When Madrid Engineering Group (MEG) merged with Cribb, Philbeck, Weaver Group (CPWG) in November 2019, the company’s owner, Larry Madrid, knew good things were ahead. MEG immediately became 30% owner of a third company, Pavement Management Group, and grew his company from 45 to 100 employees. Madrid CPWG is now a full-service, one-stop-shop, competing with […]
The Central Florida Development Council is hosting Polk Goes Global VI virtually this year, emphasizing the importance of building international business efforts and global talent. “Employers have identified the availability of qualified labor as the most important or one of the critical issues in making relocation decisions,” said Javier Marin, senior director of business resiliency […]
Influence of Foreign Trade on Global Education Originally published in Viva Polk! Magazine By Javier Marin, Senior Director of Business Resiliency & Global Trade Entering international markets has proven to be a very good bet for companies in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that of the 32 million companies in the U.S., […]
Eight of the nine counties that touch Polk County lost 140,000 jobs during the pandemic; the other, Hardee, gained 297. Polk County gained 1,559 jobs at the same time, reducing its pandemic high of 20% unemployment to 5.5% in less than a year. The county’s job growth, predicted to increase to 42.5% in the next […]
Dean Saunders has earned the title of highest-producing land broker in the nation for 2020. His secret to closing a deal? When both the seller’s and the buyer’s needs are met. Saunders, the founder, managing director and senior adviser of SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate in Lakeland, received the Realtors Land Institute (RLI) […]
As the world moves beyond boundaries and becomes more and more global, educating our students to do business internationally is a key component in college classes. Educating Spanish-speaking residents is just as important. That’s why Teresa Martinez, executive editor of Viva Polk magazine and member of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees, asked […]
As organizations dealt with physical and mental illnesses during the pandemic, they learned from one another, keeping abreast of symptoms, recovery times, vaccines and more while also trying to offer employees a safe and understanding workplace. Although vaccines are being offered to just about everyone now, COVID-19 remains a factor in our daily lives, which […]
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to play havoc with our daily lives, national Public Health Week — which runs from April 5-11 — is more important than ever, highlighting the importance of making our communities safe and healthy and uniting communities for a common goal. The American Public Health Association (APHA) kicks off this week […]
As 2020 changed the world and almost every part of our lives, businesses met challenges head-on. Some fell victim to the pandemic, but others thrived and are looking forward to continued growth and a strong 2021. “There were many businesses that continued to do well during COVID, such as our construction companies who have remained […]
Business resiliency and recovery takes commitment, resources and time. It is a subject in which there is always something to learn. Building upon enhanced business resiliency services of the Central Florida Development Council and a long-standing partnership with Florida Polytechnic University, the two are pleased to present a Minority and Small Business Resilience series to […]