I AM PENSACOLA - Collier Merrill
What is your hometown, what brought you to the
Pensacola area and how long have you been here.
Pensacola is my hometown. Other than going off to Alabama
for school (Roll Tide) I have been in Pensacola my whole life –
there is nowhere else I would rather be.
What is your profession and give a brief description
of what you do.
My brothers Will, Burney and I are all a part of our
companies; Merrill Land Company and Great Southern
Restaurants. I serve as the President of Merrill Land
Company which specializes in condo construction,
subdivisions, retail/offi ce holdings and property acquisitions.
Additionally, I am the President of Great Southern
Restaurants which includes The Fish House, Atlas Oyster
House, The Deck Bar, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Five Sisters
Blues Café, The Palafox House, Great Southern Weddings,
Great Southern Management and Great Southern Catering &
Events.
What led you to choose this profession?
Our grandfather came to the area around 1925 with the
Bagdad Lumber Mill and our father was also in the lumber
business - I guess you could say it was in our family.
What do you like best about Pensacola? What makes
it unique?
One of the best things about Pensacola is of course, the
people, and that the people are all actively involved in making
Pensacola that great place that it is. However, what makes
it so unique is the combination of the beaches, history, the
military, university, the arts, the medical community and the
culture that surrounds us each and every day.
Three words that best describe you.
I posed this question to my offi ce, I told them I would go with
what they said – here goes…
Fair, Adventurous, Inquisitive
Favorite Things you like about Pensacola.
It’s hard to pick my favorite things about Pensacola – we
have so many wonderful assets; but besides the great people
– to name a few - we have the Community Martitime Park,
University of West Florida, Historic Pensacola, The Blue
Angels, Pensacola sports, Pensacola Navy Museum, the
beaches, thriving arts community, fun downtown and of
course, the great restaurants.
Finish this statement, I AM PENSACOLA because…
It’s by the grace of God and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
photo by Steven Gray
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