Chamber and County are Courting "Project Everest"

Via the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce:
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Sept. 14, 2010 - The Escambia County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on economic development incentives Sept 16. for Project Everest, the code-name for a significant project that would generate new jobs for the area.

If the vote passes, Project Everest could have a capital investment of $56 million and would create 102 jobs at averages annual salaries of more than $55,000.

"We are competing with at least two other states to bring Project Everest to the Pensacola Bay Area," said Jim Hizer, CEO at the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. "However, we are optimistic that with support from the county and state, we will be successful."

Project Everest and the Pensacola Chamber are asking the county to support an economic development tax abatement and local match requirements for incentives from the state.

"I anticipate the commission will continue its stance in supporting job creation and economic development with this project, especially with the salaries 150 percent higher than the countywide average," said Grover Robinson, chairman of the Escambia County Board of Commissioners.  
"If we're successful with this project, it will be the third largest capital investment project we have landed in the last four years, following Pall Corporation and Navy Federal Credit Union," added Collier Merrill, chair-elect of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
 
Chamber officials could not specify the type of company, only indicating the project is engaged in advanced manufacturing.