AGP Executive Report

Defense Manufacturing & Drones: Haddy in St. Petersburg says it built a military TF-179 drone boat using large-format robotic 3D printing, shifting from furniture to defense output. Workforce Pipeline: The SBA, DOL and OpenAI will co-host Florida’s first Manufacturing Workforce Expo Aug. 26 at Atlantic Technical College in Coconut Creek, aiming to connect students to apprenticeships at small manufacturers. AI Infrastructure: Jacksonville’s Duos Technologies reported Q2 growth tied to AI data center deployments and signed five-year, 55 MW hosting deals worth up to $500M+ with Axe Compute. Aerospace Supply Chain: GE Aerospace’s T901 engine for the UH-60 Black Hawk cleared Preliminary Flight Rating, with production steps lined up after qualification. Maritime Manufacturing: A Florida class action targets BRP’s Sea-Doo Switch pontoon boats, alleging unsafe design and defects. Industrial Policy: Trump announced $180M in grants for U.S. mining schools, including funding for recycling and workforce consortia. Local Economy: In-depth coverage puts Florida’s recreational boating at $31.5B annually and ~110,000 jobs. Gun Safety Litigation: A Florida man sued Sig Sauer over an alleged spontaneous discharge from a P365 pistol.

AI Data Centers & Manufacturing Growth: Duos Technologies says Q2 revenue rose nearly 30% as it ramps edge data center and AI deployments, including five-year, 55 MW hosting agreements with Axe Compute valued at over $500M, plus a structured-lease term sheet for 225 cabinets across Texas and Georgia. Defense Industrial Base: L3Harris leadership changes put Sam Mehta in as CEO, while the company plans to add 50 jobs in Southwest Ohio to scale fuzing and sensor output. Florida Port Investment: Gov. DeSantis awarded $9M to Pensacola to expand shipbuilding capacity and Navy module facilities through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Local Government & Procurement: Sanibel’s fire district approved station reconstruction change orders (capped at $250K) and moved to streamline apparatus purchasing via negotiated proposals. Workforce & Training: FleetForce is pushing deployable CDL training so carriers can train drivers where demand is, not where a fixed school happens to be. Tech in the Sky: Florida’s SunTrax is set for FAA-backed eVTOL testing, aiming for flights before year’s end. Supply Chain/Industry Ops: Pullner reports steady demand for filtration cartridges tied to power-plant maintenance and tighter water-quality requirements.

Additive Manufacturing Spotlight: Oqton won the ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase for distortion prediction and compensation in laser powder bed fusion, with major software and engineering firms (Ansys, Siemens, Dassault, Autodesk, Cadence) backing the challenge and Florida State University’s InSPIRE partnering with ASTRO America. Industrial Growth in Florida: IFUS says it installed and commissioned a retrofitted Selco/Mosley Badger double ram press to produce SGP+ and SAG for validation, aiming to expand capacity for its proprietary formulations. Food & Pharma Oversight: Miami-Dade-area cities saw 13 FDA inspections in July across food and cosmetics firms; results ranged from “No Action Indicated” to “Voluntary Action Indicated.” Supply Chain Leadership: The 2026 Women in Supply Chain Forum™ Awards highlighted rising talent and mentorship across logistics, transportation, warehousing, and tech. Trade & Manufacturing Pressure: A drone tariff push is hitting the supply chain—Wall Street may like the onshoring story, but key motor magnets and battery cells still rely heavily on China. Local Manufacturing Workforce Angle: Florida’s housing affordability debate continues to ripple into construction planning, with experts dissecting the new federal ROAD to Housing Act’s practical impact.

Weapons Enforcement: ATF agents raided a Miami Gardens home tied to China shipments of conversion devices, arresting a 20-year-old over an alleged illegal machine-gun manufacturing setup. Construction Materials: Mass timber is gaining momentum as incentives and financing align with low-carbon goals, pushing more builders to adopt glulam and CLT. Semiconductor Supply Chain: IonQ’s $1.8B deal for SkyWater adds a chip foundry footprint that includes Florida, underscoring how AI is reshaping manufacturing demand. Electronics Costs: “Chipflation” is driving sharp increases in memory-chip prices, with AI data centers prioritizing supply and raising costs for consumer devices. Drones & Tariffs: A new U.S. tariff push is boosting domestic drone makers, but key inputs like magnets and lithium battery cells remain heavily China-sourced. Florida Surveillance Backlash: Protesters continue targeting Flock license-plate cameras, including a Florida resident blocking camera views with a sign. Food Safety Policy: A long-delayed FDA traceability rule won’t take effect until 2028, despite calls it could have helped prevent major outbreaks.

Semiconductor Deal: IonQ closed its late-July purchase of SkyWater Technology for about $1.8B, buying a contract chip foundry with Florida operations—an unusual move for a quantum firm that signals more in-house manufacturing muscle. Aerospace/Manufacturing Expansion: Cirrus opened a multi-million-dollar, 30,000-square-foot expansion in Grand Forks to boost aircraft production capacity, including composites for future models. Defense & Drones: Unusual Machines shares jumped after new drone tariffs, but analysts warn key components like magnets and battery cells still rely heavily on China—highlighting the real-world limits of fast onshoring. Florida Policy/Health: A new study links regular orange juice to gene-expression changes in immune cells, while Florida also faces broader vaccine guidance shakeups amid rising measles cases. Local Business: The Sebring Chamber highlighted state focus on aviation, advanced air mobility, and manufacturing as workforce and housing remain top concerns.

Aviation Manufacturing Expansion: Cirrus says it’s adding more than 30,000 square feet at its Grand Forks facility to boost output across its aircraft portfolio, including future composite work tied to the TRAC10 flight training aircraft. Defense & Drones: Unusual Machines shares jumped after new U.S. drone tariffs, but analysts warn the “onshoring” timeline is slowed by China-made magnets and battery cells that still power many domestically assembled drones. Florida Policy & Industry: Rick Scott highlighted his push for American-made drones, tying it to his Drones for America Act. Local Business & Workforce: The Sebring Chamber’s State of the Community luncheon spotlighted manufacturing and advanced air mobility as growth targets, alongside ongoing workforce and housing challenges. Education Growth: UNF expects record fall 2026 enrollment above 18,500 and is adding faculty in areas including advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. Consumer Safety: A Florida man sued Sig Sauer over an alleged pistol “spontaneous discharge,” while separate recalls and public health alerts continued to circulate nationwide.

Florida Manufacturing & Industry: XTEND says new U.S. drone tariffs (up to 100% on certain imported drones/components) strengthen the case for its NDAA-compliant, made-in-America drone work, with scaling support tied to its Tampa-area manufacturing. Defense & Power Infrastructure: Ombra, a Tampa-based defense contractor, is seeking a two-megawatt power allocation for a planned Massena, N.Y. drone facility, backed by local economic development agencies. Manufacturing Growth: Cirrus opened an expanded Grand Forks, N.D. plant to add production capacity for its SR Series and Vision Jet lines. Business Expansion: Duos Technologies Group pushed its Q2 earnings release to Aug. 17 and will hold a call the same day. Workforce & Education: UNF expects record fall 2026 enrollment above 18,500 and is adding faculty across areas including advanced manufacturing. Food Safety: A salmonella-linked jalapeño recall reached grocery shelves, with Whole Foods joining a multi-state response. Tech & IP: The 11th Circuit ruled keyword ads using a competitor’s trademark aren’t infringement when the mark isn’t shown to consumers, though visible use in ad copy can still trigger liability.

Port & Shipbuilding Funding: Florida awarded Pensacola $9M to expand shipbuilding capacity at the Port of Pensacola, backing Birdon America’s new southeastern headquarters and a planned 400,000-square-foot facility tied to Coast Guard cutter work. Manufacturing Growth Rankings: Joymind landed No. 785 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list after 441% three-year revenue growth, while CFO Worx also earned a spot (No. 448). Defense & Industrial Policy: XTEND says its Tampa-area drone work is positioned to scale as new U.S. tariffs target imported drones and components, pushing demand toward NDAA-compliant domestic production. Data Center Hardware: Jacksonville-based Duos Technologies set its Q2 2026 earnings release for Aug. 17 and reiterated its modular edge data center focus. Legal/Compliance Watch: A Florida man sued Sig Sauer over an alleged “spontaneous discharge” injury from a SIG P365. Public Safety Tech: Flock Safety announced mandatory privacy/audit changes, including shorter default data retention, amid scrutiny over license plate camera use. Food Supply Chain: Whole Foods joined a multi-state jalapeño-linked Salmonella recall tied to a contaminated Mexico farm.

Port of Pensacola Expansion: Florida awarded a $9M grant to help build Birdon America’s new ship manufacturing facility at the port, targeting a 400,000-square-foot site and about 2,000 jobs, with additional funding tied to the Deepwater Horizon settlement. Workforce & Training Funding: Seminole County is set to receive $13M in state support for education, workforce development and civic programs, including $600K for advanced manufacturing training at Seminole State College and $10M for a new workforce building. Flood Protection Manufacturing: Garrison Flood Control, a Florida-based engineered flood barrier maker, ranked No. 63 on the Inc. 5000 and No. 2 among U.S. manufacturers, citing rising demand for hurricane and storm-surge mitigation. Defense & Drones in Florida: VirTra reported Q2 results and expanded its Orlando campus, while Swarmer highlighted growth in drone autonomy deployments tied to combat missions. Privacy & Public Safety Tech: Flock Safety says it will tighten license-plate camera privacy rules nationwide by Jan. 1, after Florida-related misuse allegations and new scrutiny over retention and auditing. Consumer Recall: FDA announced a recall of Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Grip mousse due to a packaging defect that could cause cans to explode.

Flood Protection Growth: Pompano Beach’s Garrison Flood Control landed on the 2026 Inc. 5000, ranking No. 63 overall and No. 2 among U.S. manufacturers, as demand rises for engineered flood barriers and storm-surge protection. Med Spa Demand Signals: A new peer-reviewed Google Trends study finds searches for Botox, laser hair removal, lip filler and microneedling increasingly pair with “med spa” queries—an indicator of shifting patient discovery habits in Florida’s healthcare-adjacent services. Rail Competition Fight: Six state attorneys general, including Florida’s, urged regulators to block the proposed UP–NS merger, arguing the competitive benefits don’t meet the public-interest bar and could raise shipping costs. Space Coast Manufacturing: Blue Origin detailed plans to rebuild and expand Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36 after its May pad explosion, including a second pad and new processing facilities for New Glenn variants. Florida Infrastructure/Engineering: R.H. Moore & Associates became an authorized distributor of Profile Products to expand vegetation establishment and erosion-control solutions across the state. Local Construction Pipeline: Toll Brothers announced Maris Cove, a new waterfront luxury community in Yulee with site work underway and sales expected in early 2027. Workplace Safety Watch: A new report on engineered-stone countertop workers documents hundreds of silicosis cases in California, underscoring the compliance and health risks manufacturers face.

Shipbuilding Push: Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded Pensacola $9M to expand Port of Pensacola capacity, backing two new boatbuilding facilities for complex Navy ship modules—about 400,000 sq. ft. and roughly 2,000 manufacturing jobs tied to “Project Maeve.” Local Utilities & Zoning: Daytona Beach commissioners ordered a city auditor utility bill review after residents reported unusually high water charges, while also moving a former orthopedic clinic site toward retail/light industrial and manufacturing/warehouse/distribution uses. AAM Manufacturing in Florida: AIR is setting up its U.S. HQ and eVTOL production/flight hub at SunTrax near Orlando, aiming to start U.S. manufacturing of its AIR ONE eVTOL and autonomous cargo aircraft by year-end. Workforce Pressure in Agriculture: Miami-Dade plant nursery operators warn Trump deportation moves are shrinking labor supply after TPS changes, with some businesses considering closures. Healthcare Supply Chain: NurExone signed a binding MOU with Made Scientific to build an exclusive U.S. GMP exosome manufacturing and supply partnership, targeting first GMP batches in H1 2027. Trade & Procurement: Cryptic Air launched USA-made mud-in vent covers and a new B2B Contractor Trade Portal for faster, factory-direct ordering. Global Policy Angle: Florida lawmakers joined a bipartisan push to prioritize the Great Sea Interconnector linking Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Maritime Manufacturing Boost: Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $9 million to Pensacola via the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to expand shipbuilding at the Port of Pensacola, backing two boatbuilding facilities for complex Navy modules for submarines and warships up to 400 feet—aimed at about 2,000 manufacturing and related jobs. Port & Industry Expansion: A separate report reiterates the same $9M plan, including expected added manufacturing space and the port’s push to scale maritime output. Defense Supply Chain: Florida-based Powerus (via Tandem Defense) received a $2.51M purchase order for 1,500 U.S.-made FPV aircraft plus pilot and spare parts kits, with delivery targeted within 60 days. Corporate Competition: Palm Beach County is in a high-stakes race with Texas and other states for corporate headquarters, with local leaders stressing talent and site readiness over lifestyle pitches. Rail Merger Pressure: Seven Republican AGs, including Florida’s James Uthmeier, urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject Union Pacific’s Norfolk Southern deal, arguing it won’t strengthen rail-to-rail competition. Data Center Decisions: Heartland officials heard warnings that landing data centers can mean major long-term choices on power, water, infrastructure costs, and tax tradeoffs. Food & Health Research: Florida Atlantic University research links higher ultra-processed food intake to higher prostate cancer risk in men. Workforce & Growth: Clean Harbors plans to buy EnviroServe for $470M, expanding recycling/disposal capacity with a 40-facility network that includes Florida.

Advanced Air Mobility in Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis visited SunTrax in Polk County as the 775-acre testing campus expands beyond connected/autonomous vehicles to include air tech, with Florida planning eVTOL testing by year-end and SunTrax Air Ground supporting AAM trials. Water and manufacturing innovation: South Florida beverage startup A1Rwater says it’s commercializing atmospheric water generation by producing, purifying and mineralizing water from humidity for can packaging and distribution. Industrial tech and growth: OnePlanet unveiled PRISM, a fully mechanical solar-panel recycling process at its Green Cove Springs facility, targeting 2027 production and aiming for high-purity recovered materials. Cyber and critical infrastructure: A Poland case charges Russian-linked hackers over attacks on water and wastewater systems, highlighting how attackers can use legitimate control software to manipulate operations in ways standard defenses may miss. Local weather resilience: Lee County completed installation of a gap-filling weather radar system to improve near-ground visibility for flash flooding, high winds and tornadoes. Food safety: Acting FDA chief Kyle Diamantas urged confidence in the U.S. food supply after a Cyclospora outbreak traced to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.

Weather & Public Safety: Lee County says Climavision finished installing its first gap-filling weather radar on the Lee County Public Safety Center roof, aiming to improve near-ground visibility for flash flooding, high winds and tornado warnings. Advanced Transportation Testing: Gov. DeSantis visited SunTrax in Polk County as the 775-acre campus expands beyond connected/autonomous vehicles to include air technology, with eVTOL testing targeted by year-end. Defense Health Manufacturing: A Defense Health Agency team won a Military Health System Research Symposium program management award for securing FDA clearance of canine freeze-dried plasma. Solar Recycling Breakthrough: OnePlanet unveiled PRISM at its Green Cove Springs facility, a fully mechanical process expected to start production in 2027, recovering high-purity silicon plus copper, aluminum and ore-grade silver from end-of-life solar panels. Construction Tech M&A: ENG announced it acquired Miami-based e-verse, adding AI-powered AEC software for scheduling, analytics and automation. Industrial Tech Growth: Florida’s Electro Scan ranked No. 926 on the Inc. 5000 list, citing rapid adoption of its water-loss inspection and measurement platform. Clinical Operations Standardization: Refresh - Aesthetics & Wellness rolled out the “One Refresh Standard” across nine Florida offices to unify medical oversight and patient care. Geospatial Capacity Expansion: Southeastern Surveying and Mapping added RIEGL mobile LiDAR (VMX-2HA) to boost speed and accuracy for corridor and infrastructure mapping. Manufacturing Supply Chain Tools: Aluminum Supply Near Me launched a centralized aluminum supplier directory to reduce procurement delays for contractors and manufacturers. Planned Industrial Spending: A new report flags four straight months of growth in planned industrial manufacturing capital projects, with 632 projects tracked over the period and Florida appearing among the top states.

Advanced Air Mobility Push: Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will begin testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft across Central Florida by end of 2026, using SunTrax’s new vertiports and expanded AirGround work for eVTOL and autonomous vehicle trials. Aerospace Workforce Pipeline: Broward County Public Schools is launching an aerospace/aircraft assembler program at Coral Springs High with CTS Engines and Embry-Riddle, aiming for industry certifications and hands-on training. Defense Manufacturing Milestone: L3Harris completed a successful hot-fire test of a stage two advanced large solid rocket motor for the Missile Defense Agency’s Next Generation Interceptor. Industrial Growth via Deal: Proficient Auto Logistics agreed to acquire Hansen & Adkins, building a larger finished-vehicle logistics platform across the U.S. and Canada. Local Housing/Development Rule Change: HB 399 would require Florida local governments to allow qualifying manufactured and modular homes in zoning districts that permit site-built single-family homes, starting Jan. 1, 2027. Industrial Real Estate: TPG AG Real Estate bought a 53-building industrial portfolio for $628M, including major Florida assets around Tampa and Lakeland.

Advanced Mobility Testing: Gov. Ron DeSantis toured FDOT’s SunTrax in Auburndale, highlighting autonomous-vehicle work and new advanced air mobility testing. Officials say eVTOL electric air taxis and other eVTOL aircraft could begin testing across Florida’s aerospace region by the end of 2026, with two new vertiports at the Polk County site. Industrial Growth & M&A: Norlee Group (Jacksonville) acquired Gainesville’s Vintage Electric Inc., expanding its Southeast footprint and adding service leadership under a Norlee rebrand. Manufacturing & Construction Materials: MITER Brands expanded its Triton™ Advanced Glass Systems for PGT WinGuard Vinyl products, adding lighter Triton Advanced Impact Glass aimed at Florida’s storm-protection market. Energy Storage: Powerhouse Two expanded its renewable energy battery pack portfolio for commercial and industrial storage, building on its long-running battery manufacturing base in Winter Garden. Defense Manufacturing: Lockheed Martin won a $24.77M U.S. Navy contract to produce lightweight low-cost conformal arrays, with work split across Syracuse, La Mesa, and Clearwater through May 2029. Food Safety Recall: Walmart shoppers were told to check Bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter jars (6.7 oz) for a specific lot/UPC and Jan. 28, 2027 expiry after Salmonella was found in routine testing. Water Tech From Waste: Florida International University researchers turned rice husks into a filter material that can remove industrial dyes from wastewater, aiming to cut agricultural waste and improve water quality.