companies , while building trust and credibility with potential businesses considering Volusia as an option .
“ Nobody is an expert in everything and so , for example , when we have a client that ’ s involved in the aerospace industry , what I do and what we do as a group do , is we take them down and introduce them to Space Florida , Team Volusia , or the county ,” said Sharples . “ It ’ s a question of defining where do you need the support and who can best answer that , and who can make the commitments .”
Defining the Opportunities and Needs
When asked what positions Volusia County to stand out in the lucrative aerospace industry , the answer for Sharples is clear – manpower , location , and competitive land values .
With a limited number of launch pads and an increasingly busy launch schedule , Volusia County ’ s location just north of Cape Canaveral puts it in the sweet spot for expansion across the region .
“ I do believe we are right at the infancy of what ’ s going on with the privatization of the aerospace industry ,” explains Sharples . Competitive land values add an additional incentive for companies to give Volusia a second look . “ The fact that many of the supply chain companies that do business to support the SpaceXs and Blue Origins , many of those companies don ’ t have to be on that very expensive real estate right on the Space Coast . They can be 50 , 60 , 100 miles away and still supply many of those products that are required to be able to put a satellite into orbit ,” he said .
“ If you stop and think about the wide variety of things that must take place to have a successful launch , particularly long-term , there are just an immeasurable number of products that have to be made that will be required to be made somewhere within close proximity .” A $ 425B global industry needs a skilled and versatile workforce . Ready , willing and able to fulfill those needs , Sharples says Embry-Riddle is the tip of the triangle with its human resources .
“ You have education as a resource here to provide everything from the technical labor required to support aerospace , all the way up through PhD aerospace engineers and engineering ,” said Sharples .
Volusia County ’ s economic development director of Helga van Eckert , agrees the county ’ s talent pool offers a strong selling point , in a rapidly evolving industry .
“ Attracting aerospace companies is challenging as the number of competing states and counties are many . However , there is no
Helga van Eckert dispute that a skilled labor force is paramount to the industry sector ’ s success ,” said van Eckert .
In fact , the doors of opportunity are already opening for Volusia County , according to van Eckert .
“ There are businesses in our county that already have supply contracts or have the technical expertise to supply the aerospace industry ,” she said .
Working collaboratively , Sharples says the business community and industry leaders are welcoming the businesses on the forefront
of the future .
“ I think many of these companies that we might bring in now that are relatively small or have only been in business half a dozen years will end up being some of the giants that support the maintenance and continued exploration of not only near Earth but also outer space .”
To learn more about opportunities in Volusia County , visit www . teamvolusiaedc . com .
Did You Know ?
There are 11 Licensed Launch Sites in the United States , 39 Globally
All 3 of Florida ’ s Licensed Launch Sites are on the east coast
FCC and FAA permits are required to launch a satellite or rocket
There are 3,100 active satellites in orbit right now
There are 26 “ low Earth orbit ” constellations
386 satellites were launched in 2019
In 2019 there were 102 global orbital launches , 34 by the Chinese and 27 by the US
Up to 50,000 satellites will be launched by 2030
Danielle Anderson has worked in the public relations and media industry for a decade . She started her career as a reporter for Flagler Broadcasting where she discovered her passion for telling the stories of communities in Florida .
NOVEMBER 2020 | 21 |