Over the next four issues of Southern Business & Development, we are going to have some fun. It s the Best of Economic Development in the American South, and each issue will feature three to five Southern states. You can use the results as a unique aid in your search for a suitable site for your business in the American South. Southern Business & Development SPRING 2015 65
SEDR SOUTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT R O U N D T A B L E Southern Economic Development Roundtable We polled the members of the Southern Economic Development Roundtable to come up with the best of 30 economic development categories in each Southern state. SEDR is an invitation-only group of economic developers, educators, economists, site consultants and CEOs who meet once a year in January at WaterColor in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. The no-feeto-attend, no-agenda meeting is an opportunity for 50 of the South s best economic development minds to discuss issues relative to economic development in the American South. A group photo of the 2015 SEDR class is published above. There are 30 categories for each Southern state and states will have some categories that pertain specifically to it, meaning not all of the categories are the same from state to state. The top three vote recipients for each category are recognized and listed in alphabetical order. In the case of a tie, a fourth winner is listed. The winners are then followed by other entries that received votes. Therefore, the first listed under each category is no better than the third or fourth listed. This issue features the best of economic development in Alabama, Arkansas and Florida. The results of the best of economic development in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri will be published in the Summer issue (September), followed by the best of economic development in North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee in the fall issue (December). The best series will conclude with the best of Texas, Virginia and West Virginia in the winter 2016 issue (March). We think you will enjoy reading the results of the Best of Economic Development in the American South over the next year. Again, this unique forum can help guide you and your business to a profitable place in the South, the fourth largest economy in the world behind only the U.S., China and India as of the end of 2014. It should be noted that in total GDP, India blew past the American South, Japan and Germany in 2014 according to the International Monetary Fund. 2015 Best of Economic Development in ALABAMA 1. Alabama s Three Best Economic Development Assets AIDT/Workforce Alabama Community College System Port of Mobile Also receiving votes: UAB; Aggressive state and local incentives; Available sites; Easily accessible transportation corridors; Location; Business climate; Right to work. 2. The Alabama Economy s Most Important Employers HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Mercedes-Benz Redstone Arsenal/NASA UAB Health System Also receiving votes: Alabama Power; TVA; Honda; Hyundai; EADS/ Airbus; Regions; BBVA Compass; Maxwell Air Force Base; Fort Rucker; Blue Cross & Blue Shield; UAB; Auburn University; University of Alabama. CONTINUED 66 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
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ALABAMA Also receiving votes: Austal; Boeing; Remington; Barber Motor Speedway. Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), an elite workforce training organization, was voted as one of Alabama s three best economic development assets. Pictured is Ed Castille, director of AIDT. 3. Alabama s Most Important New Employers Airbus Carpenter Technology Polaris 4. Alabama s Most Admired Companies Alabama Power Brasfield & Gorrie Regions Also receiving votes: Mercedes- Benz; UAB; Hoar Program Management; Honda; Hyundai; Toyota. 5. Alabama s Most Admired Manufacturers Austal Honda Hyundai Mercedes-Benz Also receiving votes: United Launch Alliance; Boeing; Mando; Navistar; Toyota. 68 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
6. Alabama s Most Admired Service Companies ALABAMA Alabama Power Regions TVA Also receiving votes: AT&T; UAB; BBVA Compass; Blue Cross & Blue Shield; Iron Tribe Fitness. 7. The Best of R&D in Alabama Auburn University HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology REHAU-Cullman Southern Research Institute Also receiving votes: Innovation Depot; UAB; Boeing; Redstone Arsenal; University of Alabama- Huntsville; George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. 8. Best Major Market Aerospace Locations in Alabama Birmingham Huntsville Mobile Also receiving votes: Montgomery. 9. Best Small Market Aerospace Locations in Alabama Andalusia Decatur Dothan Also receiving votes: Ozark; Auburn; Enterprise; Troy; Cullman; Guntersville; Tallassee. 10. Best Tier One Auto Supplier Locations in Alabama Auburn-Opelika Cullman Montgomery Tuscaloosa Also receiving votes: Jackson Co. Industrial Park; Birmingham; Shelby Co.; Limestone Co.; C3 Region CONTINUED Southern Business & Development SPRING 2015 69
ALABAMA Also receiving votes: Shelton State; Jefferson State; Faulkner State; Northeast Alabama; Reid State. Australia-based Austal was named one of Alabama s most admired manufacturers. Pictured is the company s shipbuilding complex in Mobile, Ala. (Fayette, Lamar, Marion counties); St. Clair Co.; Huntsville; Elmore Co.; Talladega Co.; Chambers Co.; Etowah Co.; Jefferson Co.; Walker Co. 11. Alabama s Best Community Colleges for Workforce Training Bevill State Community College Calhoun Community College Wallace State Community College 12. Best Engineering/ Architecture Firms in Alabama Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Sain Associates Volkert Also receiving votes: Williams Blackstock Architects; Tucker Jones Engineers, Birmingham; Gresham Smith; Bhate; Krebs. 13. Alabama s Best Economic Development Law Firms Balch & Bingham Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Maynard Cooper Also receiving votes: Burr Forman; Butler Snow; Jones Walker. CONTINUED 70 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
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ALABAMA 14. Best Contractors for Industrial Projects in Alabama Brasfield & Gorrie Gray Construction Hoar Construction Also receiving votes: Harbert. 15. Alabama s Best Industrial Real Estate Firms EGS Commercial Real Estate Daniel Corporation Graham & Company Industrial Partners Also receiving votes: Binswanger; CBRE. 16. Best Small Business Banks in Alabama Bryant Bank Regions River Bank & Trust ServisFirst Bank Also receiving votes: Peoples Bank of Alabama; BBVA Compass; Renasant Bank; First Commercial; IberiaBank; Wells Fargo; Traditions Bank, Cullman; West Alabama Bank; Bank of Vernon. A Decatur, Ala.,-built United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the AFSPC-5 satellite for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-41 on May 20, 2015. Decatur was voted as one of the best aerospace industry locations in Alabama. 72 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
17. Best Megasites in Alabama Brilliant Alabama Black Creek Site Huntsville Sewell Site South Alabama Megasite Also receiving votes: Guin I-22 Interstate Site; Calhoun County; Decatur Site; Little Canoe Creek Industrial Park; Calera Site. CONTINUED ALABAMA Southern Business & Development SPRING 2015 73
ALABAMA 18. Best Small Town Industrial Sites in Alabama Breeding South Site- Limestone Co. Cullman Industrial Parks Greenbrier Site-Limestone Co. Oxa 21 Site-Limestone Co. Also receiving votes: Guntersville; Athens; Greenville; Enterprise; Clanton; Hamilton; Fayette; Monroeville; Andalusia. 19. Alabama s Best Manufacturing Workforce (Small Market) Cullman Enterprise Lanett Walker Co. Also receiving votes: Ozark; Pell City; Fort Payne; Andalusia; Athens; Guntersville; Monroeville; Scottsboro. Wallace State was voted one of the three best community colleges for workforce training in Alabama. Pictured with SB&D publisher Michael Randle is Vicki Hawsey Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College. CONTINUED 74 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
ALABAMA The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Ala., was voted one of Alabama s most important employers. 20. Alabama s Best Manufacturing Workforce (Mid-Market) Auburn/Opelika Florence-Muscle Shoals Tuscaloosa Also receiving votes: Dothan; Decatur; Gadsden. 21. Alabama s Best Manufacturing Workforce (Large Market) Birmingham Mobile Montgomery Also receiving votes: Huntsville. 22. Best Growth Potential in Small Town Alabama Alex City/Lake Martin C3 Region (Fayette, Lamar, Marion Counties) Fairhope Walker Co. Also receiving votes: Monroeville; Guntersville; Calera; Trussville. 23. Best Mid-Market Growth Potential in Alabama Anniston-Oxford Phenix City Tuscaloosa Also receiving votes: Auburn- Opelika; Pelham; Alabaster; Athens; Calera. 24. Alabama s Best Local Economic Development Agencies City of Auburn Economic Development Cullman Economic Development Agency Montgomery Area Chamber Also receiving votes: Huntsville/ Madison Co., Chamber; Birmingham Business Alliance; Tuscaloosa Co., IDA; City of Opelika; Shoals EDA. 76 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
25. Best Alabama Cities for African-American Business Ownership Birmingham Mobile Montgomery Also receiving votes: Gadsden; Decatur; Guntersville; Alex City; Baldwin Co. 26. Best Places to Retire in Alabama Gulf Shores/Foley Lake Martin Spanish Fort/Fairhope Also receiving votes: Orange Beach; Smith Lake; Guntersville; Florence; Alex City; Huntsville; Arley. 27. Alabama s Best Craft Breweries Avondale Brewing Back Forty Good People Also receiving votes: Straight to Ale; Trim Tab Brewing; Cahaba Brewing. 28. Alabama s Best Sporting Events Alabama Football Auburn Football Regions Golf Classic Talladega NASCAR Races Also receiving votes: Barber Motor Speedway; Birmingham Barons; Montgomery Biscuits. 29. Alabama s Best Non-Sporting Events Mobile Mardi Gras National Shrimp Festival-Gulf Shores To Kill a Mockingbird Production-Monroeville Also receiving votes: W.C. Handy Music Festival-Florence; Rock the South; Galaxy of Lights-Huntsville; Southern Makers. 30. Best Three Restaurants in Alabama ALABAMA Cotton Row Highlands Hot & Hot Also receiving votes: Little Savannah; Bottega; Felix s; Nicki s West; Shula s Steakhouse. Southern Business & Development SPRING 2015 77
2 015 Best of Economic Development in ARKANSAS Stephens Inc. Windstream Also receiving votes: Garver Engineers; Viridian. 7. The Best of R&D in Arkansas The Walmart headquarters is located in Bentonville, Ark. the location of the first Walmart stores. Arkansas Biosciences Institute Bioventures-University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) 1. Arkansas Three Best Economic Development Assets Large water reserves and capacity Little Rock Port Authority Walmart headquarters Also receiving votes: Proximity to market; Geographic diversity; Workforce; Downtown Little Rock; Helena- West Helena Port; Highland Industrial Park; Fort Chaffee; Fort Smith. 2. The Arkansas Economy s Most Important Employers Tyson Foods University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Walmart Also receiving votes: Little Rock Air Force Base; Acxiom; Dassault- Falcon Jet. 3. Arkansas Most Important New Employers Hewlett-Packard Welspun Pipes Big River Steel Also receiving votes: Caterpillar; Blue Rooster; Metova; MISO. 4. Arkansas Most Admired Companies Acxiom Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Entergy Arkansas Walmart Also receiving votes: Windstream; Dassault-Falcon Jet. 5. Arkansas Most Admired Manufacturers Caterpillar Dassault-Falcon Jet L Oreal Nucor Steel Also receiving votes: ConAgra; Frito Lay; Lockheed Martin; Nestle; Ranger Boats. 6. Arkansas Most Admired Service Companies Acxiom Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas 8. Best Aerospace Locations in Arkansas Camden Hot Springs Little Rock Also receiving votes: Northwest Arkansas; West Memphis. 9. Best Advanced Food Manufacturing Locations in Arkansas Jonesboro Little Rock Russellville Also receiving votes: North Little Rock; Searcy. 10. Best Places for Business Startups in Arkansas Conway Little Rock North Little Rock Northwest Arkansas Also receiving votes: Jonesboro; Fayetteville. CONTINUED 78 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
ARKANSAS 18. Best Small Town Industrial Sites in Arkansas Clark County Industrial Park Maumelle Industrial Park Osceola Also receiving votes: Mid-America Industrial Park; Blytheville; Gurdon. 19. Best Locations for Biosciences in Arkansas Dassault Falcon s Service Center and Completion Center combined occupy nearly 1,000,000 square feet, making Little Rock the largest Dassault facility in the world. Photo courtesy of Dassault Aviation / Philippe Stroppa 11. Arkansas Best Community Colleges for Workforce Training Arkansas State University- Mountain Home Mid-South Community College National Park Community College Pulaski Tech Also receiving votes: South Arkansas Community College-El Dorado. 12. Best Engineering/ Architecture Firms in Arkansas Cromwell Architects Engineers Garver Engineering Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects Also receiving votes: Fennell-Purifoy; Crafton Tull. 13. Arkansas Best Economic Development Law Firms Friday Eldredge & Clark Mitchell Williams Law QG&T Williams & Anderson Also receiving votes: Wright, Lindsey & Jennings; Roberts Law Firm; Kutak Rock. 14. Best Contractors for Industrial Projects in Arkansas CDI Contractors Clark Contractors Nabholz Construction VCC General Contractor Also receiving votes: Kinco Constructors; Baldwin & Shell. 15. Arkansas Best Industrial Real Estate Firms Colliers International Flake-Kelley Moses Tucker Also receiving votes: RPM; Irwin Partners. 16. Best Small Business Banks in Arkansas Bank of Little Rock Bank of the Ozarks Centennial Bank Simmons First National Bank Also receiving votes: Bank of England; First Security; Bear State Bank. 17. Best Megasites in Arkansas Metro Little Rock Megasite- Saline County Mississippi County, Ark., Supersite 2 West Memphis Site Arkansas Biosciences Institute National Center for Toxicological Research-Pine Bluff University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Also receiving votes: Fayetteville; Little Rock. 19. Arkansas Best Manufacturing Workforce (Small Market) Conway Hot Springs Mississippi Co. Mountain Home Also receiving votes: Maumelle; Marion; El Dorado. 20. Arkansas Best Manufacturing Workforce (Mid-to-Large Market) Fort Smith Jonesboro Little Rock Northwest Arkansas 21. Small Markets in Arkansas with the Best Manufacturing Workforce Blytheville Jonesboro Paragould Also receiving votes: Russellville; Camden. 80 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
Bella Vista, Ark., was voted one the best places to retire. Shown here is Lake Ann. 22. Best Growth Potential in Small Town Arkansas Conway Maumelle Mississippi Co. Also receiving votes: Saline Co. 23. Best Growth Potential in Mid-to-Large Metro Arkansas Hot Springs Jonesboro Little Rock Northwest Arkansas Also receiving votes: Fort Smith; Fayetteville; Texarkana. 24. Arkansas Best Local Economic Development Agencies Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Metro Little Rock Alliance The Alliance of Jefferson County Also receiving votes: Mississippi County Economic Development; Fort Smith Chamber; Northwest Arkansas Council. ARKANSAS 27. Arkansas Best Craft Breweries Diamond Bear Lost 40 Saddlebock Brewery Also receiving votes: Core Brewing; Vino s. 28. Arkansas Best Sporting Events Arkansas Razorback Football Arkansas Travelers Oaklawn Also receiving votes: Little Rock Marathon; Arkansas Razorback Baseball; Battle of the Ravine. 29. Arkansas Best Non-Sporting Events Arkansas State Fair King Biscuit Blues Festival RiverFest-Little Rock Also receiving votes: War Eagle Crafts Fair; Concerts at Verizon Arena-North Little Rock; Arkansas Race for the Cure; Duck Gumbo-Stuttgart; Coon Supper-Gillette. 30. Best Three Restaurants in Arkansas Doe s Eat Place South on Main The Hive Also receiving votes: Whole Hog BBQ; Sonny Williams; Cantina Laredo; Back Porch Grill. 25. Best Data Center Locations in Arkansas Bentonville Conway Little Rock Also receiving votes: North Little Rock. 26. Best Places to Retire in Arkansas Bella Vista Hot Springs Mountain Home Also receiving votes: Little Rock; Heber Springs. Southern Business & Development SPRING 2015 81
f LORIDA 2015 Best of Economic Development in The Walt Disney World Resort is the flagship of Disney s worldwide theme park empire. Disney was voted one of Florida s most important and admired companies. 1. Florida s Three Best Economic Development Assets Geography Low taxes Quality of life Also receiving votes: Enterprise Florida; Space Florida; Economic Development Commission of Florida s Space Coast; Large population; Florida s ports. 2. The Florida Economy s Most Important Employers Disney Lockheed Martin Raymond James Also receiving votes: Harris; Embraer; Navy Federal Credit Union; Northrop Grumman. 3. Florida s Most Important New Employers Embraer Hertz Navy Federal Credit Union Also receiving votes: Mindtree. 4. Florida s Most Admired Companies Disney Florida Power & Light Co. Publix Also receiving votes: Harris; NextEra. 5. Florida s Most Admired Manufacturers Boeing Embraer Harris Northrup Grumman Also receiving votes: Lockheed Martin; Arthrex; Pratt & Whitney. 6. Florida s Most Admired Service Companies Florida Power & Light NextEra Publix Also receiving votes: NASCAR. 7. The Best of R&D in Florida Embraer Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute The Scripps Research Institute Also receiving votes: Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute; University of Central Florida; Florida Atlantic University. 8. Best Aerospace Locations in Florida Florida s Great Northwest Florida s Space Coast- Melbourne/KSC Jacksonville Also receiving votes: Kennedy Space Center; Melbourne Airport; Space Coast Regional Airport; Volusia County; Pensacola. 9. Best Life Sciences Locations in Florida Lake Nona Medical City Orlando Palm Beach Co. Space Life Sciences Lab Also receiving votes: Palm Beach; Miami. 10. Best Places for Business Startups in Florida Gainesville Miami Orlando Also receiving votes: Melbourne; Tampa; St. Pete. CONTINUED 82 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
FLORIDA Stiles Corporation Also receiving votes: CBRE. 16. Best Small Business Banks in Florida Fidelity Bank of Florida Florida Bank of Commerce Regions Also receiving votes: Wells Fargo; PNC; Seacoast Bank. 17. Best Megasites in Florida As evidence of the thriving art scene in St. Petersburg voted one of Florida s best cities for the creative class murals have blossomed all over downtown, filling storefronts, side walls and back alleys. The birthday cake themed water tower is part of Publix Supermarket s manufacturing, warehousing and headquarters complex located in Lakeland, Fla. All of the candles light up at night, shining over one of Florida s most admired companies. 11. Florida s Best Community Colleges for Workforce Training Eastern Florida State College Florida State College Miami Dade College Gulf Coast State College Also receiving votes: St. Petersburg College; Broward College. 12. Best Universities Supporting Economic Development in Florida Florida Atlantic University University of Central Florida University of South Florida Also receiving votes: University of Florida; University of Miami. 13. Florida s Best Economic Development Law Firms Broad and Cassel Dean Mead Holland & Knight 14. Best Contractors for Industrial Projects in Florida Brasfield & Gorrie Haskell R.C. Stevens Stellar Also receiving votes: MH Williams Construction Group; RS&H; Hubbard Group. 15. Florida s Best Commercial Real Estate Firms Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Sperry Van Ness Cecil Commerce Park Crawford Diamond Industrial Park Plum Creek Site Also receiving votes: Jackson Co. Megasite; North Florida Intermodal Park. 18. Best Small Town Industrial Sites in Florida Lake City Marianna Perry Also receiving votes: Sebring; Jackson Co. Megasite; Crestview. 19. Best Florida Cities to Relocate Your Headquarters Fort Lauderdale Orlando Tampa/St. Pete Also receiving votes: Melbourne; Titusville; Palm Bay; Miami; Jacksonville; Boca Raton. 20. Best Places to Hire Veterans in Florida Fort Walton Jacksonville Orlando Pensacola Also receiving votes: Anywhere; Tampa/St. Pete; Florida s Great Northwest; Panama City. CONTINUED 84 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
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FLORIDA 26. Best Places to Retire in Florida Indian River County South Walton County St. Augustine Also receiving votes: 30 A; Palm Beach County; Pasco County; Fort Lauderdale; Navarre; Punta Gorda; Vero Beach; Sarasota; Bradenton; Longboat Key; Summerland Key; Big Pine Key; Naples. 27. Florida s Best Craft Breweries Florida Beer Company Grayton Beer Company Playalinda Brewing Company Tampa Bay Brewing Company Also receiving votes: Abbey Brewing Company; Intracoastal Brewing Co. Shown here in a 1902 photo, the Ponce de León Hotel in St. Augustine (a great place to retire) was built by millionaire developer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry M. Flagler in 1888. The building and grounds of the hotel are today a part of Flagler College. 21. Best Tech Hubs in Florida Melbourne Miami Orlando Also receiving votes: Gainesville; Palm Beach Co. 22. Best Local Economic Development Initiatives Florida Opportunity Fund GrowFL Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Also receiving votes: Technology Docking; North Brevard Economic Development Zone; Made in Brevard; Putnam Co.; Jackson Co.; JAXUSA; Palm Beach BDB; Beacon Council. 23. Florida s Best Cities for the Creative Class Miami Orlando St. Pete Also receiving votes: Gainesville; Tampa; Stuart. 24. Florida s Best Rural Locations for Manufacturers Lake City Marianna Perry Also receiving votes: Columbia Co.; Manatee Co.; St. Lucie Co. 25. Florida s Best Local Economic Development Agencies Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation Economic Development Commission of Florida s Space Coast Economic Development Office of Charlotte County JAXUSA Partnership Also receiving votes: Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance; Orlando EDC; Beacon Council; Palm Beach BDB; Tampa Hillsborough EDC; Greater Pensacola Chamber; Gainesville Area Chamber. 28. Florida s Best Sporting Events Daytona 500 Grapefruit League Orange Bowl Also receiving votes: East Coast Surfing Competition; Miami Dolphins; Miami Heat; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Florida Gators Football. 29. Florida s Best Non-Sporting Events Amelia Island Concours d Elegance Gasparilla Pirate Festival South Beach Wine and Food Festival Also receiving votes: International Birding and Wildlife Festival; Christmas at Disney; Art of Sand. 30. Best Restaurants in Florida Fat Snook Indian Pass Raw Bar Red Bar Yard Bird Also receiving votes: Yellow Dog Café; Trend Kitchen; Cafe 30A; Ravenous Pig; Dewey Destin; Bern s Steak House; Louisiana Lagniappe; Riverwalk Cafe. 86 SPRING 2015 Southern Business & Development
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