BUSINESS
ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
Auto Labe is one of many companies requiring technical skills for some jobs.
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Maverick Boat Group expanded and added 100 skilled jobs to its existing 273.
turing firms in the county, some of which are expanding. And
more are moving into the county. The county has an advantage
due to the network of major highways that run through
it, making it attractive to industries that consider settling
there, the study reported.
Many air- and marine-related manufacturers in the county
are expanding and looking for skilled workers. Maverick
Boat Group has already undertaken one expansion on land
just south of the airport and has more planned. Pursuit Boats
has expanded. Both sell nationally. Phoenix Metals, which
makes stairways for airliners and other air-related products,
has expanded.
But other companies, like Natalie’s Orchid Island
Juice Company, are also expanding. Natalie’s created a
55,000-square-foot production facility on DiGiorgio Road
which led to 50 more jobs. Radical Cosmetics created 75 jobs.
Meanwhile, the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority garnered a
$1.9 million state grant to help pay for water and sewer line
extensions in that area, making way for other companies to
settle in the vicinity.
As one thing builds upon another, “The time has come for a
bright future,” Stan Payne says.
/www.islandmarinetech.com