2016 Escambia County Business Journal

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY 2016 BUSI N ESS JOU R NA L

QUINT STUDER • FLORIDAWEST • VISION 2015 • INNOVATION COAST • IRISH POLITICIAN’S CLUB NAVY FEDERAL • DEMOGRAPHICS • PORT OF PENSACOLA • FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES

AN 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT

]

[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]

22 PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Steve Bornhoft EDITOR Linda Kleindienst SENIOR STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart STAFF WRITER Chay D. Baxley PROOFREADER Melinda Lanigan CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lawrence Davidson PRODUCTION MANAGER Daniel Vitter ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut ADVERTISING DESIGNER Jillian Fry SALES & MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Lisa Sostre, Tracy Mulligan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Bess Grasswick, Darla Harrison, Lori Magee, Rhonda Murray, Will Patrick, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Paula Sconiers, Alice Watts, Brianna Webb SALES AND MARKETING ASSISTANT Christie Green

rowlandpublishing.com | 850BusinessMagazine.com

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4 Q uint Studer One man

can make a difference, and Quint Studer is putting his money where he thinks it can help the most, helping to redevelop downtown Pensacola and give local businesses and entrepreneurs a boost.

22 I rish Politician’s Club

There’s a room in the back corner of McGuire’s Irish Pub where Pensacola gets down to business.

25 N avy Federal The world’s

largest credit union has put down roots in Escambia County and is bringing thousands of needed jobs to the area.

13 F loridaWest The newly

formed FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, under direction of CEO Scott Luth, is setting the stage for business growth in Escambia County.

17 V ision 2015

When Greater Pensacola embarked on a mission to bring more jobs to the region, it exceeded all expectations.

18 I nnovation Coast

A coalition of tech-savvy leaders is working to grow the area’s tech sector, attract high-level professionals and expand job opportunities.

27

D emographics

Interesting stats and facts about the Pensacola/Escambia County area.

28 P ort of Pensacola

Working on ships that service oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico has served the port well, even when the economy takes a dip.

31 F astest Growing Companies Several local

companies continue to make Inc. magazine’s annual fastest growing list.

On the Cover: Once a nearly deserted street in downtown Pensacola, Palafox Street now bustles with activity.

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF INNOVATION COAST

PHOTO BY DAVE BARFIELD (22) AND RENDERINGS COURTESY OF FLORIDAWEST (13)

13

Respected. Responsive. Local.

- Since 1988 -

A Structural Restoration Company

Gulf Front Condominium Rehabilitation Historical Restoration Building/Disaster Reconstruction Concrete Repair Envelope Waterproofing

Certified General Contractor in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi PhoenixPensacola.com | 850-857-4740 | 900 Industrial Court, Pensacola, Florida Alabama State Board of General Contractors: License 17674 Unlimited | Mississippi State Board of Contractors: License 11719-MC | Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board: State Certified General Contractor – CGC061897 / State Certified Roofing Contractor – CCC1325783 / State Certified Home Inspector – HI1741 2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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[ QUINT STUDER PROFILE ]

MAN with a

VISION

Quint Studer wants to make Pensacola the best it can be

DAVE BARFIELD

by Linda Kleindienst

LESS THAN A DECADE AGO, the corner of Palafox and Main in downtown Pensacola was home to two vacant buildings and two overgrown lots. Today the corners are filled with bustling businesses that employ about 150 people. Once empty storefronts up and down the two major thoroughfares — as well as side streets — are filling up with small businesses. And the people once again are coming downtown … in ever growing numbers.

It’s a sweet scene for Quint Studer, who remembers well the feeling of desolation as he walked the streets of downtown not too long ago. Those who did venture into the area were treated to a noxious smelling sewage treatment plant and there was little, if anything, to do. Even the waterfront was inaccessible.

“It was very marginal to do business because there weren’t a lot of people,” he says. The solution, he and others decided, was to build something to draw attention and traffic to the area.

Today there is a baseball stadium, a maritime park that provides access to the water, novelty shops, cafés, bars and more. And, Studer adds, “they’re fighting to find empty spots in downtown.”

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PITCHING A DREAM

Quint Studer, standing on the pitcher’s mound at the Blue Wahoos stadium, took a chance that a baseball team would help lure locals and visitors back to downtown.

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[ QUINT STUDER PROFILE ]

Dedicated to ‘Home’ He’s been called a Carpet Bagger and an “out of towner” by some who have called into question his dedication to improving his adopted city. But Quint Studer says he pays that no nevermind.

“I get asked why I’m investing in Pensacola. People should be pleased,” he says. His philosophy is simple: “I believe everyone has the responsibility to make where they live the best it can be.”

In Studer’s first career, he taught special needs children for 10 years. Then, because of his own battle with and treatment for alcoholism, he began a new career working at a facility that treated drug and alcohol addiction before going into the hospital business, where he excelled at bringing excellence to the facilities under his supervision. He earned renown in the health care industry when, as COO of financially strapped Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago, his work brought patient satisfaction from 3 to 73 percent in six months and improved the hospital’s financial outlook at the same time.

Studer came to Pensacola in 1996 to serve as president of Baptist Hospital, and while there he started The Studer Group — a part-time endeavor Quint Studer designed to help health care organizations improve clinical outcomes and profits. By 2000, his consulting company had turned into his full-time passion and job. After starting out with three employees, today it boasts more than 270.

He could have left Pensacola — after all, his sinuses feel a lot better when he is out of town — but he made a promise to his family to stay in one place until his son graduated from high school.

“We had moved several times. By the time my son was in second grade he was in his third school,” Studer recalls. “After we moved to Pensacola, we noticed a bald spot on his head. His adjustment had been so hard that his hair was falling out. We couldn’t do that again.”

“I get asked why I’m investing in Pensacola.

People should be pleased,” he says.

His philosophy is simple: “I believe everyone has the responsibility to make where they live the best it can be.”

—

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By the time his son graduated high school, however, the company had grown and employees who worked there had deep roots in the community, not to mention extended family in the area. If the company moved, those people would have to move or leave. In the end, he decided he didn’t want to disrupt so many lives. He stayed and put his effort into making Pensacola the best it can be.

A motivational speaker and author, as Studer travelled across the country he kept questioning why Pensacola didn’t have a

COLIN HACKLEY / VISIT FLORIDA HAMILTON IMAGES

vibrant downtown like so many of the places he visited. To bring people into Pensacola, he knew that there would have to be something to do, including places to shop, eat and work.

Studer and his wife, Rishy, were ready to put their money into helping make improvements.

Baseball Calls

One of the three essential ingredients for helping turn a town around is an angel investor, someone willing to invest who isn’t hung up on the return on investment, says Studer.

“There are people with money that say, ‘I can die with this money, or I can leave it to my kids and watch them fight over it.

Or, I can do something now with my money and enjoy watching people benefit.’ ” After a pause, he continues, “I told (Pensacola attorney) Fred Levin that my goal is to die like Mickey Rooney.

He died with $27,000.”

Although as a kid he was a White Sox fan, Studer grew up on the side of town where he had to watch the Chicago Cubs play on TV. And he readily admits he knew nothing about minor

Quint and Rishy Studer league baseball when he learned a team was (left), standing on the up for sale. But “they were almost giving it now busy Palafox Street away,” and he bought it. What better way, (right), are promoters of economic development he reasoned, to bring people to the middle and entrepreneurism of Pensacola? in downtown and are First he had to come up with $500,000 funding programs designed to help the to get the Pensacola property rights (which region improve. the Mobile team owned) and then another $2 million to build the stadium and maritime park. Another problem was that the team was independent and it was hard to find other teams to play. A growing number of independent teams were becoming affiliated with major league teams and joining the minor leagues. Needing other teams to play, the Blue Wahoos became a Class Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

“It’s been a journey,” Studer says with a smile. “It’s like you get on a highway and can’t get over. The next thing, you’re building a stadium.”

But that effort, he proudly points out, helped attract golf star Bubba Watson, two time Masters Champion and Pensacola native, back home. In January 2015, Watson bought a minority

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interest in the team. At the time Watson said, “I wish Pensacola had a team like this when I was growing up. There’s something special about pulling for the hometown team. It’s great that Quint and Rishy were willing to let me be a part of it.”

For his part, Studer is also hoping that Watson’s national prominence will help bring more attention to the region. “Together we will continue to create great experiences for all ages, make lifelong memories for our fans, be a super

Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, home of the Blue Wahoos

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place to work and now, with Bubba’s leadership, we will gain a national and international awareness for the Blue Wahoos and Northwest Florida.”

Meanwhile, the team continues to set attendance records — hitting a million fans in late spring of 2015 — even while it can’t boast a winning record. Partly because of its bayfront location, but also because of the family atmosphere and the enthusiasm of its employees, the park has consistently ranked as a top minor league fan experience. In 2015, minor league fans voted it

[ QUINT STUDER PROFILE ]

coming. But one of the benefits of not having made his money in Pensacola is that he doesn’t have a long history of relationships and has remained fairly independent.

“We use our own money and we’re not beholden to anyone financially,” he explains. “And that’s put us in a unique light.”

Besides the park/stadium project he has worked on with local government, he has been involved with purchasing a downtown office building and is currently working on an apartment complex designed to provide affordable housing in the downtown area for people who work there.

“You need places for people to eat and shop and work. On the residential front, we’re still trying to catch up,” he says of the 260-unit complex he is working on. “But it’s — Quint Studer complicated to build in Pensacola because it’s expensive.”

He freely admits he doesn’t want to be a property developer. He wants to instead be active as and remembered as a community developer.

“I don’t go into this stuff to make money. I want to make a better community. That’s my return on investment,” he says.

At the Studer Community Institute, the focus is on making life in the community better through distribution of information, leadership development, entrepreneurial assistance and workshops on emerging issues. A “dashboard” has been set up so that the public can monitor key economic and social indexes, allowing them to compare Greater Pensacola to communities of similar size in areas such as high school graduation and household income. The point is to get citizens more engaged with what’s happening in their backyard.

To boost entrepreneurism in the community, the Studers last year committed $1 million for the new Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of West Florida, which will be housed in the College of Business and focus on creating a culture of entrepreneurial thinking. Much of the Center’s activity will be centered in downtown Pensacola.

“This is the most excited I have been about any project that Rishy and I have been involved in,” Studer said on the day of the annoucement. “In the long-term history of Pensacola, when they look back at monumental days, I think that this will be one of them.”

MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER/ PENSACOLA TODAY

“I don’t go into this stuff to make money. I want to make a better community.

That’s my return on investment.”

the “Best Seat in the House,” and it came in second best of the nation’s 160 minor league parks.

“It’s increased community pride and helped with the economy,” Studer says. “When visiting teams come here, we fill more than 2,000 hotel rooms.”

Building Blocks Making changes in a community, Studer says, requires being comfortable with discomfort — because surely some pushback is

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[ QUINT STUDER PROFILE ]

ESCAMBIA COUNTY Studer Community Institute KINDERGARTEN READINESS 66.2%

in 2013–2014

0.8%

from 2012–2013

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE

71%

66.1%

State Average

This measures the percentage of 5-year-olds found kindergarten-ready when evaluated in the first month of the school year. Kindergartenready students tend to have greater success throughout their academic careers.

in 2013–2014

+1.9%

from 2012–2013

$42,645 State Average

This measures the percentage of students who completed their high school career within four years of starting it. While Escambia’s graduation rate increased more than 8 percentage points since 2010–2011, the rate still lags behind neighboring Santa Rosa County, the state and national averages.

COLLEGE GRADUATES 23.7% in 2013

0%

from 2009

Positive Direction Negative Direction No Change Better than State Average FREE & REDUCED PRICE LUNCH

26.4% State Average

66.1%

in 2014–2015

+2.6%

from 2012–2013

60.8% State Average

This figure tracks the number of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree and higher. Research shows that communities with higher percentages of college-educated residents have higher wages.

This helps measure poverty in a community. Children living in households at or below 185% of the poverty level are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals at their schools.

SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS

OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY RATE

Editor’s note: Escambia’s 2014-15 graduation rate, released in January, was up by 6.6 percent, jumping from 66 percent to 72 percent.

REAL PER CAPITA INCOME $38,389 in 2013

+1.1% from 2012-2013

MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS

$43,645

64.5%

State Average

in 2015

+1.9%

from 2012–2013

63.4% State Average

40.4% in 2013

-0.4%

from 2012

35.1% State Average

59.8%

-8.1%

in 2015

from 2010

62.8% State Average

Real per capita income represents the total GDP of our area, adjusted for inflation and divided by the working-age population. It measures the average person’s purchasing power and economic well-being.

“Middle class households” — families who earn between $20,000-$99,000 in 2009 dollars — add to the economic activity, stability and vibrancy of a community.

Children living in single-parent families often face more economic and social hurdles than their peers from two-parent families.

Two out of three people in the Escambia County are either overweight or obese, meaning they have a body mass of 25 or higher.

Obesity-related health problems diminish worker productivity and add costs to the health care system.

RENT-BURDENED HOUSEHOLDS

COST OF CHILD CARE

POPULATION

MEDIAN WORKFORCE AGE

57.2% in 2013

0%

from 2010

59.4%

49%

State Average

in 2015

0%

from 2012

56%

State Average

313,954 in 2015

+5.3%

from 2010–2015

+6.4% State Average

38.7 in 2013

-0.2%

from 2012–2013

41.4 State Average

The rule of thumb for affordable housing is that it should cost no more than 30% of your monthly income. This data measures the percentage of people who spend more than that on rent.

This measures average child care costs (for infant and preschoolers) as a percentage of media income for single-parent households. For many parents, the cost of child care may lead them to leave the workforce entirely.

To prosper, a community needs to grow. Data shows that after steeply increasing every decade between 1970 and 2000, our population stagnated. Santa Rosa’s population has boomed from 118,360 in 2000 to 167,785 in 2015.

It is no news flash that Florida is an aging state. But it is important to maintain — and increase — a healthy population of “young professionals” to add the intellectual and creative capacity that vibrant cities thrive upon.

LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION

CRIME RATE (PER 100,000)

VOTER TURNOUT

BED TAXES (2% NORMALIZED)

62%

in 2013

-0.2%

from 2012–2013

60.1%

4,761

State Average

The unemployment rate is often reported as a measure of joblessness, but it leaves out people who quit looking for work. Labor force participation shows how many people who are eligible to work are doing so.

in 2014

-9.9%

from 2012–2013

3,451 State Average

This measures the number of crimes reported per 100,000 citizens, including both violent crimes and property crimes.

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49.3% in 2014

-26.2% from 2012

50.5% State Average

How healthy is democracy in your community? Voter turnout is one way to measure that. In the 2014 general election, 43.3% of Santa Rosa voters cast ballots.

$855,711 in July

+9.6% from July 2014

The tourist development tax, also called the “bed tax,” is collected from hotels and other lodging establishments and is a measure of tourism traffic in a community.

MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER/ PENSACOLA TODAY

What’s Next Ask Quint Studer what he wants to be doing 10 years from now and he jokingly replies, “I hope I’m still alive.”

When in college, his aspiration was to retire by 55. “My dad retired at 60 and mom was 56. They moved to Florida and I thought there was nothing better than that,” Studer recalls.

Born in 1951, however, he’s already missed that opportunity.

On a more serious note, he wants to be very involved in the Center for Entrepreneurship, hoping to pass on to students what he has learned along the way in his business career. After all, his “hobby” is mentoring.

Studer readily admits that he and Rishy are always coming up with ideas, and they don’t expect that to stop.

“I can’t turn it off. I’d like to but I can’t. Your brain is always working,” he says with a laugh. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking.”

Admitting his drive comes partly from a fear of letting people down, Studer works an average of 16 to 17 hours day, dubbing it “binge working.” He gets a lot of questions about how he can maintain a life balance with the work he does. But he counters, “If you enjoy what you are doing and it’s working, who’s to criticize?”

His next push is for the community to better prepare the young (from birth to 3 years of age) to enter and succeed at school. In great part that focus is designed to make sure local schools are

The Studer Community graduating the educated and skilled workInstitute, shown here force needed by local employers. holding an education “In Escambia County, our high school town hall, is focused on improving the graduation rate is 66 percent. And only 66 community’s quality percent of our students are kindergarten of life by helping ready. That’s really bad,” Studer says. “The people understand the issues that need to be state of Florida is 81 percent.” addressed to move the If more students don’t get help to gradregion forward. uate, he reasons, it’s going to hurt the economy in the workplace.

“People will never move to Pensacola because it’s in a central location,” he explains. “The only way you’ll grow is by telling companies that you’ve got a good workforce. If you don’t help more kids graduate, it’s going to catch up with you in the workforce.”

In 10 years, he hopes “to be celebrating because more kids are ready for kindergarten, graduation rates are up and our wages are some of the best in the country.” To him, that will be a sign of success.

“I’ve never considered success as financial success, what you can own. I think success is measured by who you can touch, what you can impact. People who are successful never declare victory,” says Studer, who learned early to overcome his partial deafness and speech impediment. “My biggest thrill is seeing somebody else be successful.”

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T:10”

TO GIVE US THE TOOLS

[ FLORIDAWEST ]

The Bluffs is the site of Northwest Florida’s Industrial Campus. The newly master-planned 6,000+ acre development is suited for industrial and manufacturing companies. Located just north of Pensacola, it is situated adjacent to the University of West Florida campus.

Gateway W to West Florida

RENDERINGS COURTESY OF FLORIDAWEST

The FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance is setting the stage for development in Pensacola

by JASON DEHART

hen the economic development arm of the local chamber of commerce decided to become its own entity two years ago, local leaders knew that branding would play a major role in crafting its core mission. That’s how “FloridaWest,” the economic development alliance serving Pensacola and Escambia County, came to be.

“When we went through that process, we wanted something that was reflective of the area we represented and, obviously, Pensacola/Escambia County,” said Scott Luth, chief executive officer of FloridaWest.

“We are the most western part of Florida, and so it tied into that. We also wanted to take advantage of the brand and the recognition of the state of Florida, which has a wonderful name globally.”

There’s more to “West” than meets the eye, however. Sure, it’s a geographic location, but it’s also an acronym loaded with meaning, Luth explained. The “W” stands for wealth development, which is the agency’s primary focus. The “E” stands

for economic partnerships. The “S” is for sustainable businesses and “T” stands for a transformed workforce.

Although the acronym is only four letters, there are actually five core missions in play with FloridaWest’s economic development efforts. The alliance has a business retention and expansion program and a recruitment program, manages a small-business incubator to grow local businesses, and a workforce development initiative that works with education partners to meet job growth demands. It’s also engaged in developing new commerce parks, industrial parks and tech parks.

“The majority of work that we do and the companies that we work with and support, they are all net importers of wealth into the community,” Luth said. “And the way we define that is that even our small-business incubator companies are creating or developing a product or service that will be sold outside the region, primarily. And that’s sort of how we define who our customer is. So that is what we’re looking for. Not that our

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[ FLORIDAWEST ]

TARGETED INDUSTRY SECTORS In a city with a strong military, shipping and financial presence, it’s not surprising that FloridaWest targets companies that would fit in well with what’s already in Pensacola.

“We obviously will work with anybody that calls,” Luth said. “We support a lot of different companies, but the ones we kind of focus on — and focus our resources on — are our financial and business services companies, such as our Navy Federal (Credit Union) and those types of companies that focus on the financial services sector. There are information technology companies, our port facilities, our aviation manufacturing sector, and obviously our defense and homeland security with what’s going on with NAS Pensacola, both in the public and private sectors.”

It doesn’t end there. FloridaWest, Luth said, has “unique opportunities” for recruiting some energy-intensive industries that would need ample utility resources. That’s something Pensacola has in place with providers

such as Gulf Power, Pensacola Energy and the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.

“The big electrical, gas, water and sewer companies are a target for us as well because of the resources we have in our community.

And so those are growth opportunities and targets for us,” he said.

PARTNERS IN BUSINESS FloridaWest couldn’t get very far without local partnerships. The city, county and private-sector board members are deeply involved in supporting the alliance’s mission on a day-to-day basis.

“We are the acting agency on behalf of the city of Pensacola and Escambia County.

That’s what they fund us to do, is to do economic development work on behalf of this area,” Luth said. “Outside of that, we could not be successful without Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida, the Escambia County School District that has the career academies, and George Stone Technical Center. The Workforce Escarosa Center, our employment office here, is a big partner in the success of what we do. And then, obviously, our utility partners. That’s how we build our team, using all those things that go into the success of a business.”

THE BLUFFS Billed as “Northwest Florida’s Industrial Campus,” The Bluffs is a 6,000-acre, master-planned development suited for

industrial and manufacturing located just north of Pensacola. The Escambia River borders it to the east and the University of West Florida is to the south. The Emerald Coast Utility Authority, the community’s wastewater treatment plant, is located there, as is Ascend Performance Materials, a large nylon manufacturing company. The site features access to road, rail, barge and air service. There are more than 1,700 acres of developable land and enough space to house 60 new tenants and create 15,000 or more jobs.

“The Bluffs is a long-term strategic plan for those heavy energy-intensive type companies,” Luth said.

Gulf Power, the University of West Florida, the Emerald Coast Utility Authority, Ascend and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity are collaborating with FloridaWest on the 20-year development plan.

“We are marketing and promoting the site, but we are promoting the site to your larger, heavier type of companies that would really be similar to what’s out there now,” Luth said. “We went through strategic planning and sort of a high-level master planning process this past year, and so what you see there from a marketing perspective is the outcome of the recommendations. Now it’s a matter of going back and beginning to implement that plan, which is furthering some of the infrastructure out there.”

More than 60 sites are available in The Bluffs, with lots averaging between 10 and 50 acres. The campus will be developed in phases over 20 years. FloridaWest is coordinating the development with local governments and businesses.

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RENDERINGS COURTESY OF FLORIDAWEST

retail and service community isn’t important, because it is, and so is our health care industry. But we have others in the community that focus on those sectors. We have a full-time tourism department and a great, strong chamber of commerce that supports that. Our focus is primarily on companies that produce a product or service outside the region.”

AT T O R N E YS AT L AW

INSIGHT INTEGRITY INNOVATION

2010 路 2

012 路 2 1路2 0

路 2015

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16 / 2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

PensacolaEnergy.com

[ VISION 2015 ]

Vision 2015: Push to grow the economy pays off

VISION 2015 ACHEIVEMENT SNAPSHOT 2009

2015

10.4%

UNEMPLOYMENT

UNEMPLOYMENT

When the bottom dropped out of the economy in 2008, the private sector through the Greater Pensacola Chamber decided to put together a plan that focused on creating jobs, opportunity and investment. It resulted in Vision 2015.

JOBS BY YEAR The campaign focused on recruiting new » 2011 - 267 jobs businesses, helping local businesses expand and » 2012 - 927 jobs strengthening the partnerships between the » 2013 - 2,106 jobs military and the private sector in the Pensacola » 2014 - 5,531 jobs region. The goal was to create 3,000 new jobs » 2015 - 70 jobs » Incubator (CIE) - 61 jobs by 2015 — the final tally was close to 9,000.

Additionally, 1,191 designated jobs were added TOTAL - 8,962 JOBS in distressed areas.

“Vision 2015 served as a catalyst to stimulate existing business growth, improve the available workforce and spearhead community improvements,” said Clay Ingram, Chamber president and CEO. “We are thrilled with the progress made over the past five years, and we will continue to work together as a community to build a bright future for the greater Pensacola area.” // LINDA KLEINDIENST

5.0%

UNEMPLOYMENT

PLAN INITIATED TO CREATE 3,000 HIGHWAGE JOBS BY 2015

VISION 2015 JOBS

8,962 NEW JOBS, $53,898 AVERAGE SALARY

$5.3M TOURISM TAX DOLLARS COLLECTED

TOURISM

$8.6M TOURISM TAX DOLLARS COLLECTED

56.2% HIGH SCHOOLERS IN ESCAMBIA CO.

GRADUATION RATE

66.0% HIGH SCHOOLERS IN ESCAMBIA CO.

1,055 PARTNER BUSINESSES

MEMBERSHIP

1,314 PARTNER BUSINESSES

$5.1B GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT

MILITARY IMPACT

$7.1B GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT

ANNOUNCED VISION 2015 JOBS Company Name

Project Name

Type of Jobs

No. New Jobs

Est. Annual Salary (Avg.)

Est. Avg. Annual Payroll

Cap. Invest. $2,000,000

Cronimet

CONE

Manufacturing

15

$45,000

$675,000

Hixardt

PRESS

Information Technology

60

$45,000

$2,700,000

$4,000,000

EVEREST

Manufacturing

102

$55,000

$5,610,000

$56,100,000

UP

Distribution/Logistics

30

N/A

N/A

N/A

Information Technology

24

N/A

N/A

N/A

Ascend Performance UPS Global Business Solutions, Inc. Avalex

Technologies Information

Technology

36

N/A

N/A

N/A

CONTROL

Manufacturing

15

$39,616

$475,392

$520,000

Alto Products Corp.

ALLEN

Administrative HQ

12

$70,860

$850,320

$500,000

Navy Federal Credit Union

NEAT

Financial Services

700

$40,745

$28,521,500

$6,150,000

SECURITY

Information Technology

200

$85,000

$17,000,000

$20,000,000

IMPACT

Financial Services

1,500

$44,000

$66,000,000

$200,000,000

Custom Control Solutions

Dept. of Homeland Security Navy Federal Credit Union Global Business Solutions, Inc.

GLOBAL

Information Technology

120

$54,350

$6,522,000

$5,900,000

EVERGREEN

Wood Manufacturing

105

$42,435

$4,455,675

$9,998,210

IGATE-CHCS

PATINA

3rd Party Administrator

381

$27,876

$10,620,756

$89,000

Offshore Inland

STORK

Marine Services MRO

100

$43,680

$4,368,000

$900,000

DIMENSION

Offshore Pipe Manufacturer

100

$55,000

$5,500,000

$20,000,000

VISION

IT/Entrepreneurial

15

$71,667

$1,075,005

$100,000

STALLION

Aviation MRO

304

$56,160

$17,072,640

$10,000,000

West Frasier, Inc.

Deep Flex Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems VT MAE Navy Federal Credit Union

REVOLUTION

Financial Services

5,000

$49,800

$249,000,000

$350,000,000

International Paper

PHOENIX

Manufacturing

12

$49,920

$599,040

$93,241,000

Offshore Inland

STORK II

Marine Services MRO

30

$75,000

$2,250,000

N/A

Aero Sekur, Inc.

CENTAUR

Aviation Mfg.

5

$43,680

$218,400

N/A

Information Technology

35

$85,000

$2,975,000

N/A

8,962

$53,989

$426,488,728

$779,498,210

100

$40,745

$4,074,500

$6,190,000

Dept. of Homeland Security TOTAL Canceled Projects Majestic Candies Company

SUGAR

2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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[ INNOVATION COAST ]

Shining a Light on Escambia County’s Growing Tech Sector Innovation Coast has built and expanded a network of technology and knowledge-based companies in Pensacola and surrounding areas

by LAURA BRADLEY

W

hen people think “Northwest Florida,” the area’s tech sector probably doesn’t ring many bells

— yet.

That’s where Innovation Coast comes in.

Since its inaugural meeting in 2012, the coalition has worked to bring attention to all the technology and knowledge-based companies in Pensacola and its surrounding areas. But even more importantly, the group has worked to build a network among individuals and companies in the industry to grow the area’s tech sector,

IRIS: Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems was the first place winner of Innovation Coast’s 2014 Innovation Awards. Shown here are Dr. Sunil Gupta, founder/chairman and chief medical officer; Jason Crawford, chief executive officer; Chad Henderson, a board member.

18 / 2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

attract high-level professionals and expand job opportunities. We’re in the age of the Internet, after all. If people can work from anywhere, why not work steps away from gorgeous Florida beaches?

Over the past few decades, plenty of areas have rebranded to refocus on tech — to the great benefit of their economies.

From Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas, “everyone seems to have this very similar approach,” according to Robert David, TechSoft’s president and chief operating officer, and a member of Innovation Coast’s board of directors. It starts with workforce development and networking, and then it’s a matter of attracting outside interest.

For their part, the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College are already involved. Both have faculty members on the board, and Innovation Coast Executive Director Donovan Chau is also director of strategy and engagement at the Center for Research and Economic Opportunity at UWF. Cooperation and communication between the group and area schools will produce more graduates to fill positions in existing and emerging companies. And communication across the entire community is key to everything

Innovation Coast has planned. The foremost goal going in was to create a wide network, and while such efforts are always ongoing, the group has already pulled together a powerful coalition that shares contacts and resources to everyone’s benefit.

“We’ve developed a pretty powerful network,” said Innovation Coast board chair and AppRiver Director of Marketing Jim McClellan. “If companies have a need, there are other companies that are willing to step in.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF INNOVATION COAST

A vibrant downtown Pensacola is part of what Innovation Coast is using to promote the ​​​ Escambia/Santa Rosa region to tech companies looking to expand.

On top of writing letters on behalf of both the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College, the group has also helped with grants and helped develop curricula for relevant fields. Companies that otherwise might never have crossed paths have now been able to share resources, contacts and opportunities — and sometimes even strike business deals. The more these industries are able to link up and grow throughout the area, the better. TechSoft’s David pointed

out that these fields encompass a wide array of job opportunities that could bring higher salaries, expand the area’s economy and boost tax revenues.

In addition to this ongoing effort to foster a professional network, Innovation Coast is branding the city as a place industry professionals would want to work.

“Many of us have difficulty in attracting senior-level talent in our fields,” David explained. “Attracting someone like that to

come to the Gulf Coast can often be difficult because our salaries sometimes seem to be lower than other areas of the country.

Come to Pensacola or go to Atlanta? Come to Pensacola or go to San Diego? Usually people are going to pick the largest city and not really understand what they’re missing out on by not coming to Pensacola.”

That pitfall is exactly why the area needs a concerted effort such as Innovation Coast — to create a “critical mass of organizations

2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

/ 19

Committed to promoting, improving and enhancing the Pensacola region through economic development, community involvement and the unity of private and public sectors ...

SUPPORT

VISION LEADERSHIP

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850.438.4081

that are all on the same page about what they’re trying to do,” as Chau puts it. For now, Chau said Innovation Coast is largely concentrated on Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, but in the future the effort would spread farther east to cover all of North Florida.

“That’s what we’re trying to do over the long haul here,” he said.

Aspirations are one thing, but delivery is another. It can be tempting to write off efforts like this, and only time will truly tell how robust the outcome will be. Innovation Coast is not immune to the challenges that any such group must overcome — primarily attracting capital funding and finding time among all of its busy professional leaders to accomplish everything that needs to be done. But the foundation it has built in three years is sturdy and promising. The group has already brought many of the area’s

[ INNOVATION COAST ] (Left, top) Emili Hoffman is a product manager for Gulf Breeze-based AppRiver, a leading provider of email and Web security services worldwide. (Below) The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola focuses on developing humanoid robots like Atlas. (Left, below) The College of Business at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.

EMPOWERING YOUR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF INNOVATION COAST

SUCCESS big names into the fold: Avalex, AppRiver, Gulf Power, TechSoft and Global Business Solutions Inc., to name a few. They’re studying not only areas such as Silicon Valley and the Research Triangle, but areas closer to home like Tampa, Orlando and Miami, to come up with the best strategies to fit the region’s specific needs. And for those who want a quantifiable show of strength, Chau, McClellan and David all pointed to the group’s Innovation Awards.

The 2014 Innovation Awards allowed 20 business plans to battle it out for capital. Held only two years after Innovation Coast first revved up, the event exceeded expectations.

“We were thinking, ‘Well, if we get 20 (companies), that will be good.’ We got 26,” McClellan said.

All 20 finalists set up booths for the perusal of entrepreneurs, industry leaders and potential investors and strategic partners; the top 10 presented before a live panel of judges. The firstplace winners (IRIS: Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems) received a $100,000 cash prize, while Accountingfly took the $50,000 second-place prize. Robotics Unlimited received $5,000 in business services. All of the companies received a Microsoft subscription for software, support, development tools and cloud credits to help jump-start their growth.

The group plans to hold the event again in 2016, alongside a more robust event schedule — including educational sessions, roundtables and socials — as it recruits more members. Only time will tell if Pensacola could truly be the next Silicon Valley, but in Innovation Coast’s hands, its future looks bright.

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[ IRISH POLITICIANS CLUB ] Jim Reeves created the Irish Politicians’ Club in a backroom at Maguire’s Irish Pub in 1984 and it’s still where key political and business decisions are made.

Bar Politics Irish Politicians’ Club: Where Pensacola Goes to Get Down to Business

by T.S. STRICKLAND

T

he Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce made headlines in 2013 when the organization’s executive committee voted not to extend the contract of then-president and CEO Jim Hizer.

That decision touched off a nasty court battle — and a lot of soul-searching — for the organization. In the wake of Hizer’s ouster, the chamber was directed to comply with the state’s open government laws and made the decision to spin off its tourism and economic development divisions into separate entities.

This crisis of identity changed the face of economic development in Pensacola.

It also had another, less far-reaching consequence — it introduced many people for the first time to the Irish Politicians’ Club.

It was during a meeting at the IPC, as the club is sometimes known, that Hizer learned his services were no longer needed. The club, housed in a private dining room in a back corner of McGuire’s Irish Pub, has long been the place where Pensacola’s movers and shakers go to get down to business.

The membership roll — as recorded on the beer mugs that line the ceiling — reads like a who’s who of business and

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The inspiration for the IPC, according to Reeves, civic leaders. One newspaper editor dubbed the IPC was the Silver Slipper — a Tallahassee steakhouse “the seat of power” in Northwest Florida. Others have synonymous with backroom politics for the better been less kind. part of seven decades. The restaurant closed its doors Every few years, some controversy or another drags in 2009 — a victim of the economic downturn and the club back into the public crosshairs. In the popular tighter ethics laws. imagination, “IPC” is often a stand-in for “GOB” — This legacy — as well as the club’s exclusivity and the a place where old-school, good ol’ boy politicking still discretion it affords members — is part of its appeal as holds sway. much as its controversy.

Jim Reeves, the club’s enigmatic creator, enjoys this “Some people have a negative connotation of the controversy, though he suggests it’s overblown.

IPC,” said David Peaden, a member of the IPC’s inner “We don’t burn crosses in people’s yards,” he quipped circle. “They think it’s the fat cats sitting in the IPC in October, while reclining in his office overlooking smoking cigars and plotting against the world.”

Pensacola Bay. Still, he insisted, “It’s really not.”

The room — like the club he created — speaks to Peaden, director of the Northwest Florida Home Reeves’ flair for the theatrical. The office is encased Builders Association, is an IPC “charter master,” one entirely in carved wood salvaged from the original of seven who control the group’s membership rolls. The Lloyd’s Insurance offices in London. Reeves, a real group typically meets twice per year to vote on new estate attorney and developer, paid $30,000 for the room members. In the old days, they did so by secret ballot. at auction, shipped it to Pensacola and had it cut down “One black ball,” Reeves said, “and you were out.” to fit the space. He went in a different direction with the bathroom, which is wallpapered, floor to ceiling, in fake $100 bills.

Reeves, a Pensacola native, served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives in the 1960s and three more on the Pensacola City Council.

— Jim Reeves, Irish “Six years is about as long as I can Politicians’ Club’s enigmatic creator last in active politics,” he said. “I never get tired of kissing babies. The other kissing I don’t like too much.”

These days, unanimity is still the rule, though the That’s just as well. Reeves doesn’t have to kiss anyone process has become somewhat more “polite.” these days, because the suitors come straight to him.

“We’ve gotten away from the black balls,” Reeves said.

Reeves started the IPC in 1984 — right around “If I don’t particularly like somebody, I just tell them.” the time he left government. He had helped McGuire Reeves said the club is inclusive.

Martin out of some legal trouble and lined up investors “We don’t discriminate on race, color or creed,” to help him move his eponymous pub from its former he said. “We’ve got several convicted felons, a few location to new digs downtown. Upon opening, the foreigners.” restaurateur asked Reeves how he could repay him.

The felons — who have their own wall of framed “I said, being in politics, I just want one table in the portraits — include former state Sen. W.D. Childers, whole place I can call my own,” Reeves said. “I can come convicted in 2003 of bribery and corruption. As for at lunch, through the kitchen, and not have to deal with foreigners, new members must claim to be Irish to be the public.” inducted — but that’s just a gag, according to charter Martin’s advertising agent, Cooper Yates, caught master Autumn Beck. wind of the idea and convinced the pair that others Beck, an attorney and former lobbyist whose father might be interested in such an arrangement. The IPC and brother are also members, became the first woman opened in 1984 with 60 members. Today, there are charter master in the club’s history last year. Still, even between 200 and 300. she places the proportion of women in the IPC at less Reeves says the organization remains, at its heart, a than one-fourth. It’s a work in progress, she said. social club. There are no official membership meetings, “We have no limits,” Reeves said, “other than we’ve and the IPC does not openly endorse policies or candigot to like you.” dates, though members often host fundraisers at the club.

DAVE BARFIELD

“Six years is about as long as I can last in active politics. I never get tired of kissing babies. The other kissing I don’t like too much.”

2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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[ NAVY FEDERAL ]

Navy Federal Continues Expanding State and Local Incentives Help Fuel Job Growth in Escambia County

by LINDA KLEINDIENST

PHOTO COURTESY OF NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

N

avy Federal Credit Union is one of Escambia County’s greatest success stories, attesting to what good can come when state and local governments join hands to create incentives for a major business project.

By 2026, Virginia-based Navy Federal — the largest credit union in the world and named by Fortune magazine five times (including in 2015) as one of the best 100 companies to work for — is expected to have a $1 billion capital investment in Pensacola, a $425 million payroll and 10,000 employees working on the local campus.

Florida has the third largest finance and insurance cluster in the nation. Most of the nation’s leading financial and professional services companies have established large operations in Florida to take advantage of its global connectivity, experienced workforce and favorable business climate.

Navy Federal’s growth has come in stages, beginning in 2003 with 60 employees. The credit union announced an expansion in 2012 — the first economic development announcement to include funding from the Industry Recruitment, Retention & Expansion Fund Grant Program, which was administered by the University of West Florida’s Office of Economic Development and Engagement.

The three-year, $30 million Oil Spill Recovery Act was made available to the eight coastal counties of Northwest Florida that

Navy Federal Credit Union is working toward investing more than $1 billion in capital in Pensacola by 2016 — and having a workforce of 10,000.

Local leaders hailed the news not only for were most affected by the 2010 Deepwater the direct job creation but for the resulting Horizon oil spill. Estimates are that it cost new jobs in construction and, afterward, less than $3,000 in state money for each job within the community as small businesses created through the program, far lower than benefit from having more customers. An the average $10,000. (Sixteen grants totaling economic impact study by the Haas Center $25 million were awarded for 8,961 new jobs. indicates that by 2020, the growth at Navy Navy Federal received three grants totaling Federal will generate 1,000 more indirect $4.9 million to help with a land purchase that jobs in the local community. allowed for expansion.)

“This is our largest expanBy 2014, Navy Federal was sion in Pensacola thus far,” employing 3,800 workers in FACTS ABOUT NAVY FEDERAL said Cutler Dawson, CEO Pensacola with a payroll of $160 CREDIT UNION and president of Navy Federal, million. Then came another » Headquarters is when making the latest expanannouncement in October 2014 in Vienna, Virginia. sion announcement. “It under— plans to bring another 5,000 » Organized in scores what we’ve long been jobs. While many of those 1933 with seven members. Today saying about this great commuworkers are in the credit union’s it is the world’s nity — it’s a great place to grow call center, there has been an largest credit union your business and a wellspring expansion of services in the with more than 5.9 million members of talented people to employ. region to include lending, mortand a workforce of Continued growth for Navy gage loan processing and informore than 12,000.

Federal not only signifies the mation technology. » More than $71 strength of the credit union but To help with the expansion, billion in assets. » Field of also means upholding our high new incentive programs and membership standards for member service. It workforce training were leveraged includes all takes the best to serve the best, to encourage the credit union’s Department of Defense and Coast and that’s why we continue to continued growth in Pensacola.

Guard activeinvest in Pensacola.”

Incentives included the Goverduty, civilian Dawson was awarded the nor’s Quick Action Closing and contractor personnel and Business Ambassador Award by Fund, a federal grant, local tax their families.

Gov. Rick Scott for his efforts abatements and an economic» 274 branches and to create jobs and opportunities development incentive program 548 proprietary for Florida families. established by Escambia County.

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2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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[ DEMOGRAPHICS ]

Collegiate Schools of Business) Accreditation, a distinction that less than 5 percent of management education programs in the world can claim.

POPULATION (2014)

» Cox Communications (cable provider) ranked in the nation’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity and ranked in the Top 10 Companies for Blacks by DiversityInc in 2013

ESCAMBIA COUNTY — 310,659 UNDER 18 — 20.8% 18-64 — 63.5% 65 AND OLDER — 15.7% (Population projected to increase 12 percent from 2012 to 2020)

PENSACOLA (CITY) POPULATION, 2014 — 53,068 The median age of Greater Pensacola’s population is 38.4 years, compared to the state’s 41.1 and United States’ 37.4.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT (PERCENT OF 25-YEAR-OLDS OR OLDER) HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION OR HIGHER — 88.70% BACHELOR’S DEGREE OR HIGHER — 24.20%

Ester Remegio, Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola

» Navy Federal, the nation’s largest credit union, earned a spot on Money Magazine›s “Best Banks” list in 2013

NATIONAL RANKINGS

» Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola was named one of the Top 10 most affordable hospitals in the state of Florida by NerdWallet Health

» Pensacola was ranked the No. 1 least-congested commuter city according to Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute, 2013. » Best Places for military retirement 2012, according to the MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. » Among the Top 10 successful aviation and aerospace clusters in the South, according to Southern

Business & Development magazine, 2012 » Ranked in the Top 20 “Biggest Gainers” in the U.S. when it comes to cities making the biggest economic advancements by the Milken Institute, 2011 » Downtown Pensacola’s Palafox Street was named one of the American Planning Association’s “10 Great Streets” for 2013 » Pensacola’s University of West Florida (UWF) was ranked No. 10 on Forbes’ Best Public Colleges, 2012, and holds an AACSB (Association to Advance

» For six consecutive years, Studer Group has been named one of the best small workplaces in the nation by the Great Place to Work Institute on its annual Best Small & Medium Workplaces list published by Fortune magazine. This is its third consecutive year in the Top 10. » The University of West Florida was named one of G.I. Jobs magazine’s “top military-friendly schools” for a sixth consecutive year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SACRED HEART HOSPITAL

HOUSING ANNUAL AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME — $62,957

TOP 10 EMPLOYERS IN THE GREATER PENSACOLA (ESCAMBIA AND SANTA ROSA COUNTIES) AREA

WORKFORCE

Baptist Health Care Navy Federal Credit Union Sacred Heart Health Systems Gulf Power Company

CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE (ESCAMBIA COUNTY) — 140,813

West Florida Healthcare Ascend Performance Materials West Corporation Medical Center Clinic

Santa Rosa Medical Center International Paper

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, FloridaWest, Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce

2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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[ PORT OF PENSACOLA ]

Eyeing the Future

T

here are seaports that make a living moving cargo and ports that fill a different role. The Port of Pensacola is one of the latter. This Panhandle port doesn’t measure its success so much in terms of cargo tonnage. Instead, it’s made a living servicing ships that service Gulf oil exploration.

“The offshore industry doesn’t (produce) cargo. We view our success as vessel dockage days. There were 443 dockage days last fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. So that industry sector is still going very well for us,” said Amy Miller, port director.

The port can always count on “topside” maintenance service to carry the day if the economy falters, as it did a few months ago when oil prices took a nosedive. A direct result of this caused the construction of a multi-million dollar DeepFlex submersible pipe plant to hit a snag. However, port tenant Offshore Inland Marine & Oilfield Services — the company involved in running the plant when it’s finally operational — hasn’t slowed down its maintenance service. In fact, quite the opposite has happened.

“Offshore Inland still has a vessel service depot here for various projects in the Gulf; the dive support ships, the surveyors,” Miller said. “They perform topside maintenance and repair on those vessels, and that activity has been strong because as production has slowed down many ships in the Gulf and elsewhere are coming into port to get their maintenance work done.”

Miller said they are hopeful the pipemaking industry will make a comeback soon.

“DeepFlex had difficulty finding investors given the current market conditions,” she said. “The price of oil has slowed down the pipe manufacturing plant so that facility

28 / 2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

is 90 percent (complete). By lease, they have until 30 May of 2016 to obtain a certificate of occupancy. There is language in the lease that allows an extension. My guess is they will seek it. The city will look upon that request favorably, I think.”

In the meantime, Miller said, the tenant is still paying rent, so the DeepFlex slowdown hasn’t really hurt the port at this point.

“Certainly we had hoped that in first quarter of (2016) they’d be in production. It’s not going to happen as quickly as we hoped, but the slowdown hasn’t hurt us,” she said. “If the facility is never completed, we got basically a brand spanking new warehouse at the port with a 50-foot ceiling. You could get an overhead crane capable of lifting 40 feet into the air in there. Even if the worst happens we are left with a highly marketable asset.”

Although not a big cargo mover, some very big players move some massive cargo on a regular basis.

“GE is still an important customer for us. They’ve got the wind generator nacelle production plant in Pensacola, so we move about 800-1,000 of those units a year for their international, and a portion of their domestic, shipments. That’s been very steady business for us, and we expect that to continue into next year,” she said. “And then we have our anchor customers. Cemex is still here, the Martin Marietta aggregate rock import and distribution center is here, and both of those business lines are picking up a little bit coming out of the recession. The rock business is construction-dependent so as the construction industry comes back and the economy gets better, their volume should continue to pick up as well. So that’s the lay of the land going into 2016.”

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

The Port of Pensacola works hard to stay ahead of the game by JASON DEHART

The Port of Pensacola, which makes its living in large part through servicing the ships that service Gulf oil exploration, is about to embark on a multi-million dollar rehab project.

Of course, the port is always looking for new tenants. Some site work has turned a six-acre parcel into marketable land that could be used for some kind of maritime or shipping related activity such as a warehouse. While that search is going on, some essential capital improvement projects will be getting underway. Plans call for burying some overhead utilities and creating a “heavy lift” roadway to accommodate oversize cargo haulers, and performing some needed dock renovations.

“We’re in the process of selecting an engineering firm to renovate the port in a five-year contract,” Miller said. “Berth 6 on the southeast corner needs rehab. The value of that project could flux considerably. It’s a multiphase project somewhere in the $12 million to $15 million range. After Berth 6 we have to do an assessment of Berth 5, so we expect a rehab project on it in the next few years. Our other berths, 1, 2 and 3 ought to be in good shape. After Berth 5 and 6 we should be in good shape with the docks.”

Meanwhile, there’s another challenge to be faced. Construction of a new, $450 million Pensacola Bay Bridge is expected to start in 2017. The bridge is a vital link between the mainland and Gulf Breeze, and planners are looking for any way to ease traffic problems during the four-year project. Construction will be a headache for locals and tourists alike.

“When the bridge goes into construction it will be disruptive to people trying to get to the beach by car,” said Clark Merritt, economic development manager.

The city is rising to help meet this challenge by establishing a passenger ferry service. The Pensacola Bay Ferry System would consist of two 150-passenger catamaran-style boats that would shuttle visitors between the city, Pensacola Beach and Fort Pickens. Docks and passenger terminals will be built at Commendencia Slip between the Port of Pensacola and Plaza de Luna, and Quietwater Beach on Pensacola Beach. Service is expected to start in March 2017. A private company will run the service under the direction of the National Park Service and is expected to operate seasonally from midMarch to the end of October. It’s estimated that 65,000 people will use the ferry system annually.

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For more information, contact Rick Byars, Community and Economic Development Manager for Gulf Power Company, at 850.444.6849 or crbyars@southernco.com.

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

FloridaFirstSites.com

7 P.M. (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 P.M.)

WSRE JEAN & PAUL AMOS PERFORMANCE STUDIO PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE 1000 COLLEGE BOULEVARD PENSACOLA free admission RSVP requested; not required wsre.org/speakers

COME HEAR:

JAMES McLURKIN DANCES WITH ROBOTS: THE STORY OF ONE ENGINEER, 112 LITTLE ROBOTS AND THE TOYS, INSECTS AND STAR WARS MOVIES THAT MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE

PBS for the Gulf Coast

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[ FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES ]

Local Investment Pays Off Four Area Companies Make Inc. Magazine’s Annual List

by T.S. STRICKLAND

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

F

our area companies — Footbridge Media, Pensacola Apothecary, IMS Expert Services and AppRiver — made the 2015 list of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing private firms, published annually by Inc. magazine.

Scott Luth, CEO of FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, called the four “shining stars” and said he hopes their success will encourage other homegrown entrepreneurs to invest in the area.

Together, the four companies accounted for 361 jobs and more than $116 million in annual economic impact to the area. AppRiver, an email and Web security firm based in Gulf Breeze (in neighboring Santa Rosa county), and IMS Expert Services, an expert-witness provider based in Pensacola, have now made the Inc. list nine years.

Footbridge Media, a digital marketing firm geared toward the contracting industry, ranked on the list for the first time this year. However, it placed higher than any other local firm, coming in at No. 2,555 and posting a three-year growth rate of 144 percent.

“When I started, we were working in 250 square feet,” said CEO Aaron O’Hanlon. “Right now, we’re on Palafox (Street) with about 6,000 square feet … We’re at 34 (employees), and we’re still looking at probably three or four more spots to fill. We’re constantly hiring.”

In fact, O’Hanlon said finding enough human capital to fuel his business’s growth is his biggest challenge. A New York native, he moved to the area in 2004 to take a job with a mortgage lead company. After the housing market collapsed in 2008, O’Hanlon decided to stay and build a business in Pensacola. He said it was the area’s quality of life that most appealed to him.

“I grew up with the Jersey Shore,” he said. “If you go to the Jersey Shore, you can’t see the sand because everyone’s got a towel, and there’s millions of people.

But I can take my kids out to Pensacola Beach or Fort Pickens, and there’s no one around us. It’s beautiful.

I love it here.”

Still, O’Hanlon said growing a business in Pensacola presents challenges.

“There needs to be more opportunity,” he said. “I have a talent problem getting people to my company.

I think there needs to be a way to keep people here. I think there needs to be not just more jobs, but better jobs.”

Bill Wein, CEO of IMS Expert Services, said the increased focus on entrepreneurship and “economic gardening” in the area represents a “giant shift” in the region’s development priorities.

“The reality is it costs three times as much or more to bring a company from outside of Florida into Florida,” he said. “We’re standing right here, and all we need is talent and access to resources.”

Despite the challenges ahead, Wein said he feels Pensacola is at a “tipping point.”

“We’re all feeling the renaissance now in Pensacola,” he said. “It’s here, and companies like ours, knowledge-based companies, technology companies, are blowing up as a result of it.”

The late Mike Wein, at left, founded IMS Expert Services, a business that scours the world to find expert witnesses for clients. He is pictured with his son, Bill, the company’s president. Mr. Wein died in October 2012 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

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INTENSE CLIENT FOCUS

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TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT To us, intense client focus starts with the notion that we’re in the relationship business. Yes, it’s personal. But it goes beyond the personal trust factor to forward thinking advice. We offer a sounding board for ideas, guidance for business improvement and connections where they count. In the end, we’re a resource to help our clients take care of important things in business and life. www.warrenaverett.com Florida l Alabama l Georgia 32 / 2016 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L