JOBS, JOBS, AND MORE JOBS BEING PLANNED FOR CRESTVIEW

As promised, the economic future of Crestview gets brighter and brighter. All I can say, and continue to say, you haven’t seen anything yet, as many more initiatives to bring more prosperity to Crestview and the surrounding area are in the works. With this said, one of the biggest challenges will be, where are these people going to shop? Hopefully, lending world will cooperate to assist our local developers in the local area to meet this targeted growth in the Crestview area.

Firms eyeing Crestview could bring hundreds of jobs
Growth potential is ‘phenomenal’ in the area, EDC representative says
By BRIAN HUGHES
682-6524 @cnbBrian brianh@crestviewbulletin.com  
CRESTVIEW — Four companies could bring more than 300 jobs to town, according to Kay Rasmussen, vice president of community and economic development for the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council. Rasmussen made the announcement at a recent Crestview City Council meeting. Of the 25 projects the EDC is pursuing, half are in the Crestview area, said Rasmussen, who noted that “four are strong candidates.” Because of confidentiality laws, she could not identify the firms, although it is known that “Project Pill” is an ongoing effort to lure Alabama-based Southern Pharmaceutical to open a plant in Crestview. “Project Pill is in the final stage of negotiations,” Rasmussen said. “Project Pill has restructured what they are looking for. It would result in an increased capital investment as well as an increased number of jobs. The EDC is working with them on their needs. We’re very confident this is going to happen and we’re working with them to meet their new needs.” Project Clark, an effort to lure a business to open in Crestview’s city limits, and Project Indian, another effort to locate a firm just outside the city, are new undertakings. Their combined projects “will contribute over 300 new jobs,” Rasmussen said. “Project Qwest II, this is a very promising project,” she also reported. “It would locate a corporate headquarters here along with a 100,000-square-foot refurbishing center and would create approximately 75 to 100 new jobs.” Rasmussen said the expansion of Qwest Air Parts, one of Bob Sikes Airport’s newest tenants, possibly might be accomplished with BP funds from the Restore Act, which allocates money to create new jobs in areas affected by the 2010 oil spill. “The trend that everyone is seeing is the growth potential that is actually taking place in and around the city,” Rasmussen said after the presentation. “It is phenomenal.”