Polk County is becoming well-known internationally as a prime landing spot for global companies because of its business-friendly climate, central location and fair weather. Several international businesses have already located here and are finding success in the market. These companies often bring their own employees to prepare for their launch here, but depending on their […]
BrightView may be a newcomer to Polk County, but its presence was felt long before. It was the landscape architect for LEGOLAND in Winter Haven as it was being developed from the former Cypress Gardens attraction. BrightView moved into its office at the Bartow Airport two years ago. The company employs more than 20,000 people […]
Local, state and national companies look forward to this time of year. Students are graduating from college and are ready to enter the workforce. In Polk County, seven institutions of higher education contribute to the talent pipeline. Those colleges and universities award about 6,000 degrees and certificates to graduates annually. This includes about 1,000 students […]
Benge Development Corp. is busy at work in Polk County, building a variety of dwellings to help with the county’s residential growth. Tony Benge, company president, did not think he would be a developer during his undergraduate or graduate education. According to Mark Wilkie, senior VP of Benge Development, after Tony graduated, he worked in […]
Public-private partnerships have been around for years, but one kind is gaining more traction — that between universities and industries. May 19 update: Minnesota-based real estate service company Ryan Cos. picked to build the Citrus Innovation Center at Florida Polytechnic University. Read more. Florida Polytechnic University, already on the cutting edge of STEM research, is […]
Originally published in Inside Unmanned Systems SunTrax will open this year as a major R&D hub for autonomous vehicles. A virtuous-triangle collaboration by three compatible organizations promises a bright future for autonomous vehicle testing in Central Florida. The path toward vehicle autonomy is accelerating. But R&D and testing is the fuel—or charging device—that can significantly […]
Everything is “connected” in Lake Wales, part of a process that started in 2019 and is flourishing today. “We have a lot of new development. It’s at historic levels that have never been seen before in Lake Wales. It’s exciting – the opportunity that growth brings,” said City Manager James Slaton. The city’s redeveloping its […]
Three local institutions of higher education are preparing students to enter the fast-growing field of logistics and supply chain management, a critical industry in Polk County. Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti said the percentage of Polk County’s workforce involved in the logistics and supply chain field is: Transportation & Warehousing – 10% Production […]
Residential growth welcome in the East Polk city of Lake Hamilton, requiring creative solutions from city staff and awakening a new area of growth in Central Florida. “The best thing is the worst thing,” said Lake Hamilton associate planner Angie Hibbard. “We need residential to get more commercial, but it’s coming in huge chunks all […]
Southeastern University started the 2021-22 academic year with new leadership in almost all its top-level positions. Now, those leaders are looking forward to the next year with a refreshed vision for several colleges and new degree programs. Dr. Jeffrey Paul, dean of Southeastern’s Jannetides College of Business, Communication and Leadership, said this school year was […]