Foreign Trade Zone No. 249, serving Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, is a key asset for businesses involved in international trade, logistics and manufacturing. Administered by the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission with support from FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, FTZ 249 helps companies reduce costs, improve cash flow and boost global competitiveness. Located in … Read more

Exciting news at CO:LAB! Please join us in welcoming Tocaro Blue to our growing community of innovators and changemakers! Tocaro Blue is revolutionizing marine navigation and waterway safety through cutting-edge AI marine Radar. Their intelligent solutions make using your marine Radar for collision avoidance simple and intuitive, whether you’re a professional mariner or weekend boater! CO:LAB will house Tocaro … Read more

GE Vernova recently completed a significant $70 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Escambia County, Florida, just outside of the City of Pensacola.  This investment reflects the company’s continued confidence in the region and its commitment to strengthening U.S.-based manufacturing for the clean energy sector.  The expansion comes at a pivotal moment, as evolving federal policies … Read more

By Chris Platé, CEO, FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance Over the past decade, a $5.75 million cumulative investment by the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners to PEDC has generated more than $31.3 million in new gross ad valorem tax revenue, which is a 444% Return on Investment (ROI).  In addition, the investment has yielded a Compound … Read more

Pensacola’s GE Vernova is equipping wind farms in Texas with more than 100 turbines! GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) announced that it has entered into an agreement with RWE to provide 109 of its 2.8 MW–127m* onshore wind turbines to power the Honey Mesquite wind farm in Glasscock County, Texas and repower the Forest Creek … Read more

One in five of children have dyslexia, the number one learning disability in the nation. One CO:LAB company is making strides giving to give those kids a chance. Key Tutoring, an emerging educational service in Pensacola, is experiencing significant growth at CO:LAB, the business incubator that supports startups and entrepreneurs in Northwest Florida. The company, … Read more

Exciting News for Century, Florida! FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance proudly announces that Algaplast Corp. is establishing its first U.S.-based operations in Century! This incredible project, part of the renowned Grupo GA230 family of companies from Brazil, will bring 25 new manufacturing and technical jobs to the area over the next three to five years. Algaplast specializes in … Read more

GE Vernova Inc, America’s leading energy manufacturing company, is planning to invest nearly $600 million in its U.S. factories and facilities over the next two years to help meet the surging electricity demands around the world. The new investments – expected to create more than 1,500 new U.S. jobs – will help drive U.S. energy … Read more

From American Magic American Magic, the US challenger for the 36th and 37th America’s Cup, and Nautor Swan, a global leader in yacht design and manufacturing, on Sunday, 19th January, announced their intention to create a strategic partnership aimed at energizing sailing in America and growing the marine industry. The joint venture will initially focus … Read more

Simply Business, an online insurance marketplace, ranked Pensacola #6 among mid-sized cities for young business owners. In fact, the article states 37 percent of business owners in Pensacola are younger than 40 years old. Emily Hopper, a resident entrepreneur at FloridaWest’s CO:LAB business incubator, was recently interviewed by WEAR TV-3 ABC after the study was … Read more