From the CEO

PALM BEACH COUNTY continues to be a snapshot of business and lifestyle success stories. From inbound migration of new residents and companies—and all the jobs and opportunities being created—the county is the envy of employers and business leaders everywhere.

The statistics tell the story. Unemployment here will end 2022 at just over 2 percent, even before tourist season kicks into high gear and holiday retail employment is tallied, notes CareerSource

Families are buying homes, developers are purchasing land, and companies are signing or renewing leases, all participating in a building boom that has boldly transformed Palm Beach County into its very own megaregion.

The county is enjoying widespread expansion north to south, and from coastal communities to our thriving agricultural region.

In the past year alone: n 51% of companies assisted by the BDB in the past year came from outside of Florida. n 44% of the companies went to Central County, 33% went to North County and 12% went to South County. n The top five industries were Life Sciences, Distribution/Logistics, Manufacturing, Financial Services and Aviation/Aerospace/Engineering.

As is the case with any thriving market, this is no time to let up. The BDB, in coordination with our board members and community partners, is working to keep Palm Beach County's allure front of mind through intentional and strategic efforts. Together, we are ensuring transportation, infrastructure and educational offerings continue to grow along with what the County is experiencing population- and economic-wise.

Palm Beach County’s fundamentals remain stronger than ever. With an abundant and highly skilled labor pool; a robust business network; a strong services infrastructure; and some of the highest-rated public and private academic institutions from grade schools to grad schools in the state and nation; our commitment is to the future prosperity for our 1.5 million residents.

As we look to the year ahead, I’d like to thank all our partners who’ve helped drive our success, and the businesses and people who have made Palm Beach County their home—and our home.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA is Home to 39 Cities and Towns, Including:

City of Atlantis

City of Belle Glade

City of Boca Raton

City of Boynton Beach

Town of Briny Breezes

Town of Cloud Lake

City of Delray Beach

Town of Glen Ridge

Village of Golf

City of Greenacres

Town of Gulf Stream

Town of Haverhill

Town of Highland Beach

Town of Hypoluxo

Town of Juno Beach

Town of Jupiter

Town of Jupiter Inlet Colony

Town of Lake Clarke Shores

Town of Lake Park

City of Lake Worth Beach

Town of Lantana

Town of Loxahatchee Groves

Town of Manalapan

Town of Mangonia Park

Village of North Palm Beach

Town of Ocean Ridge

City of Pahokee

Town of Palm Beach

City of Palm Beach Gardens

Town of Palm Beach Shores

Village of Palm Springs

City of Riviera Beach

Village of Royal Palm Beach

City of South Bay

Town of South Palm Beach

Village of Tequesta

Village of Wellington

City of Westlake

City of West Palm Beach

Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Inc. 310 Evernia Street West Palm Beach, FL 33401 561.835.1008 | bdb.org

Kelly Smallridge President and CEO

Kelly Smallridge President & CEO 561.835.1008 Ext. 4121 ksmallridge@bdb.org

Gary Hines Senior Vice President – Administration 561.835.1008 Ext. 4111 ghines@bdb.org

Lisa Anderson Vice President – Private Funding 561.835.1008 Ext. 4110 landerson@bdb.org

Kristen Boyd Liberman Vice President – Marketing & Media Relations 561.835.1008 Ext. 4106 kliberman@bdb.org

Tim Dougher Vice President – Business Recruitment, Retention and Expansion 561.835.1008 Ext. 4131 tdougher@bdb.org

Shawn Rowan Vice President – Business Recruitment, Retention and Expansion 561.835.1008 Ext. 4108 srowan@bdb.org

Whitney West Vice President – Strategic Initiatives and Events 561.835.1008 Ext. 4101 wwest@bdb.org

ON THE COVER Ava L. Parker, President Palm Beach State College

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Palm Beach County Business Quarterly is published by Passport Publications & Media Corporation, on behalf of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, and the publisher.

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