Interstate 75: North America's Industrial Corridor (cover) Florida Georgia from Chattanooga to Knoxville Kentucky Ohio Detroit Request Information |
High-tech Rides High in Florida
A wide array of industries is taking advantage of this transportation network, especially along the I-75 corridor. Perhaps the top growth industry in Florida is in the high-tech industries, with particular emphasis on information technology, telecommunications and e-commerce.
"The state of Florida and south Florida in particular have come into their own as a business address," says Michael Langley, president and CEO of Broward Alliance. "We've long been considered more of a tourism and retirement community, but it's becoming more and more an attractive location for business, especially in the technology and e-commerce industries."
In fact, Broward County's 1999 target industry study added 10 new targets sectors to its list. Six of the 10 new targets are e-commerce and Internet/IT-related. These targets were added to the area's traditional tourism, aviation/aerospace and marine/maritime activities. "And we've seen a trend toward growth in these industries in recent months," says Langley.
In the aviation field, 1999 saw the national headquarters relocation of Spirit Airlines from Detroit to Broward County, and Aviation Sales' 500,000-sq.-ft. (46,452-sq.-m.) expansion in Fort Lauderdale. The Spirit Airlines move brought 400 jobs to the Broward County market.
On the technology side, Broward County also landed the world headquarters for SportsLine.com, a leading Internet provider of sports news and sports-related merchandise, which will create 380 new jobs. Also, Precision Response Corp., an IT communications call center company, expanded its operations in Broward County by 1,000 employees.
Tampa is also seeing strong growth along the north-south passageway. "The I-75 corridor has literally been designated as our growth corridor in Hillsborough County," says Robin Ronne, director of economic development with the Committee of 100, the economic development arm of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. "In the past three years, our organization alone has handled 23 projects along that corridor, and these would be such recognizable corporate names as Bear Stearns, Chase Manhattan, Citigroup, Ford, Intermedia Communications, National Gypsum, among others. Those 23 projects alone, and that doesn't represent everything that has happened, created more than 6,300 net new jobs."
Several of those jobs are in the customer service industry. Chase Manhattan Bank's US$148 million capital investment in 1999 created 2,140 net new jobs. The Chase project represents the largest single corporate job commitment in the history of Tampa/Hillsborough County.
General Motors also established one of its three U.S. technical service and customer service super-centers in Tampa, creating 650 jobs. The new super-center occupied 150,000 sq. ft. (13,935 sq. m.) of space in a complex called Netpark @ Tampa Bay, a new office complex created by the redevelopment of an old mall.
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Starting at the southernmost stretch of the north-south corridor, I-75 begins its trek northward from Fort Lauderdale (Broward County), Fla., where it plays a key role in the international trade market. A Florida location not only provides access to more than 60 percent of the U.S. population via overnight shipment, but with 14 deepwater ports and 20 major commercial airports in place, businesses can also reach the growing Latin and South American markets, as well as Europe and Asia.