By Sascha Cordner
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-993064.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Governor Rick Scott broke ground Tuesday for the opening of a new facility by the first private sector company to expand into the Bay County area. As Sascha Cordner reports, it will be run by one of Florida's largest private landowners and is expected to lead to the creation of additional private sector jobs.
ITT Exelis, a defense contractor in the Panama City area, is moving into a new 105-thousand square foot building called Venture-Crossings near the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. Bay County Economic Development Alliance Director Janet Watermeier says this is very significant.
"The community built this marvelous new International Airport and part of the reason it was built was to provide economic development sites for the future and this is the very first one. This is the very first private sector company coming out of the ground, near the airport, in Venture Crossings, which is being developed by the St. Joe Company."
Watermeier says in addition to current employees, it could create close to 100 additional jobs in the future.