Aviation
Adding Carriers
 Orlando International Airport |
"Airlines are reducing their capacity, which is directly attributable to the cost of fuel, but ... we still have the ability to carry the same number of passengers we did last year (almost 36.5 million). In July, traffic was down 2.7%, but year-to-date in July, passenger traffic was up 2.73%. ... We expect, with cautious optimism, we should be somewhere near 35 million to 36 million passengers for the year for arrivals and departures. ... We’re excited about international traffic, which was up almost 22% through July. ... Last fall we added major carriers to international markets (Panama, Ireland, Germany), and Tam Airlines out of Brazil is starting daily service in November. ... Certainly economically we all look to international because of the exchange rate."
— Carolyn Fennell, spokeswoman, Orlando International Airport, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Restaurants
Hoping for the Best
 Carol Dover |
"The attractions are up, so some of the restaurants around them are doing well. ... But as soon as you step outside of that element, they’re hurting. They’re just trying to hold on. ... Restaurants are paying more for fuel, more for food, a higher minimum wage, higher health insurance for employees. ... Chains definitely are surviving but have shut down stores or closed off growth plans. They’re saying, ‘If we break even right now just to get through these tough times, we consider
it a victory.’ "
— Carol Dover, president and CEO, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Tallahassee
Economic ‘Spasm’
 Jerry Ross |
"It’s taken awhile to hit small businesses. ... A tough economy is going to shake out those that are having difficulty already. ... People are unsure of what’s going to happen in so many areas that even if they’re doing OK, they pause. There’s the election, the tax implications for the future, negative news, the economic crisis. ... It’s created a spasm ... a domino effect ... their business slows down and then their spending slows down. They say, ‘Maybe I ought to save this $2,000 I was going to spend on renovations and keep it in the mattress.’ ... Biotech, high-tech and green-tech industries are growing. International travelers are still coming in, going to the theme parks, renting cars. I think we have it much better than other places."
— Jerry Ross, executive director, Disney Entrepreneur Center, Orlando
Technology/Simulation
‘Still Optimistic’
 Soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky., train on the Engagement Skills Trainer, a PEO STRI simulation training system. [U.S. Army Photo/ Doug Schaub] |
"We’re in uncertain budgetary times with the changing administration. Quick turnaround programs that generally have some commercial appeal we can apply to the military are doing well. We’re seeing a lot of work going out into the hands of smaller and midsize companies. ... We continue to see the defense market increase 10% to 12% a year, and we’re still optimistic we’ll see 10% overall growth in the market this year. Our books are going to close between $5.2 billion and $5.3 billion. Of that, roughly 45% will stay right here in central Florida."
— Pete Marion, customer support executive, PEO STRI (Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training & Instrumentation)
Tourism
International Aid
 Gary Sain |
— Gary Sain, president and CEO, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Next page: Charts on School Enrollment, Gross Sales, Existing-Home Sales and Unemployment for the Central region of Florida.
| School Enrollment Change | ||
| County | % Change (from 2007-08) | Student Change |
| Brevard | -3.00% | -2,260 |
| Flagler | +2.02 | +262 |
| Lake | -0.99 | -405 |
| Orange | -1.08 | -1,933 |
| Osceola | -2.26 | -1,186 |
| Seminole | -0.59 | -387 |
| Sumter | +3.17 | +239 |
| Volusia | -2.56 | -1,659 |
| Source: Florida Department of Education | ||
| Gross Sales (Jan.-June 08 vs. Jan.-June 07) | ||
| County | % Change | $ Change |
| Brevard | +0.3% | +$25,937,106 |
| Flagler | -0.6 | -4,922,889 |
| Lake | -6.6 | -239,161,266 |
| Orange | -8.0 | -2,993,864,644 |
| Osceola | +3.2 | +164,904,469 |
| Seminole | -8.2 | -699,809,274 |
| Sumter | -2.0 | -20,821,039 |
| Volusia | -4.0 | -303,586,702 |
| Source: Florida Department of Revenue | ||
| Existing-Home Sales | ||||
| Metro Area | August Sales | 1-Year Chg. | August Median $ | 1-Year Chg. |
| Daytona | 573 | -4% | $164,200 | -19% |
| Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay | 494 | +15 | 155,500 | -23 |
| Orlando | 1,445 | -2 | 204,400 | -18 |
| Source: Florida Association of Realtors | ||||
| Unemployment | |||
| Metro Area | August 2007 | August 2008 | Number Unemployed |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach (Volusia) | 4.5% | 7.2% | 18,540 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee (Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole) | 4.1 | 6.3 | 71,834 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville (Brevard) | 4.7 | 7.2 | 19,492 |
| Palm Coast (Flagler) | 6.8 | 10.3 | 3,280 |
| Source: Agency for Workforce Innovation | |||