Florida is joining the ranks of states pushing to educate job seekers and defense employers that the state remains a national leader in aerospace jobs, despite sequestration and budget cuts. A recently released paper by Enterprise Florida points to the many perks of living in the region, and gives job seekers good incentive to consider Florida aerospace jobs, especially if they’re relocating.
Florida ranks second in the country among states when it comes to aviation, aerospace and space establishments, with more than 2,000 aerospace-related companies, according to Enterprise Florida.
These industries bring in as estimated $15 billion to the state and an estimated 87,000 workers, with nearly every major defense contractor having locations in Florida.
“Florida is clearly a national leader in aviation and aerospace, and in order to be competitive, we must remain focused on long-term results and growing this thriving industry in our state,” Governor Scott said while promoting Florida as a aerospace and aviation hub at the Farnborough International Airshow. “At Farnborough, we laid the groundwork for building the relationships necessary for the future expansion of this industry that is so critical to Florida’s economy and job creation.”
There are nearly 500 aerospace companies in Florida that employ an estimated 31,000 professionals, according to the Florida Aviation Aerospace Alliance. These companies specialize in aircraft assembly and parts, avionics, payload processing, propulsion systems, guided missiles and air defense systems, rockets and spacecraft, UAS, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Some of the related companies include: Boeing, DRS Technologies, Embraer, General Dynamics, Honeywell, L-3, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Sikorsky, United Launch Alliance.
The aviation industry in Florida has more than 1,590 companies and more than a hundred public use airports that support global commerce, aircraft technology testing, and manufacturing operations. Florida has 19 commercial airports that service 10 percent of the nation’s total passengers and transport about 8 percent of the nation’s air cargo.
The state’s aviation specialties include MRO, flight training, logistics, global air cargo, simulation/training, passenger to freighter conversions, avionics installation and retrofit, and air travel. Aviation companies with a presence in the state include Airbus, Commercial Jet, FedEx, Flight Safety International, LAN Cargo, LiveTV, Signature Flight Support Corporation, Spirit Airlines, and UPS.
“Florida has proven an ideal and welcome location to grow and develop our aerospace business,” said Jared Isaacman, CEO of Draken International, in the promotional Florida Aviation Aerospace Alliance brochure.
Florida’s firmly established space industry that includes the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, provide “billions of dollars” worth of launch infrastructure.
