Walton County

Several manufacturing companies generated increased sales in 2009 despite the economy, says Bill Arnett, executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance. Among them: Magee Industries, a multiple-company enterprise at Magee Industrial Park at Freeport manufacturing chemicals and plastics, which has turned away business for lack of space, says President and

CEO John Magee. He’s now doubling factory size with a new 30,000-sq.-ft. building and will add 20 employees by year-end.

Business to Watch

» Florida Transformer, a power distribution equipment service and repair company in DeFuniak Springs, last year began a service decommissioning electrical distribution equipment; it hired six employees for a total of about 145. “We saw an opportunity to provide a new service we’d been looking at for some time, and construction costs were down,’’ says general manager Ron Shaw. Another expansion could come in 2010 or later.

Santa Rosa County

New and expanding businesses made 2009 an upbeat year, projecting some 800 new jobs and nearly $150 million in investment. Largest among newcomers is the Geo prison opening in July, with 470 jobs. Next planned major industry lure: The Whiting Aviation Park, a 269-acre development adjacent to Whiting Field Naval Air Station with runway access. The County Commission recently allocated $490,000 for infrastructure and hiring of PBS&J for master-planning.

Even single-family home sales managed a gain for the year, rising by .6%.

Businesses to Watch

» Technology firms AppRiver and Avalex Technologies are jointly building a $12-million technology building, an addition to Quietwater Office Park in Gulf Breeze. AppRiver estimates the combined expansion, which includes the move of Avalex from Pensacola, could generate as many as 300 jobs in Gulf Breeze over the next five years. AppRiver, with 114 employees, expects to hire 30 more this year; Avalex, currently with 52, will hire 10 this year.

Tags: Northwest