When you think of manufacturing in Polk County, you should think beyond citrus and phosphate, two industries that paved the way for the county to become a manufacturing hub. Patti Gander, director of the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Alliance of Mid Florida (formerly the Polk County Manufacturing Association), said manufacturing is often defined as a […]
In September, after 20 years as the Southern Strategy Group, Florida’s largest lobbying firm changed its name to The Southern Group Inc. to better reflect its mission for the next decade. “The Southern Group signals our firm’s further evolution in the influence business,” said Seth McKeel, managing partner of the Tampa office. “We pride ourselves […]
Quantifying the impact and value of local parks now a tool for municipalities and communities to use in their evaluation for investment. The Florida Recreation and Park Association started talking about ways to provide quantifiable value to area parks and recreation facilities a decade ago, and now, with a lot of help from the City […]
The Lunz Group is an honoree in GrowFL’s 50 Florida Companies to Watch, a recognition that highlights the full-service architectural firm’s growth in the past few years. It is the only Polk County business to be recognized. The Lunz Group is an architectural firm in Lakeland that specializes in working with clients to design projects […]
Retired United States Air Force General Lori Robinson thinks it’s important that parents pay attention to their children and where their natural tendencies lie, especially if those might be in a STEM-related field. Speaking anecdotally, the guest speaker at the Central Florida Development Council’s October 16th Annual Meeting said she hears about students who come […]
Another student is using valuable lessons from Polk County Public Schools and taking them to higher education, this time to Stanford. Mulberry High School biology teacher Stace Alcala played a major role in Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas’ love of science, challenging her in such a way that the 2019 valedictorian is now attending Stanford University in California […]
Polk County and the cities of Lakeland and Auburndale have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together with the Central Florida Development Council to develop a vision for the Central Florida Innovation District (CFID). “Collaboration and coordination are key to both the establishment of a vision for the Innovation District and the realization […]
Continuing on its path of adding new STEM degrees and achieving academic success, Florida Polytechnic University has received accreditation for four of its bachelor’s degree programs. The Computing and Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET — a nonprofit, non-governmental agency that accredits programs in engineering, engineering technology, applied and natural science, and computing, — accredited Florida […]
As the local economy continues to grow, more and more students are attending college after graduating from high school, and many are staying local. As colleges throughout Polk are experiencing increased enrollment, the local talent pipeline gains access to new degree programs and universities are opening their doors to more dual-enrolled students and developing online […]
National bank working its way east from Tampa to serve Polk County and the Central Florida market. PNC Bank may be relatively new to the state, but it’s expanding quickly. And with two men with Polk County roots at the helm and a strong reputation in the distribution and logistics fields, PNC should have no […]