PEDC/Florida West outlines jobs strategy, targets aerospace, life sciences, maritime and cyber

Chris, a representative of the Pensacola‑Escambia Development Commission (PEDC) and Florida West economic development entities, told the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners at a Committee of the Whole session on Oct. 2 that the organizations have reorganized staff, refined a project pipeline and set short‑term targets to expand higher‑paying jobs in the county.

The presentation laid out four industry focus areas — aerospace, life sciences, maritime and cyber/artificial intelligence — and described near‑term actions such as completing design documents at the Tech Park, using Triumph Fund dollars for Central Commerce Park infrastructure, producing biddable plans for a roundabout at The Bluffs and moving a Midtown community asset project forward.

The briefing was framed as an update on mission, organization and measurable goals. "Our alliance exists to grow and diversify our economy of the county, of the city, and as well as the town of Century by fostering business retention and expansion first, then recruitment, and aligning those resources to create high paying jobs," Chris said. He described the organization as a mix of retention, recruitment and product development work: "We are typically a jack of all trades. We're sort of three feet deep and a mile wide," he said.

Key figures and pipeline

PEDC reported an Escambia County unemployment rate of 4.8 percent for August and said the civilian labor force number the agency watches is about 150,500. The organization described an…