Holmes County Development Commission

What Holmes County Development Commission does

The Holmes County Development Commission (HCDC), also doing business as Holmes County EDC, is the county government economic development agency for Holmes County, Florida, headquartered at 401 McLaughlin Avenue in Bonifay. Established alongside Holmes County in 1845 and operating under the authority of the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners, the commission matches businesses with workers, sites, incentives, and infrastructure to drive job creation and capital investment in the rural Northwest Florida panhandle. Its service portfolio spans business recruitment, site selection, grant management, strategic planning, and tenant placement at its owned Midtown Plaza Business Complex and Holmes Distribution Park. HCDC targets four primary verticals — manufacturing and fabrication, distribution and logistics, healthcare, and agriculture/forestry — and operates under the Florida Rural Area of Opportunity designation, New Market Tax Credit eligibility, and 0% state personal income tax as core incentive pillars.

The commission's asset base includes over 1,300 acres of developable land, including the 86-acre Project Gateway site at I-10 and SR 79 and the 82-acre Holmes Distribution Park, plus Midtown Plaza, which houses multiple small business tenants. Revenue for the entity itself is not disclosed; it is funded through county appropriations, state and federal grants (including a $4.05M Florida Small Cities CDBG award), and partner contributions. Services are delivered at no direct cost to recruited businesses. The go-to-market is sales-led and field-based, pairing an Executive Director and small staff with a 15+ partner network spanning Florida's Great Northwest, Opportunity Florida, CareerSource Chipola, Florida Commerce, regional utilities, the City of Bonifay, the Holmes County BOCC, and Investors Gone Wild Realty.

Recent activity underscores an active deal pipeline: Probes Unlimited expanded from Pennsylvania to Bonifay in 2021, Midtown Plaza was rebranded in 2023, and the December 2024 closing of an 86-acre land sale to Busy Bee anchors a 55,000 sq ft travel center and broader commercial development projected to deliver 100 jobs, $23.8M in annual sales, and $1.8M in annual sales tax revenue. The commission is currently recruiting a new Executive Director (application deadline April 30, 2026) to succeed Joe Rone, signaling a planned leadership transition as the organization advances its next phase of pipeline development.

Name

Holmes County Development Commission

Legal name

Holmes County Development Commission

Website

https://holmesedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1845

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Holmes County Development Commission is the Florida county government economic development agency for Holmes County, matching businesses with workers, sites, incentives, and infrastructure. It manages 1,300+ acres of developable land and targets manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and agriculture tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Economic Programs (9261)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIABAN

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business incentive programs
• Commercial property leasing
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonifay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Services: Government-funded economic development agency providing site selection, business recruitment, grant management, and strategic planning services at no direct cost to businesses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holmes County Development Commission is a county-government economic development office that recruits new businesses and supports expansion of existing ones in Holmes County, Florida. It delivers confidential site selection assistance, coordinates state and local incentive packages, markets available commercial real estate (including the publicly owned Midtown Plaza Business Complex), and supplies workforce and infrastructure data to prospective employers considering a Florida panhandle location.

Product overview

Holmes County Development Commission is a single-service economic development organization offering business recruitment, site selection, workforce development, grant management, and strategic planning services to Holmes County, Florida. The organization operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform with modules; its primary function is to serve as a liaison between businesses and the county, facilitating transactions such as property sales (e.g., Project Gateway to Busy Bee), supporting tenant placements in business complexes (e.g., Midtown Plaza), and administering grant programs. There are no distinct product lines, sub-products, or add-on modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Midtown Plaza Business Complex: A small business hub located at 401 McLaughlin Avenue, Bonifay, FL, offering commercial spaces for lease to small business owners.

Products and services

• Economic Development Services (site selection & incentive coordination) Confidential site selection, demographic/labor data, and coordination of state and local incentive packages (including Rural Area of Opportunity tax credits) for prospective and expanding businesses considering Holmes County, FL.
• Midtown Plaza Business Complex leasing Leasable commercial office and light-industrial space in the Commission's publicly owned Midtown Plaza Business Complex in Bonifay, FL, offered to small and mid-sized employers locating or expanding in Holmes County.
• Available Properties & Buildings Listings Online directory of available commercial sites, buildings, and industrial properties throughout Holmes County that the Commission markets to prospective tenants, brokers, and site selectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• $23.8M projected annual sales from Busy Bee development
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Holmes County Board of County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2024Partnership with the Holmes County Board of County Commissioners on the sale of 86 acres to Busy Bee for economic development. Joint announcement of completed transaction for travel center and commercial development project.
• Florida's Great NorthwestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional partner in economic development connecting companies in target industry sectors. HCDC is a proud investor in FGNW. Featured in regional video campaign highlighting expanding businesses including Probes Unlimited and Central Moloney.
• Opportunity FloridamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional economic development partnership organization serving Florida communities.
• CareerSource ChipolamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional workforce development partner providing talent pipeline and employment services for businesses in Holmes County.
• Florida CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency partner providing resources and programs for Florida communities.
• Small Business Development Center at UWFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership providing small business support services and resources.
• Highway 79 Corridor AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional corridor development partnership supporting transportation infrastructure improvements.
• Powersouth Energy Cooperative Economic DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy cooperative providing economic development support and utility infrastructure for business recruitment.
• Holmes County Board of County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner providing county-level support for economic development initiatives.
• Holmes County Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business association partner supporting economic growth and business networking.
• City of BonifaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner providing local infrastructure and support for businesses locating in the county seat.
• Holmes District School BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting workforce development and talent pipeline initiatives.
• Investors Gone Wild RealtymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRealty firm that played pivotal role in locating Busy Bee Travel Plaza in Bonifay. Deal took almost two years to complete. Led by founder Crystal Ball.
• Holmes County Tourist Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal tourism development organization supporting visitor economy growth.
• Holmes County Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational foundation supporting workforce development and educational programs.
• Waukesha WayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• PowerSouth Energy Cooperative: Energy cooperative providing utility infrastructure and economic development support across Alabama and Northwest Florida. Comparable as a HCDC infrastructure partner rather than a competing EDC, but plays a similar role in employer recruitment enablement.
• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): Industry association providing training, certification, and best-practice resources to economic development organizations. Comparable as an ecosystem/thematic peer that supports the profession HCDC operates in, though not a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Florida: Statewide public-private economic development organization leading business recruitment, trade promotion, and capital formation for Florida. Comparable in economic development mission and employer recruitment but operates at a much larger scale with statewide mandate and broader portfolio.
• Florida Department of Commerce (former DEO): State agency administering Florida's economic development programs including CDBG and RAO designation that HCDC relies on. Comparable as a governing/partner entity providing funding, oversight, and program framework for county-level EDCs.

Direct peers

• Opportunity Florida: Multi-county regional economic development organization serving rural Northwest Florida counties. Closely comparable as a peer EDC that also targets manufacturing, distribution, and rural-area recruitment with shared target customers and overlapping board membership with HCDC.
• CareerSource Chipola: Regional workforce development board serving Holmes and surrounding counties. Directly comparable as a HCDC partner providing talent pipeline, employer matching, and workforce services for incoming companies in the same service area.
• Florida's Great Northwest: Regional private/public economic development partnership serving the 16-county Northwest Florida region. Directly comparable as a multi-county counterpart to Holmes County Development Commission, with overlapping target industry focus, joint marketing campaigns, and shared investor/partnership structure.

Regional players

• Walton County Economic Development Alliance: County-level EDC adjacent to Holmes County along the I-10 corridor, pursuing similar manufacturing, healthcare, and tourism-related employer recruitment. Comparable in rural-Florida service model but serves a higher-income coastal-adjacent county.
• Bay County Economic Development Alliance: Adjacent county-level EDC in Northwest Florida focused on recruiting manufacturing, defense/aerospace, and distribution employers. Comparable in service offering and target industries but operates in a more populated, tourism-influenced jurisdiction than Holmes County.
• Jacksonville Economic Development Partnership: Regional EDC serving Northeast Florida. Comparable in employer recruitment, site selection, and incentive packaging but operates in a much larger metropolitan market and does not directly compete for Holmes County's rural manufacturing tenants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HolmesEDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/HolmesCountyDC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holmesedc

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 Holmes County Development Commission