Get to Know Florida

Florida is a great place to live, work and do business. Just ask the 17.5 million people who already live here, and the nearly 1,000 new residents who arrive every day.

While many of them were originally drawn by the sun, sand, water and variety of year-round recreational opportunities, they soon discovered that beyond the stunningly beautiful landscape and easy, laid-back lifestyle, a wealth of business opportunity awaits.

From the Florida Keys to the Port of Jacksonville, from the pulsating streets of Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Florida's Great Northwest with its bustling defense sector and brand new international airport on the horizon, Florida is flexing its economic muscle.

Florida is a heady mixture of big-city sophistication and small-town charm. Across the state's eight regions, encompassing 67 counties, businesses of all sizes and in all sectors are finding the facilities, workforce, transport and communications networks they need to successfully compete in a global marketplace.

Looking for skilled, multilingual employees to serve your international customers? You'll find them in Florida. The state's labor force is among the most culturally diverse in the nation, and Florida's educational and workforce training programs ensure that workers are ready to meet corporate demands.

Need affordable land with access to excellent transportation? The state's interior counties have plenty of acreage and ready access to highways and rail lines--even seaports, at least one of which is within 90 miles of every Florida business.

Each of the eight regions profiled here has a unique story to tell. But while each region offers distinct advantages and options, they all share a commitment to helping new and expanding businesses thrive.

On the following pages, business leaders tell how they tapped into the state's skilled workforce, took advantage of incentive programs or carved a niche alongside top-notch research facilities.

Click here for a list of economic development professionals who are ready and able to help your business succeed in Florida, too.

Northeast

Amelia Island, Bunnell, Crescent City, Fernandina Beach, Flagler Beach, Green Cove Springs, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Macclenny, Orange Park, Palatka, Palm Coast, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine, Yulee. [details]

Northwest

Altha, Apalachicola, Blountstown, Bonifay, Bristol, Century, Chattahoochee, Chipley, Crawfordville, Crestview, De Funiak Springs, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Freeport, Gulf Breeze, Havana, Jay, Lynn Haven, Marianna, Milton, Monticello, Navarre, Niceville, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Pensacola, Port St. Joe, Quincy, Tallahassee, Valparaiso, Wewahitchka. [details]

North Central

Alachua, Belleview, Bronson, Cedar Key, Chiefland, Cross City, Gainesville, Hawthorne, Jasper, Lake Butler, Lake City, Live Oak, Madison, Mayo, Newberry, Ocala, Perry, Starke, Trenton, White Springs, Williston. [details]

Central/Space Coast

Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Bushnell, Cape Canaveral, Celebration, Clermont, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Daytona, Daytona Beach, DeLand, DeLeon Springs, Deltona, Eustis, Howey-in-the-Hills, Kissimmee, Lady Lake, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Mary, Leesburg, Longwood, Maitland, Melbourne, Merritt Island, New Smyrna Beach, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Palm Bay, Poinciana, Rockledge, Sanford, St. Cloud, Tavares, Titusville, Wildwood, Winter Park. [details]

Tampa Bay

Auburndale, Babson Park, Bartow, Bradenton, Brandon, Brooksville, Clearwater, Crystal River, Dade City, Davenport, Dunedin, Frostproof, Haines City, Holiday, Homosassa, Inverness, Lakeland, Lake Wales, Land O' Lakes, Largo, Longboat Key, New Port Richey, North Port, Oldsmar, Palmetto, Pinellas Park, Plant City, Polk City, Sarasota, Seminole, Spring Hill, St. Petersburg, Sun City Center, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Temple Terrace, Venice, Wesley Chapel, Winter Haven, Zephyrhills. [details]

Southwest

Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Captiva, East Naples, Everglades City, Fort Myers, Immokalee, Marco Island, Naples, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sanibel. [details]

Heartland

Arcadia, Avon Park, Bowling Green, Clewiston, LaBelle, Lake Placid, Lake Suzy, Moore Haven, Okeechobee, Sebring, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs. [details]

Southeast

Aventura, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Coral Springs, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Hallandale Beach, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Indiantown, Islamorada, Jupiter, Key Largo, Key West, Lake Worth, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, Marathon, Margate, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Miramar, North Miami, North Miami Beach, North Palm Beach, Oakland Park, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm City, Pembroke Pines, Perrine, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Port St. Lucie, Port Salerno, Riviera Beach, Sebastian, Sewall's Point, Stuart, Sunrise, Tamarac, Vero Beach, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Weston, Wilton Manors. [details]

Tags: Around Florida, Business Services, Business Florida