ORLANDO, Fla. — Information from the Florida Department of Commerce shows that Central Florida is becoming a competitor in Florida’s manufacturing revival — a shift driven by new facilities, advanced technology and investments that are bringing higher-paying jobs to the region.
Community leaders say the growth is helping diversify an economy long dominated by tourism and service-sector employment.
What You Need To Know
With Orange County accounting for more than 36,000 jobs (second in the state), Central Florida is emerging as one of Florida’s fastest-growing manufacturing regions
According to the Florida Department of Commerce, the Sunshine State currently has more than 434,000 manufacturing jobs
Experts say students and workers are shifting from traditional four-year degrees to high-skill training programs
Information from the Department of Commerce shows that more than 27,000 manufacturing establishments now operate statewide
Information from the Department of Commerce shows that Miami-Dade County ranks first in the state for manufacturing jobs with 44,800. Orange and Pinellas counties are not far behind, though, with 36,800 and 35,100 jobs, respectively.
At House of Plastics, an Orlando family business that has operated since 1969, President Todd Davis said his company is thriving as part of the state’s expanding manufacturing base.
Davis said the challenge isn’t demand — it’s finding enough skilled workers.
He believes public schools push students too strongly toward four-year degrees while overlooking the trades needed to “build everything.”
One of the new faces entering the field is Valencia College student Joshua Woodard.
After leaving food service, he enrolled in the college’s CNC machining program. He said he was drawn by the program’s relatively low cost and short completion time (around five months).
Entry-level machine operators can earn around $25 an hour, and Woodard said he hopes to make between $60,000 and $80,000 early in his career.
Those expectations are in line with the state’s manufacturing wages, which, according to the Florida Department of Commerce, average at around $78,000 annually.
FloridaMakes CEO Kevin Carr said some roles can pay significantly more — noting that a journeyman welder can “very easily” make six figures.
According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida ranks 10th in the country for manufacturing employment. In March, the Chamber of Commerce counted more than 421,000 manufacturing jobs statewide, a number that the Florida Department of Commerce increased to 434,600 in its April report.
Carr said training and educational opportunities in an area are important, because companies look closely at talent availability when deciding where to expand.