850 Business Magazine- Spring 2018 by Rowland Publishing, Inc.

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By fostering culture of forgiveness, businesses turn mistakes into positives

Pensacola reassesses assets with diversification in mind

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IN THIS ISSUE CHANGE OF DIRECTION The proposed Gulf Coast Parkway would reroute traffic off U.S. 98 in eastern Bay County. Why? It’s complicated. See our story on page 26.

850 FEATURES The Business of Disaster

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma forced millions of people to evacuate their homes and workplaces, caused more than $100 billion in damages, and cost some victims their lives. Restoring communities is tricky business. Companies that plan ahead for disasters sustain fewer losses and play vital roles in their communities’ recovery. By Erin Hoover

Photo by MICHAEL BOOINI

Gulf Coast Parkway

Plans are underway to build a new highway in 2021 that reroutes traffic off U.S. 98 in eastern Bay County. It would impact Tyndall Air Force Base, regional economic assets including the Port of Port St. Joe, and hurricane evacuation routes. What does the region have to say about it? By Kim Harris Thacker

scambia County E Business Journal

Dramatic changes are in the works, including reinvention of the role of Pensacola Port, expansion of Navy Federal Credit Union, already the largest of its kind in the nation, construction of military solar farms on three area bases, and publicprivate initiatives to make Pensacola a “cyber coast.”

On the Cover: Pensacola Port Director Amy Miller says business as usual will no longer sustain the port. She forecasts a new, hybrid role that embraces marine-related science and research. Photo by Matthew Coughlin

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850 Magazine Spring 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

16 In This Issue 12 From the Publisher 79 Sound Bytes 82 The Last Word from the Editor

Departments

Corridors

THE 850 LIFE

FORGOTTEN COAST

16 As chancellor of the Florida college system and a first-generation Cuban American, Madeline Pumariega aims to help students build better lives through education and training.

BUSINESS SPEAK

18 Businessman and philanthropist Quint Studer advises workplaces to build a culture of learning from near misses and mistakes, not a culture of fear.

Veterinarian-turned-artisan Mark Goodwin bought a kilt and found a calling. See page 67.

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67 Dr. Mark Goodwin, a veterinarian, followed an ancestral urge and wound up working at a forge casting animals in metals.

BAY

68 Matt Anderson and Baron became friends at first sight. Who knew an abandoned dog could help a private eye find success in seasonings?

CAPITAL

Special Section

72 At The Freight Yard, upcycled shipping containers are building blocks for apartments and retail space at Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue.

DEAL ESTATE

I-10

32 What’s trending, what’s selling and what’s hot to buy in the 850? Find out here.

76 Fans of rival restaurants in Graceville divide along state lines, but there are plenty of seafood-loving customers to go around.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MADELINE M. PUMARIEGA (16), MARK GOODWIN (67) AND RENDERING COURTESY OF PAUL BRADSHAW (72)

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When it comes to business, it’s best to...

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The Company You Keep How and to whom you present yourself influences the success of your business. Our listeners are: Curious, Active, Engaged, Business Leaders, Tech Savvy, Influential, Well-travelled, Educated, Affluent, Voters, Volunteers, Professionals. As a WUWF Program Sponsor, your business can benefit from the company it keeps.

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850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Spring 2018

Vol. 10, No. 3

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Laura Cassels STAFF WRITERS Hannah Burke, Erin Hoover CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kari C. Barlow, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Michael Moline, Thomas J. Monigan, Liesel Schmidt, T.S. Strickland, Quint Studer, Kim Harris Thacker CREATIVE CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter DESIGN DIRECTORS Jennifer Ekrut, Chi Hang EDITORIAL DESIGNER Charles Bakofsky PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Mitchell, Sarah Notley, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meredith Brooks CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Barfield, Michael Booini, Matthew Coughlin, Derek Ferebee, Colin Hackley, Pamela Homyak, Scott Holstein, Taylor L. Jackson, Dustin Mullen, Mike O’Connor, John Perkins, Saige Roberts SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Makenna Curtis, Julie Dorr, Margaret Farris, Darla Harrison, Rhonda Lynn Murray, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Lori Magee Yeaton EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman INTEGRATED MARKETING MANAGER Rachel Smith CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR Joslym Alcala SALES AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE Mackenzie Ligas OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan CUSTOM PUBLISHING EDITOR Jeff Price STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Daphne Laurie RECEPTIONISTS Eliza Holtom, Christie Valentin-Bati

DIGITAL SERVICES DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com SUBSCRIPTIONS A one-year (4 issues) subscription is $30. To purchase, call (850) 878-0554 or go online to 850businessmagazine.com. Single copies are $4.95 and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City, Pensacola and at our Tallahassee office.

850 Magazine is published quarterly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. 850 Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. 850 Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright March 2018 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member of three Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.

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From the Publisher

THE CHANGING OF OUR CREATIVE GUARD Uniting words, images and headlines in engaging fashion is the work and the passion of publication designers Their talents enable them to look at a blank, 200-page magazine “canvas” and to create an emotional and rewarding experience for readers. Rowland Publishing has been very fortunate to enjoy the talents, dedication and services of Saige Roberts and Jennifer Ekrut for a combined 20 years. Together with our chief content officer, Larry Davidson, they have steadfastly brought life to the pages of 850 Magazine and other publications in eye-catching, conversation-starting ways. But the winds of change began to stir recently, and we learned that Saige had made plans to pursue a new creative outlet. Going forward, she will be working as a freelance photographer for clients that will include Rowland Publishing. Jennifer, meanwhile, has moved along with her three children to Austin, Texas, where her husband had found employment in his highly specialized field. It was time to get the family back together again. RPI will miss the contributions that Saige and Jennifer made and the can-do attitudes that they brought to their jobs every day, and we wish them the best as their life journeys continue to unfold. As of January, Charles Bakofsky, who had been designing client publications, was promoted to editorial designer. He has been joined by design director Chi Hang, who is new to our operation and had been doing creative agency work in Los Angeles. I look forward to seeing the influence that Charles and Chi, working from their unique perspectives, will have on our magazines. And I invite you let me know what you think as you experience the changes that they bring about. Change will be a driving force as RPI strives always to become a better and more versatile publication, communication and digital firm. Meanwhile, we are maintaining our commitment as part of 850 to producing Business Journals that closely track economic development news in the counties that comprise the magazine’s circulation area. In this edition, you will find the Escambia County Business Journal. Accordingly, we have made a new investment in our digital department as part of our commitment to enlarging our presence on social and digital media platforms and increasing the frequency and convenience with which we extend valuable content to our audiences. Stay tuned; our best is always yet to come.

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

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PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Best,

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Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, David Teek, with FAMU’s Division of Research, and Barrett Haga, with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

NORTH FLORIDA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL LEADERS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

Though not yet as futuristic as in the movies, machines are learning the language of lawyering and to resolve disputes. There have been significant investments in the use of computers to complete tasks usually executed by humans. Lawyers require advanced solutions to access the more than two quintillion bytes of data necessary to serve their clients, and the future is closer than you might have thought. 850businessmagazine.com/January-2018/Artificial-Intelligence

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES eal Estate Browse residential »D and commercial real estate deals, recently sold properties and dreamy second homes. Sponsored by Beck Properties. Don’t miss the recently added Featured Listings on the right side of the page, too.

» Blog

Find stories and reports about local business events, happenings and gatherings. Just click on “The 850 Business Blog” on the home page or visit 850businessmagazine.com/Blog.

» Legal Insights

Stay aware of new industry issues and legal updates with these online exclusive articles, sponsored by Matthews & Jones, LLP.

» Flip Books View 850 issues and Business Journals in a digital book format. » Archived Stories Peruse our entire archive of articles at no charge.

Fifty economic-development leaders from 22 nations toured sites in TallahasseeLeon County Dec. 7–8 in the 8th Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or ACE 8. Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, David Teek, with FAMU’s Division of Research, and Barrett Haga, with the U.S. Department of Commerce, were part of the entourage.

850businessmagazine.com/ Blog/News-2017/InternationalLeaders-Tour-North-Florida

LET’S NETWORK! Find 850 Business Magazine on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You’ll also find Rowland Publishing on LinkedIn, where you can join the 850 Business Group for conversations with fellow readers. LinkedIn: Rowland Publishing and the 850 Business Magazine Group Twitter: @850BizMag

Want to know the latest from 850 Business Magazine? Sign up for our e-newsletter and get updates about our website, video previews and additional offers.

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PHOTO BY PHONLAMAIPHOTO/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS / GETTY IMAGES (AI), LAURA CASSELS (INTERNATIONAL LEADERS), ANDREW WARDLOW PHOTOGRAPHY (DEAL ESTATE) AND COURTESY OF CBRE AND BAYTOWNE OWNER’S ASSOCIATION (DEAL ESTATE) AND THE NAUMANN GROUP REAL ESTATE, INC. (DEAL ESTATE)

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Executive Mindset

The (850) Life EDUCATION AS FOUNDATION

Fostering Attainment Chancellor leads students to aim higher, secure employment

MADELINE M. PUMARIEGA CHANCELLOR FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM

adeline M. Pumariega is the chancellor of the 28 colleges that make up the Florida College System and serve 800,000 students. Appointed as the first female and Hispanic Chancellor in August 2015, Pumariega works to ensure that all students have a pathway toward earning a degree or professional credential that ultimately helps them get a job. A product of the college system herself, Pumariega began her academic career at Miami Dade College and later returned to the college where she spent 20 years and became president of the Wolfson Campus. Pumariega was instrumental in building workforce programs by leveraging key partnerships in the community. Before becoming chancellor, Pumariega served as president of Take Stock in Children, a statewide nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Take Stock in Children has helped more than 25,000 students living in poverty successfully complete high school and move into post-secondary education and careers.

Steve Bornhoft, the director of editorial services at Rowland Publishing and editor of 850 Magazine, caught up with Pumariega at the 2017 Gulf Power Economic Symposium, held at Sandestin.

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Q&A WITH MADELINE PUMARIEGA 

850: How does the community college system benefit from the perspective you bring to your job? Madeline Pumariega: First, I am a product of that system and I understand the kinds of challenges our students experience and the opportunities they have. Secondly, I spent 20 years inside Miami-Dade College. So, I understand things from an institutional standpoint. Thirdly, I am Hispanic. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic population in the country, and we need to consider that group in terms of attainment levels. Nationally, attainment (earning a post-secondary credential) is 41 percent and among Hispanics, it is 21 percent. Florida and the United States need a talent pool. We can’t afford to leave a large group out. We are going to create more skilled jobs, so we have to ask how we are going to bridge the gap between what those jobs will require and the skill levels that many of our young people currently possess. 850: There are a lot of people looking for jobs, but there are a lot of jobs looking for people. MP: It’s the high-paying jobs that are looking for people.

COURTESY OF MADELINE M. PUMARIEGA

850: How does the system go about recruiting minority students and are you satisfied with that effort? MP: If you look at Miami-Dade College and Broward College, we are No. 1 in producing Hispanic and black graduates. The real number to look at is the percentage of high school graduates who are going on to college. We need to create a college-going culture at home. And by that I mean, a culture that encourages young people to earn a post-secondary credential.

That starts early, when parents begin to talk to their children about going to college. But in many homes in poverty, conversation has more to do with how the light bill is going to get paid, how to put food on the table. Sometimes, the conversation about college doesn’t come. 850: How do you overcome poverty as an obstacle? MP: When we look at outreach to our high schools, we try to identify those schools whose students are least likely to go on to college. That’s where our colleges are providing dual-enrollment opportunities so students can start college when they are in high school. If students are exposed to college early, they are more likely to think about it and enroll in college. And, another important statistic is that nine out of 10 students who graduate from the Florida College System remain in Florida. 850: Affordability surely is among the selling points of the Florida College System. MP: Yes, less than 25 percent of our students take on debt and, when they do, it is less than $5,000. It’s not crippling. They can get their first job, pay the student loan off and go on to own a home. 850: Not long ago, one of the most important numbers for community colleges was the percentage of their graduates who went on to earn four-year degrees. Is that still the case? MP: Our fastest growing programs are certificate programs. They can be completed quickly and they lead to jobs. But the average age of our students is 26 because those certificate-holders come back and want to get their associate’s degree. Fifty-one percent of our students are pursuing an associates of arts degree that leads to four-year programs, but the other half are there looking for a credential that gets them a job —

a certificate, an associate of science degree, a workforce baccalaureate. 850: So, in a real sense, you are in the workforce preparedness business. MP: I would say so. We are open access. Every student who applies gets admitted. We are the pipeline to the universities. Slightly over half of the juniors and seniors at the universities are our students. And they perform just as well as a native university student. But the other half is going to work and becoming part of the state’s workforce. 850: Are you a first-generation American? MP: I am. My parents came from Cuba. They were processed at the Freedom Tower in Miami and sent to Texas. They were reunited with family from New York, but being from the Caribbean, they acclimated well to Florida. The first summer they came here, they stayed. 850: How would you rate the product coming out of our high schools today? Does it need to be better? MP: I think about our next generation of writers in this age of Snapchat and text messaging and Twitter. They are challenged when the professor turns to them and says, “How about producing a full-length story?” But think about the exposure that the students coming out of high school today have had. The world has been at their fingertips. Even our poorest families have access to the internet at the public library. Today’s students have a different level of curiosity, and you can’t reach them by teaching the way I was taught. The soft skills, though, that’s a big one. Every business leader wants someone with an aptitude for teamwork, communication skills and common sense, but those skills develop over time. We want to microwave everything. But leave those students in the oven for a while and they taste even better when they come out. They have had time to sit and settle and mature.

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Executive Mindset

Business Speak CAPITALIZING ON OPPORTUNITIES

Turning Mistakes into Teaching Moments Begin by eliminating a culture governed by fear

BY QUINT STUDER oes forgiveness fit in a workplace? I say yes. Having reviewed the values and standards of hundreds of organizations, one I don’t usually find is forgiveness. I know there are many instances when an employee makes a mistake and they are coached on the best way to handle the situation in the future. But many times, there is a fear factor in an organization that limits the opportunity to coach an employee and improve work processes. In a workplace it is common to hear “I don’t want to get so and so in trouble” when a supervisor is following up on an issue. Or, sadly, a business owner or supervisor only finds out there is an issue after receiving a customer complaint. Near misses were not reported for years in health care. While there may be many reasons why they were not reported, certainly fear was one of them. However, in a healthy

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Quint D. Studer is a Pensacola businessman and philanthropist. He is the co-owner of a minor league baseball team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, and is the founder of a health care consulting company, the Studer Group.

Photo by DAVE BARFIELD

culture, near misses that are reported lead to improved performance and can save lives. I am the co-owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a Double-A baseball team in Pensacola. During every home game, my cell phone number is provided to all attendees on the video board. We’re sending a message that we don’t want you leaving unhappy. Please call or text me if there is an issue so it can be fixed. I also ask for any staff compliments. While I receive an abundance of positive messages, there are times when a concern or question is raised. One example: I was on the West Coast and I received a text that the radar gun at Blue Wahoos Stadium was not working. I called the stadium to find out more about the situation. I found out the gun was not working and a part was on order to fix it. When I hear something after the fact, I wonder, “What else may I not be aware of?” We had the opportunity to learn from this. Instead of waiting for a complaint, we could have announced on the public address system and on the video board that the radar gun was not working and told our customers when it would be fixed. While forgiving the mistake, it doesn’t mean you forget. There are times when the mistake will need to be documented, and depending on the severity, corrective action will be taken and the documentation is placed in an employee personal file.

These are usually the exception. Here are some tips on creating a safe culture in which employees can come forward even if the mistake would have gone unnoticed: 1. Have a solid process improvement system in place with staff development so everyone is very aware that the organization understands two things: 1) Mistakes will happen and 2) There is a process to use these incidents to improve operations. 2. Put in a complaint tracking system. This shows staff issues do arise. The tracking system identifies patterns to address. 3. Recognize staff who come forward, and explain to all staff how this benefits the organization. 4. Use these situations as coaching opportunities and look for ways to integrate learnings into new employee orientation and standard operating procedures. There are many examples of instances when leaders, if they had been made aware of issues, could have prevented mistakes. And, in some cases, lives could have been saved. Creating a healthy culture includes a way to capture and address complaints, mistakes and near misses. This is not easy to create. Owners and leaders make mistakes, too. Being up front with everyone when this occurs sets the tone for a safe culture.

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The Business of

DISASTER PHOTOS COMPILED BY JENNIFER EKRUT; BEHINDLENS (PALM TREES) AND RATPACK223 (3D RENDERING $) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

What can the superstorms of 2017 tell us? by ERIN HOOVER IN SEPTEMBER, right after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, economists at Moody’s Analytics estimated that costs for these two storms would total around $170 billion, on par with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. By October, that approximation had shrunk to $130.5 billion, still a substantial amount. In fact, damage to housing had been lower than expected in Texas and in Florida, with the notable exception of the Florida Keys.

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Mickie Valente, founder of Valente Advisers, has worked directly with economic and workforce development organizations on disaster recovery and economic restoration for nearly a decade. “Assessing the economic impact is challenging in part because many of the indicators of economic activity — unemployment, sales tax revenue collections, and business investment — are lagging indicators that are not available or can be misleading shortly after an event occurs,” Valente said. In the simplest terms, Moody’s looks at economic loss as a combination of destruction and lost output and looks at economic aid in the form of insurance and government aid. That examination of loss will cover a range of factors, many of them specific to the natural disaster in question. For instance, Hurricane Harvey struck densely populated metro areas, and the meteorological and geographic conditions of the storm resulted in widespread flooding. In Texas and Louisiana, destruction to refineries caused significant disruption to goods-producing industries. On the other hand, Irma was a slow-moving and large storm. While property damage was less extensive than experts predicted before the storm hit, the potential area of impact extended over much of the state of Florida and aside from mandatory evacuations, many residents heeded warnings and chose to evacuate. What resulted was a longer span of lost productivity for a greater number of people.

those losses that can be monetized, such as lost infrastructure, tax revenue, and jobs. But what about the less tangible effects a disaster can have on business recruitment, expansion and retention, as well as impacts on public perception? Initial assessments may also be unreliable. “For instance, there are ‘false economy’ indicators. Hotel tax and sales revenues remain strong or even spike within weeks following an event, but, in fact, might only indicate that communities are housing and feeding survivors and recovery workers,” Valente continued. Economists at Moody’s have anticipated that Harvey and Irma would fall shy of Katrina-level impact, partially due to the perceived resilience of large economies in Texas and Florida, an assessment borne out by recent economic data. They have also predicated that Harvey and Irma would follow the pattern of other recent disasters, in which the ratio of aid as a share of economic loss has come near 100%. Time will tell. But, as emergency responders will tell you, they’ve already learned quite a bit from past storms. ALL HANDS ON DECK States have built and are building public-private partnerships with businesses to respond to disasters. Valente said the emphasis on this type of collaboration goes back to 2004 and Hurricane Charley, the first of eight storms to impact Florida within 14 months. “Many states, including Florida, have created private sector liaison positions. Florida, Louisiana and many other states have also developed virtual Business Emergency Operations Centers through partnerships formed through a three-tiered collaboration — emergency management, economic development, and university partnerships.” These state partnerships now link to a national consortium, as well, she said. Valente considers Florida “at the forefront” of developing working public-private partnerships, calling out in particular, the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which provides short-term, interest-free loans for small businesses. Cissy Proctor, executive director of Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, also highlighted the Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which is administrated by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and was first activated

“We know that the faster businesses are up and running, the faster the community as a whole is able to recover.” — Cissy Proctor, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity The 2018 hurricane season is right around the corner. Each year, hurricane season begins in June and ends in November. NOT SO FAST ON THAT ESTIMATE Valente said that because the recovery process takes years, even decades, it’s likely that we never know a disaster’s full cost. Economics are good at predicting

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Hurricane Irma caused severe damage in the Florida Keys, while economic losses were heavy statewide due to the necessity of widespread evacuations and lost productivity.

PHOTO BY FELIXMIZIOZNIKOV / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

following Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The program has since been activated 20 additional times. “The loan helps small businesses bridge that time between a disaster and receiving FEMA money or a long-term loan from SBA [U.S. Small Business Administration] or insurance proceeds. It’s quick money. If you’re a restaurant that flooded and your refrigerator went out, the program could help you open up again,” Proctor said. “We know that the faster businesses are up and running, the faster the community as a whole is able to recover … We help in partnership with organizations like the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida Retail Association, and Visit Florida, among others, to make sure that if there are needs for any businesses of any size, that we provide that help to them.” “After Irma, we heard from businesses all across the state,” Proctor said. “Every size and shape and industry can be impacted [by a disaster],” she said.

Asked to recall the lead-up to Hurricane Irma, Proctor said she thought about how to help businesses prepare, how to get the word out, and how to pull partners together. She also thought about the Department of Economic Opportunity’s 1,600 employees. “The agency is a business — so I also think about keeping our employees safe. We think about office closings, employee safety, and making sure we have a communications plan.” David Merrick is the director of the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program and a senior fellow at the Center for Disaster Risk Policy at Florida State University. “You’re going to have limited resources after any disaster, and you have to work together to think about where you can best apply them to get the biggest benefit to the community. Eventually businesses reassert their normal operations as competitive entities, but early on, everyone needs to work together. It’s a good thing that government has recognized this and is trying to facilitate that work.”

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KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON, LITERALLY home improvement stores — in some cases, support can be Merrick cited damage to facilities, the evacuation or relocaprovided with generators, with making sure parking lots are tion of the workforce, and damage to employee homes as clear. We want to enable businesses to get back open so peolimitations in reopening a business. “Often it comes down to ple who are hungry or thirsty can go get supplies.” cash flow reserves — can you stay open? Lines of credit and Recalling the shortages of water and batteries before Irma available savings can determine how well a business weathand reports of long lines at gas pumps throughout Florida, ers a disaster,” he said. Merrick also called out data. “If a small Merrick explained that disasters stress the function of business is physically destroyed, and all of its accounts resupply chains. “On a blue sky day, it’s more efficient to only ceivable and client information is destroyed with that busiorder what you need because you don’t want to carry a lot of ness, that makes it exceedingly difficult to get going again. inventory. The message from government to households is “Government doesn’t want to be in the business that you should be self-sustaining for three days of handing out food and water,” Merrick continafter a disaster — food, water, and prescription ued. “What the state can do, if we look at businessmedication — because those supply chains are MORE INFORMATION es that are critical — grocery stores, gas stations, floridadisaster.org going to be disrupted to some extent.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS INC

“Everybody has to stay focused on what their responsibility is.” — Maria Brous, Publix Super Markets

Emergency generators such as this one at Publix helped keep critical businesses open to supply storm victims with groceries, fuel and homerepair supplies.

Depending on the damage, that disruption may last some time. “Puerto Rico will be an interesting case study,” Merrick said. “We’re just getting into what’s happening there [after Hurricane Maria]. The supply chain is more complicated because you’ve got to ship most things in. The airports were destroyed, the ports were closed, the roads are damaged, and so you might have a ton of supplies sitting around at port.” He praised Publix and Walmart for being leaders in logistics and disaster planning, noting that Walmart has a whole department responsible for planning for disasters at stores worldwide, and pointing out that days after Hurricane Hermine in 2016, Tallahassee was without power, but all of the Publixes in town were open. “After the 2004–2005 hurricane season, we made a specific investment in generators for our stores,” said Maria Brous, director of media relations for Publix Super Markets. “During hurricane season, our job is ensuring that store generators are working and have fuel. Then it’s working on logistics, looking at inventory levels and sending orders to the stores.” “Every storm is different,” Brous continued. “Right before Irma you had Harvey, and many suppliers had already sent aid and product to Texas. That was an interesting challenge for us. Our team worked around the clock. We switched our production area to 24-hour runs. Water was a high-need commodity, and there wasn’t enough of it in the supply chain. We were in shifts bottling water and getting it out as quickly as we could.” Brous credits Publix associates for stepping up to meet the demand for supplies before, during and after Irma. “You can’t do it without dedicated associates and everybody understanding their role. Everybody has to stay focused on what their responsibility is.” SURVIVAL STRATEGIES: DO YOU HAVE ONE? According to FEMA, nearly 40 percent of small businesses never reopen following a major disaster.

The southeastern United States has weathered a series of rough hurricane seasons over the last decade. If this trend continues, businesses in Florida and nearby states have increased likelihood of facing another “major disaster” in the near future. The business that plans ahead of time, Merrick said, is more likely to survive. By planning, a business may identify key shortfalls in insurance, equipment or back-ups and become familiar with the recovery process. Businesses have to make certain assumptions when they create a disaster plan while accepting that those assumptions may or may not pan out, he continued. “Even when the impact of a disaster doesn’t match what you thought, you’re going to be in a better position to work through these issues because [right after a disaster] won’t be the first time you’ve thought about it.” “If a business has a strong business plan, which includes solid financials, a robust marketing and communications plan, and other essential elements to be successful in business, it should be prepared to deal with the most common business interruptions,” Valente said. “However, if the business owner has never considered the ‘what ifs,’ disruption contingencies, and how to cover cash flow shortages and other challenges, they will not be well prepared, no matter the [business’] size.” She suggested that businesses take advantage of free resources to help them prepare, through Small Business Development Centers, local emergency management agencies, chambers of commerce, and SCORE, a nonprofit resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration offering free and confidential advice. “Disasters exacerbate existing situations,” concluded Valente. “Often that truism is most apparent in the businesses with the fewest resources before the event. However, it can also be true when vibrant economies that can engage the resources that may follow an event are able to employ them to accelerate growth, create new jobs, and improve the quality of life for their residents.”

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2018

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MOVING A

HIGH WAY New parkway along U.S. 98 aims to drive economic growth

STORY BY KIM HARRIS THACKER PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI

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ndrea Hernandez, owner of Barefoot Kayak & Paddle Board Rentals, is one of many business owners in Mexico Beach whose store is located on U.S. 98, the Florida Panhandle’s coastal highway. Running from Mississippi to South Florida, U.S. 98 is a 964-mile-long, east-west corridor that carries freight and motorists. In Northwest Florida, the highway is about to undergo a dramatic reconfiguration. Hernandez grew up in Mexico Beach and has seen a marked increase in traffic, especially by commercial trucks. “Traffic here is as busy as it is in the summertime, year-round,” she says. “We need a new road that takes traffic around Mexico Beach.” The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been working on a plan that will accomplish that and much more, creating a new route — to be named the Gulf Coast Parkway — that will enhance access to major transportation arteries in Northwest Florida. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021. Ian Satter, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, said the Gulf Coast Parkway, which the Northwest Florida Transportation Corridor Authority (NWFTCA) calls “a future highway of commerce,” will provide a much-needed stimulus for the economy in Gulf and Bay counties by facilitating freer movement of goods and services in the region.

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“The Gulf Coast Parkway is over 30 miles of new roadways that extend from Gulf to Bay County. The first segment of the Parkway will extend 1.4 miles from U.S. Highway 98 to Star Avenue in Bay County,” Satter said. “This is just one portion of the new roadway system that’s going to be built; other sections have not yet been scheduled.” Two of the unscheduled sections include a new high-level bridge that will cross the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) and a segment of highway that will skirt around Mexico Beach, reducing the flow of traffic through the town and moving much more traffic elsewhere. Al Cathey, mayor of Mexico Beach, says he doesn’t think that less traffic in his community will harm local businesses in any way. “I don’t have a problem with being a community that you come to instead of go through,” he says. “I think the Gulf Coast Parkway will be a very positive thing.” Hernandez summarized what many local business owners said: “It will get some of the logging and construction trucks off the road and let people who are actually coming to Mexico Beach get here.”

REGIONAL ECONOMIC INITIATIVE The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) considers Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla and Washington counties, and the city of Freeport in Walton County to be the “Northwest Rural Area of Opportunity.” This is a reincarnation of the FDEO’s previous and, perhaps, less optimistic name for the region: the “Northwest Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern.” Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern are, by FDEO definition, “rural communities, or a region composed of rural communities, that have been adversely affected by extraordinary economic events or natural disasters.” Warren Yeager, head of the Gulf County Economic Development Coalition, says, “The economy in Gulf County has certainly picked up in a number of different areas over the last year and a half, with the biggest area of growth in construction. We’re quickly being discovered as an alternative to the fast-paced lifestyle of counties to the west of us. I’ve also seen a significant increase in people expressing interest in bringing their businesses to Gulf County.”

Youngstown

231

Port Panama City Industrial Complex

WEST BAY

231

Star Avenue

GULF COAST PARKWAY

30 Panama City Beach

98 Panama ST. AN DR BA EW Y

City Callaway

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A proposed project to reroute U.S. 98 from just east of Mexico Beach north to U.S. 231 at the Port Panama City Industrial Complex has entered the development and environmental impact study stages. The Gulf Coast Parkway plan also includes an east-west road to link the new north-south highway with U.S. 98 just south of Tram Road. The project is expected to improve security at Tyndall Air Force Base by reducing traffic there; provide new hurricane evacuation routes; stimulate economic growth in the region; and reduce highway congestion.

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“The Parkway will help ... by allowing businesses to get to the port easier than having to go through Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base just to get to Highway 98.” — Guerry Magidson, chairman, Port Authority of Port St. Joe

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Improved highway access to industrial facilities such as the deepwater port in Port St. Joe is expected to boost maritime business and enhance economic vitality in Gulf County.

SR 79. In Gulf County, northbound routes are limited to County Road (CR) 386 and SR 71, both of which are two-lane roads. Southeastern Bay and Gulf County residents must travel on U.S. 98 before they reach any of the northbound evacuation routes. According to the FDOT, U.S. 98 isn’t an acceptable evacuation route, because it’s within the surge zone for a Category 3 or greater hurricane through most of the corridor. Andrea Hernandez, for one, is eager for her hometown to return to the peace and quiet she once knew. “I look forward to having Highway 98 as a scenic route,” she says, “where we can enjoy the sound of the waves instead of waves of traffic.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT ST. JOE PORT AUTHORITY

Yeager was a Gulf County commissioner who handled monies from the BP oil spill in the Gulf before he took on the role of head of the Economic Development Coalition. As a commissioner, he assisted in planning the Parkway — a task that took cooperation from many people and entities in Bay and Gulf counties. “About the time I left office, we had come to a good understanding with Bay County,” he says. That “good understanding” took the form, on paper, of “Alternate 19”: a new, hybridized route for the parkway that was designed to improve access to regional facilities. “It will open up a lot opportunity for the Port of Port St. Joe to engage in traditional port operations,” says Yeager. Guerry Magidson, chairman of the Port Authority of Port St. Joe, agrees. “I believe the Parkway will help traffic and businesses by allowing businesses to get to the Port easier than having to go through Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base just to get to Highway 98.” Satter says the Gulf Coast Parkway will also benefit Tyndall Air Force Base. “U.S. Highway 98 runs through Tyndall Air Force Base, which is Department of Defense property,” he says. “Any time there is a certain situation on the base, they can close that roadway.” Those episodic closures currently force vehicles to take a 50-mile detour around the base. Satter says that not only will the Gulf Coast Parkway cut 30 miles from the detour distance, it will also help Tyndall Air Force Base maintain security by reducing pass-through traffic and allowing the base to close the highway whenever necessary. Another advantage of the Gulf Coast Parkway is that it will serve as a new hurricane evacuation and recovery route. Currently, citizens of southwestern Bay County evacuate northward via U.S. 231, State Road (SR) 77 and

GULF COAST PARKWAY TIMELINE 2001 Opportunity Florida creates the Gulf Coast Parkway Feasibility Study. 2008 Opportunity Florida transfers the project to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). 2009 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

approves a summary report that outlines 12 alternative corridors for the Gulf Coast Parkway. Five alternatives are presented to the public. 2014 The Federal Highway Administration approves the Draft Environment Impact Statement (DEIS), which analyzes and compares the five alternate routes for the

parkway. Public hearings are held in Gulf and Bay counties to present the routes. 2015 Gulf County names “Alternative 19” the county’s desired route for the Parkway. 2016 Bay County names “Alternative 19” the county’s desired route for the Parkway.

2018 The FDOT purchases right of way for the Gulf Coast Parkway and plans for future construction. 2021 Construction will begin on the first segment of the Gulf Coast Parkway, from U.S. 98 to Star Avenue in Panama City.

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2018

PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE Just Listed

Retail Property in Destin for Lease Situated on more than six acres, 15 commercially zoned spaces are ready for new retail shops

Shoreline Village is a 70,000-squarefoot, neighborhood retail and office complex located in Destin on the corner of the U.S. Highway 98 (traffic count of 51,000 +/- cars per day) and Gulf Shore Drive. Destin has an average household income of $82,427. This shopping center is accompanied by several national retailers in the area, such as Target, Walgreens, CVS, Winn-Dixie, Jimmy Johns, The UPS Store, McDonald's, Jersey Mike's Subs and Krispy Kreme. Co-tenants in this shopping center are West Marine, Capriccio Café and Bric å Brac Restaurant. High traffic counts and great visibility make this premier location ideal for your retail business. Significant signage available on street pylon and building.

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Address: 862 U.S. 98, Destin Lot Size: 6.03 (532–3,755 available square footage) Lease Rate: $10.00 – $16.00 / sf / year (NNN) Year Built: 1985 Contact Information: Beck Partners – Shawn Maxey, Sales Associate, Beck Partners, (850) 240-1252, smaxey@teambeck.com; Chris Cobb, Associate, Beck Partners, (201) 675-0539, ccobb@teambeck.com; Paige Rowe, Sales Associate, Beck Partners, (850) 477-7044, prowe@teambeck.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BECK PROPERTIES (862 U.S. 98) AND NAI HALFORD (300 MAIN ST.)

By Rachel Smith

PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE Just Listed

Outparcels Available in Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Maritime Park Seven multi-use commercial lots sit on premier waterfront location in Pensacola By Rachel Smith

Situated on beautiful Pensacola Bay, the park is designed for multi-use tenants. The subject property includes seven lots that are within the Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Maritime Park complex. The presence of the new park and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos baseball franchise and stadium have had a positive impact on the area. This premier location is in the highly desirable downtown waterfront district, where there has been a trend of revitalization. Address: 300 Main St., Pensacola, FL 32501 Contact Information: For ground lease pricing and options, contact DeeDee Davis, SIOR, Vice President, NAI Halford (850) 433-0577, ddavis@naihalford.com

Lot sizes

Parcel Size

Land Lease

Lot 3

0.26 acres, 11,326 sf +/-

$2,062.50 / month*

Lot 4

3.02 acres, 131,551 sf +/-

$21,083.33 / month*

Lot 5

1.74 acres, 75,794 sf +/-

$13,750 / month*

Lot 6

0.84 acres, 36,590 sf +/-

$6,645.83 / month*

Lot 7

1.48 acres, 64,469 sf +/-

$13,291.66 / month*

Lot 8

1.75 acres, 76,230 sf +/-

$15,583.33 / month*

Lot 9

0.39 acres, 16,988 sf

$3,116.66 / month*

*Lease rates subject to current appraisal and approval by Pensacola City Council.

850 Business Magazine

SPRING 2018

PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE Second Home

Luxury Living, Townhome Style Lavish townhomes, great location offer prime rental potential By Rebecca Padgett Superior, new construction on new Driftwood Townhomes. Choose a four- or five-bedroom unit with built-in bunks, high-end appliances, well-designed garages, lovely landscaping with streetside fence and access to the heated community pool and sundeck. Walking distance to the county beach access at Pompano Joe’s on Scenic Gulf Drive. Incredible investment potential with $83K–$106K in projected gross rental income. On-site models open daily. Listed price: 4BR – $549,900; 5BR – $669,900 Address: 257 Driftwood Road, Miramar Beach Square feet: 4BR – 2,018; 5BR – 2,560 Bedrooms: 4 or 5 Bathrooms: 4

Appeal: Superior new beach property investment in Miramar Beach, Florida Up to $106K in projected gross rental income, brand new construction. Contact: Denise Stegner, Realtor, ResortQuest Real Estate, (850) 865-9301 denise@destin.org; Hana Hawkins, Sales Associate, ResortQuest Real Estate, (850) 499-8102 hana@hanahawkins.com

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Features: Full array of stainless steel Frigidaire Gallery series kitchen appliances (including microwave, flat cooktop range, dishwasher and side-by-side refrigerator with ice and water in door), two sets of washer/ dryer (first and third floor), large wood kitchen table, interior blinds included, steel tubs, five-bedroom models have oversized shower with double shower heads, granite countertops in kitchens and baths, Moen faucets, beautiful brick-paved driveways, insulated garage door, dehumidifier in garage, 50-gallon hot water tank, three Carrier heat pump air conditioners per unit, LED light bulbs throughout, 5¼-inch crown molding throughout (except closets), ground floor built-in bunks (two sets) and built in drawers ¾-inch wood, 8-inch baseboards w/ shoe molding, ¾-inch oak hardwood floors on second and third floors (except baths), Trex decking on balconies, AristaCraft brand cabinetry.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DRIFTWOD GROUP, LLC

Year built: 2017

AN 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT

2018 2018 ESCAMBIA ESCAMBIA COUNTY COUNTY BUSINESS BUSINESS JOURNAL JOURNAL

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#VacationDifferently Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST-38182. Washington Seller of Travel Reg. No. 603118961. Wyndham Vacation Rentals and related marks are registered trademarks and/or service marks in the United States and internationally. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 14 Sylvan Way, Parsippany, NJ 07054 / ÂŠ2017 Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America, LLC.

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LET US HELP YOU NAVIGATE TAX REFORM. The biggest U.S. tax reform since 1986 consists of sweeping changes for individuals and businesses impacting tax planning, compliance, financial reporting, auditing, internal controls and more. Let us help you navigate how this may affect your business and your personal financial plans. Give us a call at 850.435.7400.

Pensacola Office Managing Member Cyndi Warren, CPA

warrenaverett.com/taxreform 316 South Baylen Street, Suite 300 | Pensacola, FL 32502

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 3

Florida | Alabama | Georgia

2018 Property Insurance Update: What Could Happen to Your Rates? By Reid Rushing, President of Insurance at Beck Partners 2017 was a record year for catastrophic insured losses. So far, estimates for Hurricane Maria are more than $90 billion in losses, Hurricane Irma is at $50 billion and Hurricane Harvey is at $125 billion. While the 2017 hurricane season was bad, we still had other losses such as the Mexico earthquake resulting in $3 billion in losses and the California fires with over $18 billion in losses. Other events throughout the world listed losses exceeding $20 billion. Last year was hard for the property insurance markets. How will all of this will affect you in 2018? Most property insurance carriers also buy insurance against catastrophe losses and excessive losses within a given year. This insurance purchase is reinsurance. The reinsurance market is a global insurance market. What does this mean? An event in Japan can adversely affect the pricing for companies in the U.S. that purchase through these global reinsurance markets. The amount of losses the market felt in 2017 may weaken the capital for some of these reinsurers and increase the risk of financial downgrades. We may find that pricing for the reinsurance may go up in 2018 if the carriers have to seek out capital to balance their losses and earnings this year. As an early sign of the struggling market, many of the major reinsurers have already publicized their profit and earning warnings earlier in October. With over 13 years of few to no large catastrophic events, many of the commercial property markets in Florida have benefited. They have been purchasing good amounts of reinsurance programs to protect their overall surplus. Florida has also changed its building codes to REID RUSHING, PRESIDENT OF INSURANCE be more resistant AT BECK PARTNERS

to wind damage. That has allowed the carriers to reduce their rates on newer construction. We have seen the premiums slide downwards for the past several years due to few hurricanes over the last decade. We have even seen rates come in lower than pre-2004/2005-year rates on some projects. With the anticipated increase in reinsurance rates, many companies and brokers are starting to forecast a gradual increase in property rates in Florida and the rest of the U.S. overall. One of our brokers stated that some of the December renewals are coming in at 5 percent higher rates this year over last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Others are expecting rate increases to be about 10 percent overall in 2018. The riskier properties are expected to see rate increases 20-30 percent over the next year. These rate increases are still subject to the reinsurance treaty renewals that the insurance carriers negotiate and purchase. What does all of this mean to you and your properties? First, budget for an increase. Talk to your agent and find out what they are anticipating at least four months before the renewal date. There may be things you can do to the property to make it more appealing to the insurance carriers. Be proactive with your property and do not neglect maintenance and upkeep. Many carriers want to see updates within the last 15 years on the major systems of the building (roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC). If you are leasing out your building, make sure that you have the right type of tenants for your building. Having a bar or restaurant in a building may be more expensive than having just retail and offices. Also, a building that has more than 30 percent vacancy can see higher rate increases. The main idea is to not wait and see what your premiums and rates are going to do. Plan for the increases and budget for them. Be proactive, and you may find your increases lower than the rest of the market.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be proactive, and you may find your increases lower than the rest of the market.â&#x20AC;?

The full story will be released in our annual publication dedicated to providing valuable business resources, Insight. If you are interested in learning more about the publication, please reach out to Maggie Whittemore at 850.477.7044 or mwhittemore@teambeck.com.

850.477.7044 TeamBeck.com 4 / 2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SALES & MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT/ CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Lisa Sostre, Tracy Mulligan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Makenna Curtis, Julie Dorr, Margaret Farris, Darla Harrison, Rhonda Lynn Murray, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Lori Magee Yeaton EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman INTEGRATED MARKETING MANAGER Rachel Smith CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR Joslym Alcala MARKETING AND EVENTS ASSISTANT Mackenzie Ligas OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/ HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/ PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan CUSTOM PUBLISHING EDITOR Jeff Price STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Daphne Laurie RECEPTIONISTS Eliza Holtom, Christie Valentin-Bati DIGITAL SERVICES DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt

PHOTO BY COLIN HACKLEY / VISIT FLORIDA

CREATIVE CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter DESIGN DIRECTORS Jennifer Ekrut, Chi Hang EDITORIAL DESIGNER Charles Bakofsky PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Mitchell, Sarah Notley, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meredith Brooks

8 6

T RAVEL PUBLICITY Travel writers have

always loved the area’s beaches, but now they also are reporting about its history, dining, culture and sports.

8 H ERITAGE TOURISM Pensacola has

European colonial origins and notable African-American roots, right at the center of debate about preserving and marketing history and heritage.

12 STUDER FAMILY

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL The new, four-

story pediatric hospital will open in 2019. Preview it here, by the numbers.

14 HIGHER EDUCATION The University of

West Florida and Pensacola State College are achieving new heights and attracting the attention of top freshmen.

18 N AVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

The nation’s largest retail credit union serves 7.5 million members and continues to grow.

20 N AS PENSACOLA The Cradle of Naval

Aviation is taking in two Coast Guard cutters this year, employing solar energy and training cyberwarriors.

26 PORT PENSACOLA Old economies

are giving way to new as the port eyes a future in science and research.

30 MARITIME PARK The bayfront

park, created with public and private investments, is fueling prosperity downtown and giving baseball fans reason to cheer.

ON THE COVER: The Department of Defense goes green, building massive solar farms on three Northwest Florida bases, while old ways are increasingly attractive to fans of Pensacola’s colonial history and multicultural diversity. Cover photos: Solar panels at NAS Pensacola, historic reenactor of the Jacksonian Guard, and 5 Sisters Blues Cafe, dishing up Southern food and live blues. PHOTOS BY DEREK FEREBEE (OFFICER) AND COURTESY OF CORONAL ENERGY / CORONALENERGY.COM (SOLAR PANELS) AND VISIT PENSACOLA (5 SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ)

rowlandpublishing.com | 850BusinessMagazine.com

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 5

TRAVEL PUBLICITY

TOURISM THRIVING IN CITY OF FIVE FLAGS TRAVEL WRITERS PRAISE THE AREA’S BEAUTY AND AUTHENTICITY by LIESEL SCHMIDT

he Pensacola area might not be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of taking a vacation to Florida. But while jockeying for position amid such well-known racehorses as Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld, the theme park-less destination attracted more than 2 million

A young explorer crosses the drawbridge at Fort Barrancas, a national historic site. Situated on bluffs overlooking Pensacola Bay, the Spanish fort built by enslaved people served as a coastal defense against invaders.

travelers in 2017 — worth more than $787 million to the local economy. “If you truly want to experience the Sunshine State, Pensacola offers stunning uncrowded beaches, amazing food, sensational attractions, and 450 years of rich history and culture. This city is more than a pretty face — she has a long and colorful past, and we’re proud of who we are,” said Nicole Stacey, director of marketing and communications at Visit Pensacola, the tourism-marketing organization. Travel writers say one draw of the city is that it retains its unique identity, culture and historical authenticity. Renowned for its natural beauty, this coastal city beckons travel writers to explore the Gulf beaches and then the charming downtown scene. “We’re known for our beaches, which are ranked among the best in the country,” says Stacey. “In 2017, Pensacola Beach was voted ‘Most Beautiful Place in the State’ by Conde Nast Traveler and was in TripAdvisor’s ‘Top 10 Beaches in the U.S.’ ” The presence of the Pensacola Ice Flyers, the city’s professional ice hockey team, and the Blue Wahoos, the city’s minor league baseball team, also are cited in visitor surveys as major reasons for traveling to the area.

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Historic sites are a consistent draw, marketed under the slogan “City of Five Flags.” The flags represent the five governments that have held power here: Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the Confederacy and the USA. Pensacola has the earliest Spanish roots in what is now the continental U.S., and Pensacola Beach played a notable role in the Civil War, making the region a rich destination for lovers of history. From the ruins of Fort Pickens on Pensacola Beach to Fort Barrancas across the water, to the 1859 Pensacola Lighthouse and Naval Air Station Pensacola, travel writers have found much to recommend to their readers. A key attraction along these lines is the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron — the revered Blue Angels that call this place home. The squadron flies in precision formations over the city and Gulf waters during routine practices from March to November and holds public air shows in July and November that attract thousands of visitors. Southern Living magazine recommends the National Naval Aviation Museum as a must-see in its online article, “A Weekend in Pensacola.” Other articles recommend the region’s museums and historic sites, which

PHOTOS BY VISIT FLORIDA / COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO (FORT BARRANCAS AND LIGHHOUSE) AND COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA (DOWNTOWN)

← Gulf Coast National Seashore and coastal landmarks such as the Pensacola Lighthouse are key points of interest. ↓ In downtown Pensacola, the Historic Village, several art and history museums and a surge of retailers offering all things artisanal are attracting the attention of travel media.

include the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum; Historic Pensacola Village; the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum; and various other one-of-a-kind spots that have earned accolades from travel writers in the United States and abroad. “A great way to get your bearings is to join a Segway tour … around the historic district, (which offers) an educational and entertaining experience learning about the British, Spanish and French colonial influences and how they have shaped the city during the past 450 years,” recommends writer Lucy Pares of the U.K.-based Family Traveller. Pares goes on to describe how Historic Pensacola Village represents some of the earliest European history in the continental United States. Like many European travel publications enamored of Florida beaches, Family Traveller raved about the “unspoilt coastline” at Gulf Islands National Seashore and the abundance of wildlife to be seen there. Showcases of local artistry within the historic parameters of the city also have been well-received by travel writers, who remarked on the quality of the Pensacola Ballet and the charm of hearing national headliners in concert at the Saenger

Theatre, on the National Register of Historic Places. The region also is growing a reputation for travel-worthy festivals, including November’s two-week-long Foo Foo Fest featuring art, theater, music, street buskers, public art installations and an array of other high-quality experiences. “The Foo Foo Festival is … packed with experiences and entertainment that will enlighten all of your senses. From a tango opera to stand-up comedians, (it) will create memories that will last a lifetime,” wrote Huffington Post reporter Loren Browne in her article “The Best Festival of the Year — Foo Foo Festival, Pensacola Florida.” The culinary scene — built on fresh seafood and spiced with international flair — also is drawing attention and attracting talented chefs. In fact, Pensacola has boasted five prestigious James Beard chefs over the years. Jane and Michael Stern, featured on NPR’s “Splendid Table” radio program and posting “authentic regional easts” on their site Roadfood.com, raved about Jerry’s Drive-In, 5 Sisters Blues Café, Capt. Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant and Peg Leg Pete’s Oyster Bar. Stacey said Visit Pensacola’s marketing

efforts have done well with travel writers because the destination appeals to many audiences represented in travel media — from professional women on girlfriend getaways to couples on romantic vacations to families wanting wholesome fun in a beautiful, relaxing setting. “Our beaches are unlike any others, we have amazing cuisine because of all of the fresh Gulf Coast seafood and Southern flavors, and we have a rich history that is still celebrated along with the vibrancy of our progressive development downtown,” she said. StyleBlueprint blogger Lisa Mowry concurred in her article “48 Hours in Pensacola.” She wrote: “Destinations like Pensacola offer the best of both worlds: long walks on sandy beaches and every ocean activity you can think of, mixed with a dose of city culture.” Candice Walsh of Canadian Traveller, reported, “Pensacola is a wonderfully laid-back, chilled-out town; its diverse culture and coastal lifestyle appeal to many. When you’re done with exploring Pensacola’s natural beauty, hit the downtown core around historic Palafox Street for boutique shopping, gourmet eats and some lively local atmosphere.”

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HERITAGE TOURISM

TIME TRAVEL PENSACOLA EYES GROWTH IN HERITAGE TOURISM MARKET by T.S. STRICKLAND

n April, Pensacola will play host to the inaugural Tall Ships Festival, welcoming a fleet of historic vessels for a three-day celebration of the port city’s storied maritime past. The event, organized by Visit Pensacola, is part of a much larger push to market the city’s historical resources to tourists. This effort comes at a time when downtown Pensacola is growing rapidly and tensions over historic preservation and cultural representation have, at times, run high.

A GROWING MARKET

More than three of every four American leisure travelers will take part in some sort of cultural or heritage activity while

traveling. That’s according to an oft-cited national survey conducted by Mandala Research in 2013. That equates to some 130 million people — and billions of dollars in economic activity. Pensacola, which has long vied with St. Augustine for historical bragging rights, is well-positioned to benefit from these tourists — and their pocketbooks. “It’s a big market,” Visit Pensacola President Steve Hayes said in December, shortly after presenting the results of the organization’s 2017 market perception study.

From left, Trevor Odom, Morgan Churchill, Cole Stevenson and Johnathan Woodward reenact the 1821 transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States as was overseen by Gov. Andrew Jackson.

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Hayes, though optimistic about the potential for growth, was quick to add that the area’s historical resources were not a primary motivator for visitors. The No. 1 reason people visit Pensacola is, and likely always will be, the area’s beaches. “As a key driver, historical offerings and attractions, across all the generations, are a low priority,” Hayes said. The results of Hayes’ study bear that point out. Of more than 1,000 prospective visitors surveyed, only 41 percent listed historical attractions as a key driver in their travel planning process. Still, Hayes said it was crucial to market those assets because they set Pensacola apart from other Gulf Coast beach destinations. “It’s what makes us different, what we can hang our hat on that others can’t,” he said. In that regard, Pensacola still has a ways to go. According to the study, the city still lags behind other Gulf Coast destinations across a range of metrics, and, in terms of historical resources, most visitors still perceive St. Augustine as the more attractive destination, with only 31 percent ranking Pensacola as “very positive” in this regard.

MAKING HISTORY VISIBLE

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, Hayes said. Much of St. Augustine’s history is still visible — a luxury Pensacola does not enjoy. “It’s nice they have a fort that was made of seashells and has lasted,” Hayes said. “Our forts were made of wood, and they’re below the surface.” Overcoming this challenge demands a two-pronged strategy. “You can’t bring the forts above ground,” Hayes said, “but you can tell the stories.” In recent years, this is where Visit Pensacola has placed much of its focus. “We’ve really changed our messaging,” Hayes said. “Before, there was a greater emphasis on just telling the beach story. Now, we’re doing a better job of telling the rest.” Aside from marketing, Hayes said the community needed to find more creative ways of making its history visual. He pointed to the work of the University of West Florida as an example.

PHOTOS BY PAMELA HOMYAK (JACKSONIAN GUARD AND DRUMMERS), DEREK FEREBEE (OFFICER) AND COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA

Reenactors teach the colonial craft of candle dipping at Historic Pensacola Village. Destination marketers consider the city’s history, dating back more than 450 years, a significant economic asset.

The University’s 8-acre downtown campus, known as Historic Pensacola, includes dozens of colonial-era structures, several museums and year-round living history demonstrations. In 2015, UWF unveiled its new interpretive master plan for the campus, which called for $10$15 million in enhancements, all aimed at making the city’s rich history more accessible to residents and tourists. “Our goal in the near future is to put Pensacola on the list of great historic cities in America,” Jerry Maygarden, chairman of the UWF Historic Trust Board, said at the time. “We want visitors to think of us along with cities such as Savannah, Charleston and Gettysburg.” In the two years since, UWF has extended museum hours, expanded its living history programs and added new outdoor

interpretive displays. This year, the Trust also joined with Visit Pensacola to create the Jacksonian Guard, a monthly reenactment of the 1821 transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States, which was overseen by then-Gov. Andrew Jackson. Pensacola tour operator Wesley Odom was a driving force behind the latter effort. Odom, a history buff who has staked his future on the city’s past, founded GoRetro Tours in 2013. He said he’s seen his business increase four-fold in the last two years, driven largely by demand from the heritage tourism sector. Still, challenges remain. Odom said that further growth had been hampered by a shortage of lodging downtown and a lack of connectivity to the tourist mecca of Pensacola Beach. “The beaches are 10 miles from downtown,”

he said, “and another 10 miles from the National Naval Aviation Museum, which is the most popular tourist destination.” A spate of new hotel developments planned for downtown, along with the opening of the Pensacola Bay Ferry Service, should help, Odom said. The walk-on service — which will ferry passengers between downtown, Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore — is expected to begin operation this spring. “Once people visit Pensacola and see how much more there is than just the beach, they will want to explore and return for more,” Odom said.

PRESERVING HERITAGE

If this promise is to be fulfilled, of course, there has to be something to which people can return.

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 9

HERITAGE TOURISM

the house relocated to our property … and will repurpose it as a community asset that tourists will be able to enjoy in 2018,” Reshard said.

The Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center celebrates the racial and cultural diversity of the city’s heritage, while conflicts simmer between historic preservation and building new.

The last five years have brought a surge of new construction in downtown Pensacola. Health-care consultant Quint Studer, alone, has invested some $100 million into the ongoing revitalization of his adopted hometown. Much of this money has gone into adaptive reuse projects that have strengthened the city’s historic fabric. Other developers, eager to cash in on Pensacola’s budding renaissance, haven’t been so sensitive. Tour operator Nic Schuck, like Odom, has bet big on the city’s future as a heritage tourism destination. Now, he sees both promise and risk in the rush toward development. “I think more residents downtown will be huge,“ Schuck said. “... but I’m afraid, if growth is not accomplished slowly and carefully, we may lose our unique culture in exchange for a bland brand that, while it may make money, isn’t anything to be proud of or have any long-standing promise.” Robin Reshard — a film-maker and community activist who has also served on the board of Visit Pensacola — agreed.

“We risk not having a culture, heritage or ‘sense of place’ to celebrate if we don’t figure how to use smart engineering to repurpose our built environment,” she said. Reshard pointed to last year’s demolition of the historic John Sunday House as an example of how to do things the wrong way. The 1901 structure, demolished to make room for a now-scuttled townhome development, had once been home to one of the city’s most prominent African American leaders. The loss, which came after months of public demonstrations and procedural wrangling, inspired Reshard to push back. She and her husband, Lloyd, were the driving force behind the successful relocation this year of the D’Alemberte House, a 19th century cottage that had been threatened by yet-another townhome development. She called that project a “win-win” and a model for how to balance the interests of development and preservation. “Because of (the neighborhood residents’) voices and the willingness of the developers to listen and empathize with the community, we were able to have

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The Sunday House and D’Alemberte House episodes highlighted another fault line in the growth of the heritage tourism sector in Pensacola: the issue of representation. Both homes were located in the Belmont-DeVilliers district, a neighborhood that served as the center of commerce and entertainment for the city’s African-American residents through the Jim Crow era. The district fell on hard times through the latter half of the 20th century, but it has seen a wave of investment in recent years. Now, Reshard and others are working hard to ensure this growth doesn’t come at the expense of the community’s history. “Culture is not monolithic,” Reshard said. “It belongs to us all. If we only celebrate one arc of a circle, then we are not complete. Pensacola has the opportunity to include more voices.” Despite setbacks, the trend lines are positive, Reshard said, and bright spots aren’t hard to find. The UWF Historic Trust partnered with Gulf Power in 2015 to establish the Voices of Pensacola museum with the goal of highlighting the city’s multicultural roots. Visit Pensacola also has tried to introduce more diversity into its marketing efforts. Hayes said the organization’s brochure about multicultural history was its most requested publication this year. Visit Pensacola also highlighted the city’s African-American history in a recent television ad — which featured Reshard. Still, the filmmaker said more remains to be done. “We can include more diverse visuals in our public and private advertising,” she said. “We can be intentional about acknowledging who and what are missing at the table. We can be inclusive in talking about the people who helped to make Pensacola great.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

FULL CIRCLE

ogistics population location distribution industry transportation electricity results certificatio workforce manufacturing red tape experience zoning connection location implementatio iason permitting aviation skill population aviation incentives development expediting water si selection access trained personnel gas acreage ownership logistics workforce red tape locatio ndustry transportation electricity results certification labor water distribution manufacturin zoning connection location experience logistics implementation telecom liason tax developme permitting skill incentives population transportation development expediting access site selectio access trained certification gas acreage owner water site selection access training pers`onnel resul ndustry owner logistics location distribution red tape acreage electricity aviation transportatio results implementation workforce manufacturing zoning connection certification indust ocation distribution electricity certification results workforce manufacturing experience zonin connection site selection red tape industry skill transportation electricity results developme access tax personnel water acreage owner logistics population location distribution skill indust workforce electricity transportation certification results manufacturing red tape experienc zoning connection location implementation liason aviation permitting skill population aviatio ncentives development expediting water access site selection trained personnel gas acreag the red ground running a skilled, ownership logistics Hit workforce tape location industrywith transportation results labor certificatio water distribution manufacturing electricity connection location zoning experience aviatio

Let Us Work for You

motivated, and ready workforce.

Our labor force of over 74,000 puts ready-to-work people in your sights. Plus, with more than 34,000 military retirees, area companies can access the largest concentration of retired military (and their spouses) in the nation. More than anything, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to expanding our workforce through Santa Rosa Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent education system and extensive Career Pathways programs. Low labor costs and a skilled, motivated workforce make Santa Rosa County an ideal partner for growing your business.

Ready to hit the ground running in Northwest Florida? Contact Shannon Ogletree today. (850) 623-0174 â&#x20AC;˘ shannon@santarosa.fl.gov or visit SantaRosaEDO.com 2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 11

STUDER FAMILY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

BY THE NUMBERS

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WILL EXPAND CARE, ADD JOBS

$85 million Cost of the new Studer Family Children’s Hospital

seventy-two

Level II and III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit rooms

$30 million Community’s contribution to cost

Pediatric oncology rooms

Ten Pediatric Intensive Care Unit rooms

Medical/surgical patient rooms included in project

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twenty-eight

Physicians’ specialties represented at existing children’s hospital

PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDER FAMILY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola is expanding its commitment to children’s health with the addition of a new four-story pediatric facility to be known as The Studer Family Children’s Hospital. The hospital, expected to open in 2019, is being built in front of the existing 117-bed Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, which annually serves more than 35,000 patients from Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. It is the only hospital in Northwest Florida dedicated exclusively to children.

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2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 13

HIGHER EDUCATION

SCHOLARSHIP AND SKILLS ON THE RISE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA AND PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION by KARI BARLOW

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PHOTO BY JOHN PERKINS / COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA

igher education is doing its share to put the Pensacola area on the map. For its flagship institutions — the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College — the past year has been marked by major changes. The schools celebrated notable milestones, garnered national recognition and expanded their reach well beyond the borders of Escambia County. PSC kicked off 2017 with a bang when it won the prestigious Bellwether Award in the Instructional Programs and Services category. The college was selected from more than 2,500 initial applicants for its virtual tutoring program, which offers students assistance in math, anatomy, physiology and chemistry. Often described as the Heisman Trophy for colleges, the Bellwether is competitively judged by peers in community colleges across the United States, with no cash award. “I am so proud of the hard work and dedication to our students exhibited by so many of our employees,” PSC President Ed Meadows said. “This project is a prime example of that hard work and dedication that has resulted in significant improvement in retention and grade attainment for our students.” UWF started the year under the new leadership of Martha Saunders, who was officially installed April 2017 as the university’s sixth president. On the athletic front, the UWF’s football team — only in its second year — had a dream season, finishing as the Division II National Runner Up after losing to Texas A&M Commerce in the championship game in December. “This past year has been magical,” Saunders said. “UWF celebrated its 50th anniversary in fine style and charted a bold course for the next 50 years.”

UWF President Martha Saundersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; campaign to recruit top scholars resulted in nine incoming freshmen accepting academic scholarships last fall worth more $50,000 each. From left are Cameron Wakeland, Cara Womacks, Diana Hanks, Dr. Saunders, William Philips, Michaela Folkins, Aleigh Rowe, Hannah Funk, Leah Thornton and Sophia Giddens. Their intended fields of study range from mechanical engineering to social work.

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 15

ALL-AROUND ADVANCEMENT

In June 2017, UWF saw months of hard work pay off when it posted dramatic academic gains, ranking in the top three among all state universities on the Board of Governors Performance Based Funding Metrics. Only one year before, UWF had failed to meet any of the new benchmarks — which include freshman retention rates, academic progress, percentage of students earning bachelor’s degrees without excess hours, the median wages of graduates employed full-time one year after graduation and tuition costs — and missed out on millions in state funding. Under Saunders’ guidance, the university made its greatest improvements in the

“We’ve expanded enrollment in our nursing and health sciences area, and our cyber security program has tripled in enrollment this past year.” In U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2018” rankings, PSC tied for fourth among regional public colleges in the South. It ranked 28th among overall best regional colleges in the South, 147th in best undergraduate engineering programs among national colleges and universities and 11th on the publication’s list of best schools for veterans among national universities. In fall 2017, less than a year after it won the Bellwether Award for virtual tutoring, PSC learned it had also been selected as one

“It was a good year for us. We’ve expanded enrollment in our nursing and health sciences area, and our cyber security program has tripled in enrollment this past year.” Meadows

— PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE PRESIDENT ED MEADOWS

percentage of bachelor’s graduates enrolled in a postgraduate program or employed and earning an annual salary of $25,000 or more — which increased by 6.6 percent to 67.6 percent. Other gains included a 4.7-percent increase in students earning bachelor’s degrees without excess hours for a total of 80.5 percent. The higher ranking netted UWF, which has an enrollment of just under 12,000 students — more than $20 million in additional state funding for the 2017-2018 academic year. “This is great news for UWF and a testimony to the hard work of the entire campus over the past few years,” Saunders said. Saunders said a key factor in the school’s overall improvement was focusing on recruiting students who would be successful at UWF, and in August 2017, UWF welcomed three National Merit Scholars to its freshman class. At PSC, which is home to roughly 26,000 students, the spring and summer 2017 enrollment increased by 4.3 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. Fall enrollment also improved, increasing by 5.4 percent for a fall-to-fall retention rate of 60 percent. “It was a good year for us,” Meadows said.

of 10 finalists for the 2018 Bellwether. This time around, it was the college’s Century Center Mobile Welding Training Program receiving accolades. The program has seen much success, resulting in the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, providing transportation for Century residents to get to those jobs. “It’s really amazing,” Meadows said. “That’s been a blessing for the Century community, which is our poorest area of the county. It has literally lifted up that community and put a lot of people to work.”

MEETING LOCAL NEEDS

Both schools have taken great steps to respond to specific workforce needs of the greater Pensacola area. In June 2017, Saunders and her team debuted the UWF Innovation Network, a program that will launch students into occupations and careers in areas that promote economic recovery, diversification and enhancement. “We are leveraging our current assets in Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach to create unique partnerships through the creation of knowledge clusters in cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and coastal communities,” Saunders said. “Selected academic programs

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are coming together to collaborate with K12, state colleges, community, industry, military, early learning and others to create experiences in living labs to produce big idea projects.” Other examples of progress on UWF’s main Pensacola campus include the opening of its new University Park facility, which will house the dean’s offices of the Usha Kundu, M.D. College of Health, FSU’s regional medical college, and the new football program training rooms. PSC officials, using data collected from analyzing the local and regional labor market, will consider multiple new program offerings. One of those plans would add a cyber forensics concentration to the existing cyber security program, which is growing in popularity and currently has almost 400 students. “It’s a huge and growing workforce need for almost any business, banking, any financial institution,” Meadows said. “This (cyber security) has become a pretty good hub.” PSC also just received a grant to start a truck driver certification program. “There is a huge labor shortage of certified truck drivers, particularly for large firms like J.B. Hunt and Schneider,” Meadows said. Another possible program is an entrepreneurial business degree. “Lots of people have a good idea, but they don’t have the skills and knowledge to actually manage it,” Meadows said. “They don’t know how to write a business plan. They don’t know how to get the financing, and they don’t know how to market it. … I think statistics bear out that those are the kinds of things everyone should have under their belt.” Also on the PSC drawing board are a lineman training program to support cable and power companies and a new retail management apprenticeship. In 2018, PSC will celebrate its 70th anniversary, and Meadows anticipates another exceptional year. Whatever changes come, he added, PSC will remain responsive to its local communities. Saunders echoed those sentiments. “We will continue to press forward as a spirited community of learners,” she said. “UWF will focus on providing high-impact learning experiences so that our students can achieve their educational goals in a timely fashion and move energetically into successful careers.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE

HIGHER EDUCATION

First Place Partners ESCAMBIA/SANTA ROSA

WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE

We have a unique mission — the only organization dedicated to supporting economic development and promoting growth for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

We have a board of directors elected annually by the membership. We have three levels of membership — voting members, associate members and publicly funded organizations. We will be a 100 percent privately funded, 501(C)(6) organization.

We will work closely with Florida West and the Santa Rosa Economic Development Department to provide resources — both financial and intellectual — to support existing business creation and expansion, to attract new business to the area and to be a voice for economic growth. We will work to coordinate efforts and collaborate engagement of government, education and the business community to promote economic growth.

Our 2018 board of directors: Keith Hoskins, President Donnie McMahon, Vice President Ed Carson, Secretary David Bear, Treasurer Kara Cardona Fred Donovan, Jr. Mark Faulkner Donna Tucker Carleton Ulmer

BENEFITS OF JOINING

Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are one Metropolitan Statistical Area — one economy. They have one interstate, one university, one state college, one commercial airport. They have common medical facilities, workforce development organizations and one population that crosses county lines tens of thousands of times a day. Having one economic development support organization not only makes sense, but it also means a much more efficient use of financial resources, talent, site inventory, etc. Bottom line — it means we will be more competitive in growing jobs for the regions.

HOW TO JOIN When you get right down to it, Economic Development is up to us — the people who live, work and play in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Working with government and education, the private business sector has a vital role to play in job attraction, retention and expansion. Now is the time to join First Place Partners, the private sector economic development organization for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Learn more about membership by contacting John Hutchinson at johnlucashutchinson@gmail.com or call (850) 324-0099. 2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 17

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

THE TRIUMPH OF INCENTIVES

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION BREAKS RECORDS, CONTINUES TO EXPAND by ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

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substantial: Today, Navy Federal employs 6,200 workers in Pensacola with a payroll of $270 million. And those jobs offer excellent salaries and benefits. For example, a member service representative earns an average $44,649 in salary and additional cash compensation, above the Florida average. Other benefits at Navy Federal include a 401(k) match, company-paid health insurance for employees and their families, benefits for part-time workers, tuition reimbursement, and onsite amenities including food service and basic health care. Clay Ingram, who represents the area in the state House of Representatives and also serves as president and CEO of the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, characterizes Navy Federal’s investment as a “generational game changer.”

RENDERING COURTESY OF NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

office at the start of the 21st century. What hen it comes to rolling out was not obvious was that the needs of the red carpet for America’s Navy Federal’s customers and the vision veterans, the Emerald Coast of state and local leaders would dovetail takes a back seat to nowhere. Just into a blueprint to bring 10,000 jobs with ask Navy Federal Credit Union, a payroll that will ultimately total $425 the financial services behemoth that found million and a $1 billion capital investment a second home in Escambia County and is into the local economy by 2026. growing by leaps and bounds. Navy Federal opened its Pensacola office Navy Federal is headquartered in in 2003, and the company’s leaders soon Vienna, Virginia, where it was founded at came to appreciate the competence and the height of the Great Depression. At the work ethic of the local workforce, not to end of 1933, Navy Federal had 49 members, mention the weather, the beaches, and the 18 borrowers and assets of $450. From that Southern hospitality for which the Emerald unimaginably modest beginning, Navy Coast is famous. Federal grew exponentially. By 2012, Navy Federal, a perennial ranking Today, Navy Federal is the largest retail member of Fortune Magazine’s annual listing credit union in the United States. It holds of the nation’s best places to work, had earned $88.9 billion in assets and serves 7 1/2 the Sunshine State’s full faith and credit in the million members from its 300 branches form of economic development funding from located throughout the world. the Industry Recruitment, RetenThe campus north of tion & Expansion Fund Grant QUICK FACTS Pensacola is a jewel in the credit Program, which was adminis» Navy Federal Credit union’s crown and a success story Union added 750 tered by the University of West full-time positions in frequently studied by academics, Florida’s Office of Economic the greater Pensacola business people and taxpayers Development and Engagement. area, making 2017 looking to understand the role Grants from the Governor’s another recordQuick Action Closing Fund, loof state and local incentives in breaking year. cal tax abatements and Escamgrowing the economy. » NFCU holds $88.9 bia County’s economic developPensacola’s military bases billion in assets and ment incentive program followed. made Escambia County an serves 7.5 million The return on investment is obvious location for a small members globally.

The Phase 2 expansion at Navy Federal Credit Union calls for two new office buildings, an amenities building, two parking decks, additional equipment in the existing Central Energy Plant, plus connecting bridges, roads and walking paths.

“It’s hard to even put into words what it means to us long term to have an employer of that scale employing people,” he said. Navy Federal added 750 full-time positions in the greater Pensacola area last year, making “2017 another record-breaking year for Navy Federal, and that’s due in part to the success we’ve had in Northwest Florida,” said Bill Pearson, the credit union’s public relations specialist in corporate communications. “We continue to recruit and hire the cream of the crop from across the Panhandle and that has allowed us to not only maintain but improve our member service.” Also in 2017, Navy Federal started the Talent Optimization Pipeline course, a yearlong pilot program that successfully trained eight entry-level employees to fill badly needed positions in IT services.

Heading into 2018, the credit union’s Pensacola plans call for a major expansion in the national call center, as well as beefing up regional capacity in lending, mortgage loan processing and information technology. The credit union’s rapid expansion is causing some growing pains in Pensacola, and beyond. “We’ve become much more regionally codependent because we need to get people to and from there and other places where there are high concentrations of employees,” said Ingram, a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee. “It has absolutely played into our strategy of how to fund and maintain the transportation infrastructure.” The need for a trained workforce is presenting additional challenges, which the leadership of Navy Federal and three of

the region’s other large employers — Gulf Power, Baptist Health Care and Sacred Heart Health System — are addressing with the creation of Achieve Escambia. The initiative attempts to align efforts from “cradle to career” to assure the next generation is well educated and work ready. They understand the current program as it sits probably couldn’t crank out the workforce they need, so they took the bull by the horns and have become part of the solution … rather than just complain there’s not a large enough workforce,” Ingram said. “The complaint I’ve heard … since I was a kid is that companies won’t come here because we don’t have a large enough trained workforce. So, not only is it helping those four companies … but I think it will help everyone to have a real focus on workforce education training.”

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 19

NAS PENSACOLA

ON LAND AND AT SEA NAS PENSACOLA ADDS TWO CUTTERS, GIANT SOLAR FARM, CYBERSECURITY PARTNERSHIPS by MICHAEL MOLINE

Gulf Power Co. and solar-energy developer Coronal Energy built a 366-acre, 50-megawatt solar farm at NAS Pensacola’s Saufley Field and two smaller ones at Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach and Holley Field in Navarre. The 940 acres of solar panels generate up to 120 megawatts of domestic energy, enough to power 18,000 homes at once.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF U.S. COAST GUARD ATLANTIC AREA (DECISIVE) AND CORONAL ENERGY / CORONALENERGY.COM

he Coasties are coming. They’re the 152 officers and crew members aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutters Decisive and Dauntless, due to make their home port at the Pensacola Naval Air Station by August, expanding the military’s already considerable presence in the local economy. That’s not all. Military-support organizations including the Florida Defense Alliance and a new group, the First Place Partnership, have been hard at work building bridges between local businesses and the military, which contributes an estimated $7.8 billion in total economic impact to the region. Apart from the impending arrival of those ships, recent milestones include development of a massive solar generation facility on military land plus a cybersecurity initiative.

Coast Guard Cutter Decisive, which will homeport in Pensacola later this year with Cutter Dauntless, patrols near a drilling rig that helped end the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

2018 E S C A M B I A C O U N T Y B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L / 21

NAS PENSACOLA

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Keith Hoskins, the former commander of NAS Pensacola who chairs the partnership, is so bullish on the area that he retired there in 2016. “I saw a lot of growth potential here,” Hoskins said. “There’s just a lot of great things going on in Northwest Florida. You’re starting to see organizations getting more synchronized, getting more collaborative, more aligned. I still feel like I’m a public servant. I want to give back to the communities that I live in.” Hosting the 210-foot cutters will require additional investment in improvements to docking facilities. The ships will conduct anti-drug, search-and-rescue and maritime law enforcement missions and will search for undocumented immigrants. They will join the 225-foot buoy tender Cypress, already homeported in Pensacola. Capt. Keith Hoskins, commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola, delivers remarks at the National Naval Aviation Museum during Naval Air Station Pensacola’s 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony.

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PHOTO BY MIKE O’CONNOR / RELEASED (HOSKINS) AND MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS TAYLOR L. JACKSON / RELEASED

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, of Miami, speaks with staff and students at the Center for Information Warfare Training at Corry Station, Pensacola NAS, which is working with private interests to create a “Pensacola Cyber Coast.”

“This is incredible news for Pensacola and for all Northwest Floridians,” U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said in announcing the move last June. “Not only is Northwest Florida gaining 152 new families, but the safety and security of the Emerald Coast and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico is significantly enhanced.” Such decisions are made at high levels in the Department of Defense, said Debi Graham, an Air Force brat who serves as vice president for armed-services relations with the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce. The business community’s role is to be welcoming and to help clear any obstacles including encroaching development that might compromise the military’s missions, she said. “Even if you don’t know specifically which areas are being relocated, it’s important to create a military-friendly environment,” Graham said. “So when those opportunities come along, the community is ready for them.”

Helping to do just that is the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, which draws upon city, county and private funding to promote industrial expansion in Escambia County, including efforts to leverage the military presence into private investment. On its website, the alliance notes that more than 35,000 military veterans call the area home, and more join the private economy every day. Counting military, civilian and defense industry workers, the sector contributes more than 80,000 jobs. “These professionals are educated, disciplined, technically proficient self-starters, the type of employees that all leaders want in their companies,” the alliance says. NAS Pensacola is renowned as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation” and still maintains programs training pilots and aviation systems specialists who also participate in air sorties. The Air Force trains many of its such specialists in the area, too. Beyond that, “basically, all of the Navy’s

aviation maintenance training goes on here,” Graham said. “That’s the largest part of this. Those are weapons folks. Those are mechanics, firefighters, flight control, engine repair — anything that would tie into aviation on a carrier or in a flight squadron is done here. We have a massive resource, not only of the students coming through but also the instructors.”

CYBERWARRIORS

Then there’s the Center for Information Warfare Training at Corry Station, the “cradle of cryptology,” which is training a new generation of cyberwarriors for the Navy and other armed services. The economic implications are clear. “Those are highly desirable skill sets. If you’re looking to expand into aviation manufacturing or repair, those are the folks you want to hang on to,” Graham said. “A senior enlisted person who leaves after 25 years in the military, they may only be only 45 years old. Many of them are going

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to start a second career. They have very advanced skill sets. The University of West Florida is expanding some of their programs in those areas, and Pensacola State College too. Those are areas where we definitely see potential.” FloridaWest is among the organizations attempting to spin off the Navy’s cybersecurity infrastructure to create a “Pensacola Cyber Coast,” with a strategic plan launched in October to “become a regional and national leader in cybersecurity.” Roughly 500 local companies engage in cybersecurity, information technology, aerospace and defense, and the Department of Homeland Security also maintains a presence. UWF hopes to develop a $27.5 million technical campus on 9 acres of cleared land to house training facilities including a Cybersecurity Innovation Center. The United States faces a deficit of at least 1 million cybersecurity experts, according to Brigadier General Gregory Touhill, the nation’s first chief information security officer. “The region’s industry is already heavily invested in information technology and digital operational technology,” Touhill wrote for a strategic plan report. “I am confident that with its strong, smart and hardworking people, bountiful resources, and drive for excellence that the Cyber Coast is well on its way to vaulting to national prominence.” The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency both support UWF’s efforts. In addition, Graham, at the Chamber of Commerce, has been encouraging local public safety agencies to work when possible with the military in joint training to respond to emergencies. And Gulf Power Co., where Hoskins is a vice president, collaborated with solar energy provider Coronal Energy to construct three solar farms on 940 acres owned by the Department of Defense, including the NAS’s Saufley Field. Together, the facilities can generate enough power to light 18,000 homes while promoting renewable energy and grid resilience. The juice began flowing in August. “It’s one of the largest solar projects east of the Mississippi,” Hoskins said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of rich history in West Florida with the community and the military,” he said. “We’re looking for some opportunities for how we can enhance that and build those partnerships.”

PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS TAYLOR L. JACKSON/RELEASED

Cryptologic Technician 1st Class Brandon Janice gives instructions during a CyberThon event to introduce high school and college students to the field of cyberdefense.

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PORT PENSACOLA

REINVENTING THE PORT OF PENSACOLA DEPRESSED OIL MARKET FUELS NEW DIRECTION — TOWARD SCIENCE, RESEARCH by KARI C. BARLOW In recent years, the majority of the port’s vessel dockage days were from offshore oil and gas rigs as well as well and pipeline construction vessels heading in for project mobilizations, project demobilizations and top-side repair and maintenance work, Miller said. “When the oil market collapsed, new exploration of offshore subsea oilfields halted and production slowed,” she said. “This meant there was no work for those vessels that had been coming into port to load up for jobs or unload left-over materials from completed jobs. Further, with no jobs in sight, the vessel owners didn’t want to spend available capital on maintenance and repair work that could be deferred until market conditions improve. With those vessels no longer coming into port, total vessel dockage days fell dramatically.”

A HYBRID PORT

To combat the downward trend, Miller and her staff are heavily focused on generating new revenue streams. “We are out there marketing and doing what we can to attract new customers,” she said. “It’s a little bit of everything. There are major industry conferences we go to on the cargo side and the offshore side. … We make sure we stay in constant contact with all our local manufacturers, and we stay in contact with all the ships’ agents, all the way from New Orleans to Panama City. … This port frequently ships lumber, so by experience, I

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know who most of the lumber brokers are in the Southeast.” Still, the persistent losses have begun to change the way Pensacola officials view the port. When viewed in its current state, the operation’s appeal is less apparent. When viewed simply as prime real estate — roughly 50 acres of restricted land and 30 acres unrestricted — its potential seems limitless. In the past year, the port’s dwindling revenues have prompted city officials to question not only its value and relevance but also the possibility of using the waterfront property in new ways. Assistant City Administrator Keith Wilkins said the goal must be transitioning the port into the future.

“This past fiscal year was the worst I’ve ever seen in my 25-plus-year career.” — PORT DIRECTOR AMY MILLER “The port has been profitable for the past 13 or 14 years,” he said. “Petroleum being down is kind of out of our control, but what we can do to make it more profitable?” Miller said the solution lies in a blend of the old and the new. “I don’t believe that we abandon cargo,” she said. “We have local and regional shippers who rely on this port, and I think it’s important for the economy of our region.”

PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

lummeting oil prices continue to take a toll on operations tied to global petroleum, and the Port of Pensacola is not spared, necessitating new thinking. “This past fiscal year was the worst I’ve ever seen in my 25-plus-year career,” said Port Director Amy Miller. “The negative effects of the depressed oil market on Port of Pensacola were, in my mind, second only to negative impacts of the 1998 crash of the Russian ruble on the Port of Gulfport’s export poultry business.” In the past year, city officials have seen the port’s revenues fall significantly — along with hopes of expanding into the offshore oil and gas sector. Though annual revenue fluctuates, depending on specific cargo volumes moved by customers and any grants awarded to the port, it generally ranges from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. For 2017, total revenues were $1.6 million with $1.24 million generated from port operations and $360,000 in grant receipts. That’s down from 2016 when annual revenue totaled $2.6 million with $1.85 million generated from port operations and $750,000 in grant receipts. “For the first time in a long time, we had to take money out of reserves,” Miller said. The port generates revenue from three sources — vessel and dockage fees, wharf fees charged on cargo moving through the facility and facility-use fees, which includes rent on warehouses — and the flat oil market is affecting each one.

Pensacola Port Director Amy Miller forecasts a hybrid future for the port: continued but reduced cargo operations and redevelopment of the portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land, parking lots and warehouse space for marine-related science and research.

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PORT PENSACOLA

The port’s traditional roles of moving cargo and servicing vessels that explore for oil in the Gulf of Mexico are diminishing, while the port’s value as real estate is drawing attention.

Along with Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, Miller also supports the emerging “hybrid port” concept. “Over the coming years, I believe you will see the port undergo a transformation that will allow continued international shipping and international trade activity at the commercial docks and warehouses but which will transition the remainder of the port’s assets — many of which are currently underutilized — to new, more diversified uses,” she said. To that end, the city is currently looking at the potential redevelopment of the port’s available land, parking lots and one 43,000-square-foot warehouse being considered for a new marine research center headed by the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

One of the first tangible examples of Pensacola embracing the hybrid port concept is the city’s November application to Triumph Gulf Coast for $15 million in BP oil-spill money to house the Northwest Center for Dynamic Ocean Technologies at Port of Pensacola Warehouse 4. The CDOT’s scope of work is broad, ranging from the ocean technologies needed to test the complexity of ecosystems to actual ocean research innovations in aquaculture and the control of invasive species. Half of the $15 million would be used to rehab the port warehouse with a new roof and other repairs and build a berth for docking research vessels. The remainder would fund the program’s research functions. Another $8 million from several of the CDOT’s 13 partners— City of Pensacola, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, University of West Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, Cobalt Intelligence LLC, Pensacola Bay Oyster Company, Pensacola State College, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Naval Experimental

Dive Unit, Air Force Research Laboratory and Visit Pensacola—brings the project’s total price tag to $23 million. “The repurposing of the warehouse facility with cutting-edge science and research to innovate and develop ocean technologies benefits the city, county and Northwest Florida through high-wage job creation, career pathways and internships, technology transfer, private sector investments and small company spinoffs,” said Julie Sheppard, general counsel for the IHMC. Sheppard said the CDOT’s initial job creation includes 25 immediate jobs with salaries ranging from $60,000 to $150,000. Work on the project is ongoing, and the center is expected to be up and running 9 to 12 months after receiving funding approval, she added.

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Wilkins agreed, calling the CDOT, which would sit on the extreme northwest corner of the port, “a perfect fit.” “Any kind of research and development direction is a good direction for us to go,” he said. “It’s clean industry, high-paying jobs, and it’s a perfect re-use right there on the water.” Miller agreed, adding that she remains hopeful cargo activity will rebound but, meanwhile, she is excited to see new ventures at the port. “I’m enthusiastic that pursuing the kind of diversified, hybrid port development that the mayor supports … a robust mix of business types and activities that, ultimately, will improve the port’s financial position and sustainability,” she said.

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

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MARITIME PARK

MARITIME PARK IS HOME RUN FOR DOWNTOWN WAHOOS AND MORE SCORE WELL FOR PUBLIC, PRIVATE INVESTORS

or nearly 40 years after a fire destroyed the Frisco Docks, their location off Main Street on the edge of Pensacola Bay remained dormant. Oh, how that has changed. And the remarkable transition into the 32-acre Vince Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park sparked a rebirth of downtown Pensacola that is still in progress. The park contains the Hunter Amphitheater, Exhibition Grounds, Rotary Centennial Playground and Blue Wahoos Stadium. Built from 2009 to 2012 at a cost of $53 million, Maritime Park was honored in 2016 with an Urban Land Institute North Florida “Open Space” award. “Certainly, I can say the impact of the entire park and the stadium has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Pensacola City Administrator Eric Olson. “If you think of Pensacola as a brand and how are we perceived by people who are outside of our community,” Olson added, “now people think of Pensacola as a quality place: ‘Hey it’s got something to offer to people of all ages.’” In fiscal year 2017, 34 events were hosted at Hunter Amphitheater, Exhibition Grounds and Rotary Centennial Playground, according to Tonya Vaden, Pensacola city marketing director. Those included concerts, outdoor movies and running and fitness events. CPA Mandy Bills, the city’s business process review manager, said general fund revenues from Maritime Park for fiscal year 2017 totaled $810,735, with capital maintenance and repair fund revenues totaling $169,417. It adds up to $980,152,

“We have big amenities of cities that are much larger. The Wahoos play a very, very prominent role in that, and they are situated to have a very dominant place in the downtown culture.” — CURT MORSE, PENSACOLA DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT BOARD with the Blue Wahoos accounting for $765,637 of that. Growth in taxable property value attributed to the park is greater still. “The growth in the taxable value of property within the CRA Urban Core area since the Maritime Park was opened in 2012 is approximately 20 percent,” Bills stated. “While the Maritime Park was not the only factor that contributed to this increase, it was one of the catalysts that helped fuel the growth.” Bills added that $45.64 million of Redevelopment Revenue Bonds that were issued by the City of Pensacola to finance the construction of Maritime Park will be paid off in April 2040. Worth noting is that Randall K. and Martha A. Hunter donated $600,000 toward construction of the amphitheater. Which brings us to the major tenant of Community Maritime Park – the Pensacola Blue Wahoos minor league baseball team. The ballpark was financed as part of the Community Maritime Park project, for which the City of Pensacola issued the $45.64 million in bonds in December 2009. Additionally, a federal New Market Tax

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Credit allocation that was awarded was sold for $12 million. Overall, owners Quint and Rishy Studer invested $17.5 million in bringing minor league baseball to Pensacola. That included $3 million toward building the $18 million ballpark. “What the Wahoos did is they created a neighborhood,” Studer said. “There are so many relationships that are connected, so many people see each other at the ballpark, and I think the ballpark has become a special neighborhood for the community, and that’s what we wanted it to be.” With a seating capacity of 5,038, Blue Wahoos Stadium is the smallest in the 10-team Class AA Southern League. The population of the Pensacola area (including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties) is the third-smallest market in the league. All of which makes yearly attendance figures of more than 300,000 something impressive. The Wahoos led the Southern League in their 2012 debut, averaging 4,826 fans per game. From 2013 to 2016, Pensacola was second overall in attendance each season. In 2017 the Wahoos were fourth, averaging 4,296 per game. Such numbers evidently impressed Bubba Watson, a PGA tour star and two-time Masters champion who grew up next door in Santa Rosa County. Recently he moved to Pensacola and purchased a 10% share of the Wahoos. The stadium’s bar and restaurant was renamed Bubba’s Sand Trap. Watson told CNN: “Ever since I went to my first Blue Wahoos game, I have been a big fan. I love the atmosphere. It’s such a great place to go with friends and family.” But the 70 baseball games during the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PENSACOLA

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

Maritime Park on Pensacola Bay includes Blue Wahoos Stadium, Hunter Amphitheater, Exhibition Grounds and Rotary Centennial Playground. The park attracts locals and visitors downtown, where they also are choosing to dine, shop and visit museums, galleries and historic sites.

summer represent less than half the events that are held year-round at the stadium. “We host roughly 150 events a year,” said Jonathan Griffith, executive vice president for the Wahoos. “Our goal is to always have people down there and make it exactly what it was supposed to be, a multi-use stadium. It can be anything and everything.” That includes football games played by the University of West Florida, Field of Screams Haunted House, Soul Bowl, Flag Football, Autism Pensacola Event and Green Egg Fest. The Wahoos also hosted an inaugural Kazoo’s New Year’s Celebration featuring the popular Pelican Drop. “I think the entire idea of the ballpark was to get people downtown,” Griffith said. “We have only 260 parking spots for a 5,000seat stadium, and the reason for that was we wanted people to park downtown, eat downtown and drink downtown.” In May 2017, Visit Pensacola, the area’s tourism marketers, released its first “Value of Visitors” Escambia County report, conducted by Majority Opinion Research. That report stated that in 2016, more than

2 million visitors spent nearly $800 million dollars and paid nearly $22 million in taxes to the county. “Over the past three to five years we’ve seen some incredible growth,” said Nicole Stacey, director of marketing and development for Visit Pensacola. “With the stadium and the Maritime Park, it just helps drive that foot traffic,” Stacey said. “When you’re downtown for a game, before or after, you can check out our restaurants, historic museums and all kinds of things that are very walkable.” Curt Morse, executive director of the Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board, offered a similar assessment. “This little town that had great curb appeal that drew in a few visitors is now this more polished city that offers more and better amenities,” Morse said. “People are actually coming here with intention, and not just because their favorite place in Destin was booked or it’s too crowded on the beaches in South Walton County.” Visiting Pensacola has become an “entire experience,” according to Morse.

“You can come spend a few days at the beach, then come into town and catch a great game and have an exceptional culinary experience,” he said, “and if you’re into the nightlife, there’s plenty of that here too. So it’s really the fulfillment of our community growing into this more refined place.” And the impact of Community Maritime Park and the Wahoos? “Oh, huge — huge,” Morse replied without hesitation. “Here we have a city of just under 55,000 people and the MSA (metropolitan population) in the neighborhood of 240,000. But we have big amenities of cities that are much larger. The Wahoos play a very, very prominent role in that, and they are situated to have a very dominant place in the downtown culture.” Rusty Branch, executive director of the Escambia County Destination Marketing Organization, grew up several counties away in Marianna and pitched at the University of West Florida. “When you’re talking about the quality of a place, it’s all the amenities,” Branch said, “and one of the big amenities added in the past five years is the Wahoos.”

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You Should’ve Seen It

DAMSEL IN DISTRESS This buckle depicts a trout rising to devour a damselfly.

Apalachicola resident Mark Goodwin discusses art and fish By Kim Harris Thacker

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK GOODWIN

all, with his ginger hair pulled back in a long ponytail, metal artist Mark Goodwin looks every bit the Scots-Irishman. It doesn’t come as a surprise, then, to learn about the events that led him to the forge in the first place. “About 10 years ago, I bought a kilt,” he says. “And when you get a kilt, you have to have a belt, a buckle, a sporran, special socks, flashes and the bonnet or hat. One thing that I looked for and couldn’t find was an artisan-made belt buckle. All I found was factory made: cheap metal, chrome plated. So I decided to make a buckle for myself.” Before that time, Goodwin’s experience with molten metal had been minimal: just light repairs and some brazing. “Certainly nothing artistic,” he said. “But I made a kilt buckle, and then I made two or three and then people started to ask me where I got them. One thing led to another, and now I’m selling them around the world.” Goodwin first cuts out the shape of the animal that will be featured on the buckle. Usually the animal is made from nickel, but sometimes it’s red brass or copper. “Then I solder the animal to the brass — it’s not glued on,” Goodwin says. “It should never come off, as long as it’s never exposed to more than 400 degrees. If you’re wearing your belt at 400 degrees, you’ve got other troubles.”

The other product Goodwin crafts is a more artistic buckle, made from five different metals: bronze, copper, pewter, brass and nickel. The front of each buckle features a bronze animal in a field of pewter, the back is brass and the attachments are nickel. Any gemstones on the front are set into copper bezels. “I made a trout rising to eat a piece of turquoise — you know how a damselfly is a turquoise color — and I call it, ‘Having a Damsel for Dinner,’” Goodwin said. Goodwin likes to work with a specific alloy of pewter that looks like sterling silver. Because alloys are combinations of metals, the pewter Goodwin uses doesn’t have a single melting point; rather, it has a melting range. “In the process of assembling all these different metals, the pewter has to be soldered to the brass, and the nickel or bronze has to be soldered into the pewter,” Goodwin says. “You use two different solders for that. So you’ve got three or four metals, two solders and about 30 seconds to make it all come together.” If it sounds dangerous, that’s because it is. “You have to keep things dry. Anything wet will make steam, and that will create a bubble that will pop and spew molten metal, like a volcano,” Goodwin said. Most of his customers come to him via the web. He has a website with an online store, and a couple of well-known fish blogs, including MidCurrent, also mention his work from time to time. In addition, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust carries his buckles in their online store.

Goodwin has buckles featuring bonefish, pompano, permit, redfish, tarpon, salmon, bass, trout, flying ducks, pheasants, swimming geese, quail and deer antlers. He pauses to consider one with a brass turkey track — “or it could be a quail or pheasant track,” he allowed, “because they’re all in the same family. The only difference is size, not shape.” That’s the veterinarian coming out in Goodwin. “I was in a small-animal practice for two years, and then I went back to graduate school and got a masters degree in population medicine and a PhD in veterinary pathology,” he says. “I did some teaching, but my primary responsibilities were diagnostics and applied research.” Goodwin especially knows his fish. He and his wife, Carol, have fished all around the world: for pike in Ireland, salmon in Alaska and peacock bass in South America. In 1992, they were featured in TIME magazine, in a piece about frontier fishing. Recently, they traveled to Antarctica, and this summer, they will fish on the west coast of Norway and in Iceland and the Arctic. Perhaps, when the winter months have come once again and Goodwin is back in his workshop, he’ll craft a belt buckle that pays tribute to the fish he caught on his trip to the Norwegian Sea. After all, every kilt-wearer ought to have a “codpiece.”

To learn more about Mark Goodwin’s artisan belt buckles and his and Carol’s adventures in fishing, visit Mark’s website, tygerforge.com.

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His Sauce is Boss Abandoned lab kick-starts entrepreneurial success By Steve Bornhoft

here is a reason that Matt Anderson looks like he may have eaten a couple of windshields. But, these days, he says, he has taken his hands off the wheel. No longer does he approach life as if it were a contest and he the perennial underdog. Oh, he’s still driving, but he has learned to trust that good things will happen if you just permit them to. Sometimes, it’s best not to force the action and to rely on faith, instead. This transformational softening has been influenced by an abandoned black lab that presented itself one day three years ago at Anderson’s home in Callaway, near Panama City. Perhaps the animal somehow sensed that Anderson had owned labs before. “He approached me while I was sitting outside on the phone and he sniffed me and I touched his nose and he backed off and then he came back to me and I petted the top of his head and he hopped in my lap and gave me a kiss and it was all over,” Anderson said.

INSPIRED BY A BARON Former P.I. Matt Anderson invented a shrimp marinade and rub that he named after the regal-looking dog that adopted him. He donates part of the proceeds to Lucky Puppy Rescue in Bonifay.

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Photos by MICHAEL BOOINI

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Some months prior to the dog’s arrival, Anderson traveled to Africa. In so doing, Anderson traced the steps of his father, who made several trips to Africa with Baron Werner von Alvensleben, a German aristocrat who escaped imprisonment in Zimbabwe during World War II, hiked to Mozambique and later earned an international reputation as a guide. Because the dog had a regal look about him and given Anderson’s connection to Africa, “Baron” came to mind as the name most fitting for his new pet. Soon, this black dog began to lead Anderson from the shadowy side of life he had inhabited for many years as a private investigator into a new light of possibility.

Anderson had begun to think about taking to market a shrimp marinade that he created after first experiencing barbecue shrimp in New Orleans some 25 years ago. “I was working a case over there, and a sous chef let me in on some shrimp seasoning basics,” Anderson recalls. “I played around and developed my own marinade and recipe. I served it to friends for years and everyone who had it raved about it, so I figured either I was doing something right or a lot of people were lying to me.” In the spring of 2015, Anderson decided to find out if he could compete with Old Bay, Cavender’s, Emeril, Prudhomme and the like. He hooked up with a manufacturer in Texas, Pendery’s, and determined

TWO OLD SOULS Anderson felt a kinship with Baron the first time the stray lab approached him at his home in Callaway.

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that his product would be known as Baron’s BBQ Shrimp Marinade and would feature a photo of his dog on the label. He dove into shoe-leather marketing, going door to door. And he met with enough success — the Tarpon Dock Seafood Market and Howell Tackle, both in Panama City, were his first customers — that he decided to go after much bigger game. In January, he landed Publix stores as a “Florida local project” and Baron’s is now in 322 locations — from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Key West. He has landed the holy grail of wholesalers, a Walmart vendor number, and has his eye on Lucky’s Markets and Bass Pro Shops. The product was launched on Walmart’s website a day before Thanksgiving. “Ever since Baron came into my life, the blessings have kept on coming,” Anderson said. “He showed up for a reason.” He likes to refer to the dog as his seasoning company’s CEO and has found him confidence inspiring. Sales volume has grown steadily, Anderson freshened his website earlier this year and he has learned that his marinade is being used in ways he never had thought about. “People are putting it on popcorn,” Anderson said. “I heard from some ol’ boys down on the (Apalachicola) river that they are using the marinade on their fried catfish. Now, that’s a pretty nice endorsement; they don’t mess around.” Anderson anticipates that he will build on the success he experienced in 2017 and that sales will begin to increase exponentially. “I’m not afraid of the big boys,” he said. “I don’t take anything away from them and I have to charge a little more because I don’t enjoy the economies of scale that they do — I mean Emeril is a gazillionaire — but my product is worth it. Its richness and complexity (it is made up of 14 different spices) distinguishes it from the rest.” And there is this: Anderson donates a percentage of proceeds from the sale of his product to Lucky Puppy Rescue in Bonifay, Florida. The CEO wouldn’t have it any other way. For any aspiring entrepreneur, Anderson has demonstrated that well-calculated risks pay off, giving begets getting and people can change. And, a gentle nudge from a wet nose doesn’t hurt.

Photo by MICHAEL BOOINI

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Industrial Meets Cool Modern Shipping container apartments on track for Tallahassee’s Railroad Avenue By Erin Hoover

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big change is coming to the high-visibility intersection of Gaines Street and Railroad Avenue. In November, construction began on The Freight Yard, a mixed-use residential and commercial project that aims for a small carbon footprint. The complex will be powered by solar panels and planted with greenery native to North Florida. But it’s The Freight Yard’s building materials that have attracted the most attention: The 28 units, as well as the firstfloor retail spaces, will be built entirely of used shipping containers. Welded of heavy-duty aluminum or steel and necessarily built to be tough, the uniformity of shipping containers allows them to be moved

RENDERING COURTESY OF PAUL BRADSHAW

REPURPOSING Retired shipping containers are the building blocks for The Freight Yard, a mixed-use development that is coming together at the intersection of Gaines Street and, appropriately, Railroad Avenue in Tallahassee.

“ … WE GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE WITH THEIR WALLETS, TO RENT FROM A PLACE THAT ADDRESSES GLOBAL WARMING.” PAUL BRADSHAW, THE INVESTOR BEHIND THE FREIGHT YARD lobbying firm with offices in five states, and he and his wife, Sally, own several commercial tracts in Tallahassee known as Blue Dog Investments. He’s also a big fan of upcycling. “The ultimate upcycling tack is to take a shipping container that carries Happy Meal toys from China to America, and to turn it into one of the building blocks of everyday life,” he said. The Bradshaws also raise rare chicken breeds on a farm in Havana, Florida. The farm is solar-powered and features a small office building built using a shipping container.

UNUSUAL MATERIALS

seamlessly between ships, trucks and trains. Around 17 million containers are in circulation right now, according to the World Shipping Council, transporting almost any type of goods or materials you can imagine. When sending a shipping container back to its port of origin is too costly, it sits unused and empty — the fate of millions of containers in a global economy. Repurposing them has therefore become one of the principal symbols of upcycling: creating an object of greater value from something worth less. Paul Bradshaw, the investor behind The Freight Yard, is a familiar name in Tallahassee. He founded the Southern Strategy Group, a

Blue Dog Investments purchased 1.5 acres of Railroad Avenue real estate in July 2016. Soon after, Bradshaw hosted a “charrette” — an architectural planning meeting — with community members to gain input on the project. “We talked about what could happen there that would make people not just comfortable, but proud,” Bradshaw said. “We wanted to do a project that people would look at, not just in Tallahassee but around the country and globe, and say, ‘that’s how projects should be built.’ But I also think there is a value-add that the market is going to respond to … We give the opportunity for people to vote with their wallets, to rent from a place that addresses global warming.” Bradshaw hired Phoenix-based architect Wes James to design The Freight Yard. When he was first approached to build a project in Phoenix three years ago, James explained, there was no U.S. precedent for multifamily homes built using shipping containers. “You’ll see a ton of projects online that have crazy cantilevers, but most of those are renderings of custom-built homes that are above market rate,” he said. “There’s a big disparity between what you see online and what you can afford to build.” Unusual building materials can represent challenges in meeting building codes and financing. “We build our projects

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just like any other commercial building, we’re built to code like any other project. But banks don’t know what to make of shipping container projects,” James said. He continued, “That’s one of the reasons we did apartments. Apartments are a stepping stone to creating condos or a townhome model with shipping containers.” The Freight Yard therefore gets shipping container housing closer to the mainstream. Though it costs more to build with shipping containers than with concrete or stucco, Bradshaw believes that interest is there. “Your housing choice is the single biggest choice you can make when it comes to the environment,” he said.

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ELEVATIONS Renderings illustrate the apartments and commercial spaces that will make up The Freight Yard development in Tallahassee. The 12 apartments that comprise the first phase of the project are scheduled for completion in June.

The outsides of the shipping containers are sandblasted to look rough, while the inside experience is designed to mimic a luxury apartment in New York City, he said. “The ceilings are tall, the appliances are expensive but efficient. You have the rough industrial exterior and the cool modern interior,” Bradshaw said. The Freight Yard will also have some of the largest one-bedroom, one-bath apartments in the area, noted Bradshaw, at 700 square feet.

LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT In addition to material reuse, several other aspects of The Freight Yard contribute to a lower carbon footprint. The Freight Yard will have “one of the biggest solar arrays in Tallahassee,” Bradshaw said. The location of the project also makes it appealing to people who would like to walk or bike instead of drive — its website touts The Freight Yard’s proximity to FSU, FAMU,

state offices, Domi Station, Cascades Park and Railroad Square. As for the retail space, Bradshaw has committed to renting to local businesses. “You’re not going to see a national chain,” he said. The Freight Yard’s location and design is intended to attract notice. “Our previous shipping container projects were more introverted,” said Wes James. “The Freight Yard is open-facing to the neighborhood. The balconies face the streets; the commercial development is all open to the street in the second phase of the project.” And yet it’s not a high-rise, James noted. “We wanted to keep it in scale for the neighborhood. Not just Tallahassee, but All Saints.” Phase One of The Freight Yard — the first 12 apartments — will be completed by June 2018. “If the market responds well, we’ll immediately gear up for the second phase,” Bradshaw said.

RENDERINGS COURTESY OF PAUL BRADSHAW

Brandy Reinhart, whom Bradshaw hired to design the apartment interiors, extended the upcycling concept to the interior of the container apartments by avoiding the use of new raw materials wherever possible. Key design flourishes also signal the imperative of creative reuse. For example, Reinhart’s plans call for mounting components cut out from the body of the container inside each apartment, for countertops of recycled pulp paper, and plywood floors finished with epoxy resin. “I didn’t want the outside to be a shipping container, and the inside to look like every other place in Tallahassee,” she said. “Hopefully developers see it, homeowners see it, and they see that [the shipping container home] can be impressive and luxurious and nice.” Reinhart’s design decisions were also intended to appeal to the high-end market, with smart electrical systems and luxury appliances such as a true countertop-depth refrigerator. Associating shipping containers with luxury would seem to be paradoxical, but Bradshaw has suggested that “differential between the exterior experience and the internal arrival” is what makes the project cool.

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Northern Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties and Holmes, Washington, Calhoun, Jackson + Liberty Counties

A Graceville Plenty Rivalry restaurants server diners’ palates well

few thousand people live in the Jackson County town of Graceville, a stone’s throw from the Alabama state line. “I tell people I meet who don’t know Graceville that we’re south of Dothan, Alabama,” said Graceville city clerk Michelle Watkins. When Watkins and her husband, Tony, went on a cruise to Alaska, she was prepared to use this geographical locator. But at least one fellow passenger she met, from Mobile, was already familiar. “He said, ’Oh, I know Graceville! I’ve eaten shrimp there,” Watkins remembered. In fact, two seafood restaurants in Graceville do a bustling business and have been go-to destinations in the Panhandle and Southern Alabama for generations. Circle Grill and Grady’s Seafood share a city block and a 70-year history, and each boasts loyal customer bases willing to drive from other towns in Florida or Alabama for their fried shrimp. “With the Alabama folks, we have a certain following, and Grady’s has a certain following,” said Kelly Register, who manages Circle Grill for her father, owner Phil Register. “We’ve got ours who won’t go there, they’ve got theirs who won’t come here. The local people kind of go back and forth between us — we’re all from here.”

JUST FRYERS AND A GRIDDLE Businessman Davis Tindell opened Circle Grill in 1948. The Tindells were an established family in Graceville, and David

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Tindell owned several businesses in town, Register said. “I was told that he wanted us to have a nice restaurant in Graceville. Circle Grill was the nicest restaurant around.” Soon after Circle Grill opened, Tindell recruited Grady Spears from the landmark Houston Hotel in Dothan to run it. Tindell intended to expand the half-circle shaped building into a full circle, but he sold it to Spears in 1951 before he finished it, Register explained. It remains a half-circle to this day. Spears retired from Circle Grill in 1972, then a few years later, opened Grady’s Seafood down the street. “He had been doing Circle Grill seven days a week,” said Larry Skipper, current owner of Grady’s Seafood and Spears family member. “He didn’t know what to do with himself when he retired, so he opened Grady’s. Since then our family has made a living off of Grady and his shrimp.” The Registers, who have lived in Graceville for several generations, bought Circle Grill in 1995. “When we bought the restaurant, it was named Circle Grill and there wasn’t a grill in it — just fryers and a griddle. Then, it served shrimp, oysters, scallops and catfish. We grill stuff. We’ve added in different kids of fish, and steaks — steaks are our No. 2 menu item,” Register said. Circle Grill cuts its steaks fresh, patties out hamburgers each morning, and makes its Thousand Island and other salad dressings from scratch. Register says diners are

GRADY’S SEAFOOD Fried shrimp, onion rings, salad, homemade tartar sauce and sweet tea are core dishes at Grady’s, where co-owner Larry Skipper says he won’t serve any shrimp not caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida customers tend to prefer Grady’s over Circle Grill.

also drawn to the Circle Grill by the fried pickles, especially kids from The Baptist College of Florida, located nearby, and her homemade “good Southern sweet tea.”

HOLD THE SALT A short walk up Sixth Avenue in Graceville, customers at Grady’s Seafood appreciate

and Madison + Taylor Counties

the no-frills menu of fried shrimp and onion rings. “We don’t add anything to our shrimp,” Skipper said. “That’s the main thing. We don’t add seasoning — we have homemade tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for that. We don’t even add salt.” Skipper will only serve a certain brand of jumbo Gulf shrimp. The restaurant has

Photos by SAIGE ROBERTS

been using the same supplier since 1976, he said. “It’s got to be out of the Gulf, or I won’t even think about eating it.” Larry Skipper and his wife Sherri have owned Grady’s Seafood since 1991. Skipper had been educated as a computer programmer, but he switched gears to run the restaurant. “I wanted to keep the family

tradition going,” he said. Register brought up family too, noting that her son, who is 22, has “worked here since he was born.” “My son’s getting married, and I can’t tell you how many customers have brought him gifts who aren’t invited to the wedding. They feel like he’s a part of their family,” she continued.

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Articles inside

Turning Mistakes into Teaching Moments