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Northwest Fla., Panhandle Business Briefs -Dec. 2008
Campbellton —
» East Coast Ethanol of Columbia, S.C., plans to build a $212-million, corn-based ethanol production facility on 300 acres at Campbellton. The plant aims to produce 110 million gallons annually when completed in 2010.
Cedar Grove —
» By a 61% majority, residents in September elected to dissolve their 5,000-population municipality and become a part of unincorporated Bay County. Their reasons: No county franchise fees, lower taxes and better services from the county, says Cedar Grove Commissioner Janet Beier, a leader of the dissolution movement.
Chattahoochee —
» Entrepreneur George Kirvin Floyd bought 140 acres, including a 20-acre island, at the head of the Apalachicola River as a staging site for river trips and to build an extension of the Apalachicola Maritime Museum he directs 107 miles down river. Floyd sold his data-processing business two years ago to Bank of America.
Destin —
» Legendary Inc., a development, retail and tourism company with several hundred employees, has cut compensation for salaried and hourly personnel by 25% to avoid layoffs, according to CEO Peter Bos.
Gadsden County —
» The Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering has approved plans for a quarter-horse racetrack on 87.5 acres at I-10 and State Road 12. David Romanik of Hollywood and Paul Micucci of Toronto are principals of Gretna Racing.
Gulf Breeze —
» Andrews Institute is teaming up with the University of West Florida to provide counsel and academic support to UWF’s athletic training and sports medicine education curriculum.
Milton —
» Xcavate, a Ropella Group information research and software development firm, won a 2008 Governor’s Business Diversification Award in the category of entrepreneurship, midmarket.
Pensacola —
» Navy and Air Force leaders broke ground in October on a $45-million joint training facility, marking a new partnership between the services at Pensacola Naval Air Station. The U.S. Air Force Navigator Training Hangar and Combat Systems Officer Instruction Facility, when completed next year, will train Air Force and Navy navigators, weapons systems officers and electronic warfare officers.
» DeepGulf, a Pensacola company with new patented technology for installing ultradeep underwater pipeline, has advised East Timor’s government that, based on preliminary survey results, it appears feasible to build a pipeline to Timor to transport and refine an estimated $100 billion worth of oil and natural gas. The project previously was thought impractical because of the 11,000-foot depth of the Timor Trough separating the project site from East Timor.
Okaloosa County —
» The Army Air Force Exchange Service plans to open a giant shopping center outside Eglin Air Force Base by 2012, consisting of a 180,000- to 200,000-sq.-ft. base exchange plus Main Street-style shops and entertainment venues.
Tallahassee —
» K2 Urbancorp CEO David Wamsley built the first LEED-certified school in north Florida at his Evening Rose development town center. The charter school is operated by the national Imagine Schools company.
» Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering and FSU’s Center for Advanced Power Systems are among the partners in a new national research center working to revolutionize the nation’s power grid. The National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems, based at North Carolina State University, will represent universities, industry and national laboratories from 28 states and nine countries.
» Florida State University will receive $8.5 million in federal funding for defense-related research under a recently signed bill. The Center for Advanced Power Systems will get $6.1 million for work including development of an all-electric ship, and the High-Performance Materials Institute will receive $2.4 million for work on nanotube-reinforced composites for development of lightweight body armor and equipment.
Telogia —
» GreenHunter Renewable Power of Grapevine, Texas, bought Telogia Power Plant, a 14-megawatt wood waste-fired biomass power plant, plus 125 acres from CQ BioPower Producers of Blairsville, Pa., for $2.5 million. GreenHunter will spend $8.8 million for improvements, with plans to restart the plant by the first quarter.
