Jacksonville, at a population of about 1.4 million, isn’t the biggest metro area in the state. That would be the Miami metro area, at 5.8 million.
Nor, at 737,537 workers, does it have the largest labor force. That also would be the Miami area, with 3 million.
And, at 5.8 percent, it doesn’t have the lowest unemployment rate. That would be the Fort Walton Beach-Destin area at 4.6 percent.
What Jacksonville does have is room to grow.
“It’s a region of opportunity,” said Jesse Panuccio, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
The department is a state agency whose mission is to assist the governor in working with the Legislature, state agencies,
business leaders and economic development professionals to create policies and strategies for job growth and corporate expansion.
It works with Enterprise Florida, the public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders that is considered the state’s principal economic development organization.
Those relationships are akin to the Jacksonville Office of Economic Development, which reports to the mayor, and the JAX Chamber, a private organization that recruits and assists with job creation.
Panuccio visits Jacksonville once every few months and met Tuesday with representatives of the Jacksonville Jaguars for an update and with a roundtable of area business leaders. He also intended to visit Jacksonville University.
“Things are good,” he said, “but there is a lot of opportunity to get better.”
Panuccio touted Jacksonville’s job-growth opportunities in professional and business services, such as with the banking and legal fields. Global financial services giants Bank of America and Deutsche Bank were two of the companies he mentioned as job creators.
“That’s a great sector to be growing,” he said, explaining the “ripple effect” from spin-off jobs.
Another opportunity is the target of aerospace and logistics jobs. Panuccio said Cecil Commerce Center, the Port of Jacksonville and the area’s airport system are examples of growth engines. For examples, he cited the recent decision by GE Oil & Gas to hire 500 people for a new manufacturing plant and the FedEx Ground Package System distribution center, both under development at Cecil Commerce Center, as the quality of businesses Jacksonville can attract.
He said the state’s ports will remain a critical investment, but could not comment specifically on the state funds that might be committed to JaxPort in the effort to compete for the growth in shipping after the Panama Canal widening.
Panuccio said Downtown development also is an opportunity because it is a “highly desirable place for millennials.”
Panuccio, 33, was Gov. Rick Scott’s general counsel when he was appointed the executive director of the department.
Panuccio had about 30 minutes Tuesday to cover a range of topics.
Among them:
• The department’s focus on job creation includes streamlining permit reviews and approvals so that businesses can move quickly with expansion and development. He urged communities to do the same to avoid unnecessary delays.
• Government financial incentives are “for a small subset of competitive projects” but are necessary. “It’s just a fact. Governments are offering incentives around the country and around the world.” The department works on due diligence on the front end to make sure the project is viable and the follow-up of compliance on the back end to make sure promises are kept and rules are met.
• The state wants to ensure a strong “skeletal structure” for economic development that includes a favorable tax and regulatory structure, a workforce pipeline that includes education and training, and the infrastructure of roads, ports and transportation that ease the cost of doing business. “And,” he said, “people like to live in Florida.”
• The state’s longtime focus on the three strong legs of tourism, agriculture and real estate didn’t always engender a sense of urgency for industrial and job diversity, but the state has a targeted-industry list to broaden the job and tax bases that can be adjusted to meet demand.
• Tourism is strong. The state expects that 100 million people could visit this year.
• Existing businesses also benefit from companies recruited with incentives because the improved infrastructure, such as roads, and increased tax base from the capital investment assist the entire community. A larger customer base also is beneficial.
• Existing businesses also are offered loan programs that can assist their expansions.
Panuccio said Jacksonville’s Office of Economic Development and the JAX Chamber are effective in job recruitment.
“This is a community with a lot to offer,” he said.
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