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W hat is it about Florida that makes the state an ideal spot to plant or expand a business? In terms of both logistics and economic development, Florida is consistently on the sunny side of the street. And the state forecast is not about to change. The Florida Chamber Foundation’s recently released Florida Trade & Logistics 2030 Study indicates the Sunshine State’s leadership in trade, logistics, and export-oriented manufacturing is on course to increase even as global supply chains undergo dramatic changes. “Florida has the perfect location given new trading routes, available capacity to move more goods, make more goods, and multiply these impacts throughout the economy,” says Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson. Strategies to expand manufacturing, logistics, trade, and rural economic growth align with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ goal to establish Florida as the 10th largest global economy by 2030, Wilson says. The state currently ranks number 15, up from 17 ve years ago. STRATEGIC LOCATION “Florida has long bene ted from a strategic location close to the intersection of north/south and east/west trade lanes, a large number of seaports and airports, world-class research universities and technical colleges, and a large consuming population of both residents and visitors,” Wilson points out. “Florida maintains a dominant share of U.S. trade with Latin American and Caribbean nations, has experienced signi cant growth in e-commerce and distribution, and is a recognized global leader in speci c manufacturing industries like aerospace and food and beverage,” he adds. State of cials and business leaders have even greater ambitions. “As global supply chains change, Florida plans to be a big winner,” Wilson says. The state has made signi cant strategic investments in its workforce and infrastructure over the past decade, expanding capacity at its seaports and airports and proactively building its talent pipeline. As a result, Wilson says, several Florida ports were able to accommodate port volume increases of 10% or more during 2021’s global supply chain disruptions. Meanwhile, Miami International Airport has become one of the world’s busiest freight airports, surpassing those in France, Japan, and Singapore. The state’s business pro le is built on a foundation of solid statistics: • 5 deep-water ports • 20 commercial airports • 3 spaceports and 8 launch sites
• More than 1 million trade, logistics, and manufacturing jobs in 2020. • More than 52,000 trade, logistics, and manufacturing businesses in 2020. • Nearly $57 billion in manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020. • Average annual manufacturing wages of $66,738 in 2020. • 912 million tons of freight valued at more than $1.1 trillion moving on Florida’s freight system in 2019. • $94 billion in destination imports and $56 billion in origin exports in 2021. Although the strength of Florida’s economy is widely known, the basis of that strength is not well understood, Wilson notes. “Many people—both domestically and internationally— see Florida as a place to play,” he says. “But they don’t always immediately think of Florida as a place to work or innovate, despite our highly competitive business climate and strong record of job creation.” Business leaders plan to better connect perception to reality through robust marketing, branding, and promotion efforts both in the United States and abroad, from participation in roundtables with businesses in the Southeast United States to expanded trade missions in Latin America and the Caribbean. RURAL AND INLAND FOCUS One of the state’s strategies is to expand logistics and manufacturing activities in rural and inland Florida. This is consistent with a goal previously set by the Florida Chamber Foundation to double rural counties’ share of Florida GDP by 2030, Wilson says. Inland Florida has unique opportunities not experienced by rural areas in other states because of Florida’s high rate of population growth and because nearly all parts of Florida are located within two hours of a major urban area, Wilson notes. Florida’s rural and inland areas offer available land for warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing activities that often cannot be found in developed urban areas, as well as access to business and consumer markets in Florida and elsewhere. In April 2022, the Ocala Metro area alone had 5 million square feet of industrial space under construction, with another 7 million square feet approved and 4 million in the pipeline, re ecting the high demand for inland Florida market space. In addition, Wilson says, Florida’s agricultural and forestry sectors can continue to grow to meet both local and global demand. Continually ranked one of the best states for job creation, Florida is committed to keeping regulatory red tape and
• 21 foreign trade zones • 37 consulates-general
August 2022 • Inbound Logistics 63
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