Membership 
IT Academy  l  Incumbent Workers' Training  l Summer Seminar Series
  Engineers For America  l  iTen Wired  l  Gulf Coast Aerospace and Defense Coalition

The EDC is committed to retaining and expanding its manufacturing and engineering related industries, excelling them in the competitive global marketplace, and maintaining a technologically skilled workforce to support continual growth. The EDC established TeCMEN in 1988 and continues to sponsor TeCMEN as part of its commitment to the success of these efforts and to a prospering Okaloosa County.

Mission Statement
     EDC member companies formulate TeCMEN to promote growth and advancement within Okaloosa’s technology-based business community through the association, collaboration, and contract teaming of its manufacturing, engineering, technology and defense industry clusters.

TeCMEN's Objective:

To allow EDC-member technology, manufacturing, engineering and defense related companies to gain access to larger projects by partnering and teaming.  Using a collaborative concept, these companies join together to compete for and complete both defense-contracting and other substantial business opportunities that are too expansive for a single business to undertake.  

TeCMEN supports the STEM industries:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

TeCMEN member companies represent every major manufacturing and engineering discipline required to support requirements of both the military missions and the civilian community including:

• aerospace & aviation
• micro-electronics
• biometric technology
• precision machining
• metal fabrication

The TeCMEN member's president, CEO or designated representative meet monthly to discuss business opportunities and tour fellowship sites.  These monthly forums allow member companies to remain aware of local business opportunities and to discuss expanding their capabilities through contract-teaming.  TeCMEN’s unique dynamics allow its members to form defense contractor-teaming arrangements that offer the best combination of price, performance, and delivery for the defense system or product being acquired.

Throughout the year there are opportunities for guest participation events.

The EDC also supports a technical service provider forum for EDC member companies providing services that would benefit the TeCMEN members.  This forum meets on a quarterly basis with the TeCMEN members to share service information.

Okaloosa County is the technology hub in Northwest Florida

Over 156 technology-based businesses
per 100,000 population

Okaloosa County is the leading technology center in Northwest Florida and continues to experience unprecedented growth in diverse technology-based industries.

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Educational Requirements Study

The University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development was engaged by the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County to conduct a three county educational gap study (complete study is available under Economic News).  Through the Haas Center's methodology four industries were identified the highest need for new and replacement jobs in the next five years (2008-2013).  They are aerospace engineering, industrial & systems engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering.

What the chart above outlines for us is that these four industries are our growth centers over the next five years.  Both aerospace engineering and industrial & systems engineering are not being supplied locally by our education institutions but they are supplied by the state's institutions.  Electrical engineering is right on target, both locally and across the state of Florida.  Computer engineering, however is under supplied both locally and across the state.  Therefore, this is the industry we need to target to provide the needed training for our growth industries.

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IT Academy

TeCMEN Aerospace Cluster and UWF Training Solutions
The University of West Florida and the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County are committed to retaining and expanding its aerospace manufacturing and engineering related industries and maintaining a technologically skilled workforce to support continual growth.  Together they have partnered to create the IT Academy: http://uwf.edu/ITacademy/TeCMENcluster.cfm

Incumbent Workers' Training

Assisting in the EDC's commitment are Okaloosa's learning institutions.  TeCMEN members maintain close affiliations with local educational and technology-transfer organizations such as:

• Okaloosa County School District
• Northwest Florida State College
• The University of Florida Research, Engineering and Education Facility (REEF)
• The University of West Florida

Interested in working in one of these fields?
Let TeCMEN connect you to the appropriate institution or employer!

The EDC has partnered with the University of West Florida, Workforce Development Board and Florida's Great Northwest to offered their first incumbent worker training programs in project management and technical supervision.  The EDC and UWF are now developing additional programs for entrepreneurs as well as established businesses.

EDC TeCMEN RECIPIENT OF INCUMBENT WORKERS TRAINING
(Okaloosa County, Fla.) April 19, 2010 –
The Economic Development Council serving Okaloosa County (EDC) has been awarded a grant to support training programs for its Technology Coast Manufacturing and Engineering Network, TeCMEN.

UWF School of Science and Engineering

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UF-REEF/AFRL Summer Seminar Series

The University of Florida Research, Engineering and Education Facility and the Air Force Research Laboratory have joined forces to create and present the 2010 Summer Seminar Series.  These sessions are technical in nature and appropriate for engineers, scientists and students in a technical track.

Click here for seminar schedule: http://www.reef.ufl.edu/university_of_florida__reef.htm
Contact Steve Korn to attend.

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Engineers For America

Engineers for America is a locally conceived program to build on national and state emphasis on science and engineering studies for our elementary and middle school students.   The Air Force Armament Museum Foundation along with the award winning Okaloosa County School District and representatives of local colleges and universities have developed a unique curriculum that presents displays at the Armament Museum as practical real-world engineering problems to interest and motivate younger students.  These young students will be the future TeCMEN members!

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iTen Wired

The EDC of Okaloosa County and its TeCMEN program is a partner in the iTen Wired initiative.  The primary goal of iTen Wired is for the Northwest Florida region to remain competitive in the global economy by embracing the innovation of entrepreneurs across our counties.

New market initiatives are an important direction in fostering competitiveness and new growth opportunities through innovation.  The iTen Wired regional economic development efforts have generated much interest in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. Across the region, there are many industry clusters which represent innovative and technological activities within entrepreneurial companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions. Clusters arise because they increase the productivity with which companies can compete.

iTen Wired is a regional partnership between five counties (Mobile AL, Baldwin AL, Escambia FL, Santa Rosa FL and Okaloosa FL) to focus economic development efforts surrounding innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.

The bi-annual summits combine featured presentations as well as networking opportunities. Attendees learn about current trends in industry development across the 5-county region and how a focus on new markets can serve as a growth engine for the region and their businesses. Visit the www.itenwired.com website for more information.

Gulf Coast Aerospace and Defense Coalition

Gulf Coast Aerospace and Defense (GCAD) is a coalition of area and industry leaders working together to foster strong relationships with domestic and international aerospace and defense companies and to showcase the aerospace assets of the Gulf Coast.

Aerospace and Defense Industry Targeted for Tri-County Area.  January 2009

The EDC's TeCMEN organization is a partner in the coalition which includes the tri-county area of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. This region has innumerable assets contributing to its already growing aerospace community that make it a natural destination for companies exploring expansion and entrepreneurs who want the perfect environment to start the next great company.

* For additional information on TeCMEN contact Jim Breitenfeld, TeCMEN manager.

Membership 
IT Academy  l  Incumbent Workers' Training  l Summer Seminar Series
  Engineers For America  l  iTen Wired  l  Gulf Coast Aerospace and Defense Coalition