Bay County officials are hoping to make a splash in the international market.

"We have to move away from being a construction/tourism/military area only, I love all three, don't get me wrong, but I think international exporting is wide open territory," said Allan Bense, chairman of the Bay EDA. "I think we've got to take a look at how we export items and making sure that we're on everyone's radar screens in other countries."

In Wednesday morning's meeting, attendees got a chance to think outside the box about ways to bring more jobs into Bay County.

"You have a port that's partially containerized, you have an able, skilled, workforce and you have an existing industry base which is pretty diversified and includes some manufacturing," said Andrea Moore with Enterprise Florida. "So, yes - I would think most definitely, great potential for growth in Bay County."

While the strategy has the potential to bring in more jobs, it's not a quick fix, Moore says.

"It's not an overnight strategy, all good efforts require time, manpower, and money. So, I caution clients, you're making a commitment."

If the commitment is made, the pay out could be worth the wait. As more people request products from the area, more jobs would become available to meet the demand.