Polk County manufacturing and other companies that want to take an international route to market and business growth soon will have a new partner in their corner. The formation of the Polk Global Trade Alliance (PGTA), a new business-building organization, was a major announcement on May 20, 2016 during the second annual Polk Goes Global […]
Carl J. “Bud” Strang III knows a good investment when he sees — or even when he hears about it. As the chief executive officer of Six/Ten LLC in Winter Haven, Strang is principally involved in investing — in downtown commercial real estate and in a diverse number of innovative companies that are pitched well […]
Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Regional Health announced its Philanthropist of the Year and Advocate of the Year honorees during a special program this evening at the Hollis Cancer Center. The Lakeland Regional Health Foundation recognized Lynn Darracott Hollis and her family as 2016 Philanthropist of the Year. Mrs. Hollis is an active community servant, devoting […]
Larry Madrid has built a successful career on improving the foundations for buildings, roads and other forms of public and private infrastructure. Today, he’s also working to improve the foundational underpinnings for robust economic growth in Polk County. Madrid is the owner of Bartow-based Madrid Engineering Group (MEG), a company he founded 23 years ago. […]
If the walls of the original building for Citizens Bank & Trust could speak, they would tell a fascinating, almost-century-old story of Polk County business and economics. The story would include shorter tales about booms and busts, rip-roaring construction and building blips, citrus heydays and agricultural challenges, tourism peaks and valleys, depression and recession, and […]
If you visit a retailer most anywhere in Central Florida, find something you like and buy it, there’s a very good chance it was warehoused at least for a short time — and perhaps even produced — in a building owned and managed by The Ruthvens. Established in Lakeland in 1957 by Joe P. Ruthven, […]
The economy seems to be on the mend in Polk County, partially in thanks to businesses relocating to the area. But the relocations aren’t from nearby counties, or even states. Polk County has become a relocation destination for overseas businesses. There are an estimated 155 foreign-based businesses with owners who traded their homeland for a […]
Florida Polytechnic University is building a second on-campus residence hall for students, scheduled to be complete by fall 2016. Jacksonville-based Vestcor Communities, Inc. will build and operate the five-story, 135,000-square-foot dormitory with 539 beds, primarily in two-bedroom, one-bath suites. Community and University officials gathered Wednesday to mark an important construction milestone during a “Goin’ Vertical” […]
WHAT: Florida Polytechnic University will host #STEMTalks: Rise of the Machines – Autonomous Vehicles, the second installment in a four-part virtual Google+ Hangout series. The online event will feature a panel of industry experts and Florida Poly faculty to discuss the rise of self-driving cars, in-car intelligence, human factors and future innovations in machine intelligence. […]