Opportunity Florida
Opportunity Florida is a non-profit regional economic development alliance serving twelve counties in Northwest Florida, recruiting and supporting businesses through site selection, certified industrial parks, workforce coordination, and incentive navigation, funded by state grants and member contributions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersMarianna, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Opportunity Florida does
Opportunity Florida is a non-profit regional economic development alliance headquartered in Marianna, Florida, serving twelve counties (Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla, Washington, and rural parts of Walton, Okaloosa, and Bay) in Northwest Florida. Its core function is business recruitment and expansion support: the organization connects prospective employers with site selection, certified industrial sites, workforce development coordination, and local/state incentive navigation, including Opportunity Zone tax benefits. The organization does not sell technology products; instead, it operates as a service intermediary whose primary deliverables are certified sites (4,200+ project-ready acres through the Florida First Sites program with FPL), workforce pipelines (nine community colleges, five technical schools, 34 career academies, and four CareerSource partners), and logistics infrastructure (Interstate 10, Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, Bay Line Railroad, Port Panama City).
The business model is grant-funded and free to clients. Revenue derives from Florida Department of Commerce appropriations and member contributions from local governments and economic development organizations, with Florida Power & Light cited as a key program funder for site certification. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales — direct engagement with companies considering relocation or expansion — supplemented by event-driven marketing around major business wins and infrastructure announcements. The organization is led by a board (Chair Kevin Vaughn, Vice Chair Jim McKnight, Secretary Antonio Jefferson, Treasurer Rhonda Byrd-Lee) and staffed by a small team (1-10 employees) including Regional Representative Roy Baker. Named clientele span manufacturing (Point Blank Enterprises, Georgia-Pacific, WestPoint Home, Central Moloney), logistics (Family Dollar Distribution, Supervalu, Ruan Trucking), and value-added agriculture (Chautauqua Winery, Ocheesee Creamery).
Opportunity Florida firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opportunity Florida
- Legal name
- Opportunity Florida
- Website
- https://opportunityflorida.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Opportunity Florida is a non-profit regional economic development alliance serving twelve counties in Northwest Florida, recruiting and supporting businesses through site selection, certified industrial parks, workforce coordination, and incentive navigation, funded by state grants and member contributions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opportunity Florida industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Economic Development Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance (BPADAEAI)
Keywords
Where Opportunity Florida is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marianna
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Opportunity Florida business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: Funded by the Florida Department of Commerce and member contributions. Services are provided at no cost to businesses seeking to relocate or expand in the region.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Opportunity Florida product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opportunity Florida is a regional economic development alliance providing site selection assistance, certified industrial site coordination, workforce development coordination, business incentive navigation, and regional marketing services to businesses considering relocation or expansion in Northwest Florida's 12-county region. Services are delivered at no cost to businesses and are funded through Florida Department of Commerce grants and member contributions from local governments and economic development organizations.
Product overview
Opportunity Florida is a regional economic development alliance serving 12 counties in Northwest Florida. Rather than a traditional software product company, it offers a portfolio of economic development services centered around business recruitment, site selection, and workforce development. The core offering is a suite of interconnected services including certified industrial sites (Washington County Industrial Park, Florida-Alabama Mega Site), target industry development programs for manufacturing, logistics/distribution, and value-added agriculture, combined with Opportunity Zone incentive navigation, workforce training coordination, and market data tools. The organization functions as a regional economic development organization rather than a technology product company, providing advisory services, site information, and connectivity between businesses and regional resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Life in Northwest FL: A website showcasing what it's like to live and work in the region - shorter commute times, gorgeous landscapes and much more.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reach the south within a day by truck, the entire U.S. by rail, and the world by ocean carrier
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Opportunity Florida
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Opportunity Florida technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Opportunity Florida partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Florida Department of CommercecorePrimary funding source for Opportunity Florida's economic development activities. Administers Florida Small Cities CDBG program and other state economic development initiatives benefiting the region.
- CareerSource ChipolacoreWorkforce organization serving Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington counties. Connects businesses with qualified employees at no cost and provides skills training.
- CareerSource Capital RegioncoreWorkforce organization serving Gadsden, Wakulla, and Leon counties. Provides free employee training and connects employers with qualified workforce.
- CareerSource Gulf CoastcoreWorkforce organization serving Gulf, Franklin, and Bay counties. Connects businesses with qualified employees at no cost.
- CareerSource Okaloosa-WaltoncoreWorkforce organization serving Walton and Okaloosa counties. Provides workforce training and placement services for regional employers.
- Florida Power & Light (FPL)coreThrough the Florida First Sites program, FPL certifies industrial sites in the region, providing objective third-party analysis to reduce site selection risk for businesses.
- Chipola CollegecoreRegional community college providing workforce training and educational programs aligned with local business needs.
- Florida Gulf & Atlantic RailroadcoreRail line running east and west through the region, connecting directly to deep-water ports in Jacksonville, Mobile, and Pensacola with access to CSX and Norfolk Southern.
- Bay Line RailroadcoreRail line running directly to Port Panama City with northern connections to CSX and Norfolk Southern, supporting logistics and distribution operations.
- Port Panama CitycoreDeep-water port (designated foreign trade zone) providing ocean carrier access within the region, supporting international shipping for manufacturers and distributors.
- Duke EnergyminorRegional energy provider supporting economic development in the region.
- Florida's Great NorthwestminorRegional economic development organization working to market Northwest Florida to businesses.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opportunity Florida competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Orlando Economic Partnership: The Orlando Economic Partnership is a regional EDO covering Central Florida, including the Orlando MSA. It pursues overlapping target sectors (advanced manufacturing, logistics) and competes for corporate relocation and expansion projects against Opportunity Florida.
- Tampa Bay Economic Development Council: The Tampa Bay EDC is a regional economic development organization serving the Tampa/Hillsborough/Pinellas region, competing with Opportunity Florida for relocating and expanding employers in Florida. It offers comparable services — site selection, workforce coordination, incentives navigation — but in a coastal metro market.
- Enterprise Florida: Enterprise Florida is the statewide public-private economic development organization for Florida, providing site selection, incentives, and marketing that overlap directly with Opportunity Florida's offerings but at a state rather than regional level. It is the principal state-level counterpart that often partners with regional EDOs like Opportunity Florida on major projects.
- JAXUSA Partnership: JAXUSA Partnership is the private-sector economic development organization for Jacksonville/Duval County, competing for the same logistics, manufacturing, and advanced industry deals as Opportunity Florida in the broader Florida market. It illustrates the scale a well-funded regional EDO can reach when paired with a major metro and port.
Others
- Economic Development Administration (EDA): The U.S. EDA is the federal agency within the Department of Commerce that funds regional economic development strategies and infrastructure, structurally analogous to Opportunity Florida's regional economic development function. It is an enabling/funding peer rather than a direct competitor.
- International Economic Development Council (IEDC): IEDC is the largest professional association for economic developers globally, providing training, accreditation, and best-practice frameworks that directly support organizations like Opportunity Florida. It is an ecosystem/enabling peer rather than a competing EDO.
Direct peers
- Florida's Great Northwest: Florida's Great Northwest is the broader regional economic development partner explicitly cited by Opportunity Florida. It markets Northwest Florida to businesses at the regional level with overlapping target industries (manufacturing, defense, logistics) and serves as a complementary rather than purely competing alliance.
- Bay County Chamber of Commerce: Bay County Chamber serves Panama City and surrounding Bay County in Northwest Florida, one of the 12 counties partially covered by Opportunity Florida. It operates as a parallel county-level economic development body and is referenced as a partner in Opportunity Florida's ecosystem.
- Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce / Pensacola EDC: The Greater Pensacola Chamber and its associated EDC arm serve Escambia County in Northwest Florida, operating in the same geography and competing for the same manufacturing and logistics deals as Opportunity Florida. It is the closest geographic direct competitor within Opportunity Florida's own 12-county footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Opportunity Florida social profiles
Digital presenceOpportunity Florida financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opportunity Florida leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Opportunity Florida funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opportunity Florida M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opportunity Florida
What does Opportunity Florida do?
Opportunity Florida is a regional economic development alliance providing site selection assistance, certified industrial site coordination, workforce development coordination, business incentive navigation, and regional marketing services to businesses considering relocation or expansion in Northwest Florida's 12-county region. Services are delivered at no cost to businesses and are funded through Florida Department of Commerce grants and member contributions from local governments and economic development organizations.
Is Opportunity Florida a public or private company?
Opportunity Florida is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Opportunity Florida founded?
Opportunity Florida was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Opportunity Florida based?
Opportunity Florida is headquartered in Marianna, United States, in the North America region.
How does Opportunity Florida make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are Opportunity Florida's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Orlando Economic Partnership, Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, Enterprise Florida and JAXUSA Partnership. Others are Economic Development Administration (EDA) and International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Direct peers are Florida's Great Northwest, Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce / Pensacola EDC.
Does Opportunity Florida have an API?
No public API is recorded for Opportunity Florida.
What industry is Opportunity Florida in?
Opportunity Florida's product category is Regional Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADABAF, Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs, with a secondary code of BPADAEAI, Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance. Its NAICS code is 925120 and its SIC code is 8744.