Anchored by its six military installations and a host of industry giants, Northwest Florida is a hub for aerospace and defense. Our region builds it, tests it, flies it, repairs it, protects it – with close proximity to six major OEMs, nearly 5,200 exiting military annually and more than 20,000 employees in the industry.
Leveraging talent, location and infrastructure, our cluster continues to grow with:
But we just don’t rely on our existing success. We are investing in our talent pipeline, our sites and our infrastructure to meet the demands of your business.
Aviation, Space, & Aerospace Employees
4,200+
Major Industry Manufacturers
30+
Production Occupation Awards Annually
280+
Growing the talent pipeline doesn’t happen by accident here. Our region is committed to developing the skills for today and tomorrow. The region’s future aerospace workforce is trained through engineering programs at Florida State University Panama City, the University of West Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, at multiple military base locations, and five educational institutions offering both Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics programs.
And our existing pool of talent is dedicated, skilled, and reliable. We have more than 15,000 employees in the manufacturing sector at an average wage of just more than $75,000, lower than national averages, giving your business a pool of talent at a cost your bottom line can afford.
Rethinking your high-cost, high-traffic location? Our region has invested investments in infrastructure to move goods, people and data more efficiently and affordably.
Our region is home to six airports, three deepwater ports, rail connections and direct access to I-10. But we know assets must evolve with industry from 2018 to 2025, more than $329 million in Triumph Gulf Coast funding has supported transformative infrastructure projects—including a new aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) campus at the Pensacola International Airport to support ST Engineering.
With reliable utilities and rates below the national average, our region keeps business running without interruption.
And across our 13-county region, we have nearly 20 industrial sites are ready for development—many with through-the-fence access. Our infrastructure isn’t just about building bigger sites. It’s about accelerating timelines, reducing costs and giving your project a competitive edge.
Northwest Florida is a premier aerospace R&D hub, offering private industry a seamless path from conceptual design to full-scale prototyping.
This ecosystem is anchored by Eglin Air Force Base’s AFRL Munitions Directorate, a leader in autonomous weapons science, and the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, the world’s largest environmental testing chamber. These assets are bolstered by FSU’s Advanced Aero Propulsion Laboratory (fcaap.fsu.edu), which provides rare supersonic and STOVL testing environments. Completing this pipeline, the new FSU InSPIRE center in Panama City bridges the gap to the marketplace by specializing in advanced additive manufacturing and high-speed aerodynamics, featuring a polysonic wind tunnel capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5. Read more.
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Mercury Systems is the leader in making trusted, secure mission-critical technologies profoundly more accessible to aerospace and defense.
Micro Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is an AS9100 Rev. C and ISO 9001:2008 certified company. It is a world leader in high performance Air, Land, and Sea Surface vehicle control. It offers a broad range of products including Unmanned Vehicle Control Systems, Autopilots and Mission Computers, Radar Tracking and Command Data Link Transponders, Scoring Systems, Custom Test Equipment, and Flight Termination Systems.
On-Point Defense Technologies, LLC, is a veteran-owned, small business that supports the Department of Defense and Defense Companies by designing, developing, integrating, and testing commercial and defense products. On-Point Defense Technologies, LLC (OPDT) is a full-spectrum design, manufacturing, prototyping, and systems integration firm. It mitigates customer portfolio risks via upgrading, repurposing, and sustaining legacy weapon system technology — reducing cost and schedule while enhancing warfighter capabilities!
Vertex Aerospace is a vertically integrated, one-stop shop for parts fabrication through end-item aerostructures, aircraft maintenance, and modifications. Vertex Aerospace offers its customers great value, high quality, and superb schedule performance.
Florida’s Great Northwest is here to enhance Northwest Florida’s competitive position through industry diversification and quality job growth. Whether you’re a company executive, site selector, or Northwest Floridian, contact us to learn how we can work together.
