As the saying goes, “here we grow again.” Metro Jacksonville and NE Florida are in a huge growth spurt. In short, the same is true for all of North Florida, including the Florida Panhandle.
With that growth comes a great expansion. Nothing could be more important to the local economy and hundreds, if not thousands of small businesses.
The image above is that of the Mantanzas River. “It is a narrow saltwater barrier bounded by an estuary on one side and protected from the Atlantic Ocean, by Anastasia Island. The opposite side abutting the City of St. Augustine, Florida, our nations “Oldest City” permanently founded in 1565. The Matanzas River was named by Spanish forces, meaning “River of Blood,” referring to a massacre led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, of Spain, against a group of several hundred shipwrecked Frenchmen from Fort Caroline, led by Jean Ribault. But a new day has dawned on the Mantanzas River.
Who could know then, what would be happening today! No one could have seen the huge growth and influx of people into this place of paradise we call home. Nestled between the St. John’s River, one of the few major rivers in the entire world to flow northward, and the Atlantic Ocean, is this thin sliver of land that rarely sees a “Hard Freeze.” It makes up about half of the Metro Jacksonville area, we affectionately call JAX.
This is the home of thousands of independent small businesses looking for community support. Some are brick and mortar establishments. Others, like Wayne Atkinson, Inc. are companies heavily involved in the growth and well being of a vibrant community. There are hundred of us, if not thousands, who are often out of sight and thus out of mind. However, we all have a few things in common. First, we have “Skin In The Game.” Our livelihood and that of our families depends on it. I’ll never forget, when I started my business one local contractor asked me, “Do you have skin in the game?” Once I said “Yessir!” He said, “I will support you then.” It was an exciting day!
Together with local contractors and Engineering Firms we are building a better NE Florida. As a fairly new start up, are we where we need to be? Not even so compared to the Major Corporations; that said, our business grows daily and it’s all because there are local contractors who understand what it means to Buy Local.
Here’s my hope for the future. Local Contractors buy local and together we build a better NE Florida. Will you join me in the quest in support of your local independent businesses who truly have “Skin in the Game?” Thank you for your support.
Wayne Atkinson, Inc. 