, manufacturing plant in Rugao, a city of extending its range. PHOTO COURTESY JON M. FLETCHER COURTESY JON M. PHOTO

50 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com RESEARCH FLORIDA

1.4 million people 125 miles northwest of Shanghai. In exchange for a 40% stake Buckypaper in Bing’s Chinese subsidiary, the Chinese Harold Kroto, now a professor and scientist with government gave Bing a 110,000-sq.- FSU’s department of chemistry and biochemistry, ft. three-story manufacturing facility, a 30,000-sq.-ft. dorm for employees and along with two other scientists at Rice University, an investment of $7.5 million over five Robert Curl Jr. and Richard Smalley, shared the years. The money was earmarked to 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery pay for equipment and other capital of “Buckminsterfullerene,” also known as investments. “Buckyballs,” a type of carbon molecule whose In Florida, Bing produces the “core powerful atomic bonds give it extraordinary intellectual property,” including the Buckypaper, and then ships incomplete strength. Buckyballs are the third form of fuel cells to China to be assembled. pure carbon to be discovered, after graphite The completed fuel cell, or membrane and diamonds. The material is named after electrode assembly, is then sold to end- Buckminster Fuller, an American author, architect, users. inventor and futurist who died in 1983. The Minardi says a big telecommunications discovery revolutionized the fields of chemistry company in the U.S. is testing Bing Energy’s fuel cells as backup power and materials science — and directly contributed to the development generators, but the Chinese market of Buckypaper, sheets of microscopic carbon fibers that are 1/50,000th remains more promising than the the diameter of a human hair. The lightweight material has extraordinary American market for the moment. strength and abilities in conducting heat and carrying electrical currents. “China is growing fast,” he says. “They need cellphones. They need power, but they can’t run diesel generators. They need cleaner power. In the U.S., it’s less mission-critical because we have a very Funding stable power grid, and we don’t have the Startup funds for Bing came from the pollution.” founders, who pooled $610,000. In an initial Navigant Research predicts the fundraising round targeting private investors, stationary fuel cell market will grow Bing raised $3 million — half from America from $1.7 billion in 2013 to $9 billion by 2022, and Minardi says Bing intends and half from China. The Chinese funding to compete in the U.S. as well — and went toward creating Nantong Bing Energy, a manufacture fuel cells domestically. “The subsidiary of Bing that operates in China. way we are set up is as the market in the The company later raised another U.S. starts to get going, we will build it $2 million from Chinese and American right here in Tallahassee,” Minardi says. By the end of 2015 he predicts Bing will investors and currently is trying to raise be “cash flow and profit positive.” $2.5 million to complete the manufacturing Meanwhile, Minardi says he’s build-out of its Tallahassee facility. optimistic that the most profitable way Jim Zheng tapped CFO Dean Minardi says the company has for Bing to tap into the automotive college roommate received some help from the state, including industry is by focusing on fuel cells as range extenders. Toyota is looking at Harry Chen (right) to a $300,000 loan from the Florida Institute for incorporating fuel cells into its electric help commercialize the Commercialization of Public Research. cars to create a new kind of hybrid, Minardi hopes Bing receives investments Minardi says. “We’re working on an order Buckypaper. His from the Florida Opportunity Fund, a state- for range extenders right now,” Minardi brother, Yung Chen created investment fund that invests in says. (center), is Bing’s venture capital and clean energy firms. The Ultimately, he says, the fuel cells’ fund can match up to $1.5 million that Bing promise for widespread automotive use CEO. endures: The only pollution they generate raises from investors.

TOP PHOTO COURTESY JON M. FLETCHER COURTESY JON M. PHOTO TOP “is warm water.”

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 51 THE REGIONS

W E

GULF O F M E X I C FLORIDA’S O REGIONS Now that you’ve learned about Florida’s business assets through the “eyes” of FLORIDA AT A GLANCE POPULATION 19,552,860 companies both large and small in many LABOR FORCE 9,432,295 high-impact industry sectors, you can surely HOUSEHOLDS 7,745,850 appreciate why they chose to relocate and HOUSEHOLD EBI $37,583 expand here. And maybe you’re envisioning TOTAL RETAIL SALES $271 bil. your own company in Florida too, but where?

Florida is an eclectic mix of eight economic development regions, at least one of which is right for your business. From Miami up to Jacksonville and from Pensacola down to Naples, this state offers a unique blend of cutting-edge innovation and kickback style. No matter where you choose to settle, rest assured that you will be no more than 50 miles from an institution of postsecondary learning or 90 miles from a deep water port. And, oh by the way, there’s a golf course, theme park or sandy beach just an easy drive away too. Turn the page now to discover which Florida site is right for you.

NORTHWEST p. 63 NORTH CENTRAL p. 72 TAMPA BAY p. 78 Population 1,412,494 Population 881,378 Population 4,365,384 Labor Force 685,803 Labor Force 385,324 Labor Force 1,974,066 Households 555,347 Households 350,854 Households 1,811,198 Household EBI $39,641 Household EBI $32,756 Household EBI $36,779 Total Retail Sales $20.25 bil. Total Retail Sales $11.69 bil. Total Retail Sales $61.53 bil. MAP TERESANNE COSSETTA RUSSELL TERESANNE COSSETTA MAP

52 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com N

W E NORTHEAST p.67 S Population 1,567,157 Labor Force 767,628 Households 615,654 Household EBI $40,842 Total Retail Sales $22.58 bil.

EAST CENTRAL p. 54 Population 3,426,525 Labor Force 1,715,619 Households 1,346,887 Household EBI $37,533 Total Retail Sales $47.59 bil.

ATL AN T IC O

A p. 89 N SOUTH CENTRAL Population 249,798 Labor Force 106,339 Households 92,787 Household EBI $31,281 Total Retail Sales $2.93 bil.

SOUTHEAST p. 92 Population 6,484,631 Labor Force 3,274,730 Households 2,476,384 Household EBI $37,905 Total Retail Sales $86.90 bil.

SOUTHWEST p. 101 Population 1,165,493 Labor Force 522,786 Households 496,739 Household EBI $38,550 Total Retail Sales $17.36 bil.

LORIDA F F O S IT A R T

Data Sources: US Census Bureau; Labor Market Statistics Center, Florida Department of

Economic Opportunity; Nielsen, 2014. Household EBI = median effective buying/disposable income www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 53 EAST CENTRAL

LAKE MARY DAYTONA BEACH

TITUSVILLE

COCOA ORLANDO EAST MELBOURNE CENTRAL KISSIMMEE PALM BAY

TOURISM AND AVIATION/AEROSPACE — the Port Canaveral — North America’s second busiest cruise two stalwart industries on which East Central Florida’s port — celebrated its 60th year with an unprecedented 3.7 economy has long relied — continue to perform well. million multi-day passengers, a seven-story combination In 2013, Orlando set another tourism record with 59 shopping, exhibit and observation structure dubbed “Explo- million visitors, while the giants of aerospace — Northrop ration Tower” and a comprehensive dredging operation Grumman, Lockheed and Boeing — tapped into the infra- to prepare for larger ships. The much-anticipated SunRail structure and talent birthed by NASA to once again grow commuter train connecting Orlando to Volusia County their presence along Florida’s “spacecoast.” And fueling opened in May 2014, and Orlando International Airport, additional economic success across the region: increased the nation’s 13th busiest, received FAA approval on its activity in technology, manufacturing, logistics and other plans for a new intermodal transportation center to link high-impact industry sectors. airline passengers with ground transportation, including All Aboard Florida’s proposed Orlando-to-Miami train.

EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA’S MUCH-ANTICIPATED SUNRAIL COMMUTER RAIL LINE, WHICH BEGAN WEEKDAY SERVICE BETWEEN VOLUSIA COUNTY AND DOWNTOWN ORLANDO IN MAY 2014, IS ALREADY SPURRING NEW DEVELOPMENT ALONG ITS 32-MILE ROUTE.

54 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2014 www.BusinessFlorida.com EAST CENTRAL

WHO LIVES HERE Young and old Two-thirds of Orlando’s U.S. Census Bureau, the nation’s fastest- Tech-ready workforce Brevard population is under the age of 44 and growing metro area in 2013. County, ground zero for Florida’s aero- nearly one-third has earned a college space industry, boasts 48 engineers per Multiple cultures Latin influences degree. Conversely, more than half (52%) 1,000 workers — more than any of the are strong here, especially in Osceola of Sumter County residents are age 25 most populated metro areas in the County, where Hispanics make up 49% 65 and older, and many reside at The U.S. — and attracts 13 patents for every of the total population, compared to 24% Villages, one of America’s largest retire- 10,000 workers, more than double the statewide. ment communities and, according to the national average.

ECONOMIC LIFE Aviation/Aerospace/Defense • Brazil-based Embraer will expand its Comp Air Aviation, a manufacturer of high-performance kit aircraft, footprint at Melbourne International has moved to Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, where it Airport with an assembly plant and has room to expand operations and hire as many as related facilities for its twin-engine 200 workers within five years. Legacy 500 and 450 executive jets, adding 250,000 square feet and 600 jobs. • The Boeing Company and U.S. Air Force plan to bring their X-37B orbital test vehicle program to Kennedy Space Center, where a former shuttle hangar will be re-purposed to enable landing, recovery, refurbishing and re-launching of the 29-foot-long unmanned space vehicle at a single site. • Lockheed Martin’s Orlando-based Missiles & Fire Control group has snagged a $200-million Department of Defense contract to develop new hardware for testing and deployment of advanced naval combat missiles. • North American Surveillance Sys- tems Inc., a global leader in rotary and • Frontier Communications Corporation Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017. fixed-wing aircraft modification, has will add 17,650 square feet and 139 jobs • Universal opened “Diagon Alley,” consolidated operations at Space Coast to its customer contact center in DeLand. its second Harry Potter-themed Regional Airport in Titusville; 20 jobs are • Orlando-based PowerDMS, developer attraction, to huge crowds in July. expected. of cloud-based secure document • SeaWorld marked its 50th Technology management systems, plans to add 65 anniversary with the opening of Ranked among Techie.com’s 10 “Most jobs through 2017. the multi-path drop slide “Ihu’s Promising Tech Hubs of 2014,” Orlando Tourism Breakaway Falls” at its Aquatica water continues to spawn technology growth: With 18.6 million visitors in 2013, Disney’s park. • 3-D imaging company Photon-X is Magic Kingdom in Orlando remained the • Elsewhere, Kennedy Space Center, relocating its corporate headquarters most visited theme park in the world, where the retired Atlantis Space from Alabama to Kissimmee with plans to while Universal Studios Orlando posted Shuttle went on public display in create 100 jobs. the biggest year-over-year attendance summer 2013, continued to draw • Tampa-based mobile application and increase — a whopping 14%. In 2014: record attendance, as did Daytona software development firm AgileThought • Disney completed Fantasyland International Speedway, where work has expanded to Orlando with a improvements and broke ground for its on a $400-million upgrade remains on 2,585-sq.-ft. office and 15 new jobs. new Avatar attraction slated to debut at schedule for a 2016 completion. PHOTO NORMA LOPEZ MOLINA PHOTO

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2014 55 EAST CENTRAL

ECONOMIC LIFE Logistics and Distribution ft. building in Bushnell with plans to add At Lake Nona Medical City: • Eckler Industries, a provider of resto- another 30,000 square feet and 35 new • Work has begun on the Florida Blue ration parts/accessories for classic jobs. Innovation Center, a 92,000-sq.-ft. facility automobiles, will build its international • CaptiveAire Systems, operator of anchored by health insurer Florida Blue, headquarters and parts distribution facil- commercial kitchen ventilation equip- with office, retail and laboratory space ity in Titusville, adding 65 new jobs to its ment manufacturing facilities in five and a 15,000-sq.-ft. life sciences incubator 150-member staff. states, opened its sixth plant in Grove- jointly managed by University of Central • Global cargo logistics firm National land with 44 workers. Florida and University of Florida. Air Cargo Holdings, and its subsidiary, • Construction continues on the Orlando Life Sciences/Healthcare National Airlines, has relocated its head- Veterans Affairs Medical Center with an • Kidney care services provider DaVita quarters from Michigan to a facility near anticipated completion date of December HealthCare Partners will expand its labo- Orlando International Airport, bringing 2014; the first patients will be accepted 90 ratory operations in DeLand, constructing 105 jobs. days later. a 65,000-sq.-ft. facility and adding 100 to Expanding in Kissimmee: Manufacturing its staff of 350. • Poinciana Medical Center, adding • U.S. Ambulance Corporation solidi- • In downtown Orlando, Florida Hospi- 40,000 square feet, two floors and 46 fied its position as the world’s largest tal broke ground in early 2014 on the beds. single-site manufacturer of ambulances 400,000-sq.-ft. Florida Hospital for • Florida Hospital Kissimmee, doubling and rescue vehicles with expansion of Women, a 332-bed facility offering high- its size with the addition of a three-story, its Winter Park facility and the addition of risk obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, 80-bed tower. 126 new jobs. infertility treatment, gynecologic oncol- • Fuel storage tank manufacturer ogy and other woman-centric health MEMCO has expanded to a 50,000-sq.- services.

VA Medical Center in Lake Nona Florida Hospital for Women

Small Business Success Starts Here Small businesses are impacting East Central Florida’s October 2011 and June 2013, the UCF Business Incubation economy in a big way thanks, in large part, to the University of Program helped sustain 3,350 jobs and generate a direct Central Florida Incubation Program. regional economic output of more than $327 million. Now in its 15th year, the UCF Business Incubation Program is In 2013, the UCF Incubation Program was named “Incubator a network of partnerships between private enterprise and local Network of the Year” by the National Business Incubation Asso- governments in Orlando, Winter Springs, Kissimmee, ciation (NBIA), the world’s leading organization for advancing St. Cloud, Apopka and Daytona Beach. Offices in each city business and entrepreneurship. provide space for up-and-coming entrepreneurs; business And to put icing on that cake, in August 2014, the 2,200- specialists, veteran executives and on-site managers serve as member NBIA announced plans to relocate its headquarters advisors and advocates; and the region reaps benefits. and the formation of the Global Training Center for Business The 2013 Regional Impact Study commissioned by the Incubation & Innovation from Athens, Ohio, to Orlando. Florida High Tech Corridor Council revealed that between

56 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2014 www.BusinessFlorida.com Coming to GREATER OSCEOLA, FL 200, 00 HIGH WAGE, HIGH TECH JOBS* $200 MILLION INVESTMENT IN FLORIDA ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTER** 200 ACRES JUST WAITING FOR YOU. ***

* The smart sensor research project could create 20,000 high tech jobs and 80,000 total jobs over 10 years in the Osceola/Orlando region. (Arduin Associates Economic Impact Analysis)

** Osceola County has provided a 20-acre, pad-ready site and $61 million for construction of the 100,000 square foot facility with Class 10,000 clean rooms. Other partners in the $200 million project include the University of Central Florida, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and the State of Florida.

*** For information on relocating your firm to or starting your company in Greater Osceola, please contact Bill Martin at [email protected].

All we’re missing is you.

Partnership for Economic Prosperity 3 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor Kissimmee, Florida 34741 (407) 742-4251 // [email protected] www.greaterosceola.com Sponsored Report why ORLANDO?

fter leading the nation in job growth, Top talent. With a median age of 37, Orlando’s workforce Orlando is attracting some of the biggest is first rate. Its growing, young professional class bursts A with talent – and provides the perfect pipeline for every names in business, creating thousands of industry from healthcare and software development to high-wage, high-tech jobs in a region that’s engineering and traditionally known for tourism. finance. Home to the nation’s second-largest While Deloitte is creating 1,000 jobs for university, the its new technology delivery center, Verizon University of Communications chose the Orlando area for its Central Florida, Orlando has more 1,100-person new finance and accounting center. than 35 additional The U.S. Tennis Association picked Orlando post-secondary as “the new home for American tennis” for its education institutions with a history of collaborating with companies 106-court training facility with more than 150 jobs. on cutting-edge research, curricula and workforce needs, Lockheed Martin relocated an Ohio facility to and an internationally recognized business incubation Top 5 U.S. airports for logistics and convenience. New in the downtown core; while rolling hills, world-class golf Orlando with up to 200 jobs. And JetBlue Airways program covering four counties. commuter and intercity rail projects are connecting the courses and pristine nature preserves line the countryside. opened its 400-plus person bilingual call center in region and the state, and Orlando’s close proximity to The region’s robust inventory includes over 177-million Access everywhere. In the heart of the state, Orlando Orlando to grow its Latin American market. two deep-water ports is driving international business square feet of industrial space and over 100-million square offers ideal access and opportunity domestically and opportunities. feet of office space. And unlike many other established abroad. The region has perfected the art of moving business centers, Orlando can still accommodate build- people and goods to and from with hundreds of daily Dream destination. With over 4,000 square miles, to-suit properties with a variety of developable land Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties flights from three international airports – one of which, the Orlando region offers lifestyle options for everyone. opportunities. and the City of Orlando cover more than 4,000 Orlando International, is ranked among Travel + Leisure’s square miles, home to 2.2 million people. High-rise luxury living, a state-of- Go to orlandoedc.com to discover all that Orlando the-art downtown has to offer. Or give us a call at 407.910.2608. performing Orlando has been named one of the nation’s most arts center, cost-competitive locations with one of the top sophisticated dining and a business tax climates in the country. It also has sports arena that’s been called a “promising tech hub to watch” and home to the NBA’s the state’s friendliest metro for small business. Orlando Magic Sponsored Report why ORLANDO?

QUALITY OF LIFE Downtown rising Orlando has more than theme parks to crow about. SunRail is providing easier access to urban amenities and a “Project Downtown Orlando” task force has been formed to foster resi- In downtown Orlando, development is dential and business growth. Projects already under way: The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with two entertainment venues opening on the upswing prompted, in part, by in November; a $200-million renovation of the city-owned Citrus Bowl; the arrival of SunRail commuter train and planning for a pro soccer stadium. service. Among projects under way (top to bottom): the Dr. Phillips Center for Educational clout East Central is home to 16 non-profit colleges the Performing Arts, scheduled to open and universities, including: University of Central Florida, ranked 21st in November 2014; Crescent Central among the top 100 universities worldwide for registering patents in 2012; Florida Institute of Technology, one of only three Florida universi- Station, a six-story apartment/retail ties named among the top 200 World University Rankings 2013-14; and complex adjacent to a SunRail station; Valencia, Seminole State and Lake-Sumter State Colleges, which are and the Citrus Bowl, undergoing a sharing a $1.5-million National Science Foundation grant to increase the $200-million makeover in number of STEM minority students. hopes of luring additional marquee events. Fun in the sun Florida’s “spacecoast” boasts 72 miles of Atlantic beach. Find your own patch of sand beside the ocean or venture inland to enjoy kayaking in the Indian River Lagoon, biking/hiking along the first completed section of the 52-mile East Central Regional Rail Trail in Volusia County and bird watching at Turkey Creek Sanctuary.

Key Demographics Universities/Colleges  Population 3,426,525  Adventist University of Health  Labor Force 1,715,619 Sciences  Households 1,346,887  Ana G. Mendez University  Household EBI $37,533 System  Total Retail Sales $47.59 bil.  Beacon College  Bethune-Cookman University Airports  Columbia College  Daytona Beach International  Daytona State College  Melbourne International  Eastern Florida State College  Orlando International  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical  Orlando Sanford International University Crescent Cental Station  Florida Institute of Technology Seaport  Full Sail University  Port Canaveral  Lake-Sumter State College Spaceport  Rollins College  Cape Canaveral Spaceport  Seminole State College of Florida  Stetson University  University of Central Florida  Valencia College  Webster University Citrus Bowl

60 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2014 www.BusinessFlorida.com MEET: CLASTON SUNANON, DIRECTOR OF FUEL & POWER MARKETING “MY GOAL IS TO USE THE RIGHT MIX OF ENERGY SOURCES TO KEEP RATES AFFORDABLE AND DO WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.” Stanton Energy Center, the most fuel diverse energy site in the state of Florida with solar, landfill gas, natural gas and coal.

For over 25 years, Claston Sunanon has been dedicated to diversifying fuel sources at OUC. From harnessing solar energy and landfill gas to natural gas and coal, he makes sure we don’t rely on only one energy source. He chooses the right fuel at the right time to provide reliable, affordable energy and that puts a smile on Claston’s face. Learn more at www.ouc.com.

Faces of OUC Campaign_Florida Trend_2014-08_ClastonSunanon_8-125x10-75.indd 1 8/26/2014 10:22:22 AM EAST CENTRAL

NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Aviation/aerospace Northrop Grumman Corporation, currently constructing a new 1,000-employee Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence at Melbourne International Airport, is planning an even bigger multi-phase expansion representing $500 million in new capital investments and 1,800 jobs. Phase one — a 220,000- sq.-ft. building and 300 jobs — is slated for completion in 2015. Corporate headquarters Golf Channel is expanding its worldwide headquarters Northrop Grumman, already one of East Central Florida’s in Orlando to accommodate consolidation largest employers with more than 1,300 workers in the of digital media operations for its websites, region, could soon add another 3,000 as new facilities GolfChannel.com and GolfNow.com; take shape on its Melbourne campus: the 1,000-employee Manned 79 jobs are anticipated. Aircraft Design Center of Excellence and two additional buildings Business services At the May 2014 that are expected to create a total of 1,800 jobs. opening of its new $50-million finance center in Lake Mary, Verizon Communica- tions announced plans to add 350 more jobs at the 220,000-sq.-ft. facility. The company expects to fill all 1,100 positions before 2016. Elsewhere in Lake Mary, Deloitte Consulting will open a 130,000-sq.- ft. U.S. Delivery Center, creating 1,000 new jobs over the next four years in software development, systems analysis and information technology.

NOTABLE EMPLOYERS A $1.1-billion plan to expand Orlando International Aviation/Aerospace/Defense Airport includes $470 million for an automated • The Boeing Company Titusville people-mover and tram-rail station to connect to a proposed • Harris Corporation Melbourne Orlando-to-Miami passenger train. • Lockheed Martin Orlando • Northrop Grumman Orlando and Melbourne • Raytheon Orlando and Melbourne • Rockwell Collins Melbourne Now Available >> Digital Version • Siemens Orlando and Melbourne Tourism/Hospitality • American Automobile Association Heathrow • Darden Restaurants Orlando • SeaWorld Orlando • Universal Orlando Resort Enjoy Florida’s premier Orlando business monthly • Walt Disney World Resort Orlando anytime ... anywhere. Healthcare • Adventist Health System Orlando • Orlando Health Orlando www. floridatrend.com/digital

62 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2014 www.BusinessFlorida.com NORTHWEST

NORTHWEST CRESTVIEW TALLAHASSEE

NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S ENGAGING COMBINATION of natural PENSACOLA springs, sugar white beaches, abundant pine forests and towns with GULF BREEZE names like Mossy Head, Sunny Hills and Cedar Grove has made this region FORT WALTON BEACH a popular vacation destination. But along with a thriving tourism indus- PANAMA CITY try, these 16 counties boast an energetic workforce and, thanks to a site certification program launched by Gulf Power in 2013, plenty of shovel-ready properties for companies seeking to prosper. Here, businesses enjoy easy access to key southeastern markets via interconnected highways and rail WHO LIVES HERE lines and to the world at large from three deep water ports. Active and retired military Industry sectors that are particularly strong in Northwest Florida include assets Close to 44,000 highly aviation/defense and information technology. Manufacturing, which trained military personnel are currently generates more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region on active duty at six Air Force and is projected to grow at a faster rate here than elsewhere in Florida, has and Navy installations across prompted formation of the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council. This Northwest Florida. And of the association for manufacturers of all sizes and sub-clusters is combining approximately 6,000 who retire forces with area educational institutions to create training programs that will from military service here each ensure a steady stream of welders, aircraft mechanics, metal fabricators and year, many choose to remain other skilled workers to meet future employment needs. in the region and pursue second careers, bringing to area employers the advanced technical skills they acquired AN ECLECTIC MIX OF NATURAL BEAUTY, while in military service. MILITARY ASSETS AND THRIVING BUSINESSES, Highly educated Florida’s NORTHWEST FLORIDA IS A PLACE WHERE SUN capital city of Tallahassee is home to two public universi- LOVERS CAN WATCH THE LEGENDARY BLUE ties — Florida State and Florida ANGELS TEAM AT PRACTICE WHILE A&M — and some of the state’s best-educated people. THEY PERFECT THEIR TANS. U.S. census figures reveal that 47% of Tallahassee residents age 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to the statewide average of 26%. Heavily employed At 6%, the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin MSA recorded the nation’s 3rd highest job growth between October 2012 and October 2013, according to the financial news website 247wallst.com. Surprisingly perhaps, considering the heavy military presence in Okaloosa County, none of that growth

PHOTO COURTESY PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL PHOTO came from the public sector.

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ECONOMIC LIFE Aviation/Defense • Northwest Florida’s economy is dominated by military facilities, including: Eglin Air Force Base, the USAF’s largest by area; Tyndall Air Force Base, soon to have the world’s largest collection of F-22 Raptors; Hurlburt Field, supporting special operations; the Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the legendary Blue Angels; Naval Support Activity Panama City; and Whiting Field. Collectively, these installations account for more than 178,000 military and civilian jobs. • On-Point Defense Technologies in Fort Walton Beach has embarked on a multi-year expansion that is expected to create 29 jobs. The company, which designs and tests advanced weapon systems, had considered relocating to Alabama, but chose to remain in Okaloosa County for its talent pool of prior service military and proximity to defense contractors. F-22 Raptor aircraft • Panama City-based DeTect Inc. has received another installation order for its MERLIN Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar system; the Logistics/Distribution destination this time is the U.S. Navy Townsend Bombing Range in Port Panama City’s new 250-acre Inter- Georgia. MERLIN systems are in place, providing real-time birdstrike modal Distribution Center has attracted alerts, at numerous U.S. Air Force and Navy installations and at two companies: commercial airports in Europe. • FedEx Ground, which opened a 60,000- • Slated for completion by the end of 2014, Emerald Coast Aviation’s sq.-ft. package distribution facility with 30 new 5,600-sq.-ft. terminal at Crestview Bob Sikes Airport will house a employees on-site and another 40 at remote reception area, pilots’ “snooze” room and corporate offices. locations; and • Carolina Aeronautical Airframe & Powerplant, an aeronautics voca- • AAdvantage North American, a Panama tional school based in South Carolina, has opened a branch center at City-based firm providing vendor-managed the Okaloosa Industrial Air Park in Crestview, where it will offer FAA inventory warehousing/distribution services Mechanic and Inspection Authorization Certification. in 75,000 square feet of leased space.

Professional/ Information Technology Financial Services • Bit-Wizards Information • Construction continues at Navy Technology Solutions of Fort Federal Credit Union’s Pensacola Walton Beach plans an expansion campus where two new buildings and that will create 20 new jobs in 2,000 new jobs are planned by 2016. software development, account Navy Federal currently employs 3,400 management and advertising. workers in the Pensacola area. • Gulf Breeze-based email and • iGATE Corporation will expand its web security provider AppRiver corporate headquarters in Pensacola continues to grow, opening its and hire as many as 385 full-time second European office in Barce- employees. iGATE is owner of CHCS lona, Spain, and a branch office Services, a Pensacola-based custom- in Atlanta. er service center handling insurance • Global Business Solutions Inc. claims and health referral services for remains on track to expand seniors. its corporate headquarters in • National law firm Kaye Scholer has Pensacola by 120 employees consolidated administrative functions over five years. GBSI provides previously divided among its offices technical training and technology in New York, Washington D.C. and Los services to public- and private- Angeles at a single operations center sector clients. in Tallahassee, bringing 100 jobs.

Navy Federal Credit Union

64 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com NORTHWEST

QUALITY OF LIFE Plenty to see and do Living in Northwest Florida is like being on a permanent vacation. Visit the old and new state capitols in Tallahassee and the historic homes in Pensacola. Go tubing down the spring-fed Chipola River in Jackson County or simply stretch out on your own quiet patch of sand at St. George Island. There are one-of-a-kind special events to enjoy here too, like the Panhandle Watermelon Festival held each June in Chipley or the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival every October in Niceville. All this and more awaits you in Florida’s Northwest! Educational opportunities Northwest Florida is home to nine not-for-profit colleges and universities including: Florida State University, ranked among the top 40 national public universities by U.S. News & World Report; Florida A&M University, named a “Best in the Southeast” College by The Princeton Review; Tallahassee Community College, cited by Military Advanced Education as a “Top Military-Friendly College” for its flexibility of online learning options and support for military families; Gulf Coast State College, offering technology-related degrees and certificates at its new 93,000-sq.-ft. Advanced Technology Center; and the University of West Florida, where the Center for Cybersecurity is a hub for research and career opportunities in the Cape St. George Lighthouse fast-growing field of cybersecurity.

The Pearl, a 55-room luxury boutique hotel in Rosemary Beach, opened in late 2013 and, together with its farm-to-table Havana Beach Bar & Grill, offers eco-friendly amenities, including on-site water bottling and hyper-local food sourcing.

OUR SITES ARE SET ON FLORIDA’S GROWTH. Gulf Power Company is proud to announce the launch of Florida First Sites – the first regional site certification program in Florida to develop project-ready industrial sites. Thirteen locations are now pending certification in six counties in Northwest Florida. All of the sites undergo a rigorous screening process developed by McCallum Sweeney Consulting, providing an objective, third-party analysis to ensure the sites are ready for development.

For more information, contact John L. Hutchinson, Director of Community and Economic Development for Gulf Power Company, at 850.444.6750 or [email protected]. FloridaFirstSites.com

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NOTABLE EMPLOYERS NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Aviation/Defense Information technology Medical software development company iSirona, • DeTect Inc. Panama City a unit of NantHealth and provider of solutions for integrating patient data with • DRS Technologies Fort Walton Beach electronic medical records, is expanding its operations in Panama City, adding • InDyne Fort Walton Beach 300 new jobs to its current staff of 180. Founded in 2008, iSirona was named to • Jacobs Technology Fort Walton Beach the Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in 2012 • L-3 Communications and 2013. Fort Walton Beach Agribusiness/forestry Ending a four-year hiatus on lumber production Professional/Financial Services in Florida’s Northwest, Vancouver, B.C.-based West Fraser Inc. has resumed • Absolute Consulting Navarre operations at its McDavid mill in northern Escambia County with 80 employees • CHCS Services/iGATE Pensacola and plans to create an additional 20 jobs. The McDavid mill, which produces • Navy Federal Credit Union Pensacola southern yellow pine lumber, has an annual production capacity of approxi- Manufacturing mately 200 million board feet. • Ascend Performance Materials Pensacola Seminole Boosters raised money for College Town, the • Eastern Shipbuilding Group $30-million combination residential and entertainment Panama City complex that is now open on the edge of Florida • Home Source International Marianna State University’s campus in Tallahassee. • Mowrey Elevator Company Marianna • RockTenn Company Panama City Information Technology • AppRiver Gulf Breeze • Bit-Wizards Fort Walton Beach • Global Business Solutions Pensacola • iSirona Panama City

Opened in January 2014, Gulf Coast State College’s Advanced Technology Center offers courses toward degrees and certificates in engineering technology, information technology, digital media and other related fields. The 93,000-sq.-ft. center houses research facilities, classrooms and a small business development center.

Key Demographics Universities/Colleges Airports Seaports  Population 1,412,494  Baptist College of Florida  Bob Sikes Airport  Port Panama City  Labor Force 685,803  Chipola College  Northwest Florida Beaches  Port of Pensacola International Airport  Households 555,347  Florida A&M University  Port of Port St. Joe  Household EBI $39,641  Northwest Florida Regional  Florida State University Airport  Total Retail Sales $20.25 bil.  Gulf Coast State College  Pensacola International  Northwest Florida State College Airport  Pensacola State College  Tallahassee Regional Airport  Tallahassee Community College  University of West Florida PHOTO RAY STANYARD (TOP) STANYARD RAY PHOTO

66 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST JACKSONVILLE ORANGE PARK IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT JACKSONVILLE boasts six PONTE VEDRA Fortune 1000 firms — more than any other Florida city — and the national or ST. AUGUSTINE divisional headquarters of more than 80 other companies. A world-class intermodal PALATKA PALM COAST transportation system made up of multiple seaports, airports, railways and highways has made Northeast Florida a focal point for both international and domestic commerce. With its population of close to 1.6 million, workforce exceeding 767,000 and reputation for affordability and accessibility, this seven-county region offers a dynamic market for business relocation and expansion. In Jacksonville, where city and county governments operate as one, businesses looking to locate or expand are assured of smooth transitions. Banking, aviation, healthcare and logistics are particularly strong industry sectors, and educational opportunities abound in such varied institutions as the University of North Florida, ranked by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance among the top 65 “Best Values in Public Colleges 2014”; Flagler College, listed among the top 10 regional colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report; and Jacksonville University, known for its nursing school where graduates boast a nearly 100% certification pass rate.

5 MILLION PASSENGERS PASS THROUGH JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL EACH YEAR, AN AIRPORT KNOWN FOR ITS UNUSUAL AMENITIES, SUCH AS ROCKING CHAIRS, LIVE MUSIC AND AN ART GALLERY. WHO LIVES HERE Young and smart With a metro Top industry sectors hiring: business Skilled military personnel North- population of 842,583 and a median and professional services, financial and east Florida has the nation’s 3rd largest age of 36, Jacksonville is both Florida’s healthcare. military population, providing direct largest and youngest city. It’s also one employment for some 50,000 active Eager entrepreneurs The website of the “brainiest,” ranking No. 9 on duty, reserve and civilian men and wallethub.com ranked Jacksonville newgeography.com’s list of the top 10 women. And of the personnel who exit No. 1 on its list of “2014’s Best Cities to “America’s New Brainpower Cities” for the military here each year, more than Start a Business” based on 14 metrics its percentage of college graduates. 3,000 remain, providing a ready pool used to determine entrepreneurial of workers with military-honed skills Opportunity seekers In May 2014, opportunity, including access to financ- in electronics, technical maintenance, Forbes named Jacksonville 4th best ing, cost of office space, employee repair and management. city in the U.S to “find a job right now.” availability and five-year survival rate. PHOTO NEIL RASHBA PHOTO

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 67 NORTHEAST

ECONOMIC LIFE Aviation/Aerospace/Defense Financial & Business Services • Northrop Grumman Corporation has begun construction • Bank of America will invest approximately $13 million to on its 368,000-sq.-ft. “Aircraft Integration Center of Excel- expand its regional headquarters in Jacksonville, creating lence” in St. Augustine, a facility expected to add 400 jobs at least 200 new jobs. when it opens in 2015. • Navy Federal Credit Union, which serves more than • Ballistic protection equipment maker Defenshield Inc. 170,000 members in Northeast Florida, has opened its plans to consolidate its Syracuse, N.Y., and Washington 9th branch in the region and plans to open at least three D.C. operations in a new headquarters in St. Augustine; more by 2016. 20 jobs are expected. • The Zurich-based international staffing firm Adecco • AveoEngineering, producer of high-tech electronics and Group will relocate its North American headquarters from LED lighting products for aviation, has begun construct- Melville, N.Y., to Jacksonville, adding 185 jobs. ing a new manufacturing facility at the Flagler County • Technology solutions provider TBD Partners is relocating Airport in Palm Coast and hiring the first of 300 projected its headquarters and expanding in Flagler County with workers. 25 new jobs and a capital investment of $470,000.

Logistics/Distribution Northeast Florida’s logistics advantages include: • Two deep water ports: Fernandina and Jacksonville. New projects at JaxPort, the nation’s largest vehicle exporting port, include channel deepening and a new on-dock rail yard. • Two commercial airports: Jacksonville International with daily service to 25 destinations, and Northeast Florida Regional now offering commercial flights via Frontier Airlines. • Multiple rail lines: CSX, Norfolk Southern and RailAmerica can reach a potential 45 million customers within eight hours. • Three interstate highways: I-95, I-295 and I-10 inter- Baptist/Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center sect at Jacksonville; I-75 is just 60 miles away. Companies benefiting from this region’s logistical edge: Healthcare • Railex: Leader in cold chain transportation/logistics • Two new facilities are open at the Baptist Clay Medical making Jacksonville its southeast hub with plans to Campus in Fleming Island: Baptist/Wolfson Children’s transport perishables from the West Coast to Florida Emergency Center and Wolfson Children’s Specialty several times a week. Center. • R.J. Corman Signaling: Railroad signal system design • St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Clay County’s first new and manufacturing firm bringing its southeast regional hospital in 40 years, has opened with 64 beds and plans headquarters and 58 engineering jobs to Orange Park. to grow to 250 beds as population demands. • Hoegh Autoliners: Norwegian vehicle shipping • Mayo Clinic has opened a 40,000-sq.-ft. primary care company relocating its U.S. headquarters from New center in Jacksonville, its first new freestanding primary York to Jacksonville, with plans to add 15 employees. care center in 16 years. • Keystone Automotive Industries: Automotive mate- • Pharmacy benefits management company OptumRx rials distributor expanding to a 51,000-sq.-ft. site in has opened a customer service center in Jacksonville with Jacksonville’s Westside Industrial Park to accommodate 350 employees to handle approximately 750,000 calls per new product lines. month. • Ideal Aluminum Products: Maker of aluminum fence, • A new Jacksonville-based AmeriHealth Caritas service gates and railing relocating its headquarters and manu- center opened in June 2014 with the expectation of 300 facturing plant to St. Augustine; 120 jobs expected. jobs to serve members of the firm’s Medicaid managed care plans in five states.

68 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com NORTHEAST

QUALITY OF LIFE Dream region Jacksonville’s a great place to live the “American Dream” says the “2013 American Dream Cities Report” from Xavier University’s Center for the Study of the American Dream and The Burghard Group, which ranked this city No. 2 among seven where residents believe the American Dream is best being achieved. Attributes cited: material prosperity, diversity and leisure activities. Speaking of leisure Jacksonville has it in spades. Catch the annual Jackson- ville Jazz Festival (2nd largest in the U.S.), Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Museum of Science and History and Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. And for history, there’s St. Augustine, named a “Top 20 Must-See Place in the World” by National Geographic Traveler, the Victorian seaport village of Fernandina Beach and the Civil War battlefield at Olustee. Sports and recreation Reasons to cheer in Florida’s Northeast include the A record 45,000 fans showed up to NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, the AFL Jacksonville Sharks, the Jacksonville Suns (AA watch the U.S. Men’s Soccer team play baseball) and one of college sports’ biggest rivalries, the annual Florida-Georgia Scotland at Jacksonville’s EverBank Field Football Classic. Golf is always in season at more than 80 courses, including TPC in 2013. Soon, they’ll be cheering for the “home Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra where The Players PGA Tournament is held every May. town boys” when the Jacksonville Armada FC begins play in April 2015. NOTABLE ADDITIONS/ EXPANSIONS NOTABLE EMPLOYERS Financial services On the Aviation/Aerospace Finance & Insurance • Crowley Maritime heels of its 2013 announce- • Fleet Readiness Center SE • Bank of America/Merrill Corporation Jacksonville ment to add 300 jobs and Jacksonville Lynch Jacksonville • CSX Jacksonville $10 million in capital, • FlightStar Aircraft Services • Citibank Jacksonville • Landstar System Deutsche Bank has received Jacksonville • Deutsche Bank Jacksonville Jacksonville approval from the Florida • Kaman Aerospace • Fidelity National Financial • Ring Power Jacksonville Office of Regulation to Corporation Jacksonville Jacksonville • Suddath Relocation establish an international • Logistics Services • Florida Blue Jacksonville Systems Jacksonville bank office in Jacksonville, the International Jacksonville • JPMorgan Chase Healthcare city’s first; 200 new jobs are • Northrop Grumman Jacksonville • Baptist Health System anticipated. Corporation St. Augustine • Lender Processing Services Jacksonville Jacksonville Life sciences An expan- Manufacturing • Mayo Clinic Jacksonville sion currently under way at • Georgia Pacific Corporation Logistics/Distribution • Medtronic Jacksonville the Jacksonville campus of Palatka • BI-LO Winn-Dixie Stores • VISTAKON Johnson & VISTAKON will add 23,000 • Rayonier Jacksonville Jacksonville Johnson Vision Care square feet and another 100 • SAFT North America • COACH Distribution Center Jacksonville jobs to the firm’s existing staff Jacksonville Jacksonville of 1,900. A division of the Fortune 500 company Johnson & Johnson, VISTAKON manu- NORTHEAST at a glance facturers the ACUVUE® brand Baker | Clay | Duval | Flagler | Nassau | Putnam | St. Johns of extended-wear disposable contact lenses. Key Demographics Universities/Colleges Airports Logistics Cincinnati-based  Population 1,567,157  Edward Waters College  Jacksonville International Total Quality Logistics, the  Labor Force 767,628  Flagler College Airport nation’s second largest freight  Households 615,654  Florida State College at  Northeast Florida Regional Airport brokerage firm, has opened  Household EBI $40,842 Jacksonville a sales office in Jacksonville  Total Retail Sales $22.58 bil.  Jacksonville University Spaceport with 16 employees and plans  Jones College  Cecil Spaceport  St. Johns River State College for up to 75 new jobs within Seaports three years. This is the firm’s  University of North Florida  Port of Fernandina 4th office in Florida and its  Port of Jacksonville

PHOTO COURTESY GRAY QUETTI CAL SPORTS MEDIA/ZUMA PRESS COURTESY GRAY PHOTO 21st nationwide.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 69 ver the past decade, stories like Nanothera- scientists from different people: fellow students, the University of peutics and Shadow disciplines to interact, it leading researchers, OFlorida has evolved Health to take advantage unleashes creativity and distinguished faculty, into a national leader of the steady supply of accelerates the develop- successful business at moving our scientifi c new ideas and a highly ment of new ideas. professionals, and inno- discoveries from the lab educated work force. The Florida Innova- vative entrepreneurs. UF and Gainesville — to the marketplace. At the Innovation Square tion Hub at UF is home Just up the road in same time, the Gaines- is at the heart of this to more than a dozen Alachua, UF’s Sid Martin ville area has emerged transformation. This start-ups and construc- Biotechnology Incubator Innovation is in our DNA as the perfect place for 40-acre live/work/play tion is under way on continues to thrive. Two new companies to grow community bridging Infi nity Hall, a state- respected benchmark- and prosper. High-tech the area between the of-the-art live/learn ing groups recently companies like Mindtree, UF campus and down- community where 300 named the incubator as Mobiquity, the Robb town Gainesville brings undergraduate students the best in the world at Report, Azalea Health research and business can interact throughout what it does. and BioMonde are joining together to inspire bigger their academic program home-grown success thinking. By encouraging with other like-minded research.ufl .edu

UF and Gainesville — Evolving Together Gainesville’s Double Helix Bridge over Southwest 13th Street is part of the Depot Avenue Rail Trail. The bridge’s design of railroad tracks twisting into a DNA molecule is a metaphor for Gainesville’s transformation from a rail hub into a technology hub. ver the past decade, stories like Nanothera- scientists from different people: fellow students, the University of peutics and Shadow disciplines to interact, it leading researchers, OFlorida has evolved Health to take advantage unleashes creativity and distinguished faculty, into a national leader of the steady supply of accelerates the develop- successful business at moving our scientifi c new ideas and a highly ment of new ideas. professionals, and inno- discoveries from the lab educated work force. The Florida Innova- vative entrepreneurs. UF and Gainesville — to the marketplace. At the Innovation Square tion Hub at UF is home Just up the road in same time, the Gaines- is at the heart of this to more than a dozen Alachua, UF’s Sid Martin ville area has emerged transformation. This start-ups and construc- Biotechnology Incubator Innovation is in our DNA as the perfect place for 40-acre live/work/play tion is under way on continues to thrive. Two new companies to grow community bridging Infi nity Hall, a state- respected benchmark- and prosper. High-tech the area between the of-the-art live/learn ing groups recently companies like Mindtree, UF campus and down- community where 300 named the incubator as Mobiquity, the Robb town Gainesville brings undergraduate students the best in the world at Report, Azalea Health research and business can interact throughout what it does. and BioMonde are joining together to inspire bigger their academic program home-grown success thinking. By encouraging with other like-minded research.ufl .edu

JASPER

LAKE CITY PERRY ALACHUA NORTH GAINESVILLE CENTRAL OCALA TALENT, INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP THRIVE IN NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA, a region known for its competitive cost of living, accessibility and abundance of natural resources. Home to the University of Florida and four public colleges, this region offers a highly skilled workforce and the supportive environment emerging companies need to get up and running. And with more business incubators per capita than almost anywhere in the U.S., North Central is particularly adept at attracting fresh ideas and retaining the talent to grow the businesses that will bring them to market. Here, too, a well-developed transportation network ensures that IN ADDITION TO HAVING THE ASSETS THAT all businesses have easy access to vital markets. Two of Florida’s major LURE INNOVATIVE STARTUPS AND CREATE interstate highways — I-75 and I-10 JOBS, GAINESVILLE IS WIDELY KNOWN FOR — intersect in this region, which ITS YOUNGER-THAN-AVERAGE MEDIAN AGE is also served by multiple other roadways, rail systems and two (JUST 25) AND MANY DIVERSE ATTRACTIONS, commercial airports as well as deep INCLUDING A BUSTLING DOWNTOWN. water ports in Jacksonville, Fernandina and Tampa Bay. WHO LIVES HERE

Well-educated North Central boasts Innovative The University of Florida is Growing At No. 5, Ocala is the only city some of Florida’s most highly educated a catalyst for economic development. UF east of the Mississippi to make Forbes’ people. In Gainesville alone, which is ranked 22nd among universities world- 2013 list of “10 Best Cities for Future home to the University of Florida and wide for number of patents awarded in Job Growth.” Meanwhile, neighboring Santa Fe College, 44% of residents 2012 (70) and 11th in the U.S. for number Gainesville ranks No. 1 on NerdWallet.com’s age 25+ have a bachelor’s degree of licenses/options granted (129). In “Top 10 Cities on the Rise,” based on its or higher compared to the national addition, UF helped create 15 startups, rate of growth in three key areas over average of 29%. earning 4th place nationally just behind the past five years: employment rate (up MIT and the entire University of Califor- 7%), median income (up 19%) and airport nia and University of Texas systems for passenger traffic (up 7%).

number of new companies launched. PHOTO ROB WITZEL

72 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com NORTH CENTRAL

ECONOMIC LIFE

Life Sciences developing gene therapy treatments • Alachua-based AxoGen, a developer of • Georgia-based Azalea Health is for genetic eye diseases, raised $50 products to repair damaged peripheral expanding in downtown Gainesville million in its initial public offering on nerves, has earned the No. 19 spot on and creating 10 new jobs. Azalea the NASDAQ Global Market. “Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500.” The firm, which had nine employees and provides software for cloud-based • Shadow Health, a graduate of no revenue when it moved into the Sid electronic health records and medical the Florida Innovation Hub incuba- Martin Incubator in 2006, today employs practice management. tor, became the first company to more than 70 and reported revenues of • Nanotherapeutics has broken ground receive equity financing through a nearly $11 million in 2013. in Alachua on a 165,000-sq.-ft. manu- state program designed to help bring facturing facility to fulfill a Department publicly funded research to market of Defense contract worth up to $359 when it closed a deal worth $200,000 million over 10 years to develop drugs in January 2014 with the Florida against the effects of chemical, biologi- Institute for the Commercialization of cal and radiological attacks. The firm Public Research. Training programs expects to add 95 workers as a result. developed by Shadow Health allow • Applied Genetic Technologies nursing students to practice patient Corporation, an Alachua biotech firm examinations virtually. AxoGen

Technology/R&D • Zeeko Ltd., a British tech- • Optym, the Gainesville- nology company that makes based developer of planning ultra-precision machines used and scheduling software for for polishing complex surfaces the logistics industry formerly such as telescope mirrors, is known as Innovative Schedul- opening a research facility in ing, will add 100 jobs as part of Gainesville in fall 2014. a $4.8-million expansion. • After expanding to Gainesville • Paracosm, a 3-D modeling in spring 2013, Boston-based and navigation software firm mobile applications developer founded in Gainesville in 2013, Mobiquity has increased its is one of many collaborators on office space to 4,000 square Google’s Project Tango, bring- feet and is on track to hire 260 ing 3D mapping capabilities to by the end of 2015. mobile phones and tablets.

Santa Fe College now offers a Bachelor Logistics and Distribution of Applied Science in Industrial • Taking shape at the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park: Biotechnology at its Perry Center for Emerging a 383,161-sq.-ft. FedEx Group Package System hub facility; Technologies to prepare students for careers 165 full-time equivalent jobs are anticipated. in bio-manufacturing and quality control. • Refrigerated food distributor U.S. Cold Storage is expanding its warehouse operations near the intersection of I-10 Manufacturing and I-75 in Lake City, creating 15 jobs and investing • Precision machining company ProFab Plastics $15.2 million. Corporation has moved its corporate headquarters • Wilmington, Ohio-based transportation and logistics firm to Ocala from Waukesha, Wis., with plans to create R+L Carriers has opened a logistics management center 60 jobs. in Ocala with the promise of 250 IT and management jobs • Creative Foam Medical Systems, a Michigan-based over four years. contract manufacturer of diagnostic imaging equip- • Hamilton County offers two strategically placed industrial ment, will open a manufacturing facility in Ocala and parks — one with 58 acres on I-75 frontage, and the other create 20 new jobs. with 45 acres just minutes from the interstate. Both are shovel-ready with water and sewer available.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 73 Hamilton County is poised for great Hamilton things. A unique set of circumstances, resources and County timing is presenting some amazing Open for Business opportunities for forward-thinking companies ready to take advantage of them.

ver the past year, Hamilton County’s largest employer at the Hamilton County Development Authority (HCDA) was forced to make cuts in its workforce due to world- have with Enterprise Florida and the Florida Department of Owide economic conditions, leaving a trained and motivat- Economic Opportunity — along with business-friendly city and ed ready-made workforce available to get a new manufacturing county leaders — and Hamilton County makes a strong case for operation up and running quickly. In addition, the county has consideration. strong partnerships with world-class educational institutions and outstanding training centers within an hour of its borders to When Logistics Matters create custom training programs as needed. Home to the first three exits entering Florida on I-75, For a small, rural county, Hamilton County has unexpected Hamilton County embraces its unofficial job as the state’s access to workforce and training opportunities to meet the welcoming committee. Its location in the middle of Florida’s needs of any company that relies on manufacturing or logistics. northern border offers companies unmatched access to key In addition to the many state financial incentives that are nationwide shipping options in all four directions. The county is available, local cash incentives as well as property tax abatement also served by Norfolk Southern Railways and is within an hour are available. Add in the strong relationships the professionals and a half of seaports and major airports in Jacksonville and Tallahassee. PHOTOS: ROB WOLFE Available property located at I-75 frontage and SR 6 interchange Hamilton County welcomes thousands of travelers to Florida every month. SPONSORED REPORT

Hamilton County “Jewel of the Suwannee”

From the welcome sign on Hamilton County’s the Georgia border to the lush trail overlooking the three population historic Suwannee River, areas share the Hamilton County is a great charm of Southern place to work, live and visit. culture but are distinct in history While known for its natural beauty and In late 2014 construction is scheduled and personality. historic relevance, Hamilton County also to begin on a large development at the offers two strategically placed industrial I-75 and State Road 6 interchange. • Jasper (pop. 4,452) parks — one offers 58 acres with I-75 The HCDA partnered with local and As the county seat, Jasper is the hub of county business. Originally frontage, and the other has 45 acres just state agencies to attract this significant believed to be founded on the land minutes from the interstate. Both are project that will create jobs and benefit of the Miccosukee Indians, the city shovel-ready with water and sewer avail- the community for years to come. The was built largely on the tracks of the able, and local leaders are anxious to help. county’s state-of-the-art utility system railroad that remains an important located at this interchange offers an means of freight transportation “We have a business-friendly local today. In the early days it was turpen- government, and our county, city and available water and sewer capacity of tine, lumber and tobacco; today it is economic development agencies are eager 125,000 GPD. phosphate mining. Another famous to work together,” says Susan Ramsey, export of Jasper is TV personality executive director of the HCDA. “We Low Cost of Living. and acclaimed chef Art Smith. On the second Saturday in December, are available to help any size company High Quality of Life. Jasper hosts Sweets N the Streets, through the start-up process.” Hamilton County is a designated Rural an arts and crafts festival which is The HCDA is marketing a Area of Opportunity. All three munici- followed by the Christmas parade. 75,000-square-foot warehouse located palities are located within the Enterprise • Jennings (pop. 878) about three miles south of Jasper on U.S. Zone, making available additional incen- Jennings is the agricultural center 41 near I-75, complete with 2,000 square tives and resources. of the county. Home to a popular annual peanut festival on the second feet of office space. The former window Major universities, state colleges, Saturday of September, the city is factory has three loading docks, sits on regional health care providers and small but provides a home to the 20 acres and is move-in ready with ample teaching hospitals are just a short drive county’s important agriculture and water, sewer and natural gas available away. “We have a low cost of living and a manufacturing industries. It also is through the City of Jasper. home to a professional hunting lodge high quality of life,” Ramsey says. and north Florida’s only professional motorcycle road-racing circuit. An updated water and sewer system are designated for high usage with For more information on available capacity. what’s happening next • White Springs (pop. 777) in Hamilton County, Located on the Suwannee River, contact Susan Ramsey White Springs is the historical and at 386.792-6828 tourism center of the county. It was or [email protected]. recently named as a pilot community for the Competitive Florida program of www.hamiltoncda.org the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. White Springs is home of Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, which hosts the Annual Florida Folk Festival. The festival attracts 20,000 visitors and is one of America’s oldest and largest folk festivals. White Springs is also home to Big Shoals State Park, which features the Richard B. Davis Susan Ramsey largest whitewater rapids in Florida, Chairman, HCDA Executive Director, HCDA 80-foot-tall limestone bluffs and breathtaking views not found anywhere else in Florida. Kayaking on the Suwannee River NORTH CENTRAL

QUALITY OF LIFE NOTABLE EMPLOYERS Agriculture and Forestry • Buckeye Technologies Perry • PCS Phosphate White Springs • Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation Live Oak • Suwannee Lumber Company Cross City Logistics and Distribution • Cheney Brothers Ocala • Johnson & Johnson Madison Manufacturing • E-ONE Ocala • Lockheed Martin Ocala Operations Ocala • Monterey Boats Williston • Signature Brands Ocala Ocala National Forest Healthcare Indoor/outdoor fun North Central offers a combination of • Munroe Regional Medical Center Ocala natural and manmade attractions. In Gainesville, drop in at the • UF Health Shands Hospital Gainesville Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art and its next-door neighbor, the • Ocala Health Ocala Florida Museum of Natural History; general admission to either is free. Then visit the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, housing 75 different species and the only zookeeper training facility in the U.S. with its own accredited zoo on-site. Fish the scenic Withlacoochee The UF Health and Suwannee Rivers, take a hike in the Ocala National Forest or System, which browse Cedar Key’s quaint shops and galleries before sitting down includes UF to a bowl of award-winning clam chowder at Tony’s. And be sure Health Shands Hospital to check out the iconic Silver Springs in Ocala, just named Florida’s and UF Health Shands newest state park. Children’s Hospital, is one The livin’ is easy and healthy Gainesville ranks No. 35 on of this region’s largest Livability.com’s “Top 100 Best Places to Live” and one reason is its employers, with 8,864 healthcare, which was rated No. 4 out of 100. So it should come direct employees and as no surprise that two local hospitals have snagged 10 top 50 another 9,876 system spots on U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 list of “America’s employees who are Best Hospitals:” UF Health Shands Hospital for adult nephrology, UF faculty and staff. cardiology/heart surgery and pulmonology, and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital for pediatric diabetes/endocrinology, cardiology/heart surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonology, neonatology, cancer and nephrology. NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Manufacturing has expanded to Gaines- NORTH CENTRAL at a glance Krausz Industries, an ville with projections for Israeli manufacturer of 35 new jobs and $500,000 Alachua | Bradford | Columbia | Dixie | Gilchrist | Hamilton couplings and clamps for in capital investment. Lafayette | Levy | Madison | Marion | Suwannee | Taylor | Union drinking water distribution Headquartered in Philadel- systems, will establish its phia, the agency provides Key Demographics Universities/Colleges North American head- branding, public relations  Population 881,378  College of Central Florida quarters and a manufac- and creative services for  Labor Force 385,324  Florida Gateway College turing facility in Ocala; 22 a variety of widely known  Households 350,854  North Florida Community new jobs are expected. clients including the Miami  Household EBI $32,756 College Business services Dolphins, Los Angeles  Total Retail Sales $11.69 bil.  Santa Fe College Internationally recognized Angels, Nike, Ferrari,  Airports University of Florida marketing communica- UCLA and the University  Gainesville Regional tions agency 160over90 of Florida.  Ocala International PHOTO COURTESY VISIT FLORIDA (TOP) VISIT FLORIDA COURTESY PHOTO

76 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com John didn’t treat Cherise. { {But she’s here today because of him.

When Cherise West was diagnosed with leukemia, doctors said she had no matching donors for a bone marrow transplant – and no hope for a cure. At UF Health, Dr. John Wingard works on transplants from donors who aren’t an exact match – like Cherise’s mom. John’s work is why Cherise is healthy today, even if she never knows it. And it’s invisible connections like these that help us move medicine forward with every patient we serve. UFHealth.org

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FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC THERE’S PLENTY TO LOVE ABOUT TAMPA BAY. This eight-county region with four seaports handling 43 million tons of cargo annually UNIVERSITY WELCOMED ITS and three international airports serving a combined total of 19.1 million FIRST STUDENTS IN FALL 2014, passengers each year was the 9th fastest-growing economy among the JUST TWO YEARS AFTER ITS 100 largest metros nationwide in 2013, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Tampa Bay is home to busy MacDill Air Force Base, as well as CREATION. FIRST TO OPEN: six Fortune 1000 companies. Its labor pool of nearly 2 million workers is THE INNOVATION, SCIENCE supported by 20 not-for-profit public and private colleges and universities, including three campuses of the acclaimed University of South AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING. Florida and the state’s newest public university — Florida Polytechnic — which opened this fall in Lakeland. In addition to these business assets, Tampa Bay boasts a superb quality of life: daily sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico; world-class venues for recreation, professional sports, shopping and culture; and a healthy mix of vibrant urban areas and wide open spaces. Who wouldn’t want to work and live here? PHOTO ALEX PHOTO MCKNIGHT

78 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com TAMPA BAY

WHO LIVES HERE ECONOMIC LIFE Still growing Tampa Bay’s population — Life Sciences/Healthcare 4.37 million in 2013 — has grown by 14% • Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has opened its North America since the year 2004, and at the present Capability Center in Tampa with the anticipation of 579 new jobs within average rate of 50,000 new residents per year, three years. it will reach 4.6 million by 2018. • Medical testing services provider Quest Diagnostics opened a national Young, diverse, educated Looking to operations center in Tampa to enhance customer service and support access the talents and buying power of human resources activities nationwide; 350 new jobs are anticipated. millennials and multiculturals? More than • Covidien, known for such medical advances as pulse oximetry, electro- 20% of Tampa Bay residents are age 18-34, surgery and laparascopic instrumentation, has established a medical and 16% are Hispanic. The labor pool is well device manufacturing facility in Riverview with plans to create 165 jobs. educated too — 34% of Tampa Bay’s popula- • Construction is under way in Tampa on the USF Health Heart Institute, tion has a college degree. a $50-million facility combining research and cutting-edge cardiovascular Small-business friendly Tampa ranks care. Anticipated completion: 2015. No. 12 on Biz2Credit.com’s 2014 list of “25 • All Children’s Hospital Johns Best Small Business Cities in America,” based Hopkins Medicine in St. Petersburg on a weighted average that includes annual is among the top 50 in three medical revenue, age of business, cash flow, debt-to- specialties on U.S. News & World income ratio and other financial data. And for Report’s 2014-15 “Best Children’s its affordability, collaborative assets and avail- Hospitals”: cardiology and heart ability of funding, Tampa snagged the surgery (No. 34); orthopedics (No. 37); No. 2 spot among NerdWallet’s “10 Best Cities and cancer care (No. 48). All Children’s for Young Entrepreneurs”; New York City and welcomed its inaugural class of Silicon Valley didn’t even make the cut. 12 pediatric residents in July 2014. All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 79

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ECONOMIC LIFE Logistics/Distribution • The Port of Tampa has a new name — Port Tampa Bay — and easier access thanks to the newly completed I-4/ Selmon Expressway Connector. Port Manatee — Florida’s closest port to the Panama Canal — is developing an international trade hub to better assist companies with global distribution. • Polk County solidified its position as a distribution hub with the opening of the Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center in Winter Haven. The 318-acre terminal is expected to process up to 300,000 containers a year. Growing companies in the sector include: • O’Reilly Auto Parts: The operator of 90 retail auto parts stores in Florida and plans for 250 total has opened a 388,000-sq.-ft. distribution center and warehouse in Lakeland. St. Petersburg-based Plasma-Therm manufactures etching equipment used to • PLS Logistics Services: The Pennsylvania-based logistics make semiconductor chips for cellphones, management and freight brokerage firm expects to create 120 new jobs with the opening of a sales office in Tampa. Wii controllers and other devices. The company employs 125 in the Tampa Bay region. • BlueGrace Logistics: Ranked No. 20 on Inc. 5000’s 2012 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S., BlueGrace added 55 jobs at its Riverview headquarters in 2014. Manufacturing • Tech Data • General Electric Energy Management has Corporation: Tampa announced plans for a new 190,000-sq.-ft. manu- Bay’s largest public facturing Center of Excellence in Clearwater. The company by reve- COE, which will include the firm’s existing instrument nues, will expand transformer facility and a new capacitor manufactur- its Clearwater ing plant, is expected to create 250 new jobs and be headquarters with operational in 2015. construction of a • At $225 million, the expansion under way at 45,000-sq.-ft. office Mosaic Company’s New Wales fertilizer plant in facility. Mulberry is being touted by company officials as Mosaic Phosphates’ largest-ever capital project. Two Tech Data Corporation new storage warehouses and infrastructure modifica- tions to accommodate new equipment are planned. • Sun Hydraulics Corporation has opened its third IRISS, a maker of infrared windows for industrial manufacturing facility in Sarasota-Manatee. The equipment, left the United Kingdom in 2013 to maker of high-performance hydraulic valves is one establish its 33,000-sq.-ft. global headquarters of three Florida-based companies named to Fortune in Bradenton and create 28 new jobs. Less than a year magazine’s 2013 list of the world’s 100 fastest-grow- later, the company plans to add another 15,000-sq.-ft. to ing companies. its existing facility and hire 25 more employees. Two Plant City-based firms are growing: • Dart Container, the world’s largest manufacturer of foam cups, will spend $14 million to construct a 400,000-sq.-ft. distribution center and add 24 new jobs; • James Hardie Building Products plans to invest $80 million on new machinery/manufacturing space and create 100 new jobs to accommodate increased demand for its fiber cement siding products.

82 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com OUR BACKYARD JUST KEEPS GETTING BIGGER

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Central Florida is served by the Tampa/Orlando I-4 corridor, one of the highest concentrations of distribution centers in the southeast. This market - IS our backyard.

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QUALITY OF LIFE Getting in At Tampa International Staying in place Tampa Bay is continuous sidewalk — or stroll the Airport, rated No. 2 overall in Travel + the perfect place for a “stay-cation.” sands at a Gulfside beach; five in Leisure’s 2013 “World’s Best Airports: Take in a vintage movie at the historic Tampa Bay were named to TripAdvi- Domestic” survey, the first leg of a Tampa Theatre — recognized by sor’s 2014 list of the top 25 beaches in modernization plan that includes a CNN, along with Shakespeare’s Globe the U.S. And don’t forget to check out consolidated rental car facility linked Theater in London, as one of the the surrealist works of Salvador Dali to the main terminal by a 1.3-mile world’s 15 most spectacular theaters in St. Petersburg, an amazing minia- automated people mover is under way — or a live performance at the newly ture circus exhibit in Sarasota and the and new destinations/carriers continue renovated, 92-year-old Capitol Theatre largest single-site collection of Frank to come on board, including nonstop in downtown Clearwater. Walk, run, Lloyd Wright-designed structures at flights to Panama City, Panama, via skate or bike along Tampa’s Bayshore Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Copa Airlines and to Seattle via Boulevard — the world’s longest Alaska Air. Getting around As Tampa Bay — already the nation’s 19th largest metro area by population — continues to grow, forward-thinkers are seeking ways to streamline transportation throughout the region. Among options singled out for consideration: enhanced bus service and light rail. Meanwhile, work has begun on the heavily traveled Veterans Express- way to introduce express lanes and convert the entire 57-mile roadway to electronic, cashless tolling, and there is talk of creating a high-speed express ferry service across Tampa Bay linking The new $500,000 projection system at Bishop MacDill AFB to downtown Tampa and Planetarium, inside the South Florida Museum St. Petersburg. in Bradenton, is wowing visitors with its displays of realistic images across a 50-foot dome.

NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Logistics/distribution Online Services, a health insurance mega-retailer Amazon expects management company serving to begin processing orders from individuals and small businesses, its newly constructed fulfillment plans to add 1,000 jobs by 2018 centers in Ruskin and Lakeland and nearly 100,000 square feet by Christmas 2014, with approxi- at its Tampa headquarters. mately 1,300 new jobs to start and the expectation of 3,000 Manufacturing Pennsylvania- total by 2016. based Air Products Inc., a leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) Finance & insurance United technology and equipment, has Services Automobile Association opened a 300,000-sq.-ft. manu- (USAA), a provider of insurance facturing facility in Palmetto and investment products/services to benefit from easy access to for the military community, has Port Manatee for its shipments broken ground on a 420,000-sq.- overseas; 250 new jobs are ft facility in Brandon with 1,215 anticipated. new jobs expected; HealthPlan Amazon

84 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Looking to the future, just beyond the horizon.

Join us as we take to the skies. Tampa International Airport offers easy access to Florida’s best attractions, museums, restaurants, and world-renown beaches. Named the 3rd best airport in the world*, we offer 77 nonstop destinations to 17 million passengers annually with a world-class level of service. Soon we will embark on a Master Plan that will ensure Tampa International Airport is loved for generations to come. We invite you to share your journey as we set out on ours. #TPAjourney

The Premiere Gateway to the West Coast of Florida.

Get up to the minute information at www.tampaairport.com. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @FlyTPA.

*Claim based on 2013 Air Service Quality Award for facilities serving 15 - 25 million passengers.

0114MKT-0814 TAMPA BAY

Natural Gas at Work With 95 patents in 2013, the University of South Energy conservation rebates now available Florida ranks among the top 15 public and private universities worldwide in for commercial business generating new inventions. Compared with U.S. public universities only, USF ranks 7th nationwide.

NATURAL GAS Natural gas has been fueling Florida FOR BUSINESS business for years – from hot water and kitchen equipment to a wide ABUNDANT. More range of fleet vehicles – and now the than 100 years of domestic supply payback is even greater. provides for stable and TECO Peoples Gas offers energy affordable prices. conservation rebates to help EFFICIENT. Provides businesses across Florida save. increased energy efficiency, reduced Depending on your needs, the cash carbon emissions back could be significant. If you’re and lower annual thinking about installing natural gas energy costs. equipment, we can help. Find out RELIABLE. more at peoplesgas.com/business. Underground and hardened, it’s there Sarasota’s Nathan Benderson when you need it. Park will host the 2017 World Rowing Championships, marking the first time in 20 years that a U.S. site has been selected to host this annual event, which draws close to 100,000 spectators and 1,500 rowers from around the globe.

999.0953 7/14 CREW WORTHY/SARASOTA LISA COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA; PHOTOS

86 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Opportunities abound here in Clearwater.

Business, Recreation, Culture, Sports, Nature, Education, Community.

2.2 million sq. ft. of office space 110 municipal parks and recreational facilities tons of sand used by sculptural artists during 1,000 the Sugar Sand Festival

26 public and semi-private golf courses 361 days of sunshine annually higher educational establishments located 35 within a 30 minute drive

46 miles of waterfront

You can have it all when you experience Clearwater.

MyClearwater.com/econdev Clearwater, Florida (727) 562–4220 TAMPA BAY

Key Demographics Universities/Colleges  Population 4,365,384  Clearwater Christian College  Labor Force 1,974,066  Eckerd College  Households 1,811,198  Florida College  Household EBI $36,779  Florida Polytechnic University  Total Retail Sales $61.53 bil.  Florida Southern College  Hillsborough Community College Airports  New College of Florida  St. Petersburg-Clearwater  Pasco-Hernando State College International Airport Headquartered in  Polk State College  Sarasota Bradenton International St. Petersburg,  Ringling College of Art and Design Airport Raymond James Financial  Tampa International Airport  Saint Leo University  St. Petersburg College is Florida’s largest home- Seaports  Southeastern University grown financial services  Port Citrus  State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota firm, with more than 6,200  Port Manatee  University of South Florida financial advisors serving  Port of St. Petersburg  University of South Florida St. Petersburg approximately 2.5 million  Port Tampa Bay  University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee accounts throughout the  University of Tampa U.S., Canada and overseas.  Warner University  Webber International University NOTABLE EMPLOYERS

our Firm’s mission: Distribution • HSN St. Petersburg to Provide high quALity, resuLts-driven LegAL • Publix Super Markets Lakeland rePresentAtion to FinAnciAL institutions And other • Tech Data Corporation Clearwater soPhisticAted businesses in An eFFicient , cost-eFFective, And timeLy mAnner. Finance & Insurance our Firm’s mission: • JPMorgan Chase Tampa AnthonyAndPArtners.com • Progressive Insurance Tampa to Provide high quALity, resuLts-driven LegAL • Raymond James Financial rePresentAtion to FinAnciAL institutions And other St. Petersburg soPhistic Ated businesses in An eFFicient, • United Services Automobile cost-eFFective, And timeLy mAnner. Association (USAA) Tampa Healthcare • BayCare Health System Clearwater • HCA West Florida Tampa • Lincare Holdings Clearwater • WellCare Health Plans Tampa 201 North Franklin Street, 201 North Franklin Street, Hospitality/Tourism 201 North Franklin Street, Suite 2800 Suite 2800 Suite 2800 Tampa, FL 33602• Bloomin’ Brands Tampa Tampa, FL 33602 • Busch Gardens Tampa 813-273-5616 813-273-5616• LEGOLAND Winter Haven Knowledge and Experience – Accessibility and Reliability Manufacturing • Jabil Circuit St. Petersburg Ardent Representation – Focus on Practical Results • Mosaic FishHawk • PGT Industries Venice Anthony & PArtners • Tropicana Products Bradenton • Sun Hydraulics Corporation Sarasota A t t o r n e y s A t L A w

88 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com

Anthony_Partners_BizFl_14_ad.indd 1 8/22/14 10:39 AM SOUTH CENTRAL

SOUTH WAUCHULA SEBRING LAKE PLACID ARCADIA OKEECHOBEE MOORE HAVEN CENTRAL LABELLE

EXPANDING COMPANIES that are first attracted to South Here, where cattle lands, citrus groves, sugar cane fields Central Florida for its natural beauty and wide open spaces and subtropical foliage still dominate the landscape, three soon discover that this relaxing environment offers many interstate highways, Florida’s Turnpike, four U.S. highways business advantages too. This region’s location in the heart- and 12 state roads provide ready links to airports and land of Florida means that approximately 85% of the state’s seaports in key Florida cities and to important markets entire population is within a 150-mile radius. The workforce throughout the Southeast. Additionally, this region is bisected in these six counties alone tops 106,000; another 3.8 million by the Okeechobee Waterway, a system of navigable rivers workers can be found in bordering counties. Population and canals linking Florida’s east and west coasts through density in this region averages just 46.3 persons per square Lake Okeechobee. mile compared to the average statewide density of 351.

FOUNDED IN 1912, THE TOWN OF WHO LIVES HERE SEBRING BOASTS A POPULATION Hispanic clout 28% of Farmers, ranchers and more While South Central’s nearly South Central’s location in Florida’s OF 10,331, A 22-BUILDING 250,000 residents are heartland has contributed to an increase DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT, Hispanic, compared to a in the number of firms engaged in distri- THE ANNUAL 12 HOURS OF statewide average of 24%. bution and manufacturing, agriculture “ At 50%, Hendry County remains the dominant industry here. Four SEBRING” AMERICAN LE MANS has this region’s largest of the top five citrus-producing counties SERIES RACE AND LOADS OF concentration of Hispanics, in Florida are in this region as are the with Hardee County a close only two Florida counties with more than

PHOTO BRUCE HUNT PHOTO SMALL-TOWN CHARM. second at 43%. 100,000 head of cattle.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 89 SOUTH CENTRAL

ECONOMIC LIFE QUALITY OF LIFE Distribution Manufacturing Where history runs deep • Lykes Bros. and A. Duda & Sons continue • LaBelle-based CPR Tools, manufacturer South Central is known as a moving ahead with joint plans to develop of products to recover and/or eradi- region where the lineage of many Americas Gateway Logistics Center, an “inland cate information from the hard drives families goes back multiple gener- port” in Moore Haven. In 2013, the companies of computers, phones and other elec- ations and Florida’s history can tapped Panattoni Development to market the tronic devices, has landed a contract with be seen along back roads and in center, which combines warehousing, distribu- OfficeMax to provide data recovery and small towns. Browse for antiques tion and transportation services. security services for its customers. CPR in Arcadia, spend an afternoon plans to grow its staff from 33 to 50. perusing one man’s collection of Agribusiness • Gulf Coast Supply & Manufacturing oddities at “Solomon’s Castle” just • West Palm Beach-based BioNitrogen Holdings opened its fourth Florida location at outside Wauchula or pop in to see Corporation hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sebring Regional Airport in January 2014 700 pieces of clown memorabilia at the Hendry County site of its first-ever plant with plans to develop a fully functional for free at Toby’s American Clown for converting biomass into urea fertilizer. The manufacturing plant and create 49 full- Museum and School in Lake $300-million facility is expected to employ 50 time jobs. Gulf Coast is the state’s largest Placid, where dozens of working and yield 124,000 tons of fertilizer annually. supplier of residential metal roofing. clowns have received training. • With new phosphate mines planned in • PFMan, a high-precision parts maker for “Real” Florida fun It’s no Hardee and DeSoto counties, Mosaic Company the aerospace industry among other high- wonder that getting back to could add another 500 workers to the 440 impact sectors, has opened a 20,000-sq.- nature is a favorite pastime here. currently employed at its South Fort Meade and ft. manufacturing facility at Hardee County South Central is home to Lake South Pasture mines in Hardee County. Commerce Park in Wauchula; 50 new jobs Okeechobee — the nation’s are planned. second largest freshwater lake • Charles Composites, a division of Rolling — plus many smaller lakes and Meadows, Ill.-based Charles Industries, one of Florida’s oldest parks, has opened a $3.85-million facility in Highlands Hammock State Park, Okeechobee for the manufacture of the circa 1931. World-class fishing, underground boxes telecom companies bird watching, camping and small and utilities use to house splice points game hunting are popular activi- and other wiring; 28 jobs resulted. ties here, as are festivals devoted to such “natural wonders” as Mosaic South Fort Meade mine swamp cabbage (LaBelle), sugar (Clewiston), speckled perch (Okeechobee) and caladium (Lake NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Placid). Manufacturing Italian light aircraft Agribusiness Sarasota-based Florikan, manufacturer TECNAM opened its U.S. a manufacturer of controlled-release poly- headquarters and a 21,000-sq.-ft. manufac- mer-coated fertilizer, has begun construct- turing facility at Sebring Regional Airport in ing a new manufacturing/distribution facil- SOUTH CENTRAL early 2014 with 10 new jobs and hopes for ity at Hardee County Commerce Park in at a glance 100-150 total as it ramps up for production Wauchula, where it will employ 30 workers DeSoto | Glades | Hardee | Hendry of 10 aircraft models. TECNAM delivered its by late 2015. The company is continuing Highlands | Okeechobee first aircraft — a P2008 Turbo — from the to maintain its headquarters and 12-15 Sebring site in April 2014. employees in Sarasota County, at a new Key Demographics Lakewood Ranch site.  Population 249,798  Labor Force 106,339  Households 92,787 NOTABLE EMPLOYERS  Household EBI $31,281 Agribusiness • TKM Farms Belle Glade Healthcare  Total Retail Sales $2.93 bil. • Lykes Brothers Glades, • United States Sugar • DeSoto Memorial Hospital Highlands and Okeechobee Clewiston Arcadia College counties Distribution • Florida Hospital Heartland  South Florida State College • Mosaic Wauchula • Walmart Distribution Center Medical Center Sebring • Southern Gardens Citrus Arcadia • Florida Institute for Airport Clewiston • Walpole Okeechobee Neurologic Rehabilitation  Sebring Regional Airport Wauchula

90 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Sponsored Report ardee County H Expanding the Influence of Florida’s Heartland

Hardee County is a family-friendly, business-ready area with a proud tradition of productive agriculture, innovative manufacturing, efficient energy production and forward-thinking technology.

ocated in the south central region of the state The EDC has established five target industries that L known as Florida’s Heartland, Hardee County complement existing resources and present the greatest offers a unique combination of business opportunities, opportunities for sustained and responsible growth. existing infrastructure and a quality of life that includes ➮ Agriculture safe neighborhood schools and affordable housing. With some of the richest soil in the world, Hardee County Its 28,000 residents make up a strong and willing is a top agricultural center boasting prize-winning workforce eager to explore new opportunities and livestock and sweet Valencia oranges. Its citizens and preserve a treasured way of life. financial institutions have a wealth of knowledge and The county’s newest project is a production- vested interest in seeing this sector thrive. based incubator/accelerator that provides space for ➮ Energy entrepreneurs to grow their ideas from conception to Many consider Hardee County to be “energy central,” functioning sustainable companies. These businesses with efficient electric power plants and transmission line then will be able to locate outside of the incubator/ distribution as well as significant natural gas transmission accelerator and flourish independently in Hardee distribution capacity. Hardee County welcomes energy County. producers and industries needing reliable and plentiful To make sure there are plenty of trained workers to power. fill these new jobs, the Economic Development Council ➮ Manufacturing (EDC) and area employers are working with South The Hardee County Industrial Development Authority Florida State College to provide courses in various (IDA) and Economic Development Authority (EDA) have trade and industrial specializations to meet current and worked together to create a shovel-ready Commerce future employer needs. Another vital workforce partner Park that fosters manufacturing and light industrial is CareerSource Heartland, which coordinates state companies. The Commerce Park includes broadband and federal grant programs for employee training. availability, a Sheriff’s substation and close proximity to rail and major highways. ➮ Mining Hardee County is located in what is known as Bone Valley, the most abundant region of naturally occurring phosphate in North America. The phosphate industry is a significant driver of economic activity and feeds a growing number of businesses in related industries. ➮ Technology Local Incentives A rural county that values technology and the companies that rely on it, Hardee County has built a broadband internet system that covers the entire county. Constructed in 2011, it provides superior broadband service at competitive rates. It also supports TechRiver, the county’s Technology Park offering state-of-the-art security and data vault.

Hardee County has the unique resources, partners and leadership to make it Logistics Broadband a significant player in a growing Florida. To join us, or to learn more, visit www.hardeebusiness.com or call (863) 773-3030.

Business Incubator SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST VERO BEACH PORT ST. LUCIE FLORIDA’S SOUTHEAST IS THE STATE’S MOST HEAVILY POPULATED STUART REGION. And with so many business advantages — proximity to global markets, JUPITER a multicultural workforce, world-class educational institutions and an exceptional WEST PALM BEACH quality of life — the challenge for companies considering relocation to any of these BOCA RATON seven counties is less about finding right sites for expansion than it is about choosing FORT LAUDERDALE just one. Here, where five deep water ports and four international airports are conduits MIAMI for worldwide tourism and trade, globally minded firms enjoy easy access to the lucrative and rapidly growing Latin American market. Those that distribute their goods by land are closer than ever before to key domestic markets now that KEY WEST upgrades to I-595, the major artery linking I-75, I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike, are complete. Is it any wonder, then, that companies in such high-impact industry sectors as aviation, life sciences and technology have chosen to “cluster” in this region? Tourism remains a significant economic driver here too. From Indian River County to the Florida Keys, visitor numbers are up and communities stand ready to welcome vacationers as eagerly as CEOs wanting to sink permanent roots.

COULD THERE BE A BETTER VENUE THAN DOWNTOWN MIAMI IN FEBRUARY FOR SHOWING OFF LUXURY YACHTS TO POTENTIAL BUYERS? THE PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW ATTRACTED 94,980 VISITORS IN 2014 AND, IN 2013, GENERATED $312.2 MILLION IN SALES FOR FLORIDA COMPANIES.

92 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com SOUTHEAST

WHO LIVES HERE Globally savvy South Florida isn’t in Heavily Hispanic In Miami-Dade Well-connected Miami ranks 5th Latin America, but it’s the best place County alone, 51% of the popula- among U.S. cities for smartphone for doing business there, according tion is foreign-born, and at 31% and penetration. According to a November to the business/finance magazine 22% respectively, the populations of 2013 survey from the global informa- América Economía, which based its contiguous Broward and Palm Beach tion firm Nielsen, 73% of people in rankings on such factors as infra- counties aren’t far behind. Latinos are Southeast Florida’s largest city own a structure, regional platform for global the most prevalent immigrant group smartphone, compared to 67% nation- business, corporate executive safety here, averaging 25% of the population wide. The next closest city to Miami and executive salary-to-cost-of-living region-wide with Miami-Dade, at 66%, was San Francisco at 74%; Dallas ratio. the runaway leader among all seven topped the list at 76%. Southeast Florida counties for concentration of Hispanics. ECONOMIC LIFE Aviation/Aerospace/Defense • Sikorsky Aircraft • Annapolis, Md.-based Synaptic Advisory Partners, a unveiled its most cloud consulting firm, has opened an office in Stuart powerful helicopter to with plans to add 20 jobs in IT and sales. date at its West Palm Two Edinburgh, Scotland-based technology companies Beach-based Devel- have arrived in south Florida: opment Flight Center • Vioearth, which designs and manufactures products to in May 2014. Dubbed track and minimize computer energy usage, opened a “King Stallion,” the U.S. headquarters in Miami and will add 45 employees. CH-53K carries three • Online travel search company Skyscanner established times the load of its U.S./Latin American/Canadian headquarters in Miami; previous helicopters 50 new jobs are anticipated. and will be used by Sikorsky’s “King Stallion” Corporate/Regional Headquarters the Marine Corps to Planning to site headquarters facilities in Southeast move troops and equipment. Florida: • Aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) firm • Office Depot: Following its Lufthansa Technik will consolidate its south Florida regional merger with Naperville, Ill.-based office in Miramar, creating 24 jobs. OfficeMax in 2013, Office Depot • Pratt & Whitney’s new 100,000-sq.-ft. jet-engine will remain headquartered at its center opened in West Palm Beach in June 2014 with existing 625,000-sq.-ft. campus the announcement of 110 jobs above and beyond the in Boca Raton, creating close previously promised 230. The $63-million expansion to 400 new jobs and retaining accommodates two assembly lines: one for building some 2,000 positions. the F135 engine used in F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, the • Nyrstar: A Zurich-based mining other for production of PurePower® engines for Airbus and metals company establish- commercial jets. ing its headquarters for the Office Depot • The Boeing Company has consolidated its North Americas in Fort Lauderdale American flight training facilities in Miami, adding nearly with 25 jobs. $100 million worth of flight simulators and other training • Cyalume Technologies Holdings: Designer/manufactur- devices and supporting 100 jobs at what is the firm’s largest er of tactical products and training solutions for military commercial aviation training campus worldwide. and law enforcement applications relocating from Technology West Springfield, Mass., to Fort Lauderdale; 25 jobs • Software giant Citrix Systems Inc. will add 200 jobs over expected. the next three years at its Fort Lauderdale headquarters. • The Bosch Group: Frankfort, Germany-based global • Mobile device accessory maker MarBlue is relocating and supplier of services for the automotive, travel and trans- expanding its headquarters/R&D facility in downtown Holly- portation industries opening its first North American wood; the $2.9-million project is expected to create 28 jobs. communication center in Fort Lauderdale with 100 jobs.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 93 SPONSORED REPORT HOLLYWOOD A Great Place to Live, Work and Play

Hollywood is more than a charming beachfront Downtown Mural Program city. It’s the “Diamond of the Gold Coast,” where Working with conceptual artists business, beaches and bathing suits come together in and property owners, the Down- town Hollywood Mural Project what one executive calls the “50-yard line” of South has created a colorful splash with Florida’s economic and lifestyle climate. more than a dozen contemporary Hollywood has enjoyed recent and robust outdoor murals curated to enrich economic improvement. The Community the community’s cultural fabric. With downtown as a canvas, Redevelopment Agency oversaw $41 million in

visual art-related activities attract WEISBERG JILL PHOTO: capital investments in the water and sewer system patrons and stimulate business. Downtown Mural Project and beachfront streetscaping; renovations to the 2.5-mile Hollywood Beach Broadwalk earned the Margaritaville & designation as one of “America’s 10 Great Public Costa Hollywood S p a c e s .” Not only is Margaritaville Beach Resort slated to Whether working in creative spaces, living in open as planned in Fall nearby luxury apartments, dining or shopping along 2015, the “Margaritaville the tree-lined downtown, enjoying the Arts Park at effect” is serving as a Young Circle, or riding the trolley or a bike to the catalyst for other beach- beach, businesses, locals and tourists all are at home front investment. The Costa Hollywood Condo Resort at in Hollywood. Hollywood Beach Village “Hollywood is a unique and authentic urban condominium-hotel nearby village that’s attracting investment and tourists will bring exquisite finishes, alike,” says Jorge Camejo, executive director of the sophisticated furnishings Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency and a world-class fitness center and spa. (CRA). “From the downtown to the beachfront, we’re Margaritaville Beach Resort walkable, historic and charming. People find that Downtown’s very appealing for both business and pleasure.” Transformation Young Circle Commons will be a 19-story luxury rental tower with 25,000 square feet of retail within the façade of the 1900s-era Great Southern Hotel. Nearby, the $150-million mixed- State Road use Hollywood Circle will include A1A Rendering almost 400 rental units, the 104-room Circ Hotel and retail in a one million total square-foot “Main Street Hollywood Beach” development. Both will enhance The Hollywood CRA is exploring revitalization and Hollywood’s live/work/play beautification of State Road A1A – or “Main Street culture, especially for the area’s Hollywood Beach.” Improvements planned for Hollywood Circle creative and corporate set. the two miles from Hollywood Boulevard north to Sheridan Street will calm traffic, provide a safer corridor to be shared by multi-modal users and improve business curb appeal to better serve and create a sense of arrival for tourists and residents. DOWNTOWN HOLLYWOOD. HOLLYWOOD BEACH. Two exceptional choices for your business.

Steps from our tree-lined historic business district or close to our award-winning Broadwalk and miles of white sand

Office, retail and flexspace from 200 to 20,000 sq. ft. New construction and renovated Variety of locations

Lisa Liotta, Redevelopment Manager: [email protected] www.HollywoodCRA.org SOUTHEAST

ECONOMIC LIFE Trade and Distribution Life Sciences/Healthcare Developments at three Southeast ports • Tennessee-based healthcare business facilitate domestic and international services company Parallon Business trade: Solutions will add 125 jobs and 23,000- • PortMiami: Now a designated Foreign square feet to its Florida headquarters Trade Zone, offering on-dock rail service in Sunrise. and streamlined access to I-95 through • Drug-delivery systems manufacturer a newly completed truck tunnel. SHL Pharma has completed a $6-million • Port Everglades: Providing direct renovation of its factory/R&D facility in service from Northern Europe via Grand Deerfield Beach, adding 30 jobs. Alliance Gulf Atlantic Express and an • Venezuelan pharmaceutical company on-dock rail link connecting the port Unipharma will establish its interna- with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Interna- tional headquarters in Tamarac, creating Tradition Medical Center, offering tional Airport. 100 jobs and investing $50 million in 90 beds and the potential for 200 • Port of Palm Beach: Providing direct facilities and equipment. more, opened in St. Lucie County access to Florida East Coast Railway, • Stem cell nutrition company Stemtech in 2013, next door to Mann Medical One, CSX and Norfolk Southern rail lines International has relocated its interna- the first building in a planned 22-acre via on-dock rail and five miles of port- tional headquarters and manufacturing/ complex of medical offices and research owned track. R&D lab from San Clemente, Calif., to facilities. Pembroke Pines, adding 90 jobs.

QUALITY OF LIFE Live like a tourist Check out the newly opened Pérez Art Educational excellence Southeast is home to 20 colleges Museum Miami. Shop ‘til you drop for bargains at Broward and universities, including Florida International University, County’s Sawgrass Mills Mall — the nation’s largest outlet mall which recently took over operation of the federally owned — or for designer goods along Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Aquarius Reef Base in Key Largo, the world’s only operational Enjoy dinner by the sea in Vero Beach, Fort Pierce or dozens underwater research habitat; and Broward College, leading of other ocean-side venues. Follow the scenic Overseas a consortium of 12 educational institutions nationwide to Highway to Key West, named 8th friendliest city in America on develop industry-recognized logistics and supply chain Conde Nast Traveler’s 2014 “Reader’s Choice Survey.” All this management certification programs. In addition, two Miami and more are yours to enjoy anytime as a year-round resident. high schools are among the nation’s top 25 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best High Schools 2014”: Design and Architecture Senior High School (No. 19) and International Studies Charter High School (No. 24). Specialty healthcare second to none For the 11th straight year, University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has been named the nation’s No. 1 hospital for ophthalmology on U.S. News & World Report’s 2014-15 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” Miami Children’s Hospital was named among the nation’s top 50 children’s hospitals in nine pediatric specialties.

Cycling enthusiasts will find much to like about West Palm Beach. Downtown events and businesses are easy to access on two wheels, and for stashing your bike while you wander on foot, bike racks and rental bike lockers are readily available.

96 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Life. Less taxing.

Photo by Ken Henson [email protected]

With no state income tax, relocating to Greater Fort Lauderdale is like getting an instant raise. More than 10%. Plus, with three major airports, three major seaports and seven executive airports in South Florida, you’re at the gateway to the world. Join the over 150 corporations that have already made the move.

“Hey, it’s not what you make. It’s what you keep.” - Wayne Huizenga, Chairman, Huizenga Holdings

Winner of Business Facilities 2014 and Inaugural 2012 Economic Development Achievement Awards in the Public/Private Partnership Category and 2013 Economic Development Excellence Award (Population greater than 500K)

For relocation information: lesstaxing.com / 954.627.0134

FEDA412197_Florida_Trend_FPFC_2014.indd 1 8/7/14 6:25 PM SOUTHEAST

NOTABLE ADDITIONS/ SOUTHEAST at a glance EXPANSIONS Broward | Indian River | Martin | Miami-Dade | Monroe | Palm Beach | St. Lucie Corporate headquarters Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a Key Demographics Universities/Colleges cancer treatment provider with five  Population 6,484,631  Barry University hospitals across the U.S., is relocat- Labor Force 3,274,730  Broward College ing from Schaumburg, Ill., to Boca  Households 2,476,384  Carlos Albizu University Raton; 225 jobs anticipated. Household EBI $37,905  City College  Total Retail Sales $86.90 bil.  Everglades University Technology Cybersecurity firm  Florida Atlantic University Airports Prolexic Technologies expects to  Florida International University  Florida Keys Marathon Airport nearly double its staff as it expands  Florida Keys Community College  Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and relocates to a new headquarters Airport  Florida Memorial University in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The   Key West International Airport Indian River State College company, which protects businesses  Johnson & Wales University  Miami International Airport from network and machine hacking,  Keiser University  Palm Beach International Airport was recently acquired by Massachu-  Lynn University setts-based Akamai Technologies. Seaports  Miami Dade College  Port Everglades  Northwood University Security services Brink’s Regional  Port of Fort Pierce  Nova Southeastern University Services, a subsidiary of worldwide  Port of Key West  Palm Beach Atlantic University security services firm The Brink’s  PortMiami  Palm Beach State College Company, has established its Latin  Port of Palm Beach  St. Thomas University American headquarters in Miami-  University of Miami Dade County; 105 new jobs are anticipated.

Aquaculture Florida Organic Aquaculture has opened a 180,000- Downtown Miami is South Florida’s sq.-ft. closed-water shrimp produc- destination for global business. tion/research facility — the nation’s largest — in Fellsmere with the The Miami Downtown Development Authority expectation of 512 jobs. Shrimp is your source of information for raised here will be shipped fresh doing business in downtown. to restaurants and grocery chains across the U.S.

Florida Organic Aquaculture raises sushi-grade shrimp at its Fellsmere facility. miamidda.com 305.579.6675

98 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com Our International Menu Now Offers Florida Even Greater Choices!

Belem, Brazil TAM Airlines www.tam.com.br

Brussels, Belgium Jetairfly www.jetairfly.com

Curitiba, Brazil American Airlines www.aa.com Madrid, Spain

Air Europa Doha, Qatar www.aireuropa.com Qatar Airways www.qatarairways.com Milan, Italy

American Airlines Fortaleza, Brazil www.aa.com TAM Airlines www.tam.com.br Oranjestad, Aruba

InselAir Aruba Helsinki, Finland nair www.fly-inselair.com Fin www.finnair.com Effective December 16, 2014 Porto Alegre, Brazil

American Airlines

www.aa.com Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Air Europa

www.aireuropa.com

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

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NOTABLE EMPLOYERS Aviation/Aerospace • HEICO Aerospace Corporation Hollywood • Piper Aircraft Vero Beach • Pratt & Whitney West Palm Beach • Sikorsky Aircraft West Palm Beach Business/Financial Services Carnival Cruise Lines • American Express Plantation • iVox Solutions Palm City • Zimmerman Advertising Fort Lauderdale Life Sciences/Healthcare • Actavis Davie • Martin Health System Stuart • Noven Pharmaceuticals Miami • University of Miami Health System Miami Technology • Citrix Systems Fort Lauderdale • G4S Secure Solutions Jupiter Travel /Tourism • Carnival Cruise Lines Miami • Royal Caribbean International Miami • Spirit Airlines Miramar

A globAl AdvAntAge for businesses The greater Fort Lauderdale area is closely tied to the development of trade and trade gateways. By using the benefits of a FTZ, companies are able to operate on a more level playing field with their international competitors and increase their profitability.

FTZ-241 can offer numerous benefits to businesses such as duty deferral or elimination, to increased operational efficiency, to a profitable platform in which to compete effectively in global or domestic markets.

Fort Lauderdale is providing businesses with tools for success in today’s highly competitive global market. Bold investments in marine commerce, tourism, aviation and transportation assets are fueling record growth. Today, $7.5 billion in infrastructure funding is multiplying through every sector of Fort Lauderdale’s economy. The newly opened 390- unit, 35-story NINE at Mary For more inFormation: (954) 828-4955 Brickell Village is one of many new condominium developments currently CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE on the market in eastern Miami-Dade County.

100 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST

WITH ITS ENTICING COMBINATION of affordable sites, dynamic workforce and excep- PUNTA GORDA FORT MYERS tional quality of life, Southwest Florida appeals to companies in such diverse industry sectors CAPE CORAL as healthcare, business services, logistics and manufacturing. Companies that start here tend ESTERO to stay here, and those that relocate to this region find it a good place to grow. NAPLES Globally minded firms enjoy easy access to both domestic and international markets via I-75, which puts four deep water ports — Manatee, Tampa Bay, Miami and Everglades — within an average 160-mile drive. Southwest Florida International Airport, among the nation’s 50 busiest, and Page Field, a general aviation facility, are designated Foreign Trade Zones, and at Punta Gorda Airport, 23 mid-sized U.S. cities are now just one non-stop flight away thanks to Allegiant Air’s continued expansion. Educational assets in this region include Florida Gulf Coast University, offering 51 undergraduate and 28 graduate degree programs, plus workshops and one-on-one-counseling for entrepreneurs at its Small Business Development Center, and Florida SouthWestern State College (formerly Edison State College), serving 17,000 students at campuses in all three Southwest Florida counties.

DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS HAS BECOME THE NIGHTTIME PLACE TO BE NOW THAT SEVEN NEW RESTAURANTS HAVE OPENED ALONG THE CITY’S PALM-LINED AVENUES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR.

WHO LIVES HERE Growing workforce Employers Employers who are hiring The Hispanic influenceAt 26%, Collier looking to put down roots in this region Naples-Marco Island MSA had the County has the highest concentration can anticipate having the workers they’ll nation’s highest job gains last year, of Hispanic population of any Florida need in the years ahead. The Univer- according to the financial news county bordering the Gulf of Mexico, sity of Florida’s Bureau of Business website 247wallst.com Between U.S. Census data reveals. Of the total and Economic Research projects a 9% October 2012 and October 2013, the 38,309 businesses in Collier, 16% are increase in Southwest Florida’s 25-54 age number of jobs here jumped by 8%. Hispanic owned; Lee County is next group by 2020, compared to 4% across Industry sectors leading the way: closest at 14%. the entire state. professional and business services, up

PHOTO AMBER PHOTO FREDERIKSEN 10%, and leisure/hospitality, up 7%.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 101 SOUTHWEST

ECONOMIC LIFE Life Sciences/Healthcare • Site preparation has begun on the newest addition to the Arthrex family of facilities in Southwest Florida — a state- of-the-art “finishing” plant at Arthrex Manufacturing East (AMIE) in Ave Maria. The planned 54,000-sq.-ft. building will be used to complete the finishing stages of surgical device manufacturing, packaging and sterilization. Construc- tion is expected to take 12-18 months; when completed, an estimated 50 employees will be assigned to the new Hertz headquarters rendering facility, of which 30 will be new hires. AMIE, a 190,000-sq.-ft. surgical device Corporate Headquarters Business Services and implant manufacturing plant in east • A little more than a year after deciding • Global media/technology company Collier County, opened in October 2013. to move its world headquarters from Comcast is expanding its customer • Fort Myers-based cancer genetic Park Ridge, New Jersey, to Lee County, service “Center of Excellence” in testing firm NeoGenomics has acquired Florida, rental car giant Hertz Corpora- Fort Myers, with plans to add 200 Path Labs (dba Path Logic), a provider tion is settling in. Construction is under new customer service agents and 20 of anatomic pathology services to way at the Fortune 300 company’s leadership positions to an existing hospitals and physicians in northern 34.5-acre campus at the intersection of Lee County-based staff of 400. California. Operating as a subsidiary of Williams Road and U.S. 41 in Estero, and • Wisconsin-based Alta Resources NeoGenomics, Path Logic will provide some 300 headquarters employees are has begun hiring and training the specialized services for its clinical trials already at work in Florida. The three- first of 1,200 seasonal health insur- and pathology clients nationwide. story, 300,000-sq.-ft. glass-covered ance sales and customer service • Ground was broken in April 2014 at structure that is slated to become representatives the company will HealthPark Florida in Fort Myers for Hertz’s permanent Florida home is employ at its Fort Myers location to the new 128-bed, stand-alone Golisano expected to be ready for occupancy handle anticipated heavy call volume Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. by the end of 2015. In the meantime, during the annual “open enrollment Scheduled for completion in 2017, the Hertz plans to increase the number period,” which begins in mid-Novem- $250-million project of Lee Memorial of headquarters employees in South- ber 2014. Health System will replace the 98-bed west Florida to 500 by the end of 2014. Golisano “hospital-within-a-hospital” Projections are for a total of 700 jobs by Logistics/Distribution that is currently located inside Health- the headquarters’ grand opening, and • Riviera Beach-based Cheney Broth- Park Medical Center. as many as 1,000 jobs by 2017. ers Inc. broke ground in March 2014 on its much-anticipated $40-million West Coast Distribution Center in Charlotte County. The nation’s 11th largest food distributor, Cheney Brothers plans a complex near Punta Gorda Airport and I-75 that will include an administration building, plus 150,000 square feet of dry storage and 75,000 square feet of cooler and freezer space; 380 jobs are expected.

Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida rendering

102 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com SOUTHWEST

QUALITY OF LIFE NOTABLE EMPLOYERS Happy and healthy A July 2014 report ing beside the Gulf of Mexico. There are Corporate Headquarters from the U.S. National Bureau of Economic symphony orchestras to enjoy in Fort • ASG Software Solutions Research ranks Naples No. 4 on its list Myers and Naples, plus a full comple- Naples of 10 U.S. metro areas with the highest ment of galleries, museums, theaters and • Chico’s FAS Inc. Fort Myers report of happiness, and one reason festivals across the region. And if you’re • Data2 Logistics Fort Myers might be related to health. In 2014, Collier up for a challenge, check out the Murder • 21st Century Oncology County ranked No. 1 among Florida’s Mystery Dinner Train, a nostalgic journey Fort Myers 67 counties for length of life and No. 2 to/from Fort Myers that includes a five- Life Sciences/Healthcare for overall health outcomes on “County course dinner and interactive mystery to • Arthrex Inc. Naples Health Rankings & Roadmaps,” a report solve. • Lee Memorial Health System jointly published by the Robert Wood Major league action Southwest Fort Myers Johnson Foundation and the University of Florida is spring training home to three • LeeSar Fort Myers Wisconsin Population Health Institute. MLB teams — the Boston Red Sox, • NCH Healthcare System Fun for all Southwest Florida is home Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays. Naples to sunshine — some boast 360 days of it Insider tip: spring training tickets are less each year — and miles of sandy beaches expensive than regular season seats, and Information Technology for snorkeling, kayaking or simply relax- the hot dogs taste every bit as good! • Gartner Inc. Fort Myers Manufacturing • Heinz North America Fort Myers In1957, developers carved • Raymond Building Supply 400 miles of canals North Fort Myers into Florida’s southwest • Shaw Development coastline to create Cape Coral, Bonita Springs which today, at 115 square miles, claims the title of 3rd largest city geographically in Florida. To spur current development, Cape Coral SOUTHWEST at a glance may defer certain impact fees for Charlotte | Collier | Lee up to 10 years.

Key Demographics NOTABLE ADDITIONS/EXPANSIONS Population 1,165,493 Labor Force 522,786 Information tech- Aviation manufacturing expansion at the APG Households 496,739 nology Internationally Punta Gorda-based Avia- manufacturing facility Household EBI $38,550 recognized IT research tion Partners Group (APG) in Charlotte County to Total Retail Sales $17.36 bil. and advisory company teamed up with aeronau- fulfill OMA SUD’s first Gartner Inc., a Lee County tic manufacturer OMA order for 45 of the twin- Universities/Colleges engine, five-passenger fixture since 1998, plans SUD Sky Technologies in Ave Maria University to add 400 jobs in Fort early 2014 to assemble aircraft, adding 10 new Florida Gulf Coast University Myers by the end of 2019. the Italian firm’s first jobs to the 18 already in Florida SouthWestern State In 2012, Gartner consoli- SKYCAR aircraft. Now the place there. College (formerly Edison State dated its Fort Myers two are partnering on an College) operations into a newly Hodges University constructed 120,000-sq.- ft. facility and added 400 Airports jobs. Gartner currently Naples Municipal Airport employs more than 600 Punta Gorda Airport in Lee County. Southwest Florida International Airport

SKYCAR

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 103 BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AND FUNDING

BUSINESS INCUBATORS

REGION / Name City Website

EAST CENTRAL Apopka, Daytona Beach, University of Central Florida Kissimmee, Orlando, incubator.ucf.edu Business Incubation Program Access to St. Cloud, Winter Springs Blackstone LaunchPad Orlando ucf.thelaunchpad.org

Seminole Technology Business Sanford seminoleinc.com OPPORTUNITY Incubation Center NORTHWEST VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS Business Innovation Center Panama City bicpc.com Gulf Coast Center for Innova- Name City Website Pensacola gulfcoastinnovation.com tion & Entrepreneurship Advantage Capital Partners Winter Park advantagecap.com The Jim Moran Institute for Tallahassee mi.fsu.edu Global Entrepreneurship Alliance Technology Ventures Sarasota alliancetechventures.com NORTHEAST Antares Capital Corp. Miami antarescapital.com Beaver Street Enterprise Center Jacksonville bsecjax.com

Arsenal Venture Partners Winter Park arsenalvp.com Healthbox with Florida Blue Jacksonville healthbox.com/acceleratorprogram

Athenian Venture Partners Fort Lauderdale athenianvp.com NORTH CENTRAL Sid Martin Biotech Incubator Alachua sidmartinbio.org Ballast Point Ventures St. Petersburg ballastpointventures.com Florida Innovation Hub Gainesville floridainnovationhub.ufl.edu Banyan Mezzanine Funds Miami banyanmezzaninefunds.com Santa Fe College Entrepreneur Gainesville sfcollege.edu/cied/incubator Caerus Ventures West Palm Beach caerusvc.com Incubator Power Plant Business Incubator Ocala ocalacep.com CapitalSouth Growth Fund Fort Lauderdale capitalsouthpartners.com

Clearwell Group Tampa clearwellgroup.com TAMPA BAY Dade City, SMARTstart Incubator smartstartpasco.com Connemara Capital Company Jacksonville connemaracapital.com New Port Richey Spark Growth Lakewood Ranch sparkgrowth.net Easton Capital Coral Gables eastoncapital.com Tampa Bay Innovation Center Largo tbinnovates.com Emergent Growth Fund Gainesville emergentgrowth.com Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg lsscincubator.org Florida Funders Tampa floridafunders.com Business Incubator The Hub Sarasota hubsarasota.com Florida Gulfshore Capital Naples gulfshorecap.com TEC Garage St. Petersburg tecgarage.org Grotech Ventures Boca Raton grotech.com Tampa Bay WaVE Tampa tampabaywave.org Harbert Venture Partners Gainesville harbert.net/venture-capital USF CONNECT Tampa usfconnect.org H.I.G. Capital Miami higcapital.com SOUTHEAST Hamilton Lane Florida Growth Fund Fort Lauderdale floridagrowthfund.com C. Scott Ellington Technology research-park.org/technology- Boca Raton Business Incubator business-incubator Honey Tree Holdings West Palm Beach honeytreeholdings.com VentureWave Boca Raton edc-tech.org Lovett Miller & Co. Tampa lovettmiller.com TechWalk Coral Springs edc-tech.org Mayport Venture Partners Jacksonville mayport.cc Global Business Development Delray Beach globalbusinessdevelopmentcenter.com Center MBF Healthcare Partners Coral Gables mbfhealthcarepartners.com Delray Beach, TED Center Business Incubator tedcenter.org West Palm Beach Morgenthau Venture Partners Fort Lauderdale morgenthau.com Broward College Incubator Fort Lauderdale edc-tech.org MPM Capital Gainesville mpmcapital.com Hialeah Technology Center Hialeah hiatec.org

NewGate Capital Partners Winter Park newgatecapitalpartners.com Metro Broward Small Business Lauderhill metrobroward.org Success Center New River Capital Partners Fort Lauderdale newrivercapital.com The LaunchPad Miami thelaunchpad.org New World Angels Boca Raton newworldangels.com Miami Entrepreneurship Center Miami mec261.com Palm Beach Angels Boca Raton palm-beach-angels.com Startup Miami Miami startup-miami.com Palm Beach Capital West Palm Beach pbcap.com Venture Hive Miami venturehive.co PS27 Ventures Jacksonville ps27ventures.com International Enterprise River Cities Capital Funds Palm Coast rccf.com Development Small Business Ocean Ridge iedfl.com Incubator Indian River State College SI Ventures Fort Myers siventures.com Stuart irscbiz.com Virtual Incubator Snapper Creek Equity Management Coral Gables snappercreek.com SOUTHWEST Southwest Florida Stonehenge Growth Capital Tampa stonehengegc.com Fort Myers swflenterprisecenter.com Enterprise Center Immokalee Business Tamiami Angel Funds Naples tamiamiangels.com Immokalee immokalee.biz Development Center North Palm Tullis Health Investors tullisfunds.com Beach Proton Enterprises Naples protonenterprises.com Compiled in cooperation with the Florida Venture Forum (www.flventure.org). List includes Compiled in cooperation with the Florida Business Incubation Association (www.fbiaonline.org). major venture capital firms and select angel funds. ©Copyright 2014 Trend Magazines Inc. List includes Florida-based facilities that provide first-stage business incubator services. This list may not be reproduced in any format without written permission from the ©Copyright 2014 Trend Magazines Inc. This list may not be reproduced in any format without written publisher. permission from the publisher.

104 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS LEADERS

FLORIDA’S LARGEST PUBLIC COMPANIES

% Gain or Loss 2014 Name Location Revenue over Employees Line of Business Rank Previous Year

1 World Fuel Services Miami $41.6 B 6.7 ▲ 2,758 Petroleum products distribution 2 Tech Data Clearwater 26.8 B 5.8 ▲ 9,100 Computer distribution 3 Jabil Circuit St. Petersburg 18.3 B 6.9 ▲ 177,000 Electronics components manufacturing 4 AutoNation Fort Lauderdale 17.5 B 11.8 ▲ 22,000 Auto dealerships 5 Carnival Miami 15.5 B 0.5 ▲ 88,200 Cruise lines 6 NextEra Energy Juno Beach 15.1 B 6.2 ▲ 13,400 Energy provider 7 CSX Jacksonville 12.0 B 2.3 ▲ 31,000 Railroads 8 Office Depot Boca Raton 11.2 B 5.1 ▲ 64,000 Office products retail and distribution 9 Hertz Global Holdings Estero 10.8 B 19.4 ▲ 30,400 Car rental 10 WellCare Health Plans Tampa 9.5 B 28.6 ▲ 5,200 Health insurance services 11 Fidelity National Financial Jacksonville 8.6 B 18.9 ▲ 63,861 Title insurance 12 Darden Restaurants Orlando 8.6 B 6.9 ▲ 206,000 Restaurants 13 Royal Caribbean Cruises Miami 8.0 B 3.5 ▲ 64,000 Cruise lines 14 Jarden Boca Raton 7.4 B 9.9 ▲ 33,000 Consumer products 15 Ryder System Miami 6.4 B 2.6 ▲ 28,900 Transportation services 16 Fidelity National Information Services Jacksonville 6.1 B 4.5 ▲ 38,000 Information technology support services 17 Lennar Miami 5.9 B 44.6 ▲ 5,741 Residential construction 18 Harris Melbourne 5.1 B 6.2 ▼ 14,000 Telecommunications equipment development 19 Raymond James Financial St. Petersburg 4.6 B 17.9 ▲ 10,150 Financial services 20 MasTec Coral Gables 4.3 B 16.0 ▲ 13,450 Telecom infrastructure services 21 Bloomin' Brands Tampa 4.1 B 3.5 ▲ 101,000 Restaurants 22 Watsco Coconut Grove 3.7 B 9.1 ▲ 4,800 Industrial equipment manufacturing 23 Fresh Del Monte Produce Coral Gables 3.7 B 7.7 ▲ 46,000 Food processing and packaging 24 B/E Aerospace Wellington 3.5 B 12.9 ▲ 10,285 Aerospace defense manufacturing 25 HSN St. Petersburg 3.4 B 4.2 ▲ 6,800 Online retailer 26 ADT Boca Raton 3.3 B 2.5 ▲ 17,000 Electronic security provider 27 Roper Industries Sarasota 3.2 B 8.2 ▲ 9,913 Industrial equipment and components production 28 Citrix Systems Fort Lauderdale 2.9 B 12.9 ▲ 9,166 Computer network software 29 TECO Energy Tampa 2.9 B 4.8 ▼ 3,900 Energy provider 30 Tupperware Brands Orlando 2.7 B 3.4 ▲ 13,100 Houseware products retail and manufacturing 31 Landstar System Jacksonville 2.7 B 3.8 ▼ 1,217 Trucking 32 Chico's FAS Fort Myers 2.6 B 0.2 ▲ 23,700 Clothing retailer 33 Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Miami 2.6 B 12.9 ▲ 16,900 Cruise line operator 34 FirstService Corp. Dania Beach 2.3 B 11.0 ▲ 24,000 Real estate services 35 Mednax Sunrise 2.2 B 18.6 ▲ 6,500 Medical management services 36 Cott Tampa 2.1 B 7.0 ▼ 3,966 Beverages 37 Walter Investment Management Tampa 1.8 B 189.0 ▲ 6,400 Business solutions provider 38 Masonite International Tampa 1.7 B 3.3 ▲ 9,600 Manufacturer of residential and commercial doors 39 Rayonier Jacksonville 1.7 B 8.7 ▲ 1,600 Wood/timber operations, real estate 40 Spirit Airlines Miramar 1.7 B 25.5 ▲ 3,619 Airline 41 FTI Consulting West Palm Beach 1.7 B 4.8 ▲ 4,207 Consulting services 42 Dycom Industries Palm Beach Gardens 1.6 B 33.9 ▲ 10,822 Telecommunications contracting 43 GEO Group Boca Raton 1.5 B 2.9 ▲ 16,292 Security protection products and services 44 SeaWorld Entertainment Orlando 1.5 B 2.6 ▲ 11,800 Theme park and entertainment company 45 Brown & Brown Daytona Beach 1.4 B 13.6 ▲ 6,992 Insurance brokerage 46 Elizabeth Arden Miramar 1.3 B 8.6 ▲ 2,440 Cosmetics manufacturing 47 SBA Communications Boca Raton 1.3 B 36.8 ▲ 1,117 Telecommunications 48 Stein Mart Jacksonville 1.3 B 2.5 ▲ 11,000 Department store/retail 49 Sykes Enterprises Tampa 1.3 B 12.0 ▲ 47,900 Customer contact management solutions 50 SEACOR Holdings Fort Lauderdale 1.2 B 4.7 ▼ 4,653 Marine services Ranked by 2013 revenue. B = billion. ▲ = Percent increase over previous year. ▼ = Percent decrease over previous year. Companies listed are those with Florida-based headquarters; derived from data collected for Florida Trend’s Public 150 list. ©Copyright 2014 Trend Magazines Inc. This list may not be reproduced in any format without written permission from the publisher.

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 105 BUSINESS LEADERS FLORIDA’S LARGEST PRIVATE COMPANIES

% Gain or Loss 2014 Name Location Revenue over Employees Line of Business Rank Previous Year

1 Sun Capital Partners Boca Raton $45.0 B NC 165 Private investment firm 2 Publix Super Markets Lakeland 29.1 B 5.2 ▲ 73,588 Retail grocery stores 3 H.I.G. Capital Management Miami 13.0 B 30.0 ▲ 225 Investment holding company 4 JM Family Enterprises Deerfield Beach 12.5 B 8.7 ▲ 3,954 Automotive 5 Southern Wine & Spirits of America Miami 11.4 B 8.6 ▲ 14,000 Wine and spirits distributor 6 Southeastern Grocers Jacksonville 10.1 B 5.0 ▲ 20,000 Supermarkets 7 Brightstar Miami 7.0 B 11.1 ▲ 6,500 Wireless device solutions and distribution 8 Oasis Outsourcing West Palm Beach 5.8 B 7.4 ▲ 651 Professional employer organization 9 Fanjul Corp./Florida Crystals West Palm Beach 5.5 B NC 5,000 Agriculture, consumer products, energy

10 NASCAR Daytona Beach 3.0 B NC 1,000 Auto racing 10 Oxbow West Palm Beach 3.0 B 25.0 ▼ 1,000 Energy, minerals, commodities 12 George E. Warren Vero Beach 2.7 B 3.0 ▼ 35 Wholesale petroleum distributor 12 Staluppi Auto Group North Palm Beach 2.7 B 3.0 ▲ 1,500 Auto dealership group 14 SouthEast Personnel Leasing Holiday 2.3 B 44.0 ▲ 295 Employee leasing 15 Acosta Jacksonville 2.2 B 91.3 ▲ 19,800 Sales and marketing services 16 Crowley Maritime Jacksonville 2.0 B 12.8 ▲ 5,300 Marine solutions, transportation and logistics 17 Abbey Carpet Bonita Springs 2.0 B 12.0 ▲ 40 Franchisor of retail flooring 18 Consulate Health Care Maitland 2.0 B 18.0 ▲ 27,000 Senior healthcare services 19 Fortune International Miami 1.9 B 18.0 ▲ 1,430 Residential Real Estate 20 Rooms To Go Seffner 1.8 B 10.6 ▲ 7,250 Furniture retail 21 SDI International Fort Lauderdale 1.7 B 30.8 ▲ 2,000 Information services, workforce solutions 22 Braman Motors Miami 1.7 B 20.1 ▲ 400 Automotive 23 Greenway Automotive Orlando 1.6 B 34.0 ▲ 1,542 Automotive 24 Interline Brands Jacksonville 1.6 B 20.9 ▲ 4,300 Maintenance, repair and operations products 25 Arthrex Naples 1.5 B 15.4 ▲ 2,600 Medical device design and manufacturing 26 CNL Financial Group Orlando 1.5 B 23.3 ▲ 500 Private investment management firm 27 Related Group Miami 1.5 B 43.5 ▲ 437 Real estate development 28 Gate Petroleum Company Jacksonville 1.4 B 1.5 ▲ 2,362 Retail service stations and convenience stores 29 Intcomex Miami 1.4 B 4.7 ▼ 1,971 Computer information products 30 Potamkin Automotive Group Miami Lakes 1.3 B 8.4 ▲ 1,500 Automotive 31 Advanced Disposal Ponte Vedra 1.3 B 7.1 ▼ 5,373 Environmental services 32 Beall's Bradenton 1.3 B 4.6 ▲ 4,098 Retail department and outlet stores 33 Source Interlink Distribution Bonita Springs 1.3 B NC 4,872 Distribution and logistics solutions 34 Trivest Partners Coral Gables 1.2 B 15.7 ▲ 24 Private equity financial services 35 Greenberg Traurig Miami 1.2 B 0.7 ▼ 3,328 Law firm 36 Automated Petroleum Brandon 1.2 B 7.8 ▼ 30 Gasoline distributor 37 Boar's Head Provisions Sarasota 1.2 B NC 2,100 Delicatessen products 37 Cheney Brothers Riviera Beach 1.2 B 11.1 ▲ 1,750 Foodservice distribution 39 Villages of Lake-Sumter The Villages 1.2 B 27.7 ▲ 482 Real estate development 40 Colorado Boxed Beef Auburndale 1.1 B 86.3 ▲ 653 Wholesale food distribution 41 FrankCrum Clearwater 1.0 B 6.5 ▼ 200 HR outsourcing solutions 42 American Strategic Insurance St. Petersburg 1.0 B 28.5 ▲ 385 Insurance carrier 43 Main Street America Group Jacksonville 1.0 B 2.3 ▲ 950 Mutual insurance holding company 44 Chromalloy Palm Beach Gardens 1.0 B NC 3,750 OEM supplier

45 BrandsMart U.S.A. Fort Lauderdale 936.5 M NC 2,400 Retail consumer electronics, appliances 46 ABB Optical Group Coral Springs 921.0 M 8.3 ▲ 930 Optical products distributor 47 Rick Case Automotive Group Fort Lauderdale 896.1 M 0.8 ▲ 1,116 Automotive 48 Cunningham Lindsey Group Tampa 895.1 M 8.5 ▲ 7,000 Loss adjusting and claim management 49 Syniverse Tampa 859.0 M 15.5 ▲ 2,531 Mobile communications 50 Liberty Power Fort Lauderdale 795.0 M 11.8 ▲ 277 Energy retail Ranked by 2013 revenue. M = million. B = billion. NC = No Change. ▲ = Percent increase over previous year. ▼ = Percent decrease over previous year. Companies listed are those with Florida-based headquarters; derived from data collected for Florida Trend’s Private 200 list. ©Copyright 2014 Trend Magazines Inc. This list may not be reproduced in any format without written permission from the publisher.

106 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTACTS

Multi-county economic development organizations are listed first, followed by Enterprise Florida’s official primary partner (indicated by *). Florida Economic Development Council members representing cities and counties are also listed. For information about Enterprise Florida visit www.enterpriseflorida.com; for FEDC visit www.FEDC.net.

OSCEOLA COUNTY Opportunity Florida* JACKSON COUNTY WASHINGTON COUNTY Osceola County Economic 4636 Highway 90, Suite K Jackson County Chamber Washington County Chamber Development Department* Marianna, FL 32446 of Commerce* of Commerce* EAST CENTRAL 1 Courthouse Square (850) 270-3117 4318 Lafayette St. P.O. Box 457 Suite 4500 opportunityflorida.com Marianna, FL 32446 Chipley, FL 32428 Orlando Economic Kissimmee, FL 34741 (850) 482-8060 (850) 638-4157 Development Commission* (407) 742-4200 BAY COUNTY jacksoncounty.com washcomall.com 301 E. Pine St., Suite 900 Bay County Economic chooseosceola.com Orlando, FL 32801 Development Alliance* JEFFERSON COUNTY (407) 422-7159 SEMINOLE COUNTY 1003 Jenks Ave. Jefferson County Economic NORTHEAST Development Council* orlandoedc.com Seminole County Economic Panama City, FL 32401 JAXUSA Partnership* Development Office* 492 W. Walnut St. BREVARD COUNTY (850) 215-9965 3 Independent Drive 1055 AAA Drive, Suite 145 Monticello, FL 32344 Economic Development bayeda.com Jacksonville, FL 32202 Heathrow, FL 32746 (850) 997-7999 Commission of Florida’s Panama City Downtown (904) 366-6652 Space Coast* (407) 665-7135 jeffersoncountyedc.com Improvement Board jaxusa.org 597 Haverty Court, Suite 40 businessinseminole.com (850) 785-2554 LEON COUNTY Rockledge, FL 32955 BAKER COUNTY City of Casselberry Economic Development Baker County Chamber of (321) 638-2000 CALHOUN COUNTY (407) 262-7700 Council of Tallahassee/Leon Commerce, Development Calhoun County Chamber spacecoastedc.org County* Commission* City of Oviedo of Commerce* 300 E. Park Ave. 20 E. Macclenny Ave. City of Cocoa, Office of (407) 971-5750 20816 Central Ave. E. Tallahassee, FL 32301 Macclenny, FL 32063 Economic Development Suite 2 City of Sanford (850) 224-8116 (904) 259-6433 (321) 433-8525 Blountstown, FL 32424 (407) 330-5015 taledc.com bakerchamberfl.com Space Coast Economic (850) 674-4519 Development Commission Orlando Economic calhounco.org LIBERTY COUNTY CLAY COUNTY (321) 269-3221 Development Commission Liberty County Chamber Clay County Economic ESCAMBIA COUNTY of Commerce* Development Corporation* Seminole County Office Greater Pensacola Chamber LAKE COUNTY P.O. Box 523 1734 Kingsley Ave. (407) 665-7143 of Commerce* Lake County Economic Bristol, FL 32321 Orange Park, FL 32073 117 W. Garden St. Development Department* SUMTER COUNTY (850) 643-2359 (904) 375-9394 Pensacola, FL 32502 315 W. Main St., Suite 233 Sumter County Economic libertycountyflorida.com chooseclay.com Tavares, FL 32778 Development* (850) 438-4081 (352) 742-3918 7375 Powell Rd. choosegreaterpensacola.com OKALOOSA COUNTY DUVAL COUNTY Wildwood, FL 34785 Economic Development JAXUSA Partnership* businessinlakefl.com FRANKLIN COUNTY (352) 689-4400 Council of Okaloosa County* 3 Independent Drive City of Leesburg Franklin County Commission* 1170 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. sumterbusiness.com 33 Market St. Jacksonville, FL 32202 (352) 728-9708 Building 7, Suite 717 Suite 305 (904) 366-6652 VOLUSIA COUNTY Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 City of Tavares Apalachicola, FL 32320 jaxusa.org Volusia County, Division of (850) 362-6467 (352) 253-4546 Economic Development* (850) 653-8861 florida-edc.org Jacksonville Economic 700 Catalina Drive franklincountyflorida.com Lake County Department of Development Commission Suite 200 SANTA ROSA COUNTY Economic Development & GADSDEN COUNTY (904) 630-1858 Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Santa Rosa County Economic Tourism Gadsden County Chamber FLAGLER COUNTY (386) 248-8048 Development Office* (352) 742-3918 of Commerce* Flagler County Department floridabusiness.org 6491 Caroline St., Suite 4 208 N. Adams St. of Economic Opportunity* Lake County Department Milton, FL 32570 City of Daytona Beach Quincy, FL 32351 1769 E. Moody Blvd. of Economic Growth & (850) 623-0174 (386) 671-8050 (850) 627-9231 Building 2 Redevelopment santarosaedo.com gadsdenfla.com Bunnell, FL 32110 (352) 343-9899 City of DeLand Economic WAKULLA COUNTY (386) 313-4071 Development GULF COUNTY Wakulla County Chamber ORANGE COUNTY Economic Development flaglercountyedc.com (386) 626-7021 of Commerce* Orlando Economic Committee, Gulf County 23 High Drive NASSAU COUNTY Development Commission* City of Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce* Crawfordville, FL 32327 Nassau County Economic 301 E. Pine St., Suite 900 (386) 676-3266 406 Marina Drive Development Board* (850) 926-1848 Orlando, FL 32801 Port St. Joe, FL 32456 76346 William Burgess Blvd. Team Volusia Economic wakullacountychamber.com (407) 422-7159 (850) 227-1223 Yulee, FL 32097 Development Corporation orlandoedc.com gulfchamber.org WALTON COUNTY (904) 225-8878 (386) 265-6332 Walton County Economic City of Orlando, Economic expandinnassau.com HOLMES COUNTY Development Alliance* Development Holmes County Development 72 N. Sixth St. PUTNAM COUNTY (407) 246-2719 NORTHWEST Commission and Chamber Defuniak Springs, FL 32433 Putnam County Economic Florida’s Great Northwest* of Commerce* Development Council* Orange County Government– (850) 892-4859 100 College Blvd. 106 E. Byrd Ave. 1100 Reid Street Office of Economic, Trade & wcedafl.com Building K Bonifay, FL 32425 Palatka, FL 32177 Tourism Development Niceville, FL 32578 (850) 547-4682 (386) 328-1503 (407) 836-7370 (850) 270-3117 holmescountyonline.com putnamcountychamber.com floridasgreatnorthwest.com

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 107 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTACTS

ST. JOHNS COUNTY LAFAYETTE COUNTY HERNANDO COUNTY Lakeland Economic OKEECHOBEE COUNTY St. Johns County Office Lafayette County Chamber Hernando County Office Development Council Chamber of Commerce of of Economic Development* of Commerce* of Business Development* (863) 687-3788 Okeechobee County* 500 San Sebastian View P.O. Box 364 15800 Flight Path Drive 55 S. Parrott Ave. St. Augustine, FL 32084 Mayo, FL 32066 Brooksville, FL 34604 Lake Wales Area Chamber of Okeechobee, FL 34974 (904) 209-0552 (386) 294-2705 (352) 540-6400 Commerce (863) 467-6246 sjcfl.us/economicdevelopment lafayettecountychamber.com hernandobusiness.com (863) 676-3445 okeechobeebusiness.com LEVY COUNTY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY Winter Haven Economic NORTH CENTRAL Nature Coast Business Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Council SOUTHEAST Development Council* Development Corporation* (863) 837-5280 North Florida Economic Florida’s Research Coast* 109 N.W. 3rd Ave. 101 East Kennedy Blvd. Development Partnership* SARASOTA COUNTY floridarc.com 3200 Commonwealth Blvd. Chiefland, FL 32626 Suite 1750 Economic Development BROWARD COUNTY Suite 7 (352) 493-6797 Tampa, FL 33602 Corporation of Sarasota Greater Fort Lauderdale Tallahassee, FL 32303 naturecoast.org (813) 218-3300 County* tampaedc.com Alliance* (850) 487-1870 City of Williston 1680 Fruitville Rd. Suite 402 110 E. Broward Blvd. nflp.org (352) 528-3060 City of Tampa, Economic and Suite 1990 Urban Development Sarasota, FL 34236 North Central Florida MADISON COUNTY (941) 309-1200 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Regional Planning Council (813) 274-8245 Madison County edcsarasotacounty.com (954) 524-3113 2009 N.W. 67th Place Development Council* Hillsborough County Economic gflalliance.org Gainesville, FL 32653-1603 P.O. Box 539 City of North Port Development Department Broward County Office of (352) 955-2200 Madison, FL 32341 (941) 429-7001 (813) 272-7232 Economic & Small Business ncfrpc.org (850) 973-3179 Sarasota County Government Development madisonfldevelopment.com MANATEE COUNTY ALACHUA COUNTY Bradenton Area Economic (941) 861-5247 (954) 357-6155 Gainesville Council for MARION COUNTY Development Corporation* City of Coconut Creek Economic Outreach* Ocala/Marion County Chamber 4215 Concept Court SOUTH CENTRAL (954) 973-6756 300 E. University Ave. & Economic Partnership* Bradenton, FL 34211 Florida’s Heartland Regional Suite 100 310 S.E. 3rd St. (941) 748-4842 City of Fort Lauderdale Economic Development Gainesville, FL 32601 Ocala, FL 34474 thinkbradentonarea.com (954) 828-4515 (352) 378-7300 (352) 629-8051 Initiative* gceo.com ocalacep.com PASCO COUNTY 5901 U.S. Hwy. 27 South City of Lauderdale Lakes Pasco Economic Development Sebring, FL 33870 (954) 535-2491 Alachua County Economic SUWANNEE COUNTY Council* (863) 385-4900 City of Miramar Development Suwannee County Economic 16506 Pointe Village Drive flaheartland.com (352) 374-5204 Alliance* Suite 101 (954) 602-3264 212 N. Ohio Ave. DESOTO COUNTY Lutz, FL 33558 City of Plantation City of Newberry Live Oak, FL 32064 DeSoto County Economic (352) 472-2161 (813) 926-0827 Development Office* (954) 797-2768 (386) 362-3071 pascoedc.com BRADFORD COUNTY suwanneechamber.com 201 E. Oak St. City of Sunrise North Florida Regional PINELLAS COUNTY Suite 201 (954) 746-3430 Chamber of Commerce* TAYLOR COUNTY Pinellas County Economic Arcadia, FL 34266 Taylor County Development 100 E. Call St. Development* (863) 993-4800 City of Tamarac Authority* Starke, FL 32091 13805 58th St. N. teamdesoto.com (954) 597-3510 103 E. Ellis Street Suite 1-200 (904) 964-5278 GLADES COUNTY Town of Pembroke Park Perry, FL 32348 Clearwater, FL 33760 northfloridachamber.com Glades County Economic (954) 966-4600 (850) 584-5627 (727) 464-7332 COLUMBIA COUNTY Development Council* floridasrisingstar.com pced.org INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Columbia County Economic P.O. Box 1003 Indian River County Chamber UNION COUNTY Development Department* City of Clearwater Moore Haven, FL 33471 of Commerce* North Florida Regional 259 N.E. Franklin St. (727) 562-4220 (863) 946-0300 Chamber of Commerce* 1216 21st St. Suite 101 gladescountyedc.com 100 E. Call St. Vero Beach, FL 32960 Lake City, FL 32055 City of Largo Starke, FL 32091 HARDEE COUNTY (772) 567-3491 (386) 758-1033 (727) 586-7342 (904) 964-5278 Hardee County Economic indianriverchamber.com ccfledd.com City of St. Petersburg Development Council* northfloridachamber.com MARTIN COUNTY (727) 893-7100 DIXIE COUNTY 107 E. Main St. Business Development Board Dixie County, Economic City of Tarpon Springs Wauchula, FL 33873 of Martin County* Development* TAMPA BAY (727) 938-3711 (863) 773-3030 1002 S.E. Monterey Commons P.O. Box 2600 Tampa Bay Partnership* hardeebusiness.com Blvd., Suite 203 Cross City, FL 32628 4300 W. Cypress St., Suite 700 Pinellas County Planning HENDRY COUNTY Stuart, FL 34996 (352) 498-1426 (727) 464-8200 Tampa, FL 33607 Hendry County Economic (772) 221-1380 dixie.fl.gov (813) 878-2208 Tampa Bay Regional Planning Development Council* bdbmc.org GILCHRIST COUNTY tampabay.org 644 S. Main St. Council MIAMI-DADE COUNTY Gilchrist County Chamber CITRUS COUNTY (727) 570-5151 LaBelle, FL 33935 The Beacon Council* of Commerce* Citrus County Economic (863) 675-6007 80 S.W. Eighth St. 220 S. Main St. POLK COUNTY Development Council* hendryedc.com Suite 2400 Trenton, FL 32693 Central Florida Development 106 W. Main St. Council of Polk County* Miami, FL 33130 (352) 463-3467 HIGHLANDS COUNTY Inverness, FL 34450 2701 Lake Myrtle Park Rd. Highlands County Economic (305) 579-1300 gilchristcounty.com (352) 795-2000 Auburndale, FL 33823 Development Commission* beaconcouncil.com HAMILTON COUNTY citrusedc.com (863) 551-4760 1 E. Main St. City of Coral Gables Hamilton County cfdc.org Avon Park, FL 33825 (305) 460-5311 Development Authority* (863) 453-2818 Haines City Economic 1153 U.S. Hwy. 41 N.W., Suite 4 highlandsedc.com City of North Miami Development Council Jasper, FL 32052 (305) 893-6511 (386) 792-6828 (863) 422-2525 hamiltoncda.org

108 BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 www.BusinessFlorida.com

BUSINESS FLORIDA 2015 ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

These businesses and organizations have the resources and expertise to meet your business expansion and location needs. Their messages in Business Florida 2015 demonstrate their Miami-Dade County Industrial support of Florida’s economic development initiatives and their commitment to making Florida Development Authority a great place to live, play, learn, work and do business. They’re ready to assist in your success. (305) 579-0070 MONROE COUNTY Advertiser Website Page Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce* Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist ADDMG.com 43 12222 Overseas Hwy. Anthony & Partners AnthonyandPartners.com 88 Marathon, FL 33050 AT&T ATT.com 45 (305) 743-5417 floridakeysmarathon.com Broad and Cassel Attorneys at Law BroadandCassel.com 25 City of Clearwater MyClearwater.com/econdev 87 PALM BEACH COUNTY Business Development Board City of Fort Lauderdale / Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport FortLauderdale.gov 100 of Palm Beach County* Duke Energy Duke-Energy.com/ecodev 15 310 Evernia St. West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University ERAU.edu/go 37 (561) 835-1008 Enterprise Florida EnterpriseFlorida.com 26-27 bdb.org Florida Chapter Certified Commercial Investment Members FLCCIM.com 79 ST. LUCIE COUNTY Florida Hospital FloridaHospital.com 5 Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County* Florida Ports Council FlaPorts.org 23 Indian River State College FPL FPL.com/EasyToSave 3 STEM Center Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce / University of Florida research.ufl.edu 70-71 Building S, Suite 103 500 N.W. California Blvd. Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance LessTaxing.com 97 Port St. Lucie, FL 34986 Gulf Power FloridaFirstSites.com 65 (772) 336-6250 Gunster Gunster.com 1 youredc.com Hamilton County Development Authority HamiltonCDA.org 74-75 SOUTHWEST Hardee County EDC and Industrial Development Authority HardeeBusiness.com 91 Highwoods Properties Highwoods.com 17 CHARLOTTE COUNTY Charlotte County Economic Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency HollywoodCRA.org 94-95 Development Office* Miami Downtown Development Authority MiamiDDA.com 98 18501 Murdock Circle Miami International Airport Miami-Airport.com 99 Suite 302 Port Charlotte, FL 33948 Orlando Economic Development Commission OrlandoEDC.com 58-59 (941) 764-4941 Orlando International Airport OrlandoAirports.net Inside Front Cover floridasinnovationcoast.com Osceola County GreaterOsceola.com 57 COLLIER COUNTY OUC The Reliable One OUC.com 61 Collier Business & Economic Development* Port Everglades / Florida East Coast Railway fecrwy.com Inside Back Cover 2800 N. Horseshoe Drive Port Tampa Bay PORTTB.com 83 Naples, FL 34104 Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute FLTranslationalResearch.org 39 (239) 252-8990 colliergov.net Space Florida SpaceFlorida.gov 32-33 LEE COUNTY Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. ThinkBigTampaBay.com 80-81 Fort Myers Regional Tampa International Airport TampaAirport.com 85 Partnership* TECO Peoples Gas PeoplesGas.com/Business 86 2201 Second St., Suite 500 Fort Myers, FL 33901 Tripp Scott Law Firm TrippScott.com 9 (800) 330-3161 University of Central Florida Incubator.UCF.edu 46-47 leecountybusiness.com University of Florida Health UFHealth.org 77 City of Cape Coral University of Florida Research Rising.UFL.edu 41 (239) 574-0444 University of South Florida USF.edu/cybersecurity 20-21 Southwest Florida Regional Visit Florida ShareALittleSunshine.org 10-11 Planning Council (239) 338-2550

Florida Economic Development Council: Educating, Advocating, Connecting Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) members (public and private partnerships and city- and county-based economic development and workforce agencies) know their communities well. As you prepare to launch, expand or relocate your business, FEDC members stand ready to help you establish connections, find the right site and settle in to your perfect home in Florida. Amy Evancho For more information, visit FEDC.net or phone (813) 977-3332. FEDC President & CEO

www.BusinessFlorida.com BUSINESS FLORIDA | 2015 109 NOW OPEN

TAKE THE FASTER TRACK TO MARKET

Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and Port Everglades have joined forces to boost your speed and efficiency to market with pier-to-ramp intermodal service. Discharge your cargo in Port Everglades, then load right onto rail. No traffic. No trucks. No downtime. We move your goods through Florida to and from Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis, Nashville and other points nationwide—fast. Discover the profitable new power of ship-to-rail service through Port Everglades. Visit our website at www.fecrwy.com or call David Banfield, FEC Director of Sales and Port Development, at 305-889-5586.

Experience the power of the FEC’s new intermodal container transfer facility at Port Everglades.

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