Pensacola's economic development quarterback


  • June 29, 2015
  • /   Carlton Proctor
  • /   economy
In July 2011 the Greater Pensacola Chamber hired Scott Luth and handed him a game plan for revving up job creation in a community whose unemployment was hovering near 10 percent. That plan was called Vision 2015, and its primary goal was to create 4,000 new jobs by the end of this year. City, county and private sector leaders responded enthusiastically to the strategy, and raised more than $8 million to make it happen. Luth was their quarterback, handed the job of driving the ball toward the goal line. Four years later, how successful was Vision 2105, and what kind of game manager did Luth turn out to be? The numbers speak for themselves: — 8,500 new jobs created, according to the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development. — Unemployment down to 4.9 percent. — The number of people looking for work has plummeted from 23,000 to 9,000, and falling on average by 500 a month. "The main reason the chamber hired me was to support the job creation part of Vision 2015," said the 48-year-old Luth, now CEO of the Community Economic Development Association. "That was their direct challenge to me. "And I think during these past four years we've definitely surpassed the goals we set out," he said. "It's been a very exciting time for me, and I think we've made tremendous headway in job creation." Luth would be the first to admit that a lot of the success attributed to Vision 2015 was the result of an improving national and state economy, and a robust rebounding of the housing market. [sidebar] New name, campaign for economic development One year ago, the Pensacola City Council, the Escambia County Commission and the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce voted to establish a separate Economic Development Agency, known informally as CEDA, the Community Economic Development Alliance. On Tuesday, the group will formally kick off their new name, new brand and new campaign to grow our economy at a special event with policymakers, stakeholders, and the media. Representatives from the City of Pensacola, the Escambia County Commission, and the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce will be there. [/sidebar] But beyond those external economic dynamics, many credit Luth with bringing a new level of professionalism to the mighty task of job creation, and raising Pensacola's national profile in the aerospace, technology and cybersecurity industries. "Scott is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy," said Jerry Maygarden, who was Luth's boss for 18 months while the Greater Pensacola Chamber was undergoing a major reorganization. "He works very well with elected officials and people in the private sector, as well as those folks in nonprofit organizations. "Scott doesn't get caught up in the game of who gets the credit for successes," Maygarden said. "He's always a team player, and he makes sure everyone gets the information they need without stepping on toes." Former chamber Chairman and Pensacola attorney Gary Huston echoed Maygarden's assessment of Luth's effectiveness. "It's my impression that the county commissioners and city council members all have a very high level of confidence in the economic data Scott provides them and what he tells them as far as the status of the projects he's working on," Huston said. Pensacola businessman and philanthropist Lewis Bear was a member of the selection committee that hired Luth, then an executive with a Mississippi power company, in July 2011. "We had a hard time luring him away from Mississippi," Bear recalled. "He was just so much better than all the other candidates who applied for the job. And from day one he just hit the ground running." Bear also describes Luth as a team player, and tireless worker who "while working on one project is looking for 50 more. "He's not trying to steal anyone's thunder," Bear said. "He's really a quiet, dedicated and serious economic development kind of guy, and I love that about him. When you're around him you quickly recognize his people skills." Former Gulf Power executive John Hutchinson, who now chairs CEDA, says he's especially impressed with Luth's skills. "Scott does a great job recruiting, but he's also realistic about all the hard work that has to take place before you can begin to compete for quality jobs," Hutchinson said. "He understands the process of how to present himself and the community to site selectors, and he's perfectly willing to do all the tough ground work to make it happen," he said. Wins, challenges As Luth approaches his fifth year spearheading the community's lead economic development efforts, he looks back on the many successes while remaining optimistic about Pensacola's economic future. Among an impressive list of successes, but none is greater than the 4-H/Navy Federal Credit Union land deal that paved the way for a massive $250 million expand at the the institutions 300 acres campus in the Beulah community. Luth played a key role in lining up state and local tax incentives that helped seal the deal. Just months after Navy Federal closed on the purchase of the 240 4-H site, Navy Federal CEO Cutler Dawson announced the credit union would expand their workforce by 7,000, for a total of 10,000, by the year 2020. Another hard-won Luth victory was landing VT Aerospace's $38 million maintenance at Pensacola International Airport. That project is expected to get under way later this year. Recent deals Luth has managed include Italian helicopter company Aero Sekur and the conversion of the 600 acre Navy OLF helicopter landing field in Beulah to a world-class commerce park. Still to come: Finalizing a contract with Space Florida to build a $9 million office building in the now-vacant Pensacola Technology Park. Tech Campus 1 "I feel very good about what we've accomplished over the past four years," he said. "And I think moving forward we've done a good job in defining our target industries.” Aerospace efforts Over the past couple of years, in a vigorous effort to development Pensacola aerospace industries, Luth has attended air shows in Seattle, Los Angeles, Germany, England, Singapore and most recently the famed Paris Air Show. Along with Gulf Power CEO Stan Connally, Luth accompanied a Panhandle delegation to the mid-June event. Luth goes to the air shows primarily to build existing relationships with aerospace executives, and create new one. "We're beginning to build an awareness of Pensacola as a player in the aerospace industry," Luth said. "We're getting to know the decision-makers in the industry. And we're also beginning to understand where the growth opportunities are within the aviation industry." While in Paris Luth met with executives of VT Aerospace. He also met with other aviation parts and services suppliers that will be locating near the huge, $600 million Airbus assembly facility near completion in Mobile. Pensacola business leaders see major opportunities for recruiting those industries to the Pensacola area as production ramps up at the Airbus plant in Mobile. "We've worked hard on our aviation strategy, and are developing marine and cybersecurity strategies, and I really believe we'll see some great returns in terms of job creation and entrepreneurship in all of those sectors," Luth said. Good things ahead Bear says Pensacola is very fortunate to have Luth at the helm of its economic development efforts. "Scott is really dedicated to this community's success," Bear said. "He's not an 8-to-5, Monday-to-Friday kind of guy. He'll work seven days a week on a project, and find an eight day if has to." As for Luth, married and the father of two teenaged daughters, he's enjoying the work and the Pensacola community. "I love what I'm doing, and Pensacola is a great place to work." he said. "I continue to see good things happening here for this community's economy."
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