Established Foreign Manufacturing Company Set To Visit Century This Week To Discuss Building Lease

January 10, 2023

A 50-year old foreign company with established American customers is expected to visit Century this week in advance of negotiating a lease on a town-owned building in the industrial park.

We first reported last week about the company that is looking to set up their first domestic manufacturing and warehouse distribution facility serving the oil and gas industry.

Company officials will be in Century this week to meet individually with each town council member and look at any potential upgrades to the 40,000 square foot building. The town re-acquired the industrial building at public auction for less than $1 out of pocket back in August 2009, following the town’s foreclosure judgment against the now defunct Helicopter Technology company. The building has sat empty since then.

According to the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, the company plans to hire five people initially, with a goal of 10 employees by the end of the year with an average salary of $46,570 — the average wage in the Pensacola area. The company hopes to begin warehouse operations by the end of February with a forthcoming expansion into manufacturing.

Last week, the town council voted 3-1 to allow the mayor to negotiate a lease, subject to final council approval. The company is offering a lease amount equal to a recent appraisal — $94,000 annually or $7,833 monthly — with the company paying for insurance, taxes and maintenance with a minimum five-year term.

Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. voted and spoke out against the idea, saying the number of jobs was “nothing for the town of Century”, saying the town should not negotiate with “somebody who comes in here under the cover of night” and “under the cover of a backroom deal negotiated by somebody else”.

The FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance is the economic development organization for Escambia County. Most details about the new  company and their plans remain confidential during discussions, as is allowed and is standard in economic development in Florida.

RELATED STORY: Established Foreign Manufacturing Company Seeks To Locate In Century; Town Council President Says No

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Comments

9 Responses to “Established Foreign Manufacturing Company Set To Visit Century This Week To Discuss Building Lease”

  1. Swamp Gas on January 11th, 2023 1:03 pm

    A wise person once said that “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush”

  2. David Huie Green on January 11th, 2023 11:35 am

    CONTEMPLATING:
    “the town should not negotiate with “somebody who comes in here under the cover of night” and “under the cover of a backroom deal negotiated by somebody else”.”

    So NorthEscambia.com is the cover of night?

    I get his point about wanting to know exactly who they are, though. They might be (INSERT GROUP YOU DISLIKE HERE). Like the part in Blazing Saddles where he wanted to keep the Irish out.

    David for”the right people “

  3. DLo on January 10th, 2023 4:44 pm

    10 employees at $46K per year and $94K in lease payments to the city will infuse well over a half million dollars per year into a very small economy, instead of costing the county revenue for upkeep of an empty structure. Plus the company is going to improve the building, bringing the building’s worth up. I can’t see a downside, it’s not like there’s a line of businesses looking to invest in Century.

  4. IMHO on January 10th, 2023 2:57 pm

    Be thankful anyone wants to come to Century, never mind a business! How many employees does the vape store employ, they had no issues opening….

  5. Citizen on January 10th, 2023 1:51 pm

    Actually the residents still benefit from the municipality and all the naysayers can continue to complain. No body cares.
    Hope this 1dollar earlier investment pays off.
    There’s a law about economic development and they are allowed confidentiality to prevent competition up to a point.

    So meeting individually with council members helps them remain confidential per state statutes. 125.045

    Hope they aren’t negotiating for more than the town can spend.

    TOC should offer to sell it to them rather than lease, in my opinion, yet ball is in their court.

  6. James on January 10th, 2023 1:43 pm

    The building has set vacant for 14-years with no jobs and no income. Gomez is simply a roadblock. Wake up! A few jobs and income for a minimum five year term is better than the past fourteen years.

  7. RaD on January 10th, 2023 10:17 am

    They should take it if its $96,000 a year and one employee making minimum wage.

    They have had 13+ years to find this magical company that would employ hundreds to no avail. The hardest selling point is convincing a company that a town of 1500 will hold 200 able bodied people with the education/skill needed to do the job. And while it might be possible, it is not probable.

    Current Florida law would not even allow the Century area a charter because the population requirement is below 5000, a level Century has never had. Lawmakers recognized at some point too many small towns were failing (probably due to all the increased requirements they made on cities) and increased the minimum size. Just about any third party with all the information would come to the conclusion Century is a failed City whose charter needs rescinding.

  8. J-THE-G on January 10th, 2023 8:55 am

    They should really just be taking whatever they can get. Nobody wants to be in Century, even the residents. It’s a dying town and if they don’t start ramming through expansion it’ll have no work but the lumber mill, fast food and dollar general forever. Most everything else looks like ghost town.

  9. Earl E Baldree on January 10th, 2023 6:54 am

    I hope Gomez gets educated and comes to the understanding 5 jobs and some rent is better than no jobs and no rent.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News