One of the poorest areas of Florida, Hendry County, prepares for the new International Airport Airglades, a $300 million cargo hub that could transform your economy.
The project, which awaits approval, stands out for its Perfect location just five miles outside of Clewiston and 90 miles west of Miami. The idea is to convert a general aviation airport into a logistics center, but with runways and attached space, the magazine noted. Business View in an interview with Lillie B. Rentz, manager of Airglades International Airport.
“Hendry County has always been known primarily for its agribusiness,” Rentz said. “Our project will bring new industries to the area: manufacturing, distribution, trade and logistics. If you fly over Hendry County, all you see are farms, a lot of agricultural land and, in my opinion, an area where people can come in and grow their businesses.”
“Hendry has one of the highest unemployment rates in Florida, so working on this project brings many promising opportunities to the area; including not only the increase in the local tax base but also abundant job opportunities as a result of the project,” said the businesswoman.
The plan to convert the small county-owned airport into private ownership has yet to win approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will depend in part on solidifying contracts with suppliers in Latin America to demonstrate its potential as a hub. of perishable products.
According to Business ViewAirglades International Airport could become a “fully equipped modern alternative that focuses solely on the perishable market,” taking into account that Miami International Airport, the busiest in the US in terms of importing cargo and perishable products, is at its limit.
Local leaders see the project as a generational opportunitywhich could bring more than 1,400 new high-skilled jobs to its largely agricultural community on the edge of the Everglades, noted a recent report from the agency AP.
“We have one of the most beautiful parts of the country,” said Michael Swindle, county superintendent of schools, and yet “by every metric by which a county would be judged, we are either No. 1 or No. 2 in the negative categories.
But to get big dividends, educators in the region will have to overcome some harsh realitiesincluding that one-third of working-age adults do not have a high school diploma, while nearly half speak a language other than English, one of the highest percentages in Florida.
Community groups and schools are working to Fill teacher shortages and invest in adult education.
Meanwhile, two adult school centers expanded with support from the Future Makers Coalition, a community organization that has spearheaded educational retraining efforts throughout Southwest Florida. It is also paying for a counselor to develop new skills in students.
Spanish-speaking students have filled the adult education center in LaBelle, the county seat of 5,000 people.
At the county’s other adult education center, in Clewiston, dozens of students wearing thick gloves and respirator masks They work to obtain the industry certifications necessary to enter the workforce.
Samantha Garza, 21, initially studied child care at a community college in Fort Myers, but changed careers after watching YouTube videos about welders. “I felt like this would be a career for me,” she told AP.
Even before the airport arrives, there are many local employers waiting to hire students. In fact, US Sugar, the Clewiston-based agricultural giant, has such urgent needs that it began an internal project, intended to improve the territory’s quality of life.
