A company with a 120-year history continues to break ground in energy generation and economic development, priding itself in the work it does in Polk County and beyond. And all that helps it achieve its mission: to serve its customers. “Duke Energy focuses on attracting new business to its service territory (by) helping to utilize […]
With a host of logistics companies like Saddle Creek calling Polk County home, the need for a talented, highly skilled workforce in supply chain management is critical. “Central Florida, and in particular Polk County, is the distribution hub for approximately 10 million people in a 100-mile radius,” according to Dr. James Fenton, dean of the […]
Investing early through smart infrastructure decisions is moving this Central Florida community into the future as a Smart City. The City of Winter Haven has been advancing its high-speed fiber-optic network for years, living by the “dig once” broadband Initiative that allows the city to install fiber and conduit whenever possible. The city believes the […]
Conversations with cities who border a proposed new Central Florida Innovation District near Florida Polytechnic University makes one thing clear: They are enthusiastic about the possibilities. “I’m very excited about it,” said Auburndale City Manager Bobby Green. “It’s one of those things that’s a great economic development opportunity for Polk County, and where that opportunity […]
Brothers from Brazil find educational success on their path to becoming chemical engineers. Miguel Amador was entering kindergarten when his parents moved the family from Araraquara, Brazil, to Lakeland in 2004. His brother, Victor, was part way through first grade. Speaking only Portuguese, they credit Valleyview Elementary School with ensuring they learned English. And they […]
As construction continues to accelerate in Polk County, builders look for employees who can show up for work on time, ready to tackle that day’s project. They’re getting help from the Polk County School District. This year, the district opened four new construction academies, which are modeled after the first one at Bartow High School. […]
Whether it’s awarding bachelor’s degrees to the next generation of nurses and computer programmers or certificates to future machine operators and aviation dispatchers, Polk State College is training the workforce that will keep Polk County on the cutting edge. It’s just one goal Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti points to as she leads Polk […]
Crediting challenging AP classes, Michael Jernigan, a graduate of Bartow High School, isn’t surprised he’s studying electrical engineering at Florida Polytechnic University. Jernigan is being profiled as part of a series on students who attended Polk County Public Schools and are now pursuing STEM-related degrees in colleges here and across the country. He loved to […]
Polk County’s 4 airports, combined with our aviation and aerospace interests, provide a $878 million-plus local economic impact. A March 2019 Florida Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study reports this impact has more than doubled from the $400 million impact in 2014. The Florida Department of Transportation report reflections the aviation industry’s growth in Central Florida. […]
Molekule, a leading innovator in clean air purification, announced today that it’s launching a groundbreaking materials manufacturing facility in Polk County, Florida. Molekule’s first U.S. factory, PECO Zero, will be a catalyst for bringing cutting edge science into people’s homes by enabling faster scalability of Molekule’s research and development to meet consumers’ increasing demands for […]