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Location means everything in real estate and apparently to Edgewater.
The city has attracted three companies that want to capitalize on Edgewater’s proximity to the Space Coast as well as Daytona Beach.
Metal plating and finishing company INCERTEC chose Edgewater as its relocation destination after buying Titusville-based Synergy Metal Finishing. Even though it was strongly courted by Cocoa Beach.
INCERTEC’s customers base is the aerospace and defense industry. Edgewater keeps it close to the Space Coast and near Daytona Beach’s growing aerospace industry. There are also “employee opportunities” in Daytona Beach, Rob Clark, president of INCERTEC, said.
Mr. Clark also mentioned space as a factor in the company’s decision. Specifically the space to build an expansion to the property it bought at 4100 U.S. 1 in Edgewater.
Had they chosen Cocoa Beach or any other city within Brevard County to locate in, they would have had to construct a right-sized building or lease one; neither was of interest to Mr. Clark.
Edgewater was appealing for the other two companies, the joint venture of Aries Capital and Onicx Group, because they too wanted the advantage of being near the Space Coast.
However, the warehouses the joint venture is building are not exclusive to the space industry. Brandon Perdeck, Aries Capital director of capital markets, explained their buildings will be suitable for “other local businesses.”
“We’re targeting space-related companies and businesses, of course,” Mr. Perdeck said. “But we’re also catering towards local businesses that want more modern space.”
But the space industry is the top draw and, as such, the six structures that will rise on the 83-acre site within the Parktowne Industrial Park will carry the name Space Coast Commerce Park at Parktowne.
Aries Capital and Onicx Group closed on the land in 2022, paying $4.15 million and broke ground earlier this year.
Market conditions will pace the timing of the Space Coast Commerce Park at Parktowne buildout. The thought is to construct the six buildings in up to six phases, totaling 844,350 square feet.
Gabe Lamontagne, Onicx Group’s asset manager, said phase one construction has a targeted opening of “probably late Q2, early Q3, of ’26.” Space Coast Commerce Park at Parktowne is a speculative build. However, there is interest from prospective tenants, and a lot of positive momentum.
The joint venture is excited to deliver the project to the market, Mr. Perdeck said.
As is INCERTEC’s Mr. Clark, who noted only one issue since they bought the building — how to discharge the cleaned water used in the plating and finishing process. INCERTEC didn’t realize the water system is operated by Volusia County, not Edgewater. Volusia is only permitted for domestic waste. It’s been “kind of a scramble to figure out an answer for that,” Mr. Clark said.
“I am trying to connect them to the right people,” E. Bliss Jamison, president of the Southeast Volusia Manufacturing and Technology Coalition, said when speaking about the water discharge issue.
SEVMTC has been “very influential, because they were quick to help us find some answers on resources from people to permitting,” Mr. Clark said. SEVMTC is also connecting the company to workforce training through CareerSource Brevard Flagler Volusia and Daytona State College, as roughly a quarter of the former Synergy Metal Finishing employees have decided not to make the commute to Edgewater, creating the need for immediate hires.
Edgewater Mayor Diezel Depew said Ms. Jamison was “a tremendous liaison” for getting INCERTEC to Edgewater.
The mayor spoke of Edgewater as a “beautiful coastal community” and an “industrial town” as reasons for INCERTEC to choose the town he serves. It is those qualities that should help Mr. Clark as he sets out to hire as many as 80 employees by 2028. The initial hires can expect an offer of between $20 to 24 per hour.
Though INCERTEC is based in Fridley, Minn., Mr. Clark knew of Edgewater through his grandparents, who retired there. Upon the death of his grandmother, he was in Edgewater and, as is his habit, he began looking for plating shops. He found one in Titusville, shot them an email mentioning any time they wanted to sell, he might be interested. Two years hence, Mr. Clark received an email from the company stating it was for sale.The purchase was made in June 2024.
Now, Mr. Clark will be spending about half his time in Volusia, working in Edgewater and living in New Smyrna Beach.
He said it is of high importance “to be a responsible neighbor.” The company is “environmentally friendly … everything is self-contained, and we treat everything internally, everything leaves the building, there’s no discharge, nothing is going out anywhere.” If anyone or any group has questions about the business, he is willing to speak with them.
Renovations are underway at the Edgewater facility, so operations should being in November. The expansion will be ongoing and checks in at 55,000 square feet with an estimated completion of summer 2026. Once completed, an additional 50 to 60 people will be hired. The Edgewater location will be responsible for the southeast region of the U.S.