Skip to content
Copy of Untitled

November 19th

By Todd Thomson | November 20, 2020

Greater Pensacola Chamber 130th Annual Meeting Tonight The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce will host its 130th Annual Meeting tonight and will include a free concert for the public to enjoy. The Chamber’s Annual Meeting will feature a brief program and then a concert by Ben Loftin and the Family as a tribute to Evenings…

November 17th

By Todd Thomson | November 20, 2020

Two Weeks Remain to Apply for FEMA Assistance for Hurricane Sally Panhandle residents who have uninsured losses resulting from Hurricane Sally have until Dec. 1, 2020 to register with FEMA for assistance. Survivors in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Bay, and Walton counties can register with FEMA in several ways: By visiting DisasterAssistance.gov Downloading the FEMA…

November 16th

By Todd Thomson | November 20, 2020

The Greater Pensacola Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign is Underway Claim your marketing and sponsorship opportunities for 2021 by December 17th. Sponsorships and marketing vary from the notable “State of” series, PACE Awards, Military Appreciation, Social Media Chats and Legislative events. The impact of your sponsorship goes much further than the event and will help support…

November 12th

By Todd Thomson | November 12, 2020

Entrecon 2020 Registration Ends Tomorrow; Chamber Members Receive a 15% Discount 2020 has been a tough (even traumatic) year for everyone. People need help and hope right now. That’s why EntreCon® has transitioned from in-person to a live, virtual event. EntreCon® live is always a time of renewal, strengthening skills, resolve and relationships, and the…

November 3rd

By Todd Thomson | November 6, 2020

Election Day edition Vote Today and Support Chamber-Endorsed Positions The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has taken positions on two important issues that will impact our local business community.   Vote YES on establishing the Escambia County Children’s Trust   Vote YES on establishing the Escambia County Children’s Trust   Most importantly,…

November 2nd

By Todd Thomson | November 6, 2020

 One Month Remains to Apply for FEMA Assistance in Florida Panhandle Florida Panhandle residents who have uninsured losses resulting from Hurricane Sally have until Dec. 1, 2020 to register with FEMA for disaster assistance. One month after residents in five counties became eligible for federal disaster assistance, more than $94 million has been approved in…

November 5th

By BreAnna Clark | November 6, 2020

Gopher Club Resumes Tomorrow, but You Must Register Today! There are a few slots available for tomorrow’s Gopher Club breakfast as we look forward to seeing your friendly faces again!  Our program will include an update on the Three Mile Bridge repairs from the Florida Department of Transportation. Thank you to Pro Clean for sponsoring…

October 26th

By BreAnna Clark | October 30, 2020

Chamber President Todd Thomson Facebook Live With Studer Community Institute You’re invited to join Rachael Gillette as she chats live with Greater Pensacola Chamber President/CEO Todd Thomson about the impact COVID 19 and Hurricane Sally has had on our business community; and how the Chamber team has responded and supported recovery. Todd will also be…

October 29th

By Todd Thomson | October 30, 2020

SBA Temporarily Closing Escambia County Business Recovery Center Oct. 31-Nov. 4 The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it is temporarily closing the Business Recovery Center located in the East Pensacola Heights Clubhouse in Pensacola. The Center will be closed for SBA disaster assistance at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and will reopen to resume…

October 28th

By Todd Thomson | October 30, 2020

Hurricane Zeta: What Pensacola area needs to know Wednesday Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are under a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Zeta prepares to make landfall sometime Wednesday night, most likely at about 7 p.m., in southeast Louisiana. Winds could be between 39 and 73 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Both counties…

Don Gaetz Believes the Gulf Coast Can Triumph

"But it’s not enough for Triumph and its private and public sector partners to produce thousands of new jobs if there aren’t thousands of Northwest Floridians qualified to fill them. That’s why Triumph is working with school districts and higher education institutions to reshape what is taught and how it’s taught in our schools. Triumph already is funding projects in six of our eight counties that will prepare 9,000 students to earn national industry certifications for the very jobs most needed in our region over the next decade." -Don Gaetz

The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce was honored to support the University of West Florida in their appeal to Triumph to support their efforts to equip over 3,000 students to earn top-level certifications in cyber security and advanced manufacturing and supply chain logistics industry certifications. Through the Center for Cybersecurity, the Sea3D Additive Manufacturing Laboratory and the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering UWF proposes to produce a minimum of 3,220 industry certifications that would provide career pathways to high paying jobs across the region.

Read more here...

Department Of Labor Issues Final Ruling on Overtime

Conversations begin in the Florida House Regarding Teacher pay increases

Effective January 1, 2020, the minimum salary threshold established by the Department of Labor for overtime eligibility will be set at $684 per week / $35, 568 annually.

More information about the final rule is available here..

Florida House’s committee on preK-12 education budgeting has begun conversations around the Governor's proposed salary increase for teachers of $47,500 - a total price tag of $603 million, annually. The committee is moving forward with caution, as raising taxes does not seem to be a viable option, however, they are hopeful they can find the funds in existing budgets.

Read more here...

 

The Board of Education prioritized its Public Education Capital Outlay plan, unanimously approving seven projects that are now in line to receive a combined $86.4 million in construction funding over the next three years - Pensacola state college made that list.

The Board of Education prioritized its Public Education Capital Outlay plan on Friday, September 20th, unanimously approving seven projects  which are in line to receive a combined $86.4 million in construction funding over the next three years.

Read more here...

 

NATIONAL ECONOMIC PROGRESS CONTINUES, HOWEVER, CONCERNS ARE IN THE AIR

Recent Progress in the Economy:

  • There were 2.3 million more workers in 2018 than 2017!
  • Workers are earning higher wages with increases by 3.4% from 2017 to 2018.
  • Poverty has declined by 0.5 percentage points to 11.8% which is 1.4 million fewer people in poverty.
  • Economic growth driven by tax reform and recent efforts of the current administration to reduce regulatory burdens are having a positive effect.

Positive outcomes from these results:

  • Workers are better able to support their families.
  • There are more available jobs; however, there are still more jobs than people, so workforce remains a major concern.

Gaps in The Economy That Must be Addressed

“The first is a skills gap – too many people lack the skills or credentials they need to compete for 21st century jobs. The second is a people gap – too many businesses can’t find the workers they need, when and where they need them. Businesses must be part of the solution. No single entity has a greater stake in the strength of our talent pool than the business community. We have the ideas, the innovations, and the incentive to drive change and create solutions.”, said U.S. Chamber CEO Donohue at the Talent Forward event earlier this year.

The Gaps

  1. Solutions for the Skills Gap
    1. Improving education and mandating increased school accountability, more choices for families, and improved collaboration among key stakeholders.
    2. Ensuring the annual $400 billion dollars of taxpayer money being invested in higher education will result into credentials and a return on investment back into the economy.
    3. The business community must ensure that local education institutions teach in-demand skills by implementing similar programs such as the Foundation Talent Pipeline Management Initiative https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/talent-pipeline-management
    4. Better access to quality childcare, as it is the foundation for basic skills and ability.
  2. Solutions for People Gap
    1. The opioid epidemic is a large contributor to the decline in working-age men in the workforce. We need to support public and private sectors working to address the issue in addition to supporting good public policy.

but fair process for the millions of undocumented people living in the U.S. to have the opportunity to earn a legal status.” This includes the “Dreamers” who came to the U.S. as children and Temporary Protected Status recipients.

  1. We must have good policy to produce good results!

Signs of Policy Uncertainty Is Negatively Affecting the Economy

“Amid all the talk of a possible recession, it’s important for everyone to remember this: Economic expansions do not die of natural causes. They often die because of missteps and policy mistakes. And the biggest mistake our leaders could make right now — putting our economy at greater risk of a downturn — is to stoke further uncertainty We’re calling on our leaders to eliminate the uncertainty, rebuild business confidence and keep this economy working for all Americans.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Donohue writes.

  1. “When leaders make decisions that foster certainty, businesses invest, hire, grow and better drive the economy in a positive direction.”
  2. Examples of the Effect of Fostering Certainty
    1. Unemployment rate has reached a generational low
    2. Employee compensation has risen 3.4% in the first half of 2019
    3. Inflammation remains near record lows
    4. Consumer spending is strong, and retail sales have beat the calculated expectations for the first half of the year.
  3. Examples of the Negative Effect from Not Fostering Certainty
    1. Increased trade tensions and softening of global economy

“The business community shares the administration’s concern over China’s trade and industrial practices, and the U.S. Chamber strongly supports efforts to secure a deal that addresses forced technology transfer, industrial subsidies, data privacy and intellectual-property protection, and market access. The initial tariffs have brought China to the negotiating table, but the current path of constant escalation doesn’t increase the likelihood of a deal; it risks a recession here at home.” – U.S. Chamber of Commerce

  1. Business investment has experienced its first decline in three years
  2. Manufacturing sector has been in a downturn for nine months
  3. Famers’ income has plummeted
  4. Investors have begun to panic over “inverted yield curves” in the bond market and wild swings in the stock market – typically key indicators a recession is coming. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/14/recession-watch-what-is-an-inverted-yield-curve-why-does-it-matter/

The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Commitment

We know that neither growth nor a recession are guaranteed; however, both result from choices we make as a country. The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce will be calling on our leaders to eliminate as much uncertainty in the economy’s future as possible by encouraging the introducing and supporting of logical tax reform and an increase in educational and workforce development resources. Together we can close these gaps and increase the business community’s confidence in the future, both near and long.

_____________________________________________

Sean Hackbarth, A Strong Economy Improves American’s Lives,” First Things First, (September 2019): https://page.uschamber.com/index.php/email/emailWebview