The Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches provides economic development services to all 39 cities and towns across the Palm Beaches, including unincorporated Palm Beach County. As part of that mission, a new marketing piece is now available spotlighting the Glades Region — a comprehensive look at why Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay are ideal locations for companies looking to expand, relocate, or build.
Located in western Palm Beach County along the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, the Glades Region offers what is increasingly hard to find anywhere else in South Florida: available land, strong infrastructure, and a workforce prepared for modern industry — all within reach of the state’s largest markets.
Why the Glades Region Belongs in Every Site Selector’s Search
The new piece walks through the fundamentals that make Glades Region economic development one of Palm Beach County’s most compelling opportunities. Highlights include:
- 1,300 businesses already operating across the region
- A 36,000-person community anchored by agriculture, food processing, and advanced manufacturing
- Direct access to three major airports and three seaports — all within two hours
- Coverage of 75 percent of Florida’s population within a 100-mile radius
- Highway connectivity through U.S. 27, U.S. 441, and State Road 80 — including toll-free routes on Florida’s Strategic Intermodal System
The Glades is home to major employers such as U.S. Sugar, Florida Crystals, and FINFROCK, whose $36 million precast concrete facility in Belle Glade represents one of the most significant recent private-sector investments in western Palm Beach County. Emerging manufacturers, food processors, and distribution operations are joining them — drawn by available industrial land, state-designated Rural Area of Opportunity incentives, Qualified Opportunity Zone benefits, and Rural Job Tax Credits.
What This Means for the Local Community
Economic development in the Glades Region is not measured only in acres and investment dollars. It is measured in the careers, small businesses, and community strength that follow.
Every company that expands or locates in Belle Glade, Pahokee, or South Bay creates jobs that residents can walk, drive, or take Palm Tran to reach. It supports the region’s schools, including West Technical Education Center, Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus, and career academies at Glades Central and Pahokee Middle-Senior High. It reinforces a quality of life anchored by Lake Okeechobee, the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center, and deep agricultural roots.
Explore more about the companies choosing Palm Beach County, the region’s workforce and talent pipeline, or how the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches supports companies at every stage.
About the Business Development Board of the Palm Beaches
The Business Development Board is Palm Beach County’s official public/private economic development organization. Founded in 1982, the BDB helps companies relocate to, expand, and remain in the region creating career opportunities that allow residents, and the generations that follow them, to build their futures close to home. By attracting and retaining quality employers, the BDB strengthens the local tax base that supports schools, parks, infrastructure, and public services throughout the county. Over the past five years, the organization has supported 135 companies, including many who have called Palm Beach County home for decades.  Those companies created or retained more than 11,622 direct jobs with average salaries exceeding $80,000 and generating over $1 billion in capital investment across Palm Beach County. Learn more at www.BDB.org.
