As the country’s economy reopens, “there are indicators of a continued rebound,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross told a group of Jacksonville business leaders June 12.
“Once the all-clear sounds on the coronavirus, I believe there will be an incredible pent-up demand release, especially in travel and hospitality sectors,” he said, which especially will benefit Florida.
Ross visited Jacksonville to meet with 12 area business and government leaders to discuss reopening the economy and to tour Boeing’s facility at Cecil Airport.
Boeing’s Jacksonville facility repairs and modifies F-18 fighter jets for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
Ross expects consumers to begin reinvesting the money they saved during the pandemic back into local businesses, allowing firms to hire back employees and add jobs later.
Jacksonville’s ability to attract talent won’t change because of the pandemic, he said, adding that it is one of the top tech cities in the country.
“Those are very important distinctions,” he said.
Business leaders shared how they’ve weathered the pandemic. JAX Chamber CEO Daniel Davis moderated the 40-minute discussion.
Forcura CEO Craig Mandeville said his health care technology company has been “skyrocketing in growth” and thriving during the pandemic.
Mandeville told Ross in recent months he considered moving his company to Austin, Texas, but after securing local and state incentives, he chose to keep Forcura in Jacksonville.
“The talent is here,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud to be in this city right now, and really driving everything forward. It’s been a crazy couple of months to say the least, but especially in Jacksonville, it feels like we’re almost back to normal.”
Andrew Rush, CEO of Made In Space, which relocated its headquarters to Jacksonville this year, touted the city’s low operating costs.
“That drove us to move the headquarters from California to Jacksonville,” he said. “This is a structurally sound economy, this is a structurally sound region of the nation.”
The space manufacturing company employs about 100 at 8226 Philips Highway in Baymeadows Business Center. It plans to add more staff.
