2013 Jackson County Business Outlook by Rowland Publishing, Inc.

2013 Jackson County Business outlook

Success with Southern charm

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TAB L E OF CONTE NTS

4 Quality of Life John Alter

9 Demographics

Welcome! A Chamber’s job is to navigate the future. What could be more exciting than that? Successful futures happen when governments, education, large corporations and small businesses all plan together and set a common course toward a shared destiny guided by a mutual vision. Get the right people together, set up a structure that will harness their talents and enthusiasm, and watch things happen. The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce welcomes this style of teamwork to its future. We’re interested in the visitor, the investor and the resident-to-be. We welcome folks who want to join us on our journey — especially as a member of our Chamber. In our world we know what we must do to secure the future. We want to do everything we can to maximize the investment our members and business partners have made. We want to return their investment in the form of services, managed growth and success. We work to make folks eager to testify that, “I’m glad we’re a Chamber member!” We often speak about the importance of successful businesses in our communities. Growing markets lead to satisfied customers, and that produces profitable communities. As you read our stories on Jackson County we believe you will want to get to know us better. If you want to hear more about our efforts to navigate our future, we are ready to share it. We would like you to be a part of our adventure.

10 Economic Development

12 Educated Workforce

17 Health Care

20 Transportation

22 Ecotourism

26 Agriculture

36 Real Estate

38 Chamber Benefits

Produced in partnership with:

John Alter Chairman, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Creative. Print. Solutions.™

Cover photos by Scott Holstein 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

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Herman Laramore of Bar L Ranch and his Australian Kelpie cow dog check daily on a thousand head of cattle.

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Quality Lifestyle

Jackson County mixes Southern charm with high quality jobs and amenities

photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

ntebellum homes line quaint streets. The atmosphere of small towns harkens back to the days of yesteryear. Bucolic scenes abound cattle and horses grazing in lush pastures, fields of cotton and peanuts stretching toward the horizon. Famous underground caves lure divers from around the world while area rivers offer plenty of recreation for locals and visitors alike. Jackson County, only 65 miles west of Florida’s state capital, Tallahassee, is located in the heart of Northwest Florida. It is close to the beach, close to major commercial airports and close to larger metropolitan markets and their varied offerings. While a mostly rural location, however, it offers a diverse and vibrant lifestyle that is comfortable and casual yet has robust cultural, educational and religious offerings. “We’ll never be Orlando, and we don’t want to be,” explained John Alter, the 2013 chairman of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve got natural Florida. I think there is a long range opportunity to take advantage of our geography, which isn’t going to change.” Jackson County’s mix of quality small town environment with wide-open spaces, colleges, cultural offerings and medical care are important selling points when the county is working to lure new businesses to town. A concerted, coordinated effort by local business, elected and community leaders is aimed at improving economic development in the county. And the lifestyle the region offers is not lost on corporate executives looking to expand or relocate. 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

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From Alford to Marianna Jackson County has 11 incorporated cities of varying size and some unincorporated areas of note. One of the latter is Two Egg, the home of Academy Awardwinning actress Faye Dunaway and the

Chipola Center for the Arts at Chipola College has a new, state-of-the-art main theater for performing arts.

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Two Egg stump-jumper, reportedly a mini-Bigfoot. The muncipalities are: Alford, Bascom, Campbellton, Cottondale, Graceville, Grand Ridge, Greenwood, Jacob, Sneads, Malone and Marianna. Their populations range from about 100 into the thousands, but 66 percent of the population lives in the county’s unincorporated area. Marianna, with a population of about 7,000, is the county seat and the largest city in the county. Called by some the “Belle of the Panhandle,” in 2010 it was named the Florida Rural Community of the Year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Particularly in the past decade, the city has made use of state and federal grants

to improve its appearance, putting a fresh touch on a downtown that 20 years ago had the downtrodden look taken on by so many small towns across the country. But investments in the renovation of old buildings, much done by local businesses, decorative street lighting, parks and a new farmer’s market, among other things, have revitalized the area into a picturesque main street community.

Culture Abounds In 2012, the Chipola Center for the Arts, located on the Marianna campus of Chipola College, opened. It provides the community with a 655-seat state-ofthe-art main theater for performing arts; a 150-seat flexible experimental theater

photo by Lee O’Kelley Photography

“I go back seven generations,” said David Melvin, who moved back to Marianna, the county seat, in 1992 to open his own engineering firm. “We have a small town atmosphere where everyone knows everyone and works together. But it’s large enough that you have a lot of the essential things you like to have in a community — a college, a theater, a Walmart, a Lowes. To me, it’s just the right size.”

for intimate works, cutting-edge programs and recitals; an art gallery in which to show works by Chipola students and faculty, as well as local, national and internationally-recognized artists; plus a dance studio, teaching areas, costume and scenery shops and offices. The Center is designed to serve the Chipola College community and local cultural organizations and is a welcome addition to a growing community looking for more cultural offerings. Those offerings already include work by the Artists Guild of Northwest Florida, which promotes local artists, and Keith Martin Johns, a renowned professional artist who moved from South Florida to Graceville in 2011 to continue painting images of Florida both the guild and Johns work with students and help the Baptist College of Florida develop the school’s new Fine Art Department. “This vision was birthed during my tenure in the Tampa Bay area and is now manifesting itself in this small, peaceful town of Graceville,” Johns has said of the move.

Natural Offerings

photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

An outdoor person’s paradise is an apt description for Jackson County. Hunting and fishing opportunities abound. Pristine lakes like Lake Seminole, crystal clear springs like Blue Spring and meandering rivers like the Chipola also provide for recreational boating, swimming and tubing. State parks provide visitors with natural wonders, including the state’s only public caverns, and camping that brings you face-to-face with the natural wonders of Florida. The Chamber’s Alter said he’s amazed at the number of people he meets who are surprised to learn about Jackson County. “Recently, a busload of folks coming back from Biloxi stopped in Jackson and got a tour of historic homes and a nice, catered dinner at the Russ House. They promised to come back,” Alter added. “We think if people get a little taste of what’s here, they’ll come back.” The owner of a pine tree farm, he’s particularly interested in developing more eco- and agri-tourism opportunities within

Sneads Park on Lake Seminole, which offers water sports and fishing.

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Don Mueller collects olives from the trees at his farm near Marianna.

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the county. “I think people will get a real bang out of a peanut or a cotton harvest.”

Plenty of Diversity Jackson offers a mix of longtime residents, new residents looking for the serenity of a bucolic community with a strong sense of place, young and old, including retirees from Northwest Florida’s military bases.

And when it comes to churches, there’s close to at least one of every kind — traditional and non-traditional. One list of churches shows 141 associated with a traditional Christian denomination, and 53 listed as “other.” “It’s a Southern Bible Belt town with a wide diversity of religious expression,” explained Art Kimbrough, who came home 10 years ago to head the Chamber

of Commerce and only recently retired from that job. Rivertown Community Church, which started in nearby Blountstown, is one of the newer offerings with its expansion into Marianna. A focus of the church is to create a more liveable community and, as such, has helped intersect faith with community and economic development in the region. Civic organizations range from the NAACP to Children of the American Revolution to Partners for Pets and include service organizations like Rotary, Optimist, Pilot, Altrusa, Kiwanis and others.

Imagine Jackson In 2001, community leaders decided it was time to establish a vision for Jackson 20 years out. Their top priorities were: liveable communities, a health economy and a high quality environment. Some of their objectives have been accomplished in the first decade, including: Better educational opportunities — All public schools in the county rate an A or B from the state, and Chipola College now offers four-year degrees.

Jim Dean, Marianna city manager, shows off the new downtown farmers’ market.

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Identify and evaluate natural assets — The new push from county tourism officials specifically targets the expansion of ecotourism. In short, while keeping one eye on the past and protecting what makes Jackson special, the county is looking to a future that will continue to bring new business and new residents to its borders. Jackson’s leaders think it has something special to offer that others will want to share. “This is God’s country,” said Bill Stanton, director of the Jackson County Development Council, who has been working at building the county’s business base for 42 years. “And I think it is the best place in the world to live and raise a family.”

photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Attract new jobs/Avoid intra-county competition — The collaboration between the cities, county and local elected, business and community officials has helped bring new business and jobs to Jackson, compensating for jobs lost during the recession.

Jackson County Demographics Population 2012 (estimated) Under 18 years of age 18 to 65 years 65 years and older Female Male Land Area Water Area Persons Per Square Mile Acres in Farmland

48,968 19.6% 64.3% 16.1% 45.2% 54.8% 916 square miles 38.9 square miles 51.1 211,916

Education (2011) (Persons aged 25 years or older) High School graduate or higher Bachelor’s degree or higher

79.1% 13.6%

Altitude above mean sea level Length of growing season

120 feet 238 days

Medical Hospitals Nursing Homes Doctors Dentists

2 4 160 18

Transportation Railroads CSX, east-west; Bay Line, north-south Major Commercial Airports/Distance from Marianna Dothan, Ala. Panama City Tallahassee

45 miles 54 miles 65 miles

Colleges or Universities (within 65 mile radius) Chipola College, Florida State University, Gulf Coast State College, Baptist College of Florida, Tallahassee Community College, Florida A&M University, Troy University (Chipola campus and Dothan, Ala.)

Deep Water Port Port Panama City Motor Freight

Applied Technology Schools (within 65 mile radius) Chipola Vo-Tech, Washington Holmes Vo-Tech, George Wallace Vo-Tech, Gulf Coast Vo-Tech

Family Dollar, Walmart, Rex Lumber, Anderson Columbia, Mowery Elevator, Spanish Trail Lumber

(Curriculum includes: data process; welding and cutting; sheet metal; electronic tech; machine shop; electrical wiring; and biomedical tech.)

Climate Temperature (annual average) January July Rainfall (annual average)

70.26 F 44.17 F 81.5F 54.69 inches

32 feet, 54 miles from Marianna Daily service from 20 carriers (12 Interstate)

Largest Private Employers

Average Annual Wage All industries

$31,064

Industrial Support Services Available Computer Services, Engineering, Plating (Pensacola), Machine Job Shop, Car/Truck Rental, Security Services, Job Printing, Bonded Warehousing (Panama City), Freight Forwarder (Panama City)

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econom ic developem ent

Making It Happen

Local officials and community leaders pull together to bring new businesses to Jackson County

hen Home Source International began looking for an American home for its “Made in the USA” products, it began the search in six Southeastern states. In the end, Florida was the winner when company leaders honed in on Marianna in Jackson County.

Nearly every piece of equipment that goes into a Mowrey elevator is fabricated at the company’s 380,000 square-foot Marianna facility.

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The deciding factors were the incentives provided by local and state officials and the skills of the local workforce. “It boiled down to we needed a place, and what the city, county and state put together was a deal that no one wanted to walk away from,” said Dennis Rudd,

House Source vice president of manufacturing. “It just got to the point where you couldn’t say no.” Important benefits included a location next to the Marianna Airport, close proximity to Interstate 10, plus the availability of rail lines and a nearby deepwater port, Port Panama City. By the end of 2015, it is expected the local Home Source plant will employ 303 workers at an average wage of $14 an hour (figuring in executive and blue collar wages). The plant’s furniture division is already working, and Rudd said the machines will soon be in place for the linen division to start churning out products for sale to retail outlets and the hospitality industry. The economic development victory of bringing Home Source to town, announced in June 2012, is yet another feather in the cap of a community that has successfully pulled together over the past decade to lure new business to this mostly rural area of Northwest Florida. The boost was desperately needed after the devastating loss of businesses, including the Russell Corp. fabric manufacturer, in the late 1990s. While agriculture remains the mainstay of the local economy, more clean industries are moving in. The county has scored enough successes in the past several years that it has managed to cancel out job losses from companies that were forced to close during the Great Recession — a claim that few communities are lucky enough to make. “Bringing in these businesses has been crucial,” said David Melvin, a civil engineer and owner of a consulting engineer firm who has been an essential partner with the county and city in analyzing infrastructure needs for companies looking at specific sites in Jackson County. “We made up for losses in employment. We’ve been fortunate to replace lost jobs.”

photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Seeking new business has been a coordinated community affair for about a decade. The mold was set when local, state and community leaders pulled together to net a Family Dollar distribution center that is now a familiar site to travelers passing by Marianna on Interstate 10. Their efforts to persuade a Fortune 500 company in 2003 to build a $50 million distribution center amidst miles of cotton fields gave this small town an economic boost and provided hundreds of new jobs. Today, 300 to 400 trucks are loaded or unloaded each day at the site. It was the Family Dollar success — which included the community delivering on its promise to make needed improvements, including providing water and sewer, to the industrial park within a year — that helped pave the way for subsequent economic victories. “We convinced the company we could do it in one year, and we did do it,” said Bill Stanton, executive director of the Jackson County Development Council. “Then we were able to use that example (when bidding for other projects).” Melvin gives much of the credit to Stanton, a “master of economic development” who assembled the team necessary to work on the project and then was able to win the support of both the city of Marianna and the county governments.

“We have a can-do attitude here,” Melvin said. “We can make it happen. We can find you a location, and we can put together the necessary incentives and infrastructure to make it work here.” Art Kimbrough, who until recently served as president and CEO of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, called Family Dollar the “game-changing” project for the community. “It started the wheels turning on other projects,” he said. “The economy was booming, and we were in the five-year build up to the crash. Dynamics were shifting from stagnant to growth. And with that one success, they had a model they could replicate.” In 2006, Arizona Chemical committed to a $10 million distribution center project on an 11-acre site at the same industrial park on I-10, partly because the Family Dollar project had prompted some of the infrastructure improvements that would meet the needs of both. Again, state grants and local cooperation were essential in sealing the deal. Only a few years later, Jackson County found itself in competition with states from Texas up to Virginia for Green Circle Bio Energy, a Swedish-owned company willing to make a more than $100 million capital investment wherever it settled. Stanton led the drive to put together a site

for the company that included easy access to the Bay Line Railroad and the deepwater Port Panama City, along with a fourlane access road, turn lanes off Highway 321 and a traffic light. The result? In 2008, the world’s largest wood pellet plant began production at a 225-acre site in Cottondale. The plant has a 560,000-ton annual capacity for producing the renewable energy product from Southern Yellow Pine. Then, in 2009, Ice River Springs opened its Marianna facility, bringing much-needed jobs during the depths of the economic recession. It was part of an ambitious expansion plan by the Canadian company to enter the fast-growing U.S. bottledwater industry. In a 330,000-square-foot building — big enough to fit five football fields — the company works to produce 43,200 bottles of water per hour. Why did it choose Marianna? Logistics were a major selling point, the close proximity of I-10, which sits only seven miles away from the plant at the Marianna Airport Industrial Park. “What I found fascinating is how the community came together, going back to the Family Dollar experience,” Kimbrough said. “The penalty of failure was a lot bigger than the petty personal politics of the city and county. And that launched a decade of success for Jackson County.”

The Family Dollar distribution center off Interstate 10 was the first in many recent economic development successes.

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e ducate d work force

Educating the Workers of Tomorrow J

ackson County’s students — secondary and post-secondary — enjoy tremendous opportunities, some of which are rare for rural communities. High school students have a public school system with a high B average from the state (all area schools received either an A or a B in 2012). Those who aspire to seek higher education can choose between two institutions of higher learning that differ in focus, but have the common denominator of success: Chipola College and Baptist College of Florida.

Jackson County Public Schools Education in the state of Florida has recently faced much scrutiny, spurring statewide efforts for standardization and improved performance. Jackson County’s public schools already have a head start in performance; most area schools earned an A grade in 2012, and the average is a high B. No school in the district received below a B. “The biggest push in Jackson County is just to provide the highest quality education we can within the guidelines given,” said Larry Moore, deputy superintendent and director of human resources for the Jackson County School Board. There are changes being made statewide as to how information is delivered to students and how those students’ knowledge is ultimately tested. Like in every district, Jackson County schools are beginning to implement these changes. Common core standards, for instance, comprise a different method of instruction developed by governors 12

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and commissioners of education from 40 different states. “It’s basically a different method of delivery for instruction,” explained Moore. “It really doesn’t change the content … It really just changes the method of delivery.” There is also a new teacher evaluation instrument, which (among other things) instructs that teachers’ annual evaluations are to be based at least 50 percent on student performance throughout the school year and on standardized tests. Next year, that instrument will apply to administrators, too. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is also slowly on its way out, says Moore, as end-of-course exams replace the standardized test. These comprehensive exams will enforce an educational standard statewide, with tests in various subject areas. Moore cites a close relationship between the school board and the teachers’ union as one important factor to the county schools’ success. “We have a really good working relationship with our teachers’ union, the Jackson County Educators Association. And there’s a cooperative effort on the part of the JCEA leadership and our administration to keep teachers informed of current issues and requirements. We’ve been fortunate in that regard.” Graduating seniors in Jackson County have a choice of two colleges without leaving home — a rare opportunity for small, rural communities. Chipola College and Florida Baptist College each have their own specific niche but also seek to be as inclusive as possible

while providing a supportive environment for students’ success.

Chipola College “Chipola’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable, quality educational opportunities to all who choose to attend,” said Gene Prough, president of the state college. Chipola is the third smallest and third oldest school in the Florida college system and was also one of the first three community colleges in Florida to begin offering bachelor’s degrees in 2003. The college now offers Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees (with 40 programs total), as well as workforce development programs. The majority of Chipola students pursue Associate in Arts degrees, transferring to universities like Florida State University and the University of Florida as juniors after two years. Chipola proudly prepares these students for university education, and that preparation pays off. “On average, students who start at Chipola do better at the university than students who start at the university,” noted Prough, who largely attributes this success to the high percentage of fulltime faculty compared to adjuncts, in combination with an inclusive philosophy that works with students as individuals to help them achieve their academic goals. “We don’t ask students to fit our mold; instead, we stretch and change to accommodate them without compromising academic standards,” he explained. Such support systems as the ACE lab (which, Prough said, significantly improved Chipola graduation rates), offer students

photo courtesy chipola college

free peer tutoring, test reviews and supplemental instruction for high-risk courses, further promoting student success. Students emerge from Chipola amply prepared for the workforce; the teacher education programs have nearly a 100 percent placement rate, and the others are not too far behind. Such success certainly comes from hard work but also from close collaboration with the area workforce board. Chipola participates in the annual regional career fair sponsored by the workforce board, and one of the school administrators serves as a member. Additionally, the school’s Career Resource Center was established this year as a partnership between Chipola and the board, with a success coach to assist students with job searches, resumes, interview preparation and interest surveys, and provide information about demand occupations, job openings and projected pay for various occupations. But these successes do not come without challenges. “Our greatest challenge is limited funding,” said Prough. “With greater resources, the college could offer additional programs to better respond to changes in the job

market and the emergence of new targeted occupations. The college also needs additional resources to maintain and improve the physical learning environment for our students.”

Baptist College of Florida When Tom Kinchen took over as president of the Baptist College of Florida, he was told, “You’ve got 18 months.” If the school did not turn around, it was going to close. Now, 23 years later, the school offers 20 undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees, and is still expanding. “You have to pay your dues, get out and get to work,” said Kinchen, who is a firm believer in community outreach — both for the college’s and the community’s benefit. Concerning students, Baptist College works to be inclusionary but focused. “We are very much a niche market — our trademark is changing the world through the unchanging Word,” said Kinchen, explaining that the majority of the student body is comprised of older students seeking out higher education (although the school has drawn

increasingly more young students). “We’re not here to weed anybody out; we’re here to strengthen them and build them up,” Kinchen stressed, adding that for students, the college is a supportive institution in an often-impersonal world — a “safe place to explore what God wants you to be.” To that end, the campus is very familyoriented: a small, intimate setting with the largest residence hall housing 40 students. Despite its small size, the campus is still brimming with activity; in addition to a new student union and center for technology and lab studies, the college also just opened a new first-class wellness center. In addition to construction, the school’s program selection is growing: All programs have now been approved for online distance education, and the school just began its graduate degree program with two Master of Arts degrees. “We’re drawing a much stronger student body than we’ve ever drawn,” noted Kinchen. Over the last two years, the college has seen 93 percent of its graduating student body move on to graduate school or find jobs in their respective fields. Of 51 Baptist colleges

Chipola College’s wide variety of offerings, including four-year bachelor’s degrees, provides quality options for area students.

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in the United States, Florida Baptist College ranks 47 in cost of attendance and second in the number of students graduating to vocations in Christian service. Kinchen pointed out that the college achieves all of this without debt. “We operate in the black,” he said, adding, “I’m not losing sleep over servicing debt.” But these successes do not come without occasional difficulty. Recently, Kinchen says that the greatest challenge has been the economy, with cuts of 10 percent of the overall operating budget in the last five years as contributions to the Florida Baptist Convention wane. However difficult times can be, Kinchen gratefully enjoys the support of the local community in Graceville. “We are delighted to be a part of this area,” he said. “We consider ourselves blessed to have our home offices here.”

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Educating the Workforce The central goal of the Chipola Regional Workforce Board is to help people seeking employment (or better employment), says Executive Director Richard Williams. But this effort can necessitate a variety of resources — and one of the most important is education. The Workforce Board often connects people who are not currently students with classes at the community college or vocational center to learn new skills. They reach out to students

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Serving Jackson and surrounding counties for 39 years

through such resources as their center at Chipola College. “We also work with both in-school and out-of-school youth … trying to prepare them to enter the job market,” Williams added, explaining that includes outreach efforts through career guidance to help high school students educate themselves about opportunities in the local workforce and guide them toward the skills needed to enter those jobs. “I remember years ago, we did a study — a survey of graduating high school seniors. We found that a high percentage of them told us that they wanted to stay in this area, but they didn’t think there were any opportunities for them.” To fix this, the Workforce Board started a program in which the student would receive a stipend to spend three days with local employers to learn what they do and what they need out of students. In the end, the focus of all of these efforts is simply to connect people with good employment opportunities and train them with the technical and soft skills necessary to take advantage of those opportunities. Williams stressed that each regional workforce board has its own efforts, and the educational and outreach efforts of the Chipola Regional Workforce Board are tailored specifically to local need, concluding, “I always tell people, ‘It doesn’t matter what I can do — it matters what you need me to do.’”

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

— Caring for our future

Programs that train workers for local jobs are valued by companies like Manown Engineering. Shown here are: (L-R) Jason Gilmore, COO of Manown Engineering, with Jason Hurst, VP of Baccalaureate & Occupational Education at Chipola College, with Cheri Gilmore, owner of Manown Engineering, and Darwin Gilmore, president of Manown Engineering, at the Manown Engineering facility in Bonifay, Florida.

One of the largest wood pellet facilities in the world Annual capacity of 660,000 tons Largest tax payer in Jackson County Infuses over $45 million into the local economy each year

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health care

Health care Comes Home

Renovation and expansion brings quality care to Jackson County

photo courtesy Jackson County Hospital

ackson County healthcare professionals have a favorite new buzzword: expansion. Between recruiting specialized physicians, purchasing the latest in innovative medical technology and completing multi-million dollar construction projects at local facilities, it’s easy to see why the term has gained so much relevance. At the frontlines of this expansive operation is Marianna’s Jackson Hospital, a recently renovated, 100-bed community-based healthcare system that fills a variety of medical needs (everything from family practice to cancer treatment) for Jackson County residents. But things at the county’s leading hospital haven’t always been so. A decade ago, plagued by inadequate facilities and limited resources, the hospital’s administrators and visionaries set out with a particular goal in mind, one that, they hoped, would improve the lives of their patients. The mission was simple: Achieve convenience without sacrificing quality by updating existing facilities and enticing new, talented doctors to join their ranks. Now, in 2013, according to the hospital’s CEO Larry Meese, that mission is complete. “We just completed an $8.5 million dollar renovation project in 2012 that included eight new emergency rooms housed in a 3,400 square-foot addition, which has enabled us to see more patients,” said Meese. “We’re seeing 14 percent more patients than last year in the same amount of time, and we’re doing it with a much better attitude.” For Robbin Catt, RN, chief nursing officer, Meese’s statistics are evidence enough of the hospital’s successful transformation into a major player for healthcare services.

Jackson Hospital has expanded its offerings — from cancer care to elective knee replacement.

Best of all, it’s good for the patients. “The patients are seen in the emergency room much quicker,” said Catts. “Our average length of stay in the emergency room is two hours from the time you walk in the door to the time that you’re discharged. You’re not spending time in the waiting room, you’re actually in the back, being treated and receiving the care that you need.” With the newer facility at full functioning capacity, employees and patients are happier. From an administrative standpoint, that sort of outright, public confidence in the hospital’s ability will ultimately translate into increased profitability. Profit, said CEO Meese, which will benefit the whole community. “By improving our service and quality more patients are choosing to stay in the county for their healthcare needs,”

said Meese. “Just like any other service industry, when people stay local then that’s where the dollars are being spent, and that’s better for the local economy.” While the potential for increased profit was a motivating factor in the hospital’s recent improvements, it wasn’t the only driving force behind the decision to renovate. “I think we’re motivated by our mission of providing exceptional health care to every patient, every day,” said Meese. “When you pay attention to that, you know you need to expand and make improvements so that you can meet that mission.” Jackson Hospital isn’t the only facility in town evolving to fit the growing needs of local residents. Jimmy Rigsby, the CEO of Campbellton-Graceville Hospital, has also seen expansion in recent years, 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

health care

namely in the realm of an up-and-coming healthcare phenomenon involving “swing beds.” Facilities that offer swing beds, or beds that can be used for acute impatient hospitalization or “swing” to skilled nursing facility beds, are classified as part of The Critical Access Hospital Program, an addendum created by the 1997 federal Balanced Budget Act as a safety net for Medicare. “Eighty-five percent of our business at this hospital is Medicare patients,” said Rigsby. “Medicare and the other insurance agencies say that a patient has three days in an acute setting of a hospital. If from there we realize that the patient needs some kind of therapy, Medicare will pay for the person to be in the hospital while they’re receiving treatment. For us, it’s helped build up the number of patients we’ve been able to receive.” Times are changing in the world of health care. For Jackson Hospital, recent

renovations brought more than high ceilings and fresh floral arrangements. A new MRI suite was constructed, giving locals with ailments ranging from knee injuries to brain tumors the chance to be diagnosed and treated close to home. A number of new services, such as cancer screenings, reverse shoulder surgery and drug and alcohol medical stabilization, were also added to the hospital’s repertoire. In recent years, the hospital has also grown its medical staff to include new physicians in Cardiology, Hematology and Medical Oncology, OB/GYN, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Primary Care, General Surgery, Urology and Pediatrics. What that means for the people of Jackson County is simple — finally, you can receive the quality of care you deserve without traveling outside of your comfort zone. While the effects of such a claim are substantial on paper, they’re making even more of an impact on the lives of patients countywide.

For example, those suffering from osteoarthritis can opt to have an elective surgery, such as a knee or hip replacement, close to home, while still receiving the quality care they’d expect to find in a major metropolitan area. Chicken pox can be treated just as efficiently as a blood disorder, such as anemia or even leukemia, and both men and women can receive the full spectrum of preventive services. Dr. Jon Ward, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Gulf Coast Dermatology, was among the numbers of specialized physicians who contributed to Jackson’s recent surge in healthcare professionals. According to Ward, setting up shop in Marianna was simply a business opportunity that he and his partners could not pass up. “Marianna is located far enough away from our Dothan, Tallahassee and Panama City offices, so this office is very convenient for people who live within

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Jackson County Hospitals (2011) Hospital Beds

Employees (FTE)

Operating Revenues

Campbellton-Graceville Hospital 25

$7 million

Jackson Hospital 100

415

$43.9 million

Source: Florida Hospital Association

20–30 miles,” said Ward. “For us, the geography, the established and wellrespected medical community and the number of insured in Jackson County all made it an attractive place to locate.” It’s an attraction that’s given Jackson residents access to the latest and greatest in dermatological treatment and services. “We provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages, treating all diseases of the skin and all skin types,” said Ward. “We offer most modalities of treatment

so the patient is able to access the care that is right for them. In Marianna one of those treatments is Mohs Micrographic Surgery … Mohs allows us to remove the cancer layer by layer, examining each under the microscope until all of the margins are clear.” The hospital has gained supporters from outside its walls as well. One of the expansion efforts’ biggest advocates has been William Long, director of the Jackson County Health Department.

TOC physicians are leaders in research, advocacy and philanthropy, and through the TOC Foundation are devoted to education and research in order to continually improve the health and well-being of all athletes, with an emphasis on concussion management.

For Long, the hospital’s course of action was exactly the kind of hands-on, beneficial approach Jackson County’s healthcare industry needed. “The hospital has done a superb job in my opinion attracting new physicians, some 10 or 12, over the last few years,” said Long. “They’ve expanded outpatient services with the addition of an MRI and radiology offerings. They’ve brought in physical therapy and are doing a lot of work in cancer care that until the last three or four years simply was not available on the local level.” An increase in accessibility not just to health care, but to quality health care, means that Jackson residents can stay local, a convenience that Long said cannot be stressed enough. “In addition to the economic impact the hospital has on this community, it has also made it much more convenient for local folk who no longer have to travel outside of Marianna to have their healthcare needs met,” said Long. “That’s huge.”

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* — All physicians serve our Tallahassee locations. Dr. D. Bellamy, Dr. Jordan, Dr. Rolle and Dr. Stephens also serve our Marianna location. Dr. Mejia also serves our Chipley location for surgical cases. Dr. Jaggears also serves our Madison location. Dr. Borom, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Oberste and Dr. Stephens also serve our Perry location. Dr. Fahey, Dr. Guyer, Dr. Mejia and Dr. Wong serve our Bainbridge location. 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

transportation

Strategic Crossroads

Jackson County proves it’s all about location

f there was one spot in all of North Florida that had just the right balance of highways, airways and railways, Jackson County would be that spot. “Jackson County is located as a gateway for both Alabama and Georgia into Florida,” said Bill Stanton, executive director of the Jackson County Development Council. “People don’t realize how strategically located we are from a transportation standpoint in terms of these other states.” Stanton’s not the only one who recognizes Jackson County’s many advantages and its potential for success. “(Jackson County) is just well-suited from a standpoint of logistics and distribution,” said Jim Brook, executive director of Opportunity Florida and co-managing partner of the Florida Rural Broadband Alliance. “The port in St. Joe is being renovated and will offer future capacity. It’d be hard for Jackson County to fail in these endeavors because of all these advantages. I survey counties, and we don’t pick one over another, but there are just a lot of advantages in Jackson County.”

Planes … Jackson County is a one-hour drive away from major airports in Panama City/Bay County, Dothan, Ala., and Tallahassee. Go a little bit further, say an hour-and-ahalf west on Interstate 10, and you’ll be at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport in Fort Walton Beach. “We are strategically located where we have all these available to us, and for a comparison, Tallahassee only has (the Tallahassee Regional Airport) within a one-hour drive,” Stanton said. In other words, Tallahassee residents only have one nearby option for flying, and with no competition the fares can be expensive. But in Jackson County, there’s 20

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I-10 I-10

so much competition from other airports that residents here have a choice between Dothan, Tallahassee or Panama City and can go wherever they want to go, with Northwest Florida Regional being a close fourth on the list. “From an air transport standpoint we are better situated than anybody else in North Florida. That includes Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola. And I think that’s a very important statement,” Stanton said. “When we try to attract business, invariably aviation is a factor. It’s not a drop-dead issue, but it is important.” Adding to the county’s airpower is the Marianna Municipal Airport, a former Army airfield that’s now a general aviation airport. The airport has two runways that are nearly 5,000 feet long, and one is being extended to 6,500 feet. The airport’s longer runway ought to make

it a desirable roost for corporate jets needing an extra bit of space. “A lot of people who have never done it just don’t know what a terrific business tool general aviation is,” said John Alter, chairman of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. “I see great potential in our airport. We have a tremendous infrastructure at this airport in terms of good, wellbuilt runways. I see that as a potential part of our transportation infrastructure.”

Trains … Railways are important cargo movers today, and Jackson County enjoys a distinct advantage in that regard. Not only does the biggest national carrier, CSX, run east and west through here, but the Bay Line Railroad intersects it at Cottondale. The Bay Line is interesting because it runs from Port Panama City on

the coast north to Dothan, where it then intersects with the Norfolk Southern Railroad. From there, Stanton said, cargo can go anywhere in the United States. That makes the rail system in Jackson County a unique commodity for commerce. “If one had a business and wanted access to rail to go east and west across the country and north and south and had a reason to connect with a port, (Cottondale) is the only point to do that,” Stanton said. “And the biggest single project that has located in Northwest Florida in the last 25 years is at Cottondale, Green Circle Bio Energy.” Green Circle Bio Energy is perhaps the world’s largest wood pellet plant and started production in North Florida in 2008. It cranks out an annual capacity of 560,000 tons of pellets that are shipped as fuel to clients overseas. “They use the Bay Line Rail Road and they use the Port of Panama City, and without the railroad and the port that project would not have located in this area, period, and would not be in Northwest Florida, period,” he said.

… And Automobiles Just as Jackson County’s railroad network makes it a vital economic link, so too does its highways and roads. “We have the best highway transport corridor system in North Florida, and it’s for the same reason I say we have it for rail,” Stanton said. U.S. Highway 231 — the primary route between Atlanta and Panama City — runs north and south through the county and intersects with Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90. Highway 231 is a four lane highway from Panama City up to Dothan. At Dothan, 231 goes northwest to Troy while Highway 431 goes northeast toward Columbus, Ga. These highways in particular are “increasingly important” as the primary gateways into and out of Florida, from not only a passenger traffic standpoint but cargo hauling as well. “To sum up, on the transportation and logistics, logistics is the other word to apply, combining the assets we have — air, rail, truck and vehicle auto — we’re arguably the most strategically located area in North Florida,” Stanton concluded. Aside from cargo, these interconnected roads will prove vital as the county pursues ecotourism opportunities, Alter said. “We see ourselves nicely positioned there as potential stopping points as we bring tourism on line more and more,” he said.

Broadband Bump Infrastructure isn’t just roads, airports and rail. The Internet needs a strong foundation as well. The Florida Rural Broadband Alliance received $23.7 million in federal grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build a wireless network across 15 counties in Northwest Florida and Central Florida. In the Panhandle, this network is being built and managed by Opportunity Florida. “It will help Jackson County by providing additional capacity and potentially reduces the capital costs of connecting businesses,” Brook said. “It could reduce the capital required to reach local industry.” 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

ecotourism

The Call of the Wild L

photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

ocal folks will tell you that Jackson County is where Mother Nature and Father Time made a pact to preserve “the very nature of Florida.” One visit to these low rolling pastoral hills dotted with majestic stands of pine and live oak and laced with unspoiled waterways … and you can see proof positive of their handiwork. Tourism is the No. 1 economic engine

First used by Aboriginal Indians, visitors now flock to the only Florida caverns open to visitors.

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for the Sunshine State, and this patch of Northwest Florida is working to attract more tourist traffic. There are certainly entertaining events, festivals and activities that allow visitors to enjoy the great outdoors here all year round. But unlike much of Florida, the star attraction in Jackson County isn’t a cartoon mouse, but rather the wonders of nature that entice visitors here.

“People come here for the quiet, the pristine nature and to get away from it all,” says Pam Fuqua, executive director of the Jackson County Tourist Development Council. There is something for everyone looking to get a “bird’s-eye view” of Jackson County’s “green” scene. Water lovers can cool off in the meandering streams, rivers, crystal clear springs and

lakes — from the Chipola River to Blue Spring to Spring Creek to Lake Seminole — with swimming, boating, canoeing, tubing or diving. Land lovers can enjoy the picturesque scenery while camping, hiking nature trails and bicycling. Horseback riding, birding and tossing a line into the Apalachicola River and Ocheesee Pond are just a few of the delightful distractions for sportsmen who venture here. As for souvenirs, wading into river and creek beds for arrowheads, mastodon teeth and other artifacts become one-of-a-kind keepsakes any nature lover would prize. The backdrop in this county is filled with wildflowers, trees and plants more typical of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

of North Georgia. And woodpeckers, barred owls, beavers, alligators, snapping turtles, grey fox, bobwhite quail and other native wildlife found in the forested parks offer a quite a show for would-be wildlife photographers. Yes, ecotourism is a natural here. Still, the real thrill of Jackson County for those who love adventure just may be found diving underneath the surface of the cool, natural springs and inside its mysterious, craggy caves and caverns. Edd Sorenson is an avid diver born in Portland, Ore. One vacation visit to the caves in Blue Springs was all it took. He bought a house, packed a semitrailer with as much as it would hold and opened Cave Adventurers in 2003. There

are other cave systems in Florida, but Sorenson says what sets these particular seven caves apart is the luminescent, white limestone walls. “A dark cave eats up your diving light. These are more friendly, beautiful and your light goes a lot further,” he says. Over the past 10 years Sorenson has welcomed curious visitors to these caves from 18 countries and 46 of the 50 United States. After a typical day dive he says the first thing someone usually says is, “Wow, that is unbelievably beautiful. We’re coming back!” With this kind of reception it’s no surprise his watersport rental business has boomed. Sorenson calls his outfit “a dive shop/resort destination.” Meaning, there is everything you need if you crave a cave adventure. Cave Adventurers is located on Blue Spring which is a spring-fed swimming lake that measures five miles long. On the lake is a dock with pontoons, canoes and kayaks and equipment to explore the lake’s wonders by swimming, boating, diving or snorkeling. To dive you need to have an Open Water Certification. And for those new to the sport, there are four trained instructors on hand to teach a multitude of diving techniques, including one Sorenson popularized called Side Mount Diving, which places your tank on your side instead of on your back allowing you to explore even smaller, hard to reach cave passages. Underwater isn’t the only place for cave adventures. An attraction unique to Jackson County, the Florida Caverns State Park, allows visitors a chance to tour the state’s only walk-through cave system. Once used as shelter by aboriginal Indians, the caverns reveal an amazing world of black pools, brilliantly lit, jagged formations and dripping limestone stalactites. “Many of our nature spots are actually historic, too, because they are featured in drawings from as far back as the 1600s, so nature and history in Jackson County go hand in hand,” Fuqua notes. In an area with such expansive green spaces filled with abundant wildlife, it’s no surprise that Jackson County is a hunter’s haven. With a Florida hunting license 2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

ecotourism

and proper permits and species stamps you can hunt dove, duck, quail, turkey, small game and wild hog. But the area is especially known for its large whitetailed deer. And many may not realize that predator hunting is also allowed here for coyote and bobcat. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a novice, in the fall and winter McCoy’s Outdoor Gun & Archery Shop is the place to go in Marianna to get geared up for hunting season. In spring, hopeful anglers head to the shop to get rigged to reel in everything from brim to large-mouthed bass. Not only is the staff knowledgeable, but like associate Daniel Bennett, they are enthusiasts, too. So not only they can supply with you with all you need from guns and archery supplies to outdoor camping equipment, they can answer your questions about the area as well — including where to head to hunt. If you are looking for leased land, Bennett suggests the St. Joe Timber Company. If you prefer a public area, he says it’s worth checking out the Chipola River Wildlife Management, an expanse of 9,000 acres operated by the state just north of Marianna. Whatever it is that lures you to visit beautiful Jackson County the first time. Surely, it will be the call of the wild that brings you back time and again.

Dan-D-Ridge Plantation is one of several in the region that offer quality upland bird hunts.

photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Tim McCoy offers a wide array of supplies for outdoorsmen at his store in downtown Marianna.

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2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

agriculture

Growing Wild

Agriculture still a viable industry in Jackson County

otton, peanuts and beef cattle make up most of Jackson County’s agricultural output today, while advances in automated farming, improved soil management and increased efficiencies in beef production mean greater yield, better quality and less waste than ever before. “Obviously the efficiency in farming equipment and technique is so much greater,” said John Alter, chairman of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and owner/manager of about a thousand acres of farm and pine plantation land. “We’re more efficient nowadays. These guys can go out with GPS and get more out of a given acre or whatever than their daddy could. We’re still very much an agricultural county.” Pine trees — the longleaf variety — and hardwoods were an important economic staple of North Florida back when the timber was harvested and processed for

naval stores and material for ship masts. Today, that “silviculture” is still very much with us, Alter said. “The harvesting cycle is years instead of weeks or months, but it is still a crop and part of the food and fiber base of Florida’s agriculture,” he said. But in Jackson County at least, the king and queen of local agriculture is peanuts and cotton. That’s not to say there are no other endeavors going on. “We joke that we grow three things: pines, peanuts and prisons. But the yearly harvest is peanuts and cotton; not only that, but tomatoes and cucumbers. The produce variety of agriculture is kind of developing a little bit more. You’ll see large fields of tomatoes, acres and acres of them, and there is a subset of smaller farms that do certain business in the summer crops.” Doug Mayo, director of the Jackson County Extension office, agrees that

there’s a wide range of agricultural products being grown here, including beef cattle, Satsuma oranges, olives — and there’s even some international aquaculture taking place in the form of a caviar farm. But the biggest effort is in cotton and peanuts, which go hand in hand with one another. “If you look at the total acreage devoted to agriculture, far and away the driving number of business and dollars and land devoted to commodity agriculture in our case is primarily three crops: cotton, peanuts and beef cattle,” Mayo said. “There’s a wide range of other crops grown, but when you really look at all the hard-core numbers and greatest economic impact, those are our three main crops. But it doesn’t diminish the interest people have in following these innovators trying new things.” Ever since the boll weevil was pretty much eradicated some 20 years or

Dairy cows wander the 460-acre Cindale Farms between milkings. These “dry” cows are on a two-month break.

2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

more ago, cotton has thrived in Jackson County. Peanuts, the one-time king, provide a needed rotation crop for cotton farmers. Meanwhile, beef cattle are fattened up on pastures not used for crop production. According to the University of Florida, in 2012 Jackson County had 43,098 acres of cotton and 34,726 acres of peanuts. That’s enough cotton to make 18 million pairs of jeans and enough peanuts for one billion sandwiches. Peanut production, while smaller in acreage, grew 10 percent over its 2011 numbers while cotton actually went down 4 percent from 2011. Pastureland seems to be dwindling; in 2009 it stood at 36,062 acres but in 2012 it had decreased to 27,387 acres. All told, land use maps for Jackson County show that approximately 211,916 acres of land are devoted to some kind of agricultural endeavor. However, that doesn’t diminish the efforts of a few locals who are trying to establish a foothold for new things, from international caviar aquaculture to Satsuma citrus and olives. These new players on the scene can be commended for their enterprise, but the challenge rests in finding and exploiting the right market. The bulk of the acreage and the bulk of the farmers are still engaged in commodity farming, because that’s the easiest way to market and sell large quantities of something, Mayo said. “There’s always people who are exploring new markets, new ideas and the reality is a lot of the unique agricultural things are more of a challenge to build a niche and carve out your own market,” Mayo said. “It’s very slow to build a niche market or create an alternate crop that fits a new niche and gets established.” Even then, it’s tough being a farmer. The number of dairy farms, for instance, has dwindled as the soaring cost of overhead and volatile milk prices have taken their collective toll. But there is still milk on the shelves, thanks to the plucky few who hang in there because they love the business. “We dairy not because of the grand income that we think might be available, we do it because we love to do it,” said Dale Eade, who runs a dairy farm

north of Marianna with wife Cindy. “We love taking care of animals, love being outdoors, for some perverse reason we like to work hard, and we enjoy being part of a community and having a dairy farm allows us to do that. We don’t dairy for money.” Adds Cindy Eade, who sits on the board of directors of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Farm Credit of Northwest Florida, “From my standpoint as a wife and mother, farming is a wonderful way to raise kids. I grew up a city girl and love living on a farm.” Meanwhile, the researchers and scientists at the North Florida Research and Education Center are successfully finding ways to make farmers’ dollars go further. Among its many efforts, the center has a Marianna farm which features a worldclass, computerized, multimillion-dollar feed efficiency unit that carefully studies and measures how cattle feed. “In real time we can see how an animal is eating and how it’s growing,” said Director Nick Comerford. “If we can get the same weight gain with less feed we save farmers money. The unit we have is one of three in the U.S., and the only one that deals with tropical and subtropical breeds of cattle, and that makes it unique.”

Agriculture is still a key economic driver for Jackson County, according to Doug Mayo, director of the Jackson County extension office.

Nolan Daniels (left) and grower Mack Glass in the midst of a Satsuma orange grove.

2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

real estate

uring the real estate boom in the mid- and late-2000s, prices for homes and land in Jackson County soared to astronomical highs. Then the crash came, hitting even this rural area with unusual speed and bringing those prices down — way down. Byron Ward, owner of Chipola Property Development, explained that as a more rural, agricultural market, Jackson County usually has about a 6-month lag before feeling such economic effects. But with the real estate crash, “the banks stopped lending here just as quickly as they stopped lending in Chicago or anywhere else. And they also started freezing lines of credit, which is not what we’re used to.” But now, banks are lending and prices are beginning a slow rebound, meaning there is still plenty to choose from for buyers seeking a home bargain. Acreage is selling, and commercial real estate —

Redevelopment of shopping centers like Oak Station is resulting in 100 percent occupancy.

2013 B U S I N E S S O U T L O O K

especially redevelopment — is on the upswing. As a slower market, Jackson County’s commercial real estate is primarily redevelopment. “If a new company comes here, typically you don’t have to buy a new building,” Ward explained. Instead, existing spaces are redeveloped to suit new tenants. These projects are being undertaken by local — and national — development companies. Brad Combs, president of Combs Development Company in Phoenix, Ariz., has worked on two redevelopment projects in the area: the Oak Station shopping center and the old Walmart across the street. Combs recalled that the Oak Station redevelopment in 2010 followed a wave of commercial venture companies stepping back off the sidelines and investing again. “The fact that businesses are opening

is always a good indicator,” he said. “Certainly, people have confidence in the market. From a national retailer standpoint, that’s a really good indicator because national retailers are doing an awful lot of research.” The Oak Station redevelopment created space for many national retailers to move into Jackson County — the project was so successful that it necessitated a second redevelopment nearby. “We took [the Oak Station’s] occupancy level from 50 percent to 100 percent pretty quickly within that first 12 months, and we actually had a waiting list. There were some national guys that wanted to be in there, so we ended up buying the old Walmart building, too, across the street,” Combs recalled. B and K Properties owner and founder Bob Pforte believes that ventures and growth like this are not only a good sign about the present, but also a positive motivation for the future, as they increase confidence in the market and encourage further growth. “When people see all those things happening … they get a better attitude and they get more optimistic,” Pforte explained. “When people’s attitudes are better and they feel more optimistic, they have a tendency to get out and take a chance, and spend some money.” The real estate crash brought with it one benefit for commercial real estate: The scrutiny on lending now forces businesses to be very cautious in expanding and moving, which means that the ventures undertaken now are likely to prove stable in the years to come, keeping the economy strong in the long term. “There’s activity … creeping back, but it’s only in places where it really makes sense for the commercial development,” said David Melvin, president of Melvin Engineering. In 2009, in contrast, Melvin

photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Real Estate is on the Rebound

Broker Robby Roberts says the market correction has helped young families afford homes.

points out that both the commercial and residential real estate markets were driven by “a lot of speculating.” The residential market was especially “out of control” prior to the crash, Melvin said, adding that residential subdivision development was overbuilt for the local population. Pforte explained that while the residential market is creeping back, the

gains are still limited: “The high-end homes are kind of slow; most of the homes that are selling are in the $75,000 to $150,000 mark.” However difficult the hit to the economy has been, however, Robby Roberts, broker and president of Prudential Jim Roberts Realty, pointed out that it was vital — particularly for the next generation of homebuyers. “If things had kept going like they were, our children would never be able to afford a home,” said Roberts. “Something had to bring it back to common sense. There was a lot of craziness going on.” Kathryn Milton, owner and broker of ERA Chipola Realty, said that the crash did not hit Jackson County any harder than other residential markets, and it might actually have had a less shocking impact than in other, faster markets. “We really never have been what you’d consider a high-commodity area,” she pointed out, adding that the residential market’s comeback is already underway.

“There’s been a lot more demand from individuals looking for more land,” she explained, suggesting that the migration of bigger-city dwellers back to Jackson County in search of space is a great sign for the future. Regardless of the recovery’s pace, both the commercial and residential real estate markets are poised for positive growth in the coming years. Commercial redevelopments will continue to increase confidence and draw more local and national businesses into the fold, boosting the local economy and, in turn, encouraging more residential purchases. In addition to these ongoing sources of growth, Melvin added that there is another economic stimulus on the horizon that might catalyze this growth even further. “When some of the settlements from BP start getting in the hands of the people in our area, I think they’ll start looking at places to invest those,” he said. “And I think that will add to our recovery in the real estate area.”

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cha m be r benef its

What the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Can Do For You Ambassadors

Business Advocacy

Goodwill ambassadors carry the Chamber message to members and the community at-large. These active Chamber supporters serve as a liaison with local businesses, community leaders and elected government officials. One of their primary jobs is to help new members settle into the community. They also help organize Chamber events, including the annual golf tournament, which raises funds to support Chamber programs.

As “the voice of business” the Chamber promotes a pro-business attitude among local businesses and throughout our communities. We believe our elected leaders are key elements in supporting the Chamber’s agenda.

First Friday Power Breakfast Boosted by corporate sponsors, this activity is a premiere networking “must attend” event for anyone interested in growing their business and learning more about business trends and critical issues facing the region. It is the way to gain a better insight into other local businesses and their owners.

Government Affairs Chamber officials have a strong relationship with local and statewide officials. Leaders often work with state government and legislative leaders on issues of local concern and testify before House and Senate committees when they meet at the state Capitol in nearby Tallahassee.

Leadership Jackson County This eight-month program is designed to cultivate an emerging group of local leaders, educate them on a wide variety of local issues — from health care to

Jackson County Discover the unknown. Hidden in the heart of Northwest Florida's panhandle, Jackson County holds pristine natural treasures and a tradition of Southern charm and hospitality. 4318 Lafayette St. / P O Box 130 Marianna, FL 32447 850 482-8061 | Fax 850 482-8002

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agribusiness to tourism — and have them work cooperatively for positive change in the community. The classes are limited to 20.

Member Services There are a multitude of tangible and intangible benefits to Chamber membership: notary services; use of bulk-mail permit; online calendar of events; printing of membership mailing labels; listing in online Business Directory; admission to monthly First Friday Power Breakfast; admission to Business After Hours networking events; and use of Chamber executive board room for small meetings. Other opportunities include business training seminars and special networking opportunities. This Chamber is always looking for additional ways for members to be glad they are members of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Committed to Florida.

Committed to you. At Hancock Bank, we’re committed to serving Florida with 28 convenient locations from Pensacola to Tallahassee, and over 250 locations across the Gulf South. Recently BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s leading financial rating firm, awarded Hancock its highest 5-star rating. For more than 23 consecutive years, BauerFinancial has recommended Hancock Bank as one of the most financially sound banks in America. Find out more at hancockbank.com. Call 800-448-8812 Click hancockbank.com Come in to any of our convenient locations

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