Tallahassee Business Outlook 2012

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL’S

2012 Business Outlook for Florida’s Capital Region LEON, GADSDEN, WAKULLA AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES

YOU RECYCLE. YOU CONSERVE WATER. YOU DRIVE A FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR. YOU USE ENERGY-SAVING LIGHTBULBS. YOU MAKE CHOICES THAT MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. SO DOES MARPAN

RECYCLING …

Marpan Recycling is committed to being a good neighbor to the community we serve. We are rolling up our sleeves, taking recycling seriously and investing in our environment by operating one of the only Class III recycling facilities in the nation.

Marpan Recycling has partnered with Tallahassee/Leon County to accept all materials, except for hazardous and food waste. This partnership has led to several hundred million pounds of waste being recovered and recycled that would have been buried in a landfill. Marpan Recycling accepts mixed loads of construction debris, commercial or household waste, including, but not limited to, waste wood, concrete, dirt, metal, carpet, cardboard, plastic, tile, brick, shingles, appliances, furniture and mattresses.

Marpan Recycling is located at 6020 Woodville Hwy. We are open Monday through Friday 7:30AM – 4:30PM, and Saturday 8:00AM–4:30PM. Materials brought into the facility are tipped onto a concrete floor under a roof. We have two scales, so we get you in and out fast.

Together we are making a difference by recycling — we are preserving our environment for our children and future generations.

www.marpanrecycling.com | 850-216-1006

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WE LCOM E L E T TE R

In Business to Write Business.

SM

We want to be your business partner when it comes Karen B. Moore

Beth Kirkland

WELCOME! On behalf of the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc., (EDC) we invite you to learn more about our region through the EDC’s 2012 Business Outlook for Florida’s Capital Region.

We are so proud of what will surely become a valued resource for those looking to learn more about our diverse business community, as well as those looking to celebrate how far we have come.

You most likely know that Tallahassee is home to the Florida Legislature, two state universities and one of the largest community colleges in Florida. However, within this journal you will learn so much more about the competitive advantages our area has to offer, as well as the growing targeted industry sectors that are providing for a sustainable regional economy.

We hope that the Business Outlook will pique your interest in the Tallahassee area and how the EDC can elevate your business.

to insurance protection. Contact us today for quality business protection from Auto-Owners Insurance.

We’ll take care of your business insurance, while you take care of business!

Brown & Brown Insurance 3520 Thomasville Rd, Ste. 500 • Tallahassee, FL 32309 (850) 656-3747 • (850) 656-4065 Fax

Thank you,

Karen B. Moore Chairman

Beth Kirkland, CEcD Executive Director

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TAB L E OF CONTE NTS

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Welcome Letter

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Targeted Industries

13 Business Incentives

16 Transportation + Infrastructure

20 Site Selection

24 Research + Development

26 Startups

28 Educated Workforce

30 Area Vital Statistics

About the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County As an affiliate organization of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc. (EDC) is a public/private partnership between the city, county and private investors committed to establishing a competitive business climate that results in job creation. By connecting the private sector, education and local government, the EDC helps join forces to: » foster entrepreneurialism; » advance local businesses; » grow targeted industry sectors; and — » attract innovative companies to our area.

By supporting new business development, providing technical assistance and advocacy to regional employers, as well as managing a suite of business retention, expansion and attraction resources, the EDC is creating a sustainable regional economy. To find out more, please visit www.TalEDC.com

CREATIVE. PRINT. SOLUTIONS.™

Produced in partnership with:

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BOOMING BUSINESS

Targeted industry sectors provide for a diversified, sustainable regional economy

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rom helping small, high-tech companies increase their chance of success in the marketplace to assisting in identifying markets and negotiating licenses for new technologies, the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Tallahassee/Leon County provides specialized business resources for industry sectors that have been targeted to match the region’s strengths, goals and assets — as well as provide for a diversified and sustainable regional economy.

These diverse target sectors include: aviation, aerospace, defense and national security; health sciences and human performance enhancement; transportation and logistics; renewable energy and the environment; engineering and research; and information technology. Most importantly, business clusters are forming around the leading targeted industries, strengthening the region’s competitive advantage.

The goal of the EDC is to promote high-wage job retention and expansion and to be a one-stop shop for business resources and opportunities, which includes connecting private companies that are seeking research and development support with university-based research institutions.

No surprise then that the region’s aviation and aerospace industries are growing when Florida State University is breaking new ground in the area of aeropropulsion. Or that Florida’s capital region has become a hub of clean technology start-ups, many using research from local university programs to spark their inventions and products.

For new businesses considering the region, the EDC can provide help with site selection, labor market analysis and job training assistance. And there are a variety of state and local incentives designed to help new businesses relocate here or give a boost to existing businesses looking to expand.

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While Tallahassee is home to the Florida Legislature and state government, it also boasts a vibrant business sector. By connecting the private sector, education and local government, the EDC works to foster entrepreneurialism, move projects from research to production, attract innovative companies to the area and create a competitive business climate.

What follows is a snapshot of what is happening with some of the targeted industry sectors in the region.

Defense and National Security

The War on Terror needs to be fueled with ammunition, logistics and support equipment, a demand that several defense-related companies located in and around the Tallahassee area are helping to meet without disruption.

From a commercially strategic standpoint, national defense companies are finding that the Tallahassee area has several attractive features. The region offers workforce stability, a diverse and sustainable economy fairly insulated from the woes faced by other areas of the country, it’s a right-to-work state and labor costs are low. Employees enjoy the laid-back quality of life, and engineers appreciate being so close to technologically advanced and world-renowned research institutions.

Chemring Ordnance is a premier manufacturer of all types of 40-mm ammunition; pyrotechnic marking, signaling, and tactical illumination devices; battlefield effects simulators; hand grenade fuses and other ammunition components. The manufacturing facility is in Perry and administrative offices are located in Tallahassee. The company, which won $100 million in new business in 2011, is a center of excellence for the design, development and production of ordnance, pyrotechnic products and other munition

components for the military, homeland security and first responders.

Recent contract wins for the company’s facility in Perry include $52 million for the modification of an existing contract to procure an anti-personnel obstacle breaching system; $9 million for marine smoke and illumination signals; and $22 million for smoke and illumination signals used in marine search and rescue.

More than 95 percent of all U.S. military small arms ammo is loaded with propellants from St. Marks Powder, a local manufacturing plant south of Tallahassee.

Large-caliber rounds for mortars and artillery are stoked by St. Marks Powder as well. But the company is also the leading maker of commercial smokeless powder

While Tallahassee is home to the Florida Legislature and state government, it also boasts a vibrant business sector.

for civilian use, including the award-winning .22 Rimfire Match powder.

Of course, communication is vital for battlefield success, and TeligentEMS of Havana makes sure signals don’t get crossed. This high-tech electronics plant provides service for many original equipment manufacture industries in the fields of radio frequency, fiber optic communication, medical, industrial, instrumentation, computer and military.

For more than 25 years, TeligentEMS has been manufacturing products containing RF (radio frequency) technology and its workers are familiar with assembling, testing and troubleshooting RF products. This includes GPS tracking devices,

radio communications equipment, RF smartcards, microwave antennas and RF amplifiers and transmitters.

Once you produce the product, you need a way to get it into the hands of soldiers protecting the homeland. Syn-Tech Systems Inc., a company that specializes in materials handling, munitions support equipment and automated fuel management systems, gets that job done. The Tallahassee-based developer and manufacturer of fuel management hardware and software serves 14,000 military and commercial clients nationwide and was recently awarded a $35-million research and development contract with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center.

U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, applauded the announcement of the three-year contract saying, “It will ensure that Syn-Tech has the opportunity to expand their operations and create new quality jobs in Leon County and the surrounding areas.”

Health Care

A growing region has need of expanded health care options and the area’s hospitals, universities, colleges and the private sector have joined forces to ensure the best is available — from cancer and birthing centers to surgical and urgent care facilities — while at the same time creating a learning environ2012 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

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ment to educate the next generation of health care workers.

In Florida’s capital city region, worldclass health care is not just a saying but a reality. The area’s health care footprint is not limited by county or state lines, and the quality of care consistently wins national recognition.

Capital Health Plan is a local health maintenance organization with a network of 425 doctors serving more than 118,000 members in the Tallahassee area.

It’s rated as one of the top health care programs in the nation, especially when it comes to patient satisfaction. In 2011 CHP ranked third in a performance review released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and has a “5 Star” Medicare Advantage plan — one of only three in the country.

The best of both worlds is offered with the non-profit and private hospitals serving the region — Tallahassee

Memorial HealthCare and Capital Regional Medical Center.

With a staff of 500 physicians representing 50 specialties, the non-profit Tallahassee Memorial is the seventh largest hospital in Florida. The 770-bed acute care facility provides private patient rooms and has been designated by the

separate entrance for pediatric patients.

A new state-of-the-art daVinci HD surgical system, a cancer center, the only pediatric emergency room in the Big Bend region, the area’s only Tomotherapy treatment center and a separate health care center and 24-hour emergency room in neighboring Gadsden County, are just some of the benefits that Capital Regional Medical Center brings to the Tallahassee area.

The private hospital, which has only private rooms and provides a full range of services, is owned

by HCA and is planning to add an eighth floor. The hospital was recently named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.

A collaboration of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and 35 local physicians from several area practices, led to the Red

AREA MEDICAL INTERESTS HAVE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH THE LOCAL HOSPITALS AND UNIVERSITIES TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF MEDICAL WORKERS, FROM FRONTLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO DOCTORS.

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state as a Level II trauma center. A wide range of services includes a small psychiatric hospital, a cancer center (which is affiliated with the renowned Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa) and a heart and vascular center. Because of increasing demand, plans are underway to build a new free-standing ER near Interstate 10 and Thomasville Road which will include a

Hills Surgical Center, a 17,000-squarefoot multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center designed to answer the shortage of operating rooms. The recently opened facility features five operating rooms and several pre-op and recovery rooms and is being used by physicians representing four specialties including: Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat), Orthopedic Surgery, General Surgery and Obstetrics/Gynecology.

Area medical interests have also collaborated with the local hospitals and universities to train the next generation of medical workers, from nurses to doctors. The surgical center is a prime example as it provides an observation corridor where high school, nursing and medical students can observe multi-specialty surgical operations through a glass window, aided by video cameras showing the details.

FSU’s College of Medicine was formed with the goal of providing the state with more doctors specializing in family medicine. And, not surprisingly, it has consistently ranked among the top five schools in the nation for the percentage of graduates choosing to do that. More than 1,700 doctors around Florida have agreed to take on FSU’s medical students for one-on-one training. Out of the first 450 graduates, 67 percent have gone into primary care.

Florida A&M University has one of the largest colleges of pharmacy in the nation, expanding its operations from the main campus located in Tallahassee by opening extension campuses in Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa and Crestview.

These campuses, all affiliated with a major teaching medical center, create outstanding clinical training opportunities for students, provide unlimited opportunities for research and support the infrastructure for the college’s statewide commitment to pharmacy education and public service. The college has produced more than 2,500 graduates, representing 20 percent of the nation’s African-American pharmacists. Graduates average a 92 percent first-time passage rate on the National Board of Pharmacy Examination.

The 82,000-square-foot Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education houses nearly all of Tallahassee Community College’s health care programs and is located in the growing medical complex that includes the Red Hills Surgical Center and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Accompanied by cutting-edge technology, students’ training includes responding to

Danfoss Turbocor Compressors was among several businesses to receive the 2011 Governor’s Business Diversification Award.

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emergencies in simulated real-time settings. The Ghazvini Center also houses classrooms, conference rooms, a library, laboratory space and a simulation center.

The center is expected to allow TCC to increase enrollment in health care programs by 100 percent in five years.

At their Tallahassee campuses, Lively Technical Center and the privately-run ITT Technical Institute and Keiser University provide a wide variety of courses that

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enable students to earn degrees in a wide range of medical areas, including nursing, health science and health services administration.

Clean Technology

The new and emerging “green” industry sector is starting life with several great advantages here in the Tallahassee region. The Florida Green Building Coalition, Inc., has even designated the City

of Tallahassee as a Gold Certified Green City under the Local Government Standard, making it the first in Florida to win that designation after moving from silver to gold in only one year.

Perhaps the best advantage of all for green industries is the fact that this community is a hub of education, innovation and research. So it’s only natural that green technology should find a home here and link up with the area’s higher education institutions. In addition, new “clean” technologies and inventions created right here at local universities are heading down the path of commercialization.

One example of ongoing research is the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, known simply as the “Mag Lab.” The only facility of its kind in the United States, it is the largest and highestpowered magnet laboratory in the world.

Located in a sprawling 370,000-squarefoot complex near FSU, the Magnet Lab has employees from 50 countries.

Among them are physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists, electricians and machinists. A key program located at the Magnet Lab is the Future Fuels Institute, which was created to analyze bio-fuels and other fuels derived from fossil resources, and to serve as a global center for fuels research and development.

The materials being tested at the Mag Lab, and other think tanks, will pave the way for future technologies that local companies will be able to take advantage of.

Forward-thinking employers like Danfoss Turbocor Compressors have done well here. This company, which moved its headquarters and manufacturing plant from Montreal to Tallahassee, was among several businesses to receive the 2011 Governor’s Business Diversification Award. The plant makes high-performance, energy-efficient oilfree magnetic bearing compressors for large scale air-condition systems and won the award based on its leadership in green technologies.

A particularly daring high-tech company, Bing Energy, in partnership with researchers at FSU, is trying to develop a less expensive, more marketable hydrogen fuel cell. Such an achievement would be the Holy Grail of the “green” marketplace. Located at Innovation Park, Bing Energy has pioneered a fuel cell that incorporates a thin membrane composed of carbon nanotubes that reduces the

FOSTERING A COMPETITIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE The Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County (EDC) manages a suite of resources designed to foster the expansion of existing companies and attract new businesses that create high-wage jobs and invest in facilities and equipment.

Business dollars go a lot further here because there is no state personal income tax, no corporate income tax on limited partnerships and subchapter S-corporations, no state-level property tax, no property tax on business inventories and no sales and use tax on goods produced in Florida for export outside the state. To assist economic growth, the EDC maintains an inventory of the best local, state and federal programs that support new business development and provide one-on-one navigation through state and local regulatory, permitting and incentive application processes. By helping to keep projects on schedule, from start to finish, businesses are able to accomplish their goals within their required time frames. For further information, as well as a complete list of incentives, contact the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County at (850) 224-8116 or TalEDC.com LOCAL INCENTIVES City of Tallahassee/Leon County Targeted Business Program Offers incentives to new and existing businesses that create valueadded jobs within the city and county, rewarding businesses that will diversify the economy, are suited to the local business mix and will generate revenue growth from the sale of goods and services outside the local economy. The program also seeks to reward businesses that locate in designated target areas for economic growth and development; that build environmentally sensitive projects; and that do business with other local businesses. Funds awarded under this program are used to reimburse up to 100% of the cost of development fees and a portion of the capital investment of the business project, based on ad valorem taxes paid.

Community Redevelopment Agency The Tallahassee CRA, created in 1998, consists of more than 1,450 acres of residential, commercial/retail and industrial land uses, all conveniently located near the heart of downtown Tallahassee. Included within the boundaries of the redevelopment area are 13 neighborhood communities; seven major commercial/retail areas; and numerous mixed-use areas. The area borders parts of Florida A&M University and Florida State University. Extensive city infrastructure, including water, sewer, electricity and gas, are available throughout the redevelopment area.

STATE INCENTIVES Enterprise Zone The Tallahassee/Leon County Enterprise Zone is nearly 20 square miles in size. New businesses that want to locate there, or existing businesses that want to expand jobs, equipment or square feet, can earn a monthly credit against their state corporate or sales and use tax for wages paid to new employees. Also available: a sales tax refund on equipment, machinery and building materials used in the enterprise zone; a corporate tax credit for a company that establishes five or more new jobs; property tax exemption for child care facilities; tax credits for businesses that donate to approved community development projects.

Capital Investment Tax Credit Used to attract and grow capital-intensive industries in Florida, it is an annual credit against the corporate income tax for up to 20 years in an amount up to 5 percent of the eligible capital costs generated by a qualifying project.

Quick Response Training Program Designed as an inducement to secure new value-added businesses to Florida as well as provide existing businesses the necessary training for expansion. The program is flexible and structured to respond quickly to meet training objectives. Reimbursable expenses include curriculum development, trainers’ wages and textbooks/manuals. Workforce Florida, Inc., the state’s public-private partnership created to coordinate jobtraining efforts, administers the program.

Urban Job Tax Credit Program The program provides tax credits to eligible businesses that are located within the 13 Urban Areas designated by the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity and hire a specific number of employees. In the Tallahassee Urban Area, the credit is $1,000 per qualified job and can be taken against either the state’s corporate income tax or sales and use tax, but not both.

Rural Job Tax Credit — Gadsden, Jefferson, Wakulla An incentive for eligible businesses located within one of 36 designated Qualified Rural Areas to create new jobs, the tax credit ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 per qualified employee and can be taken against either the Florida corporate income tax or sales and use tax.

Economic Development Transportation Fund (Road Fund) Designed to alleviate transportation problems that hinder a specific company’s location or expansion decision. The award, up to $3 million, is made to the local government.

Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program Available for companies that create high wage jobs in targeted high value-added industries. Includes refunds on corporate income, sales, ad valorem, intangible personal property, insurance premium and certain other taxes. Pre-approved applicants who create jobs in Florida receive tax refunds of $3,000 per net new full-time equivalent job created ($6,000 in an Enterprise Zone or Rural County). For businesses paying 150 percent of the average annual wage, add $1,000 in tax refunds per job; for businesses paying 200 percent of the average annual salary, add $2,000 per job. New or expanding businesses in selected targeted industries and corporate headquarters are eligible. Cap of $5 million to single qualified applicant. No more than 25 percent can be taken in one year.

Incumbent Worker Training Program Provides training to currently employed workers to keep Florida’s workforce competitive in a global economy and to retain existing businesses.

Administered by Workforce Florida, the program is available to all Florida businesses that have been in operation for at least one year prior to application.

High Impact Performance Incentive Grant In order to participate in the program, the project must: operate within designated high-impact portions of the following sectors — clean energy, corporate headquarters, financial services, life sciences, semiconductors and transportation equipment manufacturing; create at least 50 new full-time equivalent jobs (if a R&D facility, create at least 25 new full-time equivalent jobs) in Florida in a three-year period; and make a cumulative investment in the state of at least $50 million (if a R&D facility, make a cumulative investment of at least $25 million) in a three-year period. Once recommended by Enterprise Florida and approved by the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, the high impact business is awarded 50 percent of its eligible grant when operations begin and the remainder when full employment and capital investment goals are met.

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need for expensive platinum. The innovation promises to produce a fuel cell that is more efficient, more durable and significantly less expensive — benefits that could transform the transportation and power generation sectors. Bing, which moved its world headquarters from California to Tallahassee in 2011, was also a winner of the 2011 Governor’s Business Diversification Award.

Meanwhile, other ventures are exploring a different type of fuel: Natural gas. Leon County Schools signed an agreement with Tallahassee-based nopetro to build a natural gas fueling station for the district and share back royalties from private sales. The station, set to be operational by August 2012, is the first of at least 11 stations the company plans to build around Florida. Along with reducing the district’s fuel costs, the switch to natural gas will reduce emissions by 89 percent.

The one inevitable cost of doing business in Florida is the tremendous cost of electricity. A new Tallahassee-based company, Verdicorp, is helping commercial buildings and industry reduce their consumption of expensive energy — especially at peak hours of the day — by turning waste heat into electricity.

“We turn waste heat into dollars,” says Gary Stallons, the company’s chief operating officer. As much as 65 percent of the energy consumed by large gas and diesel engines in commercial buildings and industry goes up the exhaust pipe as heat waste, which is wasted energy.

Verdicorp captures part of that waste heat and turns it into electricity, which can be used by the customer to reduce electric bills or be sold back to the utility.

The result is saved dollars. And Verdicorp’s state-of-the-art technology can be applied to just about any source of lowgrade waste heat.

But what about putting Florida’s abundant sunshine to work? That’s exactly what two new Tallahassee companies are doing. SunnyLand Solar, a recently formed manufacturing company, plans to make solar tubes, the technology of which was invented by physicists at FSU. The company says the technology will revolutionize the concentrated solar market by creating a high-efficient, low-cost solar power system. SolarSink, a kindred spirit, is working on creating a “heat sink system” that captures and recycles heat energy and will be developed as part of a solar power generation system. ★ 14

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GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION POSSIBILITIES

Centrally located between three mega regions, Tallahassee is serving as a transportation hub for worldwide commerce

W

hen Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, it was right in the middle of nowhere. Today, it’s at the center of a commercial world bustling with advances in transit, air travel, public utilities and high-tech business communications.

Land, Sea and Rail

The Tallahassee-Leon County region has approximately 271 miles of principal highways and 343 miles of other roads that serve as major transportation corridors within the central Panhandle region of Florida. Interstate 10 is a major highway that cuts across Tallahassee and provides approximately a 3-hour trip to both Jacksonville on the east and Pensacola on the west. (Its western terminus is Los Angeles.) Other principal highways important to commerce include U.S. Highway 90, U.S. Highway 27, State Road 267 and U.S. Highway 319.

Railroads, too, play a pivotal role here.

CSX Transportation has a main rail line that runs east and west through Gadsden, Jefferson and Leon counties and carries commodities such as non-metallic minerals, chemicals and coal. Several shortline carriers connect with CSX at strategic north-south points such as Panama City and Perry. Rail shipments serve various distribution nodes and warehouses throughout the region.

Ports are another important component of Tallahassee’s transportation network. Nearby Port Panama City is a major global hub for shipping, and it is deep enough to handle most ships in the world. It is one of the primary U.S. ports 16

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for copper imports and it is the port used to transport a half-million tons of energyproviding wood pellets to Europe each year. Just to the east, the Port Authority in Gulf County’s Port St. Joe has plans for a $67 million port expansion.

Come Fly With Us

On the west side of town, Tallahassee Regional Airport continues to make important improvements to attract customers and stay competitive.

“Tallahassee Regional Airport, first of all, is an extremely fiscally resilient airport,” said Sunil Harman, director of aviation. “It serves the capital and serves a loyal base of business travel customers.

That’s indicated by the fact that all major carriers operate from Tallahassee Airport (including) Delta, US Airways, American Airlines and Continental/United Airlines.

Furthermore, the airport is viewed as both a high-class structure and a high yield facility. Many similar-sized cities have lost a great deal of, if not all, of their scheduled air service as the airlines slash capacity in order to manage costs.”

To gain an edge over the competition — and lure more passengers — the airport took an extremely proactive approach in diversifying its aviation-related, as well as non aviation-related, streams of revenue, Harman said. In October a plan was completed to implement lowcost, high-impact customer service improvements in the terminal. These improvements include a 40-space cell phone lot, where people can wait for their party to call them without having to enter the airport’s revenue parking area. Harman

said this cuts down the hassles of having to be asked to “move along” according to TSA regulations. Another project in this plan created a new airport entrance marquee/ passenger information center. A third project involves updating the main terminal’s old floor, as well as building in a number of other customer service amenities to the concourse. The airport’s use of smart financing will allow it to be debtfree on the renovations by 2013.

Harman envisions transforming the Tallahassee Regional Airport into an international port of entry and airport officials plan to submit an application seeking the designation to the Department of Homeland Security.

“That will enable us to begin

Flightline Group began work on the first phase of a new HondaJet dealership in August 2011.

construction of a federal inspection facility to serve international arrivals, initially from the business and charter markets, and ultimately with some scheduled passenger service as well as air cargo service,” Harman said.

The airport is pursuing a commercial economic development master plan to evaluate five parcels of land roughly 500 acres in size for non-aviation development. This will include a number of highrevenue activities, such as a technology and business park, university extension center, shopping/retail, logistics, bonded warehouses, light manufacturing, vehicle service plaza, amusement areas and international air cargo.

“Those are the uses we put in the

master plan. The airport has 1,200 acres available for commercial economic development,” Harman said, noting the airport’s strong footprint and the clear land that surrounds it. “It’s the Department of Aviation’s plan to have at least 500 acres under lease within five years for third party development. This would result in roughly 60 percent of the airport’s operating cost being offset through land rent.

It’s anticipated that the savings will be passed on to the airlines in significantly reduced costs for operating at the future Tallahassee International Airport. So, that is the roadmap of where we’re going, to enhance and draw both air service and employment-generating activities.”

Next door at Flightline Group, CEO

Danny Langston said the company’s commerce park, Compass Pointe, is ready to accommodate such an international port of entry. Compass Pointe is located in the “old airport” section, and with a few modifications could fill the bill for that need.

“The old terminal for some time was earmarked as a location for customs for the airfield and a port of entry facility,” Langston said. “It makes sense, because the airport already has components in place to make the international airport happen with minimal build-out.”

Meanwhile, Compass Pointe is working toward becoming a showcase of technology and innovation. High Performance Magnetics (HPM) broke ground last year on a production facility located just north of 2012 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

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Compass Pointe, and Flightline Group began work on the first phase of a new HondaJet dealership in August 2011.

HPM produces high-tech cable, which will be used in groundbreaking nuclear research in France. It’s just one small step, but could become a springboard for more high-tech tenants that aren’t necessarily related to aviation. The trickle-down effects could be positive for all involved.

Streamlining Public Transit

StarMetro Executive Director Ron Garrison has a vision. He wants more people taking the bus, and he wants to get them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. His team of efficiency experts recently decentralized busing routes to make better use of time.

“The models have shown ridership over the next three years will grow between 25 and 35 percent,” Garrison said.

Garrison said the city’s awardwinning transit authority is going to put four zero-emission electric buses in service in January 2012.

He also predicts that, in time, some old-fashioned streetcars can help the local economy by taking customers and employees directly to downtown destinations.

“People love (streetcars), they cost half as much as light rail, they cost less to operate, they revitalize downtown areas and provide for better downtown connectivity,” Garrison said. “We have a whole host of new technologies, like the electric buses. We are only the second city in the nation to get them.”

Cutting Edge Technology

Community and business development can’t happen without the telecommunication infrastructure to support it, and Tallahassee has diverse utility options offering the best of all worlds, including municipally owned, cooperative-owned and investor-owned.

Paul Watts, president of Electronet Broadband Communications, said his company has a long tradition of providing innovation in the field of business communication. A local company and economic driver, Electronet began providing DSL service in the late 1990s. From that they built a fiber optic network for the private exchange of medical information, 18

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then in recent years have offered business bundles featuring business telephone service, long distance, Internet access, server co-location, and email, spam and virus protection.

Another leading broadband provider is FPL FiberNet, which is committed to growing its network and better serving its customers, said spokesman Steve Stengel.

A subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc., FPL FiberNet serves telecom companies, wireless carriers, Internet service providers, enterprise and government customers in Florida and Texas through its carrier-grade, fiber-optic network.

CenturyLink, the nation’s third largest telecommunications company, features robust products and comprehensive local support, according to Carmen Butler,

The City of Tallahassee, which provides power and water service to thousands of customers, is on the cutting edge of energy management with its “smart meter” technology, the backbone for a “smart grid” system. In 2009, the city was one of 100 nationwide to receive federal grant money to help modernize the nation’s power grid.

In areas not covered by the city, Talquin Electric Cooperative stands ready to provide service, and has done so for many industrial and commercial accounts for more than 70 years. Talquin services a four-county area providing electric, water and wastewater services. The company’s engineering plan includes building lines for capacity and growth in 20-year projections to ensure adequate response to demand.

Meanwhile, it’s not uncommon for

CenturyLink’s manager-marketing development officer for the region. CenturyLink maintains a best-in-class, national 207,000 route-mile fiber network that spans the U.S. from coast to coast and includes more than 1,800 transport access points.

Comcast rounds out the list of hightech telecom/Internet companies that are ready to serve new customers as they arrive, providing high speed Internet, digital cable television, digital voice and wireless Internet.

“Economic development is critical to the success of our community,” said KC McWilliams, vice-president and general manager of Comcast Florida Panhandle.

The power and utility providers servicing Tallahassee don’t just keep the lights on these days. They are on the frontlines of providing not only sustainable energy production but sustainable business development as well.

service utilities to have their own economic development managers on staff. These certified experts help companies keep existing customers and attract new customers, according to Marc Hoenstine, the economic development manager for Progress Energy. Progress Energy is poised for growth, and serves more than 11,000 commercial, industrial and residential customers in the four-county area, including Opportunity Park and Century Park in Wakulla County and Jefferson County Industrial Park.

“What that means is new jobs, new capital investment, an increase in tax rolls and it’s going to lead to a diversification of the local economies so they’re not just depending on one industry, especially in times like this,” said Hoenstine. “We are community partners, and we look at ways to help (clients) be successful in economic development.” ★

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SITE SE L EC TION

THIS SPACE FOR RENT (OR PURCHASE)

New businesses find several commercial real estate options available

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aniel Wagnon looks lot of empty space, these over the Tallahasvacancies are not a sign see commercial of a struggling local econlandscape and sees lots of omy. This is simply a state room for new businesses. issue and the moving of Many options are now open large state agencies. A sigto them, including leasing nificant upside is that the or buying buildings forlarge vacancies can create merly occupied by state a competitive environment offices, or privately held for companies looking to properties, or high-tech relocate to or within the broadband campuses with Tallahassee region.” “smart” amenities.

Historically, that hasn’t “The availability of sites always been the case for and buildings … many peoFlorida’s capital region. Talple don’t realize they play a lahassee is landlocked by major role in bringing jobs government and universiinto the area,” said Wagnon ties and that’s good, but it of Structure Commercial also means there haven’t Real Estate, a full-service been many empty buildfirm in Tallahassee. His ings to choose from. Now, company provides stratewith more buildings availgic, brokerage and propable, there are better deals erty management services that a business can get, in all areas of commercial because with more supply real estate. comes better prices.

According to the Eco“If I’m a company that nomic Development Council needs 50,000 square feet, of Tallahassee/Leon County Tallahassee has histori(EDC), there is more than cally never had that. Our 1.5 million square feet occupancy rates are very of office space available healthy, mainly because of throughout more than 250 the government,” Wagnon buildings available, ranging said. “By being healthy, from single-office suites to we haven’t had a lot of 265,000-square-foot spacsupply. But now we have Summit East is a technology-ready, es. Many state agencies supply and some opporhigh-amenity commercial campus. have recently left commertunities and I see that as cial space to occupy new a means to add jobs that state-owned buildings, givare private in nature and ing out-of-town businesses not necessarily in governlooking to locate here a wide variety of unused, privately owned ment, which is cutting back and trying to become more efficient. administrative office space to choose from. There is currently about (That’s) the silver lining.”

500,000 square feet of office space available, with several blocks One giant opportunity for business growth is at Innovation of at least 100,000 square feet under one roof, or in adjacent camPark, Tallahassee’s 208-acre research park and jewel in the crown pus-style buildings. of a high-tech research and development sector.

“It has been a long time since large corporations that need “We have about 70 acres of land that can be developed,” said 200,000 square feet in one building could take a serious look at Catherine Kunst, executive director of the Leon County Research Tallahassee. Now, they can,” Wagnon said. “While no one likes a and Development Authority, the agency that runs Innovation Park.

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SITE SE L EC TION

“In terms of pre-built structures, the (former building location of Elbit Systems of America) is currently up for lease. That’s a 78,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Otherwise, we probably have about 4,000 square feet of office space available for lease, ranging from 150 square feet to 500 square feet.”

Kunst said Innovation Park receives “three or four calls a month” from businesses making site selection inquiries.

Helping along the process is the EDC, which she said has done a wonderful job promoting the former Elbit facilities to potential users. Meanwhile, the park’s development authority makes it easy for newcomers to move in.

“If you want to develop here we can make it easy. You don’t have to go through the city or county development review committee,” she said. “You still need everything permitted, but in terms of having a site plan reviewed, that’s done internally through the development authority.”

Overall, Kunst said there are plenty of wonderful locations in Tallahassee, or the four-county metropolitan statistical area (Leon, Jefferson, Gadsden and Wakulla

counties), for new businesses to settle in.

“I think the (EDC) is terrific at showcasing those properties that are best suited for the needs of the companies looking to locate here,” she said. “I think there is enough diversity of sites to accommodate everybody.”

Innovation Park is just one of several Tallahassee success stories. Summit East, a 117-acre high-tech office campus is another.

Summit East General Manager George Banks said the commerce park near Interstate 10 is a technology-ready, high-amenity commercial campus supporting forwardthinking companies and their employees in the 21st century. Unlike most technology parks, he said, Summit East handles the leasing, the property management, site development, building design and features “green” LEED-certified construction.

“We have 14 new parcels in our Phase Two that we just opened that are ready for construction, fully permitted with entitlements; when you buy it, you can build your building, they are shovel-ready,” Banks said.

On site, 300,000 square feet of office

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space is already built, and 100 percent of it is under lease. “We’re one of the few that enjoy that,” he said.

In addition, there is 700,000 square feet of office space-ready land parcels that are permitted, with infrastructure in place and ready to go. Three of the parcels have been sold. At least one building is under construction now, while work on two others was slated to start in November and December 2011.

Canopy, Tallahassee’s newest traditional neighborhood community, promises to become another success story. It’s completely permitted and shovel-ready.

When Canopy (named for the characteristic canopy roads in the area) is complete, the 505-acre tract on the south side of Centerville Road will be home to as many as 1,500 single-family homes, townhouses and apartments, more than 160,000 square feet of commercial and office space and a planned 7-acre school site — all protected by green spaces that exceed local and state standards. According to Tim Edmond, president of CNL Real Estate & Development, which is developing the site, the community is based on a concept known as the “traditional neighborhood development,” which emphasizes homes, parks, sidewalks, roads and retail centers all joined together in a “walkable” environment.

The EDC has a team of recruitment and expansion professionals standing by to help out-of-town companies collect all the facts needed to thoroughly evaluate the region. It provides a full complement of services for free. The EDC staff can help with site selection, labor market analysis, local industry contacts, job training, customized research, coordination of state and local incentives and can provide information on the commercial buildings and sites that are currently available. The EDC’s web portal, www.taledc.com, features an interactive property search feature that gives prospective tenants a glimpse into the markets of the four counties included in the local metropolitan statistical area.

Tallahassee itself was named one of the 100 most desirable places to do business in the Spring 2011 issue of Area Development magazine. The list considers 14 highly regarded surveys ranking desirable locations for companies of all sizes. Each survey considers different values and statistics related to job growth and opportunity, which makes this list valuable as a big-picture view of the cities being considered. ★

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STARTUP CITY

Tallahassee’s research universities offer opportunities for new businesses

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wo of Tallahassee’s biggest business assets are its educational powerhouses that lie minutes from downtown: Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

These schools offer more than just entertaining football. Each is home to cuttingedge research that has spawned start-ups and jobs, and produces a talented, skilled workforce to satisfy the growing demands of a thriving community, meeting needs that range from business to the fine arts.

From FSU’s world-renowned National High Magnetic Field Laboratory that is the envy of magnet scientists everywhere, to the university’s Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, to the Florida A&M University School of Business and Industry, Tallahassee offers all the right ingredients to make the city a sought-after hotspot for technology startups.

It’s already happening, with companies like Bing Energy, PortStar, SolarSink and SunnyLand Solar, which chose to relocate or expand in Tallahassee because of the availability of its world-class research.

Start-Ups Flock to Tallahassee

When Bing Energy chose to relocate its headquarters from California to Florida in 2011, it could have chosen populous South Florida or bustling Tampa Bay. Instead, it picked Tallahassee.

That’s because Bing is working with researchers at Florida State University to turn revolutionary nanotechnology pioneered at FSU into a better, faster, more economical and commercially viable fuel cell that will reduce the need for expensive platinum components that have made fuel cells too expensive. This means fuel cells will be more durable and less expensive, which could revolutionize the transportation industry and transform how power is generated. The technology is based on the research and 24

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development of buckypaper at FSU’s HighPerformance Materials Institute.

Bing, which will bring 244 jobs to the region, isn’t alone. Companies are being spun off from FSU research every year, from companies that specialize in port security to solar energy. And it isn’t just the presence of FSU that is luring Bing and others to Tallahassee.

The capital region’s economic development arm has also made great strides in helping businesses blossom, using local, state and federal solutions to help guide high-tech companies and researchers beyond their early, vulnerable stages of development into the commercial marketplace.

“Our organization identified tax incentives and workforce training programs that gave Tallahassee the edge over other communities under consideration,” said Kim Williams, immediate past chairman of the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/ Leon County (EDC). “Bing Energy is a perfect example of why connecting industry, education and government is so important. In this case, these connections helped us to retain our talent, as well as our university technologies and commercialization, within our community.”

Tallahassee is also on the front lines of an effort to license solar tube technology. Two FSU inventors recently created the technology that uses parabolic mirrors to focus sunlight on vacuum-sealed tubes to generate heat. This sought-after invention will be used to generate energy to provide water heating, electric power and refrigeration.

A company called SunnyLand Solar is already building a test site in Tallahassee to commercialize this technology.

Another example of Tallahassee’s business appeal is Danfoss Turbocor Compressors. The company designs and manufactures the world’s first oil-free magnetic-based compressor for air conditioning systems. The company relocated

its corporate headquarters from Montreal to Tallahassee in 2006.

“In Tallahassee, we found a location that could support growth for a hightechnology product from both a workforce and a logistics perspective,” said President and CEO Ricardo Schneider.

“We’re very happy here.”

The inventor of the Turbocor technology, Ron Conry, has started a new company based on similar technology. Verdicorp is working on a way to develop power by converting waste heat into energy.

Just like Silicon Valley start-ups, Verdicorp has found financial support for its efforts from a local venture investment fund and a local investor who has found

Bing Energy is working with researchers at Florida State University’s High-Performance Materials Institute to turn revolutionary nanotechnology pioneered at FSU into a better, faster, more economical and commercially viable fuel cell.

success with his own company, Mainline Information Systems.

“We would love to see other Tallahassee business people and entrepreneurs be successful as well, so there is a certain amount of community spirit behind our motivation,” said Rick Kearney, the head of Mainline, an investor and a leader of Vision 2020, the county-seeded investment fund that provided financial support to Verdicorp.

The Right People and Places

Tallahassee doesn’t just offer a huge depth of world-class research. It also has strived to build the right manufacturing and incubation facilities and programs to nurture entrepreneurialism and start-ups.

There is Innovation Park, a research and development park on 208 acres in southwest Tallahassee that is nestled close to the renowned National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the largest and highestpowered magnet laboratory in the world.

FSU is now building the new Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy Building (AME), which will merge several different disciplines.

The idea is to work toward the development of new energy resources that are more efficient, cost-effective and mitigate environmental impacts. The researchers will collaborate on projects that deal with energy storage, thermal power and the development of a smart power grid.

Aero-propulsion deals with transportation systems and other objects that move through air, influencing the design and fabrication of aircraft, spacecraft, automotive transport and all manner of vehicles in motion. Mechatronics typically includes disciplines such as robotic systems and automated guided vehicles.

The magnetic laboratory and the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS), which focuses on electronic power systems modeling and simulations, and the High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI), which improves the performance of advanced composite materials and structures, “will be an anchor point for FSU to expand multidisciplinary research 2012 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

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A SAMPLING OF TALLAHASSEE START-UPS AND RESEARCH FACILITIES PORTSTAR: A company called Educational Development Group, a spin-off of a five-year FSU research effort, offers PortStar as a security training and an online reporting system to protect the safety of the nation’s commercial ports.

BING ENERGY: This fuel cell development company moved from California to Tallahassee in 2011 to work with FSU-based technology to create more durable and less expensive fuel cells. The company plans to generate 244 high-paid jobs.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TRAINING CENTER: Located at Tallahassee Community College, the center customizes the training of workers to meet local business needs, providing the technology and tools needed to compete in an efficient manufacturing world.

SUNNYLAND SOLAR AND SOLAR SINK: These locally owned companies have linked projects that involve the design and manufacturing of innovative solar technologies that will advance the effectiveness of solar power generation.

NATIONAL HIGH MAGNETIC FIELD LABORATORY: The nation’s biggest and highest-powered magnetic laboratory. Known as the “Mag Lab,” it is a huge economic driver for the region, generating jobs and spin-off businesses.

HIGH PERFORMANCE MAGNETICS: A manufacturing and management firm that specializes in providing high-quality superconducting magnet products. This business landed a federal contract to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power.

AERO-PROPULSION MECHATRONICS AND ENERGY BUILDING: This building marries three different disciplines to collaborate on projects that will help establish new energy resources that are cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

FAMU COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE: Providing the foundation for the university’s land grant status, the college prepares students to become world class leaders and problem solvers in the fields of food and agricultural sciences and engineering and technology.

programs by connecting many neighboring research centers,” said Chiang Shih, an FSU professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering department.

Together, these research and education facilities not only attract talent to the region, they are helping to train the next generation of experts in competitive fields such as aerospace, alternative energy and health sciences. And grants are helping to fund the research. In 2010, the National Science Foundation awarded the Florida Center for Advanced Aero Propulsion (FCAAP) $3.2 million for development of a next-generation Polysonic Wind Tunnel, which will help develop transformational flow control technologies.

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The National High Magnetic Field Labratory

FSU ENTREPRENEURIAL BUILDING: This helps faculty-generated research projects become independent companies by providing the incubation space for early development.

INNOVATION PARK: This manufacturing and technology office park, managed by Leon County Research & Development Authority, is located in southwest Tallahassee on more than 200 acres and is home to many of Tallahassee’s cuttingedge technology businesses, such as SunnyLand Solar and Bing Energy.

VERDICORP: A new company that captures waste heat and turns it into electricity using state-of-the-art technology that can be applied to a variety of sources.

APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY CENTER: Housed at the Mag Lab and FSU, researchers at the center advance the science and technology of superconductivity and, in particular, superconductivity applications. This is done by investigating low temperature and high temperature materials through research grants and collaborations with other universities, national laboratories and industry.

distinctive yet interconnected disciplines of aero-propulsion, mechatronics and energy is crucial for creating the context for the development of transformational innovations,” Shih said.

This building will also help ensure Florida retains its reputation as one of the top states for aerospace and aviationrelated research.

To cope with the coming quantum leap in private sector jobs that Tallahassee is expecting from this recent boom in startups and commercialization activity, economic development officials have launched several new programs for start-ups.

The EDC maintains an inventory of the best local, state and federal solutions to support new business development. A

recent addition to the local economic development offerings is the EDC’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Program, a course providing resources for small, high-tech companies looking to increase their chance of success in the marketplace through advice on effective business models, team development, legal foundations, marketing strategies, funding opportunities and the sharing of entrepreneurial experiences.

The organization also supports technology transfer, licensing and commercialization; research and development; capital raising/ venture capital connections and incubator support. The EDC can also help with site selection, regulatory maneuvering and tax incentives to cultivate a technology cluster unrivaled in Florida. ★

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E DUCATE D WORK FORC E

TRAINING WORKERS FOR TOMORROW

Region offers an educated workforce trained and ready for in-demand jobs

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skilled workforce and economic development go hand-in-hand — and Tallahassee has one of the best-educated talent bases in the world.

More than two-thirds of Leon County’s residents have some college education, the public school district consistently earns an “A” from the state for school and student performance, and the region is home to two major state universities plus one of the largest community colleges. It’s a compelling package of reasons why businesses should consider moving to the region.

“Every CEO who gets surveyed on why a company is moving from one place to another, at the top of their list they will put access to universities and the quality of the educational environment,” said Eric Barron, president of Florida State University. “It makes an enormous difference to have a good public school district and universities to partner with.”

FSU is a top tier research university that has prompted several researchto-industry spinoffs and Florida A&M University (FAMU) is a premier school among historically black colleges and universities. Both have nationally recognized business schools that graduate savvy entrepreneurs while also providing a wide range of resources to help the local business community, especially emerging companies.

Barron said he views FSU as a “big partner” to business, especially as it helps ideas and innovations move from the university’s classrooms and labs into the marketplace. His goal is to make FSU a comprehensive entrepreneurial university.

Businesses that locate in Tallahassee get access to some of the brightest and most talented students available, said FAMU President James Ammons.

“FAMU contributes immensely to the potential of the Tallahassee region,” he explained. “I say potential because we are in the business of talent acquisition.

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As we talk with prospective students, we tell them, ‘Any place you want to be in life, you can get there from our academic programs.’”

Tallahassee Community College’s Center for Workforce Development adds to the talent equation by offering training in fields where workers are most in demand, including information technology, allied health, manufacturing and business, as well as construction and trades.

“When new companies are brought in to town, we are usually brought into the conversation to let them know about the programs that we offer,” said TCC President Jim Murdaugh. “If there are certain skills that those companies need, we can modify our programs.”

The recently opened Advanced Manufacturing Training Center — a joint effort of TCC and the Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County (EDC) — provides customized and technologically advanced training for workers in businesses that are already here and is considered a significant resource for attracting new manufacturing businesses to the region with its ability to provide quick response training.

Construction of the 24,000-squarefoot training center was funded in part by a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Defense and U.S. Army Research Office that was facilitated through the EDC.

Target Industries

The EDC supports targeted industry

Tallahassee Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center

sectors that match the region’s strengths, goals and assets and help ensure the local economy is diversified and sustainable while providing quality, high wage jobs. Those sectors include: aviation, aerospace, defense and national security; engineering and research; health sciences and human performance enhancement; information technology; renewable energy and the environment; and transportation and logistics.

Many educational offerings and programs in the region have been designed

to complement those targeted sectors.

“When you look at the program mix we have at FAMU, many of the academic programs are drivers in this new economy,” explained Ammons. “As we look at the new jobs in the 21st century, they are high tech, they are in the health care sector … and about one-third of our students are majoring in disciplines such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the health sciences.”

TCC has opened the Ghazvini Center for Health Care Education in the heart of the city’s burgeoning health care corridor, close to both major hospitals and the Red Hills Surgical Center. All of the school’s health care programs (except for the dental program) are now located at the 85,000-square-foot Ghazvini Center, where students train on cutting-edge technology that allows them to respond to emergencies in simulated real-life settings. Within five years, TCC is expected to double its enrollment capacity in health care training programs.

Just down the road is the Red Hills Surgical Center, where nursing students from TCC, medical students from FSU and students from local high school career academies are able to watch surgical procedures from a separate observation room. The surgical center is a joint venture between Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and 35 local physicians from several area practices. The EDC worked with the city and county to provide the center with innovative permitting and tax incentives and also ensured that the observatory would be included to help train the future health care workforce.

“We work hard to create a competitive business climate where our economic engines, like health care, can thrive,” said EDC Chairman Karen Moore.

Public Schools

The Leon County School District has consistently earned top grades from the state on the performance of its public schools and the area’s individual public high schools earn mostly A and B grades each year. Operating in support of the schools is the Lively Technical Center, which operates a wide variety of programs designed to prepare workers for several of the key target industry sectors, including renewable energy, health care and IT. The school districts in the four counties covered by the EDC also offer career academies that give students multiple

educational choices, ranging from culinary arts to health sciences to finance and engineering. In Leon County, career academies offered at the five high schools include: criminal justice, engineering, finance, construction, information technology, early childhood and health sciences.

A technical training center for high school age through adult, Lively provides a varied curriculum that prepares students for the work place and includes courses in

careers as varied as cosmetology, graphic design and practical nursing.

Lively’s aviation program at the Tallahassee Regional Airport is designed to train students in the skills, knowledge and related abilities necessary for entry into the aviation maintenance profession.

When finishing the program, students are prepared to take the Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certification exam. ★

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FAC TS + F IGURE S

Population, 2010

Labor Force, 2010

Tallahassee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275,487 MSA (Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson and Wakulla counties). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367,315

Leon County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148,389

Age Distribution of People (Leon County): Under 15. . . . . . . . 16.3% 55 to 59. . . . . . . . . . 5.8% 15 to 19. . . . . . . . . . . 9.9% 60 to 64. . . . . . . . . . . 5% 20 to 24. . . . . . . . .15.9% 65 to 74. . . . . . . . . . 5.3% 25 to 34. . . . . . . . . 14.6% 35 to 44. . . . . . . . . . . . 11% 75 to 84. . . . . . . . . . 2.9% 45 to 54. . . . . . . . . 12.2% 85+. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2% Income (Leon County) Median Household Income, 2009 . . $40,725 Average Annual Wage, 2010. . . . . . . . $39,556 Education Level, Leon County, 2010 Graduate or Professional Degree. . . . . . 18.76% Bachelor’s Degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26% Associate’s Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.14% Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.9% High school diploma or equivalent. . 18.86% Less than high school diploma. . . . . . . . 8.32% High School Graduation Rate, 2010. . . 80.2%

Unemployment Rate (October 2011)

Educational Institutions Barry University — Bachelors, Masters Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — Associates, Bachelors, Masters Flagler College — Bachelors Florida A & M University — Bachelors (11,289 Undergraduate Enrollment), Masters, Professional, Doctorate Florida State University — Bachelors (31,418, Undergraduate enrollment), Masters, Professional, Doctorate ITT Technical Institute — Associates, Bachelors Keiser University — Associates, Bachelors, Masters Lively Technical College — Associates Tallahassee Community College (Enrollment, Approximately 14,000) — Associates, Certificate Programs

Tallahassee MSA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.9% Leon County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.7% Gadsden County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.9% Jefferson County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4% Wakulla County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6% Housing Tallahassee Median Residential Sale Prices (Januray-September 2011): Detached Single Family Home. . . . . $164,675 Condo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $74,900 Townhouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $80,500 Manufactured/Mobile Home. . . . . . . . $38,500 Taxes Corporate Tax — 5.5 percent of Florida net income (less $5,000 of net income exempted, $25,000 starting Jan. 1, 2012) Personal Income Tax — None Sales and Use Tax — 7.5 percent total rate in Leon County

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of the Census, Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County, TallahasseeLeon County Planning Department, Department of Economic Opportunity

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