Becoming a Palm Beach County Florida resident in 1978 was both exciting and scary! As a young family man with a wife and two young boys, I was looking forward to a “new adventure’ as an entrepreneur in a totally new environment; both business and climate-wise.
One of the things that I would hear in those days from other “newcomers” and from visitors was the “misinformed” opinions about the supposed lack of quality professional services; especially in Palm Beach County. It was the opinion of many coming down from the northern metropolitan markets that the professional services here, legal, financial and medical to be specific, were lacking in quality and ability.
Nothing could have been further from the truth!
And, today, any claims regarding the lack of quality in professional services are totally unwarranted. When families, entrepreneurs and business folks relocate to South Florida, some worry about leaving their “trusted” professionals and other service providers that they had “up north”. They soon find out that Palm Beach County is home to many national and local professional services which are quite capable of handling complex matters, be they personal or corporate.
There is no doubt that many of the incoming residents are accustomed to high quality professional services back in their former locations that are in or adjacent to the densely populated metropolitan centers. However, they are soon delighted to learn of the sophisticated level of the professional community here; whether it be in law, architecture, finance, engineering, marketing communications, accounting, medicine, etc. There is no question that world class caliber professional services are available in plentiful supply here in Palm Beach County. There are many firms with the depth and breadth of experience and knowledge to handle nearly any situation that a client may have.
In a recent conversation with the CEO of a leading hospital in the Palm Beaches, I mentioned that in the past, many new residents would travel back to major northern cities like New York, Boston, or Chicago for serious medical procedures. However, I speculated that some of the best medical professionals were now located in South Florida, with modern facilities to match their talents. His response confirmed this, noting that many highly talented young doctors in various specialties, including delicate surgeries, are choosing to practice in Florida. Many accomplished medical professionals are also relocating to South Florida to enjoy a more pleasant climate and escape some of the challenges of living in northern markets. As a result, South Florida is attracting some of the best medical talent available.
The same is true for so many of the professional service providers. They may attend a great University (some in the South such as University of Florida, University of Miami, Florida State, Duke University, etc) and decide that a professional life in South Florida may be pretty good! That together with the fact that many national level firms (legal, accounting, financial, etc.) have or are opening offices in West Palm Beach or Miami.
Many families and companies move here for the same reasons; lovely climate and low taxes which add to quality of life. Business owners find a regulatory friendly environment and more opportunity for growth. There are many firms that have moved to Palm Beach County and are thriving which in turn attracts more talent. There are no issues too complicated for the professionals that practice here in South Florida.
All the best,
Dick Sheehan
