FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Edie Ousley, 850-521-1231 or 850-251-6261
eousley@flchamber.com
Florida Chamber Co-Hosts Governor’s
Economic Summit Event in Orlando
TALLAHASSEE, FL. (June 2 , 2015) – The Florida Chamber of Commerce today joined Let’s Get to Work in co-hosting Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Economic Growth Summit 2015, which included presentations from six GOP 2016 presidential candidates.
“The Florida story is one of recovery and success and today, we have been able to share that with six potential 2016 presidential candidates,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “The path to Florida’s success was paved by a united businesses community that rallied behind a competitiveness agenda that focused on free enterprise. The Florida Chamber believes that Florida’s economic success can be used as an example on how to lead the nation and move our economy forward.”
In December 2010, Florida’s unemployment rate was more than 11 percent, more than 913,000 jobs were lost and more than $5.2 billion in debt was added. In 2014, the Wall Street Journal—the same publication that in 2007 asked if Florida was over—credited our state for finding the secret to saving the economy and called Florida the model for economic growth. And while Florida’s work is not over, our state’s successes can’t be ignored:
- Florida unemployment is now at 5.6 percent, a decrease of 5.1 percentage points since December 2010,
- Since December 2010, more than 865,000 private-sector jobs have been created,
- High school graduation is at an 11 year-high,
- Florida’s business climate is the second best ranked business climate in the nation, and
- Florida’s fourth grade readers are ranked second in the world.
“The next president has to do what we’ve done in Florida to turn the economy around,” said Governor Rick Scott during the Economic Summit. “Florida is in the business of growing opportunities- the next president should focus on opportunities for the nation.”
Among the speakers included were: Governor Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida; Governor Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey; Governor Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas; Governor Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana; Governor Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas; Governor Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin; as well as a video presentation from U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.
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The Florida Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the state’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations, aggressively representing small and large businesses from every industry and every region. The Florida Chamber works within all branches of government to affect those changes set forth in the annual Florida Business Agenda, and which are seen as critical to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber works closely with its Political Operations and the Florida Chamber Foundation. Visit www.FloridaChamber.com for more information.