As he wound up his week-long trip to Canada on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott touted the addition of more than 100 jobs -- bringing his Florida jobs total for the international excursion to 210.
Two Canadian companies -- Toronto Sky Aviation (TSA) and UCC Steelwork Connections -- announced they are getting to work in the Sunshine State.
TSA is starting up Aircraft Armature, an aircraft repair company. Its headquarters will go up in a 30,000-square-foot facility in Opa-Locka, in northern Miami-Dade County. The move is expected to create 100 jobs in the next three years.
Steel and concrete manufacturer UCC Steelwork Connections opened its North American headquarters and distribution center in Tampa in April, saying it will add about 10 jobs with an average salary of $44,000 per year.
The news comes on the heels of Scott's enthusiasm earlier in the week over Montreal-based Garda World Security Services moving its U.S. headquarters from California to Palm Beach County, bringing 100 jobs along with it. Garda was given a $1 million incentive package from state and local governments, which began working with the company last year to lure it to Florida. The final decision to come to Florida was made shortly after Scott was sworn into office.
"I am thrilled these two businesses are expanding in Florida. With three jobs announcements in one week, Florida is clearly on the right path," Scott said.
TSA already does $3 million worth of business per year in the U.S., and the new facility in Opa-Locka will support their U.S. operations.
We are all very excited with the new company and task ahead of us over the next few years in Florida. We expect this facility to be the pride of the corporation with advanced manufacturing systems which will ensure a long and successful operation in Florida, said Richard Howard, president of Aircraft Armature.
For the trip to Canada, Scott was joined by Enterprise Florida President Gray Swoope and select Florida business leaders, as well as economic development officials from Miami and Tampa who were pleased to see their efforts pay off.
Aviation is one of our targeted industries and Opa-Locka is one of the areas hardest hit by unemployment, said Frank Nero, president of the Beacon Council, the Miami-Dade County economic development organ.
Scott and his delegation met with more than 120 Canadian companies. He said their enthusiasm for Floridas business climate points to other companies following Garda, UCC and TSA to the Sunshine State.
The confidence these companies have expressed in the future of Floridas business environment leads me to believe we will see many more Canadian companies investing in our state in the future, Scott said.
Since taking office, Scott has sought to increase Floridas international profile among businesses, visiting the expansion of the Panama Canal earlier this year and touting the United States' stalled free-trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, which are expected to increase exports from Florida and create jobs.
He set out $77 million for dredging the Port of Miami ahead of the completion of the canal expansion in 2014 to get ready for the larger ships that will be able to cross from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, carrying more goods.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
