Last week Navy Federal Credit Union announced its plans to further expand its operations on Nine Mile Road and increase its total employment to 10,000 people by 2026–just in time for the Nov. 6 elections.
Two people missing from the ceremony were former Pensacola Chamber President/CEO Evon Emerson and VP Mike Frey who recruited the credit union to Escambia County in 2003.
In March 2003, Navy Federal broke ground at Escambia County’s then-new Bell Heritage Oaks Commerce Park on a 55,000-square-foot facility. Federal and state grants paid for nearly $2 million in infrastructure work at the commerce park. Navy Federal committed to employ 500 people earning an average wage of about $16 an hour and have an annual payroll of $14 million by 2005.
The Pensacola chamber, particularly Emerson and Frey, drew criticism from some quarters for only attracting call centers to the area. At the time, the Pensacola area had 16 call centers.
Since then, call centers have come and left the area, the most notable departure this year being Cox Communications. However, Emerson and Frey hit the jackpot with Navy Federal.