An Opportunity Economy

Florida has long been the place where visionaries and innovators come to achieve their dreams. To expand their opportunities, the number one priority of my administration has been to make Florida the most business friendly state in the country. Thanks to the economic turnaround we have mounted here, Florida now ranks as the second best place in the nation to do business.

We’ve worked hard to create an opportunity economy where growing, thriving industries create jobs and careers for generations to come. By cutting taxes for Florida families, providing historic levels of education funding in Florida and holding the line on tuition, we are putting more money back into the pockets of Florida families. Since taking office, we have worked to remove nearly 3,000 regulations on small businesses, paid down $3.6 billion in state debt, and our unemployment rate has dropped from 11% in 2010. Florida’s infrastructure is ranked second in the nation, and we are continuing to prepare our seaports for the post-Panama Canal expansion, which will create more new job creation opportunities. These strategies are creating the ideal business climate in Florida, and we will keep working to create an opportunity economy and to make Florida the best state in the nation for business.

To continue Florida’s exceptional economic momentum, my goal is to phase out state corporate income tax. Already more than 75% of Florida’s businesses do not pay a state corporate income tax, and last year we worked to eliminate the sales tax on manufacturing and equipment, saving the more than 18,000 manufacturing companies in the state approximately

$141 million annually. As a businessman myself before being elected governor, I know firsthand the importance of lowering the cost of doing business to a company’s bottom line.

As grandfather to three boys, I want Florida to be the best place for the next generation to succeed. Every entrepreneur who chooses to invest in the Sunshine State brings great news for Florida families. New jobs mean more Floridians are able to provide for their families and live the American dream.

Rick Scott, Governor
Chairman, Enterprise Florida Inc.

We Can Help You Grow Your Bottom Line

Florida’s reputation as a business super state and premier destination for companies continues to grow. Now more than ever, executives and site selection professionals across the nation and around the world are looking at Florida for their next location and expansion opportunities.

As a right-to-work state with a talent pool of more than 9.4 million workers, Florida offers a vast and talented workforce that is both culturally and linguistically diverse, providing competitive advantages to employers in the global marketplace.

We know that profitability and speed to market are intertwined. Florida’s resources and pro-business climate can help you grow your bottom line. Florida’s zero percent personal income tax, competitive cost structure and streamlined regulatory environment allow companies to operate at the speed of business. The State has also cut business taxes by more than $1 billion since Governor Scott took office.

Florida’s No. 2-ranked multi-modal infrastructure, which supports more than 19 million residents and 90 million tourists annually, boasts international airports, 15 deep water shipping ports, extensive highway and rail networks, and multiple hubs that support the flow of products in and out of the country. Florida’s state-of-the art communications infrastructure allows for high-speed data transmission worldwide.

Our commitment is to work with you to better understand your business needs and facilitate the resources that will help position your business for success. Thank you for considering Florida. 

Gray Swoope, Secretary of Commerce
President and CEO, Enterprise Florida Inc.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

Jesse Panuccio

Florida’s economy is resurgent and our economic turnaround is leading the nation. Florida’s unemployment rate is declining and has been consistently below the national average, our private sector has added more than 600,000 jobs since December 2010, and job demand has been at record highs. These positive developments are not happening by chance. Policy matters. By keeping taxes low and regulation sensible, the Scott administration has created the pro-growth environment that has fostered Florida’s nation-leading economic turnaround.

We are working to have the nation’s top performing economy and to be recognized as the world’s best place to live, learn, play, work and do business. To support Florida’s business-friendly climate, the three distinct agencies that originally formed the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity have melded into a single culture pursuing a unified mission. Through a variety of agency-wide initiatives, we have strengthened the ties between economic, community and workforce programs to assist you in starting a business, expanding or relocating to Florida. Our state has the resources you need to be successful.

Jesse Panuccio
Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity

CareerSource Florida

Chris Hart IV

Northrop Grumman. Verizon. Harris Corporation. CareerSource Florida supports the growth of these companies and many other industry leaders with employment services and customized training options that sharpen their competitive edge. Our mission is to connect employers with qualified, skilled talent and Floridians with employment and career development opportunities to achieve economic prosperity. We want to help your business grow too.

From entry-level to executive talent, the CareerSource Florida network specializes in meeting the recruiting, hiring and training needs of businesses of all sizes, from all industry sectors, both today and tomorrow.

The opportunities in today’s global economy are endless. Florida’s highly qualified and diverse workforce is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best. Our state is home to world-class colleges and universities and a K-12 education system ranked among the best in the country for efficiency, affordability and academic achievement.

Florida’s workforce, education and economic development partners are driven to make Florida the No. 1 destination to start, sustain or grow your business.

Chris Hart IV
President and CEO, CareerSource Florida