Santa Rosa County’s Industrial Park East (SRIP East) is filling with tenants who will soon be filling new high-paying jobs in the county.
Economic development officials announced three new projects that are expected to deliver at least 110 new jobs and invest another $22 million in the expanded park.
“Our vision has been to make Santa Rosa County a magnet community for high-quality businesses and it’s clear we’ve been very successful,” said District 5 Commissioner Lane Lynchard. “When you step back and look at what we have to offer – great schools, low taxes, skilled workers, and shovel-ready sites – you understand why the county is such an attractive place to expand or relocate.”
According to Shannon Ogletree, Santa Rosa County’s economic development director, all three of the new companies are involved in manufacturing, which SRIP East was designed to accommodate.
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“Location is a central part of our economic development strategy,” Ogletree said. “Our team has worked very hard to understand what our target industries are looking for in terms of site selection. We’ve followed up by finding the resources and providing the amenities that are in highest demand.”
Confidentiality agreements with the businesses require the Santa Rosa Economic Development Office (SREDO) to identify them by project name and description only:
Project O’Brother: This is a company that provides industrial powder coating. It is expected to bring 50 new jobs and a $1 million capital investment to a three-acre site in SRIP East. The jobs will pay at least 115% more than the prevailing local average wage.
Project Hard Metal: Another $1 million investment will accompany this CNC machining and metal stamping company. It will occupy five acres of SRIP East, bringing 10 new jobs and retaining another 15 that are already here. Those jobs will also pay at least 115% of the local average.
Project Induction: An industrial manufacturer for renewable energy companies, this is the largest of the projects by several measures. It will invest $20 million in a 40-acre site, creating 50 above-average-wage jobs in the county.
Erica Grancagnolo, Santa Rosa’s associate director of economic development, has worked directly with each of the companies to finalize the deals. She said that the right locations and the right incentives were key to successful negotiations.
County officials expect that the companies will make plans public by the end of summer.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosas Press Gazette: More employment, capital investment coming to Santa Rosa County Industrial Park