The Ascend expansion also never happened, but for the work then-Escambia County Commission Chairman Grover Robinson and Chamber Chairman Collier Merrill. Several Ascent executives came to the Chamber’s economic development recruitment event at the Hilton during the 2010 Blue Angels show. Collier and Grover helped get the project rolling during a private meeting with their executives that Friday morning. The state provided a Governor’s Closing Fund incentive and tax incentives for the project.
Apparently the announcement of the expansion was delayed by the company for competitive reasons, according to my sources.