It’s said that “location, location, location” is everything. And that’s proven to be true when it comes to the business growth in Volusia County.

While Florida manufacturing, logistics and distribution companies have long recognized the prime space Volusia County occupies in the corridor of Interstate 4 and Interstate 95, the secret has been getting out to national companies as well. This is good news for Keith Norden, President and CEO of Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation, which has worked hard for the national recognition the area is receiving. Team Volusia’s primary mission is to market and recruit business from outside the area to Volusia County. The county’s location, he says, is their ace in the hole.

“(Interstate) 95 and I-4 are two of the state’s most critical transportation corridors because they also link to I-75 and I-10…and the Florida Turnpike and those entities. I-75, I-10 and Florida’s Turnpike are between one and two hours from us, but I-95 and I-4 are critical for transportation of goods to the state and throughout the Southeast,” Norden said.

The location of Volusia County was the tipping point for World Class Distribution Inc., which operates distribution centers for the Trader Joe’s grocery chain, to build a distribution center in Daytona Beach.

“That’s the reason why they chose us over Jacksonville,” Norden said. “Because they could be at the intersection of I-4 and I-95 and get to all of their markets across Florida – both West Coast and East Coast and then the Southeast,” Norden said. “So, it’s a great advantage for us to be at the intersection of those two major highways.”

Since World Class Distribution moved to the area, the national spotlight has continued to shine on the Daytona Beach area.

“Trader Joe’s and World Class Distribution gave us a sense that we were a place that should be considered for distribution, and that did bring focus to us as a distribution hub because it put us out in the national field,” Norden said. “We have the geographic location that really is making us an emerging hub for transportation, logistics and distribution.”

Among the companies attracted to Volusia County was Amazon, which opened four facilities in the county.

“That gives us another advantage. They decided to locate four centers in our county. That also gives us the stamp of approval that this is a good place for distribution logistics,” Norden said.

B. Braun Medical Inc. was drawn to the area as well. In 2022, the company held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the expansion of their new manufacturing plant, which when combined with their existing distribution center, a few miles away, further increased their footprint in Daytona Beach.

A leader in infusion therapy and pain management, B. Braun benefits from the ability to import raw materials, components and products into one of our nearby ports, as well as being able to efficiently ship finished products to suppliers and customers throughout the Southeast U.S. via I-4 and I-95.

“We know from working with B. Braun that our strategic Southeast U.S. location, for both importing raw materials and transportation of finished goods, was pivotal in their considerations to establish and expand in Volusia County,” Norden said.

There is still plenty of room for growth, as well. While there are many acres of greenfield – or areas not yet ready for development – there is also approximately 3 million square feet of spec space for manufacturing, logistics or distribution under construction. These are facilities that will be move-in ready for a tenant. Norden said the county is prepared for new businesses. In addition to interstate accessibility and improvements, the area also has an air and water advantage.

“We’re almost centered equally between Jax Port and Port Canaveral. And then, we have the five general aviation airports and Daytona Beach International Airport with cargo service. But the exciting thing for us is we have already made plans… and we have almost half a billion dollars in highway infrastructure improvements that have already been done.”

Combined with the prime location, Norden thinks there are other reasons companies want to come to Volusia County, including the cost of living, beaches and the advantage of being a big fish in a smaller pond. It also doesn’t hurt that Central Florida’s population grows by more than 1,000 each week.

“I believe we’ll have more growth. Our market besides us—the Orlando market – is somewhat saturated, so I believe we’ll be able to offer a lot of opportunity for folks coming in and looking at sites and looking at available land,” he said. “I’m sure the future is very, very bright for us.”