March 28, 2024
Baby steps: Santa Rosa County wants to become a player in aerospace industry
TPR Systems operates a highly advanced machine shop.

Northwest Florida Roundup

Baby steps: Santa Rosa County wants to become a player in aerospace industry

Santa Rosa County targets specialized aerospace employers.

Carlton Proctor | 9/28/2015

Santa Rosa County's quest to become a regional player in the aerospace industry involves a simple strategy: Start small and go after quality.

The county took a step in that direction last year when it landed TPR Systems at its "160-acre Santa Rosa Industrial Park. Founded in 2002 by Dick Todd, TPR is a precision manufacturing and fabrication company with a diverse customer base that includes the aerospace and turbine power generating industries.

"They are a highly specialized company, and they do a lot of work in the aerospace sector, so it just made sense to pursue them," says Shannon Ogletree, executive director of the county's Economic Development Office.

With nine full-time employees, the company has the most advanced machine shop along the Central Gulf Coast, says Chuck Pyritz, TPR's chief operations manager.

Pyritz says the company employs "highly trained, very smart guys who bring a lot of good ideas to me all the time. We're always looking to expand into other industries."

TPR's move to Santa Rosa County is attracting the attention of other aerospace suppliers. "Over the past year we've taken three companies on a tour of TPR that were looking to expand in this area," says Ogletree. "One was an Airbus parts supplier that wanted to know what our local capabilities were. And, fortunately, we had TPR's impressive operation to showcase."

Players

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Profile

Gold Ring Gulf Distributing

Gold Ring Gulf Distributing is a beverage distributor for more than 75 suppliers along the Central Gulf Coast. The company recently completed an $18-million, 191,450-sq.- ft. Distribution center in Santa Rosa County. The facility consolidates Gold Ring's Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola distribution centers and is projected to create 220 jobs over the next few years, say Santa Rosa County economic development officials.

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