Not far from Florida’s metropolitan areas lie rural communities with the space and workforce to support manufacturing leaders. From Walton County in the Panhandle to the Heartland Counties near Lake Okeechobee, the state’s rural regions present a unique mix of resources for the manufacturing industry.
Last fall, Hoover Treated Wood Products (Hoover) expanded operations in Gadsden County, just west of Tallahassee. The company established operations in the state in April 2019. Hoover owns and operates 10 facilities across the country and services a customer network of over 300 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Hoover’s $4.5 million investment includes newly constructed facilities and 20 new jobs.
Barry Holden, President of Hoover said, “We are thrilled to be here in Gadsden County. We have developed many new partnerships with the state of Florida, Gadsden County, the town of Havana and local suppliers. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with our new community.”
Gadsden County Chairperson, Dr. Anthony Viegbesie, said “Gadsden County is committed to economic development and bringing quality jobs to our community. Hoover Treated Wood Products is a testament to our hard work. I warmly welcome Hoover to our County.”
In the state’s southern-most rural region, Bautech USA plans to establish its manufacturing facility. Bautech provides complete solutions for the construction industry, through the manufacture, distribution, installation and maintenance of precast concrete products. The technology is fully automated and will be the first of its kind in the United States.
The facility in Okeechobee will be a clean process with no air or water contaminates and little to no waste. They will be able to produce 800 metric tons/day or 230,000 metric tons/year of precast concrete products. Bautech USA plans to hire approximately twenty people to include executives, managers, engineers and production engineers.
Sergio Prahl, CEO of Bautech USA said, “I am very excited about expanding Bautech to the United States and more importantly to Okeechobee. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the community.”
Late last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced rural jobs funding in his 2020-21 legislative budget request. Governor DeSantis’ budget included $50 million for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, an economic development program designed to improve statewide infrastructure and workforce training, and increased funding thresholds for the Rural Regional Development Grant, which provides funds to assist rural areas in creating high-wage jobs.
Florida's advanced manufacturing industries are diverse and include sectors producing intermediate and finished products ranging from medical devices and semiconductors to yachts and rockets. In total, Florida is home to over 19,000 manufacturers employing more than 331,000 workers. These strong industry assets can help your manufacturing business ramp up fast in Florida.
For more information about Florida’s manufacturing industry, visit https://www.enterpriseflorida.com/thefutureishere/.
Sponsored by: Enterprise Florida
This article was prepared by Enterprise Florida, which is solely responsible for its content.
Connect With Us
