As I travel around Florida meeting with CEOs and entrepreneurs from companies of all sizes and configurations, I often have occasion to ask, "What prompted you to site your business in Florida?" One answer from the president of a biotech firm was particularly memorable. "There were like-minded people here to play with," he said.

Bruce Faulmann, Publisher [Photo: Mark Wemple]

I knew he wasn’t talking about "play" in the sense of beaches to bask on or golf holes to birdie, although Florida has plenty of both. No, this company executive was referring to the existence of a solid talent base from which could flow the kind of give-and-take that breeds creativity and innovation.

Simply put, innovators like to be in a place where other innovators already are. And these days, more and more of them are finding that place to be Florida. Their stories of why they came to be located in Florida and how their companies are prospering as a result are told on the following pages.

Inside Business Florida and the bonus special report, Florida Innovation, you’ll quickly learn that Florida has both a long history of innovation and the talent necessary to sustain it. I encourage you to read these success stories and discover the wealth of opportunities you can enjoy here, too.