Excitement is building around Catapult 3.0 as construction begins in earnest at its location on Lake Mirror in Lakeland. The new version of Catapult is a bigger, better version than the one that opened five years ago in the basement of the Bank of America building on South Florida Avenue. The Lakeland Economic Development Council, […]
Looking to the future, Florida Polytechnic University is embarking on a two-year project to build a second academic building to continue to prepare the workforce of tomorrow for higher-wage, higher-skill jobs in a burgeoning tech-savvy county. The new 85,000-square-foot building dubbed the ARC — Applied Research Center — will “serve as a research hub for […]
Robotics will be a pivotal economic driver of the future. Robotics could be Polk County’s next boon business, but it also could have the opposite effect, pushing some people out of their jobs. The Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA ranks third among large metro areas vulnerable to automation, according to Brookings Institution report called “Automation and Artificial […]
Three famed architects have their work on display in very public places in Polk County, giving local residents a chance to marvel at the success they found, inspiring others and beautifying our landscape in the process. Their names are familiar to many: Frank Lloyd Wright, Gene Leedy and Santiago Calatrava. Let’s take a closer look […]
CNC Cabinetry, a manufacturer and distributor of kitchen cabinets, countertops, bathroom vanities and vanity tops, moves to Central Florida in a big way. The new facility, a 110,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehousing facility in Davenport, is a huge step forward for the nationally known company headquartered in New Jersey. “We are pleased to welcome the new employer […]
Governor DeSantis could bring new support and enthusiasm for workforce training and development, something needed in Polk County and around Central Florida. “I have heard that he is an advocate for a strong economy, which means a strong workforce for vibrant business growth,” said Stacy Campbell-Domineck, president and CEO of CareerSource Polk, a “non-profit corporation […]
Strong, positive leadership focused on community as well as growth often propels local businesses to greatness, and such is the case with Citizens Bank & Trust. At the helm since 2001, President and CEO Greg Littleton has won the Banker’s Cup Award for his service to community and leadership. In addition, Citizens has been named […]
Residential growth is the fuel that’s adding to the Town of Dundee’s fire, and the small East Polk County town hopes retail and commercial development will follow. “Permit activity continues to grow and new houses are being built throughout the town,” said Town Manager Deena Ware. “This construction is viewed as a positive economic indicator […]
The new Advanced Mobility Institute at Florida Polytechnic University will be a game-changer in the autonomous vehicle (AV) field, and in doing so is expected to diversify and boost the economy of Polk County and Central Florida. In its infancy, the new Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI) is “a research institute focused on solving the problems […]
It’s no secret that the new Advanced Mobility Institute at Florida Polytechnic University plays a role in researching autonomous vehicles, or, as most of us know them, driverless cars. But its focus spans much further, researching and testing experimental unmanned and connected systems technology in agriculture, senior-citizen and planned communities, public transportation and more. And […]