From the Daily Record
JAXUSA Partnership President Jerry Mallot said Greencore USA’s pledge to expand in Jacksonville is one of several announcements that will result from the London trip by JAX Chamber leaders and Mayor Alvin Brown.
Mallot said last month he expected more London announcements by spring. JAXUSA Partnership is the economic-development division of the JAX Chamber.
Greencore Group, an Ireland-based food preparation company, operates in North Jacksonville near Jacksonville International Airport.
Greencore employees make sushi, sandwiches, salads and other fresh ready-to-eat foods along with ready-to-cook entrees. Major clients nationwide include 7-Eleven, Trader Joe’s, Publix Super Markets Inc., Winn-Dixie Stores, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Kroger and Walgreens.
The Greencore job pledge isn’t unexpected, but it does underscore the attention from Jacksonville leaders during the October visit to London.
The company’s intention is to add 160 jobs, just about doubling its current employment, with the potential for 450 jobs through more expansion if warranted.
In October, Brown and other Northeast Florida delegates in London for a Jacksonville Jaguars game visited with executives of Germany-based Deutsche Bank, which continues to expand its significant footprint in Jacksonville.
Deutsche Bank opened in Jacksonville in 2008 with 100 jobs, pledging a 1,000-job operations center. It now expects more than 1,600 jobs by the end of 2016, and observers expect many more – especially in light of an Oct. 9 Wall Street Journal report featuring the company’s expansion into Northeast Florida.
In addition to Greencore and Deutsche Bank, Jacksonville delegates also scheduled visits in London with representatives of:
• Solar Power, an Irish company interested in launching a manufacturing facility in the U.S. Southeast
• MarkitSERV, which provides a single gateway for OTC derivatives trade processing
• Naked Energy, a solar technology company
• Jumar, a software company that is considering Florida, Georgia and Missouri to open U.S. operations
• RUMM Limited, an energy monitoring equipment manufacturer
• Rizenjet, an aviation manufacturing and maintenance, repair and operations company
• Sweet Group, a property and infrastructure group interested in public-private partnerships
• PPA Group, an aviation and marine company focused on aircraft interior installations interested in locating at Cecil Airport
• David Hickey, senior manager Europe of the Hickey and Associates site selection company
• Site consultant Keith Waters.