Home to over 2,914 manufacturers employing close to 15,000 workers, manufacturing in Southwest Florida is alive and well. From power boats to cutting-edge medical devices and world-class chocolates, these dynamic businesses create value and jobs within the region. The manufacturing sector continues to attract investments and grow at an accelerated rate. And it shows no sig
n of slowing down
14,969
The number of employees currently working in SWFL’s manufacturing industry as of 2023 Source: Econovue.com
6.9% Growth 2023 over 2022
7.6% Projected Growth by 2031
WHAT'S BEING MADE IN S OUTHWEST FLORIDA?
• Printing and Signage
• LED Lighting Lubricants
Aerospace products
•Chocolates Frozen Foods
Shipping and Containers
• Medical Devices
3D/Additive Printing
C AREERS & S ALARIES
•Building Supplieswindows/doors
Custom stainless steel equipment
The word is out…Florida is a manufacturing state! Nine months ago, FloridaCommerce published the first-ever Manufacturing Report making this statement. Florida’s manufacturing GDP has grown nearly 70% over the last 9 years and is now the 10th largest state in the country for manufacturing employment.
In SW Florida, the importance of manufacturing to the regional economy is understood. The focus of our county’s EDCs/EDOs on attracting and retaining manufacturers is evidence. The exposure of the industry by publications such as the SWFL Business Today has many taking notice. There are over 1,200 manufacturers in our region, and I believe many more to come.
The SRMA’s mission statement is to improve the quality of life in SWFL through the advancement of manufacturing. Our participation in programs such as the FutureMakers’ Good Job Challenge and Lee County’s ARPA Technical Assistance Program, works towards that mission. The GJC has created new training programs to upskill our region’s workforce, resulting in higher-wage career opportunities for our residents. Again, these efforts are getting noticed.
Training is the key to future growth. I’m happy to see our school systems applying for grants to help bring Advanced Manufacturing education programs to our high schools and post-secondary schools.
Whether a focus on aerospace, semiconductors or medical manufacturing, this type of training is needed to attract high-tech companies to our area. The trained workforce must be in place for companies to relocate or expand. These companies and the high-wage careers they offer will improve the quality of life for many!
Lastly, technology adoption and cybersecurity are two areas manufacturers need to keep in the forefront. AI is helping manufacturers become more efficient and obtain faster reaction times in all departments, not just on the production floor. Automating the dirty, dull and dangerous tasks can benefit a manufacturer in many ways. Cybersecurity tends to be thought of as an unwanted expense and not everyone thinks it is necessary. We all hear of data breaches occurring with large corporations, but they are happening at businesses of all sizes. CMMC 2.0 is happening, and companies within the Department of Defense supply chain (at any level) who choose to ignore it, gamble losing purchase orders from their customers.
The SRMA is here to assist with any of these topics and more. Sometimes it is a referred connec-
“Training is the key to future growth. I’m happy to see our school systems applying for grants to help bring Advanced Manufacturing education programs to our high schools and post-secondary schools. Whether a focus on aerospace, semiconductors, or medical manufacturing, this type of training is needed to attract high-tech companies to our area. The trained workforce must be in place for companies to relocate or expand.’
tion, other times we bring in the resources manufacturers need to overcome growth and efficiency obstacles. Let us know how we can help. For membership, event, and resource information, please visit www.srma.net or email exec@srma.net. Join the SRMA today!
Rob Harris has been serving as the SRMA’s Executive Director since June 2021. The SRMA is a part of the FloridaMakes network. Contact him at rob@srma. net
As manufacturing jobs continue to be re-shored to the United States from global markets, Florida is poised to become one of the top five manufacturing states by 2030. With that comes the promise of an even more resilient and diversified economy, higher average wages for our citizens and an increase in the volume and value of the goods exported to the world.
This is important because manufacturing jobs are at a premium. These jobs tend to increase productivity and are economically resilient against downturns. Manufacturing jobs also generally pay higher wages than those in other industries. The 2023 average annual wage for statewide workers in the manufacturing industry cluster was $74,647 and exceeded the average annual wage for all industries by 17%. Furthermore, in Florida, manufacturing benefits small and large employers alike, each playing a role in the success of the industry and all regions of the state, both urban and rural.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, since 2014 Florida has grown its manufacturing employment by 23.3%, far outpacing other top manufacturing states such as Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio. According to the Economic Policy Institute, for every 100 direct manufacturing jobs in durable goods, another 744 indirect jobs are sustained through supplier networks and jobs impacted by payroll expenditure through direct jobholders. This kind of impact is essential for the growing economy.
Developing new pipelines and pathways for younger generations, as well as those pivoting from other industries to identify and pursue manufacturing as a career, is essential to enable the continued growth of Lee County’s manufacturing sector. Increased support of workforce training through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to FGCU/Collaboratory, CareerSource of Southwest Florida, locally provided resources through educational institutions, and the State of Florida are essential for the continued growth of the region’s economy. These new pipelines also provide the opportunity to earn a living wage to younger members of the workforce.
The two technical colleges in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, along with other credential-based training programs, were made available through Lee County’s local vocational and educational institutions and will create more opportunities for individuals who do not plan on seeking a college degree. The future addition of a technical college in Lehigh Acres will bring education opportunities to the East Lee County community. The new
school will also ensure there are technical college opportunities in the areas of Lee County that house the highest concentration of workforce population. A new technical school with the Heights Foundation is planned to assist the underserved community of Harlem Heights with education and development opportunities, which will help bolster and better prepare the county’s workforce.
On a local level, it is also important to organize manufacturing assets. The collaboration of Lee County, the Southwest Florida Regional Manufacturers Association (SRMA), Florida Makes, GrowFL, Collaboratory, the Lee County School District, FGCU, FSW and the numerous vocational schools ensures that education and training opportunities are made available to all residents of Lee County. Access to these tools will give people the opportunity to increase their skills and abilities to equip them with the tools needed to earn a better wage and quality of life.
Dana Brunett possesses over 30 years’ experience in economic development in New York and Florida, managing economic development organizations and small business lending programs. He is currently Business Development Director for the Lee County Economic Development Office. Contact the Lee County EDO at (239) 533-6800.
Geis is a visionary leader in fully integrated design and construction services. This unique “all-in-house” service is identified as our FullCycle Approach and is the discerning characteristic that separates Geis Companies from its competitors. This unique structure allows for Geis Companies to employ a design-build process, as opposed to the typical design-bid-build process, resulting in a 25% shorter average project timeline.
CONSTRUCTION
PROPERTY MGMT
DEVELOPMENT
INTERIOR DESIGN
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Full Service Construction
Design / Build Process
Reliable and On Time
Projects Maintain Budget
Proven Track Record
Construction & Design
Team Integration
OVER VIEW
PLANNING & FEASIBILITY
Site Assessment
Master Planning
Conceptual Design & Programming
Accurate Initial Budget
Agency Reviews & Approvals
DESIGN
Project Development Design
Renderings
Contract Development
Construction Documents
Interior Design
CONSTRUCTION
Project Scheduling
Subcontractor Selection
Project Management
Documentation
Quality Control
POST CONSTRUCTION
System Training & Start-Up
Owner's Manual
Warranty
Traditionally, manufacturing in Glades County has been centered on companies which have their roots in the predominantly agriculture-based economy. The state’s largest fertilizer company, Wedgworth’s Inc., expanded its operation to include a bagging factory at the Moore Haven plant, and is planning a future expansion. The county is working with other entities to secure funding for this important economic development project.
Looking towards the future, Glades County is actively recruiting manufacturing companies! Americas Gateway Logistics Center (AGLC) is a 600-acre mixed use industrial site just outside of Moore Haven, the county seat. AGLC has highway and rail access and is within two hours of Interstate-75, Interstate-95, Florida’s Turnpike and airports in Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and Miami. The Glades County Business Center is a 15-acre county-owned
site also ripe with opportunity. The county has commissioned a feasibility study and will soon be looking for developers and investment in the area.
As manufacturing continues to go high-tech, highspeed internet is essential for companies to operate. Glades Electric Cooperative, Inc. has partnered with Conexon to offer its entire service area affordable high speed broadband internet. Several communities in the county already connected, with the rest of county expected to have coverage by 2025.
iTECH Glades, operated by the Collier County School District, is ready to work closely with area
businesses to offer training that workers may be lacking. Glades County is home to a variety of small-scale manufacturing enterprises. These businesses range from woodworking shops to Maxant Metals, a metal fabrication plant. These small business owners work with iTECH to train their employees and prepare them for the future.
Through strategic economic development initiatives, Glades County aims to strengthen and grow its manufacturing base, ensuring a more diversified and resilient local economy for the future.
Rosemary Fllori received her B.A. in political science from the University of Florida and was hired as the Executive Director of the Glades County Economic Development Council in September 2021. Contact her at rfllori@gladescountyedc.com or call (863) 946-0300.
Innovation, distribution power help make Charlotte a key manufacturing
According to SelectFlorida in its 2024 Manufacturing Industry Sector Brief, “If Florida was a country, it would be rated the 14th largest in the Global Economy.” Additionally, Florida manufacturers represent the nation’s top 3 states for manufacturing, helping to fuel the State’s $1.67 trillion economy. Florida’s manufacturing industry counts for nearly 24,000 manufacturers who employ more than 468,697 workers across the State, grossing over $80 billion in regional product output.
Being among the nation’s top producers of STEM graduates, many of these manufacturing operations have emerged because of the presence of advanced research facilities at Florida’s universities and colleges, military installations and Florida’s space industry.
That said, Charlotte County is the new home to strong growth companies, an area where businesses are expanding in manufacturing their new technologies like Vestas Air Coil, Balentine Cabinets, Fountain Pools, Proglider Boats, Kozma Welding and Fabrication, Latitude Boats and Environmental Underground, to name a few. These businesses choose to be in the Charlotte County for one or more reasons such as its pro-business policies, strong workforce, great access to domestic and global markets and quality of life.
With every good manufacturer, you’ll also find distribution and warehousing to be an important element to their overall operation. The logistics/ transportation industry is also booming in Charlotte County, especially for powerhouse companies like Cheney Brothers Inc., Federal Express, and Dakota Hardwoods - Construction Materials, businesses which collectively expanded their business footprint at the Charlotte County Airport Park, adding hundreds of new well-paying jobs in Charlotte County. In recent years, Cheney Brothers, Inc. was the first privately owned “high-tech” food distribution company to recog-
nize Charlotte County as a great location for a distribution hub. With nearly 1 million square feet of spec space either completed or going vertical Charlotte County’s Airport Park along the Interstate-75 corridor is ideally positioned for manufacturing and distributions companies where truck drivers pick-up and deliver their customer’s goods during the day and are home for dinner that same evening. The business model that Cheney Brothers Inc. established nearly 10 years ago continues to be a popular one especially during the current times of recruiting and workforce challenges across the nation.
As the county moves in consort with Florida’s initiative to grow its manufacturing cluster, the Charlotte County Economic Development Office together with the Charlotte County Industrial Development Authority offer customized economic incentive packages and industrial revenue bonds for the recruitment of high-wage employment with value-added businesses.
The Charlotte County Economic Development Office encourages companies interested in locating to the Southwest Florida “hotspot” (where there is plenty of land yet to be developed) and consider using Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (IDRBs) to help finance projects for manufacturing and industrial plants, aviation facilities, corporate headquarters and health care businesses.
For more information about the benefits Charlotte County Florida can offer a manufacturing business, contact Kay Tracy, Business Recruitment Manager at: (941) 764-4944 or email Kay. Tracy@CharlotteCountyFL.Gov.
Traditionally known for its agricultural industry, it may surprise most to learn that there is an active and growing manufacturing community in Hendry County, producing a variety of products from food to space exploration.
Just south of Lake Okeechobee, Hendry County is located between Lee and Palm Beach counties. Its central location has made it ideal for many businesses looking for expansion locations, especially from the Miami-Dade area. Along the U.S. 27 corridor, Hendry’s location not only sees the movement of freight from the seaports, but it offers ease of access west via Highway 80.
Given the availability of land and the growing need for products produced domestically, businesses, particularly manufacturers have begun looking inland for land along the connecting corridors.
In the eastern portion of the County, the City of Clewiston in the eastern section of the county has several industrial parks in and around the city that cater to manufacturing. Given the large agricultural industry that is present in Hendry, food manufacturing has become a large and growing cluster in the area. In LaBelle, The Jack Paul Industrial Park offers of 600 acres of opportunity along
State Road 29.
Workforce development programs are becoming more accessible to residents in Hendry through local and regional initiatives, making skilled trades a growing sector of the educational attainment. The SWFL Equitable Jobs Pipeline managed by Florida Gulf Coast University and FutureMakers has resulted in numerous individuals returning to career training pathways in manufacturing and logistics. The funding they received from the U.S. Economic Development Administration supports programs and students in the manufacturing and logistics industries.
The Hendry County Workforce Development and Adult School’s welding program is led by an instructor with over 25 years’ experience in the field. This year, due to demand, the school has opened a second location in LaBelle. The LaBelle Adult School is offering three new trade programs, doubling their workforce offerings in the district. New programs include HVAC (day and night), Welding (day), and Plumbing (day). Each of these programs
allows adults to earn industry certification(s) that will aid in gainful employment post-graduation. Having a pipeline of new graduates in these fields can alleviate any worries regarding construction timelines or delays and allowing production to commence as soon as possible.
The school has also created a workforce advisory board. Included amongst the board’s members are local and regional industry leaders and students. The board is focused on aligning the educational offerings with the business community’s needs. This board also includes representatives from the Southwest Florida Manufacturers Association, SRMA, and organization dedicated to the manufacturing community.
As the manufacturing community continues to expand in SWFL, Hendry County will continue to foster an environment that will help the industry flourish.
Keitha Daniels is the Director for the Hendry County Economic Development Council. She has worked for the Board of County Commissioners over the past seven years with a focus in economic development. To contact her, email keitha@hendryedc. com.
In Southwest Florida, we recognize the importance of having a robust talent development system for the manufacturing industry to maintain economic growth and meet the sector’s changing needs. Key organizations, such as the Greater Naples Chamber, Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association (SRMA), FutureMakers Coalition and Collier County Public Schools, are leading this effort, each playing a role in shaping the future workforce collaboratively.
By 2030, the manufacturing industry is expected to grow 15.5% in Southwest Florida. The Greater Naples Chamber is crucial in connecting local businesses with educational institutions and providing platforms for industry leaders to share insights and needs for this growing industry. Its efforts ensure that the curriculum and training programs align with current industry demands, creating a skilled workforce ready to address modern manufacturing challenges.
Our region is home to approximately 585 manu-
facturing companies. The SRMA brings these organizations together to share best practices, resources and workforce development strategies.
Their collaboration with schools and training institutions ensures that the skills taught are relevant and reflect the latest technological advancements and industry standards.
With nearly 5,700 unique job postings, the FutureMakers Coalition focuses on creating pathways for students and workers to attain higher education and skills.
By addressing barriers to education and working with community partners, they help close the skills gap and promote the development of local talent pipelines.
In its secondary programs, Collier County Public
Schools offers comprehensive career and technical education programs that expose students to manufacturing technologies and processes early on. Engineering is offered at seven of the district’s eight traditional high schools and all 10 of its middle schools. These programs are designed to provide hands-on experience and industry certifications, preparing students for careers upon graduation.
Danielle O’Conner joined the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce in January 2022, initially as the Work-Based Learning Coordinator to connect students with local businesses for real-world experience in their field of interest. In June 2022, she was promoted to Director of Talent Initiatives where she now oversees all talent development programs and works closely with our businesses, educational institutions, local government and non-profits to ensure our workforce has the necessary skills to meet the needs of our businesses. To contact her, email danielle@napleschamber.org
The adoption of AI in the equipment and heavy machinery industries remains in its infancy. But it’s coming – and although currently shrouded in hype, the future benefits to business performance are real, according to abcg consultants Hans Iredahl and Mike Going.
The media is obsessed with artificial intelligence (AI) and how it’s going to take over the world, be a force for good and/or destroy the planet – and everything in between. The reality is likely to be less dystopian, but far more useful in practical terms. But it can’t – and shouldn’t — do everything, so care is needed in its implementation.
The basic principles on deploying and implementing digital solutions are also true for AI. Starting with technology and then trying to find a matching problem is a recipe that in most cases is destined for failure. You need to know your business pain points and opportunities and, accordingly, identify areas to address. You should start small, implement with a trusted partner and make sure your teams and employees are on the journey with you. After the first phase of the project you evaluate, regroup and build further according to your priority setting. Old school, but effective.
Data quality is key
We have learned that in any data analysis/data warehouse initiative, the consistency, compatibility and accuracy of your data are the most important factors. The phrase ’garbage in – garbage out’ is as valid for AI as any other project. Incomplete or inaccurate data sets can cause AI algorithms to miss essential patterns and correlations, leading to incomplete or biased results. In any AI project, the early focus needs to be on evaluating your data readiness. If needed, utilize data quality tools for cleansing and establish data governance practices, thereby sustaining good data quality over time.
Manage integrations
AI is not a stand-alone technology. It needs to
be integrated and interoperable with existing platforms, solutions and business process workflows to feed its data needs. The more diverse and fragmented environment you have, the more focus is needed to establish a robust and repetitive integration setup. Your legacy solutions need to be able to communicate seamlessly with AI components with well-defined APIs (application programming interface). Alternatives to direct APIs from your legacy platform are middleware solutions or a cloud integration platform. As its name suggests, middleware is software that sits between legacy systems and the AI-powered application. The middleware translates the data and commands between the two systems, making it possible for them to communicate with each other.
Although the long-term benefits of using AI may be large, it’s wise to take an iterative approach –starting small and focusing on areas where you can see substantial business improvements. Focus on areas where you can cut lead times by reduced time to execute repetitive tasks, or where AI can give insights into huge data sets.
As examples, some abcg clients are considering using AI to optimize inventory levels in branches and main warehouses. Here AI could produce accurate stock projections by finding patterns and swings in company inventory and sales data. Creating optimal pricing strategies for parts ranges is another possibility. Here AI would analyze market trends, competitor pricing, historical sales data, and customer behavior – and crunch the numbers to help create a pric-
ing plan. Others consider the use of AI to improve the effectiveness of market campaigns and product launches. (e.g. helping to understand customer behavior, create customer-targeted launch messages and marketing material etc.). In service and aftermarket, AI technology connected to vast amounts of technical/service documentation can help customers and your back-office service center find answers to machine issues quicker and thereby reduce machine downtime.
To conclude, when it comes to embracing AI we reiterate our advice to initially go for projects that quickly enhance business processes. Becoming too ambitious at the start is a trap that many projects (AI and more traditional change projects) fall into – and suffer the consequences of. With a new technology like AI, the risk of failure becomes even higher if you are too ambitious to start with. Focus on automating repetitive, time-intensive, or error-prone tasks to allocate resources more effectively. Identifying these high-impact tasks can generate immediate gains and establish the foundation, momentum, and enthusiasm for further AI integration in a business.
Getting the best out of AI requires real intelligence – and those who start experimenting with a learning mindset will become the leaders of tomorrow. External assistance can help you and your teams identify the low-hanging fruit and uncover the benefits of AI, without falling for the hype.
Hans Iredahl and Mike Going are executive partners with the commercial vehicle advisory practice, abcg. The practice offers experience, deep industry knowledge and an external 360-degree perspective to clients, qualifying them to deliver accelerated, sustainable transformation that propels business performance from good to exceptional. Equally focused on delivering successful outcomes as well as conceiving strategy, abcg help to identity and remove points of friction and provide hands on support to implement the required change. Contact Managing Partner Alan Berger at aberger@abcgadvantage.com.
If one is not involved in manufacturing, you don’t realize how much manufacturing and how many manufacturers there are in this region. There are a combination of start-ups, manufacturers moving to this area or just plain growing. It is a booming industry! If you are a manufacturer, let’s talk!
CareerSource Southwest Florida is a non-profit organization that services the Manufacturing industry and all its components in the five-county area of Southwest Florida. We are part of a statewide employment and training network. We connect manufacturers to qualified candidates and other resources like the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association (SRMA). We have partners throughout the community to assist with everything Manufacturing including multi-county educational system that includes technical programs geared for the manufacturing industry, SBDC, SBA and other non-profit organizations.
Can’t find qualified candidates? Let’s talk! Some of our no-cost services include: helping with job descriptions, recruitment, applicant pre-screening. We can assist with Job Fairs & hiring events. Utilize CareerSource Southwest Florida’s five Centers for training or interviewing. We have access to the latest labor market information for manufacturers at our fingertips. Bringing or moving a new employee into the area,
CareerSource SW FL can assist the spouse/partner with career services to help with closing the offer and getting that new employee on board.
CareerSource SW FL also funds Training! Skilled candidates are hard to find; may I suggest hiring candidates that do not have all the skills for that position – CareerSource
Southwest Florida may be able to offset up to 75% of the wages for each new trainee for up to six months to a maximum of $7,000 per hire to offset the costs of training that individual. Let’s talk!
This on-the-job training program allows you to train the new hire the correct way with financial relief and you are getting a diamond in the rough to shape the new employee to your standards. Let’s talk!
We have other training programs – a young adult work experience program, by having an out-of-school candidate, ages of 16 to 24 years, on CareerSource Southwest Florida’s payroll for up to two months before you make a decision to hire. We have the same for the adult population for a candidate that is unsure if a career in manufacturing is right for them so let’s talk!
Upskilling your current workforce – let’s talk! We offer customized training to help a manufacturer upskill their current entry level workforce to make them more productive and allow them to advance in their careers. CareerSource Southwest Florida will reimburse the manufacturer up to 50% of those training costs.
Did you need help with connecting with other community resources and partners? CareerSource Southwest Florida can assist, including introductions to economic development offices, Small Business Development Center, banking/loan needs, human resources needs, insurance needs and supply chain needs to name a few of those resources.
Because each manufacturer is different and each one has different needs CareerSource Southwest Florida customizes our relationships to meet those individual needs. So let’s talk! Give us a call so we start a conversation on how CareerSource Southwest Florida can be of assistance to your manufacturing concern.
Bill Welch is the Business Services Director with CareerSource Southwest Florida with 20+ years of experience in staffing and consulting employment services in SW FL assisting business to grow and prosper. (239) 9318200 or wwelch@careersourcesouthwestflorida.com.
Pelican Wire is a custom wire manufacturer with over five decades of experience delivering reliable, quality and lab-tested wire solutions to mission critical applications.
It has been over 55 years since an astronaut last walked on the moon, but that fact may change in the coming years with the planned Artemis III crewed Moon landing mission of the NASA Artemis program.
Pelican Wire is currently working with several aerospace Industry-related companies, which have a stake in iaking this mission a success.
A mission such as this is many years in the making and Pelican Wire is supplying wire and cable being used for the Artemis III mission in both the cockpit of the lander module and on the astronauts themselves.
The cable Pelican Wire supplies for the cockpit is used for life support and critical communication systems, allowing NASA real-time communication from Earth to the mission crew.
Not only is Pelican Wire delivering cable solutions used on the lunar module, but we are also supplying wire the astronauts will depend on to
complete their mission. As you can imagine, the environment on the moon is quite harsh, with environmental exposure to drastically extreme temperatures. To ensure safety and mission success, nextgeneration space suits have been developed specifically for this mission.
Pelican Wire has long been known for our expertise working with fine-gauge Resistance Wire applications, which includes the e-textile industry. One of the reasons for earning an industryleading reputation is our extensive knowledge of a wide array of alloys and high-temperature insulations. These factors, along with our various quality accreditations in manufacturing and on-site calibration laboratory, have led to Pelican Wire being named to provide a solution for a custom wire which will be sewn into the astronauts suit. More specifically, their gloves
will be heated with some Southwest Florida sunshine, by way our incredible engineering and manufacturing teams.
We are proud to play a role in NASA’s Artemis program and always appreciate the unique opportunity to represent Southwest Florida as our home and as one of the area’s first manufacturing companies. From Southwest Florida to the moon. And beyond
Frank Balsamo is the Sales Director for Pelican Wire. With extensive experience in various manufacturing disciplines, as well as a degree in Engineering, He works with customers from prototype to production to meet or exceed their expectations. Contact (239) 597-8555 fbalsamo@pelicanwire.com.
