BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: North Brevard Economic Development Zone Quarterly Report

By  //  May 22, 2020

SPACE COAST JUMPS TO TOP 10 ON MILKEN INSTITUTE INDEX

Renzetti, Inc., a machining operation located in Titusville’s Spaceport Commerce Park, is an industry-leading manufacturer for “fly” or lure-making tools and rod building equipment for the fishing enthusiast.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – North Brevard Economic Development Zone gives a quarterly review of business news in Mims, Port St. John, Scottsmoor and Titusville, Florida.

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Brevard Constructors, a general contractor and metal industrial building supplier and erector has announced plans to acquire and renovate an abandoned industrial complex in Mims, near State Road 46.

The property consists of more than 100,000 sq. ft. under roof, and is situated on a five-acre parcel that adjoins the state’s new Coast-to-Coast Bike Trail.

According to vice-president Russell Gordon, the firm will re-clad building exteriors, install new roofing systems, and provide interior finishes to accommodate two-to-three business tenants.

The company expects to spend more than $1.2 million in improvements to the complex over the next year; a financial inducement for the redevelopment project was provided by the North Brevard Economic Development Zone.

Brevard Constructors, an authorized Nucor Building Systems builder, began operations in 1981; it primarily focuses on metal building construction in the southeastern U.S.

The company is also an IAS AC472 accredited building manufacturer. To learn more, visit: www.BrevardConstructors.com

Craig Technologies, a Brevard County-based firm with facilities located on the grounds at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, was recently awarded a subcontract by Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, to work on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) contract. Leidos is a leading defense, aviation, information technology, and biomedical research company headquartered in Virginia.

The lander is one component in NASA’s broader plans to land astronauts on the Moon – including the first woman – by the year 2024.

The Dynetics’ lunar lander, for which Craig Technologies will assist in building, will feature ascent and descent capabilities, with multiple propellant vehicles pre-positioned to fuel the engines at a different point in the mission.

The crew cabin of the lander will sit low to the surface, enabling a much shorter climb for astronauts exiting and returning to the vehicle than the approximately six-foot ladder on the famed Lunar Module (LEM) of the Apollo days. For more information on Craig Technologies, visit www.CraigTechInc.com.

The Dynetics HLS Integrated Lander is expected to be transported to an orbit around the Moon by NASA’s Orion capsule, a project being led by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. For more on the Orion project and its Moon mission, visit https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html.

BOATBUILDING COMPANY WITH LOCAL TIES HONORED AT MIAMI SHOW

Ingenity, a subsidiary of Watershed Innovation, which is building a new manufacturing facility for its Merritt Precision Technologies division in Titusville, was recently honored at the famed Miami International Boat Show with the marine industry’s Innovation Award for the company’s design and patent of an electric drive system for boats.

The award was judged by Boating Writers International. Ingenity’s drive is designed to feel like a gas-powered motor, capable of pulling skiers and wave boarders; the invention is expected to revolutionize the boating industry and create smaller carbon footprints, thus helping the environment.

To learn more, visit www.IngenityElectric.com.

Ingenity’s sister company, Merritt Precision Technologies, a marine industry machining and milling operation, is presently working on the site preparation phase of its construction schedule for a multi-building manufacturing complex in Titusville’s Spaceport Commerce Park, a project that is expected to result in more than 15 new jobs, and a capital investment exceeding $3 million.

To learn more about Merritt Precision and Watershed Innovation, visit www.WatershedInnovation.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON: FLY FISHING LEADER RENZETTI

The sport of fly fishing, an angling method that uses artificial bait to catch fish, especially stream trout, is a key part of recreational fishing, which generates an economic impact of approximately $115 billion nationwide (2019 figures), according to the U. S. Commerce Department.

Renzetti, Inc., a machining operation located in Titusville’s Spaceport Commerce Park, is an industry-leading manufacturer for “fly” or lure-making tools and rod building equipment for the fishing enthusiast.

Founded in the 1970s in a Pennsylvania garage, Renzetti has been making fly-tying hand tools for decades; it relocated to Titusville in the 1990s. According to company founders, Andy and Lily Renzetti, the company grew dramatically once Orvis Company, a national sports fishing retailer, began selling and distributing Renzetti vises in the 1980s.

The company now sells its equipment worldwide, and markets its machining and manufacturing capabilities to industries needed engineering and precision manufacturing services.

Renzetti employs approximately 10 people. For more information on the firm, or to view its catalog of tools, vises, and other accessories, visit www.Renzetti.com.

Renzetti, Inc., is one of several industrial and service-sector firms located in or near the Spaceport Commerce Park in Titusville.

The park is home to a diverse array of businesses – from wood products firm Woodgrain Distribution, to satellite processing firm and aerospace leader, Astro Tech.

For more information on this business park and available industrial properties in the area, schedule a meeting with NBEDZ staff at www.NBEDZ.org

CONNEX DATABASE FROM FLORIDA MAKES

The non-profit group, Florida Makes, in partnership with the Associated Industries of Florida and Space Florida, recently unveiled an online supplier network called CONNEX.

This database tool, which was primarily designed for the state’s manufacturing industry, contains in-depth information on a broad range of Florida manufacturers, and enables detailed search functions highlighting specific production capabilities, certifications, equipment, material types, and more.

Through CONNEX, both manufacturers and supply companies can now connect directly with other manufacturers, exchange surplus materials, or even identify specialized workforces. Learn more at www.FloridaMakes.com

REGIONAL PLANNING GROUP RELEASES NASA BRIDGE STUDY

The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council recently released an economic impact analysis on State Road 405, known locally as the NASA Causeway, due to its direct connection from the mainland to Merritt Island, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The report, which was produced with assistance from the North Brevard Economic Development Zone and REMI (an econometric modeling firm), considered the economic value of the bridge and its long-term effects on the local aerospace community.

Season Tickets Boutique, of Cocoa Village, Closes After 32 Years Due to COVID-19 Pandemic StrugglesRelated Story:
Season Tickets Boutique, of Cocoa Village, Closes After 32 Years Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Struggles

SPACE COAST JUMPS TO TOP 10 ON MILKEN INSTITUTE INDEX

Brevard County, which forms the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), was recently placed within the top ten of MSAs in the nation by the Milken Institute in its Best Performing Cities 2020: Where America’s Jobs are Created and Sustained report. The announcement was made two weeks before the nation’s economy was idled due to COVID-19.

According to press releases in early March from the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Florida’s Space Coast, the ranking of the county at the number “10” spot on the index represented a jump of 47 spots over the placement of the MSA in last year’s report by Milken.

The report noted the metro’s strong performance in several indicators, including its placement of #5 for one-year growth, #10 in high-tech GDP concentration, and #9 in the number of high-tech industries.

The Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities (BPC) U.S. Index measures metropolitan areas’ economic performance using outcomes-based metrics such as job creation, wage gains, and technology developments to evaluate a metro area’s relative growth, and discover which metro areas offer the greatest opportunities for prosperity and innovation across the nation.

The index also notes – and with particular relevance to the current COVID-19 pandemic – that top-performing community in the index are better able “to weather economic storms,” and leverage assets more effectively.

To view the report, CLICK HERE.

U.S. CENSUS COUNT AIDS BUSINESSES, TOO

The U.S. Bureau of the Census is currently conducting its decennial population count, which also compiles statistics used in matters of importance to the business community, such as determining which areas of the nation should receive federal infrastructure funding.

Businesses are encouraged to remind employees to participate in the Census by directing them to www.My2020Census.gov

AVAILABLE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

LAND PARCEL – 39.83 acres, at the intersection of State Road (SR) 405 and SR 407 in Titusville, approximately 15 minutes from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and only minutes from Space Coast Regional Airport.

With current zoning and future land use designation, site could accommodate light industrial, warehousing, or retail development. Site features 1900 linear feet of road frontage along SR 405, a thoroughfare that has an annual daily traffic count of 16,100 vehicles. Listing agent: Trevor Hall of Colliers. Contact info: 407-362-6173, or trevor.hall@colliers.com.

WATCH: Brevard Attorney David Volk Talks About How COVID-19 Affects Business and InsuranceRelated Story:
WATCH: Brevard Attorney David Volk Talks About How COVID-19 Affects Business and Insurance

CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS