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community portrait
Palm Beach County
Aerospace: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne; Sikorsky Aircraft; Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics
Agriculture: A. Duda and Sons, U.S. Sugar, Florida Crystals. The county is the country’s leading producer of sugar and fresh sweet corn and the state’s leading producer of radishes, bell peppers, lettuce, Chinese vegetables, rice and celery. Nearly a third of the county’s land mass is devoted to sugar cane. The county produces about 18% of all sugar in the United States.
Tourism: More than 7 million visitors generate more than $2.5 billion each year; the iconic Breakers and the Boca Raton Resort & Club alone employ 4,000 workers; the PGA headquarters and PGA National Resort and Spa are here.
Healthcare: Tenet Healthcare and HCA operate a number of large hospital facilities in the county; non-profit facilities like Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Boca Raton Community Hospital and Jupiter Medical Center are also big employers. In addition, the A.G. Holley State Hospital is one of the last public hospitals devoted to treating tuberculosis and is a leader globally in treating the most difficult cases.
Manufacturing: Jarden Consumer Solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Biomet3i (dental implants), Anspach Cos. (surgical equipment)
Security-Related: G4S Wackenhut Corp.; ADT Worldwide and Tyco Fire & Security (manufacturers of electronic home and fire protection and safety devices); Cross Match Technologies (biometric identity systems); private prison operator Geo Group
Construction/development: The Related Cos.; concrete maker Cemex/Rinker; Ranger Construction; Hardrives; Catalfumo Construction; Suffolk Construction
Philanthropy and Cultural Institutions: Palm Beach’s social elite generate a massive amount of giving across a wide range of activity. The county bills itself as Florida’s Cultural Capital, with some 300 museums, performing arts venues, history and nature-based adventures comprising a $209-million industry. As part of its Cultural Renaissance Program, the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency paid $700,000 to renovate a building in downtown Lake Worth that will serve as headquarters of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.
Finance: The area’s wealth has attracted a large number of financial institutions, from brokerages to wealth management companies [“Private Banking,” April, FloridaTrend.com] and banks. A recent report in the Palm Beach Post cited the county as one of the state’s most competitive financial markets for banks.
Universities
Public higher-ed institutions and enrollment:
» Palm Beach State College, 42,839
» Florida Atlantic University, 27,000
Private institutions:
» Kaplan University, 48,000 online and on-campus students
» Nova Southeastern University, 28,500 students throughout Florida, in 23 states and overseas
» Keiser University, 10,000
» Barry University, 9,300
» Palm Beach Atlantic, 3,300
» Lynn University, 2,700
» Lincoln College of Technology and Florida Culinary Institute, 1,500
» Northwood University, 1,000
» South University, 370
Expansions and Relocations
ChemPep, which provides services for the bioscience industry, is relocating its headquarters from Miami to Wellington.
GeoGlobal Partners, a manufacturer of outdoor living products, is moving its headquarters and warehousing operations from New Jersey to West Palm Beach.
RoboLabs, a research and development company specializing in robots for personal, military and commercial applications, is moving from Pennsylvania to Boca Raton.
TMS, a Connecticut engineering and manufacturing company is expanding its West Palm Beach facility.
Successories.com, a catalog and internet company, and The Learning Experience, which franchises child development centers, are moving to Boca Raton.
