Looking up
Florida Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Wilson is entering the new year with a sense of optimism about Florida’s economic future.
Though the pandemic rages on, and a subsequent uncertainty remains rooted within the business community, Wilson told attendees at the 2022 Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit there are many reasons they should stay confident of Florida’s direction.
“If Florida was a stock and we can keep the business community united, I would be investing as much as I could,” Wilson said in his opening address, later adding: “The kinds of problems we have in Florida are the kinds of problems that most countries and states wish that they had.”
Noting Florida as a “breakaway state,” Wilson credited Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership vision and leadership amid a resurgent pandemic.
Wilson, comparatively, also pointed out states such as California and New York. They, he said, manage economies very differently than Florida.
“Florida is at a crossroads, and we need to keep Florida, Florida,” Wilson added.
Indeed, there are reasons to keep spirits high. Florida in 2021 posted record numbers, particularly when compared to other states.
Wilson said Florida emerged last year as the 15th largest economy on earth, surpassing both Mexico and Saudi Arabia in GDP. Under the Chamber’s Florida 2030 Blueprint, the Chamber hopes Florida’s economy will grow to the 10th largest in the world by…