THE MANUFACTURING OUTLOOK FOR JACKSONVILLE

The Manufacturing Outlook for Jacksonville by T.R. CUTLER

During a time of economic, health, and industrial flux, it is important to look at specific areas that are thriving despite these conditions. There are many factors which influence these geographic data such as a favorable cost of living.

Another factor which annures to the industrial success and manufacturing outlook for Jacksonville is the JAXPORT.

As various economic development organizations put forth their best-case for investing, the affordability of construction and real-estate becomes paramount.

Recent Industrial Wins in Jacksonville

Aundra Wallace, President of JAXUSA Partnership (pictured above) shared, “JAXUSA Partnership has announced seven new manufacturing projects in 2020 alone for a reason. Across the Jacksonville region’s seven counties, manufacturers take advantage of excellent logistics and transportation infrastructure including rail, air, maritime, and highway. Low costs for doing business and our business friendliness is difficult to find elsewhere.”

Wallace added the Jacksonville area has a robust talent pool fed by nearly 200,000 area graduates annually in programs that offer support

for manufacturing, aviation, aerospace, and technology. Beyond the myriad of technical reasons Jacksonville’s manufacturing industry is booming, skilled talent is attracted to the region’s quality of life and low cost of living. When a location checks every box, it’s hard to overlook what Northeast Florida has to offer. Manufacturing industry outlook JAXUSA is optimistic about the local manufacturing industry in 2021, based on volume of projects the region has seen recently and continues to see, whether by referrals from site consultants, Enterprise Florida, or direct contact from companies. Brokers in industrial manufacturing consider the Jacksonville region a dynamic market. JAXUSA has seen strong foreign investment interest due to room to build, lack of congestion, and good rates. America’s Logistics Center As Florida becomes increasingly populated, Jacksonville is high on companies’ lists because of its great logistical location, confluence of interstates, railroads, and ports. Jacksonville’s FTZ (free trade zone) No. 64 encompasses all seven counties in the region, plus two others, making it the largest in the state extending more than 5,000 square miles and more than 130 million square feet of distribution center

and warehousing space within close proximity to JAXPORT JAXPORT’s Harbor Deepening project which will deepen the St. Johns River from 40 ft. to 47 ft. extending to the Dames Point Marine Terminal, will allow for more service to and from Asia.

Now more than halfway through the year, it is safe to say Jacksonville, Florida is weathering well through the wrath of 2020, especially on the advanced manufacturing front. This year to date, JAXUSA Partnership has announced seven new manufacturing projects, totaling nearly 300 new jobs and over $55 million in capital investment, all in the midst of a global pandemic.

New advanced manufacturing projects in Jacksonville announced in 2020 include: Made in Space, a California-founded advanced space manufacturing company, this year relocated its headquarters to a new 19,000 sq. ft. facility on Jacksonville’s Southside with an expansion that will bring $3 million in capital investment to the region.

West Virginia-based plastics manufacturer Flying W Plastics announced plans for a new facility in Northwest Jacksonville. The company will invest $8 million in the facility and create 35 new jobs. H&M Metal Processing, an advanced manufacturing company based in Ohio, will invest $3 million in real estate, renovations, and custom-built processing equipment for a 35,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in downtown Jacksonville.

Collins Aerospace, a manufacturer of technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry, announced it will create more than 100 jobs and invest $10.6 million into a new 140,000 sq. ft. facility in Jacksonville.

Commercial Metals Company will invest $30 million to enhance their Jacksonville manufacturing facility, creating 10 additional jobs.

ESG Aerosystems Inc., an aerospace manufacturing company established in Jacksonville by Germanbased parent company ESG GmbH, will create 25 new jobs and invest $200,000 in capital investment. FON, Inc., a business specializing in Fiber Optic Cables for the defense and aerospace industries, will create an additional 22 jobs due to the company’s growth.

Jacksonville’s continued success in industry during these unprecedented times, provides much needed optimism.

Author Profile: Thomas R. Cutler is the President and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Floridabased, TR Cutler, Inc., celebrating its 21st year. Cutler is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium including more than 8000 journalists, editors, and economists writing about trends in manufacturing, industry, material handling, and process improvement. Cutler authors more than 1000 feature articles annually regarding the manufacturing sector. More than 4600 industry leaders follow Cutler on Twitter daily at @ThomasRCutler. Contact Cutler at trcutler@ trcutlerinc.com.