A leader in the Polk’s Mechanical Engineering industry, Ridgeback strives to bring more value to its customers and employees. Brannon “Bo” Patzer grew up working for his father in the mechanical industry until his father sold the business and retired in 1997. A decade later, on Aug. 15, 2007, he and his wife, Mieka, were […]
ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS PLANS PIPE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN LAKE WALES Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) is entering Polk County in a big way, building an innovative advanced pipe manufacturing facility in Lake Wales that will provide 200 jobs at salaries that are approximately 15% above average annual wage within the city. Polk County’s central location made […]
Mulberry has emerged from a sleepy little town to a growing center of arts, entertainment and, coming soon, culinary delights. About three years ago, City Manager Rick Johnson started wondering whether the popular food truck rallies would end as the price of gas and insurance continued to rise. “I wanted a place where the trucks […]
One local woman has been named to the 2023 class of the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 – a rising star who, at 34, she is already vice president of student life at Florida Southern College. Lauren Albaum, 34, “is dedicated to empowering students, fostering growth and positively impacting their academic and professional […]
Wauchula State Bank has a new name, Crews Bank & Trust, but you’ll still see the same familiar faces at all its branches, and you’ll still experience its “customer first” culture. So why did it change names? It wasn’t bought by a larger bank, which is what some people ask, said Andrew Foreman, senior vice […]
Are you looking for an exciting new career opportunity where you can showcase your graphic design talents, contribute to a team and grow your marketing skills? Open Position The Graphic Design & Social Media Associate is responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring Central Florida Development Council’s brand, personality, tone, look and voice across platforms and […]
When two companies collaborate to create a video showcasing everything that’s right about Polk County, the county and its chief economic development agency — the Central Florida Development Council— are the winners. “We are so grateful to Duke Energy for providing a grant that allowed us to hire Indie Atlantic Films to develop a new […]
Higher wage opportunities. Strong sector presence. Growing employment opportunities. These factors and many others continue retaining talent within Advanced Manufacturing. With a talent pipeline supplied by a vareity of post-secondary institutions, Polk County is the perfect place to locate an advanced manufacturing facility, bolstered by a talent pipeline that both graduates students prepared to tackle […]
Polk County is Florida’s Best Place for Business, and those involved in advanced manufacturing have figured it out. They know the reasons why companies want to and have located here: Infrastructure It’s located in the center of the country’s third-largest state, providing timely access to customers via road (interstates 4, 75 and 95); rail (300+ […]
At Florida Southern College’s Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (CFEE), learning goes far beyond the classroom, giving students opportunities to develop their ideas into reality. The CFEE opened as the Center for Free Enterprise in 2013 with a focus on free enterprise and why entrepreneurship matters in society, said Michael Weber, dean of the […]