Manufacturers are Choosing St. Lucie County, Florida

Long a busy marine industry manufacturing hub, the manufacturing footprint in St. Lucie County, Florida, and its two cities has been growing exponentially.
 

• The global conglomerate INKAS® is developing a 190,000-square-foot campus in Fort Pierce for the manufacture of armored vehicles. In addition to a 110,000-square foot manufacturing facility, the Canadian company is building four floors of office space for its INKAS USA division. While the new facilities are under construction, INKAS will begin manufacturing operations in spring 2026 at an existing 30,000-square-foot building nearby.
• Accel International, the fastest-growing wire manufacturer in the U.S., opened a 150,000-square-foot facility in the city of Port St. Lucie in 2024.  The Connecticut-based global provider of high-performance conductors for the aerospace, medical and telecommunications industries will ultimately employ 125 at this location.
• OCULUS Surgical opened a state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility for ophthalmic surgical tools in 2025. The Germany-based company supports its North and South American sales, service, manufacturing, engineering and logistics operations from this purpose-built facility in Port St. Lucie.
• LactaLogics, a mission-driven company dedicated to bringing more human milk to babies, is set to open its revolutionary 60,000-square foot human milk processing facility and corporate headquarters in the summer of 2026 in Port St. Lucie. The company’s pioneering processes will allow shelf-stable milk to be shipped to neonatal intensive care units throughout the country and beyond.
• TAMCO, a subsidiary of City Electric Supply, operates a 411,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility for lighting and electrical fixtures in Port St. Lucie, employing more than 200.
• Twin Vee PowerCats completed the expansion of its Fort Pierce manufacturing facility in 2025, boosting its production capacity from 350 boats annually to 750. In June 2025, the company announced its acquisition of Bahama Boat Works. 

The cities of Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce are also home to the manufacturing operations for Maverick Boat Group, Pursuit Boats, Contender Boats, Chandler Bats, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice, Radical Cosmetics, A-1 Industries of Florida, and others.
 

“St. Lucie County offers an exceptional environment for manufacturers,” said Maureen Saltzer, director of communications and outreach for the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County.  “We have a regional workforce of more than 387,000, an Aspen-award-winning state college with more than 80 technical and certificate programs, our public schools offer 58 career and technical programs. Last year our high schools graduated 2,925 students who had earned a total of 4,773 industry certifications.”

Indian River State College operates the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Complex in Fort Pierce, Florida’s newest and most technologically advanced training facility. The 60,000-square-foot complex provides hands-on training through state-of-the-art labs in high-demand fields such as robotics, smart automation, electronics and more.

Expedited site plan review and fast-track permitting, along with select financial incentives, are available for eligible target industry employers at the county and city levels. Previous speed-to-market examples on greenfield sites include a 41-day site plan approval for a manufacturing expansion on 72 acres, a 75-day site plan approval for a 1.8-million-square-foot distribution complex, and a 91-day site plan approval for a 1.1-million-square-foot facility on 110 acres.
 

Over the last several years, nationally recognized industrial developers have completed more than six million square feet of Class A facilities, many with immediate highway access, throughout the county. While much of this inventory has been leased, close to two million square feet of space remains immediately available. Multiple commerce parks are also available for build-to-suit, lease or purchase options with manufacturing-compatible zoning in spaces from 6,000 square feet and up. 

St. Lucie County is located in a spectacular setting with enviable natural resources – 

21 miles of pristine coastline and beaches, 20,000+ acres of parks and preserves, and miles of waterways.
 

Visit www.youredc.com for more information.