INVESTOR NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2010
Regional Business News
Cornerstone and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce are heading to Washington, DC
with Mayor Peyton, JAXPORT executives, members and staff to meet with representatives from our Congressional
Delegation, other key elected officials from Congress, and military
leaders to discuss several important issues that remain vital to our
economic development success in Northeast Florida. Our focus while
in DC will be the
Mile-Point issue
, the timeline and funding for the future
nuclear carrier and basing of ships at
Mayport, and the full
reinstatement of the C-27J; for Alenia at Cecil Commerce Center.
SAFT America Inc. selected Cecil Commerce Center last year as the site for its new $200 million plant that will employ 300. Production will include energy storage and transmission for the growing wind and solar farm industry. Next month, SAFT America will officially break ground at Cecil Commerce Center and usher in a new era of clean technology for Northeast Florida.
Systems Services Enterprises
(SSE), a St. Louis-based IT company, is proposing to open a Jacksonville
office, pending the approval of an incentives package by Jacksonville
City Council and the State of Florida. SSE would bring 60 jobs to
Jacksonville, most of which will be hired from the local market.
The Economic Development Division of the
Clay County Chamber of Commerce assisted
Ocean Galley Seafood in obtaining funding to construct a new road in order to expand its seafood distribution business. Ocean's Galley is moving forward with construction of a 35,000 sq. ft. building, which will add 30 new jobs in Green Cove Springs.
New Statewide Program Targets "Second-Stage" Businesses 
Jacksonville and Northeast Florida companies have the opportunity to participate in a new statewide program,
GrowFL, targeting “second-stage” businesses and
offering sophisticated tools and counseling to help companies grow and
create jobs by providing access to a select team of business analysts
specially trained in a variety of disciplines.
Second-Stage businesses that qualify will have access to experts in various fields, providing technical services such as information tools, database research, internet search engine optimization, strategy analysis, social network strategies and labor referrals. To be eligible, a
business has to be a private, Florida-based firm with 10 to 50
employees that generates $1 to $25 million in annual revenue. Eligible companies also
have to have had growth in revenues and employment in three of the last
five years.
GrowFL was created by the Florida Economic Gardening
Institute (FEGI), a program funded by the Florida Legislature to
cultivate growth companies. The program is a unique statewide partnership that includes the Florida Economic Development Council, Enterprise Florida, Workforce Florida, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and others. Visit
www.GrowFL.com for more information. If you know of a company that would benefit from this program have them contact
Broderick Green at broderick.green@jacksonvillechamber.org.
Upcoming Events
Delaney to Speak at First Cornerstone Lunch 
The first Cornerstone luncheon of 2010 is fast approaching and will feature former Jacksonville Mayor and UNF President John Delaney who will be discussing “A New Florida Economy.”
Register now to reserve your seat at the March 16 luncheon to be held at the Hyatt Jacksonville Riverfront. The reservation deadline is Monday, March 9.
Join the "On the Road Back to Prosperity" Discussion 
The 14th Annual First Coast Real Estate Economic Outlook Conference and Expo - “On the Road Back to Prosperity” - is March 23, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
Brian Smith, president and CIO of Regency Centers, is the keynote speaker;
Dr. Sean Snaith,
director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the
University of Central Florida, will deliver an economic update; and
Mayor Peyton
will give a special address. Cornerstone will host a breakout session
focused on growth within our targeted industries.Visit the
Conference Web site for more information or to register.
Business Rankings - A Portfolio.com/Bizjournals study ranked Jacksonville 13th in the "Best Places to Start a Business."
- According to an article written by MarketWatch, Jacksonville ranked No. 28 out of 101 “Best U.S. Cities for Business.”
- Jacksonville was the only Florida city, with a population over 500,000, to rank in Next Generation Consulting’s "Hotspots for Young Professionals to live and Work in the U.S."
- According to Foreign Direct Investment magazine’s North American Cities of the Future study, Jacksonville is ranked in the Top 5 for "Best Infrastructure and Best FDI Strategy."
- Jacksonville ranked No. 6 in Kiplinger's "Top 10 Tax-Friendly Cities."
Sincerely,
Lee Thomas
Cornerstone Chair
Chairman of Rayonier
Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns Counties
3 Independent Drive • Jacksonville Fl 32202 • 904.366.6639
bizrelo@jacksonvillechamber.org • www.expandinjax.com
Where the Future Leads®