News

January 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Is it just me, or do the holidays already seem like a distant memory? We sincerely hope that 2023 is off to a fine start for each of you. As busy as 2022 was for the One Okaloosa EDC team, 2023 is shaping up to be even busier. Along with continuing to work an incredible pipeline of active investment opportunities, our organization has added some new talent to our small but mighty team. Specifically, John Ferrandini was selected as our new

November 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Is it just me, or does time seem to speed up this time of year?  It is truly hard to believe that Thanksgiving is now less than a week out and - in the blink of an eye - Hanukkah, Christmas and a brand new year will be squarely upon us.  Of course, like many organizations, our “new year” actually began on Oct. 1, as we transitioned to FY 2023 – which many of you helped us celebrate at a festive reception held at the Hilton Garden Inn on Oct.

October 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Winston Churchill famously said “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.” This sage wisdom can be applied to virtually any situation that life can offer – whether taking a trip, playing a football game or saving for retirement. I would also venture to guess that anyone reading this piece understands the value of planning and preparation as it pertains to your chosen career field or industry. Economic development is no different. Effective

August 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC It seems everywhere you turn these days the tenuous state of our national economy is front and center. Pundits dissect comments made by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell with all the glee and intrigue of cryptographers deciphering ancient hieroglyphics. Great debates rage about whether we are already in an economic recession or not. Soaring inflation is now ever present. (The most recent barometer pegs it at 9.1% - well north of the Fed’s

One Okaloosa EDC Introduces MilitaryFriendlyNWF.com

June 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC While the true start of summer may still be a few weeks away, it only requires a visit to one of our local eateries, a stroll on our beaches or a short drive down Highway 98 to confirm that summer is already in full swing. Here at One Okaloosa EDC, spring went by in the blink of an eye but left many good memories and new opportunities in its wake. Since my last “Director’s Desk” piece in March, One Okaloosa hosted our 5th annual Technology

One Okaloosa EDC, TeCMEN to Host 5th Annual Industry Day on April 26

One Okaloosa EDC and its Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) are hosting the 5th annual TeCMEN Industry Day on April 26, 2022 at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Initially launched in 2017, TeCMEN Industry Day (TID) brings together a broad spectrum of companies and industry representatives from across the Gulf Coast region and beyond for a full day of networking and educational content. The 2022 TeCMEN Industry Day will feature more

March 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcDExecutive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Florida’s roughly 60 day state legislative session came to a close last week, with the House and Senate almost unanimously approving a record $112.1 billion state budget – thanks in part to $37 billion in federal money received as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a point of comparison, the proposed FY 2022-2023 budget is 10% more than the current budget and 20% above the pre-pandemic level.  (Of course, Governor DeSantis retains line item

January 2022 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Have you heard? Northwest Florida has been discovered and the buzz is literally everywhere. The 2020 US Census found that, as a whole, Okaloosa County grew from 180,822 to 211,688 between 2010 and 2020 – a 17% growth rate. While nearly 20% growth is impressive in its own right, some Okaloosa County Census tracts experienced growth well beyond that – with one Crestview Census tract reporting an eye-popping 116% growth rate. To put it in

Boeing Selects Fort Walton Beach for Competitive Expansion Project

One Okaloosa EDC announced today that Boeing Global Services has selected Fort Walton Beach for a competitive expansion project.  The anticipated $2,550,000 project involves a 20,000 SF expansion to the company’s existing facility located at 20 Hill Avenue in the Fort Walton Beach Commerce & Technology Park.  In addition, Boeing’s current position as one of Okaloosa County’s largest private sector employers will be further reinforced with the creation of 12 new positions at an average salary of $70,000 per

December 2021 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

Submitted by Nathan Sparks, CEcDOne Okaloosa EDC Executive Director Happy Holidays! With Thanksgiving squarely in the rearview mirror, Hanukkah already underway and Christmas and New Year’s Day right around the corner, we now all find ourselves in the proverbial “Sprint to the Finish” that comes our way this time each and every year. Inevitably, this is the time of year that our internal deadlines begin to mount as the companies and consultants we are working to assist look to achieve end of year

Exhibitor Registration for the 2022 TeCMEN Industry Day is Now Open

Join One Okaloosa EDC at the Gulf Coast's premier technology and manufacturing conference, in beautiful Fort Walton Beach, Florida! Exhibitor spaces are reserved for manufacturing companies, technology firms, engineering firms, and education and workforce partners. The opportunity is open to all companies nationally and internationally, regardless of One Okaloosa membership status. Discounts are available until Dec. 31. Event is April 26, 2022.Spots will fill up quickly, register today!

Florida SBDC Network Announces Appointments, Reappointments to Statewide Advisory Board

The Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance, announced recent appointments and reappointments to its statewide advisory board. Kevin Carr, Rick Rodriguez Piña, Nathan Sparks, Harry Timmons, and Cathlee Tomkow were appointed, and Beth Cicchetti, Jason Clement, and Michelle Dennard were reappointed.  The board is responsible for advising, counseling, and conferring with the CEO of the Florida SBDC Network to ensure the interests of small businesses are represented in the

From the One Okaloosa EDC's Director's Desk September 2021

By Nathan Sparks, CEcDOne Okaloose EDC Executive Director Looking back on a very successful summer for our friends in the hospitality and tourism sector, it is safe to say that Okaloosa County would not be the wonderful community we all know it to be today without the significant economic impact generated by visitors. It is already well documented that tourism directly supports countless jobs and numerous small businesses in our area – not to mention the fact that the sales tax activity generated by

From the One Okaloosa EDC's Director's Desk June 2021

By Nathan Sparks, CEcDOne Okaloose EDC Executive Director What a difference a year can make! This time last year, Okaloosa County was reeling from the economic fallout of COVID-19. Nearly 13,000 people were out of work, and our county’s unemployment rate was an eye popping 13.7% - a number not experienced during the Great Recession or in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Fast forward to today. Okaloosa’s unemployment rate sits at 3.7%, currently the third lowest among Florida’s 67

Free Webinar: Talent Attraction & Branding Strategies

With virtually every business today seeking new and innovative ways to connect with customers and recruit prospective employees, this webinar will spotlight the importance of branding - and the value of innovative technological approaches like geo targeting. Please join One Okaloosa EDC to learn innovative branding and digital marketing strategies from Cox Media subject matter experts Molly Osmond, Senior Product Manager; Alyson Phillips, Director of Marketing & Digital Solutions; and Steve Allen, Manager,

SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Now Accepting Applications

Information provided by One Okaloosa EDC $29 Billion SBA Restaurant Revitalization Grant Program Now Open, Funds Expected to Go Quickly The US Small Business Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), established by the the American Rescue Plan Act, began accepting applications on Monday from eligible food and beverage establishments that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to

EDC Unveils Startup Okaloosa Virtual Incubator to Assist Local Entrepreneurs

The Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County (“EDC”) announced today that it has created a new, on-line resource tailored to assist aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners. Dubbed Startup Okaloosa, the virtual incubator can now be found at www.startupokaloosa.com.    Structured as an information portal, the site links to traditional and non-traditional funding partners, key advisory organizations, real estate options (including local co-working spaces) and educational resources.

EDC Announces Partnership with FloridaMakes

The Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County (“EDC”) announced today that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with FloridaMakes which will add immediate value to the EDC’s long-standing Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN).   With a stated goal of maximizing the level of operational resources available to the EDC’s TeCMEN and its members, the agreement will result in TeCMEN being integrated into FloridaMakes’ statewide manufacturing workforce development

EDC Touts Manufacturing Advantages to National Audience

Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County recently served as a guest on the national Advanced Manufacturing Now podcast. Tune in to hear Nathan discuss the many advantages that Okaloosa County offers to advanced manufacturing enterprises (a primary business recruitment target for the EDC). Notable local employers, innovative educational partnerships and workforce advantages including separating military are all part of this wide-ranging conversation intended to

UF Innovation Station to Locate in Okaloosa County

The University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has announced the establishment of its second Innovation Station, UFIS at the REEF. Located in northwest Florida near Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB), the new engineering extension program will leverage the infrastructure and resources afforded by the UF Research and Engineering Education Facility (REEF) while providing further expansion of community outreach and workforce development opportunities to EAFB and the surrounding