Bay County’s Assets for Economic Growth

BY VAL SCHOGER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER

Perpetuated by the leadership of the Bay Economic Development Agency, Bay County’s image is evolving. Once best-known for its beautiful beaches, our stretch of paradise in Northwest Florida is now garnering much attention for its diverse economic landscape.

Becca Hardin, president of the Bay Economic Development Agency, actively markets Bay County’s assets to businesses that are looking for the perfect location for growth and expansion. The diverse business community; logistical assets such as the Panama City Port, the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, and the Bay Line Railroad; convenient and uncongested thoroughfares, and the available commercial and industrial space with room to grow, are among Bay County’s most valuable and marketable strong points.

One of the most important items on the checklist of every potential new company that considers Bay County as a new business location is the recruiting of a new workforce. This is where Bay County shines with excellent educational and training facilities. The Bay Economic Development Council has the strong support of our school system, Gulf Coast State College, Florida State Univeristy in Panama City, and Haney Technical Center, all with their own set of abilities and competencies to work with large new employers to meet workforce needs—although in most cases, these needs have already been met.

The collaboration among the schools and the Bay EDA has become an important part of the process of recruiting new businesses, with Bay County’s educational leadership called to the negotiating table with industry representatives. We introduce Bay County’s most valuable educational assets for prospective new businesses and future employers on the following pages.