Coastal Cloud, a Salesforce consulting partner offering businesses a single cloud-based platform to automate processes, has seen exponential growth since its founding in Palm Coast in 2012. They were recently recognized by Inc. as one of the fastest growing companies in Florida and by Florida Trend as one of the “Best Companies to Work For in Florida.”

From the beginning, Coastal Cloud set a goal of creating a modern consulting firm focused on client outcomes while ensuring that their expert consultants and employees would enjoy a work/life balance. By 2017, they had more than 100 employees and are now approaching 300 employees throughout the United States, a quarter of which are based in Northeast Florida.

“We really want to break the model,” said Matt Hauck, director of marketing for Coastal Cloud. Tech consulting companies have traditionally been centered around ‘tech cities,’ but the spread of the tech ecosystem has made that model expensive and not great for employees.  Northeast Florida provides the perfect environment for us because we can foster talent locally and attract talent nationally.

Coastal Cloud hires across a variety of levels and disciplines and has a retention rate that is unsurpassed in the technology space. Their Flagler County headquarters acts as a hub for its operations and is a draw to talent from across the country.

“When there are no barriers to where you work, people choose to work in Florida.  The special thing about Northeast Florida is that it strikes a wonderful balance,” added Hauck. “It’s easy to live here, has a lower cost of living and creates a lifestyle that is matched with business growth opportunities.”

Coastal Cloud’s motto of “improving business and improving lives” can be seen in their connection to the community. They are developing the next generation of technology consultants by helping educators integrate technology into the curriculum through its project-based i3 Academy at Flagler Palm Coast High School and offering internships that can lead to career opportunities at the company. They also actively support Captains for Clean Water, Safe Schools for Alex and the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Science. Finally, they used their acumen to work with the federal, state and local governments on COVID testing and vaccinations for more than 1 million Floridians.