At a Monday ribbon-cutting ceremony in Ponte Vedra, Rick Scott celebrated the opening of Advanced Disposal's new corporate headquarters, reminding Floridians that economic growth is as much about expanding existing Florida businesses as it is attracting new ones to the state.
In addition to keeping and expanding its headquarters in our state, Advanced Disposal Services has grown to become the largest privately-owned environmental services company in the nation. This great accomplishment sends a strong message to the rest of [the] nation that ITS WORKING in Florida, Scott said in a statement, echoing what has become his re-election campaign slogan. We have created the most business-friendly climate in the U.S and more than 330,000 private-sector jobs have been created here in a little over two years.
Advanced Disposal provides waste collection and management for 3.3 million residential customers and 200,000 commercial customers across 20 states and the Bahamas. In Florida alone, the company serves 640,000 residential customers and more than 106,000 commercial customers.
The corporation's expansion to Ponte Vedra from Jacksonville is expected to create 85 new jobs and inject $4 million in capital into Florida's economy.
When most people think of business sectors, they might think of aviation and aerospace, logistics and distribution, life sciences, or more commonly thought-of industries, said Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope, who serves as CEO and president of Enterprise Florida, which helped provide Advanced Disposal a number of economic incentives for its expansion. But headquarters are a very important focus for Enterprise Florida and our state has made great gains in attracting and retaining some of the best in the world. Our state offers all of the resources necessary for national leaders like Advanced Disposal Services, Harris, Hertz, and Digital Risk to operate and continue to grow.
Florida is home to more than 2,600 headquarters offices, 15 of which rank in the Forbes 500. Earlier this year, Florida was ranked the second-best state in the nation to do business, according to Chief Executive magazine, which cited the state's business tax climate, low business costs, and lack of a personal income tax.
Reach Eric Giunta at egiunta@sunshinestatenews.com or at 954-235-9116.
