Ten rural counties in the Northwest Florida Panhandle make up the Rural Area of Opportunity Region. This gateway to Florida has plenty of rural space to grow a business, with strong logistics and distribution networks of state highways, interstates, and railroads to receive and ship your goods. Industry includes manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and research—even space travel. And while companies explore relocating to the Sunshine State because of the favorable business climate, many local businesses also flourish in the Opportunity Florida region utilizing the great workforce. Great schools creating a pipeline of workers while access to the coast and miles of green space make the quality of life here just as attractive.
“From Wakulla County to Gulf, Liberty and Calhoun Counties, and along the I-10 corridor from Gadsden to Northern Walton, the Opportunity Florida region has the skilled workforce for you to locate in existing buildings or create a new facility on ready building sites so your company can experience its potential in your industry. Opportunity Is Here!”
Roy Baker, Business Development Manager, Opportunity Florida
Rural Florida communities are different than most rural areas in the U.S. Our communities are within 60 minutes of any metro area, which contain major shopping districts, entertainment centers, airports, and universities.
A Closer Look
Eager to attract economic development to the area, the Opportunity Florida region has invested in infrastructure and put business-friendly practices in place to support initiatives to grow the region into a sought-after locale for business relocation and as an incubator for small businesses and start-ups. Several exciting projects are now underway, including expansion of solar energy production in the area, development of the Florida-Alabama Mega Site, and several Quest Solutions-certified sites and parks. Also exciting are our workforce training programs, such as welding, engineering and construction technology, and robotics programs that begin early in our high school academies.
“We know Opportunity is Here and as a region we’ve put our chips on the table to make sure we have the business climate needed to make our employers successful. Our schools, workforce boards, local governmental entities, and employers all work together to make sure we can provide a workforce that is both trained and trainable.”
Richard Williams, Executive Director, CareerSource Chipola
Probes Unlimited, a Pennsylvania-based sensor manufacturing company, looked for a second location in 2021 to help overcome a labor shortage following Covid. They were attracted to Northwest Florida by Florida’s Great Northwest, a regional partner of Opportunity Florida.
“Expanding to Holmes County has been seamless. It’s been excellent since we’ve been here. The people and the community have been welcoming. Our business growth here so far has been phenomenal and we are going to continue to grow.”
Probes Unlimited CEO and President Ernie DeLany
