Target Industries

New development or expansion projects in the target industries noted below, as well as corporate headquarters and professional services, may qualify for certain expedited planning/permitting and/or tax incentives.  To learn more about our incentive programs, click here.

Advanced Manufacturing

Tamco Building rendering

Advanced Machine & Tool, Accel International, OCULUS Surgical and TAMCO are a few examples of St. Lucie County’s growing advanced manufacturing sector. Indian River State College recently opened the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex, Florida’s newest and most technologically advanced workforce training center, to support the demand for trained manufacturing employees.
 

AgTech/Nutraceuticals

IRREC building at sunset

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, all located in Fort Pierce, provide world-class support and research for agriculture, aquaculture and horticulture enterprises such as Adams Ranch,  Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, Indian River Select and Aquaco.
 

Aviation

airport aerial image

Big things are happening at Treasure Coast International Airport (FPR). With 3,844 acres (more than Miami International), full U.S. Customs services, new MRO space, a Foreign Trade Zone, no landing fees and a planned expansion, the county-operated airport is getting a lot of attention. In addition to companies like PlusOne Air and the APP Jet Center, the airport hosts Aviator College and a large business park with multiple maintenance and repair facilities and plenty of room for growth.
 

Composite Materials

pipe manufacturing

With strong demand from rapidly growing boatbuilding and regional aviation industries, St. Lucie County is an attractive location for composite materials manufacturers such as Silver-Line Plastics and Composite Essential Materials.
 

Distribution/Logistics

aerial image of industrial building

Amazon, FedEx Ground, and Walmart all have major distribution facilities in St. Lucie County, with regional foodservice distributor Cheney Brothers opening a 367,000-square-foot facility here in 2023. With millions of square feet of newly constructed Class A industrial facilities available, distribution and logistics is one of the county’s fastest-growing industries and is supported by high school and college level logistics certificate programs.
 

Life Sciences

lab interior

Two cutting-edge research institutes, Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Research and Innovation Center and Florida International University’s Center for Translational Science, are located in state-of-the-art facilities in Port St. Lucie, both with the mission of turning bioscience discoveries into treatments for human health. Lactalogics is constructing a facility to gently process, package and distribute human milk for premature and at-risk infants.  
 

Marine Industries

boat construction at night.

St. Lucie County is home to several of the country’s top sportfishing boat manufacturers, including Contender Boats, Maverick Boat Group, Pursuit Boats and Twin Vee. Our fast-growing boat-building sector employs approximately 3,000 and has doubled in size since 2018, thanks to a skilled workforce and targeted training programs. Many other marine-related businesses can also be found throughout St. Lucie County. At the Port of Fort Pierce, for example, Derecktor Fort Pierce was developed with mega-yachts in mind and is home to largest mobile boat hoist in the nation, capable of hauling 1500-ton yachts up to 250 feet in length.

Read more about opportunities in St. Lucie County for target industries in a report by Moran, Stahl & Boyer (MS&B), a nationally recognized economic development and site selection consulting firm.