Florida’s Great Northwest
By Scott Jackson
for Climate Magazine
(Index of Other Articles)

The hats are replaced with visors, the sagebrush and horses are more sea oats and horses respectively. But there is a new, wild enthusiasm about what makes us special up here in the north, and we’re not just blowin’ gunsmoke.

Florida’s Great Northwest, Inc.—A Regional Alliance for Prosperity

The “greater” or “common good” is the underlying motivation for forming strategic partnerships or alliances. What we cannot achieve individually we may achieve collectively. In the context of economic growth in an increasingly complex global economy, alliances are necessary in the highly competitive world of job creation.

The theory of the common good proposes that by working together prosperity will come to all. For Northwest Florida, one of the greatest “common” needs is to make sure the rest of the world knows who we are and what we offer. Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW), Inc., a coalition of 16 counties in Northwest Florida, was incorporated on November 16, 2000, to do just that. Why? Because other parts of the state have branded themselves so strongly that the vast majority of the site relocation consultants (approximately 85 percent) have overlooked Northwest Florida for business relocations.

Putting NW Florida on the Relocation Map: A Cooperative Venture

“Site selection firms hired by large businesses quickly narrow their lists to 10 places they are familiar with,” says Tom Powell, executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Council. “In the past, Northwest Florida hasn’t been on that list of 10. Now they know we exist.”

FGNW’s objective is light a blip on site selection radar screens. By attending a comprehensive mixture of trade shows, Web-based marketing, strategic partnerships and regional branding, FGNW is targeting key groups of businesses and site relocation consultants to ensure they are aware of what the region offers.

“Florida’s northwest IS truly great, so the name chosen to reflect the region is perfect! The region possesses so many strengths—from its fine people to its exceptional beauty to its quality way of life—that it is difficult to do them all justice in a marketing campaign. However, if any group can showcase the region justly, the partnership currently joined together for this purpose can and will.”

Those words aren’t the gushings of an over-caffeinated marketing maven. They come from the state’s top economic development official, Dr. Pamella Dana of the Office of Tourism and Economic Development. She adds, “I am a big proponent of regional marketing campaigns as they highlight the strengths of the region first, and thereafter the individual units within that region. Such campaigns greatly leverage available resources, maximizing the potential for businesses to consider a region for an expansion or relocation. For example, if a corporation or a site location consultant becomes acquainted with, and interested in, a region as a whole, then the individual cities and counties within that region stand a greater chance of being considered on an ongoing basis for business relocations. The key is getting corporate attention. As local resources are often scarce, pooling resources on a regional basis can greatly enhance the message being sent. Once attention is drawn to the region, then the individual cities can fall into friendly competition to highlight their particular advantages. It is a win-win situation to work together as a region.”

Amassing the cooperation of 16 diverse counties is not an easy task. And Mike Frey, vice president of economic development for the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce, sees that as a key challenge—keeping the counties moving together. Each county has formal entities for helping to shape their economic growth. Likewise, each county extols its virtues individually. Unfortunately, the resources available to them are frequently not adequate. They simply cannot compete with the strong metro areas whose marketing clout drowns out the efforts of even the best-engineered marketing plans.

“Creating Florida’s Great Northwest was a very positive move,” says Frey, “I am a firm believer in the concept of regional cooperation. The entire region will benefit by raising corporate awareness and elevating our image.”

Ted Clem, executive director of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance says, “I am very supportive of the collective marketing capability FGNW represents.” He shares the same concern as other economic development officials in the region—Northwest Florida often is overlooked by site consultants because of the high visibility of the five major metro areas in the state: Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Melbourne.

The need to cooperate also implies patience. The next business expansion or relocation might not land exactly where economic development directors would hope.

Tom Powell addresses the concern about counties attempting to land the new business directly inside their borders. “It doesn’t have to be in your backyard to have a significant effect on a community,” he states. The trickle down effect of business growth flys right over county lines via the power of capitalism and economics.

FGNW key partners from the onset have been Gulf Power and Touchstone Energy Cooperative who joined St. Joe as sustaining partners. And while the membership reflects key entities in the region, FGNW will build additional relationships outside of the region, including Enterprise Florida, the public-private commerce engine for the state.

Board Members

• AmSouth Bank
• Bay County Economic Development Alliance
• BellSouth Telecommunications
• Brasfield Gorrie General Contractors
• Chipola Regional Workforce Development Board
• Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County
• Economic Development Council of Tallahassee / Leon County
• Florida Power Corporation, Economic Development
• Florida State University
• Gulf Coast Community College
• Gulf Power Company
• Hopping Green Sams & Smith, PA
• Lamar Advertising Company
• Northwest Florida Development Group
• Northwest Florida Economic Development Coalition
• Okaloosa-Walton Community College
• Opportunity Florida
• Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce
• Pensacola Junior College
• The St. Joe Company
• St. Marks Powders, A General Dynamics Company
• Team Santa Rosa Economic Development Council
• SouthTrust Bank NA
• Sprint
• SunTrust Bank, Northwest Florida
• Terhaar & Cronley
• Touchstone Energy Electric Cooperative of Northwest Florida
• University of West Florida
• Walton County Economic Development Council

Getting it to Tick—the Mechanics of FGNW

Within FGNW several committees guide ongoing projects. The Education/Workforce Committee determines FGNW’s support for improving competition regarding the region’s ability to provide a trainable workforce for prospective companies. The committee also promotes the education opportunities.

The Marketing/Advertising Committee develops effective marketing activities.

The Advanced Technology Committee synthesizes and prepares a strategy for positioning the region as an ideal location for technology-based companies.

The Media/Public Relations Committee will guide branding and media. One of the more visible products of FGNW is its branding strategy with its mantra of “Florida’s Great Northwest” a departure from the staid “Panhandle” moniker (I have yet to see the “p” word in any of FGNW dealings).

The Aviation/Aerospace Committee focuses on one of our region’s core competencies and industrial base in order to attract related companies to the region. Larry Sassano, executive director of the Okaloosa Economic Development Council, chairs this committee. Sassano is excited about its strong team members, which include Dr. Paul Hsu of Manufacturing Technology, Bob Black of ARINC and Congressman Scarborough’s military liaison along with business development veterans Bo Taff and Ken Cooksey of Enterprise Florida.

A full-time staff will administer the affairs of FGNW on an initial operating budget of $468,000, derived from member contributions. .FGNW’s board recently approved the site for their headquarters, which will be on Highway 98, east of the city of Destin in Walton County. The board also hired Al Cook, Jr., to be the organization’s executive director. Mr. Cook was formerly the senior vice president for corporate development and recruitment with the Montgomery (AL) Chamber of Commerce.

The formation of FGNW as a 501[c] 6 corp. is one of the first endeavors of Neal Wade, vice president of economic development of St. Joe Company, who was recruited from the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama by St. Joe CEO Peter Rummell. With a track record of success in Alabama, Wade moved into the intricate tapestry of Northwest Florida and its diverse amalgamation of rural, coastal, tourism, military, political and high-tech arenas.

“Having Neal Wade involved has really been great because we have been able to work with him to get people motivated about the idea of economic growth,” says Representative Bev Kilmer, a member of FGNW’s board.

To those that feel that St. Joe might dominate the area’s economic development, Kilmer would have you think otherwise. “He lets people know ‘We’re here with you. We’re not coming to tell you what to do with your community.’ St. Joe wants to compliment—it wants to bring businesses that will compliment the communities. I feel that it is such an important component of growth—not to have growth that dominates a community but one that compliments it.”

Clearly it is the inherent power of the entire membership of FGNW that will make its mark. Dr. Dana enthusiastically agrees. “The strength and potential power of Florida’s Great Northwest can be found in its partners, the local economic development organizations and significant private sector leaders such as the St. Joe Company.”

Dr. Dana suggests it won’t be easy. “Despite what some may think, creating and maintaining regional alliances are not as easy as they may seem. In order to create an effective regional organization and marketing campaign, you need a cohesive but diverse group of professionals who believe in and are committed to promoting regional success and development.”

She adds, “From what I have seen, Florida’s Great Northwest is that kind of cohesive group. Given the huge success realized by other regional organizations such as the Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida, Tampa Bay Regional Partnership and Internet Coast, I believe the Florida’s Great Northwest organization is well structured for significant accomplishments. The partnership should also be credited for its support of the small and rural communities within its reach. These communities may ultimately be the biggest beneficiaries of the organization’s marketing efforts, and the regional partnership should pat itself on the back for not leaving any element of its wider community out.”

Getting Noticed: From the Internet to the Government, FGNW Gets Into the Mix

FGNW has already begun to increase the region’s visibility. The Haas Center at the University of West Florida built the coalition’s website (brandnewflorida.com) to market the region and provide a powerful tool for site consultants to explore. More often than not, site consultants prefer passive research via tools like the Web to assess an area’s viability for relocation before initiating formal contact. This makes it important that the information provided on the site attracts interest.

Last April, a contingent of FGNW members journeyed to the capitol in Tallahassee for “Northwest Florida Day,” the brainchild of Senator Charlie Clary. They met with legislators representing the 16 counties and briefed them on FGNW and its goals. FGNW is also helping to sponsor the Pan American Technology Conference (patconference.com) in October to help showcase the area’s strengths.

Probably the most visible event that FGNW has been involved in to date was the tour of Northwest Florida’s coastal communities by Governor Jeb Bush. Beginning in Apalachicola, Bush motored up the coast to Panama City for a visit to Berg Pipe, followed by the groundbreaking of Nextel’s new facility in Panama City Beach and finally to Destin for the ceremonial groundbreaking and blessing of the Sacred Heart Health System’s new hospital. The governor also met with a new software engineering company, BsafeOnline that had chosen Fort Walton Beach for its new home. Getting the governor in our region and showcasing our capabilities was facilitated by the FGNW coalition.

FGNW is working hard to present the region’s characterization to the rest of the world. It is a feat that no single member could adequately do alone. Wins will be a win for the region.

Neal Wade deftly employs metaphors to package the message of what FGNW is about. He likens the process to baking a pie. There will be a piece for everybody, but for now we must get all the ingredients one by one, mix them, season and then place in the oven and slowly bake. Furthermore, it is a potluck affair; to taste a slice of the pie we must all contribute the ingredients of cooperation and commitment. Now we’re cooking!