Located in north central Florida, the city of Gainesville (population: 127,000) is the entertainment, employment and economic hub of Alachua County (population: 160,000) and home of Gator Nation – the affectionate name of University of Florida’s flagship campus.

Gadsden County, located in Northwest Florida, is part of the Tallahassee metro area and offers many opportunities for companies looking to do business in the southeastern US. The Gadsden County Development Council (GCDC) is committed to leveraging the county’s strategic assets to strengthen the local economy. Executive Director Beth Kirkland spoke with us about the assets and initiatives that make Gadsden County an ideal location for doing business.

Oliver G. Gilbert became the Mayor of Miami Gardens in 2012, merely nine years after the City came into being in 2003. “My mom still stays here in the house that I grew up in. I bought the home I lived in until I was ten (10) years old from my parents and live there with my son. My sisters still live in the city as well,” he says. “I went to elementary, middle, and high school here; I’m really a small town kid. I want people to see the Miami Gardens that I see. We can look at where we were twenty years ago and compare it to where we are now and look forward to where we can be.”

The City of Deltona, Florida is a perfect example of untapped opportunity. This is one of the last areas in Florida that can be considered underdeveloped. It has space and is currently trying – through its economic development initiatives – to bring in a greater number of businesses and improve infrastructure.

According to the Hernando County Office of Business Development, the region boasts “a pro-business climate as sunny as our weather.” Located in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, Hernando County is indeed warm and very welcoming to new companies.

Pasco County taps into the culture and vibrancy that is West Central Florida yet maintains its own unique character as a thriving business center. Under the leadership of a highly experienced team of professionals with decades of cumulative knowledge in business development, international trade, economic development and team building, the Pasco Economic Development Council devises unique and highly practical strategies to attract a range of businesses to this scenic Florida county.

Osceola County is in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, approximately sixty-five miles from Grand Rapids. It is an area which is very accessible through US-10 and US-131 and boasts a low cost of living and doing business. It has a desirable unemployment rate of 5.2 percent, with growth in industrial parks poised to decrease that number further. We spoke with Community & Economic Development Coordinator Dan Massy about the potential of the county.

Roscommon County is part of an area known as Michigan’s other great lakes. It is home to Houghton Lake, Michigan’s largest inland lake of 22,000 acres with thirty-two miles of shoreline; spring-fed Higgins Lake, which has been ranked the sixth-most beautiful lake in the world, and fish-rich Lake St. Helen. Adding to its picturesque lakes and 203,326 acres of state-owned land, Roscommon County offers the services and amenities required to support an exceptional quality of life.

In Mason County, Michigan, residents and visitors have access to the best of small town living without sacrificing the services and amenities of a larger center. This West Michigan county offers picturesque natural beauty, an unmatched quality of life and great potential.