News

SBA South Florida Webinars

April 27, 2020 News

  The SBA South Florida District Office will host a series of Small Business Recovery webinars to provide the latest information on how the SBA is helping small businesses with their economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19. You may join the conference 10 minutes prior. Limited to the first 500 callers, unless otherwise noted. Date […]

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Focused on Polk’s Recovery and Economic Resiliency

April 27, 2020 News

This op-ed by CFDC President and CEO Sean Malott was originally shared by The Ledger.  Polk County was a hotbed of activity before all this started, and it’s our job, mission and responsibility to continue to build upon the solid foundation that still exists. When 2020 started, the economy was riding high, unemployment in Polk […]

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Five Polk County Universities Give Back During Pandemic

April 23, 2020 News

In the midst of their transitions to online learning, five local institutions of higher learning have found ways to give back to the community it serves. Florida Southern College When news of a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) started hitting the airwaves, professors at Florida Southern College were quick to act on Dr. Brittany […]

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Citrus Sees Promising Season Ahead

April 23, 2020 News

Advances in growing and favorable Florida weather offer bright future for citrus season. As growers harvest late-season Valencia oranges, the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a slight decrease in orange and grapefruit production from March: About 70 million boxes for oranges, down 1 million boxes. About 5.2 million boxes […]

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Florida Poly Producing Parts of Face Shields to Help in the Fight Against Covid-19 

April 13, 2020 News, Talent Pipeline

When AdventHealth predicted it was going to need additional face shields for members of its medical staff treating coronavirus patients, it turned to Florida Polytechnic University for help. That was three weeks ago. Now, students and staff are using 3D printers to make headbands for 4,000 shields. After working out details like a memorandum of […]

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Ways to Cope and Take Care of Your Mental Health During Coronavirus

April 9, 2020 News

As the world copes with Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are all introduced to new routines and some of us do not like change. Whether that description fits you or not, you’re likely to benefit from a few tips to tend to your mental health during this time of crisis. “A lot of people are really anxious […]

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Polk County Paycheck Protection Program Participating Lenders

April 8, 2020 News

Updated on April 13, 2020 This is not a complete list, lenders will be added as information is available to us.  If you are a lender and would like to have your information displayed on this page, please email covid@cfdc.org with your application process.   Lender Name PPP Loan Participation Application/ Information Bank of America […]

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Specs for Critically Needed Medical Equipment/Supplies

April 6, 2020 News

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (DEM) is seeking the assistance of Florida manufacturers and suppliers to fill the needs of Florida’s hospitals and emergency care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including N95 masks, face shields and gowns. To assist companies willing to consider a shift in production lines in order to fulfill critical needs, the […]

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Duke Energy’s Site Selection Program Attracts Industry, Adding Jobs

March 31, 2020 News

You may think of Duke Energy as just that, an electric company, but Duke’s three pillars — site readiness, business recruitment and economic development — show the company’s reach and willingness to help attract high-skill, high-wage jobs to the six states in which it operates. “We share our electrical expertise with our partners, we respond […]

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Census Hits Pause Button, but You Can Still Respond and be Counted

March 27, 2020 News

Collecting 2020 Census data continues despite coronavirus (COVID-19) shut downs across the country, and it may be more important than ever. “Let’s just think about resource allocation right now,” said Kim Long, executive director of Polk Vision, one of the local agencies working to ensure every person in Polk County is counted. She was referring […]

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