Polk County’s four airports generate an annual economic benefit of $1.8 billion, but they’re not the only ones contributing to growth in that arena. Manufacturers of components used by aerospace companies and NASA also contribute millions more. In 2020, aviation and aerospace produced $41.5 million in GDP for Polk County, according to a JobsEQ report […]
Celebrating its 50th year in operation in 2022, Central Florida Health Care (CFHC) continues to grow and expand the services it provides to residents in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. When Chief Executive Officer Ann Claussen joined the health care provider in 2014, there were many opportunities, she said. “We had the opportunity to apply […]
The Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center is the largest single-story building in the world. BRPH was founded in 1964 to support America’s space race. It provided engineering support to that massive building where the Apollo/Saturn V moon rocket was later assembled. What started as a small company has now grown into 40 states […]
Lakeland Regional Health (LRH) is progressing to get its new Graduate Medical Education (GME) program up and running. The hospital has hired program directors and is applying for certifications, all targeting the program’s start on July 1, 2023. “We are very pleased that we’ve hired all of our program directors, identified our core faculty and […]
A.O. Construction is a Winter Haven-based construction company providing full-service general contracting, construction management and design/build construction to the Central Florida market. The construction firm offers preconstruction services, construction management, general contracting, and trade work, including demolition, concrete, masonry, carpentry, steel erection and drywall – all part of the design/build concept that helps the company and […]
It was a homecoming for Alyssa Garber when she returned to Winter Haven in October 2021 to take over as executive director of The Ritz, one of Polk County’s best-kept secrets. The job at The Ritz Theatre appealed to Garber so much that she left her job at the Four Seasons Resorts in Orlando, where […]
Florida’s fifth-largest hospital is aiming to close the gap in distance and services provided to residents in northwest Polk. Lakeland Regional is beginning construction on a new three-story, 76,000-square-foot medical facility. The 20-acre tract sits at the northwest corner of I-4 and Kathleen Road in Lakeland. According to Patrick Phillips, senior VP of business development, […]
Business partnerships with Polk County Public Schools showcase ‘long-term investment in students.’ Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) and local businesses are partnering to provide students with internships while they’re in high school, something Laura Webster, an academy coach with Workforce Education, called “a long-term investment in our students.” “Our students have so much to offer […]
Growing International Opportunities The CFDC was pleased to host business owners from Paraná, Brazil, as the delegation explores business opportunities in Polk County. Renata Cabezas, with Floridis USA, presented about doing business in Polk, and Dr. Joe Perez offered insights to the group about food manufacturing requirements in Florida. DG4Business organized the first trade mission […]
Larry “Chip” Tucker started Tucker Paving in 1994, breaking away from Tucker Construction company, which his father, Larry Tucker Sr., and his uncle started in 1965. Tucker Paving has come a long way since then when Chip Tucker started his own site-work and paving business with just two employees and two pieces of equipment. The […]