Contact:     Stuart Doyle
                          (407) 956-5689
sdoyle@eflorida.com
 

Florida awarded Area Development’s Silver Shovel

Award recognizes key job-producing economic development projects, capital investments

 ORLANDO, FL (June 25, 2010) – Florida has won its first Silver Shovel, an award Area Development magazine has presented for five years to states for significant job creation and economic impact. 

Area Development focuses on corporate site selection and relocation, covering key issues and criteria that affect business relocation decisions.  Winners are determined by factors such as number of new jobs, new or expanded facilities, investment amounts and industry diversification.  Enterprise Florida submitted Florida’s entry, which fell into the category of states with populations above 10 million.  The other categories are 3-10 million and under 3 million population. 

 Florida’s projects included 3,500-plus newly created jobs and more than 1,400 retained positions.  A projected capital investment from these companies is estimated at $500 million. 

Enterprise Florida President & CEO John Adams acknowledged that this achievement for Florida is the result of a team effort.  “Our successful partnerships with local communities and economic development partners statewide were essential to Florida’s earning this honor,” Adams explained.  “It shows what can be accomplished when we follow the state’s strategic plan – our roadmap – for generating higher wage jobs and diversifying the state’s industry base.” 

 A full breakdown of this year’s Shovel Awards will be published in the June/July issue of Area Development and will be posted online at www.areadevelopment.com. 

*                      *                      *

 
Enterprise Florida, Inc. is a partnership between Florida's business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  Headquartered in Orlando, Enterprise Florida’s mission is to diversify Florida’s economy and create better-paying jobs for its citizens by supporting, attracting and helping to create businesses in innovative, high-growth industries.  In pursuit of its mission, Enterprise Florida works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

#####