Shannon NickinsonMaybe this is how we do it.
Most folks prefer their jobs announcements on the splashy side: Golden shovels, red ribbons, oversized scissors, the whole shebang. And there is something to be said for that.
Lots of economic development professionals make their performance bonuses on the backs of those big scissors.
But some of Pensacola’s recent economic development news has been a tad more on the modest side. The relocation of a Meridian, Miss., financial services company to the old Knights of Columbus building on North Palafox Street was fairly low-key.
And now comes word that Aero Sekur, a company based in Italy that makes safety equipment for life rafts, vests, ramps and even parachutes, will move its Parsippany, N.J., facility to West Herman St.
Among their clients are helicopter manufacturer Augusta-Westland, which makes civilian and military helicopters.
At 8,000 square feet, the company’s new space will house offices, maintenance repair and overhaul and spare parts buildings are three times the size of its previous home.
Danita Andrews, director of business development for the Community Economic Development Association, said the company surveyed about 10-12 properties before finding a space that fit.
“It fit most closely their needs; it’s almost move-in ready,” Andrews said from Orlando.
It will begin with a staff of about five to seven employees, and ultimately employ 15 people at an average wage between $40,000 and $41,000, Andrews said.
Look for the company to have operations up and running by summer, Andrews said.
The company knows Florida because of their customer base; when they came calling to city officials looking for space, the mayor’s office referred them to Andrews.
“They wanted to locate somewhere along the Gulf Coast,” Andrews said. “I’ll give credit where credit is due. The inquiry came to the city first, and they forwarded it to us.”
It is a small start, but it is a big step toward trying to create that aerospace corridor in the region, said Mayor Ashton J. Hayward III.
“Whether it is 300 jobs or 10, the more international companies who recognize Pensacola as a place to do business is a good deal for our community.”
“If we can get in front of people, collaborate instead of getting caught up in, ‘it’s my deal or your deal,’ everyone wins.”
Andrews said no other formal incentive package is in the works for the deal.
The company will take advantage of credits available for locating in an Enterprise Zone, and will enjoy a sales tax break on the purchase of their machinery as granted by the state. The county also has a facade program that they will take advantage of, she said.
It is a move that also validates our community’s growing presence as an aviation and aerospace cluster, Andrews said.
“Imagine if we could get 10 or 15 more of these in the next 10-15 years,” Hayward says.
“Supporting these companies, trying to get smart people working here, it helps the whole community.”
Which is not to say that an employer who wants to plunk down a facility to employ hundreds and hundreds of people would be turned away.
But communities struggle when they don’t value the small fish as much as the big one. Indeed, some turn the quest for the big fish into a “Moby Dick” style quest for the big white whale.
And miss the little win they had in hand because it seemed like small potatoes.
“The guy who gets on base is the one who wins in the long run,” Hayward says.
Shannon Nickinson is the editor of PensacolaToday.com, a news and commentary site in Pensacola. Follow her on Twitter @snickinson. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
