Business Archive

It’s no secret Northwest Florida has been growing. In 2023, Florida became the fastest growing state for the first time since 1957 and the Panhandle has experienced it as well. With a growing population comes a need for good jobs and opportunities in a variety of industries.

A new Dollar General is opening its doors at 7924 Hickory Hammock Road in Milton. The store is expected to open officially sometime next week. According to Dollar General, the store has approximately 8,500 square feet of selling space. In total, the Dollar General is 10,670 square feet.

Ryan Miller knows something about serving his community. He works in the field of security systems, where customer service is key, and he also serves as a volunteer firefighter with Harold VFD. Miller is currently the leader of RM Integrations, which he and a partner founded in 2014.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday, June 20, they would not seek charges in the case involving Nikko’s Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Pace. The case stems from a June 9 incident when seven people fell ill after eating at Nikko’s. Sheriff’s Office deputies first became aware of the situation June 10, when they responded to a police assist call at Santa Rosa Hospital.

Santa Rosa Medical Group opened a new medical office building in Pace with primary care, OB/GYN and specialty services. The Five Points Medical Office Building is adjacent to the entrance of Stonebrook Village at 5595 Woodbine Road. Providers began seeing patients in the 7,000-square-foot clinic May 22.

To help address hunger in the community, and to celebrate National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day April 2, Santa Rosa Medical Center is donating 464 jars of peanut butter, and one jar of jelly, to Feeding the Gulf Coast.

Internet availability and speed, workforce housing, and transportation infrastructure topped business stakeholders’ concerns in Santa Rosa County’s updated economic development strategic plan. Jay Garner of Garner Economics LLC presented “Leading Through Action,” the follow-up to the firm’s 2017 report, “Building a Better Santa Rosa County,” at a Feb. 23 workshop.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) brought 10 new solar energy centers online throughout Florida Feb. 1. FPL now has 60 solar energy centers installed statewide – capable of generating enough clean, emissions-free energy to power approximately 900,000 homes throughout the state.

Amazon expanded to Milton Nov. 9, 2022, and opened a delivery station at the Santa Rosa County Industrial Park in East Milton off U.S. Highway 90.

In January, Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the new Amazon distribution center, welcoming the company to the community.

The facility is more than 80,000 square feet and was previously a call center for Navy Federal Credit Union. Amazon completely remodeled the building’s interior to accommodate a conveyance system, sort zones, route staging areas, a multi-faith room, mothers’ room, breakroom, training room and office space.

It’s all about explosive growth in East Milton. “This is an investment company buying up this property (along State Road 87 between Fortune and Hickory Hammock roads in East Milton),” Mark Siner, president and owner of Choctaw Engineering in Fort Walton Beach, told the Santa Rosa County Zoning Board at its meeting Jan. 12.