Signature Brands has been a great job creator and strong corporate citizen in our community for more than 50 years. This continued growth is a dividend our community receives as a result of City, County and State officials coming together to compete for Ocala to be the site for the new popcorn plant that opened last year. We hope other companies will look at Signature Brands as an example of what a great location Marion County is to grow a business.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released the State’s unemployment figures last Friday showing the rate remained constant from October to November at 11.8% for Marion County.

The figures place Marion County eighth in the state for the highest unemployment rates. Hendry is first with 15.1%, followed by Flagler at 14%, Hernando at 13.1, Hamilton at 12.4 %, St. Lucie at 12.3%, Madison at 12%, Indian River at 11.9%, and Dixie, Marion and Okeechobee are tied at 11.8%.

Marion County’s current labor force stands at 132,764 with 117,077 employed and 15,687 unemployed.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity released the State’s unemployment figures last Friday showing a drop from 12.7% in August to 11.8% in September for Marion County.

The figures place Marion County ninth in the state for the highest unemployment rates. Hendry is first with 16.1%, followed by Flagler at 14%, Hernando at 13.0%, St. Lucie and Indian River at 12.7%, Okeechobee at 12.2%, Hamilton and Desoto at 11.9%, and Madison and Marion tied at 11.8%

Marion County’s current labor force stands at 133,529 with 117,720 employed and 15,809 unemployed.

The Core Transition Team is continuing to work diligently, harnessing the horsepower of other leaders to develop our new organization. We have received 14 proposals from community and development consultants, which will be reviewed by the Core Team in the upcoming weeks so we can work carefully and swiftly through this process in order to meet our timeline of implementation in January 2012.

As we move forward recommendations will continue to be implemented by building upon the successes and commitment of both the EDC and Chamber. The purpose of the new structure will be to have a near term impact on our economic recovery process through an aggressive, focused economic development strategy.

Thank you to everyone who has recently shared their ideas and comments. Your input at this stage is so vital to our future success! If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, we would love to hear from you.

Doug Cone , Core Transition Chairman
doug@ocalaedc.org (352)615-0645

Brian O’Connor , Core Team Co-Chairman
brian@ocalacc.com (352)687-5219

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity recently approved Marion County’s application for an Economic Development Transportation Trust Fund (EDTF) grant on behalf of Pro Poly of America, Inc.  The grant will provide up to $100,000 for road improvements for approximately 2,034 linear feet of NW 57th Street beginning at US 441 and running the length of the road.

For more details, click on Press Release .

The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation released the State’s unemployment figures today showing a slight drop from 12.7% in August to 12.4% in September for Marion County.

Highlights from the EDC Annual Meeting are available in the September Economic Update.

The EDC and Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to merge the two organizations to create a new economic development agency slated for January 2012. To learn more about this bold undertaking, download the Transition FAQ document that was presented to EDC investors at our 53rd annual meeting.