One of the most significant economic development victories in Florida history was pulled off by three graybeards with inside connections, a well-located building and a serious dollop of state money.
Marshall Heard, Lee Solid and Conrad Nagel put together a package that will bring 300 to 400 jobs to Kennedy Space Center while opening up a whole new industrial base in the area -- aerospace manufacturing work instead of traditional launch operations.
Those close to the deal say "the three amigos" came up with a prototype for Florida to copy as it tries to lure new work to offset drop in shuttle jobs.
"That's hopefully the model they're going to follow," said Adrian Laffitte, director of Florida Government Relations for Lockheed Martin, which decided in 2006 to bring Orion spacecraft final assembly and integration work here. "Cash is king, and it talks."
Heard, a former program manager who worked for a NASA contractor, is a consultant for the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast and Space Florida. Solid, a retired rocket engineer and program manager, is a consultant to the commission, and Nagel, a former NASA manager, works with Space Florida.
Former KSC Director Jim Kennedy dubbed them "the three amigos" after they convinced him to let the winning bidder for NASA's $7.4 billion Orion spacecraft contract do assembly work at the Operations & Checkout Building.
They convinced the state to ante up $35 million to renovate the Apollo-era facility and $10.5 million to train launch operators for factory work.
"I refer to them as Los Tres Santos," said Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive officer of the commission. 'It means 'the three saints.' "
The win was a watershed for Florida and Brevard County. Long the base for launch work, the state never had much success attracting space manufacturing.
"It was the first time in 50 years that we brought in that kind of work," Weatherman said. "So we proved to this state and to this nation and to the world that we can bring in that kind of work."
The men in the sombreros give credit to the state for providing the financial incentive. Said Solid: "In the final analysis, it was the difference."
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