Topic: Workforce

Jacksonville Region Reaches All-Time High In Capital Investment

Posted on December 20, 2023

The Jacksonville region is ending 2023 in record fashion. Fueled by 18 projects announced and 2,500 jobs created, Northeast Florida has received $2.1 billion in capital investment during the year — this more than quadruples the private capital investments from 2022.

“The world continues to invest in the Jacksonville region,” said Aundra Wallace, president of JAXUSA Partnership. “These achievements underscore the region’s appeal as one of the most desirable business destinations globally.”

Jacksonville saw growth across a variety of industries in virtually every county of the region. Highlights from the year include:

These project wins are amplified by the announcement of the University of Florida’s new graduate campus in downtown Jacksonville — the campus will offer programs in medicine, business and engineering that will directly support the talent needs of companies in Northeast Florida.

“As much as we’re proud of what was accomplished in 2023, we’re even more excited about 2024 and beyond,” added Wallace. “The Jacksonville region has as much momentum as any place in the country in terms of business growth and investment. We continue to attract interest from all over the world because of our unique combination of infrastructure, business climate, talent and quality of life.  We have accomplished a lot, but we still have a long way to go to fully achieve our vision for the region.”

 

Mayo Clinic Thrives in Jacksonville as Florida’s #1 Hospital

Posted on November 10, 2023

In 1986, Mayo Clinic embarked on a courageous journey, extending beyond its Minnesota origins to establish a presence in Jacksonville, Florida. Starting with a modest team of 40 physicians and around 150 staff members, this strategic move has blossomed into an undeniable success story characterized by substantial growth, groundbreaking health care innovations and a profound impact on the local community.

From humble beginnings, Mayo Clinic in Florida has ascended to global recognition. Originally drawn to the region due to the enthusiastic support of its community leaders, Mayo Clinic states that the local talent pool of excellent health care workers and strong business community has supported its growth tremendously. The health care system now stands as a world-class transplant center and a pioneering force in innovative cancer care, attracting top-tier physicians and scientists from across the globe to make their home on the First Coast. With over 900 physicians, scientists, nearly 9,000 employees and ongoing capital projects exceeding $600 million, Mayo Clinic’s influence stretches beyond Florida — it touches patients throughout the United States and around the world.

Jacksonville’s exceptional quality of life plays a pivotal role in Mayo Clinic’s impressive staff recruitment success. The region offers an educated workforce, a concentration of life sciences companies, reputable colleges and universities and a supportive ecosystem that fosters growth. In addition to recruiting talent, Mayo Clinic also actively recruits companies to look at Jacksonville as a great location to expand or relocate, encouraging them to join forces in creating the health care of the future right here in Northeast Florida.

Innovation is at the heart of Mayo Clinic’s mission, propelling patient care through research and education. The Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange is a testament to this commitment, fostering collaboration among industry, medicine, and science and expediting research commercialization. Jacksonville has served as an incubator for Mayo Clinic’s medical innovation, offering opportunities for its scientists to lead programs for ex vivo organ restoration and develop new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies to use a patient’s own blood cells to attack cancers. Soon, the region will be home to the first carbon ion therapy program in the western hemisphere, using the latest technology to treat the most complex cancers.

In addition to their own educational programs in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, the health care system collaborates closely with Northeast Florida’s colleges and universities, which are vital talent pipelines to ensure their patients have the caring professionals they need. Especially in allied life sciences fields such as nursing, they are able to build on each other’s strengths with the colleges and universities providing academic and didactic education and Mayo Clinic providing the hands-on clinical experience.

As a not-for-profit hospital deeply embedded in the community, Mayo Clinic collaborates with other institutions to review community health needs and collectively address priorities. Community outreach prioritizes Access to Care, Chronic Diseases and Mental Health, offering support to local organizations. Mayo Clinic’s investment in the Blue Zones Project further enhances community well-being, from health care systems and community organizations, this allows them to enhance efforts to achieve a common goal of improving the lives of the people in the Jacksonville community with the greatest barriers to health.

Mayo Clinic’s growth in Jacksonville continues to meet rising patient demand. Plans include expansion, with the addition of 200 acres to the campus, fostering an integrated life-sciences ecosystem that will bring together private investments, life-sciences companies, Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers and new educational collaborations that will help take Jacksonville to the next level as a city leading the transformation of health care.

Georgia-Pacific Builds On Rich History In The Jacksonville Region

Posted on October 31, 2023

Georgia-Pacific is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towels and paper packaging and has one of its most significant manufacturing operations in Northeast Florida. Their Palatka plant produces familiar consumer brands like Brawny®, Sparkle®, and private label paper towels; Angel Soft® and private label bath tissue; kraft paper used for recyclable mailers, grocery bags; butcher paper; and linerboard used to make corrugated boxes.

Shortly after opening in 1947, the facility quickly became the state’s largest producer of facial and bathroom tissue and has produced other products including gummed paper tape and kraft paper used to make grocery bags and sacks. That growth and success has been fueled by more than $1.2 billion of capital investment in the area from Georgia-Pacific since 2002.

“There are a variety of attributes that allow us to thrive in Northeast Florida,” said Chris Gent, head of strategic communications & public affairs at Georgia-Pacific. “Chief among them are its strategic location globally, business-friendly environment, overall quality of life and a rich talent pool.”

That talent pool is representative of reputable area educational institutions, including universities and colleges. With several top-tier universities within three hours of their facility, Georgia-Pacific often collaborates with local businesses to develop programs that align with their needs, ensuring a pipeline of qualified graduates.

The Jacksonville region offers several initiatives and resources to help companies fill their talent needs,” added Gent. “Beyond our work with the schools, the region has workforce development programs and partnerships that focus on training and upskilling the local workforce. These programs provide opportunities for individuals to acquire the necessary skills and qualifications we need to keep moving forward.

Given its long-standing history in the region, Georgia-Pacific is heavily invested in local education foundations and civic organizations to partnerships with local charitable organizations and nonprofits. They support the African-American Cultural Arts Council, ARC of Putnam County, Bread of Life, Habitat for Humanity, Keep Putnam Beautiful, Lee Conlee House, Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch, United Way and many others.

“We contribute to causes that help address social and economic challenges within the community,” added Gent. “In addition, Georgia-Pacific has developed and funded an advanced manufacturing academy in three Putnam County high schools. It also helped create an advanced manufacturing degree track at St. Johns River State College, with an interactive laboratory, at its Orange Park campus. By supporting local nonprofits, organizations, and initiatives, we believe we can have a direct and positive impact on the lives of individuals and families in the community.”

Northeast Florida provides numerous economic benefits for companies and executives considering expanding or relocating their business. The region’s strategic location offers easy access to transportation networks, facilitating efficient distribution. With a diverse and growing economy, businesses can tap into various industries and collaborate with a skilled workforce. Additionally, the cost of doing business in Northeast Florida is competitive, with favorable tax climates and affordable real estate options. Beyond economic advantages, the region offers a high quality of life, including a mild climate, beautiful beaches and a vibrant arts and culture scene. These factors make the Jacksonville region an appealing destination for companies and executives seeking to maximize their potential for success.

Rayonier’s Success Is Intertwined With Northeast Florida

Posted on July 17, 2023

Rayonier relocated their headquarters to Northeast Florida in 1999, but their roots in the region date back to the 1930s. During that time, they have continued to acquire and manage timberland, adapt and grow as their business model has evolved and embark on one of the largest community development projects in the United States.

“Relocating to the Jacksonville region provided us a lot of advantages and the quality of life is unmatched, but the more time we spent in the area we realized how much opportunity there was in Northeast Florida,” said Mike Bell, vice president of public affairs and communications at Rayonier.

In 2014, Rayonier divided its land resources business from its performance fibers business, creating two independent publicly traded companies “As Rayonier has evolved, we have always continued to look for ways to maximize the value of our land holdings,” added Bell. “Our commitment to sustainable forestry efforts has remained constant, but through that exploration, the idea for Wildlight was born.”

Wildlight is a 2,900-acre mixed-use, master-planned development in Nassau County near Yulee that aims to create a sustainable and vibrant community with a mix of housing options along with commercial and retail spaces. As Wildlight develops, it will also contain the largest land conservation easement in the history of Northeast Florida, a 12,000+ acre Conservation Habitat Network. Wildlight is now the home of Rayonier’s corporate headquarters.

“Fulfilling the full vision of Wildlight will take 75 to 100 years – that means 3-4 generations will take part in its development,” said Wes Hinton, vice president of Wildlight. “Nassau County is a great place to live and it’s only going to get better as we create a community that both attracts people to Northeast Florida and lets locals stay local by having close access to key services and retail. Creating this kind of community is an amazing opportunity for Rayonier and the region.”

As Rayonier looks toward the future, they are committed to being a great partner to the community, their customers and 400+ employees, and continuing to provide nature-based solutions across its footprint.

Suddath’s Start In Jacksonville Leads To Global Growth

Posted on March 13, 2023

The 100+ year history of Suddath has been filled with growth and transformation. From its inception as a moving company in the Jacksonville region to a global powerhouse in transportation, logistics and more, Suddath has evolved with the market and its customer needs and continues to drive innovative solutions through its historical strength as the largest commercial mover in the United States.

“The last 10 years have brought great change and growth for Suddath,” said Mike Brannigan, president and chief executive officer of Suddath. “Our strategy has been to look for ways we could build on our rich history and provide more offerings that help our customers with their efficiency and effectiveness. “That has allowed us to diversify what we do and where we do it.”

In the early days, Suddath focused primarily on local moving services, helping families and businesses in the Jacksonville region move their belongings and equipment. However, as the company grew and expanded, it began offering a wider range of transportation, logistics and project management services, including international moving, workplace solutions, warehousing and distribution and employee relocation. Today, the company has more than 2,000 employees, locations on three continents and serves customers in 180 countries worldwide.

Suddath’s base of operations in Jacksonville has continued to provide a significant strategic advantage for the organization and its clients. Northeast Florida’s prominence as a transportation and logistics center provides Suddath the global connectivity it needs to serve its clientele.

The Jacksonville region’s ability to create and retain talent is also important to Suddath. “Our partnerships with the local colleges and universities are critical to innovation and our ability to move up the value chain,” added Brannigan. “The University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and Florida State College at Jacksonville all have programs that provide specifically trained talent to us because we help with programming and curriculums. That ability to work with them to build the talent we need accelerates development and their contribution to our goals.”

In addition to its moving and logistics services, Suddath is also committed to giving back to the communities it serves. The company has a long history of philanthropy, supporting a wide range of charitable causes and organizations in Jacksonville and beyond. Some of the organizations Suddath supports include Move For Hunger, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive, Truckers Against Trafficking and K9s For Warriors.

Suddath’s roadmap, now more than ever, is one of growth, innovation and dedication to its customers and communities around the world, but the Jacksonville region remains central to its success.

City of Jacksonville and University of Florida Partnership Will Bring New Graduate Campus

Posted on February 7, 2023

Today, University of Florida (UF) and the city of Jacksonville pledged their commitment to explore creating a new graduate campus in downtown Jacksonville focused on the introduction of innovative programs in medicine, business and engineering.

The proposed campus would provide new graduate education programs aimed at supporting the region’s growing workforce in biomedical technology and focused on pioneering technology related to simulation, health applications of artificial intelligence, patient quality and safety, health care administration and fintech. The plan would include both classroom space and residences.

“We are excited about the possibility of hosting this University of Florida expansion to foster opportunity, a talent pipeline, and further grow our region’s industry, said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.

The Jacksonville region has become a leader in financial technology and health care innovation. Recent headquarters announcements from fintechs Paysafe and Dun & Bradstreet will add a combined 1,100+jobs to the region’s already existing financial services and IT workforce of 64,800+ strong.

And with one of the largest and most innovative health care ecosystems in the nation, Northeast Florida is a center for medical breakthroughs and advanced leadership as displayed during the inaugural medical innovation summit held last year.

Although UF has had long-standing specialty and subspecialty graduate medical education programs at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, the plans call for bringing revolutionary approaches to training the health care professionals of tomorrow to the local Jacksonville area, including a regional UF Health campus.

This comes on the heels of the recent announcement of a merger between UF Health at Jacksonville and Flagler Health+, expanding the former’s presence to the region’s southern quadrant.

As a part of the next steps in this partnership, Curry announced intentions to bring a three-year, $50 million proposal to the Jacksonville City Council. UF and community leaders will seek an additional $50 million in private support.

“We’re excited to grow our historic partnership with Jacksonville through exploring what we envision as a new campus designed for the strengths of this unique city,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees. “We’re confident we can create incredible synergies by joining UF’s strengths as a top-five public flagship university with Jacksonville’s rising stature as national health care and technology hub.”

Johnson & Johnson Vision is Grounded and Growing in Jacksonville

Posted on January 6, 2023

What started in 1981 in Jacksonville as Frontier Contact Lenses has become a growth engine for one of the world’s most revered health care companies. Since then, Johnson & Johnson Vision which has its global headquarters based in Jacksonville has continued to innovate and prosper in the region to become what it is today – developing and manufacturing solutions which help to improve the sight for millions of people around the world.

Prior to its acquisition, Frontier had 150 employees in Northeast Florida. Today, more than 3,500 people work for Jacksonville’s Johnson & Johnson Vision campus. This growth has come through several expansion efforts over the years, including its most recent announcement of an incremental $200 million investment in its Deerwood Park headquarters.

Our people are truly excited about the cause of eye health. They are always learning and driving innovation, so we want to support those goals through investments in the business and in them professionally,” said Peter Menziuso, company group chairman of Johnson & Johnson Vision. “It’s a significant mission—2.2 billion people globally are vision impaired, and a lot of them have no eye care available. Our solutions are changing the world, and it is imperative that we have the best and brightest in our ranks.

A key dimension of Johnson & Johnson Vision’s hiring model is the integration of former military members. In fact, 75 percent of the company’s manufacturing team are current or former military personnel. “Veterans have the background, training and work ethic needed to drive us forward,” added Menziuso. “Recruiting people from the military is a critical part of our talent strategy because of our highly specialized and technical needs—another reason why Jacksonville is a strategic fit for us.” Each year, there are approximately 3,000 military separations who choose to remain in the Jacksonville region.

Another strategic advantage for Johnson & Johnson Vision is Jacksonville’s position as a logistics and transportation center. The region’s deep-water ports, interconnecting interstates, railroad spurs and international airport system provides them with a global reach right from their manufacturing facilities. This provides both speed to market and built-in efficiencies that are virtually unmatched by the competition.

Technical secondary education in the area is an advantage as well. Johnson & Johnson Vision regularly recruits from the region’s colleges and universities, including University of North Florida and nearby top 20 public universities, the University of Florida and Florida State University. The company also helps develop programs and curriculums that prepare the future workforce for roles within the organization. That—coupled with a strong commitment to giving back to the community—has created a critical partnership between the company and the city they call home.

From their start in San Marco to producing 1.7 billion contact lenses annually, Johnson & Johnson Vision is a catalyst for growth in the Jacksonville area and the leader in the future of vision care around the world.

Deutsche Bank Supports Global Clients from Jacksonville Hub

Posted on November 21, 2022

With trillions in assets across the world, Deutsche Bank is truly a financial powerhouse. What you may not know is that a key part of their global operation resides in the Jacksonville region and has for more than 15 years.

Deutsche Bank’s presence in Northeast Florida dates back to 2008 and originally planned for a few hundred roles across operations, investment banking and IT support. Today, there are more than 2,000 employees in the Jacksonville region and the functional support has expanded to include Investment Bank, Corporate Bank, Private Bank, Research, a suite of Operations and Technology functions, Compliance, Anti-Financial Crime, Finance, Audit, Legal, Risk Management and Human Resources.

“Jacksonville provided the opportunity to grow our talent pool in a way that was cost efficient, but cost wasn’t the sole driving factor,” said Brian Fay, Americas head of operations and managing director for Deutsche Bank Jacksonville. “We realized quickly that we didn’t have to keep jobs in New York to get the level of talent and experience we needed to support and grow our business. Deutsche Bank has a lot of complex roles and it’s incredibly helpful to have people in Jacksonville with the appropriate skill sets.”

Jacksonville has been a great place to grow on several different levels,” added Nader Jarun, Deutsche Bank’s chief of staff for Jacksonville. “Not only are we able to find the talent we need for our functions here, but our colleagues in other U.S. locations, and around the world, are looking to the Jacksonville site as a place to compliment the bank’s strategy, foster employee career growth and enable our employees to maintain a better quality of life. That kind of career mobility is something on which we pride ourselves.

The growth of Deutsche Bank has been helped by the continued rise of the financial services sector in the Jacksonville region. With more than 64,800 employees, the industry is one of the largest employers in the area and regularly sees new companies and fresh talent arrive almost daily. “It’s great for Deutsche Bank to be in a location where so many leaders in financial services reside,” said Fay. “Yes, we all do compete for talent, but that pushes us all to be better and to differentiate ourselves.”

As for the future of Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville, it will remain a focal point of their regional strategy. “We will always look for ways to build synergies based on our scale here,” said Fay. “Plus, we want to continue to give back to a community that has done so much for us. Since we don’t have retail branches in Jacksonville like some of our competitors, our involvement and support in the region helps generate a #positiveimpact with our community partners and clients as well as increase the awareness of the DB brand. We’re excited about where we are going as a bank and Jacksonville will remain an integral part of our plans.”

Jacksonville Top 15 Best City for Women in Tech

Posted on October 21, 2022

The Jacksonville Region is Committed to Developing Tomorrow’s Workforce

Posted on September 15, 2022

The availability of talent is among the most important components of a company’s decision to relocate or expand. That not only includes the current roster of talent but how the area is growing the pool of qualified workers who will make up the next generation.

With the commitment to developing talent from Florida’s K-12 school districts and postsecondary institutions, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared September as Workforce Development Month in Florida. This recognition celebrates the progress made towards strengthening workforce education opportunities for Floridians and aims to make the state best in the nation for workforce education by 2030. As such, since 2019, Florida has invested more than $5 billion in workforce education initiatives, and Northeast Florida is devoted to developing the next generation workforce by creating structures and programs that are tied into its target industries and high-growth areas.

Leading the way in that endeavor is Earn Up, JAXUSA’s workforce development initiative. The “Invest in Your Future” program pairs the region’s companies with students, adult learners and veterans to provide a variety of real-world job experiences, including internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, mentoring and more. Ascension St. Vincent’s, Collins Aerospace, Florida Blue and CSX are among the companies who are already partnering with the initiative. The work-based learning activities are invaluable for the companies to build homegrown talent with skills needed for mutual success and the individuals they may employ with a better understanding of the opportunities available in the region.

Post-secondary institutions in the Jacksonville region also continue to invest in curriculum that drives college students to be well prepared for the area’s target industries of advanced manufacturing, advanced transportation and logistics, health and biomedical, financial services and IT and innovation. Examples include:

  • The University of North Florida (UNF) chemistry department recently unveiled a new addition and renovation totaling 20,000 square feet of space, labs and study areas and a partnership with Johnson & Johnson Vision to invest in a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and support for summer research programs.
  • Florida State College at Jacksonville and St. Johns River State College launched the Northeast Florida Fintech Initiative after being awarded a $3.6 million grant to create a training program to develop the highly skilled workers needed for the growing fintech sector.
  • Jacksonville University (JU) has one of the country’s best aviation programs with specialties available in aviation management and flight operations, airport management, airline management and air traffic control. JU is one of 36 universities in the nation selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to educate future air traffic controllers under the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI).
  • Jacksonville-based Crowley Maritime Corporation, a leader in logistics, marine and energy solutions, donated $2.5 million to UNF for the creation and operation of the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics. This center of excellence will establish a commitment to the growth and development of skilled, talented students in transportation and logistics.

The Jacksonville region is also unique in that it has several leading universities within 250-miles of the region, including University of Florida (UF), Florida State University (FSU), Florida A&M University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Central Florida, Keiser University and Georgia Southern University. UF and FSU were recently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the nation.

Couple this with the influx of new residents to the Jacksonville region and Northeast Florida is positioned to be a significant talent hub in the Southeast now and for years to come.