INVESTOR NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2010
SAFT Breaks Ground on High-Tech Plant at Cecil 
SAFT held its official
groundbreaking this month at Cecil Commerce Center.
SAFT America officials including
CEO Thomas Alcide and
Program Manager Peter Denoncourt; City Officials including
City Council President Richard Clark; and State Officials including representatives from Senator
LeMieux and Senator Nelson's office came together to celebrate this important occasion.
SAFT's high-tech battery plant is opening up our region to the clean technology sector, an industry the state recognizes as vital for job growth. With
SAFT's reputation as a global leader in the development and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, the Jacksonville plant is only the beginning. "Jacksonville makes sense for the company because of its logistical advantages, including access to major highways and rail lines," said Peter
Denoncourt, program manger of the Jacksonville plant. The plant is providing nearly 300 new jobs for our region and is investing $200 million in our economy.
Regional Business News 
Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS) is proposing to add 350 new, full-time jobs to the local market and invest approximately $1.5 million in new private capital; pending the approval of an incentives package by Jacksonville City Council and the State of Florida. LPS is in the process of evaluating potential sites to accommodate its expanding technology platforms and systems, data and analytics division, and loan transaction services division.
Digital Risk LLC is proposing to bring 175 new jobs to Jacksonville, pending approval of incentives by Jacksonville City Council and the State of Florida, and invest approximately $500,000 in new private capital for machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures and leasehold improvements. Digital Risk provides business consulting services to mortgage holders that include predictive modeling analytics to value mortgage portfolios, loss mitigation and asset recovery opportunities, loan repurchase and loss indemnifications, ensure regulatory compliance and identify fraudulent activity.
North Florida Shipyards received approval by the JEDC to utilize $4 million of the City’s Recovery Zone Facility Bond allocation. The bond will be used to help the company acquire a mobile vessel hoist, construct a new basin and improve the existing area. The project will cost $7.6 million and is expected to create 246 new jobs. Jacksonville was allocated $16.3 million in RZ Economic Development Bonds and $24.5 million in RZ Facility Bonds. North Florida Shipyards is the first company to receive a funding award through this program.
Construction of the $2.7 million
Laura Street project that will transform the main corridor of downtown Jacksonville is underway. Plans include converting the street into a two-way street, adding a roundabout at the intersection of Laura St. and Independent Drive, building a pedestrian path from Bay St. to the Landing, landscaping, paving and adding new signage and lighting. Independent Drive is being converted into a two-way street from Laura to Newnan St.
Cornerstone partnered with JAA, JEDC and WorkSource on a labor study to look at our region's available "industrial" workforce. The study, completed this month, focused on three key labor areas including aviation and aerospace, advanced manufacturing and logistics and distribution. Cornerstone retained the consulting firm Global Location Partners, a firm well recognized for its expertise in this area of study. The results of the study are favorable and documented that Northeast Florida has an available labor force to handle most any industrial operation.
Public Policy Updates - The Chamber and Cornerstone organized a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to make key contacts with decision makers at the Pentagon regarding ship loading for Mayport Naval Base and F35 and C27J location decisions by the Air Force. We also met with members of Congress on port dredging and resolution of the Mile Point issue at JAXPORT. Our entire delegation was very supportive on finding a way to resolve this issue and eliminate the Mile Point challenge.
- The Florida Legislature is considering re-enactment of the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund program, a key incentive we have been able to use to attract job growth to Northeast Florida. Cornerstone is working with Enterprise Florida and others across the state to renew this important legislation.
Site Selection Outreach
As part of our efforts to remain aggressive, Cornerstone project managers will attend the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) Spring 2010 Forum and the CoreNet Global Summit. Project managers will have the opportunity to network with corporate real estate executives and site consultants handling major relocation and expansion projects. Find out more about IAMC and
CoreNet Global. In May we are taking a sales mission to New York to reach out to a variety of companies with investments in our region and to look for new opportunities for growth from the New York area.
Upcoming Events
Region 2060: Developing a Sustainable First Coast
Region First 2060 is holding a sustainability workshop Thursday, May 25 at UNF's University Center from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event is the first in a series of interactive workshops that will focus on key guiding principles from last year's Reality Check First Coast, which include promoting compact and sustainable development. For early registration, e-mail Carolyn.Clark@uli.org. View the Invitation.
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®