Mayor Alvin Brown and City Council President Stephen Joost heard new Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan’s introductory remarks Friday and both said they were encouraged to hear of his plans for the team and the community.
Khan told reporters in his first media session in Jacksonville that he wanted to re-energize the community’s support for the team. Brown and Joost said afterward they looked forward to working with him.
“We can use the bully pulpit to get the word out,” Joost said.
Khan’s desire to make the Jaguars a leading international brand also was heartening news for a city always seeking new business, Brown said.
“Growing the brand internationally, that’s 21st century thinking,” Brown said.
Khan is owner of Flex-N-Gate, an auto parts manufacturing company based in Urbana, Ill., and has manufacturing and product development and engineering facilities throughout the world.
He has been asked by the media in different venues about the possibility of expanding his business in Jacksonville. While Khan was noncommittal, Brown and Joost said they wouldn’t be surprised if Khan didn’t eventually expand his manufacturing businesses into Northeast Florida.
Brown said he would continue to encourage Khan to bring business to Jacksonville and said the area is ripe for another manufacturing plant in Cecil Commerce Center.
Brown said he would make his pitch to Khan “every time I see him.”
“Jacksonville has the skilled workforce for him to bring a manufacturing plant here and bring about 5,000 jobs,” Brown said. “That’s my number. It may be 500, but whatever it is, it’s good.”
356-2466