Northwest Florida is becoming a serious center of aerospace activity. Your company can benefit from the strategic advantages Northwest Florida has in the aerospace and defense industry, including:
Northwest Florida enjoys an abundant, highly skilled workforce as evidenced from the following Aerospace / Defense numbers:
The laborshed has more jobs in the following Aerospace and Defense-related occupations than the US average:
| Job Types | Ratio to U.S. average |
|---|---|
| Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing | 8x more |
| Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing | 4x more |
| Avionics Technicians | 3x more |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 3x more |
The laborshed has seen significant growth in aerospace- and defense-related jobs over the last five years:
574% growth in Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing
291% growth in Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing
214% growth in Aircraft Manufacturing
A future pipeline of aerospace workers is educated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with locations at many of our military bases, as well as at George Stone Technical College, Northwest Florida State College, and Haney Technical Center, which offer Aviation Airframe Mechanics and Aviation Powerplant Mechanics programs. Learn more about the educational institutions in the region.
Northwest Florida will benefit from $1.5 billion in economic development enhancements, such as workforce training and infrastructure, over the next 15 years. Additionally, Florida ranks among the best states for business because of its pro-business tax policies and competitive cost of doing business.
Your company can benefit from inducements to help offset initial costs when locating a new or expanding your existing business in Northwest Florida. Moreover, your business dollars go further given the state's limited corporate taxes and your employees benefit from 0% state personal income tax.
Learn more about incentives your business can take advantage of with a Northwest Florida location.
The Northwest Florida laborshed includes the following Aerospace and Defense-related companies:
The region offers several industrial sites well-suited for aviation and aerospace operations.
Pensacola International Airport — 350+ acres of land available, runways with 7,000+ feet, foreign trade zone #249, home to VT MAE MRO Hangar, 59 miles from the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line in Mobile, AL.
Whiting Aviation Park — A 239-acre commercial/industrial park adjacent to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Through a limited-access use agreement, civilian tenants of the Aviation Park will be able to use the Navy’s airfield facilities.
Okaloosa Industrial Air Park — 360 total acres, 135 acres are certified and offer onsite access to Bob Sikes Airport, a general aviation and industrial use airport with 8,000+ foot runway.
DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport — Nearly 300-acre airport industrial park, with 22-acre and 34-acre parcels that are certified with runway access.
Marianna Airport Commerce Park — 237 acres are certified and adjacent to the Marianna Municipal Airport, which has 6,001 and 5,000-foot runways.
Venture Crossings — 195 total acres; 10 under development, 111 contiguous, 185 available. Adjacent to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport with a 10,000-foot runway.
Apalachicola Regional Airport — county-owned, public use airport. It was originally constructed by the US Army Air Corps and was a sub base of Tyndall AFB. It has three 5,000+ foot runways.
Many of our R&D facilities in the region cater to aerospace-related innovations, such as:
Mercury Systems is the leader in making trusted, secure mission-critical technologies profoundly more accessible to aerospace and defense.
Micro Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is an AS9100 Rev. C and ISO 9001:2008 certified company. It is a world leader in high performance Air, Land, and Sea Surface vehicle control. It offers a broad range of products including Unmanned Vehicle Control Systems, Autopilots and Mission Computers, Radar Tracking and Command Data Link Transponders, Scoring Systems, Custom Test Equipment, and Flight Termination Systems.
On-Point Defense Technologies, LLC, is a veteran-owned, small business that supports the Department of Defense and Defense Companies by designing, developing, integrating, and testing commercial and defense products. On-Point Defense Technologies, LLC (OPDT) is a full-spectrum design, manufacturing, prototyping, and systems integration firm. It mitigates customer portfolio risks via upgrading, repurposing, and sustaining legacy weapon system technology — reducing cost and schedule while enhancing warfighter capabilities!
Vertex Aerospace is a vertically integrated, one-stop shop for parts fabrication through end-item aerostructures, aircraft maintenance, and modifications. Vertex Aerospace offers its customers great value, high quality, and superb schedule performance.
Florida’s Great Northwest is here to enhance Northwest Florida’s competitive position through industry diversification and quality job growth. Whether you’re a company executive, site selector, or Northwest Floridian, contact us to learn how we can work together.
