You’re in Good Company In Ocala
With business recruitment and retention as key elements in the Ocala/Marion County EDC’s Strategic Plan, we are proud to showcase some of the companies that have chosen Ocala as a community that is great for business…great for life.
For your convenience, our industry brochure is available in a downloadable pdf format. Click here to learn more about state and local investments for new and expanding businesses.
For your convenience, the companies in Ocala data is available in a downloadable pdf format. Click here to view Companies In Ocala.
Faces of Economic Development!
Steven, Melissa and Juan are joined by Lockheed HR Manager Billy Hamilton and Director of Ocala Operations Brian O’Connor. |
Steven Miller is one of those engineering planners that coordinates the overall strategy of production with Juan. Steven also graduated from Forest and earned his economics degree from Princeton University. After an adventure with minor league baseball in Idaho, Steven came home to a stimulating position with Lockheed.
“I had actually worked as an intern at Lockheed when I was still in college,” shares Steven. “I started full time as an engineering planning associate in November of 2008. This organization is a perfect place to begin a career. The training and teamwork is outstanding.” Steven serves as a master planner for projects at Lockheed and coordinates the logistics from engineering through final production.
Melissa Dean is the veteran of these three Faces of Economic Development, having worked at Lockheed since 2003. The Forest graduate earned her industrial engineering degree from the University of Florida and works with facility layout and workflow design. The current expansion is a challenging new project, which keeps the young professional growing in her career.
“This opportunity will strengthen my skills as I design new layouts and start fresh in some areas. As an industrial engineer, my focus is to make the workstations and traffic flow in a way that increases productivity and helps employees do their work more efficiently. I design areas that make sense for their jobs.” Melissa’s husband, JB, is also employed at Lockheed and the young couple just started their family with the addition of Samantha, their infant daughter.
Melissa admits she considered moving to a larger city to start her career, but now she’s glad they stayed “home.”
“Ocala is such a wonderful place to get started,” says Melissa. “The community seems to be very open to what we, as young professionals, want to see as the area grows. We can choose to get involved and play a significant role in forming the future of our hometown.”
All three were complimentary of the way Lockheed Martin has invested in their careers. Melissa credits Brian O’Connor, Director of Ocala Operations, for spearheading the vision. “He has embraced the role of our operation as a training ground for young professionals. The best part is there are so many opportunities if we choose to grow with the company here, or in other areas of the country. Either way, the door is open, and we are prepared to walk through and ready to move up.” |
When most people hear the term Economic Development, their minds may go to thoughts of cold, impersonal business strategies and formulas. In Ocala/Marion County, residents are beginning to see faces behind the theories and lives impacted by the strategies.
The primary mission of the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is to assist with quality job creation. Projects with public and private partnerships create the kind of jobs that launch successful careers and support families in our community. In November, the EDC worked with the State of Florida, and the Marion County Commission to assist with Lockheed Martin’s $11 million expansion. What is the economic impact on our community? The creation of 125 high-paying jobs over the next three years, many of those bringing our best and brightest young professionals back home.
Juan Cortes is less than six weeks into his new job. The Forest High graduate completed his management degree at Stetson University and sees returning to his hometown to work with Lockheed Martin as the perfect way to launch his career.
“Right after graduation, I moved to Gainesville thinking there would be more possibilities in a University town,” said Juan. “Opportunities in finance, banking – or ‘typical 9-5’ jobs were there, but I wanted to do something more hands-on and interactive. I never thought about manufacturing as a career before, but it’s proven to be very rewarding. I am interacting with engineers, engineering planning, production line management and workers to coordinate the proper materials at the right time to keep production running smoothly. It’s a real benefit to grow and learn to communicate with people on all levels. It’s also exciting to see end results and know that my work is a piece of a very large, global puzzle.”
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Company Testimonials
"At Taylor, Bean & Whitaker, we have truly seen the benefits of the state and local partnerships working together for the betterment of this community. From the construction of our corporate headquarters, to this new venture with Maslow Insurance, the EDC has been with us every step of the way. I know there has been a lot more work behind the scenes than I am aware of - they make it seem effortless. We enjoy being a part of this community and look forward to more growth in our organization."
Lee Farkas, President
Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Morgage Corporation
"I have been an investor in the EDC for many years, but it wasn't until I turned to Pete and his team to assist with our expansion project that I truly understood the organization's value. It is encouraging to see how the EDC is working diligently with the private and public sectors in our community to facilitate some very positive outcomes.”
Doug Cone, President
Cone Distributing, Inc.
Top 20 Private Sector Employers |
Company |
Number of Employees |
Business Type |
| Munroe Regional Medical Center |
2,500 |
Healthcare |
| Wal-Mart (combined) |
2,370 |
Retail Sales |
| Publix Supermarkets (combined) |
1,404 |
Retail Sales |
| Ocala Regional Medical Center & West Marion Community Hospital |
1,301 |
Healthcare |
| Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation |
1,238 |
Finance |
| AT&T |
1,000 |
Support Services |
| E-ONE, Inc. |
850 |
Manufacturing |
| Lockheed Martin |
676 |
Manufacturing |
| ClosetMaid |
600 |
Manufacturing |
| Cheney Brothers, Inc. |
507 |
Distribution |
| The Centers |
440 |
Healthcare |
| Swift Transportation Company |
435 |
Transportation |
Hospice of Marion County, Inc. |
418 |
Healthcare |
| Signature Brands, LLC |
380 |
Manufacturing |
| Kmart Corporation |
350 |
Distribution |
| Custom Window Systems, Inc |
254 |
Manufacturing/Distribution |
| Townley Manufacturing Company, Inc. |
205 |
Manufacturing |
SPX Dehydration and Air Filtration |
202 |
Manufacturing |
| On Top of The World Communities, Inc. |
200 |
Real Estate Developer |
| Elster AMCO Water, Inc. |
188 |
Manufacturing |
Source: Ocala/Marion County EDC
| Top Manufacturing and Distribution Employers |
| Company Name |
Number of Employees |
Industry Type |
| E-ONE, Inc. |
850 |
Manufacturing |
| Lockheed Martin |
676 |
Manufacturing |
| ClosetMaid |
600 |
Manufacturing |
| Cheney Brothers, Inc. |
507 |
Distribution |
| Signature Brands, LLC |
380 |
Manufacturing |
| Kmart Corporation |
350 |
Distribution |
| Custom Window Systems, Inc. |
254 |
Manufacturing/Distribution |
| Townley Manufacturing Company, Inc. |
205 |
Manufacturing |
| SPX Dehydration and Air Filtration |
202 |
Manufacturing |
| Elster AMCO Water, Inc. |
188 |
Manufacturing |
| Cone Distributing, Inc. |
180 |
Distribution |
| Capris Furniture |
160 |
Manufacturing |
| American Panel |
150 |
Manufacturing/Distribution |
| Silver Springs Bottled Water |
150 |
Manufacturing |
| Skyline Corporation (Combined) |
150 |
Manufacturing |
| Southeast Milk , Inc. |
150 |
Distribution |
| Ring Power, Inc. |
137 |
Distribution |
| JR Plastics, Inc. |
125 |
Manufacturing |
| Class 1, Inc. |
123 |
Manufacturing/Distribution |
Sparr Building and
Farm Supply |
103 |
Distribution |
| Bernie Little Distributing, Inc. |
100 |
Distribution |
| Star Banner Corporation |
100 |
Manufacturing |
Source: Ocala/Marion County EDC
| Major Government Employers |
| Company Name |
Sector |
Number of employees |
Marion County Public Schools |
Education |
6,084 |
State of Florida (All Depts.) |
Government |
2,500* |
US Government |
Government |
700* |
Marion County Board of County Commissioners |
Government |
1,400 |
City of Ocala (All Depts.) |
Government |
979 |
Marion County Sheriff’s Office |
Government |
885 |
| Central Florida Community College |
Education |
411 |
Source: Ocala/Marion County EDC, * Florida's Agency for Workforce Innovation
Projects underway or completed from the onset of the Lead the Way Campaign from 2004 to date are generating more than $165 million in capital investments, an additional $83 million in new payroll, and creating 1,909 new jobs that meet the targeted 115%-120% of the 2004 average earnings per worker.
Source: Ocala/Marion County EDC
The Ocala/Marion County EDC is pleased to announce the following business expansion and relocation activity in our community. It is an honor for our team to assist these companies with job creation and economic growth that makes Ocala/Marion County great for business…great for life.
2008-2009 Fiscal Year
First Quarter
| EDC Assisted Company |
Activity Type |
Projected Jobs |
Tageted Jobs |
Total Payroll |
Square Footage Absorbed |
Capital Investment |
JRS Custom Fabrication, Inc. |
|
Existing |
30 |
30 |
$1,233,440 |
78,000 |
$4,194,000 |
| Lockheed Martin |
Existing |
125 |
125 |
$6,165,875 |
100,000 |
$11,000,000 |
| Maslow Insurance |
New |
150 |
150 |
$9,270,300 |
13,384 |
$575,850 |
| Quarterly Totals |
305 |
305 |
$16,669,615 |
191,384 |
$15,769,850 |
2008-2009 Year To Date Totals
|
Projected Jobs |
Targeted Jobs |
Total Payroll |
Square Footage Absorbed |
Capital Investment |
| Year To Date Totals |
305 |
305 |
$16,669,615 |
191,384 |
$15,769,850 |
Source: Ocala/Marion County EDC
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