News

October 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Welcome to Fall! After the scorching hot summer that we experienced, the (slightly) cooler temperatures are, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. Fall not only brings cooler weather, lighter traffic, fewer crowds and, my personal favorite, FOOTBALL – it also brings a change of leadership at One Okaloosa as our new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.  We cannot say enough about what a pleasure it has been to serve under Jillian McQueen, Hilton Garden

July 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC What a month it has been for economic development in Okaloosa County! First, on June 21, Boeing held a ribbon cutting for its new 20,000 SF F-18/A landing gear maintenance and repair facility in the Fort Walton Beach Commerce and Technology Park. For those keeping track, this is Boeing’s third facility in Okaloosa County, and our workforce’s continued ability to meet the exacting standards of a company like Boeing are particularly noteworthy.

May 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC As I reflect on the past couple of months here at One Okaloosa EDC, the old Willie Nelson standard “On the Road Again” comes to mind. Spring is always a busy season for our external marketing efforts, and this spring has certainly been no different in that regard. A prospecting trip to California at the end of March was followed by a trip to Atlanta in April for MRO Americas. Organized by Aviation Week magazine, MRO Americas is three day expo

March 2023 Update from One Okaloosa EDC

By Nathan Sparks, CEcD Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC Whew! What a fantastic – and incredibly busy – month it has been so far!   The annual FPL Northwest Florida Economic Symposium at Sandestin got things kicked off, and the pace certainly hasn’t slowed since then. In the past two weeks alone, One Okaloosa’s Business Leadership Council (BLC), Defense Support Initiatives (DSI) committee, TeCMEN committee and Tri-County Community Partnership Initiative (TCPI) committee all held productive meetings.

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