Accomplishments for FY 2014 Growing Project Activity o Activated 17 new projects for FY 2014 Projected Capital Investment $257,650,000 Projected Job Growth 1,625 Conducted 4 site tour visits with consultants and decision-makers o Announced competitive expansion of Bit-Wizards in Fort Walton Beach, a $1.4M capital investment resulting in 20 new jobs and the retention of 10 existing jobs at an average wage of $56,000 o Announced location of On-Point Defense Technologies in Fort Walton Beach, a $997K capital investment resulting in 29 new jobs at an average wage of $63,500 o Supported Carolina Aero Prep s decision to open their new Panhandle campus in Crestview o Assisted Dalpar Corporation with efforts to open an estimated $5M indoor firing range on land owned by Northwest Florida State College in Fort Walton Beach Focusing on Industry Diversification o Numerous leads, inquiries and new projects in sectors including: Manufacturing Aerospace (non-defense related) Information/Technology Distribution/Logistics Harnessing Emerging Opportunities o Targeting suppliers to Airbus and other commercial airplane manufacturers Joined forces with Florida s Great Northwest and the Okaloosa County Airports Department to exhibit at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual meeting in October Attended the Aviation Suppliers Forum and facilitated the Northwest Florida International Aerospace Forum in Hamburg, Germany in December 2013 (designed to educate northwest Florida leaders on effectively positioning the region for Airbus supplier opportunities) Attended the SpeedNews aviation conference in Mobile, Alabama in April and toured Brookley Field site of future Airbus Final Assembly Line Conducted meetings with 16 aviation suppliers at the Berlin Air Show in May o Targeting the emerging Unmanned Systems sector Facilitated strategies and dialogue through the EDC s Unmanned Systems Network (US Net) Joined Okaloosa County unmanned systems companies in participation at AVUSI trade event Continued to advance the development of an Autonomous Vehicle Center (AVC) on the campus of the REEF; signed a formal MOU with the University of Florida in June and secured grant funds through the Florida Defense Support Task Force (FDSTF) to assist with pre-development planning and due diligence activities Enhancing Community Competitiveness o Spearheaded efforts to secure the voter renewal of Okaloosa County s Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (EDATE) and the passage of new municipal EDATE programs in Crestview, Destin and Fort Walton Beach o Co-hosted an economic development workshop for city and county leaders entitled Building a Competitive Advantage in March Contact the EDC at 850-362-6467 or visit us at www.florida-edc.org The EDC is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(6) organization Contact the EDC at 850-362-6467 or visit us at www.florida-edc.org The EDC is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(6) organization
o Leveraged relationships with the Florida Redevelopment Association and Florida League of Cities to deliver a full day Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Workshop in March o Hosted EDC Roundtables breakfast series focused on timely topics including Workforce and Education in the New Economy (February), The Future of Transportation (May) and Building a Culture of Entrepreneurship (August) o Launched a new on-line economic development tool www.okaloosasites.com. A comprehensive and searchable database of commercial and industrial buildings and sites in Okaloosa County, the site also provides real time access to demographics and other valuable information o Coordinated ongoing efforts to secure Florida First Sites Certified Site designation for approximately 130 acres adjacent to the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview Increasing Awareness of Economic Development Incentives o Four (4) businesses receiving benefits of EDATE incentives as a result of job creation in 2014 for a combined value of $111,096 o Industry Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Fund Grant Program (IRREF) This program, resulting in a pool of $10M in grant funds per year for three for qualified economic development projects, was available in the eight counties that were disproportionately affected by the Deepwater Horizons oil spill. The third year of the program concluded on June 30, 2014. EDC successfully facilitated 4 awards from the program, resulting in a total allocation of $739,401. o With the passage of the Florida s Manufacturing Sales and Tax Exemption, worked to increase awareness of this new opportunity o Sent letters to all businesses located in the Crestview Enterprise Zone encouraging them to take advantage of Enterprise Zone incentive programs Supporting Workforce and Talent Development o Partnered with CareerSource Okaloosa Walton and the Okaloosa County School District to deliver an innovative program Educate the Educators. Designed to educate high school teachers, middle school principals, and high school principals on specific skills needs present in the local area, the program included tours and presentations by local industry. The first session was held in May, with future iterations scheduled in October and December 2014 o Serving as co-chair of the newly-formed Career and Technical Education Advisory (CTE) Advisory Committee; a multi-disciplinary body that is supporting recently announced plans of Northwest Florida State College and the Okaloosa County School District to better align their CTE offerings o Provided No-Cost Incumbent Worker Training to businesses participating in the EDC s Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) Partnership with CareerSource Okaloosa Walton and University of West Florida; initially established in 2010 To date, 37 existing Okaloosa County businesses have benefited, with a total training value of approximately $282,000 Delivered AS 9100 (aerospace certification) training to 11 individuals in May Announced expansion of program in September; in total, six courses will be offered during FY 2014-15 (at most, two courses have been offered in prior years) Strengthening the Military Mission o Utilized EDC s Defense Support Initiative (DSI) for direct interface with unit commanders at Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Duke Field, US Navy EOD School and the US Army 7 th Special Forces o Participated in the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition s Washington DC Fly-In in March o Advocated for military support at the state and federal levels o Awarded a 2014 Florida Defense Reinvestment Grant (DRG) to support DSI activities and industry diversification initiatives o Developed the Tri-County Partnership Initiative (TCPI); designed to assist Eglin and Hurlburt with efforts to lower operating costs / generate revenue through innovative community partnerships Formalized a 20+ member advisory board comprised of local leaders Secured a seed grant award from the Florida Defense Support Task Force (FDSTF) o Coordinated with and supported Eglin s newly-formed Community Partnership Program (CPP) Participated in various working groups and served on the CPP Leadership Committee Contact the EDC at 850-362-6467 or visit us at www.florida-edc.org Contact the The EDC EDC at 850-362-6467 is a not-for-profit or 501 visit (c)(6) us at organization www.florida-edc.org The EDC is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(6) organization
M E M O R A N D U M Date: January 12, 2014 To: Michael Beedie, Fort Walton Beach City Manager From: Nathan Sparks, Executive Director, EDC of Okaloosa County Subject: Q4 2013 EDC Update Organizational Update The fourth quarter of 2013 was one of continued transition for the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County. Like most public and private entities, the EDC has experienced declining revenue over the past several years. In light of this, difficult choices had to be made in order to balance the organization s FY 2014 budget choices that resulted in the elimination of two EDC staff positions. The remaining staff of three Nathan Sparks, Kay Rasmussen and Caroline McCoy have each taken on additional duties that were previously managed by those individuals that were downsized. Meanwhile, the EDC has been actively planning for a full-scale, year-long private sector fundraising campaign in 2014 that will coincide with the EDC s 25 th Anniversary. Dubbed The Next 25, the campaign will focus on five key business sectors with existing EDC members serving as Sector Champions. The sectors in question and their corresponding Champions are as follows: Real Estate, Development and Construction Champions: o Kelly Murphy-Redd, Ruckel Properties o Gloria Frazier, ERA American Realty Banking and Finance Champions: o Ron Moliterno, BancorpSouth o Martha Miller, Coastal Bank & Trust Professional Services (Legal, Accounting) Champions: o Michelle Anchors, Keefe, Anchors & Gordon o Angela Balent, Warren Averett Architectural and Engineering Champions: o Charlie Clary, DAG Architects o Lee Lewis, AVCON Inc.
Manufacturing and Defense Champions: o Jeff Reimer, Indyne o Greg Britton, Fort Walton Machining The EDC welcomed in its 2014 fiscal year with new volunteer leadership in October. Assuming office at the EDC s Officer Installation Reception held on October 17 were the following individuals: Chairman Angela Balent, Warren Averett Vice Chairman Ron Moliterno, BancorpSouth Treasurer Greg Britton, Fort Walton Machining Secretary David Fuller, North Okaloosa Medical Center Member At Large Kelly Murphy-Redd, Ruckel Properties Immediate Past Chairman Jim Heald, Indyne Strategic Initiatives The recent announcement that Airbus will be constructing a $600M aircraft manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama has been hailed as an economic development game changer. The company has touted the project as giving rise to a new aviation center of excellence for the U.S. Gulf Coast region, and with sound planning and strategies the northwest Florida region stands to benefit considerably. Okaloosa County, in particular, is well-positioned to capitalize on the Airbus opportunity. Located approximately 100 miles from the future Airbus complex in Mobile, Okaloosa County is also well-suited to accommodate Airbus suppliers that may also value opportunities to serve other aerospace Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the Southeast. Facilities operated by companies such as Embraer, Gulfstream and Boeing are all readily accessible from a potential Okaloosa County facility, and common suppliers serving multiple Southeastern aerospace OEMs will be targeted. In order to gain a better understanding of Airbus and its vast supplier network, the EDC partnered with economic development agencies from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton and Bay Counties to host the International Aerospace Forum in Hamburg, Germany December 9-10. Some 35 northwest Florida leaders participated in the two day event, hearing presentations from a variety of Germany aerospace industry experts and touring Germany s two largest aviation employers Airbus and Lufthansa Technik. Specific takeaways from the trip included the following: 1) With 40,000 specialist personnel and 300 aerospace suppliers, the Hamburg aviation cluster is tremendous. While the big 3 (Airbus, Lufthansa and the Hamburg Airport) provided the obvious foundation, the cluster s growth occurred thanks to a spirit of trust and collaboration among industry, academia, etc. Germany s Leading Edge Cluster Program also provided tremendous fuel for the effort to get off the ground.
2) Hamburg recognized that they couldn t do everything. They knew they needed a niche. For them, that niche became aircraft interiors and something they term the new way of flying (with a focus on comfort, reliability, ecology, etc.). 3) 80% of Germany aerospace suppliers are small mid-sized. These companies tend to be very cautious and risk averse, and chances are they won t already have a presence in North America. 4) Our strategy should not be solely focused on Airbus especially since our region offers proximity to other aerospace OEMs such as Embraer, Boeing, and Gulfstream. 5) Competition for these jobs is fierce and relationship cultivation and ongoing commitment are key. This will not happen overnight! In addition to strategies surrounding Airbus, the EDC is also spearheading a strategy focused on the Unmanned Systems / Autonomous Vehicle Systems subsector. The EDC formalized the Unmanned Systems Network (US Net) Committee earlier this year, and tasked the group with exploring the sector s feasibility as a potential long-term economic development play. Opportunities in the sector are plentiful, as Unmanned Systems are now being explored and embraced by commercial enterprise (including Amazon and Domino s Pizza). Existing Okaloosa County assets such as the University of Florida s REEF (Research and Engineering Educational Facility) and Eglin s AFRL (Air Force Research Lab) have already attracted a handful of players in this sector. The EDC wishes to find a way to capitalize on these attributes. To that end, plans for a potential Autonomous Vehicle Center (AVC) test facility to be located adjacent to the REEF are now being discussed among the EDC, UF and the AFRL. The EDC was also successful in receiving a $190,000 grant from the Florida Defense Support Task Force in November. These funds will be used to formalize and institutionalize a Community Partnership Initiative (CPI) that will serve to identify, catalogue and build on prior P4 (Public/Public/Private/Partnership) successes in the tri county area. Finally, as the Council is well aware, the EDC is preparing for the August 26, 2014 EDATE referendum that at a minimum will be seeking voter renewal of the Okaloosa County program. The EDC anticipates a collaborative voter education process with equal participation from all four area chambers, the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and the Building Industry Association. The effort will begin in earnest in early 2014. Project Activity The EDC was pleased to announce the expansion of Bit-Wizards in November, a project that was initiated in March. The company actively considered locations in Austin, TX but ultimately opted for a 15,000 SF building in Fort Walton Beach. This multi-year expansion will result in 20 new jobs in software development, account management and advertising with a $1M capital investment. The EDC continues to experience steady project activity, with 20 active projects currently in the pipeline and a few nearing announcement. Interestingly, 15 of the 20 projects were generated by the EDC with the remainder being through partners such as Enterprise Florida, Gulf Power, and Florida s Great Northwest. The attached overview provides further insight into the types of projects currently considering Okaloosa County.
M E M O R A N D U M Date: April 14, 2014 To: From: Subject: Michael Beedie, Fort Walton Beach City Manager Nathan Sparks, Executive Director, EDC of Okaloosa County Q1 2014 EDC Update The EDC appreciates the opportunity to provide the City of Fort Walton Beach with this summary of our organization s activities during the first quarter of 2014, and we look forward to appearing before the Council on April 22, 2014. Organizational Update Hosted Roundtable Breakfast focused on Workforce and Education in the New Economy in February Secured Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad as the Keynote speaker for our May 6 Roundtable focused on The Future of Transportation Recognizing the important partnership that exists between the EDC and our public partners, we also restructured the Roundtable fee schedule for our municipal and county investors from $25/person to $10/person Kicked off The Next 25 Investor Campaign intended to generate more financial support for the EDC s strategic plan as we enter our second quarter century of success Strategic Initiatives Co-facilitated the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition s Annual Washington D.C. Fly-In attended by Mayor Mike Anderson Sponsored and attended the SpeedNews Aerospace Manufacturing Conference in Mobile, AL Kicked off an exciting new effort called the Community Partnership Initiative (CPI) Supported through a grant awarded by the Florida Defense Support Task Force (FDSTF), the newlyformed initiative will research and prioritize potential partnership projects between local military installations and communities in the tri-county area Eglin hosted a CPI roll-out on 4/15, and I know General Harris and his fellow Air Force leaders were pleased to have Mayor Anderson and Michael Beedie among those in attendance Public Partner Initiatives / Support Facilitated a record-setting CRA workshop in Crestview provided by the Florida Redevelopment Association, with multiple Okaloosa County municipalities in attendance Assisted the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners with efforts to certify the Okaloosa County Industrial Air Park in Crestview as a shovel-ready industrial site As the Council is well aware, the EDC is preparing for the August 26, 2014 Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption referendum
The referendum will be seeking voter renewal of the Okaloosa County program and support for any municipal EDATE efforts that opt to go forward (applaud the City s interest in exploring the initiative and in pursuing efforts to enhance the City s overall competitiveness) The EDC is coordinating a collaborative voter education process with equal participation from all four area chambers, the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and the Building Industry Association. Mobilize membership Organizational work underway. The campaign should become more visible in the early Summer. Project Activity Coming on the heels of the announcement of Bit-Wizards expansion to a new Fort Walton Beach location late last year, we were pleased to facilitate the announcement of On-Point Defense Technologies expansion in the Fort Walton Beach Commerce & Technology Park last month As has been reported, the company specializes in advanced weapons systems and plans to create 29 new, high wage jobs while investing $1.2M This was my first opportunity to see first-hand the city s expedited permitting process in action.i was most impressed Our client met with City Staff on 9/25 to review their project, got a clear understanding of the City s requirements and left with a verbal commitment from the City. The actual permit was awarded the very next day! Thank those who played a part in this great success: o Captain Glen Guarin o Barry Henderson, Building Official o Stella Jones, Planning Manager o Daniel Payne, Construction Manager o Michael Beedie, City Manager o Mayor and City Council who empower these folks to get the job done. The EDC continues to experience steady project activity, with 22 active projects currently in the pipeline. Interestingly, 16 of the 22 projects were generated by the EDC with the remainder being through partners such as Enterprise Florida, Gulf Power, and Florida s Great Northwest. The attached overview provides further insight into the types of projects currently considering Okaloosa County.
M E M O R A N D U M Date: September 2, 2014 To: Michael Beedie, Fort Walton Beach City Manager From: Nathan Sparks, Executive Director, EDC of Okaloosa County Subject: Q3 2014 EDC Update The EDC is pleased to announce the development of a new website featuring comprehensive information on commercial and/or industrial buildings and sites available for sale or lease in our community. Developed in partnership with the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors (ECAR), www.okaloosasites.com, also offers users direct access to valuable demographics, workforce, wage, consumer spending and housing information. At present, the site is populated with 151 buildings and 66 sites located within Fort Walton Beach city limits. The EDC will use the time designated for our quarterly update during the Council s September 9, 2014 meeting to provide an overview of this exciting new tool. Among other things, we look forward to discussing how the City might utilize a customized widget on your website to bring additional visibility to these properties. As is standard practice, we will also provide an update on EDC prospect activity (slides attached).