Southeast
23% of southeast Florida’s population is foreign-born compared to 13% across the U.S., and 52% in Miami-Dade County alone. (U.S. Census Bureau)
At 26%, Latinos are this region’s most prevalent immigrant group. In Miami-Dade, Latinos make up 67% of the population. (U.S. Census Bureau)
Miami-Dade and Broward counties together ranked No. 2 among the nation’s largest metros for business startup activity in 2015; on average, 520 residents here become new entrepreneurs every month. (Kauffmann Index)
Formerly best known for its sun, sand and surf, the seven-mile stretch of Atlantic coastline that is Miami Beach has become a premier business destination.
INDUSTRY SECTORS
Aviation/Aerospace/Defense
JUPITER CEL Aerospace has opened an office in Palm Beach County with plans to hire 28 new employees. Headquartered in Canada, CEL tests gas turbine engines for original equipment manufacturers, overhaul facilities, airlines and the military.
WEST PALM BEACH The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Pratt & Whitney a contract valued at approximately $1.4 billion for production of the F135 propulsion systems used to power F-35 Lightning II fighter-jet aircraft.
MIRAMAR Lexington, Ky.-based 1st Choice Aerospace plans to add 40 Florida jobs. The company specializes in repairing pneumatics, crew seats and O2, fuel, cargo and waste systems for commercial, cargo and military aircraft.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LAN CARGO, an affiliate of Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group, opened its first maintenance hangar in the U.S. at Miami International Airport. Hauling 300,000 tons per year between Miami and South America, LATAM is the airport’s busiest airline group for cargo.
WELLINGTON KLX, a leading distributor of aerospace fasteners and consumables worldwide, has acquired the Missouri-based supply chain management firm Herndon Aerospace & Defense for a reported $210 million.
Key Players
HEICO Corporation | Hollywood
Piper Aircraft | Vero Beach
Pratt & Whitney | West Palm Beach
Sikorsky Aircraft | West Palm Beach
Pharma Certified In late 2015, Miami International became the first airport in the U.S. — and second in the world — to gain certification by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the handling of pharmaceutical products. Given that shipment of temperature-sensitive medical commodities, such as vaccines and blood products, requires exacting thermal controls from point of origin, during overseas flights, in airport warehouses and during final ground transport to hospitals, laboratories and research centers, the IATA certification process was intense. MIA’s cold-storage infrastructure was carefully assessed, and all personnel who might handle pharma products, including those working for air cargo carriers, MIA and outside trucking/logistics companies, underwent specialized IATA training. The certification is expected to substantially boost MIA’s current annual $3.3 billion in revenue from pharma-related air freight.
Southeast
INDUSTRY SECTORS (continued)
Corporate / Regional Headquarters
MIAMI-DADE NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises will consolidate its global headquarters and production facilities under one roof with construction of a $250-million, 560,000-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art broadcast facility. The building will initially house 1,100 employees — 150 of them newly hired — with capacity for adding 200 more.
MIAMI VIMAC USA, a Spain-based engineering company specializing in railroad construction, electromechanical, civil and hydraulic projects, plans to add 12 jobs and invest $1 million at its new U.S. headquarters.
BOCA RATON Online yacht vacation booking company Yachtico has relocated its headquarters from Germany with six employees and plans to employ 50 within two years. The firm commands 16,000 listings for sailboats, motor boats, catamarans and houseboats across 1,000 destinations.
DANIA BEACH Chiquita Brands International has relocated its banana division headquarters and 90 jobs from Charlotte, N.C., to a 20,000-sq.-ft. space in the Design Center of the Americas, just minutes from the company’s shipping and research facility at Port Everglades.
MIRAMAR Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technology services, opened its Latin American regional headquarters in Broward County, creating 50 new jobs.
FORT LAUDERDALE Health care and hospitality industry uniform supplier Uniform Advantage is moving its corporate headquarters downtown with plans to create 50 jobs.
Key Players
AutoNation | Fort Lauderdale
JM Family Enterprises | Deerfield Beach
NextEra Energy | Juno Beach
World Fuel Services | Miami
Design Center of the Americas, interior
Logistics / Distribution
MIAMI Total Quality Logistics (TQL), one of the nation’s largest freight-brokerage firms, is coming to Miami with plans to create 75 jobs over the next three years. The Miami office joins five existing TQL operations in Florida, including Fort Lauderdale/Dania Beach, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Orlando and Tampa.
MIAMI SkyRoad International, a France-based company providing logistical support for airline travelers, has opened its U.S. headquarters in Miami, creating 90 jobs. The company works with airlines throughout Europe to identify, collect and deliver mishandled baggage to its owners. With the opening of a Miami office, SkyRoad plans to expand its logistical support to include the cruise industry.
MIAMI More than 44.3 million passengers passed through Miami International Airport in 2015, an increase of 8.3% over the previous year; 21.2 million of the total got on or off international flights, making MIA No. 2 among all U.S. airports for international passengers served.
FORT LAUDERDALE Port Everglades consistently ranks among the world’s top 3 busiest cruise ports. On March 13, 2016, the port clocked a new record for most cruise passengers in and out in a single day: 54,700. The previous record — 53,485 — was set on December 20, 2015.
BOCA RATON Epoca International, a developer and distributor of eco-friendly cookware and beverage containers, is expanding its headquarters in Palm Beach County and adding 17 new employees to its workforce of 25.
DORAL Ecuador-based flower shipping company G&G Cargo Service has purchased a 102,310-sq.-ft. warehouse and office complex with refrigeration equipment and backup generators near Miami International Airport, where it joins other flower-related tenants. MIA handles 91% of all flowers imported into the U.S.
Key Players
DHL Solutions Americas | Plantation
FedEx Express Latin America | Miami
Ryder System | Miami
Seaboard Marine | Miami
With nearly 6.7 million tons of containerized cargo in 2015, Port Everglades is the 11th busiest container port in the nation.
Southeast
INDUSTRY SECTORS (continued)
Technology
RIVIERA BEACH Following its recent acquisition of Smart Structures technology, engineering and IT services company RADISE International will expand operations at its Palm Beach County headquarters and create 60 new jobs.
MIAMI General Electric is expanding its Miami facility and creating 30 new digital operations jobs focused on the company’s Latin American network and delivery systems.
SUNRISE ProcessMAP Corp., a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions, will expand in Broward County and create 120 new jobs.
WESTON Ultimate Software, a developer of human resources management software with more than 1,100 employees, has been named the nation’s “2016 No. 1 Technology Workplace” among large companies based on a survey by Fortune magazine and Great Places to Work Institute.
MIAMI Viacom International Studios, producer of shows for Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central, has opened a new 88,000-sq.-ft. studio with two stages and 40-foot ceilings, its first permanent production facility in the region.
PALM BEACH GARDENS United Technologies Corporation’s Climate Controls and Security division broke ground in 2016 on its $115 million, 224,000-sq.-ft. headquarters and building innovation showcase facility that is expected to create 380 jobs. The “Center for Intelligent Buildings” will open in 2017.
PLANTATION Augmented reality software and hardware company Magic Leap has taken over a former Motorola Mobility site on Sunrise Boulevard to house its headquarters, pilot manufacturing and product development operations.
Key Players
ADT | Boca Raton
Citrix Systems | Fort Lauderdale
Microsoft Latin America | Fort Lauderdale
Magic Leap
Life Sciences / Health Care
PALM BEACH GARDENS The new firm Zimmer Biomet that is the result of a merger between two medical device manufacturers is expanding its dental division headquarters in Palm Beach County with the addition of 178 jobs to a current staff of 473.
JUPITER Specialty pharmaceutical company Charleston Laboratories is creating 25 new jobs as it renovates a 27,000-sq.-ft. office building to serve as company headquarters.
BOCA RATON KRS Global Biotechnology, a maker of custom pharmaceuticals for doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, will add 160 jobs as it expands into medical device manufacturing.
MIAMI Spain-based Bird Biotech has entered the U.S. market with its first location at the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park, creating 10 jobs.
Key Players
Cancer Treatment Centers of America | Boca Raton
Martin Health System | Stuart
University of Miami Health System | Miami
Manufacturing
CORAL SPRINGS HOERBIGER will add 420 employees and move jobs from Texas as it consolidates operations in a single new state-of-the-art site in Broward County.
MIRAMAR Audio products manufacturer JL Audio plans to add 30 new jobs to its existing staff of 294.
BOYNTON BEACH Stand-up paddleboard manufacturer Surfis has moved its headquarters from Wisconsin with six employees and plans to hire another 12.
MANGONIA PARK Ramatex International, a manufacturer/distributor of environmentally friendly textile products, will open a 24,500-sq.-ft. corporate headquarters with 20 jobs.
FELLSMERE Plant-based protein producer Parabel USA is building a $10-million production facility with plans to hire 43 initially and up to 170 total.
Key Players
Emerson | Sunrise
Power Systems Manufacturing | Jupiter
Stemtech International | Pembroke Pines
Tyco Integrated Security | Boca Raton
Southeast
INDUSTRY SECTORS (continued)
Business Services / Support
MIAMI PowerMoves, an initiative to increase the number of venture-backed, high-growth and technology companies led by black and Hispanic entrepreneurs, opened its first office outside of New Orleans in February in Miami. Backed by $1.2 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, PowerMoves Miami represents an effort to build community by investing in emerging innovators and entrepreneurs.
MIAMI Europe’s largest business accelerator — Startupbootcamp — has launched its first U.S. program in Miami with $2 million in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The organization, which operates 10 accelerators in eight other countries, will aim to support, fund and grow 30 digital health startups over three years in Miami.
MIAMI Brazil-based Way Back International Debt Collection has established its first U.S. office in Miami-Dade County. The firm specializes in international debt recovery for a wide range of clients, including Coca-Cola, 3M, Xerox, American Express and Hertz, and maintains a presence in 145 countries.
SUNRISE Sunera, a leading provider of IT and data risk consulting services, is expanding its Broward County operations and creating 32 new jobs.
Key Players
American Express | Plantation
Office Depot | Boca Raton
Zimmerman Advertising | Fort Lauderdale
Tourism / Hospitality
MIAMI In May 2016, Carnival Cruise Line’s Fathom cultural exchange cruise ship became the first passenger liner to sail from the U.S. to Cuba in more than 50 years. With U.S. and Cuban government approval, Carnival offers seven-day cruises from Miami to ports in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
MIAMI Royal Caribbean has announced plans to build a cruise terminal at PortMiami that is large enough to accommodate its 1,200-foot long, 6,000-passenger Oasis-class cruise ships. Estimated completion: late 2018. Royal Caribbean’s two current Oasis-class ships sail from Port Everglades, which began hosting the massive vessels in 2009.
MARATHON Key West-based Singh Investors has purchased a 24-acre oceanfront site on Knights Key for development of a 199-unit luxury resort; construction is slated to begin in fall 2016.
BOCA RATON Boca Raton’s first-ever downtown hotel opened in summer 2016. Built by the Palm Beach-based Kolter Group, the 13-story Hyatt Place Boca Raton features 200 rooms and 4,000 square feet of meeting space. A second downtown hotel — a five-star Mandarin Oriental — is under construction as part of the Via Mizner mixed-use development.
Key Players
Carnival Cruise Lines | Miami
Royal Caribbean International | Miami
Spirit Airlines | Miramar
Mandarin Oriental
Southeast
LIFESTYLE
World-class attractions Southeast Florida is packed with things to see and do. Park yourself and a cocktail on iconic Miami Beach; it’s a great place to people watch. Shop for designer goods in Miami-Dade’s Bal Harbour or along Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, or for bargains at Sawgrass Mills outlet mall in Sunrise. Take a trip down U.S. 1 to the southernmost city in the continental U.S., historic Key West. Or get up close and personal with nature as you kayak the Indian River Lagoon or take an air-boat tour of the Everglades.
Widely respected educational options Twenty-one southeast Florida high schools earned gold medals in U.S. News & World Report’s “2016 Best High Schools” rankings; four were among the top 50 nationwide. This region is also home to 19 not-for-profit institutions of higher education, including the University of Miami, site of the UM Life Science and Technology Park, the nation’s second largest Health District; Florida Atlantic University, which graduated 53 students from its inaugural medical school class in 2015; and Miami Dade College, launching the Miami Fashion Institute in fall 2016.
Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk district downtown boasts an array of arts, entertainment and urban high-rise living options.
Art for all The annual Miami Art Week in early December features some 20 art fairs across the city and thousands of visitors during what used to be a slow time of year. Art Basel drew 4,000 artists and a record 77,000 visitors during its five-day 2015 run in Miami Beach.
Nationally recognized health care For the 13th straight year, Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute-Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital has been named the nation’s No. 1 hospital for ophthalmology on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” Additionally, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami is cited among the top 50 “Best Children’s Hospitals 2016-17” in eight pediatric specialties.
Fins up! In Hollywood, The long-awaited Jimmy Buffett-themed Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort opened to great fanfare and a free concert by the star himself. The 17-story, $150-million attraction features 349 rooms, eight bars/restaurants, three pools, a surf simulator, 30,000 square feet of convention space and a spa.
Once all but closed down at 6 p.m., downtown Miami is today a millennial hot spot after dark with a vibrant residential population and trendy dining venues.