What Jackson County Economic Development Committee does

Jackson County Economic Development Committee (Jackson EDC) is a nonprofit public/private partnership headquartered at 4318 Lafayette Street in Marianna, Florida, serving as the lead economic development organization for Jackson County and its 11 municipalities. Founded in 2018 and operating with 1–10 employees under President & CEO Darwin Gilmore, the organization functions as a free, consultative intermediary that matches incoming and expanding businesses with workers, shovel-ready sites, incentives, and infrastructure. Its service portfolio covers site selection assistance, incentive negotiation, workforce recruitment and training support, and ongoing operational assistance, delivered through direct enterprise engagement rather than through a software or platform product.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology. Its competitive offering is the underlying physical and regulatory asset base of Jackson County: four Florida First Certified Sites spanning Marianna Airport Commerce Park (214 acres), Spanish Trail Commerce Park (182 acres), the Marianna/Jackson County Distribution/Construction Services Park (258 acres), and the 1,200+ acre Endeavor Park (750 acres reserved for industrial use). These sites are pre-vetted through Florida Power & Light's Florida First Sites program and McCallum Sweeney Consulting, providing due diligence completion, Interstate 10 access, Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad frontage, Port Panama City proximity, redundant electric and natural gas utilities, and a 6,001-foot municipal airport runway. Workforce supply is anchored by 520,000-person civilian labor shed within a 60-mile radius, 81% high-school completion, and formal training partnerships with Chipola College, Haney Technical College, Florida Panhandle Technical College, and CareerSource Chipola.

Economically, Jackson County EDC is a nonprofit funded by public and private investors and does not generate conventional revenue from its business attraction activities; services are provided at no cost to qualifying companies, while land grants and property tax rebates are negotiated on a per-project basis. The organization captures no direct upside from the capital deployment it catalyzes — its measurable outputs are job creation (e.g., PackEx USA 75 jobs, Pulse Industries 'hundreds' of skilled jobs), capital investment (PackEx $50M), and tax base growth within a county economy totaling $1.139B GDP and 48,000 population. The GTM motion is enterprise field sales to corporate site selectors, augmented by regional channel partnerships with Opportunity Florida and Florida's Great Northwest.

Name

Jackson County Economic Development Committee

Legal name

Jackson County Economic Development Committee

Website

https://jacksonedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jackson County Economic Development Committee is a nonprofit public/private partnership that attracts and supports businesses in Jackson County, Florida, providing free site selection, incentives negotiation, and workforce development across four certified industrial parks with Interstate 10 and rail access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Administration of Economic Programs (9261)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business incentive negotiation
• Workforce recruitment support
• Industrial park development

Headquarters

HQ city

Marianna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Attraction and Expansion Services: Jackson County EDC generates economic growth through attracting new businesses and supporting expansion of existing businesses in Jackson County, Florida. The organization is a private/public partnership that creates new quality jobs while sustaining and growing the existing economic base. Revenue is derived from facilitating business investments that generate tax revenue, job creation, and economic activity in the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jackson County EDC serves as the lead economic development organization for Jackson County, Florida, providing site selection assistance, incentive negotiation, workforce recruitment and training support, and ongoing operational support to companies relocating to or expanding within the county. It markets certified shovel-ready industrial parks (including four Florida First Certified Sites) and connects businesses with state and local incentives, training grants through CareerSource Chipola, and partner resources.

Product overview

Jackson County Economic Development Committee (Jackson EDC) provides economic development services including site selection assistance, incentive negotiation, workforce recruitment and training, and business development support. The organization offers access to certified industrial sites and buildings (Marianna Airport Commerce Park, Marianna/Jackson County Distribution/Construction Services Park, Spanish Trail Commerce Park, and Endeavor Park), and connects businesses with local, state, and national resources. Services are delivered through partnerships with entities such as CareerSource Chipola, Opportunity Florida, and Florida's Great Northwest rather than through a unified software product or platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Site Selection and Incentive Negotiation Services Free consultative service matching companies considering relocation or expansion with the right workers, sites, incentives, and infrastructure in Jackson County, and negotiating customized incentive packages tied to job creation, wage levels, and capital investment.
• Workforce Recruitment and Training Coordination Coordination of hiring, screening, and referral of qualified applicants at no cost to businesses through CareerSource Chipola, plus customized training programs delivered via local educational institutions (Chipola College, Florida Panhandle Technical College, Haney Technical College), online, or on-site at the employer's facility.
• Florida First Certified Industrial Sites Inventory Listings and marketing of four Florida First Certified Sites within Jackson County — including Marianna Airport Commerce Park (214 certified acres), Spanish Trail Commerce Park (174 developable acres), and additional certified parcels — with completed third-party due diligence provided by McCallum Sweeney Consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• PackEx USA $50 million investment creating 75 jobs - 400,000 sq. ft. facility with 80% capacity already committed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• PackEx USAflagshipOthers · 28 July 2025PackEx USA is an all-aluminum packaging and bottling company bringing a $50 million investment to Jackson County with a 400,000 sq. ft. facility in Marianna. The project will create 75 jobs and focuses on sustainability, partnering with local schools (Chipola College, Haney Technical College) and reducing energy use through renewables. One of few aluminum fillers on the East Coast, serving major beverage brands and cruise lines.
• Opportunity FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpportunity Florida is a regional economic development organization strengthening businesses within Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, northern Walton, Wakulla and Washington counties. The organization is part of the Governor's NW Florida Rural Area of Opportunity designation and provides connectivity, resources, knowledge, and leverage to help businesses succeed in these rural communities.
• Florida's Great NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida's Great Northwest is the regional economic development organization for the Florida Panhandle, an investor-supported 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation created to promote Northwest Florida for economic growth and diversification. The organization advocates for economic development issues and collaborates to improve regional competitiveness in partnership with state and local EDOs, utility partners, businesses, local government, higher education, workforce boards, and community leaders.
• Florida Power & Light CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida Power & Light Company operates the Florida First Sites certification program, offering project-ready industrial sites with complete due diligence to minimize risk and accelerate speed to market. Third-party detailed analysis provided by McCallum Sweeney Consulting.
• McCallum Sweeney ConsultingsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party consulting firm providing detailed site analysis and due diligence for Florida First Certified Sites in Jackson County.
• CareerSource ChipolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal workforce board providing hiring assistance, screening, and referral of qualified applicants at no cost to businesses. Also provides customized training programs through local educational institutions, online, or on-site at business facilities.
• Chipola CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Marianna, Chipola College provides workforce training programs including Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technology, CNC technology, and customized training programs for manufacturers. Ranks as top community college in the South.
• Florida Panhandle Technical CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated 20 miles from Jackson County in Chipley, Florida, provides workforce certifications across an array of trades and technical skills.
• Haney Technical CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical college partner providing workforce training and certifications for Jackson County employers, particularly for PackEx USA facility preparation.
• Pulse IndustriesflagshipOthersPulse Industries is establishing the first mass-production facility for industrial linear accelerators at Marianna Airport Industrial Park. The 278,000 sq. ft. advanced manufacturing facility will create hundreds of skilled jobs and expand accessibility of electron beam technology for global industries.
• Florida Gulf & Atlantic RailroadsupportingOthersRail provider along the northern boundary of Spanish Trail Commerce Park, providing freight rail access for businesses in Jackson County.
• City of MariannacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner providing water, sewer, and natural gas infrastructure to industrial parks. Joint partner in economic development initiatives and property tax rebate negotiations.
• Marianna Municipal AirportsupportingOthersMunicipal airport adjacent to Marianna Airport Commerce Park with 6,001-foot newly resurfaced north/south runway and secondary 4,900-foot east/west runway, supporting business aviation and logistics needs.
• Jackson County Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chamber of commerce providing business networking, advocacy, and community support for Jackson County businesses.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bay County Economic Development Alliance: The county-level EDC serving Bay County (Panama City), Florida — adjacent to Jackson County. Comparable because it competes for the same Panhandle manufacturing and distribution projects and offers a similar mix of site selection, incentives, and workforce development services.
• Calhoun County Economic Development Council: The county-level EDC serving Calhoun County, Florida — a neighboring rural county within the Opportunity Florida coalition. Comparable in mission, scale, and rural incentive toolkit targeting distribution and manufacturing prospects.
• Washington County Florida Economic Development Council: The county-level EDC for Washington County, Florida — adjacent to Jackson County and a member of Opportunity Florida. Directly comparable as a similarly sized rural county EDC competing for distribution and manufacturing projects along the I-10 corridor.
• Gulf County Economic Development Council: The county-level economic development organization serving Gulf County, Florida — another small rural Florida Panhandle county within Opportunity Florida. Comparable in mission, scale, and rural-incentive positioning, competing for similar smaller-scale industrial and distribution projects.

Broad incumbents

• CareerSource Florida: The statewide workforce policy board that oversees Florida's CareerSource network, including CareerSource Chipola (Jackson County's local workforce partner). Comparable because it coordinates the workforce funding, training incentives, and recruiting services that county-level EDOs leverage to close deals.
• Enterprise Florida: The official statewide public/private economic development organization for Florida. Enterprise Florida is a comparable entity because it sits at the top of the same ecosystem Jackson County EDC operates in, providing statewide marketing, incentive coordination, and prospect pipeline management that the county-level EDC relies on as a partner.
• Tampa Bay Economic Development Council: A larger, well-resourced metropolitan EDC serving the Tampa Bay region of Florida. Comparable in core function (business attraction/retention, site selection, incentive packaging) but operates at significantly greater scale and competes with Jackson County for the same Florida-bound capital projects.

Others

• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): The largest professional association serving economic developers worldwide. Comparable as a peer organization because it represents the broader profession and standards Jackson County EDC operates within, providing training, certification, and best-practice frameworks.

Direct peers

• Opportunity Florida: A 10-county regional economic development coalition within Florida's Rural Area of Opportunity that includes Jackson County. Directly comparable because it operates the same rural-recruitment model, coordinates the same incentive programs, and jointly markets the region.
• Florida's Great Northwest: The 13-county regional economic development organization for the Florida Panhandle and an existing strategic partner of Jackson County EDC. Directly comparable because it pursues the same mission (business attraction, retention, regional marketing) across overlapping geography and shares investor and stakeholder relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jackson County Economic Development Committee