MANUFACTURING ON
THE RISE IN REGION
BY BERNIE WOODALL
Manufacturing is on the upswing on the
Treasure Coast, as the number of manufacturing
workers in St. Lucie, Martin and Indian
River counties has hit 10,000 for the first time.
Collectively, those workers were paid about
$600 million.
“The manufacturing sector has really taken
off in the last 10 years,’’ said economic analyst
Kyle Bean.
In the most recent five-year period available,
St. Lucie manufacturing jobs increased
8.8 percent, Indian River grew 3.4 percent and
Martin was up 2.6 percent, POLICOM showed.
That compares to growth of 3.3 percent for
Florida and 1.1 percent nationwide.
Manufacturing employment accounts for
only 3.6 percent of the total workforce on the
Treasure Coast, but the sector’s rapid growth
encourages economic development leaders
in all three counties.
As South Florida continues to build out,
some manufacturers are taking a closer look
at the Treasure Coast and its more affordable
housing prices.
In Martin shovel-ready areas are available
for manufacturing, including Venture Park
and Florida Commerce Park in Indiantown.
At 1,221 acres, the largest area set aside that
allows manufacturing development is the
Tradition Center for Commerce owned by the
city of Port St. Lucie.
Local economies expand or contract in
direct proportion to the amount of money
imported to the area. For the most part,
money is imported by primary industries
that sell their goods and services outside
of the area. This means that, because of
the extremely high portion of the Treasure
Coast’s population that is 65 and older,
the “retirement industry” is the largest
contributor, from Social Security, Medicare
and private retirement income.
This issue of Treasure Coast Business is
produced through a unique partnership
between Indian River Magazine Inc. and
the Florida Small Business Development
Center at Indian River State College.
COMPLETE STORY ON PAGE 8
PIPER AIRCRAFT
A worker assembles a part that will become a wing of a Piper Aircraft plane made in Vero Beach. Piper is the
largest manufacturing employer on the Treasure Coast.
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