Even if Jaguars lose, Jacksonville hopes to win over London businesses

By Andrew Pantazi

Regardless of how the Jacksonville Jaguars fare against the San Francisco 49ers in London, city officials and business leaders hope they can persuade British businesses to move to the First Coast.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce is leading a delegation of nine people who will be courting about 20 British businesses. Most of the delegation lands in London Tuesday.

Chamber spokesman Dan Dawson said officials have been talking to business leaders already, and he thinks they’ll succeed at bringing business to Jacksonville.

“It’s going to be 100 percent economic development,” Dawson said.

Most of the trip will be spent persuading people to come to Jacksonville.

“Once folks get here and they realize, ‘Oh wow, I don’t have an hour commute. I can go to the beach anytime. The weather’s beautiful,’ it’s a pretty easy sell.” More here.