
The Sunshine State’s dominance in manufacturing is continuing to flourish and outpace nearly all other states in the U.S., according to Florida Department of Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly.
Speaking during a presentation to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism Tuesday to discuss ways to further bolster the state’s burgeoning dominance of manufacturing in the U.S., Kelly said the best way Florida can maintain a resilient economy is to promote manufacturing and become self-reliant in order to better weather the ups and downs of national and world economic trends.
“To have that sort of ownership stake and have a more resilient economy, ultimately you have to manufacture products, ultimately you have to have that product coming from the state, you have to have some role in that.” Kelly said.
Florida’s manufacturing output has increased from $43 billion in 2014 to $73 billion in 2022, growing at a rate of 67.8% over the past nine years and quickly surpassing other leading manufacturing states in the U.S. In September 2023, Florida became the tenth largest manufacturing employer with 422,800 employed in the industry — out-performing both Georgia and New York.
Kelly told senate committee members the focus on manufacturing in Florida should be put on the industry being able to create its own supply chain.
“That is how we can create and really control our economy,” Kelly said. “We focus a lot on research and development, educating our young to work in these professions, small business innovation — but all of these things … really come to a sustainable moment when we’re also manufacturing that product, because that really gives us a 30-40-year look, not just a short-term economic development win.”
Florida’s export trade totaled more than $62.3 billion in 2022. While the manufacturing industry hires older employees whose eventual retirements would affect the industry, state lawmakers have worked to invest in STEM and workforce education in K-12 schools, technical colleges, state universities and state colleges to prepare a new workforce.
For every 100 direct manufacturing jobs that create durable goods, approximately 744.1 indirect jobs are sustained, according to the Economic Policy Institute. An additional 514.3 indirect jobs are created per 100 direct nondurable goods manufacturing jobs. In total, the manufacturing industry in Florida has created more than 3 million direct and indirect jobs.
Manufacturing employment also pays higher wages, with the average salary of a manufacturing job topping almost $75,000 per year in 2022 and increasing to more than $78,0000 annually in 2023. Since 2019, manufacturing establishments have grown by 6,495, a 30% growth rate.
“Florida is one of the few states in the nation where we’ve actually seen our import to export ratio improve over the last few years,” Kelly said. “Most states can’t say that. Florida is now importing more than it was years before, and overall, Florida businesses are benefitting from that, because Florida businesses are connecting to the world.”
One comment
Mike Weber
February 5, 2025 at 3:51 pm
THe link to the presentation is broken.