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Northwest Fla., Big Bend Business Briefs -July 2008
Chipley
Las Vegas-based Eco Lifestyle Homes will build a $500,000 factory in a Washington County industrial park for construction of green-building housing components. The plant, Eco’s third, will employ 60 to 70 when it opens this fall.
Escambia County
County School Superintendent Jim Paul was sentenced to probation and community service after changing his plea to no contest in a DUI arrest in January near Tampa, where Paul was attending an education conference. He since announced his decision not to seek a third term this fall.
Marianna
The city wants to turn a historic bank building purchased for $100,000 from Wachovia Bank into Jackson County’s first publicly owned heritage and cultural center. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency will seek grants to renovate the 1902-constructed, former First National Bank building, which has been vacant for several years.
Northwest Florida
Opportunity Florida, an economic development organization serving eight rural counties, has launched MyFloridaMilitary.com to connect transitioning military personnel and military spouses with employers seeking their workforce skills. Florida’s Great Northwest contributed $102,800 to help promote the website.
Okaloosa County
The county and Okaloosa Walton College have partnered to build a $30-million Community Services Complex on the college’s Niceville campus. It will house the county’s Emergency Operations Center, OWC instructional programs, ROTC and a new athletic arena.
Panama City
Digitrax, an Atlanta company making digital command controls for high-end model railroad systems, expects to complete a relocation to Panama City by August. It will employ 10 initially. The county recently approved a 10-year property tax abatement for the company.
Pensacola
Pensacola Junior College and Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce have opened a business incubator, Gulf Coast Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, located in PJC’s downtown center and operated by the chamber. Blink MD, a medical software company, is the first tenant.
Tallahassee
Mainline Information Systems is acquiring Cornerstone Systems of Irvine, Calif. Mainline has 600 employees nationwide; Cornerstone has 95.
» Florida State University has opened its $72-million Chemical Sciences Laboratory. The five-story, 168,000-sq.-ft. building will house 250 researchers and expand research programs in molecular sciences.
