Business Relocations to Jacksonville (Daily Record)

[Jdog]

Please give us some good news...we need it. 



____________________________________________________________________________________________

03/14/2011
By Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor

Both Gov. Rick Scott and Mayor John Peyton confirmed on Friday that Jacksonville is working on recruiting a company headquarters, although few details were available about its industry or size.

It’s “an important headquarters,” said Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jerry Mallot after a Cornerstone speech by Scott and remarks by Peyton.

The company has been looking at the area the past few months, said Mallot, offering no further details about the prospect. “I really can’t say anything,” he said.

“When we are involved in a project that requires or even demands
confidentiality, I can’t.”

Scott, who campaigned on a platform of creating 700,000 jobs in seven years with a seven-point plan, spoke to about 1,200 people Friday at the quarterly Cornerstone luncheon at the Hyatt Downtown. He referred to his Monday evening visit to Jacksonville. “I was here Monday night and I hope we win, he said. Later, Scott said he was “here a couple days ago” regarding a “company moving here.”

Peyton also addressed the Cornerstone group and mentioned Scott’s visit. “This past week, he flew in to meet with the prospect of a headquarters, relocation,” said Peyton.

Scott met from 7-8 p.m. Monday at EverBank Field in what was posted on his schedule as an “economic development meeting.”

While Mallot provided few details about the prospect, he said it was one of several. He is president of the chamber’s Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership.

“We are busy right now,” he said, adding that a “major company” had visited the Friday before in addition to the corporate prospect Monday and Tuesday. Another is expected today and yet another is expected this week, but he said Friday the date of that visit had not been set.

“It’s a range of industries,” said Mallot of the prospects. “One is a headquarters operation, but others are in manufacturing and technology, two different areas. In fact, there is pretty good balance in the type of projects we are involved in.” Mallot said interest has picked up.

“We are seeing more site visits,” he said. “We are seeing a hum in our business today that is very important and we believe will lead to serious job creation as this year goes on.”

Last year, the chamber said that announced projects would create 3,268 jobs in the seven counties of Northeast Florida participating in Cornerstone. Of those, 3,158 were in Duval County. The other counties in the partnership are Baker, Clay, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns.

Mallot said the goal this year is 2,500 jobs with a “stretch goal” of 3,000.

He said more than 50 prospects are looking at the area. “That is up a little from the last couple of years.” Those prospects are considered “qualified” in that they have a serious project and are looking at the region, he said.

Mallot said that while the economy suffered during the recession, “companies are saying it is time again to hire and time to invest.” The five-county area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties lost more than 60,000 jobs from the employment peak in May 2007 to this past January. The national recession began in December 2007 and ended in 2009.

“We are a year or two away from getting back to normal, but it is definitely increasing and by the end of the year, we will be humming,” said Mallot.

The chamber’s targeted industries are headquarters; financial services; logistics; life sciences; advanced manufacturing; aviation and aerospace; and information technology.

Cornerstone Chair Scott Keith, BB&T regional president, announced Friday that the chamber will use a $200,000 Econo-mic Development Administration Grant to define “future targeted industries subsectors” that will deepen understanding of Northeast Florida’s “competitive assets.”

Mallot said the grant is through the Northeast Florida Regional Council.

Mallot said the governor can play a strong role in recruitment. “We would love to have the governor in on every project if the opportunity was there, but we really take a look and assess the seriousness of a client and the impact the governor’s participation would have at the stage at which the decisionmaking process is going,” he said.

“We have to be cognizant of his time when we believe it is important in the process,” he said. “Sometimes it is important early in the process or sometimes later in the process.”

Mallot said that Peyton Chief of Staff Adam Hollingsworth, who had taken a leave of absence to work with the state Republican Party during Scott’s successful campaign, was helpful in bringing Scott to the table.

“He is able to evaluate the governor’s interest and availability to see if his timing and ours might match, so he has been very important,” said Mallot.

Of the 50 or so prospects, Mallot said some have just begun their search, some are coming closer to a decision, some are “very serious” and some are on hold or delayed.

“All of them have a project, have named the First Coast as a location option and are proceeding down the path,” he said.



http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=533129

[cline]

Hopefully the prospect of not having any school sports does not have a negative impact on the decision to choose Jax.  Not having school sports doesn't exactly increase quality of life for employees.

[Jdog]

If you want a headquarters, especially. 

[duvaldude08]

Ok I guess I will be the first one to say, THIS IS GOOD NEWS. Let's no always dwell on the negative. For every negative, the is a positive. I would love to see how this unfolds.

[fsujax]

They are keeping very tight lipped about it. Hope they locate in Downtown!

[Ocklawaha]

THIS


AND THIS


COULD EASILY BE CONVERTED INTO:

THIS


AND THIS

03/14/2011
By Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor

The chamber’s targeted industries are headquarters; financial services; logistics; life sciences; advanced manufacturing; aviation and aerospace; and information technology.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=533129

Unless they can confirm that "HEAVY TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT MANFACTURING" as part of their "advanced manufacturing," plans, they're missing a huge natural fit with both our history, skilled workforce and infrastructure. JACKSONVILLE SHOULD BE BUILDING TRANSIT AND RAILROAD EQUIPMENT.

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

CHINA


JACKSONVILLE

kind of looks like a fit doesn't it?

OCKLAWAHA

[duvaldude08]

They are keeping very tight lipped about it. Hope they locate in Downtown!

That is my hope!! We need business's downtown! If not that one, hopefully some of the others that they are talking with will locate downtown.

[copperfiend]

I am guessing it is not The Home Depot.

[mtraininjax]

Mallot said the goal this year is 2,500 jobs with a “stretch goal” of 3,000.

The five-county area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties lost more than 60,000 jobs from the employment peak in May 2007 to this past January.

“We are a year or two away from getting back to normal, but it is definitely increasing and by the end of the year, we will be humming,” said Mallot.

Chamber Math is always a bit fuzzy, how does Mallot and his side-pal-clown Wally Lee plan to get back the 60,000 jobs lost by adding 2,500 to 3,000 per year and be back to that number within a year or two?

Face it folks, the Chamber is clueless, the only way to get those 60,000 jobs back is to see housing go back up and people start seeing their wealth levels rise. Until Housing comes back, we are just going to tread water in Jacksonville.

[Garden guy]

Mallot said the goal this year is 2,500 jobs with a “stretch goal” of 3,000.

The five-county area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties lost more than 60,000 jobs from the employment peak in May 2007 to this past January.

“We are a year or two away from getting back to normal, but it is definitely increasing and by the end of the year, we will be humming,” said Mallot.

Chamber Math is always a bit fuzzy, how does Mallot and his side-pal-clown Wally Lee plan to get back the 60,000 jobs lost by adding 2,500 to 3,000 per year and be back to that number within a year or two?

Face it folks, the Chamber is clueless, the only way to get those 60,000 jobs back is to see housing go back up and people start seeing their wealth levels rise. Until Housing comes back, we are just going to tread water in Jacksonville.

Over building houses is one of the reasons the we are in the mess we are in...this city needs shipping contracts and business growth in every sector

[ronchamblin]

Manufacturing... what a beautiful word ... actually making something, building something .... would be good for the country, and it would be great for our downtown.  The best times and moods I've ever had in life is when I was building, fabricating .....  making something.  Its good for the soul.  It would be good for the city's soul too, and it's pocketbook.  I would like to see the statistics regarding manufacturing decline in the the US since the fifties.

I may attempt to come up with something to manufacture in one of the vacant buildings in the city core, and then we can teach the manufacturing skills to the fellows in Hemming Park.  As the business expanded we could hire more and more of the unemployed fellows, after training of course; even those who hang out outside of the city center.  Any ideas about what we could manufacture?

We might also simply look for possible existing manufacturers, in or out of the state, and entice them to locate in the core.  I hope that the powers at be use all persuasive powers to entice any company anticipating moving into the state, to look seriously into moving into the city core; that is, if their product or business is suitable for the core.  I sense that the powers at be are not aggressive enough when it comes to attracting business, especially something like manufacturing, to locate in the city core, or close to it.  I sense that for the most part they wait for something to happen.  The complacency is related partially perhaps to the fact that the government is involved.  If the entity concerned with bringing manufacturing or businesses to the core were private, I suspect that the results would be much better, as they must make a profit....they must get results to survive.

[Garden guy]

Manufacturing... what a beautiful word ... actually making something, building something .... would be good for the country, and it would be great for our downtown.  The best times and moods I've ever had in life is when I was building, fabricating .....  making something.  Its good for the soul.  It would be good for the city's soul too, and it's pocketbook.  I would like to see the statistics regarding manufacturing decline in the the US since the fifties.

I may attempt to come up with something to manufacture in one of the vacant buildings in the city core, and then we can teach the manufacturing skills to the fellows in Hemming Park.  As the business expanded we could hire more and more of the unemployed fellows, after training of course; even those who hang out outside of the city center.  Any ideas about what we could manufacture?

We might also simply look for possible existing manufacturers, in or out of the state, and entice them to locate in the core.  I hope that the powers at be use all persuasive powers to entice any company anticipating moving into the state, to look seriously into moving into the city core; that is, if their product or business is suitable for the core.  I sense that the powers at be are not aggressive enough when it comes to attracting business, especially something like manufacturing, to locate in the city core, or close to it.  I sense that for the most part they wait for something to happen.  The complacency is related partially perhaps to the fact that the government is involved.  If the entity concerned with bringing manufacturing or businesses to the core were private, I suspect that the results would be much better, as they must make a profit....they must get results to survive.

It is difficult to push a city toward new business when our students are stupid..no company wants a stupid populations...we can blame this on NCLB and the defunding of our educational system...this city has become a service oriented city...we all just serving eachother hambergers..lol...for new business' to want to be here...we must educate our kids and fund it....the republicans of this city have spent years in this city lowering taxes for the rich and have always had the attitude of "i got mine...screw you..."...

[Ocklawaha]

Manufacturing... what a beautiful word ...

I may attempt to come up with something to manufacture in one of the vacant buildings in the city core, and then we can teach the manufacturing skills to the fellows in Hemming Park.  As the business expanded we could hire more and more of the unemployed fellows, after training of course; even those who hang out outside of the city center.  Any ideas about what we could manufacture?

I like it Ron, let me toss a couple of ideas at you...

A Jacksonville designed and tested "TROPICAL" MONORAIL-BIKE system, for parks, amusements, health clubs and oh yeah, RIVERWALKS.
SEE:
http://inhabitat.com/google-invests-in-shweebs-peddle-powered-bike-monorail/
http://phenomnaltwincities.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/skyride-the-elevated-monorail-biking-and-rowing-machine/

Or for the more ambistious how about Streetcar restoration - (think fine yacht building skills) this little idea could be started for $20,000 and maybe less... the cars, well, scattered all over the south.

If you or anybody else likes these ideas, contact me, we'll talk about some volunteer work, car inspection, etc.

[duvaldude08]

How did I know that this topic was going to go south eventually