VISION AIRLINES TO CREATE 4200 NEW JOBS IN OKALOOSA COUNTY

I had the pleasure to be invited to the official announcement of Vision Airlines at the Emerald Grande and I can tell you, excitement was in the air. This announcement is not something that will take years to implement. It starts in March 2011, that is this year! As promised in earlier BLOGS, I told you big things were getting ready to happen, which will make the Army 7th Special Forces and F-35 Training Squadron movement seem small. I will warn you now, this announcement of Vision Airlines is one of many more to be announcement in the very near future. The problem, which is not a bad problem to have, will be how fast can we build homes to accommodate these folks. Again, as always, banks and investors are needed to assist developers and builders.

Vision Airlines announces Northwest Florida expansion, Governor touts job creation
Tom McLaughlin
2011-01-18 21:53:18
DESTIN — The cat was out of the bag by the time Gov. Rick Scott and local dignitaries announced Tuesday that Vision Airlines’ would make Northwest Florida Regional Airport its hub. But that did nothing to diminish the excitement. “I’ve told people who’ve asked me that I think 2011 is going to be the comeback year for this area,” said Destin Mayor Sam Seevers. “And I think about what today is going to mean for us … this is unprecedented in terms of business impact.” Vision’s decision to use Northwest Florida Regional as its base for 20 commercial flights will generate a regional economic ripple expected to produce nearly 4,200 jobs and bring in $160 million in revenue, state Rep. Matt Gaetz told those gathered for the announcement. Gaetz said those figures were generated by experts at Northwest Florida State College. They come as welcome news to a community hurt first by the economic downturn and then last year by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Scott called Tuesday a “most exciting day.” He said bringing in 4,200 jobs in the first two weeks of his term seemed a decent first step toward the 700,000 he’s promised to create in the next seven years. “I figure 150,000 more meetings like this one and I’m done,” he quipped. Nearly everyone who spoke credited Okaloosa County Airports Director Greg Donovan with doing much of the work to get Vision Airlines to locate in Okaloosa County. David Meers, chief operating officer for the airline, also credited Mark Bellinger, executive director of the county’s Tourist Development Council. “Without his vision and enthusiasm this wouldn’t have happened,” he said. Donovan said the effort to bring Vision Airlines to Northwest Florida started long before Tuesday’s announcement. “It’s been years in the formation and months in the development,” he said. “It was like nitroglycerin; we got the spark and everything began firing together.” Based in Suwanee, Ga., Vision Airlines hopes to succeed by offering direct flights to and from places such as Baton Rouge, La., Knoxville, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., and Miami. That came as welcome news to at least one of the many business people on hand for the announcement. “I used to say that when I died, regardless of the direction I was heading, I’d have to go through Hartsfield (airport) in Atlanta first,” said Merrill Lynch executive Tim Krueger. “I’m pleased to report that as of today that’s not the case. Hallelujah.” From now until Sunday, the airline is offering flights from Northwest Florida Regional to any of its destinations for $49 one way. “You can’t drive to Miami for that,” said Donovan. He told reporters that the airport, which is located on Eglin Air Force Base and shares a runway with the base, is equipped to handle Vision Airlines’ expansion. The Air Force actually enhances the airport’s efficiency. He said the hundreds of military personnel and contractors who travel to and from Eglin will benefit from the direct flights. Larry Sassano, head of the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County, said Vision’s decision to locate locally is a step toward economic diversification for the area, which is heavily reliant on tourism and the military. Scott challenged those who attended his press conference to do what they could to make the airline successful. “This is just a beginning. Everybody here needs to make sure everybody you come in contact with knows what Vision is doing,” he said. “If you do that they’ll have more success than they ever imagined, and we’ll keep growing.”