Northwest

• Amazon’s new 630,000-sq.-ft. robotics fulfillment center currently under construction in Tallahassee anticipates completion by early 2023. The $200-million facility is expected to create 1,350 full-time jobs.

• Construction of a 251,000-sq.-ft. FedEx distribution center in Panama City to service the region from Pensacola to Tallahassee. Opening in fall 2022, the new facility replaces an existing 60,000-sq.-ft. structure; 280 jobs are expected.

• The launching of a $26-million improvement program by Port Panama City, which includes a storage dome to increase capacity for wood pellets manufactured in nearby Jackson County; expansion of its east terminal; and construction of an intermodal distribution center.

Airports Rebound and Expand
Northwest Florida’s airline industry took a hard hit during the pandemic, but it is roaring back. In 2021, the region’s four commercial airports reported these best-ever passenger numbers:

Tallahassee International: Construction is underway on a $28-million international passenger processing facility featuring a passenger port-of-entry and federal inspection station and other improvements to accommodate international flights.

Pensacola International Airport: City officials are planning a major expansion to include a new concourse, additional loading gates and expanded parking

• Tallahassee-based Danfoss Turbocor has broken ground on a new, 167,000-sq.-ft. facility in Tallahassee. Scheduled for completion in early 2023, the site is expected to triple the firm’s current manufacturing capacity.

• Clearwater-based Purple Square Management is building a 24,500-sq.-ft. commercial bakery and distribution facility at the Okaloosa Industrial Air Park. The company, which operates Popeyes, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ and other chains in 10 states, plans to create 60 jobs as a result.

• Central Moloney has chosen Bay County for a $20-million expansion of its manufacturing operations. Headquartered in Pine Bluff, Ark., the company designs and manufactures electrical distribution transformers and transformer component parts for utilities and distribution throughout the U.S.

• Gulf Cables, a manufacturer of the aluminum and copper insulated cables used in utility projects, has opened a 160,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility next to its existing plant at the Santa Rosa County Industrial Park near Milton.