Blountstown > Bonifay > Bristol

Northwest Florida
> Apalachicola
> Crestview
> Gulf Breeze
> Blountstown
> DeFuniak
> Marianna
> Bonifay
> Bristol
> Carrabelle
> Chipley
Springs
> Destin
> Fort Walton
Beach
> Milton
> Panama City
> Pensacola
> Port St. Joe
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mix of small-urban cities, beach towns,
neo-traditional developments and rural
counties. Wendy uncovered the latest
workforce in areas around the region’s
military bases, an enviable quality of life
and good transportation resources.
It’s easy to see why manufacturing
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promising small businesses, want to
call Northwest Florida home.
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FLORIDATREND.COM JUNE 2014 3
Northwest Florida
By Wendy O. Dixon
4 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
> Apalachicola
> Carrabelle
> Destin
> Milton
> Blountstown
> Chipley
> Fort Walton
> Bonifay
> Crestview
> Panama City
> Pensacola
> Bristol
> DeFuniak
Springs
Beach
> Gulf Breeze
> Marianna
> Port St. Joe
Portofino Island Resort,
Pensacola Beach
photo: Brian L. Butler
FLORIDATREND.COM JUNE 2014 5
F
lorida’s most northern region is
arguably its most southern —
historically, architecturally and
economically. The area is a rich
mix of small-urban cities like
Pensacola, beach towns, the neotraditional developments like Seaside
and Rosemary Beach along with rural
counties like Franklin, with fewer than
12,000 residents, and Liberty, with fewer
than 10,000. Residents tend to be more
socially conservative than in other Florida
communities; the region is less diverse,
with a smaller Hispanic proportion of the
population in most counties compared to
the rest of Florida.
The area’s economy is dominated by
tourism, agriculture and a huge military
presence that includes Hurlburt Field
and its special operations focus; the
Pensacola Naval Air Station, home of the
Blue Angels flight demonstration team;
Tyndall Air Force Base; Naval Air Station;
6 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Northwest Florida
is home to the
Blue Angels team.
Whiting Field; a flight training center;
and Eglin Air Force Base, the U.S. Air
Force’s largest by area. Collectively, the
bases account for more than 170,000
military and civilian jobs.
Accommodations at the area’s beaches
range from condo and home rentals to
higher-end resorts. Quiet stretches of beach
remain scattered between resort towns.
The area markets itself largely to the north,
drawing visitors from Atlanta and Nashville
up through the upper Midwest. Many parttime residents come from Georgia.
Agriculture, particularly in the rural
counties, remains an important part of
the regional picture, including a host
of vegetables grown along with crops
like cotton, peanuts and cattle. Timber,
a historical economic mainstay, is still
big, with trees going for pulp, lumber
and, more recently, wood pellets to fire
European power plants. AgReserves, an
affiliate of the Mormon Church, recently
purchased more than 380,000 acres in
the region from St. Joe Co., most of
it timberland. The area’s fisheries and
aquaculture — particularly oyster farms
in Apalachicola Bay — are important
economic activities, with both threatened
by the BP oil spill and the reduced flow
of water coming down from Georgia
through the Apalachicola River.
The region has become better organized
in its economic development efforts with
the emergence of the Florida’s Great
Northwest group. In addition to natural
resources, the organization has plenty of
cards to play: A well-educated workforce
in the areas around the bases; quality of
life; and good transportation resources,
including the Northwest Florida Beaches
International Airport, which is expected to
provide an important gateway to the area
that will spur development.
POWERING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
We’re committed to economic development. Through key programs and initiatives, we’re
helping grow and strengthen our communities, giving the people of Northwest Florida the
power to make their world a better place.
To learn more, visit gulfpower.com/economic-development.
County by County
Holmes
Escambia
Santa Rosa
Crestview
Milton
Okaloosa
De Funiak
Springs
Walton
Niceville
Pensacola
Fort
Walton
Beach
Jackson
Bonifay
Chipley
Freeport
Blountstown
Bay
Destin
Panama City
Beach
How the Counties Compare
Marianna
Washington
Calhoun
Panama
City
Bristol
Liberty
Gulf
Port Saint Joe
The statewide average for:
> White, non-Hispanic population: 57%
> African-American: 16.6%
> Hispanic/Latino: 23.2%
> Median Household Income: $47,309
> Workforce: 26.2% with a bachelor’s degree or higher
Franklin
Plaza de Luna, Pensacola
Carrabelle
Apalachicola
Escambia
>
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 305,817
White: 66.0%
African-American: 22.9%
Hispanic/Latino: 5.1%
Median household income: $43,806
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or higher
(age 25+): 23.2%
Home to a port, UWF, the Institute for
Human and Machine Cognition and the
Pensacola Naval Air Station, Pensacola
has mounted a significant downtown
redevelopment effort.
Santa Rosa
>
>
>
>
>
>
Walton
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 59,807
White: 84.4%
African-American: 6.0%
Hispanic/Latino: 5.9%
Median household
income: $44,254
> Workforce: Bachelor’s
degree or higher
(age 25+): 24.2%
Walton County has 26 miles
of white sand beaches, with
a mix of more than a dozen
communities, including the
new urbanism town of Seaside,
white stucco-washed Alys
Beach and laid-back Grayton
Beach. DeFuniak Springs
is home to Florida’s largest
vineyards and is one of only
two perfectly round natural
spring-fed lakes in the world
(the other is in Switzerland).
8 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Rosemary
Beach in
Walton
County
Population: 161,096
White: 83.4%
African-American: 6.5%
Hispanic/Latino: 4.9%
Median household income: $57,491
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or higher
(age 25+): 25.8%
The county is known for its first-rate
schools and workforce.
Santa Rosa
was among CNN
Money’s “Where the
Jobs are — Best
Places to Live –
America’s Best
Small Towns.”
photos: Ray Stanyard top; Alex Menendez/AP Photo left; Joe Sohm/Newscom bottom
Holmes
>
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 19,717
White: 87.6%
African-American: 6.4%
Hispanic/Latino: 2.7%
Median household income: $34,928
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or higher
(age 25+): 11.0%
This rural county’s economy is
dominated by agriculture, most notably
chicken and egg production and timber.
It is among the counties of economic
concern offering generous business
incentives. The Northwest Florida
Championship Rodeo provides an
economic boost for Bonifay, attracting
20,000 to 30,000 attendees for three days
each October.
Bay
> Population: 174,987
> White: 78.6%
> African-American: 11.1%
> Hispanic/Latino: 5.2%
> Median household
income: $47,364
> Workforce: Bachelor’s
degree or higher
(age 25+): 21.3%
F-22 Raptors
fly over Tyndall
Air Force Base.
The county is seeking to
integrate its major assets —
beaches, Tyndall Air Force
Base and other military
facilities and the presence
of the Northwest Florida
Beaches International
Airport. It has developed a
75,000-acre sector plan to
guide future development.
Washington
Washington is
looking to develop
beyond its economic
base of agriculture and
fertilizer production.
The annual Panhandle
Watermelon
Festival, held in late
June, is a popular
summer tradition.
>
>
>
>
>
The Northwest Florida Championship
Rodeo attracts thousands to Bonifay.
Population: 24,624
White: 77.6%
African-American: 15.7%
Hispanic/Latino: 3.3%
Median household income:
$38,536
> Workforce: Bachelor’s degree
or higher (age 25+): 12.1%
Okaloosa
>
>
>
>
>
>
Tourists flock to the beaches and
retail centers of Fort Walton Beach.
photos: U.S. Air Force/Dustin Mullen top; Franklin Viola/Newscom bottom
Population: 193,811
White: 75.6
African-American: 9.8%
Hispanic/Latino: 8.1%
Median household income: $54,118
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or
higher (age 25+): 27.2%
A large chunk of the county’s mass is
occupied by military bases. On the coast,
Fort Walton Beach attracts tourists with
its beaches and shopping. Crestview is
one of Florida’s fastest-growing cities.
Niceville, powered by the lumber
industry in its infancy, has had the same
mayor since 1971. The non-coastal part
of the county is home to the Northwest
Florida Regional Airport.
FLORIDATREND.COM JUNE 2014 9
Calhoun
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 14,682
White: 77.5%
African-American: 13.7%
Hispanic/Latino: 5.4%
Median household income:
$32,480
> Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or
higher (age 25+): 8.5%
Oglesby Plants International in Altha
develops new plant varieties.
Calhoun remains agricultural,
with logging and farming the
dominant activities. Some hope
the county’s natural resources,
including a large number of rare
plant species, will make it attractive
to eco-tourists.
Green Circle
Bio Energy
wood pellets
Franklin
St.
George
Island
lighthouse
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 11,598
White: 78.6%
African-American: 14.1%
Hispanic/Latino: 5.0%
Median household income:
$37,428
> Workforce: Bachelor’s
degree or higher (age 25+):
15.2%
Franklin includes
Apalachicola, St. George Island,
Carrabelle and East Point,
offering quiet beaches, acres of
national and state forests and
quaint shops and restaurants.
Gulf
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 15,829
White: 73.9%
African-American: 19.1%
Hispanic/Latino: 4.6%
Median household income:
$39,535
> Workforce: Bachelor’s
degree or higher
(age 25+): 13.8%
Port St. Joe saw its fortunes
decline with the paper mill
ultimately closing. The city has
tried to capitalize on its history
by reincarnating itself as a
tourist destination.
10 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Jackson
>
>
>
>
>
>
Population: 48,922
White: 65.8%
African-American: 27.1%
Hispanic/Latino: 4.7%
Median household income: $38,917
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or higher
(age 25+): 13.6%
The Florida Caverns State Park brings
hundreds of thousands of visitors each
year, and kayaking and tubing down the
spring-fed Chipola River are popular
pastimes. Jackson is the leading peanut
and soybean producer in the state and
has a number of manufacturing and
distribution firms, including Green Circle
Bio Energy, which makes wood pellets that
are burned in power plants in Europe.
Liberty
>
>
>
>
>
>
Port St. Joe Marina
Population: 8,349
White: 71.7% v
African-American: 19.0%
Hispanic/Latino: 7.1%
Median household income: $39,255
Workforce: Bachelor’s degree or higher
(age 25+): 11.8%
Apalachicola National Forest
encompasses about half the county.
photos: Scott Holstein/Rowland Publishing top and middle left; David Langford/AP Photo bottom
Since 1559, Pensacola
has been the destination
for those who love to
explore. Play on our famous
beaches by day. Climb the
lighthouse, and see history come
alive at the Naval Aviation Museum
and our many historic sites. When the sun
sets, take in a show, savor an elegant meal, or
enjoy the evening at a downtown pub or sidewalk
café. Whether you’re coming for work or play, with
friends or family, you’ll find your kind of adventure.
Come to Pensacola and explore a different side of Florida.
Visit Pensacola.com
Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort
in Panama City Beach
Economic Backbone
Tourism / Hospitality
Tourism posted record
growth across the region in
2013. In Panama City Beach, the
number of visitor nights was up
5.4% from 2012 to 2013, with
spending rising 7.3% over the
$1.1 billion total in 2013. Tourist
Development Tax revenue rose
7.9%, from $14.6 million in 2012
to $15.8 million. Likewise, total
taxed lodging revenue jumped
7.9%, from $293.4 million in
2012 to $316.6 million in 2013.
“The tax revenues have been
going up every year in recent
history with the exception of
2010, when we lost a little bit
of ground (­—1.8%),” says Dan
Rowe, president and CEO of the
Panama City Beach Convention
12 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
& Visitors Bureau. “There’s little
doubt that 2010 would have
been a great year for us if not
for the oil spill.”
Tourism in Walton County
was up 12.7% in 2013, and
bed-tax revenue exceeded
$18.5 million, says Jim Bagby,
executive director for Visit
South Walton. “We’ve had two
years of double-digit growth,”
he says. “And we think we’ll
continue to grow this year in the
6% to 8% range.”
Gulf County tourism surged
as the Tourist Development
Council rebranded itself under
new Director Jennifer Jenkins.
The county had a nearly 15%
increase in bed-tax revenue,
exceeding $1 million for the
first time.
St.
Joe Co.
timber
harvest
Agriculture
For many rural counties in
northwest Florida, the No. 1
agricultural crop is timber, which
finds end uses in construction,
as pulp for paper mills and
in some cases as a fuel. The
region is also a big producer
of row crops, including corn,
soybeans and peppers. Cotton,
once dominant, is still a thriving
business. All of the cotton
acreage in Florida is located
in the region. Jackson, Santa
Rosa and Escambia counties
accounted for about 66% of
the state’s cotton land in 2012,
according to the National
Agricultural Statistics Service,
while the surrounding counties
made up the rest. Jackson and
Santa Rosa are also the largest
peanut producers in the state.
top photo: Scott Holstein/Rowland Publishing
Apalachicola Bay
produces 90% of
Florida’s oysters.
Fishing / Aquaculture
Military
Defense accounts for about 32%
of northwest Florida’s gross regional
product, far more than in any other
region of the state, according to
the Haas Center, a research and
consulting arm of the University of
West Florida. Defense activities have
an $18.9-billion annual economic
impact and attract aerospace and
defense businesses interested
getting defense contract work, often
hiring post-military personnel. The
area’s bases house more than 40,000
military personnel and account for
more than 175,000 jobs.
Manufacturing
Northwest Florida has 850
traditional and advanced technology
manufacturing companies with more
than 30,000 direct and indirect
employees. The nation’s biggest
producer of nylon, which now
operates as Ascend Performance
Materials, is located in a suburb of
Pensacola, employing more than
700. It recently announced it was
investing more than $50 million and
would add 100 jobs. The Northwest
Florida Manufacturing Council,
representing 12 counties, is seeking
designation as a “manufacturing
community” — only 12 communities
in the nation will receive such a
designation. The sector accounted
for $2.3 billion in 2013 GDP. Salaries
in this sector average $68,000,
says Cindy Anderson, executive
director of the Northwest Florida
Manufacturers Council.
Military
exercise at
Hurlburt
Field
The seafood industry is one
of the Panhandle’s biggest.
Apalachicola Bay produces 90%
of the oysters consumed in Florida
and 10% of the national supply.
Destin has the largest commercial
fishing fleet in the state, due to the
rapid drop in coastline and access
to all of the Gulf’s species. Destin
has been home to commercial
fishermen for more than 175 years.
City of Panama City
The Seeds of Transformation and Renewal
are Active and Alive Here!
Come see what our Community Redevelopment Agency has accomplished in
our historic areas of Downtown, Downtown North, St. Andrews and Millville.
Our focus and mission is to rebuild an environment where new investment can
grow and prosper.
Marina Redevelopment Project
St. Andrews Waterfront
Farmers’ Market
Historic Walking Tour
Historic Preservation
Waterfront Fishing Pier
Cultural Heritage Tourism District
www.pcgov.org/residents/panama-city-community-redevelopment-agency-cra
photos: Charles Larkin Sr./U.S. Air Force left;
Maurice Rivenbark/Tampa Bay Times right
FLORIDATREND.COM JUNE 2014 13
City of Panama City ad.indd 2
5/7/14 8:51 AM
Navy Federal
employs 3,400
in Pensacola.
has offices in Texas, New York,
Georgia and Switzerland and data
centers throughout the world.
> Family Dollar: One of Jackson
County’s largest employers since it
opened in 2005, the Family Dollar
Distribution Center is adding 73
positions to its 515 workforce.
> Eastern Shipbuilding: The
shipbuilding and marine repair
company builds vessels for use on
inland and coastal waterways, as
well as for foreign markets. With
1,500 employees, Eastern is one
of the largest private employers in
Bay County and is in the running
for a $10.5 billion U.S. Coast
Guard contract that could bring
thousands of jobs to Bay County.
It received the Governor’s Top Job
Producer Award in 2012.
> Navy Federal: The world’s largest
credit union, Navy Federal has
more than 5 million members.
The company employs 3,400
at its Heritage Oaks campus in
Pensacola and many more at
its 22 branches located across
the state.
> Jacobs Technologies: A division
Big Employers
> Ascend Performance Materials:
The Pensacola-area manufacturer,
with more than 1,000 workers,
produces nylon.
> Baptist Health Care: The locally
owned health care system, with
more than 6,700 employees,
operates 12 specialty practices
and hospitals.
> Sacred Heart: Part of Ascension
Health, the regional health system
includes Sacred Heart Hospital,
Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital
and Sacred Heart Women’s
Hospital in Pensacola, employing
more than 4,500.
> Gulf Power: The utility, based in
14 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Pensacola, is owned by Atlantabased Southern Co. It serves eight
counties, 71 towns and 436,000
customers in northwest Florida.
> RockTenn: The company,
previously known as Smurfit-Stone
with more than 600 employees,
operates a mill in Panama City
that produces containerboard
and fluff pulp.
> Defense Contractors: Defense
and government contractors
including Lockheed Martin,
InDyne, DRS Defense Solutions,
L3 Communications and others
employ thousands.
> AppRiver: Based in Gulf Breeze,
the company, with more than 200
employees, provides web security
and encryption services and
Gulf
Power serves
436,000
customers
in northwest
Florida.
of Jacobs Engineering Group
headquartered in Pasadena, Calif.,
the firm works in the primary
markets of aerospace and defense.
With nearly 1,500 employees,
Jacobs Technologies is Okaloosa
County’s largest private sector
employer. Jacobs Engineering had
revenue of $12 billion in 2013.
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A Home BancShares Company (Nasdaq:HOMB)
The 55-room
Pearl boutique
hotel in
Rosemary Beach
Promising New
Small Businesses
> The Pearl: The 55-room
boutique hotel in neo-traditional
Rosemary Beach opened in late
2013 and was designated a new
member of the Southern Living
Hotel Collection. The hotel and
farm-to-table Havana Beach
Bar & Grill have eco-friendly
amenities, including on-site
water bottling and hyper-local
food sourcing.
> Gulf Unmanned Systems
Center: The robot unmanned
aerial vehicle company based
in Panama City Beach plans to
add 10 jobs to its new Carrabelle
facility — a 65,000-sq.-ft.
structure. The company wants to
test small drones on land, water
and air.
Made in
Northwest Florida
> Grayton Beer: The Walton
County brewery makes craft
beer with flavors inspired by
the beach, with fun names like
30A Beach Blonde Ale and
White Dunes — a citrus-flavored
beer with a hint of cilantro. The
company’s nine stainless steel
fermentation tanks hold as many
as 22,000 pints of beer each,
allowing it to brew the equivalent
of 150,000 bottles of beer at
a time.
> Meyer Boarding: The company,
Meyer Boarding
skateboard
owned by brothers Dan and Matt
Cassidy, has shops on Highway
30A in Gulf Place and Seacrest
Beach. The company produces
custom-made paddle boards,
skim boards, surfboards and
skateboards. “We ride what we
build and build what we ride
everyday so you can be stoked
on any of our boards you put
under your feet,” says Jesse
Davis, head of sales.
> Custom Production: The
woman-owned business in
Crestview makes aluminum
parts for everything from
bicycles, furniture, industrial
machinery and retail display
to marine, aerospace and
defense industries.
> Magna Manufacturing: The Fort
DeTect makes radar sensing systems to
protect aircraft from bird strikes.
16 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Walton Beach company, with
25 employees, makes custommolded expanded polystyrene
products, including foam coolers
and insulated shippers for the
seafood industry and retail
markets. A client in south Florida
uses the coolers to ship live
baby shrimp to Indonesia, China
and Japan, where the shrimp
are grown and sent back to the
U.S. to be sold in grocery stores
and restaurants.
> DeTect: DeTect makes radar
remote sensing systems to
protect aircraft from bird strikes
that can result in crashes and
fatalities. The systems are used
at airports and in environmental
applications such as
contaminated waste ponds. With
clients in the U.S., Saudi Arabia,
Europe, China and others,
DeTect has three buildings and
a 20,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing
plant with 65 employees located
in Panama City.
> G.S. Gelato: Simona Faroni
and Guido Tremolini traveled
from their home country of Italy,
opening their first gelato shop
in Destin in 1996, establishing
G.S. Gelato and Desserts. The
company now makes branded
and private-label gelato, sorbet
and frozen yogurt for retail
and food service clients from
its 26,000-sq.-ft. facility in Fort
Walton Beach. G.S. Gelato
distributes brands in the U.S.,
including at Universal Resorts
in Orlando and most recently,
Target under the brand name
Archer Farms Gelato and Sorbet.
When you want it all ....
We Have It!
Walton County
Walton County is home to 26 miles of sugar
sand beaches, award-winning resorts, historic
cities and towns. But that’s just the start!
Santa Rosa Beach was designated Google’s 2013 eCITY, and DeFuniak Springs
was named by Florida Travel + Life magazine as one of the “Best Small Towns” in
Florida! With our economic diversity, A+ rated school system, military foundation,
strong tourism base, entrepreneurial opportunities and five industrial parks,
Walton County “Has It All” for economic growth and development.
Walton Area Chamber of Commerce • (850) 267-0683 • WaltonAreaChamber.com
Business Assets
Gulf Coast State
College’s Advanced
Technology Center
robotics, composite materials,
power systems, unmanned
systems, medical technology and
artificial intelligence.
> 3+3: The University of West
Education / Culture
> K-12: Santa Rosa and Okaloosa
counties scored among the top
10 school districts in the state.
Also receiving A grades are Bay,
Walton, Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty.
Escambia, Holmes, Jackson and
Washington counties received B’s,
and Franklin County received a C,
according to data released by the
Florida Department of Education
in its most recent ranking in 2011.
> Higher Ed: With a network of
colleges, universities and technical
centers, northwest Florida has a
breadth of educational resources
to meet the demand of STEMrelated fields. Gulf Coast State
College’s Advanced Technology
Center offers new technologyrelated baccalaureate and
associate degrees and certificates.
Among colleges with a presence
in northwest Florida:
• Chipola College
• Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University
18 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
• Florida A&M University
• Florida State University
• Gulf Coast State College
• Northwest Florida
State College
• Pensacola State College
• Tallahassee Community College
• Troy University
• University of Florida-Research &
Engineering Education Facility
• University of West Florida
> The Arts: Northwest Florida
State College is home to the
Mattie Kelly Arts Center and the
Northwest Florida Symphony
Orchestra, featuring musical
theater, ballet, orchestra and
other cultural enrichments.
Doug Stephen
of the Florida
Institute for
Human and
Machine
Cognition
works on the
Atlas robot.
Florida and Stetson University
College of Law will offer a 3+3
program, starting in August 2015.
The program will allow aspiring
attorneys to reduce the time
they spend working toward a
law degree. The 3+3 program
allows high-performing students
to earn their bachelor’s and law
degrees in six years, rather than
seven. Students will spend three
years at UWF and three years at
Stetson Law.
> Specialty Institutions: FSU
Panama City’s Underwater Crime
Scene Investigation certificate
program, the Florida Institute for
Human and Machine Cognition
in Pensacola and the University
of Florida’s Research and
Engineering Education Facility
(REEF) in Okaloosa County offer
advanced training opportunities
in research and development in
bottom photo: Ben Twingley/Pensacola News Journal
Airports
Ports
Upgrades at the three ports
— Port Panama City, Port of
Pensacola and Port of Port St.
Joe — continue to increase the
Panhandle’s export capabilities.
With an annual economic impact
of $1.4 billion, Port Panama City
directly supports 2,600 jobs and
indirectly supports 8,200 more
in the region. A $12-million
expansion is expected to increase
activity 40% within five years by
expanding container trade with
Central America, Mexico and
the Caribbean. Port Panama City
encompasses 138 acres, about
half of it for cargo. The port is one
of the nation’s leading ports for
the import of copper and is used
to handle a half-million tons of
energy-providing wood pellets to
Europe each year. The port will be
developing a bulk transfer facility to
enable the transfer of commodities,
including a two-track rail facility
and truck/container staging and
loading areas to effectively handle
this business.
Port of Pensacola, meanwhile,
has carved out a unique non-cargo
business niche as a vessel services
center for the U.S. Gulf offshore oil
and gas industry.
The Port of Port St. Joe is in
the process of contracting with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
to dredge the 14-mile channel
leading to the deepwater Port of
Port St. Joe. The project is due
to be completed in late 2015
and should be operational along
with the upgraded Apalachicola
Northern Railway.
bottom photo: Les Taylor
Port Panama
City has a $1.4
billion economic
impact.
Bud & Alley’s is
a Florida Trend
Golden Spoon
winner.
The Blue
Wahoos play
in a 5,000seat stadium
in downtown
Pensacola.
The addition of Northwest
Florida Beaches International
Airport opened the area to a surge
in newcomers, with Delta Air Lines
and Southwest Airlines coming on
board when the airport opened in
2010. Delta offers daily non-stop
flights to and from Atlanta with
connecting service to international
destinations. Southwest continues
to provide non-stop service to
Nashville, Houston and Baltimore,
as well as seasonal non-stop flights
to St. Louis and connections to
international destinations. Southern
Airways Express offers flights to
cities throughout the South.
Northwest Florida Regional
Airport in the Fort Walton
Beach/Destin area has a new
Bark Park, which offers a spot
to accommodate passengers’
pets, law enforcement K-9s and
assistance dogs.
Pensacola International Airport
reported 1.5 million passengers on
its six airlines to 11 destinations in
2013 and is experiencing a 13%
growth in capacity going into the
summer. Southwest Airlines recently
announced new service to Nashville
and Houston. Delta Air Lines is
replacing its MD-88s with larger
B-757s and B-737s, while American
Airlines is increasing Dallas/Fort
Worth capacity from 50-seat
regional jets to 140-seat Super 80s.
The airport has a new Hyatt Place
hotel and is adding a food court, as
well as a $5-million cargo apron to
accommodate UPS.
Travel / Dining
Fresh seafood is a staple
in northwest Florida, with an
abundance of Gulf shrimp,
flounder, red snapper and oysters.
Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon
Award winner Bud & Alley’s, owned
by Dave Rauchscolb, who also has
two other restaurants in Seaside,
is expanding his brand to Panama
City Beach, buying the former
Boatyard restaurant to make it a
second Bud & Alley’s.Gulf County’s
St. Joseph Bay draws visitors from
all over seeking to fill their buckets
with scallops in late summer.
Sports
Pensacola hosts the Pensacola
Double Bridge Run, Bud Light
Charity Challenge Tennis
Tournament and Pensacola
Marathon. The Destin Fishing
Rodeo is the ultimate fishing
tournament for saltwater anglers.
Ironman Florida, the Gulf Coast
Triathlon and several half-marathons
draw fitness buffs to Panama City
Beach, as does the World Softball
League championships. High
school sports events draw fans for
football, volleyball, soccer, softball
and baseball games. Pensacola is
also home to the AA Blue Wahoos.
FLORIDATREND.COM JUNE 2014 19
Leadership
Must-Know Contacts
Peter Bos at
the Emerald
Grande at
HarborWalk
Village
> Lewis Bear Jr.: President/CEO,
beer distributor Lewis Bear Co.,
Gulf Breeze
> Judy Bense: President,
University of West Florida
> Greg Britton: Chair, Northwest
Susan
Davis
Florida Manufacturers Council;
CEO, Fort Walton Machining
> Greg Brudnicki: Mayor,
Panama City
> Debbie Calder: Senior vice
president, Greater Pensacola
Operations, Navy Federal
Credit Union
> Peter Bos: The CEO of Legendary
Inc. is responsible for some of
the most prominent landmarks
on the Emerald Coast, including
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort,
Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club,
Destin Commons Lifestyle & Retail
Center and Emerald Grande at
HarborWalk Village.
> Michelle Sperzel:
The executive
director of the
Shelter House
Domestic & Sexual
Violence Center in
Fort Walton Beach,
Crestview and
Michelle
DeFuniak Springs is
Sperzel
among fewer than
300 fundraising professionals in
Florida to hold the Certified Fund
Raising Executive credential.
Chamber of Commerce and
chairman of the Florida State
University board of trustees. He
also sits on the Triumph Gulf
Coast board, which is responsible
for overseeing how Florida
spends its BP money.
Mark
Faulkner
Founders, Seaside
> Susan Davis: President/CEO,
Sacred Heart Health Systems
> Greg Donovan: Director,
Pensacola International Airport
Ken Ford
> Skip Foster: Publisher,
Northwest Florida Daily News
> Don Gaetz: President,
Don Gaetz
Florida Senate
> Alan Gieseman: CEO,
White-Wilson Medical Center
Plus, Actigraph and HSU Enterprise,
Hsu was named to the National
Minority Business Advisory Council
by President Obama in 2010.
> Ty Handy: President,
Northwest Florida State College
> Rick Harper: Director, Office
> Allan Bense: The former Florida
20 JUNE 2014 FLORIDATREND.COM
Baptist Health Care
Florida Institute for Human &
Machine Cognition
> Paul Hsu: Chairman of Total Parts
House Speaker is a partner at
GAC Contractors in Panama City,
former chairman and current
board member of the Florida
> Mark Faulkner: President/CEO,
> Ken Ford: Founder/CEO,
> Michael Murdoch: Murdoch started
email and web security company
AppRiver in Gulf Breeze in 2002.
The company has been among
the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing
companies several times.
Gulf Power Co.
> Robert and Daryl Davis:
> Quint Studer: The CEO of health
care consulting company Studer
Group is an investor in several
businesses. He also owns the Blue
Wahoos. The team’s downtown
stadium is part of Pensacola’s
Community Maritime Park, which
Studer helped fund.
> Stan Connally: President/CEO,
Allan Bense
Rick
Harper
of Economic Development and
Engagement, University of West
Florida; senior policy adviser on
economic affairs, Florida Senate
top left photo: Scott Holstein
> Steve Hayes: President,
> Edward Meadows: President,
Visit Pensacola
Pensacola State College
> Ashton Hayward:
> Al McCambry: Director, Corporate
Mayor, Pensacola
College, Gulf Coast State College
> Raimund Herden:
Julian
MacQueen
President, Bluewater Bay
Commercial Developers
Innisfree Hotels
> Amy Miller: Director,
> Julie Hilton: Vice president,
Port of Pensacola
Paradise Found Resorts & Hotels
> Parker W. McClellan Jr.:
> Ken Hinrichs: President/CEO,
United Way of Okaloosa and
Walton Counties
Amy Miller
bottom photo: Pensacola News Journal
> Jim Kerley: President,
Panama City Beach
> Kellie Jo Kilberg:
> Mel Ponder: Mayor, Destin
President/CEO, Walton Area
Chamber of Commerce
Chairman, Gulf County Economic
Development Alliance
CP0344Fla Trend June. 2014.indd 1
Executive director,
Northwest Florida Beaches
International Airport
> Gayle Oberst: Mayor,
Gulf Coast State College
> Guerry P. Magidson:
> Julian McQueen: Founder/CEO,
> Scott Remington:
Lloyd
Reshard
Managing partner/chair of
executive committee, Clark,
Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond
& Stackhouse
> Lloyd Reshard: CEO,
Tip Or Tap Marketing, Pensacola
> Larry Sassano: President,
Florida’s Great Northwest
> Ed Schroeder:
Executive director, Emerald Coast
Convention & Visitors Bureau
> Nathan Sparks:
Executive director, Economic
Development Council of
Okaloosa County
> Carlton Ulmer: CEO,
Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center
> Neal Wade: Executive director,
Bay Economic Development Alliance
> Mary Anne Windes:
Real estate broker; past chair, Destin
Chamber of Commerce
> David Whalen: CEO, Twin Cities
Hospitals in Niceville
FLORIDATREND.COM 4/21/14
JUNE 10:37
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