by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Big business isn’t booming these days. Major banks and other financial institutions and investment firms are laying off people left and right. The big three auto manufacturers are asking the federal government for a bailout and may be facing Ch. 11 bankruptcy.
While these events will certainly affect the local economy to some degree, the reality is the Northeast Florida area has developed economically in such a fashion that it may cope with the current economic crisis better than most areas. The Jacksonville area isn’t reliant on any particular industry for its survival and, in fact, has quietly become the headquarters of several major companies over the past few years.
Leading the way locally are hundreds of small businesses, from the cake maker who employs 20 to local lenders who make sure that cake maker has the capital she needs to continue.
“Three-quarters of the jobs in America come from small business,” said Ronald Belton, president and CEO of Riverplace Analytics, LLC and a member of the board of directors of Essential Capital Finance, Inc.
Monday, Belton co-hosted a summit at the University of North Florida aimed at bringing area small business owners together for a status report and networking. Sponsored by Essential Capital and the U.S. Small Business Administration, the summit was also hosted by Essential Capital President/CEO Cleve Warren (who is also chair of the JTA board) and Small Business Administration North Florida District Director Wilfredo Gonzalez. Mayor John Peyton also participated, talking about the impact small business has on the area economy and the importance of assuring small businesses don’t go by the wayside.
“It’s not all gloom and doom. There are some good things going on,” said Gonzalez, who oversees 43 counties in Florida.
Gonzalez said the local real estate market looks bad on the surface, but thanks to a more conservative approach, North Florida will recover quicker than the developers and realtors in South Florida.
“South Florida is three times worse,” he said. “They really had a real estate glut with the condos. South Florida was going like gangbusters. There is a lot of property that is not helping the economy. Imagine being in a 20-story high-rise with one other tenant. What are your association fees?”
Gonzalez said so far this year his office has awarded $100 million less in SBA loans than last year. However, he said small business are going after federal grants instead of loans that must be paid back. That decision, he said, is allowing many to stay in business and making payroll as opposed to closing up shop.
“We are also seeing innovative entrepreneurs and we have been helping them,” he said.
Warren oversees an organization that used to be known as JEDCO — the Jacksonville Economic Development Company — that was started in 1979 by Mayor Jake Godbold. In 2002, Mayor John Delaney decided JEDCO could better serve the small business owner if it was a private company.
“That was the best thing that could have happened,” said Warren. “We are much more productive. Spinning off allowed us to focus on SBA 504 loans.”
Through Essential Capital, small business owners are able to borrow money while putting a lot less down. Warren and his staff pair business owners with willing lenders. He admits things are tougher now than a few years ago, but Warren is convinced the economy will recover.
“We are a resilient country and we have a way of bouncing back from anything,” he said.
Peyton said one of his primary goals after taking office in 2003 was to raise the per capita income in Jacksonville. The idea was to do that two ways: by luring major headquarters to town along with high-paying jobs and by supporting the local small business owner. Peyton then announced the “Blueprint for Prosperity” campaign, which was designed to put area business owners in touch with potential employees. Peyton said he’s happy with the success of the initiative he calls a “map of the future” and one that has reached over 1,000 people.
Peyton did say the struggles of the national and international economy have benefited Northeast Florida.
“This is affecting Jacksonville in ways we didn’t anticipate. We have had phenomenal success in attracting international business to Jacksonville,” he said. “We are defying gravity in Jacksonville and that is through a lot of planning and hard work.”
Peyton talked about Pilot Pen, Deutsche Bank, Alenia and others coming to Jacksonville. He also said the deals between the Jacksonville Port Authority and two major Asian shippers will assure Jacksonville becomes a major force in shipping over the next decade.
“I don’t know how many other cities are in a position to celebrate this,” said Peyton. “The truth of the matter is, we have had great success in large business. But, the reality is, 95 percent of our economy is based on small business.”
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