HIGH PRAISE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE PANHANDLE

As you will see from Governor Crist's comments, the State of Florida is high on green projects and the U.S. Military. I would have to say, with the panhandle being a stragetic location for the military growth and a great location for tourism, our future is very bright.

Governor Crist Praises Economic Development in Panhandle
Visits Panama City-Bay County International Airport site and Naval Support Activity – NAVSEA Warfare Center.
Tuesday September 1st, 2009


PANAMA CITY – Continuing his focus on strengthening Florida’s economy, Governor Charlie Crist today visited the Panama City-Bay County International Airport construction site and toured the Naval Support Activity – NAVSEA Warfare Center to highlight their economic impact on Northwest Florida and the state, as well as the environmental benefit of their use of green technologies.

“Florida’s economy thrives on projects and initiatives that strengthen our expanding tourism and defense industries,” Governor Crist said. “Florida will continue to foster an environment that supports projects that want to provide opportunities for job growth, marketplace competition and industry expansion, while also placing an emphasis on environmental stewardship.”

During today’s visit, Governor Crist toured the construction site of the terminal facility of the Panama City-Bay County International Airport, accompanied by Airport Authority Board Co-Chairman Bill Kramer, Secretary Mike Sole and Representative Jimmy Patronis. In 2007, Governor Crist lauded the groundbreaking of the airport as a national model for economic development and environmental preservation. As of January 2009, there were nearly 300 workers onsite, and an increase to 500 workers related to construction is anticipated. In addition to creating jobs in the area, the environmentally sensitive design of the new airport is expected to earn it the recognition of “America’s First Green Airport.” It also plans to be one of the first airports to seek the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, an internationally recognized green building certification.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center is located at the Naval Support Activity Panama City. Home to an estimated 2,400 active duty military personnel and nearly 2,000 civilian employees, this base contributes almost $2.3 billion in economic impact to Bay County. The center’s mission is to conduct research, development, test and evaluation, in-service support of mine warfare systems, and other missions that occur primarily in coastal regions. NAVSEA is the largest of the Navy’s five system commands and accounts for nearly a quarter of the entire Navy’s budget. In addition to the tour, Governor Crist met with high school students training at NAVSEA.

Florida’s Defense Economy

Florida is home to 20 military installations, including 12 major installations and three unified command centers, as well as many of the nation’s leading defense companies and a large pool of highly skilled workers and veterans. In addition, military and defense’s economic impact has increased by more than 9 percent per year since 2003, the last period evaluated according to Enterprise Florida. Florida’s top 10 contractors alone employ more than 28,000 Floridians. These contractors and other defense companies find in Florida the workforce and support they need to thrive. In fact, defense-related spending generated about 732,300 jobs and $52 billion in gross state product (GSP) in 2005, according to the most recent data available. Projections are that the economic impact of this important industry in Florida will reach nearly $60 billion by 2010.

Support for Florida’s Military Installations

In 2008, the state of Florida awarded almost $4 million in defense grants for projects to improve Florida’s position as a host state for military installations and activities through the Florida Defense Reinvestment Grant Program. The program is administered by the Governor’s Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development, in coordination with Enterprise Florida Inc. and the Florida Defense Alliance.