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Business Brief: 'Project Flamingo' Seeks Incentives To Create 30 Jobs

flamingoes
Benjamin Radzun via Flickr

A national skin and hair care products manufacturer is considering expanding in Jacksonville with 30 permanent and 400 seasonal jobs in exchange for $1.425 million in city incentives.

The city Office of Economic Development plans to introduce legislation seeking approval of an economic development agreement with a company code-named “Project Flamingo.”

According to the project summary, Project Flamingo is a national distributor of private-label skin and hair care products that wants to establish an e-commerce logistics, warehouse and distribution facility in Northwest Jacksonville.

It plans to lease about 200,000 square feet of space to service customers in the Southeast.

Project Flamingo proposes to hire 30 full-time employees by year-end 2021 at an average annual salary of $46,346. The positions include managerial, logistical, warehouse, receiving and shipping, forklift operators, truck drivers and support staff.

According to public documents, the company also could hire 400 seasonal workers annually.

The company estimates an annual payroll of $1.4 million.

Project Flamingo proposes to invest $37.5 million, comprising $24 million in machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures, and to lease space in a Northwest Jacksonville building to be constructed for $13.5 million.

Project Flamingo seeks a Recaptured Enhanced Value grant from the city worth up to 50 percent of the net increase in real and tangible property taxes over  10 years.

The estimated value of the REV grant is $1.425 million. According to the project summary, the estimated return on investment for the city is 2.02.

The company states in a legislative fact sheet that city-backed financial incentives are a material factor in its decision to consider Jacksonville over locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

The Office of Economic Development will seek permission to introduce the legislation from the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee at a meeting Tuesday at City Hall.

Legislation could be filed immediately after for City Council members to consider.

Photoused under Creative Commons license

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP