CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott highlighted job creation at Marine Concepts which has expanded in Southwest Florida and opened a second location in 2012. Since the expansion, the company has created 139 jobs and invested more than $1.4 million in the Southwest Florida community.

Governor Scott said, “We are excited to recognize Marine Concepts for their work to create opportunities in Southwest Florida. Florida private sector businesses have created more than 865,000 jobs since December 2010, and announcements like this help further our job creation goals. Job creators like Marine Concepts keep Florida on the path to becoming the global destination for jobs.”

Marine Concepts, a fiberglass parts manufacturer, employs designers, engineers, project managers, master carpenters and trade craftsman within the composite tooling industry. With 30 years of experience in plug and mold building, Marine Concepts assists boat manufacturers with all aspects of building boats including new designs, product changes and plug & mold construction.

Bob Long, owner of Marine Concepts, said, “Marine Concepts/ JRL Ventures is committed to manufacturing the highest quality fiberglass and composite tools, and we have found Florida to be an excellent place for us to meet that goal. We are grateful to Governor Scott for highlighting our growth in Southwest Florida, and we look forward to continuing to serve our great customers and expanding our dedicated team here in the Sunshine State.”

As a result of its leading business climate, workforce, and trade and transportation infrastructure, Florida's advanced manufacturing industries ranks among the nation’s top 10 states. The state’s manufacturing industry is diverse and includes sectors producing intermediate and finished products ranging from plastics to food products and motor vehicles. In total, Florida is home to more than 18,200 manufacturers employing some 317,000 workers.

Bill Johnson, Enterprise Florida president and CEO said, “It’s always a pleasure to celebrate job growth within the state as a result of Governor Scott’s leadership. Florida is the best place to do business and expansions by companies such as Marine Concepts demonstrates Florida’s thriving economy. We are proud to see that the company has exceeded its job growth goals and we look forward to more highlights in the future.”

This project was made possible by the close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Department of Economic Opportunity and the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The economy is diversifying across the state and more and more families are benefiting from the jobs that business-friendly economic policy helps create. Since December 2010, Florida has added more than 865,000 private-sector jobs, and companies like Marine Concepts are drivers of this growth.”

***

JRL Ventures, Inc. / Marine Concepts is a reputable design, engineering, composites tooling, and fiberglass parts manufacturer located in Sarasota and Cape Coral, Florida. With over 30 years of experience in plug and mold building, JRL Ventures, Inc. / Marine Concepts has a reputation for quality, performance, and integrity.  Established and talented designers, engineers, project managers, and plug and mold builders make up the JRL Ventures, Inc. / Marine Concepts team and are dedicated to providing companies with the best product in any industry. The company assists manufacturers with new designs and product changes; plug & mold construction; repair & refurbishing of current tooling; engineering design & documentation; reverse engineering, metrology, mold and part laser scan validation; patterns & cold mold kits / plugs & molds (open/closed/silicone bag); first article & short run production.

Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. EFI facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses.

###