Florida's Great Northwest

What Florida's Great Northwest does

Florida's Great Northwest, Inc. (FGNW) is the designated regional economic development organization for the 13-county Northwest Florida panhandle, covering Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Washington, Holmes, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, and Liberty counties. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Niceville, FL with additional offices in Pensacola and Panama City, the 501(c)(6) nonprofit is led by President & CEO Jennifer Conoley and operates with a lean professional staff of seven covering business intelligence, marketing, strategic initiatives, operations, and accounting. Its mission is to attract, retain, and grow companies in target verticals — principally aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, distribution, maritime, cybersecurity and IT, and financial and professional services — while diversifying the regional economy beyond tourism. Core offerings include a GIS-based interactive Sites & Buildings Database for site selection, the Leadership Northwest Florida professional development program, and the Northwest Florida FORWARD strategic diversification initiative, supported by an affiliated FGNW Foundation.

The organization's core technology asset is an interactive GIS platform (giswebtechguru.com) that allows prospective companies and site selectors to search and filter available industrial sites, buildings, and commercial properties across the 13-county region with detailed site specifications and multimodal transportation context. FGNW does not sell software or services in the conventional sense; rather, it operates as a relationship-driven intermediary whose deliverables are project wins, capital attraction, and ecosystem coordination. Its go-to-market motion is sales-led and field-based, executed through inbound site selection forums, familiarization tours for state agencies and site selectors, international trade show participation (Farnborough, Paris Air Show), and direct C-suite outreach to aerospace and manufacturing decision-makers.

FGNW's revenue model rests on investor membership dues from private-sector companies and organizations that support regional economic growth, supplemented by grants from partners such as the Duke Energy Foundation and programming adjacent to Triumph Gulf Coast state infrastructure capital. Services are provided free of charge to prospective companies, site selectors, and community partners. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (chaired by Nicole Gislason as of 2024) and coordinates with 13 county-level economic development offices, FloridaCommerce, military installations, workforce boards, and higher education institutions including the University of West Florida, FSU, and Northwest Florida State College.

Name

Florida's Great Northwest

Legal name

Florida's Great Northwest, Inc.

Website

https://floridasgreatnorthwest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Florida's Great Northwest is the 501(c)(6) regional economic development organization for the 13-county Northwest Florida panhandle, attracting aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and technology companies through investor-funded site selection, workforce development, and infrastructure coordination services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Niceville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor Membership Dues: Florida's Great Northwest is an investor-supported 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation, funded by private sector companies and organizations that support economic growth in Northwest Florida

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Florida's Great Northwest is a regional economic development organization that promotes and markets the 13-county Northwest Florida region to attract, retain, and grow businesses in sectors such as aerospace & defense, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity & IT, and maritime manufacturing. It provides site selection assistance, workforce and talent pipeline information, regional data and incentive navigation, and operates an interactive GIS-based industrial site and building database to help companies identify available properties.

Product overview

Florida's Great Northwest is a regional economic development organization (EDO) serving the 13-county Northwest Florida region. The organization offers a portfolio of economic development services rather than a traditional software product. Key offerings include an interactive Sites & Buildings database for site selection, the Leadership Northwest Florida professional development program, and the Northwest Florida FORWARD strategic initiative for economic diversification. The FGNW Foundation provides supporting philanthropic capacity. The organization functions as a convening body connecting businesses with regional assets, workforce resources, incentives, and infrastructure rather than offering a SaaS platform or technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership Northwest Florida: A regional collaboration program focused on community, content, and connection, designed to cultivate leaders through regional collaboration for the betterment of Northwest Florida.

Products and services

• Sites & Buildings Database An interactive GIS-based searchable database of available industrial sites, buildings, and commercial properties across the Northwest Florida 13-county region. Designed for use by site selectors, corporate real estate teams, and economic development consultants evaluating regional site options.
• Northwest Florida Regional Economic Development Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 500 aerospace and defense companies in the region contributing to Florida's $9.8 billion aerospace/aviation exports
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• The Aerospace AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-state aerospace industry partnership that FGNW joined as a corporate partner. The alliance hosts events at international air shows including Farnborough, bringing together nearly 400 executives, community leaders, and industry players to promote the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor.
• FloridaCommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency that assists the Governor in advancing Florida's economy. FGNW hosted a familiarization tour for FloridaCommerce Secretary Alex Kelly and leadership team to showcase regional opportunities and recent project successes.
• One Okaloosa EDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic Development Council of Okaloosa County, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit public-private partnership. Applied for CSX Select Site designation for Shoal River Ranch Gigasite, which was awarded Bronze Level status.
• Leadership FloridamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide premier leadership program bringing together top-tier professionals. FGNW's Director of Strategic Initiatives graduated from Leadership Florida Connect Class 15, amplifying regional visibility and influence.
• SelectFloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development marketing organization. FGNW was a host sponsor of the SelectFlorida Pavilion at Farnborough International Airshow, promoting Florida's aerospace assets.
• Florida Gulf & Atlantic RailroadsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRailroad running through the region connecting to CSX mainline. Shoal River Ranch Gigasite located on this line provides multimodal transportation access for industrial clients.
• Wakulla Economic Development CouncilsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal EDC representing Wakulla County, part of the Tallahassee MSA with labor force of 194,120. Works with FGNW on business attraction and regional coordination.
• Walton County Economic Development AlliancesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal EDC for Walton County with fully-developed industrial parks, enterprise zones, and Foreign Trade Zone proximity. Promotes DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport as Florida First Certified Site.
• Washington County Economic Development OfficesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal EDC with FPL-Quest Solutions certified 181-acre industrial park adjacent to Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad. Professional grant writer and certified planner on staff.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Greater Houston Partnership: Large metro chamber-EDO hybrid serving the Houston region with significant aerospace, energy, and manufacturing portfolios. Broader incumbent comparable to FGNW given overlapping industry targets and investor-funded model.
• Metro Atlanta Chamber: Major metropolitan chamber running an extensive economic development program targeting aerospace, logistics, and tech investment. Comparable in scope, mission, and use of targeted industry campaigns.

Direct peers

• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: One of the largest US regional EDOs with similar investor-supported structure, multi-county service area, and emphasis on aerospace/defense and advanced manufacturing recruitment. Closest analog in scale and sophistication.
• Orlando Economic Partnership: Florida-based regional economic development organization promoting a multi-county Central Florida region to attract business investment. Comparable to FGNW in mission, investor-supported nonprofit structure, and use of GIS-style site databases for prospect engagement.
• Jacksonville Economic Development (JaxUSA): Private-public regional EDO for Northeast Florida, focused on business recruitment, expansion, and workforce development. Directly comparable to FGNW as a Florida-based, investor-funded EDO marketing to site selectors and corporate executives.
• Charlotte Regional Partnership: Investor-supported EDO marketing a multi-county region around Charlotte with similar business attraction, site selection database, and workforce marketing programs. Comparable in structure and GTM motion.
• Tampa Bay Economic Development Council: Investor-supported regional EDO serving the Tampa Bay area with business attraction, site selection, workforce, and incentive programs. Highly comparable to FGNW in structure, services portfolio, and target industries including aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Regional players

• Savannah Economic Development Authority: Regional EDO focused on port-driven logistics and advanced manufacturing in coastal Georgia — adjacent Southeast US geography with comparable port, rail, and aerospace/defense industry targets to FGNW.
• Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce (Economy Committee): Regional EDO program combining chamber functions with business attraction, workforce development, and site selection. Comparable in scope and Southeast US positioning, though smaller scale.

Others

• The Aerospace Alliance: Four-state aerospace industry consortium promoting the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, of which FGNW is a corporate partner. Not a direct competitor but a closely adjacent peer organization that overlaps in aerospace business attraction mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FloridasGreatNW
• Facebookfacebook.com/FloridasGreatNorthwest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida's-great-northwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Florida's Great Northwest