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Welcome to the First Coast
Jacksonville ranked #8 on Inc. Magazine's Top 25 Cities for Doing
Business in America
Bounded by the Atlantic Coast and the St. Johns
River and boasting the nation’s largest public park system, Jacksonville
has managed to maintain the natural beauty that balances its explosive growth
in business and residential development. It’s that balance, plus a
growing arts and entertainment scene; a business-friendly environment; great
schools; and high-quality, low-cost style of living that attracts major
corporations and discerning residents to the First Coast. Looking for a
reason to move or expand your business to Northeast Florida? We’ve
got ten of them:
1. Progressive Business Climate
With an average age of 35, Jacksonville is a hotbed for talented young professionals
with training and experience in a range of specialties from agriculture
to aerospace manufacturing. Each year, more than 45,000 new working age
residents move to the First Coast, the sprawling five-county area that includes
Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Nassau counties. And seamless cooperation
between agencies such as Enterprise Florida, the Jacksonville Economic Development
Commission, the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and its Cornerstone
Regional Development Partnership proves Northeast Florida is serious about
attracting new businesses and assisting existing ones.
2. Targeted Business Goals
Several years ago, Jacksonville’s economic development professionals
carefully selected several target industries deemed most suitable and potentially
most profitable for Northeast Florida, including aviation and aerospace,
medical products, information technology, distribution and financial services.
These industries were chosen not only because they create high-paying jobs,
but because of the thousand of potential “cluster industries”
they attract. These tagalong industries include every facet of business
from couriers to parts suppliers to accountants and attorneys. Economic
developers also set their sights on attracting headquarter offices and their
efforts have paid off – to the tune of more than 50,000 new jobs created
by companies relocating or expanding to Northeast Florida over the past five
years.
3. Glowing Reputation
A decade ago, site selectors across the nation had to explain to clients
just where Jacksonville lie on the map. Not so today. CEOs and site selectors
nationwide recognize Jacksonville as progressive city fast approaching top-tier
status. And the accolades keep coming. Expansion Magazine has ranked Jacksonville
in its top 10 list of the Hottest Cities in America for Business Relocation
for the past three years. It also has been named one of the top ten "Best
Places to Live" by Money magazine; and one of the top 100 Most Productive
Cities in America by a Sprint Business Poll.
4. Weather
Jacksonville isn’t all business, though. There are countless ways
to enjoy the great outdoors and Northeast Florida’s mild climate ensures
year-round enjoyment of all its natural wonders. Access to the Atlantic Ocean,
the St. Johns River and its tributaries make this a dream spot for surfers,
water skiers and freshwater and saltwater fishermen. Land lubbers enjoy lazy
days on pristine beaches and hundreds of acres of nature preserves. Jacksonville
residents enjoy an average of 266 sunny days and temperatures drop below 32
degrees less than two weeks a year.
5. High-Quality, Low-Cost Living
Lush natural escapes, championship golf courses, five-star resorts and restaurants,
countless cultural activities, upscale shopping and access to the water from
just about anywhere make for a luxurious living standard of living. And it
all comes at a bargain. Jacksonville’s housing costs remain
about 15 percent lower than the national average for new homes. And Florida
is one of the few states with no state income tax.
6. Location and Transportation
No matter where you are in Jacksonville, you’re just a short drive
from business and entertainment districts. The River City is a well connected
locale with easy access to three major interstates (95, 295 and 10) and
one of the nation’s fastest growing airports. The Jacksonville International
Airport boasts more than 300 daily arrivals and departures to more than
30 nonstop markets. Plus, three other airports – Craig, Herlong and
Cecil Field – are strategically located throughout the community for
jetsetters, both business and personal. Businesses both domestic and international
take advantage of Jacksonville’s rail and marine systems. And you
can dodge traffic by heading to a Jacksonville Jaguars Game, the Jacksonville
Landing or dozens of other dining and entertainment options by boat. If
you’re Downtown, take the Automated Skyway Express to various points
throughout the Northbank and Southbank.
7. Sports
No doubt about it, Jacksonville is one big, collective sports fan. The Jacksonville
Jaguars has proved one of the NFL’s most successful expansion teams
and the PGA Tour, and the ATP (men’s professional tennis) are headquartered
in Northeast Florida. Women’s tennis fans turn out for the Bausch
& Lomb Championships on Amelia Island each year. The Jacksonville Suns
Minor League Baseball Team is seeing a record surge in attendance since
the opening of the state-of-the-art new stadium, The Baseball Grounds of
Jacksonville. And the Jacksonville Barracudas keep hockey fans on the edges
of their seats. Collegiate sports fans look forward to the annual Florida/Georgia
game and the New Year’s Day Gator Bowl, known as the world’s
biggest cocktail party. Look closely and you’ll also find women’s
football, rugby and one of the Southeast’s biggest amateur surfing
championships, the WaveMasters Contest.
8. Arts & Culture
Jacksonville and the First Coast boast countless local artists whose works
rival those of any known name. And you can see them at any of a Jacksonville’s
numerous art galleries—literally dozens of them. From the classic
to the contemporary, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Riverside to
the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art Downtown, there’s something
for every taste. Top musical artists of every genre perform at the new $130
million, 16,000-seat Arena. Metropolitan Park hosts a number of riverfront
concert series. And the FCCJ Artist Series brings the best of Broadway to
Jacksonville. A host of other annual events, such as the World of Nations
celebration, the Riverside Arts Festival, Sprinigin’ the Blues Festival
and Fiesta Playera, celebrate the area’s diverse culture and tastes.
9. Education
Duval County’s Public School system boasts several of the nation’s
top performing magnet schools, including the nationally recognized Douglas
Anderson School of the Arts. Magnet schools focus on more than 30 specialized
subjects, including arts, engineering, dance, medicine and language immersion.
Stanton College Preparatory School has been ranked the nation’s top
high school by Newsweek magazine. Plus dozens of private and parochial schools,
as well as home school cooperatives offer plenty of alternative educational
opportunities. Jacksonville also is home to several nationally-ranked public
and private colleges and universities, including Jacksonville University, the
University of North Florida, Florida Community College at Jacksonville and
Edward Waters College. Schools also offer dozens of instructional series open
to the public and ranging from financial planning to belly dancing.
10. Promise of an even Better Jacksonville
In 2000, Jacksonville residents voted in the Better Jacksonville Plan, a
$2.2 billion, 30-year comprehensive growth management strategy program.
Neighborhoods in every part of town will directly benefit from infrastructure
improvements, environmental preservation projects and targeted economic development
plans. And all of Northeast Florida is enjoying fruits of the plan’s
public facilities projects, including the new Arena, Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville
and the Main Library Downtown, plus the Cecil Equestrian and Recreation Complex.
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