News

Advanced Manufacturing

Investment in the Jacksonville Region Reinforces Position as Economic Leader

The Jacksonville region continues to grow as fast as any area of the United States. After hitting an all-time high in capital investment in 2023, Northeast Florida has amassed 13 projects in 2024 that will bring more than 1,300 jobs and $603 million in capital investment.

“Our long-standing strengths in advanced manufacturing and transportation and logistics continue to pay dividends,” said Aundra Wallace, president of JAXUSA Partnership. “Companies are coming to the Jacksonville region because of the infrastructure and talent we have in these disciplines and that is leading to growth in other industry areas as well.”

The list of project wins in 2024 is anchored by well-known names like Publix Super Markets, Amazon and Anderson-Dubose.  Publix is building a state-of-the-art central fill pharmaceutical facility in St. Johns County, while Amazon is working on their 11th distribution facility in the area. Anderson-Dubose is establishing its southeastern footprint in Jacksonville and will serve over 300 restaurants from its new distribution center. Other industries leaders expanding their presence in the region or moving to the area include:

  • Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services.
  • Massy Distribution distributes grocery products to retail locations across 26 countries in the Caribbean.
  • The Terminal Corporation is a leader in logistics, warehousing, distribution and transportation across a wide range of commodities and industries.
  • Simmons Epoxy is a premiere manufacturer of fine laboratory grade epoxy resin sinks.
  • Polmix manufactures and distributes bulk and sheet molding compounds to customers in the United States and Mexico.
  • CLogic Defense designs and develops critical military products and systems such as add-on armor kits, advanced power systems and ballistic barriers.
  • 4Plast is a Florida-based plastics recycler that creates clean plastic flakes used to manufacture new plastic product.

The most recent projects that have announced in the region include HOLON, a German autonomous vehicle manufacturer, and Hermeus, an Atlanta-based high-tech aviation company. Both companies will bring new and innovative ideas that will transform the future of transportation.

  • HOLON will establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility with slated production of the first autonomous, electric shuttles in the country that will begin production in 2026. The Jacksonville plant will product 5,000 autonomous movers annually.
  • Hermeus has chosen Jacksonville for their newest testing facility to assess their hypersonic aircraft engines at Cecil Airport. The goal of this company is to build the fastest aircraft in the world, offering a 90-minute flight from New York to London.

The region’s gains in jobs and capital investments were amplified by Jacksonville’s approval of The Stadium of the Future, a $1.4 billion project that will create a world-class sports and entertainment venue that will serve as the home for the Jacksonville Jaguars for years to come.

“The amount of momentum we are seeing in the Jacksonville region is truly unmatched,” added Wallace. “When you look at the level of private investment coming to the area, the commitment to the future we’ve made with the new stadium and other key projects as well as the fact we’re the second hottest job market in the United States, it’s easy to see why so many companies are looking to Northeast Florida. We are excited to continue this momentum through 2024 and into the future.”