2019 Escambia Business Journal

2019 ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL A N 8 5 0 B U S I N E S S M AG A Z I N E S P E C I A L R E P O RT

SOLID

FOUNDATIONS

Natural assets, unflagging recruitment efforts, progressive educational institutions and an embrace of new technologies have placed the Pensacola area on a solid footing.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | BY THE NUMBERS | DRONES | UWF ENTREPRENEURS | HAAS CENTER | TOURISM

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

FLYING HIGH I

n June 2018, ST Engineering Aerospace commenced operations in its newly constructed 173,000-square-foot, $46 million Hangar 1 at the Pensacola International Airport.

That development represented the culmination of a courtship that began seven years earlier when Singapore-based ST Engineering committed to exploring options for a satellite location near the established operations of its aerospace arm in Mobile, Alabama.

Successful courtship advances economic development objectives

BY STEVE BORNHOFT

“Every project moves at its own pace,” said Scott Luth, CEO at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. Luth, along with city and airport officials, was steadily involved in negotiations with ST Engineering Aerospace.

“We built a strong relationship with the local leadership out of Mobile,” Luth said, before meeting with corporate officials from San Antonio and Washington, D.C. “Over the years, we moved up to the headquarters office in Singapore. I traveled to Singapore several times with (then) Mayor Ashton Hayward.”

ST Engineering Aerospace is, according to its website, “the world’s largest commercial airframe MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) provider with Airframe and a global cuspowerplant mechanic tomer base Joseph Flint that includes services a leading airBoeing 757 at ST Engineering’s lines, airfreight Pensacola and military facility. operators.” It has facilities and affiliates in North and South America, Asia and Europe.

Its suite of MRO services addresses airframe, components and engines, aviation materials and

asset management, and aircraft interiors. It offers customized engineering and design solutions, including passenger-to-freighter conversions.

ST Engineering Aerospace projects that Hangar 1 will become the workplace for 400 employees. But the company will not be stopping there.

In October in Singapore, ST Engineering Aerospace and Hayward signed off on a memorandum of understanding calling for the addition of a 655,000-square-foot airframe facility at the company’s Pensacola Aerospace Campus.

ST Engineering Aerospace will invest $35 million in the $210 million expansion project; additional funding will come from the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. and the state and federal governments. Construction of the airframe facility is projected to start in 2022.

“The incredible partnership between the City of Pensacola and ST Engineering has brought forth a monumental opportunity to expand the I-10 aviation corridor and ignite transformational change to the region,” Hayward said at the MOU signing ceremony.

On the Cover: Clockwise from upper left, beaches are a primary draw for tourists visiting Escambia County; FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance CEO Scott Luth (in jacket) leads a meeting of entrepreneurs at the Co:Lab business incubator; UWF Center for Entrepreneurship Ed Ranelli tries out visual simulation glasses; ST Engineering Aerospace occupies a new hangar at the Pensacola International Airport.

PHOTOS BY STEVEN GRAY (CO:LAB), MATTHEW COUGHLIN (ST ENGINEERING) AND COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA (DR. RANELLI) AND VISIT PENSACOLA (BEACHES)

2 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

PHOTOS BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

For seven years, economic development officials in Escambia County worked to land ST Engineering as a Pensacola employer. In the end, the availability of an aviation-rich labor force was a winning factor. Top photo: Dallas Glover.

Bottom photo: Shane Gonzalez, left, and Darrell Hicks.

Luth said the opportunity for ST Engineering Aerospace to “tap into a good, aviation-rich labor force” was a key factor leading the company to rank Pensacola ahead of the other locations it scouted in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

“Labor is the new natural resource,” Luth said. “It means a lot to have so many men and women exiting the military in our area with great skill sets. And our schools are doing a great job.”

Luth noted that Booker T. Washington High School near the airport has added an aviation academy. George Stone Technical College established a program leading to airframe and power-plant certifications.

“Education was a big part of our success in the ST Engineering project and accounts for the interest of many others in Pensacola,” Luth said.

That interest is running strong. Interviewed in December, Luth said that FloridaWest had 48 projects in its pipeline and that 26 of them were active, meaning they had moved beyond the initial inquiry stage. Of the 26, seven were related to existing industry expansions and 19 involved companies that would be new to town.

Of the 48 projects overall, Luth said, 41 percent involved manufacturing, 15 percent were related to aviation and 11 percent were

INTERVIEWED IN DECEMBER, LUTH SAID THAT FLORIDAWEST HAD 48 PROJECTS IN ITS PIPELINE AND THAT 26 OF THEM WERE ACTIVE, MEANING THEY HAD MOVED BEYOND THE INITIAL INQUIRY STAGE. OF THE 26, SEVEN WERE RELATED TO EXISTING INDUSTRY EXPANSIONS AND 19 INVOLVED COMPANIES THAT WOULD BE NEW TO TOWN.

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 3

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems acquired a downtown building at 2 N. Palafox St. in Pensacola and converted it into a home for its diagnostic business. Its founder, Dr. Sunil Gupta, is a graduate of the Co:Lab business incubator.

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS The FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance operates under contract to the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission (PEDC), a statutorily created economic development authority made up of five public officials and four private-sector appointees.

The county routes all of its annual economic development appropriation to the PEDC; the City of Pensacola sends half of its economic development dollars to the PEDC and half directly to FloridaWest. City and county funds made available to FloridaWest totaled $750,000 in fiscal year 2018.

The PEDC helps build and develop industrial commerce parks. It holds the title to the Pensacola Technology Campus and is working to create an industrial campus, The Bluffs.

FloridaWest, Luth explained, serves as the marketing arm for economic development on behalf of the PEDC, the city and the county. Its responsibilities also include running and managing a business incubator, Co:Lab, which is housed in downtown Pensacola in a building owned by Pensacola State College. That is, FloridaWest is involved in “growing our own” in addition to recruiting businesses from afar.

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Tenant entrepreneurs at Co:Lab pay a fee and typically stay for about three years. The lab employs a full-time director, part-time business coach and office manager.

Successful Co:Lab graduates include Dr. Sunil Gupta, who founded Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS), an organization dedicated to eliminating

Scott Luth, CEO at the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance

preventable blindness through the early detection of vision-threatening pathologies including diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

“IRIS bought a building downtown and is a great, growing company,” Luth said, adding that Co:Lab has spawned companies that in total have accounted for $9.5 million in gross sales and created 38 jobs in the Pensacola

PHOTOS BY STEVEN GRAY (LUTH) AND COURTESY OF EMBARK AGENCY

tied to information technology. Other categories included professional and business services and warehouse/distribution operations.

“Career academies in cyber and information technology and programs at Pensacola State and the University of West Florida are paying dividends,” Luth said. “We are attracting a good mix, a good balance of inquiries.”

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Aerospace is our mission.

Ready to Get Started in Northwest Florida?

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Contact Shannon Ogletree today.

(850) 623-0174 • shannon@santarosa.fl.gov or visit SantaRosaEDO.com 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 5

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APRIL 25–28, 2019

Town Center of Grand Boulevard at Sandestin® Miramar Beach, FL

04 25 - 28 19

A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brew masters and entertainers converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the four-day celebration of wine during the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival held April 25-28, 2019 throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard.

Attendees enjoy such attractions as Spirits Row, Rosé All Day Garden, Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Nosh Pavilions, Tasting Seminars, Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, live entertainment and more than 800 wines poured by knowledgeable wine industry insiders.

PRESENTING SPONSORS

ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT

OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR

Benefiting Children in Need in Northwest Florida

O F F I C I A L L O D G I N G PA R T N E R

F O U N D I N G PA R T N E R S

VISIT

sowalwine.com FOR

M OR E

I N FOR M ATI ON A N D TO P U RCH A S E TI C K E TS

6 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

Key players at Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems include its founder, Dr. Sunil Gupta, top photo, and CEO Chris Belmont. The business detects vision-threatening pathologies.

metro area. Fifteen businesses in development are currently at Co:Lab. Co:Lab figures prominently in FloridaWest’s latest five-year (October 2018–September 2023) strategic plan, compiled last year with suggestions from PEDC. The plan includes six broad initiatives representing FloridaWest’s program of work: n B usiness incubator — Operate a business incubator

to encourage entrepreneurship and grow new businesses. n B usiness expansion — Encourage business retention and expansion of existing industries. n B usiness development — Attract new employers with wages higher than the state average. n W orkforce development — Provide support to help create a well-trained target industry workforce that attracts new employers to the community, meets the skills training needs of area residents and supports existing industry. n S ites and buildings — Work with PEDC, private and public entities to support and advocate for the development of high-quality business parks and sites. n Organizational support — Pursue organizational strategies to increase the needed resources and partnerships to carry out the mission.

The organizational support objective commits FloridaWest to adding four members per year for five years.

“We’re not a chamber of commerce,” Luth said. “We’re not a large membership organization.

“We’re looking for members who are invested in the community, businesses with large customer bases that will grow when Pensacola and Escambia County grow.

Financial institutions, the health care industry, construction companies, utilities, those are our targets.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMBARK AGENCY

Thursday • Winemakers & Shakers • 5pm–7pm Friday • VIP Wine Tasting Kick-Off • 4pm–6pm Friday • Craft Beer & Spirits Jam • 6pm–9pm Saturday & Sunday • Grand Tastings • 1pm–4pm

We Keep Industry Moving

The Port of Pensacola now has weekly cargo and container service available to Mexico.

Learn more about how we can help your business import and export or to utilize our other logistics services. portofpensacola.com | 850.436.5070

PRESENTS

CYNTHIA BARNETT “Blue Revolution: A Water Ethic for Florida” Cynthia Barnett shows how one of the most water-rich states in the nation could come to face water scarcity and quality woes — and how it doesn’t have to be this way.

7pm Tuesday, April 23 WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio Pensacola State College Admission is free! Register: wsre.org/speakers

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The Florida Humanities Council partners with community organizations around the state.

Support for the Florida Humanities Speaker Series is provided by the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs.

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1/15/19 / 7 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A2:38 L PM

PHOTO BY JASON CONRAD

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is making it possible for the Pensacola Police Department to tactically employ drones, inside and outside. From left: IHMC research associate Daniel Duran, Pensacola police officer Robert Lindbloom, research associate John Carff and IHMC research scientist Matt Johnson.

8 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

POLICING FROM ABOVE

IHMC helps Pensacola police develop drone program

BY KARI C. BARLOW

T

he next time the Pensacola Police Department is faced with locating a missing child or diffusing a hostage standoff, officers will have four new hightech drones at their disposal.

The drones — two indoor and two outdoor — were custom built by scientists at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in downtown Pensacola and delivered to the department in January. Four officers have already begun working with the drones and receiving FAA-certified training on the new technology.

“Police work is incredibly dangerous and difficult,” Police Chief Tommi Lyter said. “You have to turn that corner, and you don’t know what is on the other side. A drone takes a lot of that unknown away.”

In August 2018, scientists at IHMC teamed up with Lyter to help his department develop an ongoing drone program. The idea, he said, is to build a sustainable program that will change and expand over time along with the leading technology.

Lyter, whose law enforcement experience includes SWAT and K-9 work, believes the drone program is well worth the initial price tag of $50,000.

“The reason I embraced it is it makes (officers’) jobs safer,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s worth the investment.”

IHMC Research Scientist Matt Johnson, who headed the drone team, said the innovative partnership is a long-term collaboration.

“It’s wonderful to get to work on technology that you know has the potential to help somebody,” he said. “And this is reaching right here locally, and hopefully we’ll see the benefits really soon.”

Lyter has enjoyed watching the IHMC scientists in action.

“I’m kind of in awe of those guys. … I’m convinced this is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “I think it’s going to expand so much more.”

‘A FORCE MULTIPLIER’ The new technology will allow officers to assess some emergency situations far more quickly, said Patrol Officer Robert Lindbloom, one of the first four officers who was selected to work with the drones.

“It’s a force multiplier,” he said. “There’s nothing like a bird’s-eye view when you’re looking for something.”

“THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.” OFFICER ROBERT LINDBLOOM Lindbloom, who spent 22 years in the U.S. Air Force as a helicopter pilot, said he envisions the outdoor drones being especially helpful when the department is searching for an endangered person or suspects who have fled on foot or trying to assess an unruly crowd or mass casualty incident.

“The drone just exponentially increases our ability to stay safe,” he added. “There will be some growing pains, but we’re excited.”

Johnson agreed, noting that the two outdoor drones — which are hexacopters with six propellers — are also equipped with infrared cameras with the ability to pick up heat signatures.

“All human beings will basically glow,” he said.

The two indoor drones, which are roughly

the size of a dinner plate, will be particularly useful in close quarters, Johnson said.

“One of the neat features is the payload will be flexible in what it can carry,” he said.

The indoor drones could be used to deliver a cell phone into a hostage situation or barricaded suspect to establish better communication, to search a damaged building after a disaster or to search for people hiding or trapped inside a structure. Instead of sending in an officer as the first contact, an officer could remotely pilot the drone to scout out the situation.

Unlike the outdoor drone, which is operated via line of sight, the smaller indoor drone has protected propellers and delivers what’s called a first-person view.

“It streams video back to the goggles the pilot is wearing,” Johnson said. “The indoor (law enforcement) drone is a fairly unique concept that I haven’t heard of anyone doing nationwide.”

Under the department’s initial plan, one officer per patrol shift will be proficient in drone operation while the other drone operators will be on call if needed.

“Once you have it is when you really start to realize what it’s good for,” Johnson said. “We’re excited to get them into their hands.

While good eyesight and spatial awareness are important, he added, sound judgment is perhaps the most important qualification for being a good drone pilot.

“Safety is going to be key in developing this program,” Johnson said. “Anyone can go buy a drone on Amazon, but the question is how to use one safely for the duration of this program.”

After completing initial hands-on training with the officers, Johnson and his team will be on hand for questions and consultations.

“We’ll be stopping by periodically, and we’ll be making recommendations (on ongoing retraining),” he said. “We’ll get to ask them what’s missing. … That’s the exciting part for us.”

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 9

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People banking with people 536 North Monroe Street • Tallahassee, FL 32301 • 850.681.7761 www.americancommercebank.com 10 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

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“For example, ACB offers amortizing structures that span the life of a loan.

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2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 11

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Dr. Ed Ranelli, director of the UWF Center for Entrepreneurship, is doing his part to promote economic growth.

PROVIDING A SPARK W

ith a fully established MBA program and an expanding catalog of courses centered on entrepreneurship and small business management, the University of West Florida College of Business is shaping the future of Escambia County, one innovator at a time.

And, thanks to a $1 million grant bestowed

by Pensacola visionary Quint Studer in 2015, there’s now a synergistic space for students to coin, cultivate and realize their visions in the University of West Florida Center for Entrepreneurship (UWFCE).

Its mission, said Dr. Ed Ranelli, director of the UWFCE, is threefold: to promote entrepreneurial spirit, provide mentorship and influence economic growth.

SPARKING INNOVATION “When we opened two years ago, our first objective was to create a buzz for entrepreneurship among students on campus,” Ranelli explained. “There’s a couple of different vehicles in which we do that, but one of the

BY HANNAH BURKE

most rewarding is inviting successful, small business owners in the community to share their experiences in growing a career.”

Forums, held every Wednesday evening in the UWF library’s Idea Space, may feature Studer who, in addition to founding the Studer Community Institute, doubles as the center’s “Entrepreneur in Residence.” Community leaders including Justin Beck, CEO of Beck Partners, and Birdwell Agency founder Jane Birdwell also have shared advice.

Though students may turn up for the free pizza and Coca-Cola, Ranelli joked, they’re also receiving the invaluable opportunity to network with professionals in their field.

The Idea Space also plays host to coaching sessions for the UWFCE’s annual Da Vinci Innovation Celebration, a competition which raises the stakes far higher than slices of pie and pop.

The event, which took place last October, awarded up to $10,000 in prize money to the students who presented the most impressive, innovative concepts before a panel of judges.

12 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

With projects ranging from ingenious software applications to off-the-wall beauty products, 63 teams delivered a two- to three-minute pitch (think Shark Tank), which demonstrated their product’s originality, marketability and effectiveness.

In 2018, UWFCE also participated in a nationwide, Masters-level case competition, in which a large, NASDAQ company posed an internal problem to graduate students.

Applying the management strategies taught in class, competitors formulated solutions and presented them to a board of the corporation’s employees. Though a team from an Arkansas university claimed first prize, Ranelli was over the moon when UWF snagged second place.

Additionally, Ranelli said, over 50 local CEOs volunteered to participate in last year’s Job Shadow program. As its name suggests, the program affords students of any major an opportunity to experience the corporate climate of their chosen field, be it a typical day at the office or attending a significant board meeting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

UWF center grooms entrepreneurs

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 13

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

LOOKING AHEAD For Ranelli, trailblazers such as Thornton and his good friend, Studer, seem to carry entrepreneurship in their DNA. The same, he said, applies to students like Alex Hill.

Hill, a retired army veteran, joined the UWF family in 2016 when, after earning an undergraduate degree in business at Pensacola State College, he elected to pursue a BS/ BA in marketing. During that time, Hill had embarked on a little vacation to the Florida Keys, where he discovered a kiosk selling not just coconuts, but an experience.

There, he noticed sunburned tourists raving over a genuinely tropical treat. “Around campus, we call him the Coconut Guy,” Ranelli laughed fondly. “Basically, he started importing those coconuts from South Florida and hiring students at the height of the tourist season to sell them in Okaloosa and Baldwin counties’ resorts.”

Gabriela Silva, a senior in the UWF School of Nursing, leads Dr. Ed Ranelli on a demonstration of “virtual sim goggles.”

Just six months after Emerald Coast Coconut was established, it moved into a permanent location in the heart of the HarborWalk Village of Destin. Word of its success traveled all the way to the capital, where former Gov. Rick Scott declared Hill, 26, recipient of 2018’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

“We’re really trying to demonstrate that UWF, through its students, is shaping the destiny of Northwest Florida,” said Ranelli. “UWF was developed to advance the educational, cultural, and economic development and quality of life for this region.

As we approach around 100,000 alumni, you have to realize that a lot of them go on to live and work in Northwest Florida. They’re

14 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

raising their families, occupying important positions on your civic boards and starting their own businesses.”

Now entering its third year in operation, the UWFCE is coming into its own. As Ranelli looks toward the 2019 school year, he finds himself reflecting on that threefold mission.

The first objective, he believes, is complete.

The past two years can attest that the buzz is there, and the entrepreneurial spirit burns brighter than ever.

Through exposing students to in-depth interactions with small business owners, offering richer opportunities for mentorship and to, eventually, extending the center’s services beyond the student population and into the community, Ranelli fully intends to fan the flames.

Quint Studer addresses students during the Center for Entrepreneurship’s Idea Space Speaker Series.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

“A key element of the UWFCE, as well as the College of Business, is to provide hands-on experiences for students,” said Ranelli. “So, we want students to participate in job shadows, and what we call real case studies — not just the ones from Harvard Business School. On a couple of occasions, participating companies have hired students right after their presentations. That lets us know we’re successfully launching our students into their careers and lives.”

Recently, Ranelli, himself, had a hand in getting the ball rolling for a group of students.

Upon learning of their initiative to tutor both Oakcrest and Ensley elementary school students in STEM-disciplined, after-school sessions, Ranelli, who served as dean of the College of Business from 2000 to 2013, was floored. “These students have completely written their own curriculum and projects that teach over 80 elementary students a hands-on approach to science. I was so impressed, I knew I had to help them out.

“I hooked them up with an attorney to get incorporated, and to get them qualified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so they could accept donations. I contributed some myself and introduced them to an accountant. It’s been a real joy seeing them grow.”

Ranelli is joined by other experienced mentors, who make themselves readily available to provide tips and tricks of the trade. Last fall, the UWFCE was approached by Bert Thornton, retired president and COO of Waffle House.

Now residing in Perdido Key, Thornton, who watched his family diner grow into a billion-dollar corporation, aims to pass along his wisdom to the next generation of business owners at UWF.

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 15

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

DATA DRIVEN Haas Center assists businesses, public entities

BY THOMAS J. MONIGAN

P

atiently and carefully during the past 25 years, the Haas Center at the University of West Florida has earned a reputation for excellence when it comes to analyzing local businesses and socioeconomic and demographic trends.

And as today’s information environment continues to evolve, those in charge are committed to staying one step ahead.

“We intend to go big and strong into the decision support element,” said Dr. Brice Harris, director of the Haas Center. “At the end of the day, that’s how I see my job — to inform and support — and that includes university administration and the general public and it includes state and federal agencies, to the extent that we can make our capabilities available.”

Recently, the center has focused on enhancing the means by which it reaches its audiences.

“A lot of what we’ve spent the last year doing is reimagining our traditional methods of community engagement,” said Amy Newburn, assistant director of the center.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on refreshing and promoting more effective communications.

As such, we launched a new website in August with links to our very active social media profiles, as well as a blog.”

But that’s not all.

“We have a quarterly newsletter that includes original research and, among other things, a cost of living index that we partner with the Council for Community and Economic Research on,” Newburn said.

“In the last six months, we’ve done tons of work that we think directly pertains to our partners in the business and economic development sectors.”

For assistant director Amy Newburn and the Haas Center at the University of West Florida, monitoring the impacts of Hurricane Michael and improving communication with the community will be priorities in the year ahead.

As of Oct. 10, a major storm commanded the center’s attention.

“We launched and will monitor the economic impact of Hurricane Michael over the next year,” Newburn said, “because we know that kind of recovery takes time, and we want to be good partners to our friends that have been so affected by that disaster.”

Harris is excited about a new “high-tech element” that is being rolled out this year.

“We hope it will serve as a new asset and resource that community members will turn to, rather than just having data that the individual tries to synthesize using

18 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

spreadsheets or whatever they’re going to do,” Harris said. “We’d like to give them opportunities to really visualize data in the context of a decision theater, and that kind of bleeds over into competitive intelligence.”

Harris referred to a “three-pronged process” that involves: n C ompetitive intelligence: “That is

some of what we’ve done traditionally, but another piece involves really taking it to the next level.”

n D ecision support: “This is actually

translating that data into ways that are

useful to the client, so they can really understand where the rubber meets the road, as opposed to a slide deck full of squiggly lines and pie charts.” n E conomist speakers bureau: “That’s

PHOTOS BY STEVEN GRAY

where we try to more broadly connect, not just with the business community, but with the community at large.”

Regarding the bureau, Harris said the center plans to assemble a “large collection of subject matter experts. The number and makeup of that bureau would kind of wax and wane for the first six or nine months or so while we try to ascertain what the community is calling for.”

Santa Rosa County Economic Development Director Shannon Ogletree is quite familiar with the Haas Center. He was an intern there in 2000.

“The Haas Center offers quality opinion and unbiased results,” Ogletree said. “We’ve used them for a number of years now for economic impacts, demographic studies and advice on economic analysis. They’re everything I look for. They’re cost efficient.

I’ve never gotten a bad product from them.”

Nicole Dees, information specialist with the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Office, said assistance from the Haas Center proved invaluable in the compiling of a 2017-18 tourism impact study, so much so that work on another such study is starting this year.

“The staff was an amazing team of professionals that answered our every request,” Dees said, “and they helped us daily on building the report, step by step, from the first day of the project to the last day.”

Belinda Zephir, Air Service Development Manager for Pensacola International Airport, said the survey Haas did for them in 2018 would be renewed this year.

“It helps build our business case with underserved routes so that when we get a sense of connecting the dots throughout the corporate community in the region, we can see where the demand levels are coming from,” Zephir said.

“Their measurements speak for themselves,” Zephir added. “They did a written report and also interactively used interviews involving one certain airline and found out where people were coming from and where their final destination was. That’s something you can share with an air carrier.”

“WE’D LIKE TO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY VISUALIZE DATA IN THE CONTEXT OF A DECISION THEATER, AND THAT KIND OF BLEEDS OVER INTO COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE.” DR. BRICE HARRIS, HAAS CENTER DIRECTOR

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 19

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6 4uwf.edu/NoLimits 5 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 23

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Three fourths of visitors to the Pensacola area hit the beach, a percentage that has declined recently as tourists seek more novel experiences.

TRANSCENDING THE TRADITIONAL Visit Pensacola rolls out a multi-generational narrative

M

ore millennials and centennials are journeying to Pensacola, packing with them an appetite for exploration and adventure.

And, with vacation priorities shifting, so, too, have Visit Pensacola’s marketing efforts.

“We like to call ourselves storytellers,” said Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola.

“In 2018, we rebranded our visitor’s guide as the Insider’s Guide, which essentially removed all the listings. Results from our consumer focus groups revealed that today’s visitors don’t want to be told what to do: They want to hear about experiences.”

Experiences, it turns out, are abundant in Pensacola, where history nuts can tour forts Pickens and Barrancas, or walk

the Maritime Heritage Trail.

Ecotourists may opt for a more challenging hike through Perdido Key, or survey waters from the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier.

In 2018, when millennials comprised the majority of Escambia County visitors, a perception study conducted by Visit Pensacola discovered a strong dislike for pigeonholing.

“They want to branch out and see more than just the place their parents may have brought them to as a kid,” Hayes said. “They want the full experience for, say, downtown Pensacola, where you can explore the history of Belmont-DeVilliers, visit the art museum and then grab a really cool bourbon and cigar afterwards.”

Majority Opinion Research revealed that, while 76 percent of

24 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

BY HANNAH BURKE

Shopping is the second most popular activity among visitors to Pensacola, according to market research.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA

visitors spent time at the beach, its popularity decreased by 15 percent over the last five years. Shopping proved to be the second most popular activity, followed by museums and fine dining venues.

While there’s certainly no shortage of beachgoers, it’s evident that altered perceptions of Pensacola correlate with 33 percent growth in visitation since 2013. By doing more storytelling, Hayes is confident that he will lead people to discover the full range of vacation activities that Pensacola offers, and tourism will reach new heights.

Who better to endorse the community than those who call it home?

“Our local focus groups have really shown us that we’ve got people living here who think Pensacola is the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Hayes said.

“Funny enough, one of the biggest critiques from our locals was our lack of promotion for the Blue Wahoos (Pensacola’s minor league baseball team).

For our visitors, that hype isn’t there. So, we’d like to enlist our residents as brand ambassadors and encourage them to tell visitors about how much they adore the Wahoos, and all the other unique things there are to do.”

Visit Pensacola will institute a frontline ambassador training program in 2019, ensuring that its employees are equipped with the best possible tools for making recommendations.

“It’s that kind of service that’s going to maintain a high level of satisfaction and rate of return,” Hayes said.

Of the 2.6 million people who visited Escambia County in 2017, 99 percent said they would recommend Pensacola as a vacation destination to

others, according to Majority Opinion Research; 94 percent said they would return, and 82 percent aspire to do so within the next year.

Many will get there by air.

“Our air-traffic growth has been tremendous,” Hayes stressed. “We remain a 75 to 25, drive-toflight ratio, but the tourist who flies has proven to spend far more.”

Based on 2017 data, Escambia County visitor spending surpassed $800 million, an increase of 34 percent from three years earlier. More than half of visitor spending is directly attributable to marketing.

While Visit Pensacola will devote around $3 million to promotion this year, it will also use a grant from Visit Florida for air service development.

New, nonstop flights provided by United, Frontier and Southwest Airlines have resulted in Chicago and Boston emerging as top feeder markets.

In 2019, United Airlines will feature a Saturday service flight from Denver during spring break. Nonstop service to New York City is also in the works.

The average length of stay has dipped 6 percent since 2013. Visit Pensacola hopes to increase the current average length of stay of 6.3 nights by creating buzz around long-weekend getaways and weeklong vacation itineraries.

Based on 2018 data, visiting parties spent an average of $234 per day. If each party extended its stay by a single night, total annual visitor spending would jump by $184.5 million.

Tourism provides Escambia County with more than 24,000 Escambia County jobs or about 18 percent of the working population.

“WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES STORYTELLERS.” STEVE HAYES, PRESIDENT OF VISIT PENSACOLA

Pensacola residents have enthusiastically embraced the Class AA Blue Wahoos, a team newly affiliated with the Minnesota Twins.

Tourism officials are asking fans to spread the word about the club and its waterfront stadium among visitors.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY VISITOR PROFILE n 44 years: Average age of visitor decision maker n 3.4 persons: Average party size n 72: Percentage of couples/adult-only parties n $89,931: Average household income n 67: Percentage of visitors who paid for lodging n 6.3 nights: Average duration of lodging stay n $1,483: Average party spend per stay n $234: Average party spend per day Source: 2018 Visitor Insight Report

2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 25

ESCAMBIA COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Pensacola International Airport

VITAL STATISTICS Taking Stock of Escambia and Other West Florida Counties

Labor Force / Employment August 2018 Escambia Okaloosa Bay Santa Rosa Walton

147,999 / 143,600 98,739 / 96,368 89,281 / 86,835 80,187 / 77,990 30,638 / 29,871

26 / 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

Sales of Single Family Homes (Units) August 2018

Percentage of Adults with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

Escambia Santa Rosa Okaloosa Bay Walton

Okaloosa Santa Rosa Walton Escambia Bay

674 538 483 466 272

28.1 26.5 25.1 23.9 21.6

Percent Change in Passengers (versus same month in previous year) August 2018 + 24% Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport

+ 19% Destin/Fort Walton Beach Airport +18% Pensacola International Airport + 6% Mobile Regional Airport

Source: UWF Haas Center

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA

BY THE NUMBERS

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Economic Development Trends in Escambia Discussing industrial sites and economic growth with Justin Beck, CEO of Beck Partners When you envision an industrial site, images of vacant land, large cargo trucks and unremarkable warehouses likely come to mind. Justin Beck, CEO of Beck Partners, states that those perceptions are changing. Industrial sites are different than they were 10 years ago, now featuring clean, professionally styled office buildings, 18 wheelers replaced by sleek delivery vans — and all of it is a taste of the ever-changing landscape of how to conduct business.

With companies such as Amazon broadcasting this new industrial landscape on a large scale, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are taking notes. Beck specifically points to ST Aerospace and The Bluffs as industrial projects being developed in Pensacola. The hope is to contribute even more industrialized sites, which Beck believes can be accomplished through proper planning and utilizing the success stories of others.

“Industrial uses are typically basic employment, meaning the majority of revenue comes from outside of the community,” said Beck. “For communities to grow and thrive, they have to do more than recycle money. Look at this region’s tourism success, which is important because it generates significant money from outside of the community. Industrial jobs do the same thing.”

Beck acknowledges that all new developments require time and patience, but Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are making massive strides on two fronts — improving the quality of life and investing in the downtown core.

“We are creating world-class cities that attract education and high-wage jobs,” said Beck. “Despite all of the recent growth,

it’s relatively easy to do real estate projects here, making for a fantastic business climate.”

Beck Partners, alongside many regional companies and the Chamber of Commerce, are intent on attracting businesses and helping them grow.

A recent growth trend leans toward the holistic approach — promoting quality of life, rather than just using high wages, to attract talent.

“Research shows, in a vibrant community, poverty is low and education and business levels are high,” said Beck. “We are seeing those factors right now through the businesses that are coming and growing.

Helping Pensacola businesses grow brings me joy.”

We are creating world-class cities that attract education and highwage jobs.

Justin Beck CCIM, CPM, CEO, President - Real Estate Photo Credit: Steven Gray, with Move Media

Pensacola 850.477.7044 151 W Main St, Ste 200 Tallahassee 850.727.0003 306 E College Ave, Ste 106

850.477.7044 TeamBeck.com 2019 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 27

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