Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development

The Center for Business Research and Economic Development (CBRED) began operation in the fall of 1994. Its mission was to serve as a business and economic information and analysis center for the 10-county region that comprises Northwest Florida. Staff consisted of a director, secretary and student assistants. In the fall of 1996, CBRED received a $250,000 donation and, in recognition of this benefactor, was renamed the Raymond M. Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development (Haas Center). By 1999, the Haas Center was receiving $300,000 in dedicated funding to support its mission.

In August 1999, the Haas Center, in order to better serve the region, expanded its operations by establishing a branch in Fort Walton Beach. In FY2002, the university provided funding to support this position.

In 2003, the Haas Center received additional funding from the legislature, bringing its total university funding to over $600,000. At the same time, the Haas Center expanded its service area to encompass the 16-counties now considered to comprise Northwest Florida.

Presently, the Haas Center is the premier source for information about the Northwest Florida economy and people. As part of the College of Business, the Center provides high-quality data collection from a synthesis of multiple primary and secondary data sources and maintains data sets describing economic activity and workforce issues in key areas such as agriculture, military, tourism, health care, construction and manufacturing. The Haas Center is a leading resource for social, economic, and demographic information for local areas across the State of Florida and has conducted numerous feasibility, economic impact, target industry, and business activity studies with respect to tourism, military and other sectors of the economy, as well as survey research and geographic information systems mapping projects. In Northwest Florida, the Haas Center is widely recognized as a knowledgeable, credible and authoritative source for information and analysis regarding the regional economy. The Center produces the award winning publication The Northwest Florida Economy on a quarterly basis.