INVESTOR NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2011
Saft Holds Grand Opening of "Factory of the Future"
Saft, a French-based high-tech battery manufacturer, held the grand opening of its new U.S. headquarters and $200 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility last week. Speakers at the grand opening ceremony included John Searle, Saft CEO; Mayor Alvin Brown; Vice Admiral Mel Williams, Associate Deputy Secretary; Senator Bill Nelson; Congresswoman Corrine Brown; and Adele Griffin on behalf of Senator Marco Rubio. Following the grand opening ceremony, Saft allowed attendees to tour the "factory of the future." Highlights of the tour included seeing Saft's battery making process from start to finish and experiencing the companies highly automated facility, including its Wall-E robot. The company's significant capital investment and 300 jobs continue to be a big win for our region.
The company's story begins in 2009 when former Mayor John Peyton's personal relationship with an executive at Saft put Jacksonville on a list of potential locations for the new manufacturing plant. After an intense recruiting process Jacksonville won the deal over competing cities such as Charleston. Saft chose Jacksonville because of its overall attractiveness as a business location and the available, high-level workforce.
The high-tech plant will produce batteries for the U.S. defense and energy storage markets and will usher in a new era of clean technology for Northeast Florida. Construction of the plant was completed earlier this year and in March company executives made the decision to move the U.S. headquarters to Jacksonville. Saft continues to be an important project for our region and we look forward to its future success in job growth and expansion.
Take the "Innovate Northeast Florida" Survey
Our region is setting the course for our future economy, and we need your help! JAXUSA Partnership and the Northeast Florida Regional Council are working to create a strategy that will establish a regional vision and action plan for economic growth.
Please share your thoughts on the future of our economy by participating in a 10-minute survey. The survey asks for your opinions on Northeast Florida’s strengths and challenges, as well as ideas for things that our regional leadership can do to make this a better place for living and working.
Click here to get started and follow the link to the survey: www.innovatenortheastflorida.com.
Outer Beltway Receives City and State Support
The First Coast Outer Beltway project began about 10 years ago and quickly picked up speed with the commitment to build a high-speed interchange at I-10 and Cecil Field. Some of the original construction was developed along the way. Now the opportunity to bring the road up to its full potential means adding public and private support and providing a return on investment for those private funds. Every county in Northeast Florida has had strong support for this road for the last eight years as it is the most important road infrastructure project that we expect over the next 25 years.
The Outer Beltway has received support from both Mayor Alvin Brown and Gov. Rick Scott to move forward. The Outer Beltway is a vital project that will help meet the region's growing infrastructure needs. It will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and will add nearly 1,000 construction jobs. The Outer Beltway project will also help us attract new companies and jobs to our region. The Outer Beltway will provide the needed infrastructure to serve our growing region and help us avoid congestion in the decades to come.
Regional Partner Announcements
Putnam County
Newcastle Shipyards, a manufacturer of superyachts, announced the launch of the M/Y Harbour Island, its largest superyacht in the Newcastle 5500 series. Newcastle is located in Palatka and has the capability to produce yachts more than 200 feet in length. The Newcastle 5500 yacht is the ninth largest in the United States. For more information, visit www.newcastleshipyards.com.
Welcome to JAXUSA Partnership
Many of you are aware that we have officially changed our name from Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership to JAXUSA Partnership. We are excited about this transition and look forward to the success we will see under our new name. JAXUSA showcases our geographical location in the U.S. and increases our visibility with global site consultants and corporate executives considering our market for an expansion or relocation. We are very close to fully transitioning from Cornerstone to JAXUSA Partnership. Visit our website at its new address: www.jaxusa.org.
Click here to read our press release.
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Thank you for your continued commitment to JAXUSA Partnership, formerly Cornerstone.
Sincerely,
Scott P. Keith
JAXUSA Partnership Chair
Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns Counties
3 Independent Drive • Jacksonville Fl 32202 • 904.366.6639
bizrelo@jacksonvillechamber.org • www.jaxusa.org
Where the Future Leads®