Companies in Ocala...
With Business Retention as a key element in the Ocala/Marion County EDC’s Strategic Plan, we are proud to showcase some of the companies that have chosen Ocala as a community that is great for business…great for life.
Exciting New Projects in Marion County
Cheney Brothers, Inc. - This $625 million food services distributor will employ close to 300 workers at the 476,000-square foot building. “We needed to expand in Florida and had some pretty specific criteria,” stated Byron Russell, CEO of Cheney Brothers, Inc. “We needed airport access, highways to easily distribute to Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Daytona, and most importantly, we needed a railroad link. Ocala was able to meet all those criteria.” Russell shared the company was ready to purchase a building in Clermont. The deciding factor came down to railroad access. “Most of our merchandise ships by railroad. The Clermont building was newer and already had refrigeration and freezer areas in the building, but the railroad access was not good.” Cheney Brothers, Inc. is a strong community supporter and looks forward to becoming a good corporate citizen in Ocala and Marion County. “We believe in giving back and getting involved in the communities where we are located.” The Ocala expansion investment is estimated at $10-12 million which includes the construction of 100,000 square feet of freezer space. Building renovations began in January and they should have 300 employees in place by late summer of 2005.
Local company, Custom Window Systems, Inc. will be adding 200 new employees over the next five years. The 430,000-square-foot expansion will be constructed in a two-phase process. The $13 million investment will consolidate the window manufacturer’s operations to allow space for new product development. “We have new product lines that we could get into the market, but we don’t have space in the current campus to produce,” stated President Dave Layman. “The EDC put us in touch with the right people and were very helpful in getting us connected with Enterprise Florida which induced the project.” The expansion will have an immediate impact on the building trades as construction in the Meadowbrook Commerce Center began in January. The State of Florida awarded the City of Ocala and Custom Window Systems, Inc. an economic development transportation fund grant of approximately $990,000 for surrounding road improvements.
Capris Furniture, a local manufacturer, will create 25 new jobs in a 75,000-square-foot expansion that began in January. The $150,000 investment will allow the company to continue development of critical new product lines. “Through recent growth, we added 20 new jobs in the last six months,” stated CFO Don Beaudet. “We are in a great niche and have been able to create new product lines that keep our retailers excited…The expansion will provide the space we need to continue that development and keep the company growing. Geri Foote with the EDC has been helpful in walking us through the process of Industrial Development Bond financing.”
The Compound Pharmacy Division of Franck’s Pharmacy has an expansion plan that will create at least 15 high-end pharmaceutical jobs. The Compound Pharmacy dispenses and ships medications for special needs including the animal population. “The Compounding Pharmacy Division of Franck’s Pharmacy has an expansion plan that will create a minimum of 15 high-end pharmaceutical jobs. The Compounding Pharmacy dispenses and ships customized human and companion animal medications locally, as well as nationwide. Areas of specialization include urology, pain, bio-identical hormones and equine. Franck’s Pharmacy has been in business in Marion County for over 22 years and continues to expand promoting healthy lifestyles in our community. The entire EDC staff has been instrumental in the $1.6 million expansion scheduled for completion by mid September 2005!” said Paul Franck.
Company Testimonials
“Ocala is a great place to do business. The people at the EDC have always been there for us.”
Taylor, Bean and Whitaker
“Through the efforts of the EDC team and their partners, we were able to secure grants for valuable training of 120 new employees and retraining 24 incumbent team members to meet our workforce needs. The services of the EDC and CLM Workforce Connection made a great challenge a manageable task.”
Lockheed Martin Ocala Operations
“The first person I called when I knew what we needed was Pete Tesch with the EDC. Pete and Ron Thibodeaux came out and helped us walk through the process of securing training grants and put us in touch with the right people to start the Industrial Bond process.”
Clairson Plastics
Top Twenty Major Private Sector Employers
| Company | # of Employees | Business Type |
| Munroe Regional Medical Center | 2,500 | Healthcare |
| Wal-Mart (combined) | 1,935 | Retail Sales |
| Publix Super Markets (combined) | 1,400 | Retail Sales |
| Emergency One, Inc. | 1,309 | Manufacturing |
| Ocala Regional Medical Center & West Marion Community Hospital | 1,300 | Healthcare |
| Cingular Wireless | 1,000 | Support Services |
| ClosetMaid | 915 | Manufacturing |
| Winn Dixie Super Markets (combined) | 895 | Retail Sales |
| Kmart Corporation | 650 | Distribution |
| Lockheed Martin | 560 | Manufacturing |
| Mark IV Automotive-Dayco Ocala | 538 | Manufacturing |
| Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation | 500 | Finance |
| Merillat Corporation Ocala | 450 | Manufacturing |
| Swift Transportation Company | 440 | Transportation |
| Hospice of Marion County Healthcare Alliance | 405 | Healthcare |
| On Top of The World Communities, Inc. | 368 | Real Estate Developer |
| Florida Smart Parks (Silver Springs & Wild Waters) | 350 | Entertainment |
| Burger King (combined) | 350 | Restaurant |
| McDonald’s (combined) | 350 | Restaurant |
| Skyline Corporation | 315 | Manufacturing |
Source: EDC Major Employers Directory
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Major Industrial Employers
| Company Name | Industry Type | Number of Employees |
| Emergency One, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1,309 |
| ClosetMaid | Manufacturing | 915 |
| Kmart Corporation | Distribution | 650 |
| Lockheed Martin | Manufacturing | 560 |
| Mark IV Automotive – Dayco Ocala | Manufacturing | 538 |
| Merillat Corporation Ocala | Manufacturing | 450 |
| Custom Window Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 307 |
| AMCO Water Metering Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 298 |
Source: EDC Major Employers Directory
Major Private Non-Industrial Employers
| Company Name | Industry Type | Number of Employees |
| Munroe Regional Medical Center | Healthcare | 2,500 |
| Wal-Mart (combined) | Retail Sales | 1,935 |
| Publix Super Markets (combined) | Retail Sales | 1,400 |
| Ocala Regional Medical Center & West Marion Community Hospital | Healthcare | 1,300 |
| Cingular Wireless | Support Services | 1,000 |
| Kmart Corporation | Distribution | 650 |
| Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation | Finance | 500 |
| Swift Transportation Company | Transportation | 440 |
| Hospice of Marion County Healthcare Alliance | Healthcare | 405 |
Source: EDC Major Employers Directory
The following projects underway in 2005 are generating $68,390 million in capital investments and creating 1,017 - 1,075 new jobs and retaining 626 existing jobs.
2005 OCALA/MARION COUNTY BUSINESS ACTIVITY (Year to Date)
| EDC Assisted Company | Activity Type | Projected Jobs Created/Saved | Square Footage Absorbed | Capital Investment |
| American Growler | Expansion | 8 new 25 retained | 20,000 | N/A |
| Atlantic Tire & Axle | Expansion | 10-15 new 10 retained | 20,000 | $1,060,000 |
| Capris Furniture | Expansion | 20-30 new 200 retained | 80,500 | $3,350,000 |
| Cardinal Glass (pending) | New | 135 new | 240,000 | $22,000,000 |
| Cheney Brothers, Inc. | New | 495 new | 475,296 | $24,000,000 |
| Creative Storage Solutions | New | 2 new | 8,000 | $140,000 |
| Custom Window Systems, Inc. | Expansion | 250 new 280 retained | 215,000 | $13,000,000 |
| Florida Express Shavings | New | 7 new 80 retained | N/A | N/A |
| Franck’s Pharmacy | Expansion | 15 new | 13,000 | $1,540,000 |
| Hill’s of Florida, LLC | New | 10-20 new | 63,265 | $1,000,000 |
| National Background Data | Expansion | 30 new 31 retained | 19,000 | $1,100,000 |
| Pro Built, Inc. | New | 35-68 new | 63,000 | $1,200,000 |
| TOTALS | 1017-1075 new 626 retained | 1,217,061 | 68,390,000 |
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