Executive Summary
Manufacturing is one of Florida’s leading industries and a key driver of job growth and economic strength, contributing more than $80 billion to Florida’s annual GDP. With more than 27,000 manufacturers—most of them small businesses with fewer than 20 employees—Florida’s manufacturing sector supports more than 430,000 high-wage jobs, with average salaries exceeding $78,000.
Florida TaxWatch was honored to participate in and summarize the seventh annual MakeMore Manufacturing Summit, held October 22–23, 2025, in Downtown Orlando. Hosted through collaboration among FloridaMakes and key statewide partners, the Summit convenes leaders across Florida’s manufacturing ecosystem to share best practices and focus on the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector—market dynamics, economic trends and policy, workforce needs, and new technologies that can improve competitiveness, productivity, and performance.
Key Takeaways
- Manufacturing is a major economic engine: Florida’s manufacturing sector delivers large-scale GDP impact and supports hundreds of thousands of high-wage jobs across the state.
- Most manufacturers are small: The sector is driven by thousands of smaller employers—making practical support for growth, talent, and technology adoption essential.
- The Summit is a solutions forum: MakeMore convenes industry and partners to identify actionable strategies that strengthen competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance.
- Workforce and technology are central themes: Discussions emphasize talent development and adoption of new tools and innovations to keep Florida competitive.
Bottom line: Florida’s manufacturing future depends on scaling what works—strong talent pipelines, smarter technology adoption, and coordinated support that helps manufacturers compete and grow.