Florida gives economic development spotlight

Written by Vanessa Zambrano on October 30, 2013

Florida has taken a more active role in pursuing economic development in the past few years, the state’s Secretary of Commerce and President and CEO of Enterprise Florida says.

Gray Swoope, who was keynote speaker at the Beacon Council’s annual meeting Thursday, said that for many years Florida had an economy that would allow the state to sit back and not be aggressive. He worked in Mississippi, where he is originally from, and said that at the time he didn’t see Florida as an active player looking for businesses outside of the state or out of the US.

“That changed in 2008,” Mr. Swoope said, with the economic recession. And, he said, since he took over in 2011 the state organization has become much more aggressive in seeking business growth. More here.