Bay County receives FDI Certification

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Bay County received a prestigious honor Tuesday morning at the Bay County Commission meeting.

It’s a certification only nine other communities have in the entire country. It was also the first one awarded in Florida.

The Foreign Direct Investment Certification, or FDI, was received by Becca Hardin with the Bay EDA and by County Commissioner Bill Dozier.

This certification proves that Bay County has the resources, assets, and leadership to bring foreign companies here to the Panhandle.

“I’ve got this FDI tool in my toolbox so that I can pull it out and say, ‘Look we’ve gone the extra step we know we can recruit and deal with your issues as a foreign country, as a foreign company coming into our Bay County.’ It gives us more resources and tools to be able to recruit around the world,” Hardin said.

To receive this certification, an extensive two-day program is conducted. Officials look at many aspects of a county like its local leaders, transportation, and workforce. Bay County ranked local leaders as the most important aspect of the community.