Discover Jacksonville 2017

BUSINESS
Booming business
Companies big and small find success in Northeast Florida.
When you think of Northeast Florida,
you typically think of sunny
beaches and soft sand. However,
it’s not all vacation here. We know how to
get down to business, too. A recent study
conducted by the University of Southern
California Marshall School of Business
found Jacksonville is more conducive
to start-up business success than many
well-known cities, such as Miami,
Atlanta, Moscow and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Jacksonville is great for local
businesses and international
headquarters. It’s actually home to four
Fortune 1000 and three Fortune 500
company headquarters. Businesses
flock to the region because of the young,
educated workforce, including a median
age lower than most areas in Florida,
and public and private universities that
continually produce an eager, educated
workforce.
In 2016, St. Johns County
commissioners unanimously approved
drafting an agreement that awarded
$426,141 in economic development
incentives to Burkhardt Distributing
Company. The beer distributor plans to
build an $11 million, 113,000-square-foot
office/warehouse in the county to serve
as its headquarters and distribution
center.
Another company expanding on
the First Coast is Safariland, which
makes body armor, holsters and
other equipment for military and law
enforcement. The company confirmed
it will add 152 jobs to its plant near the
Jacksonville International Airport by
the end of 2018. According to the city’s
records, 52 of the jobs will average
$44,065 and the other 100 will average
$33,000 annually.
In 2015, Forbes magazine ranked
Jacksonville as the fifth-best city to find
work in the U.S. Logistics and industrial
jobs were among the strongest job
markets found in Jacksonville. This is
just one of many accolades that the area
has earned in the last several years.
Entrepreneurs and small businesses
on the First Coast have a host of support,
including One Spark, a festival to
encourage innovation and creativity.
One Spark provides an opportunity for
creators, entrepreneurs and all those
with great ideas to connect with the
resources they need, and make their
dreams a reality through crowdfunding.
The festival is held yearly (typically in
the spring) in downtown Jacksonville.
The Florida Small Business
Development Center, located at the
University of North Florida, is another
resource for business owners. It is a
no-cost consulting, low-cost training
and extensive information center that
offer entrepreneurs access to business
solutions that help them grow and
succeed.
The Jacksonville Chamber of
Commerce supports local businesses
through the Office of Economic
Development. This office assists small
business owners with financing through
local, state and federal programs.
It also guides businesses in using
innovative financing alternatives. The
Chamber also offers a host of mentoring,
entrepreneurial education, consulting
and networking opportunities through
its Small Business Center. For more
resources and information, visit
myjaxchamber.com/doing-business/
small-business-center.
Jacksonville is great for local businesses and international headquarters. It’s actually home
to three Fortune 500 company headquarters, and holds annual events, including One Spark,
to help entrepreneurs bring their visions to life. Here, competitors shake hands with Chris
Carter, president of One Spark Ventures, at the “Spark Tank” competition awards ceremony.
Spark Tank was a private event held during the 2016 One Spark event where competitors
presented ideas to judges with investment backgrounds. (Bob Self/Florida Times-Union)
2017 DISCOVER JACKSONVILLE | 85