Northwest Florida is home to six major military installations, all with aviation/aerospace-related missions, which have a huge impact on the industries, R&D and talent pool in the region. Defense contractors, manufacturers, and high-tech businesses located in the region benefit from the skills of the 3,000 service members that separate each year.
The region also has several shovel-ready sites off Interstate 10 and around key transportation corridors, from which manufacturers and distributors can benefit. A Northwest Florida location can help your business become even more competitive while giving you piece of mind that you and your employees are in a safe and beautiful place to live and raise a family.
$1.5 billion Triumph Fund dedicated to Northwest Florida and $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for economic growth and diversification.
1+ million within 1-hour drive time, including 3,000 active duty military separating each year, can help ensure your business remains competitive.
1+ million Northwest Florida residents, 58 million within an 8-hour drive time and 126+ million Florida tourists a year can be your customer base.
3 deep-water seaports and 3 commercial airports reaching U.S. & international markets; Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad and I-10 connecting to I-65, I-75 and I-95 to reach the rest of the Southeastern U.S.
Available buildings and certified/shovel-ready sites, and a Northwest Florida economic development team to help you get up and running quickly.
Home to leaders such as Boeing, Eastern Shipbuilding, Eastman, General Dynamics, International Paper, Lockheed Martin, Navy Federal, Trane, and many others, as well as industry-driven councils to support your business growth.
$1.5 billion dollars for the region, a regional strategy that aligns local leaders, and a region wide attitude that supports business growth.
Beautiful beaches, year-round outdoor activities, cultural amenities, a variety of neighborhoods, and southern charm makes Northwest Florida a great place to live.
Northwest Florida has old Florida charm – miles of undeveloped beach, fresh local seafood and welcoming communities – but dig a little deeper and you’ll find forward-thinking communities working to grow our tech, aerospace, defense and manufacturing industries. Through infrastructure development and focused workforce training, the region is on the cusp of being the next global hub for these targeted industries. We invite you to build on our successes and become part of the fabric of our growing communities.
Click on any county to learn more
Okaloosa County is home to Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, giving it a built-in workforce for high-tech employment, including aviation, aerospace and defense businesses. Bob Sikes Industrial Airpark is ideally suited for these industries. Yet the county is also known as a family-friendly community with white sand beaches and world-class golf.
Home to The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Tyndall Air Force Base and the deep-water Port Panama City, Bay County also has 27 miles of beaches for year round snorkeling, fishing, boating and diving. Bay is also home to many family attractions, the famed Shell Island and St. Andrews State Park.
In Calhoun County, businesses will find pad-ready sites directly served by the county’s airport. The county is also home to several unique ecosystems along the Apalachicola River where you can enjoy year-round boating, fishing and exploring its many canoe and kayak trails.
Home to Naval Air Station Pensacola, the Blue Angels, Port of Pensacola and America’s oldest settlement, Escambia County has a large population of military retirees and educational and training institutions including University of West Florida and Pensacola State College.
A part of the “Forgotten Coast,” Franklin County offers a relaxed lifestyle in its many coastal communities. Franklin is also home to the Apalachicola Air Park at the Franklin County/Apalachicola Regional Airport where there is ample industrial and commercial land available for development.
Gulf Country is home to Port St. Joe and has several industrial parks and industrially zoned sites, some with direct water access for marine industries. From the ancient cypress forests of Dead Lakes to the white sands of Gulf of Mexico, the county offers world-class golf, hunting, diving and fishing.
Holmes County is a friendly rural community, rich with natural beauty with forests, lakes, creeks and the Choctawhatchee River, Ponce De Leon Springs State Park and Vortex Springs. Here you’ll find a more relaxed lifestyle just a short drive to the beaches and major tourist destinations.
Jackson County has a long history as a manufacturing and distribution center and has the infrastructure, sites and skilled workforces to support new development. It’s also home to Chipola College. The county’s natural features include Florida Caverns State Park, the only walk-through caves in the state.
A mostly rural county, Liberty is home to the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee Rivers and 836-square miles of Apalachicola National Forest. The county balances it’s invaluable natural resources with expanding business and an industrial base that leverages the county’s abundant pine resources.
One of the fastest growing counties in the country, Santa Rosa has ready-to-build sites and a trained and experienced workforce. Home to both beautiful beaches and a fast-growing tech community, Santa Rosa County is an ideal location for aerospace, aviation, tech or manufacturing industries.
Walton County’s fully-developed industrial parks and enterprise zones and proximity to the deep-water Port Panama City and its foreign trade zone make it a great place to do business. Its 26 miles of sugar-white sand beaches, four state parks and family-oriented communities mean it’s also a great place to live.
Washington County is ready to help you grow your business! This growing county is home to Florida Panhandle Technical College and has forward thinking local governments ready to work with new and expanding businesses. The county is also home to the scenic Falling Waters State Park, seaside horseback riding trails, golf and the Seacrest Wolf Preserve.
Cowan Systems, LLC. is proud to announce the development of a new terminal in Marianna, FL. With over 90 years of experience, Cowan Systems specializes in dedicated truckload, intermodal, warehousing, brokerage, and driver staffing.
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ABLE Operations was tasked with providing Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW) with research and analysis of the regional labor market. This study is one part of FGNW's Education ROI Research and Marketing grant funded through Triumph Gulf Coast (TGC). The purpose of this study is to inform Florida’s Great Northwest and Triumph Gulf Coast of strengths and potential gaps between key regional industries’ demand for employees, and the ability of the local training/education institutions to supply these skills.
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The University of West Florida is accepting applications for the Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund, a regional economic development program with the goal to distribute $10 million in funding to businesses seeking to create jobs in Northwest Florida.
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Niceville, FL – Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW) is pleased to announce Mary McDaniel Swoope has joined the FGNW team as the Director for Strategic Initiatives.
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Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW), the regional economic development organization for the 12 counties in the Florida Panhandle, celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 16th at Northwest Florida State College.
Read More »Florida’s Great Northwest is here to provide you the practical, on-the-ground resources and support you need for your business location/expansion project. From incentives to site selection to workforce development, we’ve got the expertise and connections to help your business be even more competitive with a Northwest Florida location.
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