October 5, 2022 (Foley, AL) – The Highland Group, a leading real estate development and construction firm, is excited to begin the construction of a new 30,000-square-foot facility located in Marianna, Florida. They were awarded a contract by the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners, and the City of Marianna in Jackson County Florida, to serve as the general contractor in the construction of a large-scale manufacturing facility and industrial park on the property surrounding the city’s former Dozier School for Boys.
Completed plans call for the construction of a municipal facility, which they are hopeful will bring new jobs to the area. “What we’re hoping to do is create approximately 58 jobs out of this and that be a great economic investment for the county,” Administrative Services Director with Jackson County Hunter Potts said.
The Highland Group is hopeful the construction project, formerly codenamed “Project Blue Sky”, will attract workers and visitors alike to the small county along the Gulf Coast. The project is estimated to provide over 200 jobs within its first five years of construction. “Jackson County, and not just this county but other surrounding counties are in desperate need of real good jobs that provide careers, not just temporary employment.” Planning Director with Melvin Engineering Rick Pettis said.
“This is a really great opportunity for the county and city to partner, and it’s coming along great, the partnership, especially post-Michael, this is a sort of a light in the darkness for something that has the potential to bring so much economic incentives and economic improvement to our area,” said Jackson County Administrator Wilanne Daniels. Once completed, Highland’s project will have put more than 500 acres to use, the facility will provide a much-needed face-lift to the area and revitalize the surrounding municipalities. Multiple manufacturing companies are currently competing for this prime real estate opportunity.
Local officials have already broken ground on the jobsite ahead of time and are hopeful that the sky is the limit for the upcoming project. Prior to their coordination with The Highland Group’s Northwest Florida Regional Office, Marianna City and County officials have been working nonstop behind the scenes trying to get this vital economic development project off the ground since 2017. The City of Marianna and Jackson County were able to obtain $6.2 million in rural infrastructure funding, CDBG, and EDA funds for the project and are excited to see it take off.
The Highland Group is proud to be at the forefront of such a monumental development and is honored to have been selected as a partner for “Project Blue Sky”. “The economic impact and the construction this facility will bring is invaluable,” said CEO Scott Shamburger, “and our Florida team is looking forward to continuing to work with the City of Marianna on more community-centered contracts in the future.”
The Highland Group is a real estate development and commercial construction firm that specializes in real estate development, preconstruction services, general contracting, construction management, and design-build delivery. Their mission is to develop leaders committed to higher standards who have an impact on their firm and the communities in which they work and live by developing trusting relationships and building quality projects. The Highland Group has offices located in the Gulf Coast Region (501 South McKenzie Street, Suite 2, Foley, Alabama, 36535), the Tennessee Valley Region (415-H Church Street NW, Suite 201, Huntsville, Alabama, 35801), and the Florida Panhandle Region (130 Richard Jackson Blvd., Suite 104A, Panama City Beach, Florida, 32407). They have been proudly serving clients throughout the Southeastern United States since 2005. Learn more at www.HighlandGroup.org