[granitelady]

I run a granite business and my company wants to open another location in either Sarasota or Jacksonville, and it is my job to make the final decision...the pressure is tremendous!
All the research in the world will not give me the input people could...so I'm begging for your opinions.
We've narrowed it down to Sarasota or Jacksonville, we sell granite countertops, and anything made in stone products, our clientele are middle to upper class.
Quality of life is very important on a personal level, I'm raising a child, and I like good restaurants and entertainment.
Your opinions are appreciated!

[riveree]

We have quite a few design centers opening up in Jax. Some are kitchen design centers with a strong focus on granite counters, then there are some granite only places (you drive by and the slabs are propped up outside).

There's an area of Jax that is becoming 'decorator row' on Phillips Highway/US1 between Baymeadows Road and University Blvd (likely to stretch up to Emerson Road too). It was formerly a sleepy industrial section of Phillips Hgwy, but in the last 2 years or so, a lot of furniture stores, oriental rug stores, etc. started moving there. Scan Design and Mussalem have long been committed to the area. A Lowes and a BJs just opened there too.

So......you'd certainly have some competition in Jax, but I imagine there's a large and growing population to draw from as well.

As for the city itself, plenty of restaurants and entertainment - a lot of it on the Southside where the area above is located.

[inftmyers]

Sarasota is a very wealthy area. Don't know much about competition though.

[FL2CA]

Maybe, but that doesn't mean the wealthy will come off their money.

[PG77]

well if your clientele is upper class then Sarasota is the place for you; that is if the product you are selling is in good demand there...i only live a few miles from there in Bradenton, but worked in downtown Sarasota...plenty of high class restaurants and entertainment and am sure schools are better and great place to raise a family but very expensive place to live...however, i lived in Jacksonville for a couple of years and much prefer it as i am not among the wealthy, think you would find more industry in Jacksonville than Sarasota...Sarasota is definitely for the high class...but you might have more demand for your product in Jacksonville. Good Luck!

[riveree]

In Jax, the "wealthy" (old money families for example) cluster in small exclusive areas along the river and the beach, and I would say we have a pretty small population of wealthy and they have probably moved on to 24kt solid gold countertops...much more exclusive !.

We have a large and growing population of "upper-middle" (households with net worth of less than $5mil). Plenty of people buying homes in the $350- $500k range, which I would imagine would be a good target customer for you. You don't need to be so rich anymore to have granite countertops.

Jax is no longer an industrial city, though it's hard to shake that reputation. We still have industrial business for sure, but our core industries are financial, insurance, legal, transportation, etc. It's changed dramatically even in just the last 5 years or so.

[gypsychic]

A word to the wise - it is true there are a lot of wealthy people in Sarasota - but we lived there 17 years and found out they do NOT part with their $$$! Cheap and miserly is an understatement for describing their spending habits! My husband was an architect and they didn't want to pay him at all - thought he should work for free. Ask my friends who were waiters and waitresses what kind of tips they got.

Also, the restaurants in Sarasota are not good - they are mostly "touristy" and big on atmosphere, but low on quality. We were very disappointed by this. This whole town is touristy, and skews older in age as well.

The most generous and fair spending people are the middle class and even lower classes. I say you are MUCH better off in Jacksonville. Hubby now in Tampa, and doing great - I would guess Jax is similar. Take it from someone who has been there.

[inftmyers]

You might want to look at Naples. VERY NICE! VERY WEALTHY! The old people in Naples are unique because they don't keep their money. They spend it almost as if it were a competition to see who has more. Also more millionaires per capita (or maybe sq. mile or something like that) than any other city in Florida. You may want to add that to your considerations.

[granitelady]

First of all...Thank you to all the comments, very informative!
I personally felt better in when visiting Jacksonville than Sarasota but I need to make the right decision for my company and my son, and your thoughts are very helpful.
We really don't sell "only" to the wealthy, we just have other products besides countertops that attract mostly the upper middle class and the "wealthy".
Maybe I didn't express myself correctly when I started this thread, our countertops are very affordable and reach a large variety of customers, then we have the "unique" stone products that are more costly.
I should have said that what we really need to succeed is an area where people are spending money in their homes, either new construction or remodeling.
The cultural part of it is very important to me also, maybe that's why I'm more drawn to Jacksonville.
Please keep sending me your opinions, this is a major decision for myself and my 10 year old son...I want him to be happy with the move.

[firemed]

I don't know how you will do in south Florida, Things are very slow here.