News

Polk County Leaders Earn Tampa Bay Business Journal Power 100 List Honors

February 4, 2025 News

Four Polk County leaders representing health care, higher education, banking and the grocery business have landed on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s annual Power 100 list.  The Power 100 List will be featured in the March edition of the Business Journal. The Polk honorees are:  In its ninth year, the list showcases “the area’s most […]

Continue Reading

New Shovel-Ready Business Park Prepared through the Site Readiness Process

January 31, 2025 News

A connection the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) made five years ago has led to the creation of the Frostproof Business Park, a property owned by Ben Hill Griffin Inc. (BHG). Competitiveness and shovel-ready sites continue to be a topic of increased importance. Speed to market and mitigation of risk drive decisions. Sites that have […]

Continue Reading

Polk County Public Schools Hosts School Choice Showcase Events to Highlight Special Offerings

January 28, 2025 News, Talent Pipeline

Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) is holding a series of meetings to help inform parents and students about their educational opportunities.  “Our School Choice Showcase offers parents a chance to connect with school staff and students from across the district to learn about the various programs we offer,” said Leann Bennett, Senior Director of Career, […]

Continue Reading

A.O. Wagner Construction Moves Full-Steam Ahead, Goal of Being the Leading Midsize Contractor Along I-4

January 23, 2025 News

A.O. Construction and Wagner Construction were two well-established companies when A.O. bought the latter in May 2023. Now that all of Wagner’s open contracts have been completed, the company has been renamed A.O. Wagner Construction – and its future looks bright.  “The name change reflects the merger,” said A.O. Wagner Construction President Gannon Olmert. “After […]

Continue Reading

CFDC Brings in Heavy Hitter for EconDev Forum Event to Share Strategic Secrets of Success

January 16, 2025 News

If you’re looking for guidance to being competitive in today’s business climate, the Central Florida Economic Development (CFDC) can offer insights as it hosts the 2025 EconDev Forum- “Being Competitive in Today’s Market.”   Gray Swoope, President/CEO of VisionFirst Advisors in Tallahassee, will share his expert insights and actionable strategies to help communities thrive in today’s […]

Continue Reading

ChastainSkillman | DCCM Celebrates 75 Years Building on Successes 

January 16, 2025 News

Last year brought big changes to ChastainSkillman, the Lakeland-based engineering and land surveying firm. It was purchased by Houston-based DCCM, which handles design, consulting, and program and construction management services nationwide.  “Uniting with DCCM creates new opportunities for ChastainSkillman,” the company’s CEO, Jay Chastain, said in a press release announcing the acquisition. “Leveraging DCCM’s extensive […]

Continue Reading

City of Auburndale Shares Big Plans for 2025, Projects in Process and Coming Soon

January 15, 2025 News

Auburndale City Manager Jeff Tillman juggles multiple projects — exciting opportunities for residents and the area including The Lake Ariana Park development.   “We are relocating the Civic Center to Lake Ariana Park; it will sit on the location of the historic Mac’s Beach,” said Tillman, a native of the City of Auburndale. The population of […]

Continue Reading

Tucker Paving Celebrates 30 Years in Business, Focusing on Safety and Continued Improvement

December 19, 2024 News

Safety is at the heart of everything Tucker Paving does, and as the company celebrates its 30th anniversary it continues to focus on ways to keep its employees safe.  “Our safety program is something we take great pride in,” said Tucker Paving CEO Larry “Chip” Tucker. “Currently we’ve achieved 3.8 million hours without a lost-time […]

Continue Reading

LAL Airport Director Kris Hallstrand Named to Tampa Bay Business Journal Watchlist

December 17, 2024 News

Lakeland Linder International (LAL) Airport Director Kris Hallstrand is the only Polk County person named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s prestigious “25 People to Watch” in the 2025 list.   The list includes heavy hitters from the Tampa Bay region, including the CEOs of BayCare and Tampa International Airport, the president of the University of […]

Continue Reading

Florida Poly Professor Works to Improve Traffic on Interstate 4 

December 2, 2024 News

Rawa Adla, a professor at Florida Polytechnic University, is using her interest in traffic safety and her degree in computer engineering to make Interstate 4 safer for everyone. Especially those driving past the college that sits along the Polk County stretch of the 132-mile highway.  Adla, Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering, is working with the […]

Continue Reading