The Miami skyline from Biscayne Bay on October 15, 2025, in Miami.
D.A. Varela
dvarela@miamiherald.com
As president and CEO of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Hispanic Women’s Chamber of Commerce, I spend much of my time thinking about opportunity: where it comes from, who has access to it and how we can help businesses grow.
A few weeks ago, I joined U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, mayors and local elected officials from across South Florida, business owners, suppliers, educators and students in Miami for a discussion about the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and its impact on Florida.
Looking around the room, I was struck by how many different corners of our community were represented. This doesn’t happen by accident. There was a shared understanding that South Florida has an opportunity to play a larger role in Florida’s growing aerospace and defense economy.
The F-35 is the world’s most advanced and connected fighter aircraft. It supports U.S. and allied military readiness around the world while serving as a powerful example of American innovation and advanced manufacturing. More than 1,300 aircraft have been delivered, and the global fleet has surpassed one million flight hours. Behind those milestones is a network of workers, manufacturers and suppliers helping sustain the program.
When I look at the F-35, I do not just see an aircraft. I see jobs. I see suppliers. I see innovation. And I see opportunity for businesses across Florida.
The scale of that opportunity is significant. The F-35 program supports more than 30,500 jobs in Florida and generates more than $23 billion annually for our state’s economy. Florida is home to 162 suppliers that contribute to the program. Nationwide, the F-35 supply chain includes more than 2,100 companies — nearly 1,000 of them small businesses.
One of those businesses was represented in the room that day. Buffy Carroll of Data Graphics spoke about the 82 employees at her family’s company who produce placards, overlays, labels and asset tagging that fly on the F-35. Listening to her story, I could not help but think about the many entrepreneurs and business owners I have met through the chamber over the years. South Florida is filled with companies that started small, grew through hard work and perseverance and now employ people in their communities.
Through the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I have spent decades working alongside entrepreneurs building businesses from the ground up. South Florida has long been a place where ambitious people come to create opportunities for themselves, their families and future generations. I believe many of those same businesses can play a larger role in industries like aerospace and defense.
That opportunity extends beyond business owners. It includes students considering careers in engineering, manufacturing, aviation and technology, workers seeking new skills and pathways into high-quality jobs, and educators helping young people discover careers they may never have considered.
The conversation in Miami was not only about where the F-35 program stands today. It was also about Florida’s future. What I heard throughout the event was a shared belief that Florida’s aerospace and defense leadership is built not only by major companies and military installations but also by the workers, suppliers and small businesses that support them every day.
Giménez spoke about his efforts to bring the F-35 to Homestead Air Reserve Base while Collins highlighted Florida’s leadership in aerospace, innovation and advanced manufacturing. Together, those conversations reinforced how Florida’s aerospace and defense sector continues to create opportunities for businesses, workers and communities across our state.
At the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we want to help ensure our businesses are ready. We want entrepreneurs to understand the opportunities available to them. We want students to see careers they may never have considered. And we want South Florida’s small businesses to have a seat at the table as these industries continue to grow.
Because when South Florida gets a seat at a table this big, we do not just sit there. We build.
Liliam M. López is president and CEO of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Women’s Chamber of Commerce.