Florida Named No. 1 State For ‘Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness’

By  //  April 24, 2015

Florida leads U.S. in report

Florida leads U.S. for second year in a row according to 2015 PwC US report

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Governor Rick Scott announced on Friday that Florida ranked first in the United States for aviation manufacturing attractiveness for the second year in a row according to the PwC US 2015 Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness Rankings.

The 2015 PwC report ranked states on tax rates, industry size, operating cost and education, and Florida again had an overall ranking of first in the nation.

The study used a weighted average of variables such as costs, workforce and number of aerospace companies located in each state.

Florida is home to more than 2,000 aerospace and aviation companies that employ more than 82,000 Floridians and create an annual payroll impact of more than $5 billion in the state.

Florida has long been the world’s premier gateway to space, a major hub for flight training and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), and home to leading manufacturers of all types of aircraft and aircraft components.

Gov. Rick Scott
Gov. Rick Scott

Governor Scott said, “We are proud that Florida has been ranked number one for aviation manufacturing attractiveness for the second year in a row. Aerospace companies like Embraer, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have experienced great success in our state and have created thousands of job opportunities for our families. We are working every day to help Florida out-compete the world as the best place to do business, and I look forward to more aerospace and aviation companies growing in Florida.”

Florida’s manufacturing sector is also a leading industry with more than 18,000 companies employing more than 311,000 workers around the state.

Florida ranks first in the nation in Manufacturing Export Intensity, the percentage of our total manufactured goods that are exported.

Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson, Enterprise Florida president and CEO said, “We are thrilled that Florida is ranked number one again on PwC’s 2015 Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness survey. Florida is a leader in the aviation and aerospace industry thanks to Governor Scott’s leadership, our strong base of industry leading companies, and the support of our statewide partners. Those assets, along with Florida’s perfect business climate and highly-skilled aerospace workforce, make our state the ideal location for the businesses that call Florida home.”