Smart Region Presentation - Q1 2019 Clay EDC Luncheon Presentation

April 3, 2019     0    631

The North Florida TPO is a federally-funded transportation planning organization that oversees Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Prior to Sheffield’s speech, EDC Board Chairman Egan thanked investors and Wantman Group Vice President Walter Kloss said Clay County’s future in economic development was bright and had a lot to learn from Sheffield’s remarks. “It’s time to embrace innovation,” Kloss said. One of the problems with public and private agencies is they operate in silos, Sheffield said. A smart region aims to connect them. Sheffield pointed to the $11 million, 20,000 square-foot Regional Transportation Management Center housing multiple agencies in downtown Jacksonville that opened in 2015. “It’s literally home to FHP, DOT, fire and rescue, fish and wildlife and JSO. It’s a NASA-looking facility with lots of monitors and cameras where we manage everything in real time,” Sheffield said. “That’s how we got to the era of smart region.” Click here to view event photos! In addition to solving traffic problems, Sheffield defined a smart city by two other characteristics: ladders of opportunity and economic development. He pointed to the Bay Jax Innovation Corridor, ...

Baptist Health to Build $23M Emergency Center in Oakleaf

March 5, 2019     0    840

The center will feature a dedicated Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center on one side designed for patients up to age 17. All Wolfson Children’s Emergency Centers are connected to the only full-service children’s hospital in the region and the only state-designated Pediatric Trauma Center in Northeast Florida, Baptist Health said. Baptist applied to the city Monday for a permit to build the center at a 9868 Family Place at a basic construction cost of $10 million. No contractor is listed. Gresham Smith is the architect and England-Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer. The St. Johns River Water Management District also is reviewing a permit application for the project, shown in those plans as a 19,000-square-foot building with an expansion of 7,000 square feet on almost 8.6 acres. “Emergencies can happen at any age, at any time, and we have a responsibility to ensure this growing region has convenient access to our specialized care,” said Darin Roark, vice president of ambulatory campuses and system emergency departments at Baptist Health. The Baptist/Wolfson Children's Emergency Center at Oakleaf will be the health system’s ninth emergency center in ...

State grant allows Keystone to expand airport

February 5, 2019     0    864

Months after applying, Keystone Heights Airport Chairman David Kirkland said airport board members and Bradford commissioners hadn’t heard back when they applied for the funds. “Basically we said, ‘Well I guess all the money got allocated elsewhere.’ Then (Bradford) County received the information and passed it on to us,” Kirkland said. “Obviously we’re excited about it. It’ll be beneficial in us putting in a road and also infrastructure like hi-speed internet.” Kirkland said the strip of land west of the airport is ideal for development and the financial impact would be felt throughout the area, from the airport to residents. A timeline for the road’s construction or installation of broadband has not been determined. “Providing this kind of infrastructure, that’s going to bring companies. In turn, it brings jobs, which brings revenue to the local community and the county and taxable income,” Kirkland said. “I think it’s a win-win for a lot of different entities.” Proposals were reviewed by the Department of Economic Opportunity and chosen by Scott based on the best economic projections and need for infrastructure. Scott’s DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor ...

Hager Construction: Survives, Then Thrives

February 4, 2019     0    844

“The first thing we did was create a new plan that was focused on federal work and increased management efforts such as proposal writing and searching out contracts,” said Ayers. “We also obtained HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) status. So when the economy started to come back, we were ready.”  Hager Construction prioritized customer service, which included making sure it eliminated waste from jobs, managed response times and included preventative steps and training. One of the keys is Hager’s presence on job sites. “John is the superintendent for our work, and his involvement in the field sets us apart from other companies,” said Ayers. “He is present at the many client and employee meetings which helps keep our schedule intact and costs down, and clients know they can trust him to manage more complex projects. That reliability is essential to having successful working partnerships.”  Hager Construction is now back up to 30 employees, and overall revenue for 2018 is set to exceed $3.5 million. The company also has positive relationships with the City of Jacksonville and the facilities management of Florida Department ...

Manufacturing Thriving in Northeast Florida

February 4, 2019     0    906

JAXPORT’s Chief Commercial Officer Kristen DeMarco said, “We collaborate to produce an environment that creates opportunities for manufacturers, painting an end-to-end supply chain picture, working with tenants, carriers and others, sharing cover story information and advocating for opportunities.” From introducing a manufacturer to a new service provider, to looking for commonalities that can lead to savings, to pushing to remove logistical bottlenecks, JAXPORT helps connect the dots to deliver efficiencies, DeMarco said. As the third most populous state, Florida attracts manufacturers that fill the state’s consumption needs.    Jacksonville’s location as a northern gateway to Florida is icing on the cake – from a footprint in the Northeast, manufacturers can efficiently move goods to and from markets across the country. “Proximity is key. We have the international airport, interstates and three major railroads. But what pulls that all together is our location. The fact that our region provides all these resources in a condensed area means cost savings,” said DeMarco. NEWCOMERS TO THE JACKSONVILLE REGION  A number of companies are initiating or expanding manufacturing in Northeast Florida. For example, it’s reported that ...