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Calif, is a privately owned
telecommunications provider of wireless, digital messaging services
to the world's merchant marine fleets via high frequency radio and satellites.
This is not your mother's cell phone company. Instead, Globe Wireless
uses20 sites worldwide to provide from two to 1 0 "redundant"
signals to give ships a reliable choice of finding a clear messaging
channel. Globe Wireless Vice-president John Hogan, says, "Moving
to Palm Bay provided Globe with the ability to grow our business both
in the size of facilities and work force. We were able to find a building
with the right amount of available space to meet our current manufacturing
needs with the potential to grow. The Palm Bay area also provides us
with access to a large pool of technical engineers and highly skilled
administrative people." A skilled, trained workforce was attractive
to Bombardier, too. Lonski, says, "We've gone from 30 employees
to almost 100, all working in a technical environment. We plan to double
our workforce in the next two to four years, capitalizing on the colleges,
universities and the high level of engineering and technical expertise
in the Palm Bay area. ''Dr. Bert Purga, Palm Bay campus president of
BCC, says that while his college's primary mission is to bring higher
education and training to the citizens of the greater Palm Bay area,
"We also keep pace with local business and industry and help them
prepare the workforce to meet their needs." Approximately 3500
of the 3,000 students at BCC-PB are in skills training for local businesses.
Their average age is 27 or 28, says Purga, and about 7O% of them is
currently employed. In keeping with another goal, meeting the education
interests of the family mem-
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| Keeping an eye on its growth horizon, the city
has 325 acres available for industrial development; 1,100 more
area zoned commercial. The newly created Bay front Redevelopment
District offers a 25-year vision to develop the area with additional
recreational opportunities attractive to visitors, families and
businesses. This mixed-use environment will include residential
subdivisions, an industrial park, public open spaces, and a network
of trails, a Tourist Welcome Center, and the designation of U.S.
Route I along the Indian River Lagoon as a Florida Scenic Highway.
But all that glitters to incoming firms may not be land, as far
as Palm Bay is concerned. Bombardier Motor Corporation of America,
headquartered in Canada, sought a location in Palm Bay specifically
because of available water acreage. Bombardier manufactures aerospace
and mass transit as well as marine products. In Palm Bay, says
Henry Lonski, vice-president of Bombardier Sea Doos, the company
built a $10.5 million, 33,500square foot research, design and
testing facility, but wanted 300 of the 600 acres they bought
for water-testing their See Doo watercraft and sports boats. Water
plays a vital role for Melbourne/Palm Bay International Airport."
It is our goal to become the cruise port gateway to Port Canaveral,"
says airport director |
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| Jim Johnson. Having a one-stop international airport
five minutes away appeals to tourists, vacationers and family
members as well as area businesses and employees. In the last
10 years the airport has been entirely revamped, according to
Johnson. 'We have either constructed or reconstructed every part
of this airport from runway systems to cargo and terminal facilities,
because the potential for growth in the Palm Bay area is so strong."
Four passenger carriers serve Melbourne, including a charter service
to the Bahamas. Yet another Palm Bay industry relies upon water
but in an entirely different way. Globe Wireless Inc., based in
Foster City, Calif, is a privately owned telecommunications provider
of wireless, digital messaging services to the world's merchant
marine fleets via high-frequency radio and satellites. This is
not your mother's cell phone company. Instead, Globe Wireless
uses 20 sites worldwide to provide from two to 1 0 "redundant"
signals to give ships a reliable choice of finding a clear messaging
channel. Globe Wireless Vice-president John Hogan, says, "Moving
to Palm Bay provided Globe with the ability to grow our business
both in the size of facilities and work force. We were able to
find a building with the right amount of available space to meet
our current manufacturing needs with the potential to grow. The
Palm |
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