in St. Lucie
Business attraction and retention is the core mission of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie
County. The creation of a stronger and more diversified economy benefits every business, every organization
and every resident of our county.
Working with St. Lucie County, the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, and the State of Florida, your EDC
helps grow our economy, creating quality jobs for our community.
Here are just a few examples of local initiatives and projects the EDC has assisted with:
Pursuit Boats. One of St. Lucie County’s largest manufacturers, Pursuit broke ground in August on the first phase of an
expansion to include over 200,000 s.f. of production space and the creation of 200 new jobs. The three-phase expansion
will ultimately increase their campus footprint to 100 acres with over 773,000 s.f. of manufacturing and support space. The
expansion application was fast-tracked through the county’s planning department in just six weeks. Pursuit’s site plan and
environmental stewardship efforts included the donation of 32 acres of preserve area for the endangered Florida scrub jay.
Aquaco Farms. St. Lucie County is now home to one of the largest Florida pompano aquaculture facilities in the world.
Grand opening ceremonies for Aquaco Farms were held in August at the 20,000-s.f. facility on an 8-acre site in Fort Pierce.
The company’s $2.5 million investment will create six new jobs with an average wage of $47,000 and will ultimately produce
approximately one million pounds of fresh Florida pompanos annually.
Convey Health Solutions & St. Lucie County Transit. In preparation for a major business expansion, Convey Health Solutions
moved into the 60,000-s.f. former Liberty Medical building in Port St. Lucie. Between the move and the expansion, Convey
executives wanted to ensure their employees had access to commuter bus service through St. Lucie County’s Treasure Coast
Connector, with a transit stop at the new office location. Convey enlisted the help of the EDC. Within weeks after the EDC
contacted St. Lucie County Public Transit, a new transit stop on Route 1 was established to accommodate Convey’s needs.
Lincoln Park Job Fair. In partnership with Allegany Ministries Common Good Initiative, a job fair was coordinated and
marketed by EDC staff focusing on manufacturing, warehouse and distribution industries. With ten participating employers
looking to hire, the job fair provided jobseekers an opportunity to meet with hiring managers offering career pathways,
supporting the efforts of the EDC and CareerSource Research Coast in building St. Lucie County’s talent pipeline.
Treasure Coast Skills Gap Study 2.0, sponsored by a coalition of business groups and led by the EDC, was conducted in
August and September. The study is an opportunity for companies to take a front-row seat in identifying, creating and
directing resources that can fill the ranks of open positions with skilled talent in the healthcare, manufacturing, aviation,
marine, skilled trades and logistics sectors and gauges progress made since the 2017 study. Development of apprenticeship
programs, career conferences, high school counselor industry tours, boot camps and scholarships for certificate programs
are just a few of the initiatives that grew out of the 2017 study.
Treasure Coast Manufacturers Association (TCMA). Now entering its fourth year, association members gathered in
September for presentations on employee attraction and retention, as well as resources and best practices. The regional
organization promotes the collective interests of manufacturing, distribution and wholesale trade companies, including
advocacy for business-friendly public policy. The EDC provides executive and staff support for the TCMA. For information,
visit www.tcmamfg.com.
Leaders on the Links is the EDC’s premier networking event, supporting quality jobs as well as career and technical education
opportunities. Scheduled for November 21 and 22 at the PGA Golf Club, this cocktail party and golf tournament are not to
be missed. Limited sponsorships are still available.
The EDC is proud to play a role in building business in St. Lucie. For more information about how the
EDC can help your business, or to learn more about becoming a part of the EDC, visit www.YourEDC.com
/www.youredc.com
/www.tcmamfg.com
/www.YourEDC.com